Selected quad for the lemma: knowledge_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
knowledge_n	art_n	know_v	science_n	1,475	5	9.2636	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44424	The sword-man's vade-mecum: or, A preservative against the surprize of a sudden attack with sharps Being a reduction of the most essential, necessary and practical part of fencing, into a few special rules, with their reasons, which all sword-men should have in their memories when they are to engage, but more especially if it be with sharps. As also, some other remarks and observations not unfit to be known by fencing masters and others. By Sir William Hope, kt. Author of the Compleat fencing-master.	Hope, William, Sir.	1694 (1694)	Wing H2717; ESTC R215341	50,000	112

an Ignorant will be apt to think that what is here objected is almost unanswerable while in effect it is just nothing And to give you some Satisfaction I shall take the pains to Answer it which I hope to all understanding Men will prove a Motive to make them respect Fencing and then endeavour first to Understand and Practise and when once that length then to rely upon the Certainty and Infallibility of the preceeding Rules which upon the contrary if not exactly put in Practice according to my Directions will prove both very Fallible and Uncertain for what I speak must be by them acted other wayes all will prove false and therefore if their expectation be not Answered the Fault is their own and none of mine But as to the Answer of the Objection I say that it is neither the defect of the Art which occasioneth so many Contre-temps in the Fencing-schools because I dare be bold to say that whoever practiseth exactly the foregoing Directions shall infalliby prevent and shun all Contre-temps so that if thir Rules be sufficient and are a part of Fencing then the Art is sufficient to secure a Man from Contre-temps and therefore it is not any deficiency in the Art which is the cause of so many Contre-temps in the Fencing-schools Neither is it the Masters Ignorance who know not to Teach this secure Play because to my certain knowledge the most part of them and those who are best imployed build their Art upon the same very Foundations Rules which I have given you although I confess they are Guilty of some Abuses and Omissions in their Schools which I would willingly have Rectified for which see my second Observation so that it cannot be their Ignorance in not knowing to Teach this secure kind of Play which is the cause of so many Contre-temps Nor is it likewise the Masters playing the Cheat in not Teaching or keeping secret and not Revealing and Discovering to their Scholars when they give them their Lessons the Hazard and Danger of Contre-temps which are exchanged in Schools No the Fault lieth not in any of these but in the Scholar who although his Master shew him the way how to prevent Contre-temps and the Danger that is in them yet will not be at the pains to observe his Directions but will follow his own Method because he thinketh himself if he hath been but three Months at the School as Dexterous and Understanding as his Master and that he standeth in need no more of his Advice but may be his own Governour and Director This is the true Reason why we see so many Contre-temps in Schools and consequently have so many bad Sword-men in the Kingdom but to a true Artist who hath exactly followed his Masters Advice and hath acquired sufficient Practice I maintain that the foregoing Advice will be most Seasonable Acceptable Useful let Ignorants talk what they will And as for their being certain to Contre-temps with an Artist when they please to put themselves in that Hazard I positively deny it for upon the contrary I mantain that a true Artist may provided he practise exactly the foregoing Rules infallibly save and keep himself from being Contre-temped let the Ignorant Force and Push as he pleaseth and if the Artist do it not it is not the Fault or any Defect or Unsufficiency in the Art it self but only his weakness and failing to make use of the Security that his Art is able to furnish him with and as upon the one Hand an Artist can infallibly save himself from a Contretemps by an Ignorant I deny not but one Artist may Contre-temps another because it is for them chiefly that this Direction or Rule for shunning of Contretemps was designed so upon the other he can infalli Contre-temps with the Ignorant as often as he pleaseth and it shall not be in the Ignorants power to hinder or prevent him For you must understand that to give a true and real Contre-temps doth really require Judgement and a swift and just Hand as I shall immediately shew you and here I desire you to make a Distinction betwixt an Ignorants Contre-temping an Artist and his Forcing the Artist by the Violence and Fury of his Pursute for his own Ease and Satisfaction to Contre-temps him for this Last I do not deny but voluntarly acknowledges that an Artist may be so pressed that when he findeth he can do no better he is satisfied rather than to let the Ignorant have any Advantage of him to put himself in the same Hazard with him by offering to Contre-temps him and when People sometimes see an Artist Reduced to this strait they are so far mistaken as to think that the Ignorant contre-temps him whereas it is really the Artist that contre-tempeth the Ignorant that he may be said to have lost no Advantage by his Art nor the Ignorant to have gotten any by his Ignorance and Furious Forewardness But as upon the one Hand I acknowledge that an Artist may be so pressed with an Ignorant that he is necessitate to Venture and Hazard a Contre-temps with him so upon the other I positively deny that it is in the power of any Ignorant to Contre-temps a Person who is really an Artist and my Reason is because as I said before to give a real Contre-temps doth really require Judgement and a swift and just Hand and that no Ignorant can be supposed to have and that it requireth those Three to make it evident thus If an Ignroant give a real Contre-temps it must be given just as the Artist is Thrusting at him and neither before nor after for if it be either before or after then it is no Contre temps now suppose it be before the Artist Thrust then the Artist will not give one Thrust for another and therefore it is no Contre-temps but the Fault of the Artist who did not Defend the Pursute of the Ignorant and so it is a fair Thrust and cannot be called a Contre temps and if it be after the Artist hath Thrust that the Ignorant giveth him a Thrust then neither can it be called a Contre-temps but rather a Thrust from the Respost and so it was the Artists Fault in not Defending himself better upon his own Pursute and not the Ignorants Judgement that made him give it Now as it cannot be called a Contre-temps which is either given before or after an Artist doth Thrust so that only can be called a Contre-temps which is given at the same very nick of time the Artist is Trusting for then both will undoubtedly receive a Thrust at the same time unless one of them prevent it by the help of the left Hand and this is that which can only be called a real Contre-temps and that an Ignorant can give this I deny for three Reasons The first is that he must have the Judgement to Time his Thrust just as the Artist is Thrusting and the second and third that he must both have

Small-sword-man but not of a Compleat Sword-man because he is Ignorant of the Blow In likemaner if a Man understand only the Blow and not the Thrust he may deserve the Name of a Compleat Broad-sword-man but not of a Compleat Sword-man because he Understandeth not also the Thrust so that in my Opinion to deserve the name of a Compleat Sword-man a Man must understand both Blow and Thrust otherwise that Title doth no wayes belong to him neither can he with any confidence pretend to it But besides what I have said there is no Sword-man will deny but that it sometimes so falleth out when Men are Playing together that it would be more convenient to make a Blow then to give in a Thrust and upon the other Hand at other times more convenient to give in a Thrust then to make a Blow so that if a Man know not how to deliver a Blow as well as a Thrust he is upon these occasions at a visible loss and disadvantage whereas if he knew how to perform both he would alwayes know how to behave himself according to these several circumstances without the least confusion But why need I in this Place endeavour to prove the necessity of that the contrary whereof is condemned by the constant practice of most Nations in the World for do we not see the generality of the People both Gentle and Simple when they go to the Warrs provide themselves for the most part with sheering-Swords and why would they do that if it were not out of an opinion that they think they may have occasion to Strike as well as to Thrust and that they think the Thrust alone would not be so effectual as when it can be joined to the blow and that they are being thus provided in a better capacity to make use of either at pleasure and accordingly as occasion shall offer From all which I conclude That there is an absolute necessity for a Man who intends to be a compleat Sword-man to be taught and understand both Blow and Thrust and I think it a thing so indispensably necessary that the learning of it by all persons who understand it not whether Masters or others at all times and at any Age whatsoever can no ways reflect upon their Judgement in the Art they profess nor be any wayes derogatory from the reputation they have already had of being good small-Sword-Men and the like I say in behalf of the Thrust to those who profess only the Broad so that I think neither of them should think it below them to be instructed of other in what they are ignorant of and of what is so useful and necessary for the compleat perfecting of the Art of the Sword and consequently of Sword-men Seing therefore as I think I have sufficiently made appear there is an absolute necessity for understanding both blow and thrust to be reputed a compleat Sword-Man I must recommend the use of the Sheering-sword and I would advise all without exception who wear now only Rapiers to wear light and narrow Sheering-swords at least Rapiers with good-edges which will both answer the design of the small-sword as to thrusting and of the Broad as to the blow or striking and so put a Man in a capacity of using either as he shall think fit when it shall be his misfortune to be engaged and which will be as light and convenient to carry as any ordinary walking-sword It s like the Fencing-Masters in this Kingdom may think I have gone too great a length upon this subject in so far as I take upon me to play the Doctor and offer as it were in a Magisterial way to teach them their Duty and also in that I seem to tax some of them of ignorance in not understanding the blow as well as the thrust because I recommend the learning of the blow to Masters if they be ignorant of it as well as to others But that they may not mistake me I desire they would consider that this preceeding discourse anent the abuses in Schools doth not particularly aim at them but at all Fencing-Masters in general both at Home and Abroad who are guilty of them and that they are really guilty of them I appeal to all who have frequented their Schools therefore I expect our Masters will not take what I have said as a particular reflection upon them although I cannot deny but they suffer the same abuses to be committed in their Schools and therefore must excuse me if I censure them with the other Masters untill I find them rectified And let them not think it will pass as a sufficient reason for them to continue these preceeding abuses in their Schools by saying it is the custome abroad and that they suffer nothing to be done in their Schools but what is done in the Schools of other Kingdoms and that because it is not the custome for any Small-sword Master abroad to teach the Blow at the same time with the Thrust that therefore they will not do it because they intend not to be the first Beginners and Promoters o● any thing which is extraordinary and out fashion which to my particular knowledge 〈◊〉 the chief Defence and Language of some this I say is but very weak reasoning for at that rate there should never have been any A● or Science found out or improven if People had been alwayes restricted to the old Roo● and Footsteps of their Predecessors so I expect they will either give me as strong Reasons against the Rectifying of these abuses especially the teaching the Blow at the same time with the Thrust as I have given for them otherwayes they most pardon me to differ from them by recommending my own opinion which is grounded upon reason and condemning and Rejecting theirs at least until they produce stronger Arguments and Reasons for it then hitherto I have heard And although this indeed be my Opinion that Ignorant Masters who understand not the Blow should learn it yet it doth not conclude that 〈◊〉 reckon those who profess the Art of the ●word in this Kingdom to be in that Categorie no I am farr from having so bad an Opinion of them and I am apt to think the only thing they should be condemned for and for which I do indeed condemn them is not that they understand not the Blow as well as the Thrust and therefore are not capable to reach it for if they denied that they would discover too much weakness but that they understanding both should teach only the one viz. The Thrust and wholly neglect the other by throwing it our of Doors this I confess is a neglect of such importance and of such bad consequence that I neither can nor will fore●ear the giving my earnest advice that it as well as the five preceeding particulars be ●ectified and then I am confident our Schollars ●hall acquire Art inferior to none in Europe and our Masters by them that repute and Esteem which both their abilities and