put themselves very near baulking the Measure, which may be done four Ways, tho' the Left-foot may be in it's proper Place, and kept firm in the Thrust; the first is done by marking or bringing forward the Point of the Left-foot, keeping it a little in, then advancing the Heel, which gives more Measure; secondly, by keeping back the Body on a Lunge, you deceive the Measure and hit by abandoning it forward, which gives it a greater Extention, thirdly, by raising or carrying the Wrist too high, or too much to one Side, which shortning the Thrust, makes it believed that you are out of Reach, but according to the Rule and Line you are too much in Reach; fourthly, some take Measure by holding the Thumb on the Body of the Guard, and when they have a mind to hit they hold it on the Middle of the Handle, with the Pommel in the Hand, which also gives a greater Length.
When you have for some time used yourself to push and parry at the Wall, according to the Rules that I have laid down, you must, (tho' 'tis not the Rule of Schools, especially when you push with Strangers,) you must I say, when you push with a Scholar of your own Master, push and parry a Thrust alternately, disengaging, and then do the same Feinting, and sometime after
you shou'd make the other Thrusts, telling one another your design, which makes you execute and parry them by Rule, especially if you reflect on the Motions and Postures of the Lunges and Parades. Being a little formed to this method, you may, being warned of the Thrust, parry it, telling the Adversary where you intend your Riposte, which puts him in a condition to avoid it, and gives him room to redouble after his Parade, either strait or by a Feint, at which you are not surprised, expecting by being forewarned the Thrust he is to make, which puts you easily on your Defence and Offence: by this manner of Exercise, you may not only improve faster, but with more art, the Eye and Parts being insensibly disposed to follow the Rule, whereas without this Method, the difference that there is between a lesson of assaulting a Man who forewarns you, helps you, and lets you hit him, and another who endeavours to defend himself and hit you, is, that except the Practice of Lessons be very well taught by long exercise, you fall into a Disorder which is often owing to the want of Art more than to any Defect in Nature. The taking a Lesson well, and the Manner of Pushing and Parrying which I have just described, may be attained to by Practice only, but some other things
are necessary to make an Assault well; for besides the Turn of the Body, the Lightness, Suppleness and Vigour which compose the exteriour Part, you must be stout and prudent, qualities so essential, that without them you cannot act with a good Grace, nor to the purpose. If you are apprehensive, besides, that you don't push home, or justly, fear making you keep back your Thrust, or follow the Blade, the least Motion of the Enemy disorders you, and puts you out of a Condition to hit him, and to avoid his Thrusts. Without Prudence, you cannot take the advantage of the situation, motions designs of the enemy, which changing very often, according to his Capacity and to the Measure, demonstrates that an ill concerted Enterprise exposes more to Danger than it procures Advantage: in order to turn this Quality to an advantage, you are to observe the Enemy's fort and feeble, whether he attack or defend; if he attack it will be either by plain Thrusts strait, or disengaged, or by Feints or Engagements, which may be opposed by Time, or Ripostes: if he keeps on his Defence, it is either to take the Time or to Riposte. In case of the first; you shou'd, by half Thrusts, oblige him to push in order to take a Counter to his Time, and if he sticks to his Parade you must serve
in what Manner, in order to disorder him by Feints, and push where he gives Light.
It would fill a whole Volume to describe the Thrusts that may be made, according to the Difference of Persons, as well to surprise as to avoid being surprised; besides the many Repetitions wou'd be extremely puzzling, for which Reason, I have, instead of them, laid down the following Advices, which contain chiefly, what I cou'd not otherwise have communicated without a long Treatise.
- Don't put yourself in Guard within the Reach of the Enemy.
- Make no wry Faces, or Motions that are disagreeable to the Sight.
- Be not affected, negligent, nor stiff.
- Don't flatter yourself in your Lessons, and still less in Assaults.
- Be not angry at receiving a Thrust, but take care to avoid it.
- Be not vain at the Thrusts you give, nor shew Contempt when you receive them.
- Do not endeavour to give many Thrusts, running the Risque of receiving one.
- Don't think yourself expert, but that you may become so.
- When you present the Foils, give the Choice without pressing.
- If you are much inferiour, make no long Assaults.
- Do nothing that's useless, every Action shou'd tend to your Advantage.
- Lessons and Assaults are only valuable when the Application and Genius make them so.
- Too good an Opinion spoils many People, and too bad a one still more.
- A natural Disposition and Practice are necessary in Lessons, but in Assaults there must be a Genius besides.
- The Goodness of Lessons and of Assaults does not consist so much in the Length as in the Manner of them.
- When you have to do with one that's bold and forward, it is necessary to seem apprehensive in order to get a favourable Opportunity.
- If you act against one that's fearful, attack him briskly to put him in Disorder.
- Before you applaud a Thrust given, examine if Chance had no Hand in it.
- Thrusts of Experience, and those of Chance are different, the first come often, the others seldom or never happen, you may depend on one, but not on the other.
- In Battle let Valour and Prudence go together, the Lyon's Courage with the Fox's Craft.
- To be in Possession of what you know, you must be in Possession of yourself.
- Undertake nothing but what your Strength and the Capacity of the Enemy will admit of in the Execution.
- The Beauty of an Assault appears in the Execution of the Design.
- Make no Thrust without considering the Advantage and the Danger of it.
- If the Eye and Wrist precede the Body, the Execution will be good.
- Be always cautious, Time lost cannot be regained.
- If you can hit without a Feint, make none, two Motions are more dangerous than one.
- To know what you risque, you must know what you are worth.
- If you would do well, acquire the agreeable and useful.
- Twenty good Qualities will not make you perfect, and one bad one will hinder your being so.
- Judge of a Thrust, rather by Reason than by it's Success; the one may fail, but the other cannot.
- To parry well is much, but it is nothing when you can do more.
- Let your Guard, and your Play be always directly opposite to the Enemy.
- Practice is either a Good or an Evil; all consists in the Choice of it.
- When you think yourself skilful and dexterous, 'tis then you are not so.
- 'Tis not enough that your Parts agree, they must also answer the Enemy's Motions.
- The knowing a Good without practising it, turns to an Evil.
- Two skilful Men acting together, fight more with their Heads than with their Hands.
- If you are superiour to your Enemy, press him close, and if you are inferiour, break Measure to keep him moving.
- Endeavour both to discover the Enemy's Design, and to conceal your own.
- When the Eye and the Hand agree in the same instant, you are perfectly right.
- Draw not your Sword, but to serve the King, preserve your Honour, or defend your Life.