answering your enemie which should bee done in the same time which you plucke vp your leg and before you can come in againe with your answer your enemie will haue recouered his guard and distance againe There are many other guards some of them I will touch a little and some of them I will leaue vntill an other time there are three high guardes one of them I will speake next of because it is a great enemie not onelie vnto the Stokata guarde but it likewise crosseth all other guards and it followeth in this maner Keepe your thumbe long wayes vpon the blade of your Rapier according vnto the naturall Arte the common holding of the vulgar sort and your feete so close together as you can and the hilt of your Rapier so hie as your cheeke bowing the elboweioynt of your Rapier arme and your Dagger hilt so lowe as your gerdle steade and beare the point of your Dagger vpright and the Rapier point on the in side of your Dagger both close together looking vnder your Rapier and beare out your Dagger at the armes end without bowing your elbow ioynt and if your enemie charge you with a thrust carrie the thrust with your Dagger toward the right side keeping the point of your Dagger vpright not turning him in your defence this way nor that way but beare him steady ouer your body and so you may defend any manner of thrust for if you beare your dagger as aforesaide your enemies point will passe cleere vnder your Rapier arme but hauing once defended in the very same motion you must lift vp the hilt of your Rapier and turning your knuckle vpward and withall turne your point downe into your enemies rapier shoulder stepping foorth with the right foote and hand together your defence and offence must be all done with done motion Now if your enemie charge you with a blow you are as readie to defend it double on this guard as in anie other but if thou charge thine enemie or make the first assfault prepare thy defence for the Rapier shoulder by carrying thy Dagger ouer thy bodie keeping the point of thy Dagger vpright This defence is good to bee vsed against a left handed man likewise Now he which is well experimented in this guard hee will finde it verie dangerous for offence to thine enemie and defensiue for thy selfe aboue all other guardes especially if thou haue discretion to lie at watch discreetely and to take thine opportunitie and aduantage when thine enemie proffereth anie kinde of play vpon thee The carelesse or the lazie guard LAy the point of your Rapier vpon the ground a foote wide of your left side ouerthwart your bodie and let the hilt of your rapier rest vpon your right thigh and your dagger vnder your rapier about a foot forward of the hilt and so leauing your whole belly or brest will seeme a verie faire baite for your enemie to thrust at but when hee chargeth you with a thrust your defence must bee by the lifting vp of your Rapier point with your Dagger throwing him ouer towards your right side but lift not vp your Rapier hand in the time of your defence in anie case for so it may endanger the face but so soone as you haue turned it cleere ouer your bodie with both your weapons as aforesaid it may bee done with one of them but not so well because not so sure as with both together then vpon your defence recouer your point hastily againe and chop him in with an ouer-hand thrust turning your knuckles vpwards into his right shoulder where you may easily hit him if you bee quicke in taking your time before hee recouer his distance or get out of your reach This is no painefull guard but verie easie and quickly learned and it is a verie sure guard to defend any manner of thrust now vpon this guard if your enemie doe falsefie a thrust vpon you by offring it at breast or face whereby to make you lift vp your weapons thinking to hit you beneath with a second thrust by reason of your lifting them vp to saue the other parts the which you must doe but fayling of it aboue bring downe your Dagger quickly againe to defend below the second thrust The fore-hand guard at Rapier and Dagger PVt thy Rapier hand vnder the hilt of thy Dagger alwaies keeping the point of thy Rapier something variable and yet something directly about the girdle-stead of thy enemie and the point of thy Dagger in a manner vpright or a verie little leaning towards thy left side and both thy Dagger and thy Rapier hilts together and both so low as thy girdle-stead those being guarded if thy enemie doe charge thee with a thrust carrie thy Dagger quicke ouer towards thy right side and make a present answere by chopping out the point of thy Rapier and so hastily into thy guard againe expecting a fresh charge The broad Warde BEare out both your armes right out from your bodie stiffe at the armes end and a foote at the lest a sunder and turne both the Rapier and Dagger hilts so high as your brest or hier leauing all your bodie open or vngarded to seeme to and when your enemie doth charge you with a thrust strike it with your Dagger towards your right side and withall answere him againe with an ouer-hand thrust vnto his Dagger shoulder but you must keepe your thumb vpon the blade of your rapier for then shall you put in your thrust the more steddier and the more stronger The names of the chiefest thrusts which are vsed at Rapier and Dagger with the manner how to performe them A Right Stock or Stockata is to bee put in vpwards with strength and quicknesse of the bodie and the guard for the putting in a stoke is leaning so farre backe with your face and bodie as you can and the hilts of your Rapier so neere the ground or so low as you can but of this guard I haue spoken sufficientlie alreadie A slope Stocke is to be made vnto your enemies breast or vnto his Rapier shoulder if hee doe looke ouer his Rapier but in putting it in you must wheele about your Rapier hand towards your left side turning your knuckles inward this thrust being put in slopewise as aforesaid will hit thy enemie which lieth vpon the Crosse-guard or the Carelesse-guard or the Broad-ward when a right Stock or plaine fore right thrust will not hit A Imbrokata is a falsifying thrust first to proffer it towards the ground so low as your enemies knee and then presently put it home vnto your enemies Dagger-shoulder or vnto anie part of his Dagger-arme for hee will put downe his Dagger to defend your fained thrust but cannot recouer his Dagger againe before you haue hit him in the Dagger arme Shoudlers or Face whether you will your selfe for in proffering this thrust there is no waie to defend the vpper part the Dagger being once downe but onely with single Rapier
not except occasion serue but be not lifted vp with a proud minde one step the higher for curtesie wins fauour with all men wherefore all way so frame your speech and answers that there neuer grow any quarrell vpon a foolish word or a froward answer And furthermore haue this skill in thy memory so rule thy tongue as neuer to speake ill whether it bee true or false behind the backe of any man for if the party spoken of be not in presence yet he may heare of it and thou maist be called in question for the same when thou thinkest least vpon it yea although thou suppose that thou speakest it to thy friend for I haue knowen many which to magnifie themselues would boast and brag of their owne manhood and disable others which were far better men then themselues thinking neuer to heare of it againe but this one folly hath been the cause of many quarrells and thereof springeth deadly hatred and somtimes murthers Yet I doe aduise all men if vndiscreet words doe passe from the mouth of the simple for lacke of wit but I will not say for lacke of drinke but whether it be drink or meer foolishnesse reuenge not euery wrong but first consider the worth and quality of the party which hath wronged thee for if hee be a desperate person or one which hath nothing to loose nor wife nor children to care for some such there are that are desperat and care not if they were out of the world Be valiant but not to venturous as our prouerbe saith hab or nab fall backe fall edge they care not whose house is on sire for they haue nothing to loose now although thou hast the perfect skill with thy weapons yet sight not with such raskalls not with none vpon euery small wrong for so thou maist be accounted carelesse and bloody minded as though Mars the God of battaile were thy father or thinking thy selfe to bee more mighty then Hercules or as one altogether forgetting that which so oft hath been seen that a little wretch of stature by skill iudgement and reason As that of Dauid he ouercame great Gollas hath subdued and ouercome a far more mightier man of person than himselfe For he that is well instructed in the perfect skill with his weapon although but small of stature and weake of strength may with a little moouing of his foote or a suddaine turning of his hand or with the quicke agility of his body kil and bring to the ground the tall and strongest man that is Forget not this lesson Now before thou goe into the field to fight first of all put God before and vse thy deuotion to him priuately and commit thy selfe wholly to his mercy because hee redeemed thee and the victory lieth in him if thy skill and cunning were neuer so good for if thou goe with a sure hope and trust in God Feare not if thou hast skill to answer a good quarrell for its better dy like a house in battell then liue like a hog in a stie and thy quarrell good and some skill withall then fight and feare not and although at the first it will be fearefull to most men being but once experienced therein it will encourage and make a man bold yet take this by the way and note it well for skill makes some men towards for if thou learnest the best skill thou canst and in a fence schoole meetest with one that is so good and cunning as thy selfe such a one will hit thee somtimes in spite of thy teeth the which hit makes some thinke with themselues I did now lye in as sure a gard as I could for my life and yet if I had been in the field this hit might haue killed me But I say there is great ods betwixt fighting in the field and playing in a fence-schoole for in the field being both sober I meane if it be in a morning vpon cold blood then euery man will as much feare to kill as to be killed againe a man shall see to defend either blow or thrust in the field then in a fence-schoole for a man will be more bold with a foile or a cudgell because there is small danger in either of them But when they come to tell their tale at the point of a rapier they will stand off for their owne safety go not into the field in the afternoone partly for the auoiding of the common speech of those which will say it is a drunken match neither goe not presently vpon the suddain falling out for choller ouercommeth the wits of many a man for in a mad fury skill is little thought vpon and therefore very dangerous to both for although thy memory serue thee well and so thou being carefull and not bearing any mind to kill yet thy enemy if he be but a ranke coward vpon drink or fury or vpon hot blood will be so desperate that if you fauor him he will endanger thee There is seldome or neuer any quarrell begun but in an afternoone for then commonly the drinke is in and the wit is out although thou knowest thy selfe in good case and not to haue receiued more drinke then to suffice thy want yet dost thou not know how little drinke will ouercome the wits of another man and this I know and by good experience I speake it there is no ods during the time betwixt a madde man and a drunkard Neuer iest with edge tooles nor play not the foole with thy weapons but keepe them to defend thy selfe when occasion shall require thee or at such time as thou shalt be oppressed for many hurts and much mischiefe hath been done by ouer-much folly in iesting with weapons when at the beginning there was no harme meant Euer refer the quarrell to be tryed in the morning for then thy aduersary so wel as thy selfe being in cold blood skill auaileth and he which the night before would seeme to fight with the diuell will in the morning be as cold as a clocke for then it is the nature of euery man as well to feare to kill as to be killed and so thou by skill maist fight long without danger and sight with many and haue no hurt 〈…〉 When thou goest into the field note the Sunne for if it doe thine it may annoy thee but get thy backe toward the Sunne and so trauerse the ground that thine enemy get not about thee so shalt thou alwayes keepe his face in the Sunne which will so annoy him that hee can not make play to endanger thee But if there be no Sunne to trouble thee then make choice of the lowest ground for he which hath the lowest ground hath the greatest aduantage Also take heede that thou strike not with thy rapier for so thou mayest breake it and bring thy selfe to thine enemies mercy and it may be he will take the aduantage of thee If thy rapier fall out of thy hand take thy dagger by the
call the naturall fashion there is another way and that is with the whole hand within the pummell of thy Rapier and the thumbe locking in of the fore-finger or else they must both ioyne at the least this is a good holding at single Rapier Then the third is but to haue onelie the fore-finger and thy thumbe within the pummell of thy Rapier and thy other three fingers about thy pummell and beare the button of thy pummell against the in-side of thy little finger this is called the Stokata fashion and these two last are the surest and strongest waies after a little practise thou maiest vse them all three in thy practise and then repose thy selfe vpon that which thou findest best but at some times and for some purpose all these kindes of holding thy Rapier may stead thee for a man may performe some manner of slips and thrusts with one of these three sortes of holding thy weapon and thou canst not doe the same with neither of the other as thus thou maiest put in a thrust with more celeritie holding him by the pummell and reach further then thou canst doe if thou holde him on either of the two other fashions Againe thou maiest turne in a slippe or an ouerhand thrust if thou put thy thumbe vpon thy Rapier according as I haue set it downe calling it the naturall fashion and is the first of the three waies for holding of thy Rapier and this fashion will bee a great strength to thee to giue a wrist blowe the which blow a man may strike with his Rapier because it is of small force and consumes little time and neither of the other two fashions of holding wil not perform neither of those three things for if thou holde thy rapier either of the two second waies thou canst not turne in a slippe nor an ouer-hand thrust nor giue a wrist blow so speedily nor so strong wherefore it is good to make a change of the holding of thy weapon for thine owne benefite as thou shalt see occasion and likewise to make a change of thy guard according as thou seest thy best aduantage I meane if thou be hardly matched then betake thee vnto thy surest guard but if thou be matched with an vnskilful man then with skill thou maiest defend thy selfe although thou lie at randome The reason that your points should be so high as you may see your enemie plainely and cleerely vnder them is for a sure defence of a blowe if your enemie should charge you therewith to either side the head then beare them both double together and hauing defended the blowe presently turne downe the point of your Rapier toward your enemies thigh and with turning your knuckles inward steppe forth with foote and hand together whether you hitte or misse retreit nimbly into your guard and distance againe And although I doe aduise you to keepe the point of your Rapier so high yet withall I doe warne you that you maie haue a speciall care to fall your point and with all thrust him out if your enemie doe ouer-reach or presse in vpon you whether it bee vpon choller or vpon stomake or vpon a kinde of foolish bold hardinesse or if hee make a passage vpon you or if hee doe breake distance by anie of those waies although hee doe it neuer so actiuelie yet may you defend your selfe with your Dagger and either offend your enemie by a suddaine falling the point and with the same motion chop in with a thrust to that part which lieth most discouered as you may quickly perceiue when you see his lying The cunningest man that is and if hee meete with one skilfull with whom hee is to encounter withall cannot before hand say in such a place I will sure hit thee no more then a gamester when he goeth to play can say before he beginne that hee will sure win for if he doe he may be prooued a lier if his cunning were neuer so good So that before hand you cannot determin where to hit your enemy but when you see your enemies gard then it is easie to iudge where it is open if thou knowest a close gard thy selfe for hee which cannot write himselfe can giue but small Iudgement whether another write well or ill and if thine enemie doe incroach within thy distance then bee doing with him betimes in the verie instant of his motion whether it be motion of his body or the motion of his weapon or in the motion of both together put out thy point but not to farre but as thou maiest haue thy rapier vnder command for thy owne defence and also to prouide him ready againe to make a full thrust home vpon a greater aduantage for if thou answere a ful thrust home in the instant of thy enemies assault thou maiest endanger thy selfe if thy enemie doe falsifie his thrust and therefore make your thrust short at the first or if your enemie doe beare his points anie thing abroad then you may fall in betwixt them either to his face or breast or if his fore foote stand two foote distant or lesse from the other if hee stand not close then you may hurt him in the knee or legge either with thrust or blow as hee standeth in his guard without anie danger to your selfe and that is no killing place Likewise it is said before looke vnder both your weapons if with on eye you looke ouer either of weapons you may bee hit one the same side either face head or shoulder either with thrust or blow before you can put vp either of your weapons in his place to defend it and this know and remember it well it is the nature of an Englishman to strike with what weapon soeuer hee fighteth with all and not one in twenty but in furie and anger will strike vnto no other place but onely to the head therefore alwaies if you fight with rapier and dagger yet expect a blow so well as a thrust and alwaies defend the blow double as aforesaid but if your rapier point be downe vnder your dagger you cannot put him vp time enough to defend a blow but must take it single on the dagger or on the pate for if your skill were neuer so good trusting to the dagger onelie you may bee deceiued by reason of the sharpenesse of your dagger if the blow light neere the point it may glance ouer and so hit you on the head and also by reason of the shortnesse of your dagger which are now most commonly worne of all men for I haue knowne men of good skill deceiued by trusting to the point or dagger onely for the defence of a blow the dagger is not sure to defend it For looke how much you step wide you loose so much ground forwards But when you make anie plaie to your enemie whether it be offer or an answer stop right as a line forwards from your left foote for if you stop halfe a foote wide with the forefoote of
and except a man doe expect it it cannot be so defended neither An other thrust called a Reuerse A Reuerse is to be made when your enemie by gathering in vpon you causeth you to fall backe with your right foote and then your left foote being formost keeping vp your dagger to defend and hauing once broken your enemies thrust with your dagger presently come in again with your right foote and hand together and so put in your reuerse vnto what part of his bodie you please for it will come with such force that it is hard to be preuented A thrust called a Mountanto THe Mountanto is to be put in with a good celeritie of the bodie and in this manner you must frame your guard when you intend to charge your enemie with this thrust beare your Rapier hard vpon or so neere the ground as you can lying verie low with your bodie bowing your left knee verie nere the ground also and either vpon your enemies thrust or in lying in his guard you may strike his rapier point toward your right side with your dagger so that it may passe cleere vnder your rapier arme and with the same motion as you strike his rapier so dainely mount vp your Rapier hand higher then your head turning your knuckles vpward but turne the point of your Rapier downewards ouer his Rapier arme into his breast or shoulder and you must be quicke in the performance of this thrust and likewise nimbly you must leape out againe This thrust must bee put in by the stepping forward of your left leg now if you vse this thrust more then once your enemie will expect your comming a loft with him as you did before but then put it in the second or third time vnderneath and you shall hit him about the girdle stead and so because at this time I will not bee ouer tedious I leaue to speake of manie other thrusts The best way for the holding of a Dagger either to breake blow or thrust and foure waies bad as followeth FIrst if you hold your dagger too high you may be hit vnder the Dagger-arme Secondly and if to low you may bee hit ouer the Dagger-arme either in the arme shoulder or face Thirdly if you beare your dagger too much towards your rapier-shoulder then you may bee hurt on the out-side of the arme by bearing narrow for so we call the carriage of him being borne in this manner before spoken of Fourthly if to wide from your bodie you may bee hurt on the in-side of the arme face or breast if the dagger-elboe ioynt bee crooked then there is small force in the dagger-arme for the defence of blow or thrust but the dagger being borne out stiffe at the armes end defendeth a blow strongly as you shall heare by and by Foure waies naught to breake a thrust FIrst if you breake a thrust downe-wards it may hit you in the bottom of the bellie Secondly if you breake him vpwards it may endanger you in the face Thirdly and if you breake your enemies thrust towards your Rapier-side it may hit you in the Rapier-arme Fourthly or in breaking a thrust if you let the weight of your Dagger carrie your Dagger-arme backe behinde you then your enemie may with a double thrust hit you before you can recouer vp your Dagger in his place againe A good way to defend a thrust or blow THe best holding of a Dagger is right out at the armes end and the hilt euen from your left cheeke and the point compassing your bodie I meane bowing towards your Rapier-shoulder and when you breake a thrust turne but only your hand-wrist about letting fall the point of your Dagger downe-ward but keepe out your Dagger-arme so stiffe as you can so shall you bee readie to defend twentie thrusts one after another if they come neuer so thicke and likewise you are as readie for a blow whereas if you fall your arme when you breake your thrust your enemie may hit you with a second thrust before you can recouer your Dagger in his place to defend it for a thrust goeth more swifter then an arrow shot out of a bow wherefore a man cannot bee too ready nor too sure in his gard Now both for defence and Offence of euerie blow and thrust thou must turne thy knuckles vp-ward or downe-ward inward or out-ward alwaies turning your hand according to the nature of the guard that you frame your selfe vnto or according as when you see enemies guard then you must determine before you charge your enemie either with blow or thrust in what manner to turne your hand in your Offence or Defence sometimes after one manner and sometimes after another as both before and hereafter shal be sufficiently fatisfied more at large The true guard for the single Rapier KEepe your Rapier point something sloping towards your left shoulder and your Rapier hand so low as your girdle-stead or lower and beare out your Rapier hand right at the armes end so farre as you can and keepe the point of your Rapier something leaning outwards toward your enemie keeping your Rapier alwaies on the out-side of your enemies Rapier but not ioyning with him for you must obserue a true distance at all weapons that is to say three foote betwixt the points of your weapons and twelue foote distance with your fore foote from your enemies fore foote you must bee carefull that you frame your guard right now you must not beare the Rapier hand-wide of the right side of your bodie but right forward from your girdle-stead as beforesaid The Reasons of this guard IN keeping your point something sloping or compassing your face your enemie cannot offend you with a wrist blow which if you keepe your point directly vpright you may verie easily bee hit in the face Being guarded as beforesaid if your enemie discharge a thrust at you carrie your Rapier hand ouer your bodie towards you left side keeping your point directly in his place vntill you haue defended your enemie assault then presently after let fall the point of your Rapier turning your knuckles inwards and discharge your thrust at your enemies thigh or bodie as you see occasion There are likewise many other guards to be framed at single Rapier as that one of the short Sword is a good guard at some times and for some purposes if a man be perfect in it by skill and practise aforehand as heereafter you shall see the manner thereof more at large when I come to that weapon Now another fashion is by holding your left hand vpon the blade and so with the strength of your fore-finger and thumbe of your left hand you may breake your enemies thrust cleere off your bodie by turning of your rapier point downe-ward or vp-ward accordingly as your enemie chargeth you and then charge your enemie againe with a quicke answer Now another is by standing vpon the stocke readie to choppe in vpon your enemies assault but you must turne in
better shift his staffe from hand to hand whereby to lie crosse alwaies with your enemie changing your hand and foote as hee changeth for lying the one with the right hand and foote for-most and the other with the left then he that striketh first can not choose but endanger the others hand but if you cannot change your Staffe to lie crosse with your enemies Staffe then for your defence of a blow pitch the point of your Staffe into the ground and let go your fore-hand and when you haue discharged the blow with as much speed as you can answer his blow with a thrust for the greatest secret of all most chiefly to be remembred at this weapon is if your enemie doe but once offer to lift vp his hand to strike then presently choppe in with a thrust at his breast shoulder or face for so you may hit him as you will your selfe so that you take your time of answering If your enemie strike with his staffe hee holdeth him fast in both his hands when hee deliuereth his blow by reason thereof he which thrusteth and looseth his fore-hand when hee dischargeth his thrust or draweth in the fore-hand close vnto the hinder hand which holdeth the butte end of his Staffe and so thrust him out withall you may keepe the striker vpon the point of your Staffe so that with his blow hee can not reach you being equally matched in length but must come vpon his owne death or danger himselfe greatly The high guard for the Staffe LOoke vnder your Staffe with both your eies with the point hanging slope-waies downe-wards by your side bearing out your Staffe at the armes end higher then your head a little according to this Picture In looking vnder your Staffe it will seeme to your enemie that your defence is onelie for your head then he wil thinke to hit you in the body with a thrust for the bodie seemeth to lie very open vnto him and if hee doe charge you with a thrust carry the point of your Staffe ouer your bodie close by the ground towards the other side and hauing defended the thrust turne vp the point of your staffe presently towards your enemies breast and charge him with a thrust againe if your enemy charge you with a blowe at your head lift vp the point of your staffe meete the blow halfe way and withal draw back your hands for feare of endangering your fingers hauing striken away his staffe answer him againe with a thrust as beforesaid Now if your enemy charge you with a blow at your side either pitch the point of your staffe into the ground to defend it or else change into thy low gard and so crosse with him if your enemy do strike a full blow at your head you need not feare neither of your hands but by striking with your staffe to meete his blow you shall defend it vpon the middle or neere the point of your staffe although hee doe strike purposely at your hand yet can he not touch your hands not anyother part of your body but vpon the defence of your body draw backe your hands Now it behoueth you to be perfect not only in this gard but also in changing your staffe from hand to hand according to your enemies lying to do well you should change as hee changeth sometimes the point of your staffe should be hanging downe by the right side of your body and sometimes by the left according to your enemies lying the best way to make your change is to let your staffe slippe through your hands like a Weauers shuttle for this is a more speedie change then to shift him after the common manner and by a little practise you may grow perfect in it The best guard for a darke night at Staffe IF thou meet with thine enemie in the night and he charge vpon thee the best means for thy defence is presently to chop vp into this high guard except thy staffe be of a sufficiēt length to keep him off with charging the point vpon him or else the third means is to trust to thy heeles but if thou wilt trust to thine hands then either keep him off with thy point or else aboue all parts chiefly defend thy head which is not to be done but only by this guard except a man may see the blow before it do light now thou must put thy hands alittle further asunder then thou dost for the day that the blow may be defended by taking him vpon thy staffe betwixt both thy hands if it light at your head as it is the fashion of most men to strike at the head as I haue said before rather then to any part of the bodie Now hauing taken the blowe betwixt your hands withall run in and close with him for if you stand off at the length in fight anie time being in the night it cannot chuse but be verie dangerous if you suffer him to discharge many blows but either answer him with a thrust or else close with him and turne the butte end of your staffe into his breast or face as you see occasion now if it be in the day or that you can see the blow before it light if your enemie charge you with a blow at the side meet his blow by carrying ouer to the other side pitch the point of your staffe in the ground and loose your foremost hand for dangering of your fingers but hold the hinder hand fast at the butte end of your staffe But now vpon this high guard you can not defend the false so wel nor so sure as when you lie on the low gard for if your enemie doe proffer a thrust on the one side your staffe and presently chop it home to the other side he may endanger nay hee may hit a skilfull and cunning player especially if you ouer-carrie your staffe in defence of the fained blow or thrust Wherefore if you lie on the low guard with your staffe or pike you shall defend a thrust with the point of your weapon long before it come neare you yet your point is readie to answer more speedily then it is when you lie on anie other guard but he which lieth with his point of the staffe or pike on the ground hath verie little space to his bodie no more then the length of his arme wherein hee holdeth his weapon therefore he which suffreth a thrust to come so neare it will quickelie come to the face or bodie yet bicause most souldiers heretofore haue vsed this fashion of lying and are not experienced in the low guard according to the first Picture of the Staffe but if in your practise you vse both you shall find the benefit thereof the better now if you frame your selfe into the hie guard your staffe must not be in length aboue eight foot at the most but rather shorter for else in defending your enemies thrust a long staffe will hit in the ground and by that means your enemies