The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, To the reader 2 – Table of contents
¶ VntoUnto all Profeſſors of the Noble and worthie Art of Defence I ſend greeting.
MOſt noble brethren by profeſſion, and brethren in Chriſt by Religion, wiſhing all health and happines to all them of the noble Art or Science of Defence; and as your profeſſion is noble, ſo in brotherly louelove, I doe earneſtly requeſt you all to vſe it in that noble faſhion, as the name or title requires, the rather, & for becauſe you are men, not onelyonly noted and talked of, but often looked on and more pointed at, then any other ordinary men are, of what profeſſion ſoeuer. Alſo it is the worlds wonder, to ſet a man of ciuill gouernement vſing this profeſſion herefore I pray you conſider with me alittle, that we are as a Beacon ſet on a hill, or like a candle in a candleſticke; then let not your candle be made with a great wike, and no tallow, but let him be ſo mixt with both, that your light may ſo ſhine before men, that they ſeeing your diſcreet gouernement and good behauiour may (by your good examples) reforme many ill infirmities which they ſee in themſelues. Alas, I pray you conſider and remember, that as the tree groweth, ſo he falleth; we are not borne for our ſelues, but for our Countrie: and if we doe no good, though wee doe no harme, then better it were that wee had neuer beene borne. The figge tree in the Goſpell, is ſaid to trouble the ground, becauſe he bare no fruite, and therefore better an addle Egge then an ill Bird; for a good and a godly life, hath a good and a godly end, and an vngodly life hath an vngodly end: and therefore moſt happie dieth that man, of whom the world doubteth not of his ſaluation, although the world is giuen to ſpeake well and charitably of the wicked when they are dead, and yet it may be they thinke in their mindes they are gone to hell; then call to minde, and wiſely conſider of this, and alſo of your end, and in what great ieopardie your liues ſtand; for he that to day is well, luſtie, and ſtrong, may the next day, nay, the next houre, hauehave his life taken ſodainely from him at vnawares, when he leaſt thinketh on is, for many of this profeſsion doe not liue out halfe their daies, for there is many waies to bring a man to his end, ſome by quarrelling when they hauehave no cauſe, and ſo are ſtabbed ſodainely, and ſome by drunkenneſſe, as you ſhall heare anone; for I could write of many which came to their ends, and yet died not all in their beddes, nor all in the warres, nor all at the gallowes, and yet many of them hauehave gone theſe waies: for there are wicked and euill angells which are the wayters, and doe attend vponupon an vngodly life, for Death reſpecteth no maner of perſon, for be doth aſſault the skilfull ſo well as the ignorant, the wiſe ſo well as the fooliſh, and therefore it is good for euerie man to bee prepared and in a readineſſe, and then hee neede not to feare to ſay, Come Lord Ieſus, come quickely; to day or to morrow, or when thou wilt, and with what manner of death ſoeuer, ſo it come by thine appointment.
And now (for examples ſake) I thinke it not amiſſe to renew your remembrance with the death of ſome few of the Noble Science, becauſe I hauehave knowne their ends; and firſt, to beginne with that one of maiſter Turner, which ſhould be the laſt, he did not ſo ſpeedily kill Iohn Dun, with a thruſt in the eie, but he was as ſoone murthered afterwards, with a ſhotte of a Piſtoll; for neither of them, after they had their deaths wound, ſpake one word; loe, by this you may ſee, that ſome hawkes are but a flight, and ſome horſes are killed with a tournie, and a man is but a ſhotte; but now, by reaſon that Maiſter Turner, by his vnluckie hand, thruſt out two or three eies, and becauſe none others are knowne to doe the like, it bath therefore bred an admiration in the ignorant and vulgare ſort, inſomuch, that generally they doe applaude him with this commendation, ſaying that hee hath not left the like behinde him, nor neuer will be the like againe: But this is a great errour in thinking ſo, and farre deceiued are they; for I well knew Maiſter Turner by familiar acquaintance, and therefore (to ſpeake the right) he was a worthy fellow and deſerued well, but yet I know many which can goe ſo neare the eie as euer he could doe, if they ſo liſted, as in this booke you ſhall ſee many falſe thruſts at ſeuerall weapons, which may endanger any mans eies, if thoſe which learne them doe carry enuious mindes, or if they were deſirous to worke a man ſuch a miſchiefe, but God forbid that any man ſhould be ſo ill minded. I will not ſay, but that by chaunce ſuch a thing may be done, and ſo it may bee that Maiſter Turner did it more by chaunce, without any intention; for ſo ſome do iudge of it: but if a man choppe a thruſt at the face, yet, by chaunce, he may hit the eye: for no man is certaine, that with the firſt thruſt he will hit the eie, but with proffering many, by chance he may: now the vſe which we ought to make of this, is, to aduiſe all men to take heed that they beare not a killing heart, for then we ſhall hauehave no killing hand, as that example more of Henry Adlington for killing his Maiſter Iohn Deuell, was hanged: Furlong he drunke a pinte of Aqua vitae at one draught, and he fell downe and died preſently: Weſtcoat, for ſome vnkindneſſe receiued of his owne daughter, he went into a wood neare Perine in Cornewall, and there hanged himſelfe: Richard Caro, hee died moſt miſerably of the French diſeaſe in an olde houſe neare Plimmouth, although he had a new ſuite of clothes from toppe to toe, yet hee was ſo loathſome a creature, that no bodie would let him harbour in his houſe, for part of his body was rotten and ſtuncke aboue ground: alſo old Carter of Worceſter lay along time ſicke of a lingering diſeaſe, and being worne away to nothing but skinne and bones, hee died in his bed: and ſo of many more I could write, but it is not my intention to write a Chronicle, and therefore theſe few ſhall ſerue for this time, I wrote it but onelyonly to put you in minde, that you may ſo leade your liues daily and hourely, as if Death were euen at your heeles, and ſo to liue as though you ſhould liue for euer, alwayes keeping ſomething for a rainie day, as ſaith the Prouerbe, that is to ſay, for ſickeneſſe, if God doe ſend it, and for olde age when your aking bones doe refuſe to performe that labour which the heart willing to ſet them to.
Therefore I would wiſh eueryevery one, in his youth, to prouide and get himſelfe a homely home, and to ſettle in one good towne or other, for a rowling ſtone gathereth no Moſſe; the Graſhopper cannot liue but in the graſſe, and the Salamander dieth if hee goe out of the fire: therefore, ſpend not thy time in trauell from place to place, but keepe thy homely home, and there beginne thy pending as thou maieſt continue, cutting thy coate according to thy cloth, and not ſpending all at one time, and hauehave nothing at an other to ſerue thy turne, as many of all Profeſſion do.
Wherefore, you yong branches of this noble Art of Defence, of you I meane to ſpeake, and vntounto you I doe make this earnest request, that you will beſtow all your idle time, which too too many ſpend in idle companie, and in drunkenneſſe, ſuch ill ſpent time, I could wiſh, that it were either beſtowed in reading of good bookes, or in giuing good counſell vntounto ſuch yong men as doe frequent your company, teaching them beſides skill with weapons, how to manage their weapons, and how, and when to appoint the field, but not vponupon eueryevery drunken quarrell, and chiefly of all, charging them from profaning the Sabboth day, drunkenneſſe, and all other vices belonging thereunto, which makes their white ſoules ſo blacke as incks, ſtinking before God as it were the ſmoake of ſulphure and brimſtone: and thus doing will purchaſe you, not onelyonly the louelove of God, but likewiſe of all the world, and your good report will be in eueryevery mans mouth, yea it will goe before you in your trauells, like as with an Herauld of Armes, or elſe like a ſpeedy Poſte, ouertake you whereſoeuer you goe, whereas on the contrary ſide, thoſe which doe ſpend their dayes in drunkenneſſe, and leading their liues laſciuiouſly one miſfortune or other happeneth vntounto them, eyther by the loſſe of a limbe, or by the loſſe of an eie, or by the loſſe of their liues.
For I hauehave knowne many very skilfull men not only of this Profeſſion, but likewiſe of others, which delight in vngodlineſſe, drunkenneſſe; and being put to triall in their Art or Profeſſion, they hauehave receiued diſgrace and lost the day, and they afterwards hauehave thought that they made at good excuſe, in ſaying that they were in drinke when they went about their buſineſſe, and yet it may be it was not ſo, but admit it was ſo, then is it meere madnes, that any man ſhould be ſo fooliſh in taking too much drinke when before hand hee knoweth this is the day, wherein I am to ſtand vponupon my credite; now becauſe I know, that many will reade this beſides thoſe vntounto whom it is dedicated: therefore I wiſh all men, of what Profeſsion ſoeuer, to make this reckoning (as aforeſaid) eueryevery day, and not to be forgetfull of that which hee ſhould chiefly remember; for eueryevery day one time of the day or other thou mayst be put ſo to thy ſhifts, and thereby hauehave an occaſion to ſommon vp all thy wittes, and driuen to vſe thy beſt skill, and yet all little enough to ſerue thy turne.
Wherefore vntounto you which this any way may concerne, I wiſh you to apply your ſelues vntounto your Profeſsion, and ſtill to be ſtudying and practiſing the true and perfect rules belonging both to the true and falſe play, especially vntounto ſuch weapons as you are not growne vntounto the full perfection before hand, if they may ſerue eyther for the warres or for ſingle combate.
Be not wiſe in thine owne conceit, in thinking that thou hast learned all the skill which is poſsible to be learned already , farre deceiued art thou if thou thinke ſo, for if thou liue till thou art olde, yet thou mayest learne ſtill, for one guard croſſeth another, and the falſe play croſſeth the true play; there are many ſecret ſlippes and guards to be inuented, and one guard or one tricke may more ſteade thee, and more preuaile against ſome men then another; for when with plaine play, thou canst not endanger thy enemy, yet with falſe play thou mayest hit him, for although thy enemy doe know the defence of ſome manner of falſe play, yet it may be he is not acquainted, neither with the defence nor offence of thine, for there it more wayes to the wood then one, and hee which knoweth many wayes, may goe the nearest.
Euen ſo, he that knoweth many guards, and the true skill at many weapons may be the better able to anſwere any ſtowt bragging forreiner or ſtranger when they come with their challenges into our country, let them be of what nation ſoeuer, and at what weapons they will, and vponupon what tearmes they dare, as hitherto they hauehave beene ſufficiently anſwered during my time, by Maiſter Mathews, Maiſter Turner, Maister Bradſhaw, and Maister Yates; for theſe chiefly ſtoode to ſtake against all commers, and yet I can not chuſe but remember Maister Church, and Maister Brentley, who of this latter time hane deſerued to be well reported of, and for aught that I could euer heare or ſee anie get at any of their hands, they hauehave ſmall cauſe to bragge of their winning, for they alwayes went away with ſhrewd ſhrubs and knockes, I meane with blacke eyes, broken ſhinnes, or crackt pates; but of my ſelfe I will ſay little, becauſe the world is ſufficiently ſatisfied of more then at this time I meane to write of now, although the ignorant can not anſwer them for want of skill and iudgement, yet they will reioyce and clap their hands to ſee them anſwered by ſufficient and able men of valour and iudgement.
Now if any ſhould aske my reaſon, why ſome ſhould hauehave ſuch good fortune, and other ſome diſgraced, and yet by the worlds iudgement their skill equall; becauſe you ſhall not muſt long about it, I will quickely tell you my opinion, good gouernement and good carriage is the maine point thereof, yet me thinkes amongst the vulgar ſort I heare ſome ſay, becauſe two or three famous fellowes are dead, that there will neuer be the like againe: but farre deceiued are they which thinke ſo, for there hath not beene ſo good, but there may come ſo good againe: for as yet I neuer knew any man but he hath mette with his match, and therefore I wiſh eueryevery one not to preſume one ſteppe the higher, for any gift that God beſtoweth on thee, neither to thinke thy ſelfe better then any man, though there are ſome which, for want of diſcretion, will diſable others, onelyonly to magnifie themſelues, and thinking thereby to make the world beleeue there is none ſo good as they. Loe, this is the cauſe of many quarrells, and ſometimes murthers: Therefore ſpeake not euill behinde the backe of anie man, nor dispraiſe no mans play nor workemanſhip, be it neuer ſo ſimple, doe not like other Tradeſmen, which cannot liue one by another, but with a kinde of grudging hatred, as the Hatter against the Hatter, the Shoomaker againſt the Shoomaker, and the Tailer would euen hang the Tailer by his good will, and ſo of all Trades the like; but I would gladly wiſh it otherwiſe of all Trades, but eſpecially of this Profeſsion, to be louing and kinde one to another, meeting together in their trauells, and like Birds of a feather holde together, and in brotherly louelove embrace one another, and let it not be from the teeth outward, but from the heart inward, for you ſhall hauehave many others which will vndermine you, and creepe into your ſecrets, and ſo runne betwixt one another with tattling tales, onelie to ſet you together by the eares, and then laugh at you when they hauehave done: Loe, thus an euill tongue is the cauſe of many a mans death: wherefore leaue and forſake all euill vices, though you feare not man in respect of your manhoode, yet feare to offend God for doubt of his iudgements, which vndoubtedly lighteth vponupon all thoſe that careleſly forget him.
For, as the greatest honour that euer came to man, was through skill in weapons, and the greateſt downe-fall that euer came to man, was through pride of his manhoode, and in neglecting his duety towardes God: wherefore, as you worthily carrie the ſtile or title of Maisters of Defence by your Profeſsion, then be the ſame yon ſeeme to be, I meane, neuer leaue ſtudying and practiſing till you come to the ground, and vntill you hauehave ſounded into the depth of your Art, for there are manie other principall points belonging to the warres, beſides, march, troupe, charge, and ſtand; euen ſo vntounto a Maister of Defence belongeth the skill of many other weapons, beſides backe-ſword, ſword and dagger, rapier and dagger, and the ſtaffe: for, if hee bee not prouided with the skill of many other weapons, hee may be to ſeeke of his defence, if hee ſhould be challenged vntounto ſome other weapons which hee is vnacquainted withall.
Then hee is not worthie to be called a Maister of Defence, which cannot defend himſelfe at all weapons, especially againſt euerie ordinarie man not profeſsing the Art of Defence, nor except hee can play with a Lyon, as well as with a Lambe, and ſometimes againe to play the Lambe ſo well as the Lyon; for hee that can not tell when to ſpare, and when to ſtrike; and hee which cannot defend himſelfe, cannot teach others to defend themſelues, nor is hee not worthy to be called a Maister of Defence, but he that can doe it is worthie of that title; and therefore greatly wronged of them which will call ſuch a one a Fencer, for the difference betwixt a Maister of Defence, and a Fencer, is as much as betweene a Muſitian and a Fidler, or betwixt a Merchant and a Pedler; it will not well pleaſe a Merchant to be called Pedler, yet the Merchant ſelleth the like wares as the Pedler doth: Is therefore a Merchant and a Pedler all one? No more is eueryevery Fencer a Maister of Defence; nor euerie Fidler hath not skill in Pricke-ſong, and therefore no Muſitian; if a man hauehave but tenne ſhillings worth of Pinnes, Points, and Inckle, hee may then be called a Pedler, but hee that hath a hundred ſortes of wares, ſhall ſcarce get the name to be called a Merchant, no more can hee which hath gotten a little more skill at three or foure weapons then euerie common man, yet hee may be to ſeeke of the true skill of many other weapons which belong vntounto a Maiſter of Defence.
Yet one thing more, which I had almoſt forgotten; vntounto Schollers and vntounto Vſhers of Schooles of this Proſeſsion, proffer no wrong to your Maisters neither in word nor deed, nor deny not your Tutors, but beare a heartie louelove vntounto him which hath brought you from nothing to ſomething, from a ſhadow vntounto a ſubstance; Let not the Priest forget that hee was a Clarke. I hauehave knowne many Schollers ſo good as their Maister, and (it may be) better, according to the Prouerbe, A man may make his owne dogge bite him; but in my minde, ſuch a dogge is worthy of a rope: make the application as you ſee occaſion. For I hauehave knowne many an vngratefull knaue eſcape the gallowes, by the meanes of an honest minded man; yet ſuch a knaue (vponupon ſmall or no occaſion) hath afterwards gone about to hang ſuch a friend if he could, euen ſo ſome young lustie Schollers, when they hauehave gotten perfect skill, for lacke of witte, would offer to wrong their aged Maister, if they could: It is not ſtrange to finde one ſcabbed ſheepe in a whole flocke; nor it is no newes amongest many honest men, to finde a treacherous varlet, voyde of all honestie, feare, and witte. Now hauing no warrant to force you to follow my counſell, but onelyonly in brotherly louelove, I thought good to request you, and euerie of you, to amend one; and God amend vsus all, he I meane, whoſe Seate is in Heauen, and whoſe Foote-ſtoole is the Earth.
Your well-willing friend, Ioſeph Swetnam.
A Table of the Contents.
1. THe firſt Chapter ſhewing what weapons are chiefly to bee learned, with other principall notes worthy of memory.
2. The ſecond declareth the difference of ſundry mens teaching, with other directions.
3. Three fearefull examples of murder.
4. The fourth Chapter ſheweth vntounto whom skill belongeth, alſo the fruits of drunkenneſſe.
5. The cauſe of quarrels, and with what preparation you ought to be prepared withall to anſwer a challenge.
6. This Chapter ſheweth diuers reaſons or introductions to bring thee the better into thy weapon.
7. This Chapter ſheweth that feare and fury are both enemies vntounto true valour.
8. And this Chapter ſheweth how the vſe of weapons came, alſo of the manner of weapons vſed from time to time, with other good inſtructions.
9. This Chapter ſheweth what an excellent thing skill is, with a perſwaſion to all men to forbeare the breeding or the maintaining of idle quarrels.
10. This tenth Chapter ſheweth the trickes of a coward.
11. This eleuenth Chapter is of queſtions and anſwers betwixt the maſter and the ſcholler.
12. The twelfth Chapter ſheweth ſeauen principall rules, whereon true defence is grounded.
Now next followeth the skill of weapons, and firſt the true gard of rapier and dagger for the defence either of blow or thruſt.
Many other gards following with a deſcription thereof at the rapier and dagger.
The rules and gard for the ſingle rapier.
The gard at backe-ſword.
Seuerall gards at the ſtaffe or pike.
Queſtions and anſwers betwixt the maſter and ſcholler concerning the ſtaffe.
A ſure gard and very eaſtly to be learned at the ſword and dagger.
Certaine reaſons why thou maiſt not ſtrike in fight with no weapon.
A briefe of fower principall points for thy continuall memory.
The authors opinion concerning the ſhort ſword and dagger.
A gard for the ſhort ſword and dagger to encounter againſt a rapier and dagger.
Queſtions and anſwers betwixt the maſter and ſcholler concerning the gouernment of the tongue.
The authors opinion concerning the ods that a tall man of ſtature hath against a little or a meane man of ſtature, and the ods that a ſtrong man hath of a weake man.
Certaine obſeruations for a ſcholler or any others.
The ſeuerall kind of weapons which are to be plaid with.
The authors farewell to Plimoth.
The authors concluſion.