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F - E N C 
necefTary with t'nofe weapons. To facilitate this method 
of recovering, cuts 1 and 2 with the fpadroon may be 
made with a circular direction ; whereas the u eight of the 
iabre renders it difficult to apply the edge, unlefs the 
cut be made in a more direCt line. 
One cut withinfide the arm feems almoft peculiar to 
the fpadroon, (ince few have fufncient (frength in the arm 
to effeCt it with the broad fword. It is thus performed : 
your antagonift being on the hanging guard, feign a thruft 
in feconde, and if he attempts to parry it with his feeble, 
turn your nails up without difengaging, and, railing your 
point, cut at the infide of his fword arm. This cut, if 
performed with fpirit, is generally fure to difable; and 
is rendered fafe, by your antagonili’s fword being occu¬ 
pied in a vain attempt to bear out your fort, which is 
brought againft his feeble by your lungeing forward as 
you raife your point. If he links his hand to parry with 
Ids fort, fpring off with a cut at the upper part of his 
arm, on the outfide. In retiring from a fuperior force, 
the mode taught by the French of fiourifhing the weapon 
is (filed a la dcbandadc , and confifts in brandilhing it in 
front of your poution from right to left, turning the wrill 
up and down fo as to lead with a true edge, the point 
defcribing the figure CO, the wrill held level with the 
fhculder. By this method an adverfary may be prevented 
from advancing too fart upon you, as he muft firft rtop 
the motion of your blade before he can fafely attack, and. 
the next rtep you retreat fets your weapon again at liberty. 
Of the SPANISH and ITALIAN FENCING. 
The Spaniards have a method of ufing the fword in 
many refpeCts different from all other nations; and which 
feems to have obtained among the nobility ol that rich 
and populous country, ever fince the days of Cortez and 
Pizarro, fo famous for their conquefts in New Spain. 
Their prime objeft in the ufe of the fword is to give a 
cut on the head, then inftantly recover, and plunge a 
thruft between the eyes, or in the throat. Their guard 
is almoft ftraight, and their lunge fatal, whenever the 
point takes place. When they meet and form their poli- 
tion, they bend the right knee, and ftraighten the left, 
Carrying the body eredt. When they retire, they bend 
the left knee, and ftraighten the right; they throw the 
attitude of the body well back, prelenting a very narrow 
line of defence to the adverfary, the fide only, ever ready 
to catch or parry with the left hand, or perform the flip, 
gracefully, with the right foot behind the left. 
The Spanilli fwords are near five feet long from the hilt 
to the point, and cut with both edges; it is the two-edged 
fword. The (hell is alfo very large, and is crofted with 
a fmall bar, which extends about two inches on each (ide, 
terminated by a knob or button. They make ufe of this 
to wrench the fword out of the adverfary’s hand, by 
bending or crofting his blade with it, particularly when 
they contend againft the long fwords of their own coun¬ 
trymen : but it would be very difficult for them to exe¬ 
cute this againft the common drefs fword of the French 
and Englifh, or the broad fword and fpadroon. The Spa- 
nifh gentry are, however, perfect mailers of the fword, 
and never appear in public without that weapon by their 
fide. Their ordinary guard is with their wrift in tierce, 
and the point in a line with the adverfary’s eye. They 
often make attacks on the foot, and alfo feints or half 
thrufts to the face, and form a circle with the point of 
their fword to the left, then ftraightening their arm, they 
advance to give the blow on the head, and recover in¬ 
ftantly to their guard, quite in line, with their point ftill 
to the adverfary’s face. 
The Englilh fencer, even with a common fword, may 
eafily defend himfelf againft a Spaniard, provided he will 
coolly parry off the firft attack, and aft for a time merely 
®n the defenfive. In this rencounter the following inftruc- 
tions are of importance : commence your guard rather out 
of diftance, with your wrift turned in tierce, a little higher 
than ordinary, keeping a fteady arm, and not anfvvering 
I N G. 
any feints the adverfary may clutfe to make. If he at¬ 
tempts the cut upon the head, parry it with a high tierce, 
ftill railing your wrift and bending your body ; then clofe 
in a foot or more, making a full thruft in feconde, with 
your point lower than ufual in that thruft, that the ad¬ 
verfary may not be able to catch or parry it with his left 
hand. This thruft being made, recover inftantly to a 
tierce, and then traverfing the line of defence to the right, 
with a forcible turn of the wrift feek his fword again. 
At the fame inftant bring up your right foot to your left, 
to. throw off his point ; and thus you will be enabled to 
gain frelh ground with your left foot. If your Spanilh 
adverfary now makes a thruft at your face or neck, you 
trmft parry it by difengaging from tierce to carte, keeping 
your wrilt in a direct line with the fhoulder, at the fame 
time clofing, to get within his blade as much as poffible, 
and to be able to deliver a thruft in carte. If he now en¬ 
deavours to parry with his left hand, feign a ftroke at it, 
making at the fame time an appel of the foot, thus to 
baulk his hand parade ; and then recovering quickly your 
point, redouble your thruft in low carte, which will pro¬ 
bably terminate the eonteft. 
Fencing with the fword and dagger, or poniard, is a 
practice peculiar to Italy; but chiefly praCtifed in the 
Neapolitan territory. The Italians feldorn go out at night 
without thefe two weapons; and their expertnefs in the 
joint ufe of them merits admiration. Their guard is com¬ 
monly very low ; but they vary it every moment, in order 
to perplex their adverfary. They place much dependence 
on their agility, and their parrying with the dagger; and 
lienee it often happens that when two Italians fight, they 
both hit together, and both fall, perhaps mortally wound¬ 
ed. Indeed, their irritability of temper is fuch, that the 
affaffinations committed in that country by the poniard, 
are incalculable. A deliberate fencer, therefore, even 
with a (ingle weapon, lias ever an advantage over them ; 
but this nnift depend on his knowledge and expertnefs in 
the fcience of the fword, directed by a cool temper. The 
Italians defend all the infide, and the lower parts, with 
the dagger; and as they depend entirely on this parade, 
they generally lower the outfide with the point of the 
fword. To oppofe the formidable operation of thefe two 
blades by the lingle fword, you mull affume your-guard 
with your wrift turned between tierce and carte, and a 
little lower than the ufual guard ;' and fixing your point 
oppofite the adverfary’s right fhoulder, make frequent 
beats on his outiide guard, accompanied with appels of 
the foot, always directing your point towards his face, to 
oblige him to raife his wrift; and the moment he does fo, 
you mult feize the opportunity with preciiion and viva¬ 
city to deliver your thruft in feconde, and then, if foiled, 
return equally quick to the prime parry or half-circle 
guard. Should the Italian atfume the guard with the 
point in a line with his fhoulder, you are to make a feint 
on his infide, and return with a fudden beat on his outfide, 
by fixing your fort on his feeble, then throwing in a lunge 
carte over the arm, which will probably reach home. But 
fhould he perlift in holding his guard lower than his wrift, 
you are to place yourfelf on the infide guard, there mak¬ 
ing a half thruft, immediately binding his blade, and de¬ 
livering a rapid flanconuade. Or you may, after the half 
thruft, crofs-bind his blade, and make your lunge in tierce. 
It is never fafe to make the home thruft on the adverfary’s 
infide, becaufe the dagger is fure to parry the blow, and 
then you are open to an immediate thruft from your an¬ 
tagonift, which would, in nine cafes out of ten, be likely 
to hit a vital part. But fhould the Italian, as is their 
cuftom, flutter about, and not be feettre in his parades, 
feeking to parry chiefly with his fword the attacks you 
make upon him ; in fuch cafe, after having made your 
feint on his infide guard, and outfide the dagger, looking 
him fternly in tlie eye, make your lunge in low carte, 
which if done with rapidity, will terminate the eonteft.— 
This fpecies of fencing with fword and dagger has never 
been praCtifed in England. 
Tug 
