Though there are many Means to disorder the Enemy by putting him out of Guard in order to hit him on that Occasion, they all depend either upon a Feint by the Side of his Sword to draw him on, or on a Motion of your Sword on his, to uncover him, taking his Sword from the Line of your Body, and placing yours on a Line with his, which is called engaging. And there are several other Ways
of coming to the Sword, which are the Beats, Crossings, Bindings, and Lashings; the Occasions of which, and the Manners of using them, I shall shew in their proper Places. I begin with engaging in the midling Guard, as the neatest, the most used, and the best.
To engage this Guard within, it must be done with the Edge on the same Side, without going wide, in order to keep your Fort before you, and your Point before the Enemy, carrying both Parts alike; the Engagement must be made Feeble to Feeble, a little more to your Enemy's than your own, because if it were with the Feeble to the Fort, the Enemy's Sword would not be displaced, besides if he should push, you could not parry, being unable with your Feeble to resist his Fort; and if it were with the Fort to the Feeble, you wou'd be in Danger of being hit under, where there would be an Opening; besides you would be oblig'd to advance much, which would be dangerous.
On your Engagement, the Enemy may do Three things, either of which, produces several others. First, either he will let you engage, or secondly, he will disengage, or thirdly, he will come to your Blade.
If he lets you engage, you must push Quarte, or, by way of Precaution, make a Half-thrust, in order to see if he stirs, to retire, or to have recourse to his Parade, or to Time.
If he does not stir, you must, as I said, push Quarte; if he retires, redouble your Thrust; if he parrys with his Fort cut Quarte under the Wrist; if with the Feeble, disengage, or cut over the Point in Tierce; and if upon the Half-thrust he takes the Time pushing strait, you must parry and risposte, or take the Time in Seconde, with your Body low; if he takes the Time lowering his Body, you must parry and oppose with the Left-hand, risposting in Quarte; if he takes the Time cutting under the Wrist, you must parry crossing the Sword in Quarte, opposing with the Hand, in order to make your Rispost more safely; and if he volts upon the Half-thrust, you must parry and risposte in Flanconnade, or take the Time, with, your Body low.
If when you engage he disengages, it will be either, 1st, without Design, or 2dly, to disengage and push Tierce over, or 3dly, disengage breaking Measure, or 4thly, disengage, and come to your Blade
without, or 5thly disengage making a Feint, and pushing Quarte or 6thly, disengage to take a Counter to your Time.
- 1st. If he disengages with a Design only to disengage, you must on the Time push Tierce.
- 2dly. If he disengages breaking Measure, you must redouble in Tierce, advancing.
- 3dly. If he disengages and pushes without, you must parry and risposte quick where you have Light, or take Time against him, disengaging and volting, or lowering the Body.
- 4thly. If he disengages and comes to your Blade without; if 'tis with his Fort, you must cut under in Seconde; and if with the Feeble, you must Counter-disengage from without to within.
- 5thly. If on the Engagement, he feint Tierce in order to push Quarte, you must push or take the Time strait upon the Feint, or by lowering the Body on the Thrust.
- 6thly. If he disengages giving Light, to take a Counter to your Thrust, whether
- by a Rispost or Time, you must make a False-time or Half-thrust, and if he parrys, or takes the Time, in Case of the first, you must baulk his Parade; and if he takes the Time, you must take another upon him.
If, upon the Engagement, he goes to your Blade with his Fort, you must cut under his Wrist, and if with his Feeble, disengage and push without in Tierce.