FENCING. 
adverfary’s weapon, the edge of your blade (hould be 
turned, to meet any cut that he may direCt; othervvife 
you become liable to be difabled, from the ward-iron not 
iufficiently guarding the hand. The difengage to effect 
a cut is ufually performed over the wrift, with an inten¬ 
tion of thru flying under it. 
Forcing th e -Adversary's B lade.— W henever your 
antagonift appears languid or weak on his guard, and bare¬ 
ly covers his body on the fide he is oppofed ; by ftepping 
well forwarddnd (hiking your fort fmartly on his blade, 
- you may be enabled to deliver a cut without rilk even at 
the part he intends to fecure, taking care to .direct your 
blade in fitch a manner that the plate or crofs bar of the 
hilt (hall prevent his fword from coming forward; and 
Iufficiently bearing-your hand to the ftde oppofite that at 
■which your point is directed, to prevent an interchanged 
cut. This is performed partly by the hidden extenfion 
of the-arm, and partly by the fpring of the wrift. 
Timing.— T his is the critical moment of throwing in 
a cut or timid upon any opening that may occur when 
your antagonid changes his pofirion. For indance,, if he 
changes from an infide to an outfide guard,- or from out- 
fide to infide, in a negligent manner, his wrift becomes 
expofed, and frequently part of his fword arm above the 
elbow. The fame Opportunity prefer.ts itfelf, if in mak¬ 
ing feints he (hould futfer his fword too much to fway his 
arm, or tliould not recover dexteroully from, a cut which 
you have parried. 
The Slip.—T his is performed by withdrawing that 
part at which your antagonift directs his cut ; in order 
that his,weapon being deprived of the expedited relid- 
ance, may fway his ann from the defenfive podure, and 
thereby afford you an opening for a cut. It will not how¬ 
ever often effeCh this'purpofe againd a fencer who can 
execute the cuts on the principles herein laid down ; be- 
caufe the mode of recovery is fo very expeditious; but 
it may prove an advantageous deception againd an anta¬ 
gonid of a hafty and over-heated temper, ft will there¬ 
fore be proper for a learner to accudom himfelf fometimes 
to recover from the lunge with his right hand drawn 
quickly up to the bread, the edge of his fword turned to 
the left or right, according to the direction of the cut he 
means to flip. If the cut he intends to avoid be made at 
the infide of the fword-arm, the edge (hould be turned to 
the left, as in the infide guard, the point raifed perpen- 
dicularly to the hilt, and the return from this pofition 
fhould be the cut 2. Should the attack be made at the 
outfide of his arm, the edge of the fword (hould be turned 
out wards, and the hilt held a little below the right (boul¬ 
der, returning cut 1, the very inftant after the adver¬ 
fary’s blade has paffed :—but the movement mil ft be like 
lightning. 
In circtimfiances where the withdrawing the hand up to 
the bread: is not fufficient, the (lipping a cut on the infide 
is effected by drawing the right foot backward and Tide¬ 
ways to the right of the'line, 'letting the adverfary’s fword 
pal's a little out of reach, and then ftepping into the former 
pofition, return cut 2, or 6 , at the fide which becomes 
expofed by his weapon not meeting t lie refifiance he ex¬ 
pended..—To an outfide cut the (lip is performed by draw¬ 
ing the right leg with the whole body backwards and Tide¬ 
ways out of the line towards the left ; and then making 
cut 1, at the infide of the arm, or 2, at the head. But 
in making this (lip the hazard is much greater than the 
probable advantage. On the hanging guard, however, 
the flip may be praCtifed with great fafety, by ftepping 
the foot quite cut, and at right angles with the line of 
defence, whereby the whole body is brought toward the 
right ; and the guard remaining ftill oppoled to the ad- 
verfary, will prqteCt you from his cut, even in cafe he 
fhould lunge farther than you had reafon to expeCt.— 
Every, mode of attack, is to be eluded by one or other of 
the following pofitions of the fword, diftinguifhed by the 
gene.ral name of guard. 
Inside Guard.—T o perform this, turn your hilt to 
the left, the fingernails upward, and the pommel directed 
towards the infide of your che-ft, the point oppofite your 
antagonift’s left eye, or elevated from one to.four inches 
above it. Should he bear upon your blade to force it 
out of the line, raife the.point Co as to withdraw t he feeble 
front his bearing; or othervvife difengage quickly, and 
cut at-the outfide of his arm. Guts 1 and 5 are warded 
by this pofition; but the latter requires a trifling inclina¬ 
tion of the hand downwards. 
Outside Guard. —To perform this, turn your knuckles 
to the outfide, the finger mails downward, carrying the 
hand about fix Or eight inches to the right of the line of 
defence, fo as to proteCt the outfide of your pofition, and 
direCt your point to the right eye of your antagonift, or 
fomewhat above it. Should he endeavour to.force your 
blade out of the pofition, gain the feeble part of his fword 
by withdrawing and railing your point; or die difengage, 
and cut on the other fide. This, guard fecuies againft: 
cut 2, and, by finking the hand in a final 1 degree, again ft: 
cut 6. 
Hanging Guard. —This may follow from either the 
infide or the outline guard, by drqpping the point of your 
fword till it is directed towards your antagonift’s body, a 
little above his right hip, railing the hand as-high as your 
head, and looking your adversary full in the face under 
the (hell of your fword. This guard admits of two poii- 
tions', according to the cuts it may be intended to oppofe; . 
and thefe are denominated infide hanging guard, and outfide . 
hanging guard. 
The infide i hanging guard, called the prime , is formed 
by bending the elbow, til! the back of the wrift is.brought 
oppofite the forehead over the left eye, and is intended 
to pro.teCt againft cuts 1, 3, and 5, when made at the 
infide ; the left fide of the head '.being covered from any 
attack by the hilt; but if the cut be made directly at 
the head, it is 1110ft prudent in fuch cafes to adopt the: 
St. George’s guard, efpeciaVly as the hilts now ufed have 
no bafleet, and very little.(hell. If.your antagonift endea¬ 
vours to make the cuts 2, 4, or 6, at your outfide, you 
muft parry his edge by carrying the weapon to the right 
of your pofition. 
The outfde hanging guard, or feconde, differs from the*, 
former, in having the arm perfectly ftraight, the blade 
being carried to the right, fo as to protect againft cuts 2, 
4, and ,6. When in this pofition, the adverfavy’s fword 
muft be kept by your blade (u'fficiently to the outfide to 
prevent any cut or thruft being made at that part". If 
your antagonift difengages Iron! th e. Jecoude hanging guard, 
to make the cuts 1, 3, or 5, you muft oppofe them by the 
prime hanging guard,, which is formed 'by-inclining your 
wrift to the left, till the back of the hand is in a line 
above the left eye, the point rather lowered, to prevent 
cut 3, being made under it. 
Allhough the prime hanging guard will be found very 
ufeful fer parrying cuts 3 and 5, when made by difengag- 
ing from an outfide guard ; yet it cannot be ufed to parry 
thofe cuts when they are made by difengaging from an 
infide guard : in fuch cafe the half-circle guard is to be 
adopted. Hence it will be neceffary by practice to.obtain 
a degree of firmnefs and celerity in changing from the 
prime to the feconde hanging guard, fince a cut made at 
either of thole guards occafions the affailant’s fword to 
rebound with fwiftnefs, and enables him without much 
hazard to ftrike at the other fide ; and although it is 
againft the rules of broad-fword play in fchools to make- 
two cuts on one lunge, yet in an engagement for life this 
is not likely to be attended to. 
The hanging guard poffeffes feveral advantages, but is- 
at the fame time liable to fome objections. Among the 
advantages to be derived from this pofture of defence, the 
mod important will be found in the protection it aftbrds- 
by covering fo large'a portion of the body, as the whole 
of the blade is appropriated to that purpofe, efpecially in 
the direction in which the fi.r'ft and moft naturaUblows are 
made ; while from the oblique pofition of the'weapon, a. 
-blow, 
