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cause_n	body_n	nature_n	reason_n	1,625	5	4.6916	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12246	Paradoxes of defence wherein is proued the true grounds of fight to be in the short auncient weapons, and that the short sword hath aduantage of the long sword or long rapier. And the weakenesse and imperfection of the rapier-fights displayed. Together with an admonition to the noble, ancient, victorious, valiant, and most braue nation of Englishmen, to beware of false teachers of defence, and how they forsake their owne naturall fights: with a briefe commendation of the noble science or exercising of armes. By George Siluer Gentleman.	Silver, George, fl. 1599.	1599 (1599)	STC 22554; ESTC S117412	47,315	86

vnskilful himselfe Lastly to confirme for truth all that shal be amisse not only in this excellēt Science of Defence but in all other excellent secrets most commonly the lye beareth as good a shew of truth as truth it selfe Of the false resolutions and vaine opinions of Rapier-men and of the danger of death thereby ensuing IT is a great question especially amōgst the Rapier-men who hath the vantage of the thruster or of the warder Some hold strongly that the warder hath the vantage others say it is most certain that the thruster hath the vantage Now when two do happē to fight being both of one mind that the thruster hath the vantage they make all shift they can who shall giue the first thrust as for example two Captaines at Southampton euen as they were going to take shipping vpon the key fel at strife drew their Rapiers and presently being desperate hardie or resolute as they call it with all force and ouer great speed ran with their rapiers one at the other were both slaine Now when two of the contrary opinion shall meet and fight you shall see verie peaceable warres betweene them for they verily thinke that he that first thrusteth is in great danger of his life therefore with all speede do put themselues in ward or Stocata the surest gard of all other as Vincentio saith and therevpon they stand sure saying the one to the other thrust and thou dare and saith the other thrust and thou dare or strike or thrust and thou dare saith the other then saith the other strike or thrust and thou dare for thy life These two cunning gentlemen standing long time together vpon this worthie ward they both depart in peace according to the old prouerbe It is good sleeping in a whole skinne A gaine if two shall fight the one of opinion that he that thrusteth hath the vantage and the other of opinion that the warder hath the vantage then most commonly the thruster being valiant with all speed thrusteth home and by reason of the time and swift motion of his hand they are most commonly with the points of their rapiers or daggers or both one or both of them hurt or slaine because their spaces of defence in that kind of fight are too wide in due time to defend and the place being wonne the eye of the Patient by the swift motion of the Agents hand is deceiued Another resolution they stand sure vpon for their liues to kill their enemies in the which they are most commonly slaine themselues that is this When they find the point of their enemies rapier out of the right line they say they may boldly make home a thrust with a Passata the which they obserue and do accordingly but the other hauing a shorter time with his hand as nature manie times teacheth him sodainly turneth his wrist whereby he meeteth the other in his passage iust with the point of his rapier in the face or body And this false resolution hath cost manie a life That the cause that manie are so often slaine and manie sore hurt in fight with long Rapiers is not by reason of their dangerous thrusts nor cunningnesse of that Italienated fight but in the length and vnweildinesse thereof IT is most certaine that men may with short swords both strike thrust false and double by reason of their distance and nimblenesse thereof more dangerously then they can with long Rapiers and yet when two fight with short swordes hauing true fight there is no hurt done neither is it possible in anie reason that anie hurt should be done betwixt them of either side and this is well knowne to all such as haue the perfection of true fight By this it plainely appeareth that the cause of the great slaughter and sundrie hurts done by long Rapiers consisteth not in long Reach dangerous thrustes nor cunningnesse of the Italian fight but in the inconuenient length and vnweildinesse of their long Rapiers whereby it commonly falleth out that in all their Actions appertaining to their defence they are vnable in due time to performe and continually in danger of euerie crosse that shall happen to be made with their rapier blades which being done within the halfe rapier vnlesse both be of one mind with all speed to depart which seldome or neuer hapneth betweene men of valiant disposition it is impossible to vncrosse or get out or to auoid the stabbes of the Daggers And this hath falne out manie times amongst valiant men at those weapons Of running and standing fast in Rapier fight the runner hath the vantage IF two valiant men do fight being both cunning in running that they both vse the same at one instant their course is doubled the place is wonne of both sides and one or both of them will commonly be slaine or sore hurt and if one of them shall runne and the other stand fast vpon the Imbrocata or Stocata or howsoeuer the place wil be at one instant wonne of one side and gained of the other and one or both of them wil be hurt or slaine if both shall prese hard vpon the guard he that first thrusteth home in true place hurteth the other if both thrust together they are both hurt yet some vantage the runner hath because he is an vncertaine marke and in his motion the other is a certaine marke and in a dead motion and by reason thereof manie times the vnskilfull man taketh vantage he knoweth not how against him that lyeth watching vpon his ward or Stocata guard Of striking and thrusting both together I It is strongly holden of manie that if in fight they find their enemy to haue more skill then themselues they presently will continually strike thrust iust with him whereby they will make their fight as good as his and thereby haue as good aduantage as the other with all his skill but if their swordes be longer then the other then their aduantage is great for it is certaine say they that an inch will kill a man but if their swordes be much longer then the other then their aduantage is so great that they wil be sure by thrusting and striking iust with the other that they will alwaies hurt him that hath the short sword and go cleare themselues because they will reach him when he shall not reach them These men speake like such as talke of Robin Hoode that neuer shot in his bow for to strike or thrust iust together with a man of skill lyeth not in the will of the ignorant because the skilfull man alwaies fighteth vpon the true times by the which the vnskilfull is still disappointed of both place and time and therefore driuen of necessitie still to watch the other when what he will doe that is whether he will strike thrust or false if the vnskilfull strike or thrust in the time of falsing therein he neither striketh nor thrusteth iust with the other he may saie he hath stroke or

wherin in his judgement he may thrust home it is impossible for the other to denie him the same because the length of the Rapiers winneth him the crosse the crosse being taken the place is had the place being had he that first thrusteth first speedeth if both thrust together they are both in danger thē presently followeth vnlesse it please God otherwise to haue it the stabs with their daggers wherein there lieth no defence Of the long Rapier Poiniard-fight betweene two valiant men the one hauing skil the other none that he that hath no skill hath the vantage WHen two valiant men shal fight with lōg Rapiers and Poiniards the one hauing skill and the other none he that hath no skill most commōly proueth himself the better mā for these causes or reasons following First the skilfull man as knowing the other to haue no skill or finding it to be so by his shape or maner of comming towardes him will presently yeeld to take the aduantage of his comming or else with all speed put himselfe into his short ward to be readie at his comming to make out a strong Stocata as the Italians call it the other knowing his imperfection in fight assureth himselfe there can be no great good for him to stand long out at the point presently redoubleth or reuiueth his spirits with perfect resolution to make short worke couragiously with some offensiue action such as nature shall best yeeld vnto him flieth in with all force and agilitie the skilfull man standeth watching to take such aduantages as his schoolemaister hath taught him in the which time manie times it falleth out he is taught a new time euen by an vnskilfull man that neuer fought before is sore hurt or slaine and if it happen they both misse in their offensiue actions then by reason thereof and of the imperfect length of their Rapiers they come to stabbing with their Poiniards wherin there lyeth no defence because distance being broken iudgement faileth time is lost and their eies by the swift motions of their handes are deceiued Of the long single Rapier or Rapier and Poiniard-fight betweene two vnskilfull men being valiant WHen two vnskilfull men being valiant shall fight with long single Rapiers there is lesse danger in that kind of fight by reason of their distance in conuenient length waight and vnweildinesse then is with short Rapiers whereby it commeth to passe that what hurt shall happen to be done if anie with the edge or point of their Rapiers is done in a moment and presently will grapple and wrastle together wherin most commonly the strongest or best Wrastler ouercommeth and the like fight falleth out betweene them at the long Rapier and Poiniard but much more deadly because in stead of Close and Wrastling they fall most commonly to stabbing with their Poiniardes Of the imperfection and insufficiencie of Rapiers in generall of what length soeuer they be IF two fight with long Rapiers If they stand vpon breaking with their Daggers he that first winneth the place and thrusteth home hurteth the other for lacke of the circūference if both thrust together they are both sped because their Spaces of Defence are too wide to answere the time of the hand and by the swift motion thereof the eye in that distance is by the same deceiued The feete in their course but not in the first motion alwaies note for the auoiding of great errours vpon euerie Crosse made within the halfe Rapier if they haue Poiniardes they most commonly stabbe each other which cannot be auoided because the Rapiers being long the Crosse cannot be vndone of either side without going backe with their feete the which likewise in due time cannot be done because the hand is more swifter then the feete and the feete more swifter in their course forwardes then backwardes neither can the Crosse be preuented because the point of necessitie lyeth too farre off in his offence or else within compasse of the true time of the hand and bodie by reason of his imperfect length and so by the like reasons if two fight with long single Rapiers vpon euerie Crosse made therewith within the halfe Rapier the Close cannot be auoided wherby it commeth to passe most commonly that the strongest man or best Wrastler ouercommeth Now if two do fight with short Rapiers or Rapiers of conuenient length such Rapiers be inconuenient and insufficient also for lacke of an hilt to defend the hand and head from the blow for no eie in making a perfect ward for the head to defend a blow can discerne to take the same within three or foure inches wherby it may as well and as often fall vpon the hand as vpon the blade of the Rapier Againe the hilt as well serueth to defend the head as the hand and is a more sure and strong ward then is the blade of the Rapier And further vnderstand this for truth that in gardant and open fight the hand without an hilt lieth open to most blowes that shal be stroken by the Agent out of the gardant or open fight because in the true cariage of the gardant fight the hand must lie aboue the head in such straightnes and narrownes of space that which way soeuer the Agent shall strike or thrust at the head face or bodie the remouing of two or foure inches shall saue all And now some what more for the shortnesse or conuenient length of Rapiers Rapiers hauing no hilts to defend the head the Rapier-man is driuen of necessitie to lie at the variable fight or low ward and being there he can neither defend in due time head face nor bodie from the blowes or thrustes of him that shall fight out of the gardant or open fight but is continually in great danger of the Agent for these causes following First because his space is too wide to defend his head from blow or thrust Secondly his Pace standing vpon that fight wil be of necessitie too great or too narrow if too narrow too weak if too large his weight and number of his feet are too great to endanger him that is vpon his gardant or open fight Of the imperfection and insufficiencie of the fight of the single Rapier Rapier and Poiniard Rapier and Buckler Rapier and Cloke and Rapier and Gloue of maile THe Rapier fight whether it be single or accōpanied with Poiniard Buckler cloke or gloue of male is still by reason of the insufficiencie or imperfection of the Rapier an imperfect fight vnperfect instruments can make no perfect musicke neither can vnperfect weapons make perfect fight let the men that handle them haue all the knowledge that may be in all maner of weapons yea the full height or perfection and true habite by his great labour and industry euen as it were naturally effected in him yet if the weapons that they shall fight withall be imperfect or insufficient to performe whatsoeuer appertaineth vnto true fight as concerning the perfection of their safetie it auaileth

it so long as he possibly could but through his extreme sicknesse the stone with vomit was cast out of his mouth then presently he remēbred how the woman had mocked him and yet her words were true Euen so a Spaniard hauing his Rapier point put by may receiue a blow on the head or a cut ouer the face hand or arme or a thrust in the body or face and yet his Spanish fight perfect so long as he can keepe straight the point of his Rapier against the face or body of his aduersarie which is as easie in that maner of fight to be done as it was for the Doctor in the extremity of his vomite to keepe the stone in his mouth Yet one other pretie iest more scarce worth the reading in commendation of outlandish fight There was an Italian teacher of Defence in my time who was so excellent in his fight that he would haue hit anie English man with a thrust iust vpon any button in his doublet and this was much spoken of Also there was another cunning man in catching of wild geese he would haue made no more ado when he had heard them crie as the maner of wildgeese is flying one after another in rowes but presently looking vp would tell them if there had bene a dosen sixteene twētie or more he would haue taken euerie one And this tale was manie times told by men of good credit and much maruelled at by the hearers the man that wold haue taken the wildgeese was of good credite himselfe marie they said indeed he did neuer take anie but at anie time when he had looked vp and seene them flie in that maner he would with all his heart haue taken thē but he could no more tell how to do it then could the cunning Italian Fencer tell how to hit an Englishman with a thrust iust vpon any one of his buttons when he listed Illusions for the maintenance of imperfect weapons false fights to feare or discourage the vnskilfull in their weapons from taking a true course or vse for attaining to the perfect knowledge of true fight FIrst for the Rapier saith the Italian or false teacher I hold it to be a perfect good weapō because the crosse hindreth not to hold the handle in the hand to thrust both far straight to vse all maner of aduantages in the wards or sodainly to cast the same at the aduersarie but with the Sword you are driuen with all the strength of the hand to hold fast the handle And in the warres I would wish no friend of mine to weare Swords with hilts because when they are sodainly set vpon for haste they set their hands vpon their hilts in steed of their handles in which time it hapneth manie times before they can draw their swords they are slaine by their enemies These counterfeit shews are enough to cary the wisest that know not the true fight frō the false out of the right way And for Sword and Buckler fight it is imperfect because the buckler blindeth the fight neither would I haue anie man lie aloft with his hand aboue his head to strike sound blowes Strong blowes are naught especially being set aboue the head And if their weapons were short as in times past they were yet they could not thrust safe at body or face because in gardant fight they fall ouer or vnder the perfect crosse of the sword to strike beneath the waste or at the legges is great disaduantage because the course of the blow to the legs is too far therby the head face body is discouered and that was the cause in old time that they did not thrust nor strike at the legs not for lacke of skill as in these daies we imagine Againe if a man in those daies shold haue fought with a long sword they would presently haue put him into Cobbes Trauers because therein all the face and bodie is discouered Yet I confesse in old times when blowes were only vsed with short Swords bucklers back Sword these kind of fights were good most māly but now in these daies fight is altered Rapiers are lōger for aduātage thē swords were wōt to be whē blowes were vsed men were so simple in their fight that they thought him to be a coward that wold make a thrust or strike a blow beneath the girdle Againe if their weapōs were short as in times past they were yet fight is better looked into in these dayes than then it was Who is it in these daies seeth not that the blow cōpasseth round like a wheele whereby it hath a longer way to go but the thrust passeth in a straight line and therefore commeth a nearer way and done in a shorter time thē is the blow and is more deadly then is the blow Therefore there is no wise man that will strike vnlesse he be wearie of his life It is certaine that the point for aduantage euerie way in fight is to be vsed the blow is vtterly naught and not to be vsed He that fighteth vpon the blow especially with a short sword wil be sore hurt or slaine The deuill can say no more for the maintenance of errors That a blow commeth continually as neare a way as a thrust and most commonly nearer stronger more swifter and is sooner done THe blow by reasō that it compasseth round like a wheele A confutation of their errours whereby it hath a longer way to come as the Italian Fenser saith that the thrust passing in a straight line commeth a nearer way and therefore is sooner done then a blow is not true these be the proofes Let two lie in their perfect strengths and readinesse wherein the blades of their Rapiers by the motion of the body may not be crossed of either side the one to strike and the other to thrust Then measure the distance or course wherein the hand and hilt passeth to finish the blow of the one and the thrust of the other and you shall find them both by measure in distance all one And let anie man of iudgement being seene in the exercise of weapons not being more addicted vnto nouelties of fight then vnto truth it selfe put in measure and practise these three fights variable open and guardant and he shall see that whensoeuer anie man lyeth at the thrust vpon the variable fight where of necessitie most commonly he lyeth or otherwise not possiblie to keepe his Rapier from crossing at the blow thrust vpon the open or gardant fight that the blowes thrustes from these two fightes come a nearer way and a more stronger and swifter course then doth the thrust out of the variable fight And thus for a generall rule wheresoeuer the Thruster lyeth or out of what fight soeuer he fighteth with his Rapier or Rapier and Dagger the blow in his course commeth as neare and nearer and more swift and stronger then doth the thrust Perfect fight standeth vpon