70 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



other exercises can be performed. The side-hold {fig. 36) is when both 

 hands are rested upon the pole and the body sustained upon them with the 

 face or back towards the pole ; from this position draw-climbing, lifting, 

 bracing, and winding are executed. When the man lifts himself by the 

 side-hold and then turns slowly over backwards, without any violent swing 

 {fig. 37), so that the balls of both feet come to the ground together, it is 

 called the back-drop. There are various other exercises, the particular 

 mention of which would occupy too much space. 



Fencing. At first the science of fencing united both cut and thrust in 

 one method, but as the art became more highly improved the two were 

 divided, and each was taught and practised as a separate art. 



The art of fighting by the thrust alone (fencing proper) teaches so to use 

 the weapon, according to certain fixed and calculated principles, as to 

 defend ourself from the attacks of an enemy with the small-sword alone 

 and inflict wounds upon him. In fencing for practice the foil is used, for 

 earnest the small-sword. This sword {pi. Ml, fig. 1 a) consists of a blade 

 (b) of the best steel, which is either two-edged {a) or three-edged (c) ; the 

 tang which is inserted into the gripe is six inches long ; the blade is divided 

 {fig. 2 b) into four parts from the hilt {a h), namely, the forte, the half-forte, 

 the foible, and half-foible, each being exactly :^ of the blade. The hilt {fig. 

 1 a) has a stool, a cross-guard gripe, bow, and pommel. The German foil 

 {fig. 2 a) is oblong in cross-section, and has a button at the point which is 

 covered, and the gripe has a stool. The French foil {fig. 3) has instead of 

 the stool a " brille" with fore-leather, or else only a cross-guard {fig. 4). 

 The fencing-gloves {fig. 5 a and b) are on the outside of double leather and 

 stuffed over the wrist, on the inside of thin single leather ; for the teacher 

 the gloves must be thickly wadded {fig. 6 a and b), and he has also, since 

 the pupil must make all thrusts home, a plastron {fig. 7) of leather, upon 

 which the aim for the thrust is marked right and left. The mask {fig. 8) is 

 of strong wire and protects the face in practice. The extension of action 

 is with the right foot forward and the right knee slightly bent, while the 

 body rests upon the left leg, the knee of which is also slightly bent towards 

 the left hand side ; the left breast is turned away and the upper part of the 

 body presented sideways to the antagonist ; the right arm is easily extended 

 holding'^the foil with the point on a level with the eyes of the opponent, the 

 left arm is held up in a curved position so as to bring the opened hand 

 about four inches higher than the head {pi. 27, fig. 14). This is the exten- 

 sion of guard. Fig. 15 i is the position of thrust ; but the passage, a pass- 

 ing to the attack with the left hand, is shown in fig. 23 a. The passage 

 can be made backwards also, to permit the lunge of the antagonist to pass 

 by and then disarm him by a strong battement. The engagement can be 

 made close, medium, and wide. The medium engagement is the most 

 common {fig. 14), and in this the blades bind in the middle of their " foible,'' 

 so that in the lunge the heart of the antagonist can be reached. The 

 engagement, once taken, must be maintained even during the vaultings, 

 when the place is changed in a circle to the right or left. The movements 

 of the hand, from which the thrusts originate, are simple. The first, prime 

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