The defence of the lowe warde, at Sword & buckler.

Or the defence of all theſe thruſts, it is neceſsarie that he ſtand at the lowe warde, & ſtanding therat, whileſt the thruſt cometh which is delivered with the right foote behinde, he ſhal do no other, than in the ſelfeſame time, deliver a thruſt at the thight or breſt, turning the hilte of his ſword againſt the enimies ſworde, & compaſsing his hinder foot, withal bearing his body out of the ſtraite line, in which the enimie ſtriketh. And this maner of wardiong doth not only defend, but alſo ſafely hurt.

For the defence of the other two thruſtes, the one within, & the other without, a man muſt take great heede, and it is verie neceſsarie that as the enimie encreaſeth pretending to ſtrike ſafely he carrie a ſlope pace with the left foot & deliver a thruſt above hand, upon which the enimie of himſelfe ſhal runne & inveſt himſelfe. And it is to be conſidered, that in theſe thruſtes, he that defendeth hath great advantage: For the enimie cometh reſolutely to ſtrike, not thinking that it may in any other ſort be warded then by giving backe, But he that wardeth by encreaſing, defending & drawing neere unto the enimie, is ſo placed, that he may eaſily hurt him.

Of the Sworde & Target, called the Square Target.

I

T is moſt manifeſt, that the Target is a moſt auncient weapon, found out only for the uſe of warfare, & not for frayes & peculiar quarels betweene man & man: albeit, ſince the finding therof, there have beene deviſed by the induſtrie of man a thouſand waies to ſerve them at their neede: From whence it hath come to paſse, (becauſe it ſeemed convenient unto the profeſsors of this Art) that this weapon was verie commodious & profitable, aſwel for his faſhion, as for that it is a meane or middle wepon, betweene the buckler & the round Target: That they have framed a ſpeciall kinde of plaie therwith, although it differeth from the other two weapons in no other thing then in faſhion. Therefore, divers profeſsors of this Arte, being moved, ſome by reaſon of the forme, ſome by the bignes, & ſome by the heavineſse thereof, have accuſtomed to beare it after divers wayes, Thoſe who make moſt account of the heavines, would for ſome conſideration, that the right & proper bearing therof, was to hold it leaning on the thigh, not moving therehence, but being greatly conſtrained thereunto.

Others, who eſteemed the forme & bignes therof, becauſe it ſeemed unto them that the Target without any other motion was moſt apt of it ſelfe to ward all that parte of the bodie which is betwixt the neck & and the thigh, bare it with their arme drawne backe cloſe to their breſt. The which opinion, I meane not at this preſent to confute, foraſmuch as by the ſhewing of mine owne opinion, it ſhall appeare how mightily they were deceived in the holding thereof, from the true holding whereof ſpringeth all the profite which h is forme and bignes doth give it.

The manner how to holde the Square Target.

B

Eing deſirous to beare great reſpect aſwel to all the qualities of this Target (which are, the forme, the bigneſse, and the heavines) as unto that wherwith it may either helpe or hurt, I ſaie (if a man would that the fourme thereof do bring him profit without hurt) it is to be holden with the high poynt therof upwards reſpecting the head: the parte oppoſit, the low partes of the bodie: the right parte therof, the right ſide, and the left, the left ſide: from this manner of bearing ſpring theſe advantages. Firſt, a man may more eaſily ſee his enimie, and view what he doth by the point of his corner, which is on the one ſide, and that is by the high point, by which, if he woulde beholde his enimie, from the head to the feete, it is requiſite that he carrie his Target, ſo lowe, that he diſcover not too much of his bodie which is above it: to the warding whereof he cannot come againe, but diſcommodiouſly, and in long time.

Beſides, the ſaid commoditie of beholding the enimie, there is alſo another that is of warding: For the Target being borne after this manner (framing a triangle) the ſharpe corner thereof reſpecteth the forehead, and the ſides thereof ſo ſpread themſelves, that through the leaſt motion, any bigg man whoſoever, may ſtand ſafe behind them. And if blowes come at the head, be they thruſtes or edgeblows, al of them light upon one of the ſaid ſides, behind which ſtandeth the head ſafe without hindering of the eyeſight. The other two ſides of the Target, right, & left, with verie ſmall motion, warde the right and left ſide of the bodie, in ſuch ſort, that a man may alſo draw back his arme: For the left ſide of the Target wardeth the elbowe, which it doth not do, when the high ſide thereof is carried equall. To conclude therefore, that in holding the Target, his bignes may the better warde, for the cauſes aboveſaid being ſuperfluous to be repeated againe, I counſell, it to be holden with the arme ſtretched forth from the bodie, not accompting the heavines to be hurtfull, becauſe a man continueth not long in ſo holding it: and if the too long holding be painfull, he may drawe back his arme, and reſt him ſelfe. The better to do this and to be able to ſee the enimie, I ſaie, he ſhall hold it, his arme ſtertched out, with the high point outwards, reſpecting the forehed.