To Cut a Silk Cushion in Two at One Stroke.

Hang a silk cushion, stuffed with feathers or down, so high that the centre of it would be a few inches higher than the top of your lead-cutting stool, then, aiming at the most acute edge, deliver as at the lead. On account of the inconvenience caused by the escape of the feathers from the cushion when cut, this feat has of late years been left unperformed at public assaults-of-arms. The last time I saw it executed was many years ago by my esteemed friend, Mr. Alfred Shury, at that time one of the best swordsmen in London.

This and the following are the feats said to have been done by Saladin, when he met Richard Cœur de Lion in the Diamond of the Desert.

They consequently bear his name.

PLATE XXXIII.—CUTTING A VEIL.

PLATE XXXIII.
To Cut a Veil in Two at One Stroke.

Fold a veil neatly lengthways and lay it on the edge of the sword, almost close to the hilt.

Place your feet together, with your sword hand resting on the bend of the left arm, the edge of the sword turned up. Take two quick steps to your front, beginning with the left foot, and as you make the second, deliver an upward cut with a good edge, throwing the point of the sword high in the air, so that when the veil separates the two parts will have some distance to fall. A good effect will thus be produced.

At the finish of this cut, as in the lead cutting one, the arm should be brought straight.

The feat may also be done with a cambric or a silk handkerchief (the latter is very difficult), or with a kid glove or ribbon.

When ribbon (which should be very narrow) is used, have three or four colours, about a yard of each, and lay the whole on the sword at once.

After cutting them once, take all the pieces and cut them again. If they are thrown high they will somewhat resemble the coloured fire falling from a sky-rocket, and will have a very pretty effect.

Gauze is the best textile to practise with. Try to cut a yard of it into as many pieces as possible, always taking care to fold each piece lengthways before placing it on the sword.

When you can do this well, try something more difficult.

For this and the preceding feat you require a special sword called a handkerchief cutter. It should have the edge of and be kept as sharp as a razor.

The edge should be ground and set towards the hand, and when sharpening or stropping it, you should always rub from point to hilt.

If you look through a very powerful magnifying glass you will find the edge of a sword is serrated like a saw, but not so regularly; therefore, by having the teeth pointed towards the hilt, the edge more readily lays hold of the veil.

To understand this more clearly, take a common saw, whose edge is set towards the point, and rub your finger from handle to point. However hard you may press, the teeth will not prick you. Rub the other way and the effect will be very different.

To Cut a Sheet of Note-paper Unsupported.

Take a sheet of note-paper, and, half opening it, place it on end on the lead-cutting stool, the acute angle to your left, the opening to your right, and with your handkerchief cutter deliver as at the lead. This is not difficult.

In this and the preceding feats the thumb should be round the grip.

In the following it will be better to lay it on the back.

To Cut an Orange While Falling.

Suspend an orange by a piece of thin thread about four or five feet from the ground. Place yourself with the right toes in a line with the orange, then, with a very light touch of the sword near to the point, cut the thread, and quickly turning the hand, divide the orange as it falls.

The thread may be cut from right to left and the orange from left to right, or vice versâ, whichever you find the handier. In both ways the cuts must be very small and close.

For this and the following feats any light and handy sword will do. It should not be very sharp except close to the point, so that you can cut the thread with ease, and thus cause the orange to fall straight.

PLATE XXXIV.—CUTTING AN APPLE ON A MAN’S HAND.

PLATE XXXIV.
To Cut an Apple in Two on a Man’s Hand Without Injuring Him.

This is called the “Napier Feat,” from the fact that it was done on Sir Charles Napier’s hand when in India by a native swordsman.

It is very dangerous and difficult, and none but those who have great command over a sword should attempt it.

The man who holds the apple should have good nerve, and should keep his hand very steady. He must raise the palm of his hand as much as possible, and, keeping the four fingers close together, bend them back. The thumb must also be pressed back, and kept as far as possible from the forefinger.

Place the apple on his palm, and standing so that your sword will pass between his thumb and forefinger and point in the same direction, deliver a downward cut without the slightest draw and with sufficient force and no more than will cut the apple.

This is such a delicate and dangerous feat that whenever I have to do it I practise on several apples of the sort I intend to cut, so that I may find out the exact force to apply. Apples differ so much in toughness.

To Cut an Apple in a Handkerchief Without Injuring the Latter.

Take a pocket-handkerchief and tie the four corners together with a piece of string. Hang it four or five feet from the ground, then put in the apple so that it will rest exactly in the centre.

Aiming under the apple, give an upward cut of sufficient force to pass through. If you make the slightest draw you will cut the handkerchief.

When apples cannot be got, you may use potatoes or thin-skinned turnips for this and the preceding feat.

When performing these feats, take great care that no one is within reach of your sword, and see that everything is properly placed and steady before delivering your stroke.

Do not chop or hack, but make the cuts with neatness and freedom. Avoid all parade, and always remember to grasp your sword so that the middle knuckles are in a line with the edge of the sword. This rule is imperative.

RULES OF
DUELLING WITH SABRES.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE
RULES OF DUELLING WITH SABRES,
TRANSLATED FROM “ESSAI SUR LE DUEL,”
BY THE
COMTE DE CHATEAUVILLARD.

CHAPTER VII.
Duel with Sabres.

1st.—Each combatant must have two seconds for this sort of duel, and one of the two must have a sabre. They must, if possible, get sabres with curved blades for the two antagonists, as being less fatal.

2nd.—When arrived on the ground there must be no discussion between the two combatants, their seconds being their plenipotentiaries.

3rd.—The seconds having agreed upon the choice of the ground the most proper for the combat—level and equal for the two opponents—must mark the two places, the distance being calculated as if the two opponents were both on the longe and the points of the two sabres one foot apart.

4th.—The seconds, after having tossed for the places, take their principals to the place given to each by chance.

5th.—Gloves with gauntlets are generally used for this duel, but the seconds of the insulted party (if belonging to the class spoken of in the 11th sec. of the 1st chap.) can oblige the combatants not to wear them. Nevertheless, every one is entitled to wear an ordinary glove, or a pocket-handkerchief round the hand, but the handkerchief must not hang down.

6th.—If the insulted party (if belonging to the class spoken of in the 10th and 11th secs. of the 1st chap.) wishes to wear a glove with a gauntlet, his seconds must offer a similar one to his opponent, and if the latter refuses it, the insulted party may use his and the other wear an ordinary glove or handkerchief.

7th.—When the combatants are placed, the seconds measure the blades, which must be of equal length and similar shape. The choice of the sabre, if similar ones are used, must be tossed for. If by carelessness the sabres are not alike, the choice should still be tossed for; but if the sabres are too disproportioned for such a combat it should certainly be put off.

8th.—But, however, if the combatants belong to the same regiment they can use their own sabres, but the sabres must be mounted the same.

9th.—The insulted party (if in the class of 11th sec., 1st chap.) can use a sabre belonging to him, but he must offer a similar one to his adversary, who can refuse it and then use his own; nevertheless, if the difference should give a too great disadvantage to either one or the other the seconds should postpone the duel, unless the seconds of both parties present a pair of sabres unknown to the combatants. Then the choice of the pair should belong to the insulted party, and the choice of the sabre to the other.

10th.—The seconds, after having invited the combatants to take off their coats and waistcoats, must go up to their principal’s opponent, who must show his naked breast in order to prove that he wears nothing to protect himself against the edge or point of the sabre blade. His refusal would be equivalent to a refusal to fight.

11th.—When what is above described is finished, the seconds should toss for which one of them is to explain the conventions of the duel to the combatants, to whom the weapons are then given, with the recommendation to wait until the signal is given to begin.

12th.—When the seconds are placed on both sides of the combatants, the one designed gives the signal by the word—Allez!

13th.—If before the signal is given the combatants join blades together it is equivalent to a signal, but it is blamable if only one of the two does it.

14th.—When the signal is given the combatants can cut and thrust at one another, advance, retire, stoop, turn round, vault, and do anything they think profitable to them: such are the rules of the combat.

15th.—It is against the rules of this combat to strike your opponent when he is disarmed or when he is on the ground, to take hold of his arms or his body or to take hold of his weapon.

16th.—Disarmed means when the sabre has fallen out of the hand, or when dropping the point has touched the ground.

17th.—When one of the combatants is wounded his seconds must stop the combat until they think it proper that it should begin again.

18th.—If before there is any wound one of the seconds wishes to stop the duel, he asks if he can do so to the opposing seconds by lifting up his stick or sabre, and if an affirmative answer is given by the same movement he suspends the duel.

19th.—The seconds can agree beforehand to stop the duel at the first blood shed—humanity and the gravity of the case must guide them.

20th.—If one of the two combatants is killed or wounded against the rules of the duel, the seconds must refer to the 20th and 21st art. of the 4th chap.

Duel with Sabres without Thrusts.

1st.—If possible sabres with blunt points must be used for this duel.

2nd.—Each combatant must have two seconds.

3rd.—The seconds, after having agreed upon the choice of the ground best fitted for the combat—level and equal for the two opponents—must mark the two places at the distance calculated as if the opponents were both on the longe and the points joining together.

4th.—Either combatant can use gloves with gauntlets provided the adversary has one too, or that a similar one can be offered to him, otherwise the difference must be levelled by the seconds.

5th.—The weapons must be alike and unknown to the combatants, but if the combatants belong to the same regiment they can use their own sabres, provided they are of the same sort and have the same mountings.

6th.—The seconds, after having tossed for the places, take their friends to the places which have fallen to them.

7th.—The seconds must toss for which of the two antagonists is to choose his sabre.

8th.—The second designed to give the signal must explain to the combatants the conventions of the duel, which are, that it is strictly forbidden to make use of the points of the sabres, which would be felony.

9th.—The seconds invite their friend to strip naked down to the waist, but they may keep their braces on if they are used to them.

10th.—The seconds present both sabres to the combatant who has gained by toss the right to choose, who picks one out, they then present the last one to the other combatant and recommend them both to wait for the signal.

11th.—When the seconds are placed on both sides of the combatants the signal is given by the word—Allez!

12th.—When the signal is given the combatants can cut at one another—taking care not to wound their adversary with the point of their sabre—can stoop, advance, retire, turn round, vault, &c., and stop only when the seconds tell them to: such are the rules of the combat.

13th.—The seconds must always stop the duel as soon as one of the combatants is wounded, in order to see whether he can continue or not—the seconds are the only judges for that; but the custom in this kind of duel is to stop the combat at the first wound.

14th.—If one of the combatants is killed or wounded against the rules, see 20th and 21st art. of 4th chapter.

Chapters 1st–10th.—The insulted party has the choice of the duel and weapons.

11th.—The insulted party, if struck or wounded, has the choice of the duel, weapons, distances, and can forbid his opponent to use weapons belonging to him, but in that case he must not use his own.

Chapters 4th–20th.—The seconds must, if anything takes place against the rules, make a written statement of it and prosecute the felon by all the laws in their power (and poursuivre le fauteur devant les tribunaux par toutes les voies de droit en leur pouvoir).

21st.—The seconds of the party who is charged with felony must, by all means, declare the truth. They are not otherwise accountable for it, unless they aided in committing the wrong, which cannot be supposed possible.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

  1. The issue reported in the [Erratum] was corrected.
  2. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling.
  3. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.
  4. Re-indexed footnotes using numbers.