The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Declaring the difference of ſundry mens teaching, with a direction for the entrance into the practiſe with thy weapons.
AS men of all arts trades and ſciences, differ in arte and workmanſhip, (as for example) all Phyſitions doe not vſe one kind of purgation, nor all Surgions one manner of ſalue, nor al writers write not alike, but to make a rehearſall of all artes it were too long, my meaning is ſo many men ſo many mindes, euen ſo in this art of defence as the number which are experienced in it is infinite, euen ſo ſeuerall faſhions doe exceede the number of infinite, if it were poſſible; for eueryevery man holdeth his opinion to be beſt in that faſhion which he hath been moſt vſed vntounto; although a man ſhew them many errours by good iudgement, yet it is as hard to withdraw them from their owne wil as it is to compell a Papiſt from his religion, which he hath been alwayes trained vp vntounto.
But the true skil of weapons once perfectly learned is neuer forgotten againe, for if any man were to fight for his life, as by a familiar example I will tell you of thoſe which hauehave been vnskilfull, yet hauehave had a ſuddaine occaſion to vſe their weapons, and euen then ſuddenly ſummoning vp their wits, what defence they ſhould vſe for the ſafegard of their liues, being ſo ſuddenly charged, doth not hee then as I ſaid remember himſelfe of the beſt defence, or the beſt trick, that euer was ſhewed him, for then is the time to ſtand him in ſtead, and then will vſe it, although he neuer plaid nor neuer practiſed in ſeauen yeeres before.
Nay further, he which neuer learned one tricke but what nature beſtowed, nor neuer had any other experience vſe nor practiſe at one weapon nor other, but onelyonly what he hath ſeene of others, by chance, where hee hath hapned to come: yet ſuch a one vponupon a preſent occaſion being vrged thereunto, will inſtantly cal to minde that ſuch a time and ſuch a time, I did ſee ſuch a man fight or play, and he was accounted a very good player, or a very tall man of his hands, and thus he lay or thus he defended himſelfe; Loe thus imitating for their defence that which they hauehave ſeene others doe before, another example which by experience I can ſpeake of, and that is of ſome which neuer did nor neuer could ſwim in all their liues, yet ſuch at ſometimes hauehave been in danger of drowning, by chāce falling ouer boord into the ſea, or into other deepe Riuers, where there was no hope of life but onelyonly by ſwimming, ſuch I ſay being put to their ſhifts, hauehave remembred themſelues in the water, and ſo by laboring themſelues I meane with their hands and their feet, ſo hauehave eſcaped and ſaued their liues. Now I ſay if eueryevery man before hand were grounded in skill with his weapons, & in the art of ſwimming when they were yong, then would either of them be the leſſe fearefull, for what is bred in the bone, will neuer out of the fleſh.
Yet here one example more; take a yong plant, and ſet him, and come againe within a month, and you may pull him vp with eaſe, but let him grow a yeere or two and he will be ſo deepe rooted in the ground, ſo that you cannot pull him vp for your heart, except you vſe other meanes; euen ſo of youth, if they giuegive their minds to good and laudable exerciſes when they are yong, it were great pitty that they ſhold want encouragement, whereby it might take roote; but if their minds be giuen to any idle or bad exerciſes, it were good then that it were pulled vp in time, before it hauehave taken any deep root. And ſo I will here leaue off, becauſe I ſhall hauehave occaſion hereafter to ſpeake concerning thoſe matters.