74 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



to the cuts, you suppose yourself opposite the fist of the sword-arm of your 

 opponent, and on the same level* with this a middle point, to which all cuts 

 are carried. If you desire to cut close and fine, then the circle for this 

 middle point is small, and confined merely to the sword-arm of the antago- 

 nist (fig. 31). Then prime comes from a, seconde from h, tierce from c, 

 quarte from d, steep quarte from e, steep tierce from g, seconde outside 

 from /, and the inside seconde or Polish quarte from h. If, however, you 

 imagine the central point upon the breast of your opponent {fig. 30), with 

 the lines in the figure running through it, then you find there the same cuts, 

 and if you conceive besides a horizontal line through the nose and another 

 through the hips, then high tierce falls from /, and low from m, high quarte 

 from i, and low from k. Figs. 32 and 33 are frames upon which the cuts 

 are delivered according to the above delineation, and towards which the 

 pupil learns to give them in the air, before he is made acquainted with the 

 parades, &c. 



Prime (fig. 35 b) goes from the prime motion short to the sword-arm of 

 the opponent ; long, to his head. Seconde (fig. 36 a), cut perpendicularly 

 upwards from the motion of seconde, goes short to the forearm, long to the 

 upper arm of the opponent, and must be delivered by the stretched arm and 

 wrist solely. Tierce (fig. 37 b), cut short, strikes from the tierce motion 

 the right side of the sword arm, cut long, the right side of the body. 

 Quarte (fig. 38 a), from the quarte motion, is exactly the re Averse of the 

 preceding. These four are the chief cuts. The middle cuts are : half or 

 steep quarte (fig. 39 «), at the inside of the arm, short; from the left 

 shoulder across the breast, long ; the thumb lies sideways uppermost. 

 Half outside seconde (fig. 40 b) falls upon the arm, cut short ; from with- 

 out, over the breast upwards ; if cut long, a good after cut. The thumb 

 lies obliquely downwards. Steep tierce (fig. 41 b), the thumb sideways 

 upwards, and the hand in position of tierce. The cut goes steep to the 

 right side, short upon the arm ; long, from the right shoulder obliquely 

 across the breast. Half inside seconde (fig. 42 a), the thumb obliquely 

 down sideways, the little finger to the left outwards up. The cut falls, if 

 short, from below upon the inside of the arm ; if long, obliquely across the 

 lower body towards the breast. Polish quarte (fig. 43 b), on the same line, 

 is only distinguished from the preceding by coming from the motion of 

 quarte. It is unhandy, and the most diflicult cut. The four high and low 

 cuts can only be cut long, and are : high quarte (fig. 44 a), from the 

 quarte motion, but with the foible raised, from right to left through the 

 face ; low quarte (fig. 45 a), from the quarte motion, with the foible 

 lowered, from right to left across the lower body ; high tierce (fig. 46 «), 

 from the tierce motion, exactly the reverse of high quarte ; low tierce, from 

 the tierce motion, exactly the reverse of low quarte. The parades (parries) 

 are so made, that, to the cut of your antagonist, the forte of your own 

 blade is always opposed, and the edge on the bow side, so as to receive the 

 cut about half way between the bow and the end of the forte, and thus 

 render it harmless. Prime parade (fig. 35 a) is given, without turning the 

 hand, opposite to the cut, and then back to the extension. Seconde parade 

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