308 
FENCING. 
the edge leads, and the arm remains fleady : the'third 
motion is effected by turning the wrift fo as to bring the 
thumb downwards, th,e back of the hand and Sift of the 
fword oppofite yourfeif, and then recovering to the cut- 
fide guard, by bringing up the blade with a fr.eep clear 
of the infide or front of your pofition. 
Cut z, is made downwards, from left to right; and has 
the three following motions : fir,ft, front-ike indue guard 
turn your fijhicktes towards-B, and the.point of'the ‘fab re 
to fig. 2 ; fecondly, conclude the. point of the. fword front 
fig. 2, to fig. 3 ; and, for the third motion, turn the infide 
of the wvift upwards, which will naturally .drop the point 
of-the fword outwards to the rear; then relax the -three 
fingers neared the pommel, and recover to the onrfide 
guard, by railing- the blade with a (weep clear of the right 
•fhoulder. — Thel'e two cuts fiieuld .be prUcfifed until the 
learner is able to perform both as one motion without a 
paufe, and with great facility, fo as to recover from either 
cut to the in fide or outfide guard, as necefiity might 
require. 
Cut 3, is made upwards., from right to left, and is alfo 
varied by three mofions : firft, by turning the upper part, 
of the wrift and back of'the hand-downwards from .the 
infi.de guard, drop the point outwarefs. ,to. the; right til! 
the edge of the blade ;is oppofite the‘.diagonal lino from 
•fig\ 3 to 2, at the fame inftant railing the wrift with a 
jftraight arm as high as the fhoulder:’ fecondly, by the 
contraction of the fingersandmotiorj of the wrift, cOndndt 
thelpoint up the line from fig; -3.to 2; thirdly, -when the 
point of the l'word is at fig. 2, turn the back, of the hand 
up, and drop the hand fo as to bring the blade into the 
pofition of the outfide guard. 
Cut 4, is made upwards, from left to right, admitting 
alfo of three motions: firft, from the outfide guard.by a 
turn of the wrift, drop the point of the fibre lo the left, 
till the edge.becomes oppofite the diagonal line from fig. 
4 to 1, failing your hand to the height of your fhoulder, 
keeping the. arm extended and ftraight; fecondly, by the 
fpring. of the wrift, conduct the point, along the line, from 
.fig. 4 to z ; thirdly, turn the inlide of the w rift upwards, 
and fink the arm.to the infide guard.—Thefe two cuts 
dhould alfo be pradlifed, fo as to follow immediately the 
brandifiunents of the two preceding evolutions. - 
Cut 5, .is made horizontally, from right to left; with 
three, motions : fir.ft,. turn, the . back of the hand down¬ 
ward from the infide guard, dropping the point of the 
fword to the right, till it becomes oppofite fig. 3 ; fe¬ 
condly., incline the ivrift inward, and keep the nails up¬ 
ward, till the point be conducted acrofs to fig. 6; thirdly, 
raife the point from fig. 6 to C, and take the pofition of 
the infide guard. 
Cut O', js made horizontally frq^t left to right, -and is 
, .rfo.rmed with the nails downwarc, admi-ttingiikewife of 
three motions : firft, drop the point of the fword or fajire to 
the/ieft till it comebppofite fig-6; fecondly, by inclining 
theiwrift outwards,.make the but acrofs to fig. 5 • thirdly, 
raife the point of thevftj enjd to D, and recover io : the out- 
fide ■guard.'—-Thefe fix cuts fbbuld be prac|i(’ed Until the 
learner can with- great facility combine or perform the 
whole {of them without pauiing; which will he; found 
extremtely advantageous in an-attack, efpecially if an ad- 
verfary\breaks ground and continues to retire, as i-s fre¬ 
quently 'the cafe.-at the onfet. It may alfo prove advan¬ 
tageous in air engagement at night'; (mce/it properly per¬ 
formed, the blade will necelfarily crofs yourdyvn petition, 
in fitch 1 manner as to afFord confidcrable Security from 
the ftro.ke of an enemy ; and the reiterated attack will 
compel him to remain almqft entirely on tire defenfive, 
or fubjeft him to a certainty of receiving your edge on 
his fwonn-arm, particularly if he does not knoiv the di¬ 
rection of thofe outs which fo rapidly faceted tire one he 
may have at firft.cfcaped or parried. The only difference 
between executing the .fix cuts fingly, or combined, con- 
filts in not refoitiilg to any particular guard after eacii 
cut, but continuing the evolutions or motions,from cut 1 
to 6, in which the point of the fword proceeds from the 
conclufion of one cut to the commencement of the next, 
according to the .dotted lines in the diagram. 
In holding the (Void or fabre to execute thefe ftrokes 
or cuts, care nuifl be' taken that the hilt be grafped with 
fnfficient ftfcngih to prevent the biggie, from wavering, 
or tire weapon from being wrenched or thrown from the 
hand by tire ftroke of the adveffarly. "The chief object 
is to keep, tire hilt encircled as much as p fiible by the 
fore finger and thumb, whatever may be the pofition of 
the blade, relaxing or contracting the other.fingers as oc- 
cafion might require: Placing the thumb upon the back 
of the hdt is the mode always adopted by the common 
fmall-lword fencers ; but tire hilts of broad (words and 
fabres are generally made too clofe and confined to admit 
of it ; belides that the curve of the fabre blade renders 
it unmanageable and unfteady if held in that manner. It 
is alfo material that the fencer ftiould learn invariably,to 
acquire a firm yet flexible pofition ; for which purpofe 
he -ntuft fupport the greater parr, and fometimes the 
whole, of his weight on the left leg, in order that the 
right, which is to be advanced, may be either retired 
from a ftroke, or thrown rapidiy forward on a lunge. In 
this,pofition the left fhoulder will be thrown back, and 
the body kept nearly in a line, in order to expofe it as 
little as poilible to the weapon of the adyer-fary. 
The i.ukge is made by fwiftly fiepp.ing" forward with 
the right foot, to throw in a cut or thru ft: But nottyith- 
ftanding the utility and advantage of expcr.tnefs in the 
lunge, it will not be found in real adtion of fo much va¬ 
lue as dexterity in a quick recovery, which being ever 
calculated to parry tire ftroke of the antagonift, cannot 
be too much p radii fed, in order to return lo a proper- 
guard with eafe and facility, after every lunge or ftroke 
made on the offenfive; for if.it fail, the blow is conftant- 
ly retorted by the adverfary. Another principal object 
is to execute the cuts in fuch a manner as not to fulfer 
the arni to fvvny improperly with the motion of the fword:, 
which not only expqfes it to danger, but opens the body 
to a ftroke from an impetuous enemy. The parade or 
change from one ftro.ke to another, ought alfo to be exe¬ 
cuted with fuch precifion, as to. render it impofiikle. lor 
an adverfary to .djfengage Iris weapon from one fide and 
cut at the other, without being oppofed by the edge of 
your fword. 
The fix cuts arc to be parried or warded oft - by the fix 
principal guards. Cut 1, is parried by the infide guard. 
Cut 2, by the outfide guard. Cut 3, when made, bydif- 
engaging from ah outfide guard, is parried by the infide 
hanging guard ; or, if made by di(engaging- from the infide 
guard, it is parried by the outfide hanging guard. Cut 4,' 
is alfo parried by the outfide hanging guard. Cut 5, is 
parried by the infide guard ; or, if made low, by the in- 
■ lide hanging guard. Cut 6, is parried . by the outfide 
guard, qr outfide hanging guard ; and all cuts made di- 
rebily at the head, are parried, by the, St. George. — -In¬ 
deed tire v. hole of the fix cuts, may be part ied by the 
hanging guard,..the hand or, blade, being moved a little 
to, tite right or left, and railed or lowered as occafion re¬ 
quires; but obferve, if already engaged on an infitie guard, 
it will be life!efs to attempt taking the hanging guard 
acriinft cut 5, or 3, uni,efs .the antagonift make a feint at 
trite outfide.before he delivers.his. cut. 
After, niaking a ftroke or cut,.be careful always to re¬ 
cover to that guard: which, brings your edge oppofed to 
your antagonift’s blade; and if at any time you (hould be 
co.nipelied to oppole a weak parade- to your ydverfary, by 
your wrift being-in a.cenftrained -pofition,; quit that poll 
ture as ib.on. as pofiible, either by directing.a cut at his 
moft unguarded part, or by fpringing'back at the inftant 
you make the parade.—In delivering and receiving thefe 
fevcrul m.ovements, it is neqeffiuy to tiiftinguifh between 
the upper half of the blade, which is called th z feeble, or 
vveak part, and the lower half, vyhicii is termed th ejort, 
or itrong part. 
To 
