.•315 
F E N C 
The Small Sword against the Broad Sword.— 
Although the brand fword poffelles a decided fuperiority 
over the fmall fword, yet h lias often happened in real 
contefl, that the (mail cut and thruft fword lias defeated 
a German adverfary, whofe furious onfet with the broad 
fword is well known, and wliofe exercife with that weapon 
■is formed almoft from the cradle. The Germans, Auf- 
trians, Pruflians, Swedes, &c. have from the earliefl ages 
ftudied the art of olfenfive and defenfve war with the 
broad fword. Prom thence it palTed over into North 
Britain ; and to the immortal honour of the highlanders, 
lias ever proved an all-conquering weapon in their hand. 
This experience of its formidable utility in war, lias been 
the caufe of its more general introduction into the Englifli 
army; which may now be truly confidered as the firft in the 
world ; though the neceflity for thus keeping it up is mod 
fincerely to be lamented by every friend to his country. 
The Germans in their onfet always feek the fword of 
their antagonid in prime or feconde, and often thruft in 
thofe pofitions with a drawn-in arm. They keep their 
left hand to the bread like the Spaniards, with intent to 
parry with it; and the moment they draw their fword 
rliey endeavour to beat fiercely with its edge on their ad- 
verfary’s blade, with intent to difarm or intimidate him 
if pollible. The adverfary with the fmall fword nnidbe 
very careful of his didance, and keep a fecure guard. The 
dafed pofition is undoubtedly the infide guard ; but it 
mud be fupported by the mod determined refolution. 
The blow at the head is to be parried with the fort of the 
fmall fword, holding thewrid in tierce, and oppofing the 
broad fword by a! mod eroding the line of defence. The 
moment the blow is parried, you are to ciofe in about a 
foot, and bending rlie body, return a lunge in feconde, 
redoubling the timid if opportunity permits, and quick 
as lightning recover your guard. If the cut be made on 
the outfide, parry the drake towards the adverfary’s face, 
with your wrid turned half-way to tierce, and the point 
Jdraight. The indant the blow is parried, return a tlirud 
in carte over the arm, and redouble the fame with a fe¬ 
conde. The cut at the belly on the outfide is to be 
parried by turning the wrid to a feconde, and lunging 
on the fame fide. The infide cuts are to be parried with 
the prime parade, at the fame time travelling to the 
outfide, and then return a tlirud in prime. To enfure 
fuccefs againd the broad fword, it is highly requifite 
never to regard any fliam motion, feint, or other arti¬ 
fice, made ufe of by the adverfary with a view to intimi¬ 
date; but flip and fiiun his blows by throwing back your 
body in a line with his, retiring about a foot at a time 
when hard prefied, and counteract his defigns by conti¬ 
nual half thruflsand appels. If his tnotionsare dole and 
perfevering, you mud be quick to parry, in order to fe- 
xure your traverfe or retreat. Thus your didar.ee mud 
be maintained, until the adverfary’s motions happen to 
become wide or loofe : then ciofe in with rapidity and 
fpirit, and make your lunge with fufficicnt ardour to hit 
him with effect. Should the ground be in his favour, 
you fliould traverfe to the right or left, and parry till you 
get the ground in your own favour, or perceive him tire 
rind feel fatigue from his heavier weapon : then choofe the 
favourable moment for a home tlirud, and never hazard 
a thrud or lunge at random. 
Broad Sword against the Spadroon. —To com¬ 
bat this weapon, the broad fvvordfman mud be mader of 
all the parades againd the tlirulis above deferibed, fince 
-thruding is a principal objeCt with the fpadroon. Should 
your antagonid’s weapon be much fiiorter than your own, 
be always ready to faring off from an attempt to ciofe, 
otherwife he will get within your point, and the length 
of your fword will prove a material difadvantage. Many 
fencers ufe the fpadroon in a manner very fimilar to that 
already deferibed for the broad fword ; againd which the 
guards before mentioned are to be adopted. In contend¬ 
ing with fuch as depend on the guard in feconde, it will 
•be bed to engage them with the hand in the pofition of 
r n g. 
the infide guard, the fort of your blade eroding above 
your antagonid’s feeble, and your point about eight inches 
to the right of your line of defence, menacing the infide 
of his pofition. Your point would otherwife be oppofed 
to your advcilary’s hilt, and both weapons in parallel 
lines, by which you would lofe your principle of defence, 
which mud always depend in a great tneafure on the crofs 
your weapon forms to that of your antagonid. 
If your adverfary endeavours to thrud under your hilt, 
parry by finking your band on an outfide guard. If he 
difengages under your hilt, your hand is already on an 
infide guard, and you have only to raife your point to the 
left. If he difengages over your point, he mud expofe 
the infide of his pofition and fword-arm. In attacking 
the fpadroon when held in feconde, the eafied cut to ef¬ 
fect will be on the outfide of the fword-arm, fird making 
a light feint at the head or infide of the face. Another 
cut may be effected by attacking the feeble of his blade 
brifkly with your fort, and beating it downwards to the 
outfide of his pofition, then turn your wrid, and make 
cut 6 , at his ribs, recovering to an infide guard. It will 
not be prudent to attempt beating the fpadroon to the 
outfide of your pofition, becaufe your antagonid can eafily 
flip from that beat and thrud at your infide; neither fliould. 
the broad (word hanging guard be oppofed to the fpa¬ 
droon, except merely to flop a cut, unlefs you are in con- 
fiderable praCIice, and much accudomed to that guard ; 
for the fpadroon is fo much lighter and fwifter in its mo¬ 
tions, that by repeated feints your arm will tire, and your 
antagonid foon gain an advantage from your not being 
able to anfwer his motions with fufficient celerity. 
Broad Sword against the Musket and Bayonet. 
—In this rencounter it will be bed to parry the bayonet 
to the outfide, by dropping the blade acrofs the barrel 
of the mulket, as in the outfide hanging guard, the back 
of your fort ciofe behind the elbow of the bayonet. The 
purchafe thus obtained affifts in depping forward with the 
left foot to feize the barrel with the left hand, which 
being once edeCted, places your adverfary’s life in your 
power. If you parry with the infide hanging guard, the 
fort of your fword fliould be direded to the hollow of 
the elbow of your antagonid’s bayonet, and you mud dep 
obliquely to the right with the right foot, advancing your 
left hand under the arch formed by your right arm to 
feize your adverfary’s mulket. 
In this method it is to be obferved, that although your 
parade may not have weight enough to beat the bayonet 
far out of the line of defence, yet by depping boldly up 
with your left or right foot, according to whichever pa¬ 
rade you ufe, you change the line of defence, while your 
blade prevents your antagonid from withdrawing his wea¬ 
pon, or following your motion with his point. Another 
method by which the tlirud of a bayonet may be parried, 
is by oppofing the fort of the bayonet with that of your 
fword on an infide guard, and beating the bayonet towards 
the left of the line of defence, then feizing it with your 
left hand. But in performing this, unlefs yon are very 
quick, the adverfary may deceive you by difengaging un¬ 
der the hilt of your fword. 
Sing le-Stick. —In a conted with flicks, if you parry 
with an infide or outfide guard, you mud endeavour to 
meet your antagonid’s blow with your fort, rather more 
to the left or right of the line of defence, according to 
which fide you are protecting, than with a fword. By 
thefe means the recoil of the dicks will prevent the blow 
Aiding down to your knuckles, and in proportion as you 
can dop your antagonid’s blow wide of the line of defence, 
you obtain a greater opening to return it. The hanging- 
guard is however the mod ufual, and often the fafed, as 
it affords more protection to the head and face, at which 
tlie blows with a flitk are generally directed. The only 
difl'erence in holding this guard with a flick inflead of a 
fword, conlifls in directing the point about fix inches to¬ 
wards the outfide of your anrngonifi’s right hip, inflead 
of oppolite his fide ; becaufe the point of a dick, if held 
ftationary 
