The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 12 · Fighting move 9
The croſſe guard.
CArry the point of your Dagger vpright, and the hilt ſo low as your girdle-ſtead, without putting your thumbe againſt the blade of your Dagger, but griping him faſt in your hand, and the point of your Rapier vnderunder your Dagger hand according to the picture.
Lying thus in your guard, your bellie or breaſt will ſeeme to be open or vnguarded, ſo that he will make no doubt but to ſpeede you in his firſt aſſault; but he charging you with a thruſt, for your defence, if it be aboue the girdle-ſtead, then carry your Dagger ſteady ouer your bodie, keeping the point vpright and beare him towards your right ſide, but in your defence, doe not turne the point of your Dagger downewards, but preſently bring him into his right place againe, and then vponupon his offer or making of play, if he charge you aboue the gerdle-ſtead, then defend it with the Dagger, and preſently ſteppe in with your left foote, and thruſt withall vntounto what part of his bodie you liſt; but if he charge you vnderunder the gerdle-ſtead, then defend it with your Rapier, ſtriking it downeward; now you muſt make your ſelfe ready to take your time of aduantage in your anſwering: I meane in the very motion of your enemies aſſault, defend and offend both with one time: if you both lie vponupon this guard, looking who ſhall make play firſt, then make you a ſhort thruſt, but preſently clap into your guard againe, and ſo you ſhall draw him to make play, and yet be firme and ready in your guard to take your greater aduantage, which muſt be done vponupon your enemies charge; for when he hath charged you with his thruſt, and you defended your ſelfe, as before-ſaide, then ſteppe in with your left foote to anſwer his aſſault, preſently vponupon your defence. Now if your enemy lying in this guard, and wil not make play, then the beſt aduantage which you hauehave of your enemy, is charging him (in a manner) as it were with a wriſt or a dropping blow to his face, breaſt, or knee, putting it in ſlope wiſe, by turning your knuckles inward, and when it is lighted on the place which you determine to hit; then thruſt it home withall, and this thruſt being put in ſlope wiſe, is the beſt thruſt to hit him which lieth in the croſſe guard, and the defender muſt be ready and nimble with his Dagger for his defence; or otherwiſe to be preuented: but for a ſtroake, or a fore-right plaine thruſt, it is with more eaſe defended by him which hath the perfectneſſe of this guard, then it is by lying in anie other guard.
Now if your enemy doe lie on this croſſe guard, you may proffer a fained thruſt at his breaſt, and preſently put it into his Dagger ſhoulder on the out-ſide of his dagger arme: this falſe thruſt may be defended with a quicke bringing backe of the Dagger againe: but then the defender muſt not ouer carry his dagger to defend the falſe thruſt, yet hee muſt carry him againſt eueryevery offer.
Another defence belonging to this guard is lying in this croſſe guard, if your enemy charge you vnderunder the gerdle-ſtead with a thruſt, ſtrike it by with your Rapier, by letting fall your Rapier point towards the ground; but if it come aboue, then defend it with your Dagger, as before, but do not carry your Dagger aboue halfe a foote; for if you ouer-carry your Dagger, you may be endangered by the falſe play. Againe, if you make the firſt proffer, and your enemy lying in this guard, then, ſo ſoone as you hauehave made your thruſt at him, preſently let fall the point of your Rapier to the ground-ward, lifting vp your Rapier hand, and defend his anſwere with your Rapier, by ſtriking it outward, I meane towards your right hand, ſo that his thruſt may goe cleare on your right ſide, for your Dagger will not defend your enemies anſwere ſo well as your Rapier, eſpecially vponupon this guard.
Many hauehave had a good opinion of the ſtokata gard, but (in my minde) it is more weariſome vntounto the bodie, and not ſo defenſiue for the body, as the firſt gard following the firſt Picture; my reaſons are theſe, the hilt and rapier hand being borne ſo farre back behind the bodie, it cannot defend a blow, for the blow will light before you can beare out your rapier to beare the blow backe ſword-way, as it ſhould be done, neither can the Rapier defend a falſe thruſt, and a falſe thruſt muſt be defended with the Rapier onelie: Alſo the point of the Rapier being borne ſo lowe as this guard reſtraineth them, the face and breaſt lieth open, or elſe vntounto a ſingle defence which is not ſure; therefore keepe two ſtrings to thy bowe, it is ſafe riding at two anchors a head, but if a man were put to an extreamitie, then it were better to hauehave halfe a loafe then no bread, better to defend it ſingle, then to take it on the skinne, and ſo I will with words deſcribe this guard, and ſome other.