WARFARE OF MODERN TIMES. 71 



{fig, 10) is the simplest and least fatiguing and forms the extension; in the 

 second, seconde (fig. 11), the little finger is above, the thumb below, the 

 fingers on the outside ; the third, tierce {fig. 12), turns the hand in the 

 quarter circle so that the fingers are below, the knuckles upwards, but the 

 thumb directed inwards; the fourth, quarte (fig. 13), is the reverse of the 

 preceding. These motions must be industriously practised in rapid suc- 

 cession. The thrusts are either high (fig. 9 a) under the eye ; middle or 

 chief thrusts (fig. 9 b) at the middle of the right breast ; or low (fig. 9 c) at 

 the right side of the lower body above the hip. High thrusts are middle 

 thrusts only with the point of the foil a little more elevated ; thrusts below 

 the hip are irregular and generally forbidden. The thrust in prime is from 

 the motion of prime (fig. 15 b), is seldom given, and serves more for exten- 

 sion, as it is not easy to thrust with the hand high and point low ; its mark 

 is the breast, or for high prime the face. The thrust in seconde (fig. 16 a) 

 divides into the seconde inside, which is made under the blade at the lower 

 body, and the outside seconde, which is made at the same point but over 

 the blade ; both are seldom delivered. The thrust in tierce (fig. 17 b), 

 from the motion of tierce, must be delivered quick and strong, whereby the 

 whole forte of your own blade engages the foible of your antagonist's ; it is 

 delivered over the arm on the outer side of the opponent ; tierce inside is 

 impracticable. High tierce aims at the face. The thrust in quarte is from 

 the motion of quarte, and is the one most used. Quarte inside passes 

 within the blade at the breast (fig. 18 b) ; high quarte, whether inside or 

 outside, at the face. Low quarte aims at the lower body (fig. 19 a) and is 

 given inside ; delivered on the outside it is called quarte-reverse, whereby 

 one engages the whole foible of his opponent's blade with the whole forte 

 of his own, presses it down, passes over it to the outside, or sometimes from 

 the outside to the in, and then, with a turn of the wrist to the blade of the 

 antagonist, thrusts at his side. The parades or parries are either flying or 

 short, or stroke-parades, contre-parades, battements, and ligades. The 

 short parades are : prime parade (fig- 15«), made against prime and tierce ; 

 quarte inside and outside, by a short pressure with the whole forte of the 

 blade upon the whole foible of the antagonist's. Seconde parade (fig. 16 b) 

 is a twisting of the hand from the prime-motion into the seconde-motion, 

 and goes against outside and inside seconde. The tierce parade (fig. 17 a) is 

 a twisting of the hand out of the prime into the tierce motion, and with it are 

 parried outside prime, tierce, and outside quarte. The quarte parade (fig. 

 18 a) is a quick, strong turning of the hand from the prime motion to the 

 quarte motion, whereby the arm must be stretched and ready for thrust. 

 After the parade, however, the hand goes rapidly back to the prime posi- 

 tion. With this parade inside prime and quarte are caught, while the hand 

 at the same time is moved somewhat sideways ; also tierce and cUside 

 quarte by a slight pressure to the outside, and low quarte (fig. 19 b) by 

 sinking the hand and point of the blade somewhat. All these are called 

 stroke-parades, in which with the whole forte of your own blade you bind 

 the whole foible of your antagonist's, then slide lightly up it to the forte, 

 thus forcing it some distance out of direction. As by this means an open- 



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