
CORPS A CORPS. 
est to penetrate; for, mind you, they 
do not wish to inflict any harm on each 
other! They are generally the best 
of friends, before and after their mew- 
sur, and except for a few drops of 
blood and a few gashes in the skin 
their encounters would be as harmless 
as a modern French duel. 
Within a decade a new style of fenc- 
ing has been introduced from Italy, 
which once more takes back to that 
country the supremacy in the art. It 
is called the Italian sabre, and its mer- 
its and superiority were so readily rec- 
ognized in Europe that every country 
which takes any serious interest in the 
art has adopted this method. The 
governments have introduced it»into 
their military academies and regi- 
mental fencing schools. This method 
is as much superior to the older ones 
as the electric light is to the old tallow 
dip candle. It combines everything 
that was useful and practical in the 
several older methods, and adds to this 
a variety of combinations and scien- 
tific calculations, which were out of 
the question with the older styles. 
It seems remarkable that it should 
have taken centuries to evolve a meth- 
od which appears so obviously better, 
when once understood, yet it is with 
(FILO IN TERZE.) 
this as with as many other things, 
“like the egg of Columbus.” Chev- 
alier Luigi Barbasetti was one of the 
first to introduce the new art abroad. 
He opened a fencing school in Vienna 
and soon he was busy from morning 
till night teaching the new method to 
officers, cavaliers and representatives 
of the upper classes. The new school 
jumped into vogue and renown at once, 
and it became the proper thing to go to 
Barbasetti for tuition. 
Mr. J. Marczi de Zoldy was one of 
the most promising pupils of the now 
famous master, and the numerous 
medals he has won attest the benefit 
which he derived from the instruc- 
tion. 
In this new method, the position 
which the fencer takes is derived from 
both the older styles. While in small 
sword or foil the knees were bent, and 
an almost sitting position assumed, 
with the left arm raised back of the 
head, in the broadsword and cutlass 
exercise the knees and legs were al- 
most straight, though separated, and 
the left arm was held behind the back, 
eripping the belt in the center. In the 
new method the knees are bent and 
the left hand held behind the back, 
hooked in the belt, combining thereby 
406 
