| If thy left-handed adversary doth strike at thy head without. | |
| Stringere thy left-handed adversary at the outside of his weapon, as soon as he striketh at the outside of thy Rapier at thy head, then parere his blow with a Quarte towards thy right side downwards, when thou hast parered, at an instant strike with a Quarte towards thy left side at the outside of his left arm, or at his left cheek. | 1 |
| Or just at the approaching of his blow step in, and let the Prime of thy Rapier slide along thine adversary's without, towards his point, and in one motion of thine arm strike with the Quarte under his weapon at the outside of his left arm. | 2 |
| Or when his blow is coming without towards thy head, then thrust with a Secunde at the inside of his weapon at his left shoulder, which thrust if he doth parere towards his right side with a Quarte, then strike downwards with a Secunde or back blow at his left leg within. | 3 |
| Or step towards thy left side with thy left leg at the coming of his blow, and drawing thy right arm to thee, cut him at the inside of his left arm with a Quarte. | 4 |
| Or step with thy left leg backwards not stirring thy right leg, just at the coming of his blow, and strike him at the inside of his left arm with a Secunde. | 5 |
| If thy left-handed adversary doth strike at thy head within. | |
| Stringere thy left-handed adversary within, as soon as he doth strike at thee within, then parere his blow with a Secunde downwards towards thy left side, and in a moment strike with a Secunde or a back blow at the inside of his left arm. | 1 |
| Or when thou seest his blow coming at thee within, then thrust him with a Quarte at the outside of his weapon, over his left arm, if he parereth that thrust then strike downwards with a Quarte at his left leg without. | 2 |
| If he doth strike within at thy head again, then stepping back with thy left leg; strike him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arm. | 3 |
| Or stepping with thy right leg towards thy right side out, at the approaching of his blow, strike him with a Secunde or Quarte at the outside of his left arm. | 4 |
| If thine adversary doth strike at the outside of thy right arm. | |
| Strike at thy left-handed adversary within, if he doth strike at the outside of thine arm, then drawing thine arm to thee let thy hilt sink down at the outside of his weapon, and strike with a Quarte at the outside of his arm towards thy left side out. | 1 |
| If thine adversary doth strike from under up with a Quarte at the outside of thy weapon at thy elbow, then let thy point sink down into a Secunde, and Passere him at his left thigh, or when thou by letting sink thy point downwards into a Secunde at the inside of his weapon hast parered his under blow, then immediately raising thy point, strike him with a Secunde or back blow at the inside of his left arm. | 2 |
| If thine adversary would strike at the inside of thy right arm. | |
| Make a blow at thine adversary without with a Quarte, if he then doth strike with a Secunde at the inside of thy right arm, seeing that, turn thy blow in the air, and go with a stretched arm towards thy right side out, then he doth miss thine arm, as soon as his blow is passed under thy right arm, at an instant strike with a Quarte towards thy left side at the outside over his weapon, at his left arm. | 1 |
| If he striketh from under up with a Secunde at the inside of thy right arm, then letting thy point sink down into a Quarte, when his blow approacheth, at the outside of his weapon, and thrust him with a Quarte at his left thigh. | 2 |
| Or let thy point strike down into a Quarte at the coming of his blow towards the inside of thy right arm from under up, and parere his under blow, upon a sudden raise thy point and strike him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arm, or at his left cheek. | 3 |
| How to Parere those blows that thy left-handed adversary makes at thy right leg within. | |
| If thine adversary doth make a blow with a Secunde at the inside of thy right leg, then let the point of thy weapon sink down into a Quarte and parere it, presently raise thy point again and strike him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arm. | 1 |
| Or when thou hast parered his blow with a Quarte then changing thy Quarte instantly into a Secunde, close to the outside of his weapon, strike him with a Secunde or a back blow at the inside of his left leg. | 2 |
| Or seeing his blow approach towards the inside of thy right leg, draw thy right leg to thee and let his blow pass thy leg, and strike contra-tempo or at one time with him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arm, or else at his left cheek. | 3 |
| An advertisement to the Reader concerning the left-handed. | |
| There is no very great difficulty for a right-handed man to play against a left-handed at Rapier or at Back-Sword, when thou canst play against a right-handed, and dost but observe those rules which I set down at large in the first book of this treatise, only note these following axioms. | 4 |
| Those rules thou makest use of against a right-handed man within, thou must use against the left-handed without. As for example, Thou always must thrust at the right-handed man with a Quarte at the inside of his Rapier, this Quarte thou must use against the left-handed without over his left arm. | 5 |
| Those lessons thou must make use of against thy right-handed adversary without over his right arm, then thou must use against thy left-handed adversary at the inside of his Rapier. Example, As when thou dost thrust the right-handed man at the outside over his right arm with a Secunde or a Tertz, even so thou must thrust the left-handed man at the inside of his Rapier with a Secunde only, not with a Tertz, because the Tertz cannot keep off a blow in this case but you will both be wounded. | 6 |
| When thy left-handed adversary, maketh a thrust or blow at thee without, thou mayst safely parere, like those thy right-handed adversary maketh at thee without. | 7 |
| And those thrusts or blows thy left-handed adversary maketh at thee within thou parere like those thy right-handed adversary maketh at thee within. | 8 |
And thus I have finished the whole treatise concerning the true and genuine way of Fencing, which in these our deplorable days is most highly necessary. It were to be wished for that a Saturnine and golden age might again return, when arms should cease and the use of them be slackened, and we might not have reason to bewail and lament our cloudy times with the saying of that learned and praise worthy Heathen:
Damnofa quid non imminuit dies?
Aetas parentum pejor avis tulis
Nos nequiores mox daturos
Progeniem Vitiofiorcin.
That this Page might not be empty, I thought it not amiss to set down these following verses of that divine Boetius.
Libri IV. Metrum 15.
Quid rautos juvat motus exitare?
Et propria fatum sollicitare manum
Si mortem petitis propinquat ipsa
Sponte sua, volucres nec romaratur equos
Quos Serpens, Leo, Tigris, Ursus, Aper
Dente petunt ijdemse tamen enfe petunt,
An distant quia, dissidentque mores,
Lujustas acies, & fera bella movent,
Alteriusque volunt perire telus?
Non est justa satis savitie ratio.
Vis aptam merstis vicem referre?
Dilige jure bonos, & misresa malis.
| |