en ee ee ee ee ee ee ees eee ee 
GUA 
or fereen the body from the efforts er attacks of an enemy’s 
{word, or to execute any offenfive movements againft him. 
~ Some have reckoned four, and others five or fix general 
guards of the {word ; to conceive which, it has been ufeful 
40 imagine a circle drawn on an upright wall, and divided 
into-four cardinal points, viz. top, bottom, right, and left. 
Now, when the point of the {word is directed to the bottom 
point of the circle, and confequently, the head of the 
{word tilted up to the top point, with the body inclining 
forwards, this is called prime, or the fir? guar ' 
fecond guard, which fome improperly call the third, is 
“when the point of the fword is dire&ted to the right - 
or fecond part of the fame circle, a quadrant diftant 
from the firft, with the fort of the {word turned to the 
right, and the body raifed proportionably.. Zierce, or the 
third guard, is performed by directing the fword’s point to 
the uppermoft point of the fame circle diametrically oppofite 
to that of prime; in which cafe the rm, and {word, 
-are in their natural difpofition, being the mean between the 
extremes of their motion. eee Carte, or the fourth 
guard, is when the point of the fword is direéted to the 
fourth point of the circle, defcending to the right as far as 
one fourth of tierce, with the external fide of the arm and 
the flat of the {word turned towards the ground and the 
“body out of the line to the right, and the fort of the fword 
towards the line to the left. ‘There is alfo a guint, or a kind 
‘of fifth guard, being the return of the point of the fword on 
the right, after traverfing the circle to the point of the pri 
> 
ia) 
prime 
hence it had departed ; and yet with a different difpofition : 
Ww 
of the body, arm, and {word. 
-Thefe alfo called, by the matters, figures and 
— Ay and the common centre of all their motions is to be 
retired, and high intermediate guards, when. difpofed before 
the upper part of the body, either with the arm quite ex- 
tended, quite withdrawn, or ina mean ftate. Mean advanced 
guard, or fimply mean guard, is when the {word is difpofed 
before the middle part of the body. Low advanced, retired, 
OF intermediate guards, are thofe where the arm and fword ar 
advanced 
» Withdrawn, or between the two extremes, before 
/ 2 a 
In allthefe kinds of guards, there are high advanced, high 
fj 
o 
of carte, and the guard of tierce, called the infide 
vation guards. The one covers your body frém a 
taight infide thruft, by croffing blades on that fide, and 
wie other covers you from a flraight outfide thruit, by oppof- 
a outwards. Guards are fynonymous with en 
tWo above-mentioned, gives the 
cohcife but very pad 
neceflary in{tructions, in a 
' 2 icuous and intelligible manner, for 
fed’ 's thefe two pofitions. is inftruétions are exempli- 
1 by appropriate figures, which cannot fail to affift the 
“a. apprehending them, and alfo in reducing them 
be teachers 
' 
pd ‘ ae ‘ ee ee | t 
‘Arthur, having reduced the ard-poftures to the 
R D's. 
revifed edition was publifhed in 1784; or. to.fome other 
fimilar treatife on the fubject. The author begins with in- 
{truéting the learner how to hold his fword or foil well. For 
this purpofe the hilt muft be flat in the hand, fo that the 
two edges may be nearly horizontal when the learner throws 
himfelf upon guard ; the thumb being ftretched along | 
the upper flat part of the hilt, within half an inch of the fhell 
or guard, and the pummel refling under the wrift, The 
{word or foil being held in this manner, and the learner 
ftanding upon his firft pofition, fimilar to what is called the 
third pofition in dancing ; that is, with the right foot before 
the left, and the heel advanced near the buckle, is dire@ted 
meafure from the left, or at the diftance of two lengths of 
his own foot from the heel of the other. The two heels 
fhould be in the fame ftraight line. ‘* Turn your wrift,” 
fays the author, “in fuch manner, that the nails m ap- 
pear upwards. Your hand be on a line with the 
lower part of your breaft; the arm not ftretched, but a little 
bent and flexible, and the elbow inclined a little to the out- 
fide. The point of your {word or foil fhould be about 15 
degrees elevated, and nearly fixed on a line with the upper 
left arm, which is 
the body in its different movements, 
muft be raifed in a femi-circular manner, on a li i 
ge 
ment,”’ ‘ This is the firft 
hen entering upon 
he various thrufts an 
rades are thrown.”’ The : o 
ly praétifed in affaults by nas fencers ;. and its 
pofition is the fame with that of carte. “* The hand. onl 
little reverfed, fo as that the nails, which were 
