408 
the neck on either side, the flank and 
body, high and low, and the right 
arm. for each cut there is a parry. 
Everything aimed at the left side of 
the body is parried in “Prime” at the 
right side of the body in “Seconde ;” 
at the right side of the face, when the 
sabre points upward, the parry is in 
hehe, ” and if aimed at the left side 
“Ouarte.’ The parry for head cut 
is in “Quinte,” and the sabre is held 
high, pointing forward. 
There are several auxiliary parries, 
sometimes called emergency parries, 
such as low Terze, low Quarte, or the 
Seaxta and Septime, which latter 2 pro- 
tect the head and face. 
After each parry there is a riposte, 
that is to say, a return cut, and in this 
way cuts and thrusts are exchanged 
until one of the contestants is hit, 
which he announces with the word 
“Touché.” The thrusts are essentially 
the same as those of the foil, besides 
the combinationse with cuts which en- 
large their application to an infinite 
variety. To place a simple cut or 
thrust and make it reach its objective 
point is the most perfect art, but this 
is so difficult that feints are resorted 
to: that is to say, the attack is initi- 
ated with several cuts or thrusts which 
are not finished, but induce the oppo- 
nent to lay himself open at a certain 
point; and to see that point and send 
home the edge of the blade is the final 
object. 
One of the finest points of this new 
method of fencing is the possibility 
of making calculations in such a way 
as to place a touché after 2 or 3 par- 
ries and ripostes. After the second 
riposte the attack is called in second 
intention ; after the third, in third in- 
tention, etc., to any length, according 
to the skill of the fencers. 
A number of physiological as well as 
psychological facts have been made 
use of in this method, such as tempo 
attacks, that is, the choice of the right 
moment to execute certain motions; 
and fractions of a second are impor- 
tant factors, 
RECREATION. 
To describe adequately this method 
would require a book, and a good 
exposé of it has been written by Mr. 
J. M. de Zoldy, which is now in 
press. 
The question arises, Of what benefit 
can be the acquiring of an art, when 
nobody but a military man carries a 
sword, and when duelling has become 
obsolete, at least in Anglo-Saxon 
countries. : 
. In continental Europe even to-day 
the sword is the final arbiter of dif- 
ferences between men of the upper 
classes, especially among officers of 
-the armies and navies. Whenever one 
man feels so aggrieved by another 
that a simple explanation or apology 
can not be accepted, or is not offered, 
he has a right to challenge that per- 
son, and such a challenge is a formal 
affair, indeed. In the first place, the 
agerieved party chooses from among 
his friends or acquaintances 2 men to 
act as his seconds. These visit the 
person to be challenged, make him ac- 
quainted with their errand, and ask 
him to designate his seconds. After 
this the affair is entirely in the hands 
of these 4 men, and it is their first 
duty to try to adjust matters in an 
amicable way. Should this prove un- 
feasible or undesirable, the details of 
the duel are arranged, weapons chos- 
en, time and place for the encounter 
appointed, and preparations made for 
the care of the wounded. 
In military circles a court of honor 
is appointed by the commanding off- 
cer, and its decisions are final. Should 
a person decline to fight, after his 
seconds have decided that he should, 
or in case of an officer after the court 
of honor has authorized the duel, he 
would be declared without honor and 
shunned and ostracized by people of 
his usual surroundings If an officer, 
he would be asked for his resignation, 
and should that not be forthcoming 
he would be cashiered, as every other 
officer of his regiment would decline 
to serve with him. 
We may think these usages barbar- 
