CHAP. III.
Of Pushing Quart.
To push Quart within, besides the Precautions of placing yourself to Advantage, and of pushing properly and swiftly, which is to be acquired by Practice and nice Speculation, It is necessary that the Parts, in order to assist each other in making the Thrust, should be so disposed and situated, as that the Wrist should draw with it the Bend of the Arm, the Shoulder, and the upper Part of the Fore-Part of the Body, at the same time that the Left Hand and Arm should display or stretch themselves out smartly, bending
one of the Knees and extending the other, which gives more Vigour and Swiftness to the Thrust; and the Body finding itself drawn forward by the swift Motion of the Wrist and other Parts, obliges the Right Foot to go forward in order to support it, and to give the Thrust a greater Length; the Left Foot should, at the same Instant, turn on the Edge, without stirring from its Place; whilst the Right Foot coming smartly to the Ground, finishes the Figure, Extension and Action of the Lunge. This is the Order and Disposition of the Parts in making the Thrust, which see in the second Plate. At the Instant when the Wrist moves forward, it must do three things, turn, support and oppose.
To turn the Wrist in Quart, the Thumb Nail must be up, and the inside Edge equal in Height with the other, for if it were not so high, the Thrust would not be so swift, for want of Motion enough, neither would the Body be so well covered, because the Edge, instead of being directly opposite to the Adversary's Sword, would fall off with a Slant; and if it were higher, it would make a Quint Figure, which, by the excessive Turn of the Wrist, would weaken the Thrust, and by the unequal Turn of the Edges would uncover the Body.
The Wrist ought to be of a Height sufficient to cover the Body without contracting the Arm, which cannot be fixed to a particular Height; for a short Man against a tall one, should raise it as high as the Head, which People of equal; Stature, or a tall Man against a short one, ought not to do.
When the Opposition is accompanied with such a Turn and Support of the Wrist as will cover the Body, it is good, but if the Wrist be carried too far in, you not only lose Part of the Length of the Thrust, but also uncover the Outside of the Body, which are two very great Faults.
The Thrust must be made on the Inside of the Right Shoulder, in order to take the Feeble with your Fort, and that you may be covered, bearing on the Adversary's Sword, by which Means, the Thrust will be well planted, and you less liable to receive one, which Advantages you lose by pushing otherwise.
In order to make the Thrust perfect, it must have its proper Strength and Support when planted: The Strength, is the Vigour with which the Thrust is made, and the Support is the Consequence of the Mo
tion of the Wrist, turning and bearing upwards, which makes the Foil to bend accordingly, fixing itself 'till you retire.
The Foil may bend upwards in two Manners; the best Way for it to bend, is from the Middle towards the Button; the other Way is, when almost all the Blade makes a Semi-circle. The first has a better Effect, the Feeble being stronger, the other makes a greater Show; but the Point being feeble, there is not the same Advantage in the Thrust.
In all Thrusts, the Button should hit before the Right Foot comes to the Ground, and the Left Hand and Arm be stretched out smartly, to help the Body forward, and give more Swiftness to the Thrust: The Left Hand should always be conformable to the Right, turning to Quart or Tierce, according to the Thrust. The Left Hand and Arm should be on a Line with the Thigh, and their Height a little lower than the Shoulder.
The Body must lean a little forward before, to give the Thrust a greater Length; the Hips must not be so much bent as other Times; which weakens and shortens the Thrust, by the Distance which the lowering the Body causes from the Height of
the Line which must come from the Shoulder; besides 'tis harder to recover, and you, by that Means, give the Adversary an Opportunity of taking your Feeble with his Fort, your Situation being very low. The Front of the Body should be hid by turning the two Shoulders equally on a Line.
The Foot should go out strait; in order to preserve the Strength and Swiftness of the Thrust, it must have its proper Line and Distance. The Line must be taken from the Inside of the Left Heel to the Point of the Adversary's Right Foot; If it turn inward or outward, the Button will not go so far, the strait Line being the shortest; besides the Body would be uncovered, for by carrying the Foot inwards, the Flank is exposed, and by carrying it outwards the Front of the Body, and the Body is thereby weakened; the Prop and the Body being obliged to form an Angle instead of a strait Line, from the Heel of the Left Foot to the Point or Button of the Foil.
In order to know the Distance of the Lunge, the Right Knee being bent, must form a perpendicular Line with the Point of the Foot; if the Foot were not so forward, the Heel would be off the Ground,
and the Body would have less Strength, and if it were carried farther the Body could not easily bend it self, and consequently could not extend so far; moreover, it would want Strength, being at too great a Distance from the perpendicular Line of the Foot and Leg, which are its Support, and its Recovery would be more difficult.
The Foot should fall firm without lifting it too high, that the Soal of the Sandal, or Pump, may give a smart Sound, which not only looks better and animates more, but also makes the Foot firm, and in a Condition to answer the Swiftness of the Wrist.
Care must be taken not to carry the Point of the Foot inward or outward, because the Knee bending accordingly, as part of the Thigh, goes out of the Line of the Sword, and consequently, of the Line of Defence, besides 'tis very disagreeable to the Sight.
The Feet sometimes slip in the Lunge, the Right Foot sliding forward, or the Left backward; the first is occasioned by carrying out the Foot before the Knee is bent, whereas when the Knee brings it forward, it must fall flat and firm; the other pro
ceeds from the Want of a sufficient Support on the Left Foot.
The Head should follow the Figure of the Body; when this is upright, that should be so to; when the Body leans, the Head must lean; when you push within, you must look at your Adversary on the Outside of your Arm, which is done without turning the Head, by the Opposition of the Hand only.
That every Thrust may carry with it it's due Extent and Strength, the Opposition of the Sword, the true placing of the Body, and a Facility of recovering; you are to observe that the two first are for Offence, and the others for Defence.
Every Thrust must have it's just Length, and carry with it a good Air, a regular Situation, Vigour, and a due Extension; See the 2d. plate.
Of recovering in Guard.
As soon as the Thrust is made, you must recover in Guard, which is done either by retiring out of Measure, or only to the Place from whence you, pushed; if out of Measure, 'tis done by springing
back, or by bringing the Right Foot back behind the Left, and the Left behind the Right; and if to the Place from whence you pushed, you must parry if there's a Thrust made; and if not, you must command the Feeble of the Adversary's Sword, in order to cover the Side on which it is, without giving an Open on the other Side, which is done as you recover, by drawing back the Body on the Left Foot; which should bring with it the Right Knee, drawing the Foot, with the Heel a little raised from the Ground, to prevent any Accident that may happen by the Badness of the Terrace.
By this Recovery, commanding the Adversary's Sword, you either get Light if he not stir, or Time if he does, which instead of being dangerous, as has formerly been thought, it is, by the Help of Art, become advantageous.