The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The cauſe of quarrells, and what preparation you ought to be prepared with to anſwer a challenge.
DIſſention, quarrells, and murther growes many times vponupon ſmall occaſions, yea ſo ſmall, that when it commeth to the eares and to bee diſputed vponupon amongſt the the wiſe, when they hauehave skand it ouer yeelds vp their verdit, ſaying ſuch and ſuch are fallen out for the value of a ruſh, and ſuch and ſuch hauehave killed one another for iuſt nothing, is not heere more madneſſe?Be wel aduiſed before thou do paſſe thy word, for a man will be as good as his word, for a man will be as good as his word, if it do coſt him his life: for it is a cowards tricke to crie peccaui, or leaſt in ſight the next morning. yet I will not ſay but at one time or another a mans reputation may be ſo neerly touched, that it cannot ſtand with his credit to pocket it vp, although it be made vponupon drinke, for indeed the pot is the chief cauſe almoſt of all quarrells, yet being wronged, it can not ſtand with a mans credite, to keepe his weapon in his ſheathe; neyther doe I counſell all men to pocket vp all iniuries which ſome will proffer them, but to anſwer a good quarrell, not onelyonly with words but with deeds, as followeth, for the further inſtruction. Whoſo is honourably challenged vntounto ſingle combate, the challenged may make choice of his weapon, and likewiſe of the time when, and of the place where.
Likewiſe, the challenged may chooſe to fight on foote or on horſe backe, which for his beſt aduantage hee ſhall thinke fitteſt: now alſo the challenged is to conſider well the qualitie of the Challenger, that thereby hee may make the better prouiſion of ſuch furniture as may ſerue for his owne defence, and likewiſe to terrifie and hurt the challenger.
Now, if the challenger be chollericke and haſtie, then charge thy poynt directly vponupon him, that if hee preaſe vponupon thee, he may come vponupon his own death: but before thou goeſt into the field, diſcharge thy duty and conſcience towards God, aſwell as in weapons, for thy beſt aduantage, otherwiſe it can not chooſe but be to thy body dangerous, and vntounto thy ſoule doubtfull, and a moſt principall note is this to be obſerued, for thou art not ſure whether euer thou ſhalt returne againe or neuer.
Remember your skill, when you are at play, or in fight, for I hauehave knowne many, when their fight and play is ended, they doe remember, that with this tricke, or with that tricke they might hauehave defended themſelues, and either hurt or diſgraced their enemy, but many (through madneſſe and fury) remember it not till it be too late.
If you be both skilfull in the falſe play, then I hold it good for both to play vponupon the true play, for it booteth but little to vſe falſe play to one that knowes how to proffer it, and how to defend it; for it is ill halting before a Cripple, yet I will not ſay but the beſt of all may be deceiued by falſe play, but eſpecially falſe play may ſtand thee in great ſtead, vponupon thoſe which are not come vntounto the ful perfection of knowledge: Againe, one may hauehave skil in one kind of falſe play, but not in all.
Now whether thy enemy be skilfull or not, it is a very eaſie matter to know ſo ſoone as hee beginneth to charge his weapon, if thou haddeſt no former knowledge before hand. If two crafty knaues meete at dice, if either of them ſhift in falſe dice, the other will perceiue it preſently, and ſo they will know each other to be gameſters, but they will giuegive ouer the ſooner, with ſmall loſſe each to other, referring themſelues to their better fortunes, and hoping to meete with eaſier gameſters; euen ſo I wiſh all men, if they perceiue themſelues to be hardly matched, the wiſer of them to yeelde vponupon compoſition, after reaſonable triall made each one of the other, before any great hurt be done; for the beſt man that euer breathed, hath, and may meete with his equall: and when two good men meete, the conqueſt will be hardly and dangerouſly ended on the one ſide, except Diſcretion be a mediator to take vp the matter, before it come to the worſt, if by friends it be not ended before hand; but if thou canſt hurt thy enemy, yes, although it be but a little, or vnarme him of his weapon, which thou mayeſt very eaſily doe, if thou doe fight with good diſcretion. And eyther of theſe are accounted for a victorie; alſo, take this for a generall rule alwayes, keepe thy bodie within compaſſe of true Defence, conſidering otherwiſe, that the danger is great in that part of the bodie which lieth moſt diſcouered, and is neareſt vntounto thine enemie.
Now when thy enemy doth aſſault thee, and is lifting vp his weapon to diſcharge at thee, be not then to prepare thy Defence, but be ready before hand to defend eueryevery part of thy bodie, according to my directions, as when you come to it you ſhall ſee more plainely. For thou doſt not know before hand where the blow will light: As ſhrinking vp of ſhoulders is no payment of debts, no more will winking or blinking defend thy carkaſſe, as thoſe which hauehave no skil will winke: therefore, againe, and againe, I ſay, bee prepared with skill before hand. Moſt ſure it is the blow muſt hauehave his fall: but at eueryevery weapon I hauehave ſhewed how to defend it, therefore the Defender muſt bee well experienced before hand with his defence, at ſuch a weapon as he meaneth vſually to carrie, that when the blow doth light, thou mayeſt bee in thy defence, not to defend thine enemies blowe onelyonly, but alſo to anſwere him againe in the time of aduantage, for a quicke anſwer ſheweth good cunning. Nor to know the true place for the holding of of thy weapon, that is not all, but alwayes ſo long as thou art within thy enimies danger continue them in their place, except it be at the very inſtant time when thou goeſt about to offend thine enemy, and that muſt be done with a very good diſcretion, and thy weapon muſt bee recouered vp againe into his place nimbly. Now if thy enemy doe diſcouer ſome part of his body, that, to thy ſeeming, lieth very open, yet be not too haſtie in offering play, though the baite be neuer ſo faire, bite not at it too raſhly or vnaduiſedly, leſt like the fooliſh Fiſh you be taken with the hooke which lieth couered with the baite; for if your enemy finde your weapon or weapons out of the place of true defence, yea if it be but an inch too high, or too lowe, too wide, or too narrow, it is aſmuch as concerneth thy life: if thou be matched with one that is skilfull, neuer ouerlay thy ſelfe with a heauy weapon, for nimbleneſſe of bodie, and nimbleneſse of weapon are two chiefe helpes for thy aduantage in play. Againe, and againe I ſay, ſtrike not one blow in fight, at what weapon ſoeuer thou fighteſt withall, except it be a wriſt blowe, and that you may aſwell doe with a rapier, as with a ſword, for a wriſt blow conſumeth but a little time, yet better vſe no blowe at all, but continually, thruſt after thruſt: for (in my minde) hee is a man ignorant and very vnvnskilfull that will bee hurt with a blow, and if thou make an aſſault vponupon thy enemy doe not tarry by it, to maintaine it, for in making the aſſault diſtance is broken, wherefore recouer backe into your guard and diſtance againe ſo ſoone as you can, and alwayes let your ees be on your enemies face, and not altogether on the point, then you may be deceiued, by the ſwift motion of the hand, for the motion of the hand is ſwifter then the eye or foot, many will ſet their eyes vponupon their enemies point, or vpō his hand for the auoiding of this error, the beſt remedy is daily exerciſe and practiſe one with another, and to play with more then one, otherwiſe thou wilt neuer come vntounto true defēce for it is good to be acquainted with eueryevery mans faſhion, for that tricke which will hit one will not hit another, and therefore be well experienced not onelyonly in the true play but in the falſe; I meane for the defence and offence of both, that if thou canſt not preuaile with the one then vſe the other: yet take heed of haſty aduenturing in, leaſt thou with the fooliſh bird which flyeth into the lime buſh, and being in, the more ſhe ſtriueth, the faſter ſhe is; then make no more haſt then good ſpeed, leaſt thou be taken in thy owne folly, for many times haſte maketh waſte: if thou ſhooteſt at a marke if the marke be neuer ſo faire, yet if thou ſhoot haſtily without diſcretion, thou maiſt oftner miſſe then hit; alſo I doe aduiſe thee not to determine to anſwer eueryevery thruſt or blow home which thy enemy doth aſſault thee with; but to anſwer it ſomthing ſhort vntill thou perceiue whether he hauehave any falſe play or not, otherwiſe if thou make thy anſwer home, he may deceiue thee by falſe play: now if both be experienced in the true play and falſe then you might continue in fight a whole day, if it were poſſible to endure ſo long and hauehave no hurt: if thou hauehave a cloſe hilted dagger and a rapier, I hold them more ſurer then a ſword and dagger, but with the skilfull there is no danger in either of them; againe in fight a man need not vſe halfe the skil which he may learne, the ſecond point of hawking is to holde faſt, and the ſecond and chiefeſt point in this exerciſe is to learne to defend thy ſelfe, and to vſe it when thou haſt occaſion, then remember where about thou art.
And let no illuſions cauſe thee to looke about thee when thou art within thy enemies diſtance, leaſt hee take the aduantage when thou doſt not ſee him, or before thou be aware, as many doe: for after when thou haſt the wound, it is but a folly for thee to ſay, I had thought he would not hauehave ſtrucken me ſo cowardly: I remember a tale as I heard out of Germany, thus it was, the Maſter and vſher of a ſchool had vponupon occaſion appointed the field, and their weapon was each of them a two handed ſword, and meeting at the place appointed, ſaid the Maſter thou art not ſo good as thy word, the Vſher asked him why; marry ſaid he thou promiſeſt to bring no body with thee, and yet looke yonder what a number of people are comming towards thee, the vſher no ſooner looked about, but the Maſter ſmote off his head, and afterwards meeting with ſome of his friends ſaid, I hauehave taught my man a new tricke this morning ſaid he, which he neuer learned before. Loe thus he killed him by policy, but it it was no manly tricke, neither doe I commend this manner of murther: in my mind the Maſter had been better that he had denied to goe into the field with his man, then to hauehave ſuch a clog of murther vponupon his conſcience by killing of him, by what meanes or policy ſoeuer; for eueryevery one ought to remember that he muſt not take vengeance, when and where he may, ſo oft as an inury is profered him, concerning this there is a good example to bee imitated by ſtrong beaſts which neuer turne againe when little curs runne barking after them, for the mighty or skilfull ought to vſe their power moderately, for ſo they may the better vſe continually, for although fighting be the triall of cunning and skill in weapons, and many men thereby prooue their force, and yet afterwards become great frinds, for fighting is nothing dangerous being both wary and skilfull: but now in my mind much deceiued are thoſe which thinke that a quarrell begunne with words cannot he ended but with weapons, but my opinion is that ſo long as no blowes paſſe but onelyonly words, yet words are the cauſe of many quarrells, for words will ſting worſe then a nettle, and pricke deeper then a thorne, and cut more keener then a ſword, yet for all that let wiſedome and reaſon guide thy hand and after you hauehave croſſe one another with two or three croſſe words, then fall into a ciuill kind of reaſoning the matter, and not in fury ſuffering it to grow into any further quarrell, for a little ſparke at the firſt is eaſily quenched, euen ſo vponupon the drinking of a cup of wine or a pipe of Tobacco, or vponupon ſuch a light matter of no importance many a quarrell is begun; now in ſuch a caſe I would wiſh the wiſer of the two in his good diſcretion, to yeeld firſt, and ſo to end it without further grudging, for reaſonable ſpeeches may be a full ſatisfaction where a ſmall offence is committed.
But now if one of the parties in a ſtubborne frowardneſſe will not yeeld but rather goe into the field with a deſire to kill the other, now if there be neuer a one of them wiſe, murther is committed and at leiſure repented: but he which firſt beginneth the quarrell, or giueth the firſt box on the eare, raſhly or vnaduiſedly, vponupon a ſmall matter as aforeſaid, is worthy and well deſerueth to be anſwered againe with three, or elſe with the baſtinado. And to match with this I will tell you a tale of a Frier, who in his ſermon ſaid if one giuegive thee a blow on the one eare, turne the other and take another, and a luſty ſeruingman hearing him, after the ſermon was ended, hee came vntounto the Frier and ſaid, ſir you made a good Sermon, but yet in my mind there was ſmall reaſon in one leſſon that you gaue vsus, what was that ſaid the Frier, marry quoth the ſeruing-man that if one giuegive me a blow on the eare, I ſhould turne the other, and take another: why ſaith the frier the Scripture commaundeth vsus ſo to doe, but quoth the ſeruing man will you follow the ſcripture herein, yes marry that I will ſaid the Frier, with that the ſeruing-man vp with his fiſt and gaue him a good boxe on the eare; the frier turned the other, and tooke another, but now ſaith the Scripture (quoth the Frier) looke what you would hauehave others do to you, doe the like to them; looke what meaſure you meate, the like meaſure ſhall be meaſured to you againe, with heape and thruſt, and running ouer, and with that the Frier tooke a good crab-tree cudgell and beat the ſeruing-man well fauouredly, and ſo to our former matter againe. Doth eueryevery blow that is giuen deſerue the anſwering in the field, I ſay not but firſt requite the blow againe, as before ſaid, for I hauehave valued the rate of the firſt beginner ſo low as may be, for he is worthy to be requited, not in the ſame manner, but in a more open faſhion, requite the boxe againe, and then being equalled of the firſt wrong; let him which beganne the game reckon of his penny-worths, and if in caſting vp his reckoning hee finde himſelfe a looſer, let him ſit downe by his loſſe, and learne to make a wiſer bargaine an other time; but if it cannot be ſo ended, then it muſt be anſwered otherwiſe as occaſion ſhall ſerue.
Now if the lie be giuen before you grow into choller with a raſh fooliſh fellow; firſt, conſider in what caſe the party is, which giueth the lie, before thou ſtrike; for in drinke or in furie I hauehave ſeene one giuegive the lie, which would not hauehave done it at an other time, I meane when hee had his right wittes about him. Well, but ſay a man, at ſuch time, and in ſuch a caſe, doe giuegive the lie, ſome mad heads will ſay, that it deſerueth the ſtabbe preſently;Therefore doe not that to day which may bee repented of to morrow. but I neuer knew any man ſtabbe or kill another, vponupon what occaſion ſoeuer, but he was ſorie for it afterwards:That mariner is not to be commended which getteth his cunning by many ſhip-wreckes; nor that man is not to be praiſed for his gouernement which getteth it by his puniſhment, which he hath for the killing of two or three men.
Now, vponupon the receiuing the lie, if the ſtabbe be not giuen, ſome giddie headed kill-calues will ſay, that ſuch a man tooke the lie, and did not anſwere it with a ſtabbe, wherefore hee is a coward; but now I ſay, and this is my opinion, he ſheweth the beſt wit, and moſt valour, which ſeeing a man out of the way, (as we terme it) will giuegive a milde and a quiet anſwere vntounto a froward queſtion: alſo the wiſer ſort will commend the patience of him that can beare with one that is paſt reaſon; for all men know, that hee which committeth murther, will afterwards wiſh with bitter reares, that hee had conquered his affections, and ſtayed his handes, I meane, if there be any ſparke of grace at all in him; and the firſt which ſtriketh, many times looſeth his life, therefore though thou cannot rule thy tongue, yet hauehave a care to rule thy hands before a miſchiefe be done, for hee which committeth murther, when hee commeth to examination, it is but a ſimple excuſe to ſay, The other gaue mee the lie, and called me knaue, and I could not brooke it. There is a prety example, and worth the noting concerning ſuch a matter (as I hauehave heard it) and thus it was. A Iudge ſitting in iudgement againſt a murderer, who anſwered for himſelfe ſaying, and it pleaſe you my Lord, hee gaue mee the lie, and called mee knaue. Why ſaid the Iudge, wilt thou kill a man for that? call me knaue, and giuegive me the lie: the Iudge being importunate, in the end, the murtherer ſaid, You are a knaue, and you do lie; then the Iudge tooke the skirt of his coate and ſhooke it, and ſaid, Lord, now what am I the worſe? but euerie man can not be ſo patient: although ſome will keepe company ſeauen yeares, and yet neuer giuegive any cauſe of quarrell: yet ſome againe will vponupon a little drinke, or vponupon a ſmall occaſion quarrell, ſwagger and fight almoſt in euerie company they come into; there is a Prouerbe goeth, He which hath an ill name, is halfe hanged: Before he commeth to the Barie, another Prouerbe touching our former matter ſaith, Hee which is accounted for an earely riſer, may lie a bed till eleauen of the clocke: euen ſo hee which hath tried his manhoode, afterwards the world will iudge and ſay, that he is a man of his hands, and that he dare fight vponupon a good occaſion; but if he make a common occupation of fighting, hee will then bee accounted for a common quarreller, and his friends will refuſe his company many times for doubt of his quarrelling, and yet hee ſhall neuer be accounted, more then a man againe. Hee which is quarrelſome ſhall oftentimes meete with his match; but if a tried fellow doe at ſometimes forbeare when hee is wronged or challenged, the wiſer ſort will neuer account the worſe manhoode in him; therefore except it be vponupon a moſt open and great abuſe, let Patience be thy buckler, and a faire tongue thy ſword, and alwayes hauehave a care in the beginning what wilbe the end; for a miſchiefe ſometimes happeneth in an houre which happeneth not in ſeauen yeares againe, but Oh thrice happie were that man, which towards the latter end of his dayes, can without a paire of lying lips ſay, I thanke my God, I neuer bare malice, nor I neuer iniuriouſly wronged any man, in thought, word, or deed in all my life.