fencing. 
309 
To attain fecurity from a counter ftrcke whilft attack¬ 
ing-, it is requifite, that in every cut, the fort of your 
fword (hould be directed in fome degree towards your an- 
tagonift’s weapon ; fo that, although the point of your 
fword may ,e fie (St the cut, vet the fort dial 1 at the fame 
inftant be ready to receive any blow he may then deliver. 
For example: in making cut i, the hilt being carried to 
the left of your politico, as much as when on the infide 
guard, at the inftant the point commences the cut, it will 
occalion your blade to crofs that of your antagonift, and 
thereby' afford a certainty of protection, unlefs he polfelfes 
fufficient dexterity to change his polition in lefs time than 
you can make the ftroke. Cuts i and 2 (hould therefore 
in general be made w ith the hand lower than the (boul¬ 
der, and 3 and 4 with it raifed above the height of the 
fhonlder. On this principle the arm fhould never be 
lifted towards the fide at which you intend a cut, fince 
by that motion both hilt and'blade would be entirely re¬ 
moved from between yourfelf and adverfary, and conie- 
quently you would become expofed to the fame cut you 
aim at him. In fome fituations it will undoubtedly be 
proper to cut from the direction of yourantagonift’s blade, 
inftead of towards it; for inftance, in making a cut over 
and within his guard, or under and within his guard ; 
in fuch cafes this attack may be fafely liazarded, becaufe 
you have previoufly forced his fword far enough out of 
the line of defence to prevent a counter (troke or retort 
before your recovery takes place. 
The Distance. —Want of attention to preferve the 
proper diftance, is an error to which learners are often 
expofed. No invariable pofitive 1 'pace can be affigned, 
becaufe alrnoft every fituation depends more or lefs on 
the height, firength, and activity, of the adverfary. The 
moft general principle is, that your left knee (hould be 
about fix or eight inches beyond the reach of your anla- 
gonift’s point upon the mod extenfive lunge he can exert. 
But it is difficult to afeertain your diftance by this method 
in real conteft ; in that cafe you may judge moreeafily from 
the point of your fword juft reaching your adverfary’a 
(hell, when both arms are ftraighf, and neither inclining 
the body improperly forward. If you permit him to ad¬ 
vance nearer, lie may throw in a cut or thruft too rapidly 
for your parade, efpecially if he fil'd: deceive you by a 
feint. To avoid this, fome fencers accuftom themfelves 
to fpring back, frequently dropping their point oppofite 
their a.ntagonift’s face, when contending with one of an 
impetuous temper ; a mode which will undoubtedly be 
found very ufeful, if the fpot on. which they are engaged 
(hould afford fufficient room. Others adopt the circular 
ftep called traverfing to right or left, which effeCts the 
purpofe in lefs length. But experience and practice will 
belt determine which to clioofe, according to the circum- 
ftances and fituation in which you may chance to engage. 
The Advance. —This ftep is intended to gain ground 
upon an adverfary, when at too great a diftance to reach 
him by a hinge ; or by prefting forwards, to compel him 
to retreat into worfe ground, or a more difadvantageous 
fituation. It is efteCted by ftepping forward with the 
right foot about one-third of your lunge, at the fame time 
transferring the weight of your body from the left leg to 
the right, that you may be enabled to (lip the left foot 
along the ground to within fix inches of the right heel ; 
then ftep forward again with the right foot, and draw up 
the left as before, conftantly preferving an ereCl: pofition 
of body, and being careful to oppofe a proper guard, till 
the objeft be attained. 
The Retreat. —This is ufed to gain a more advan¬ 
tageous fituation that may offer behind, or to avoid any 
inconvenience from an adverfary of fuperior ftrength, in 
prefting too ciofely upon you. In this fituation the left 
leg m 11ft lead, and the weight be thrown in the firft mo¬ 
tion on the right, lifting the left foot from the ground 
to avoid any unfeen obftacle in the rear, then planting it 
firmly about (ixteen or eighteen inches backward, and 
drawing the right to within ten. After this raife the left 
Vol. VII. No. 428. 
foot, and planting it as before, draw the right after it; 
thus continuing a menacing and guarded retreat as long 
as occafion may require. 
Traversing. —There are two modes of traverfing, 
namely, backward , and forward ; either of which may be 
adopted according to the ground, or other circumftances 
in which you may engage, and will be found ufeful, if 
in retiring from an adverfary you happen to be obftructed 
by a ditch or other impediment. Traverfing is preferred 
by mod fencer-s to retiring, becaufe it has not fo much 
the appearance of fullering a defeat. The fare traverfe is 
performed in a large circle, the center of which is con¬ 
ceived to be the middle of the line of defence on which both 
the fencers (land to engage. Such is the line P, q, C, h, g, 
in the annexed diagram ; and the circle formed by the 
traverfe, will be p, a, C, e, G, 1, 1,, N. For the right 
foot being at Q, and the left at P, the traverfe is begun 
by ftepping round with the left foot front. P to A, and the 
right foot immediately after from q to b ; and then the 
line a, b, C, k, 1, will be the line of defence; at the 
next ftep remove the left foot from a to e, then the right 
from b, to d ; and this will make the line c, d, C, m, l, 
the line of defence. In the fame circuit continue till you 
have obviated the difficulty, or drawn your antagonift 
into the bad ground; carefully attending to the proper 
guard, and not ftepping fo far as to difplace the eredl: 
pofition of the body, which is ever the (ign of an invin¬ 
cible fpirit and true magnanimity. • 
P 
The back traverfe is the counter-part of that already 
deferibed ; and is commenced by moving the right foot 
firft : for inftance, (landing in the line of defence r, q, C, 
h, G, remove the right from Gt to o, the left (rom p to 
N, which renders the line n, o, C, f, e, the line of de¬ 
fence : thus ftepping backward, the right foot moving 
firft, you may traverfe the whole, or only fuch part, of 
the circle as may be requifite. This change of pofition 
may fometimes prove exceedingly ufeful, efpecially if 
you (hould happen to be at firft engaged with the fun di¬ 
rectly in your face ; for a perfon who performs it readily, 
by traverfing half the circle, brings his opponent exadlly 
into the unfavourable fituation he has himfelf juft quitted ; 
and by a vigorous attack at that moment, he may redouble 
his embari'affment. 
Disengaging. —This confifts in quitting that fide of 
the adverfary’s blade on which you are oppofed by his 
guard, in order to effedt a cut or thruft where an oppor¬ 
tunity may prefent. It is performed either by raifing the 
point of the fword towards yourfelf fo as juft fufficiently 
to clear the blade of your opponent, or by dropping the- 
point below his hilt. The parade in either way fhould 
be made very quick : and in the inftant of palling your 
4 K adverfary’s 
