THE Priuate Schoole of Defence.
THE INDVCTION.
SOme hold opinion that Skill auayleth little or nothing in fight; and therefore so soone as they shall see this Title, will cast away the Discourse, as an vnprofitable Argument. Hee that is the most obstinate enemie to himselfe, in reiecting the benefit of [Page] skill, must needes confesse it no vaine Exercise, if the aptnesse and facilitie be onely thought on, to which the actiue practise of it brings the body, and enables it for enduring in fight. But to the point of materiall vse.
Of such mens vnderstandings I would know how comes it (then) that an ignorant handler of a Weapon meeting vvith an ordinarie Professor of Defence at Foyles, can neyther certainely giue offence, nor auoid it.
They will answere mee, that at blunt, a man comes boldly on, and is not troubled with any such considerations, as at sharpe must of necessitie disorder his remembrance, and put him out of fight.
To that, thus; All rules (indeed) must admit some exceptions: heat or cold may some-what distract a [Page] fighter; heate in casting him too forwardly vpon a danger: coldnesse in not preparing him to follow an aduantage of offence, yet these come neuer wholy to preiudice the vse of skill: for, speaking of such an heate as alwayes fals vpon this perill; wee must not vnderstand it to be simply that heat needfully belonging to courage; for then it is an orderly Vertue, and loseth no strength eyther borne with it, or taught it; but it must be forced vp into much anger (which seldome happens in the Defendant, for whose cause onely wee professe teaching) before it can turne a man into that weaknesse. Where it doth happen, it is a kinde of madnesse, which (for the time) loseth all reason, as much as that part of skill: and shall good aduice be altogether neglected because [Page] a madde man is vncapable of it?
Then touching Coldnes, though it be brought downe into the very basenesse of Feare in one, yet it is impossible to make Skill vtterly of no vse to him. For the gesture of the body vpon such a danger, will naturally fall into those motions that it hath got by practise.
So that skill to euery reasonable man is something a friend. But when it is entertained by one naturally of a good temper, it can by no meanes fall vnder any of their Obiections that dispise it; for such a man brings no more fury, nor lesse assurance with him into the Field, then the Schoole, and therefore will haue as much aduantage of an ignorant man in fight, as there is difference betweene them in practise.
To exemplifie this, you may [Page] read of one Coranso, a Noble man, who from two and twenty Duelloes returned Conquerour: Being demanded the reason by some that considered the equalitie of his aduersaries in shew, and the vncertaine chances of the field: hee answered, Strength, Length, Courage, Temper and Cunning. So he concluded Nature in Art, and attributed the managing of those parts hee was borne with, to the abilitie of those hee was taught.
Since therefore that the Science of Defence is vnderstood to be a profession of vse, it followes to examine the defects of Teachers, and to resolue vpon the worth of the knowledge: which followes immediately after our Definition.
The Definition of the Science of Defence, with the parts thereto required.
THE Science of Defence is an Art Geometricall, wherewith the body is guarded with a single or double weapon from wrong of the Offender, or the greatest disaduantage of his Offence.
The Parts thereto required are Strength and Iudgement.
Vnder Strength are comprehended swiftnesse of motion and quicknesse of Eye: where abilitie is without perfection of these, it is but a supply of defects, drawne from the Iudiciall part or Iudgement.
[Page]Vnder Iudgement fall the considerations of Time, Place, and Distance.
It hath seemed to many that there is no certainty in this Science, which granted, it must lose his tytle; in whose behalfe wee cannot but with great reason auerre, that as the body is punctuall, so it hath a iust circumference in the hands and feet, which to defence and safeguard thereof, runne in an equall line, which extended with strength in a iust proportion, make the body the same as the Poynt is in Circle, vntoucht or impossible to be violated.
To them that obiect Example against Knowledge, in that none or few, haue euer attained this height of assurance, I can make no other answere, then argue from their owne Schoole, and say, that none [Page] or few, in disputation, euer gaue satisfaction without some doubt, therefore Logicke is no Art of true disputing. True it is, all Arts and Sciences haue their iust and absolute bound, to which though in the speculatiue part or Theorie, many haue arriued, none euer did in practise. Since as in those of words, many subtilties and nimble inuentions oppresse and wrest the best expositions: so in those of exercise of the body, the inequalitie of place, as the slipping of ground, dazeling of sight, many times disorder the best and surest way of Defence and Knowledge. Wherefore though by the weaknesse of mans casuall nature, wee can promise to our Scholler no positiue securitie, yet the imperfection in the learner, makes the Art no whit lesse certaine or singular.
[Page]To those that reiect the Science, because they cannot promise themselues supreame excellence, is to reiect the study of Physicke, because hee cannot be a Galen, or a Paracelsus; or if any shall from the fall of some man of the sword (as our word men tearme them) by the vnskilfull arme of some rude assailer, contemne our instruction, I would haue such a youth turne Muletor, because Ventidius that rubd Asses, came to be Consull, and Valerius Cato the Grammarian became a hackney-man: Fortune not Science herein is to be blamed.
Notwithstanding, that the excellence of this Science may not want Example; I cannot forget the memorable perfection of the two Romanes Bythus and Bacchus, who hauing fought eighteene seuerall Combats or Duelloes, returned [Page] both without hurt, and at the last were both, at one Passage, runne through and slaine, leauing no place to Iudgement, that could giue preeminence to eyther: wherevpon it became a Prouerbe in Trials of equalitie, B [...]thus contra Bacchum. But I haue digrest too farre In magnis rebus voluisse sat est; In high matters it shall suffice to sit in Phabus Chayre, though wee cannot runne his full dayes iourney: wherefore wee returne againe to handle the parts deriued, which make to approue our Definition; the Eye and the Foote.
That which wee call Strength, is not onely a Bucke-beating abilitie of the arme; for the point, to which all vse of weapon is now with great reason reduced, is not so blunt but small force makes it enter: neither in Longe or Passage is the force [Page] required so much as shift of body, to which the Eye must like a faithfull Centinell giue warning, and the Feete nimbly giue performance: for if the Eye faile in perceiuing opportunitie, or the Feete in taking it, in vaine is the force of arme: on these two then we ground Abilitie, to which the Iudgement giues the crowne or conquest.
Now for Iudgement, as wee said before, Time must be obserued when, Distance where, Place how. Occasion of Time and Distance may seeme faire to the eye, yet the Place may iustly barre it. As where open way is giuen to a Passage with aduantage, the incertaintie of footing may cast you too forward, and disorder your weapon by vnsetled motion. Againe, Place and Distance may both draw you on, yet Time may promise by letting slip that [Page] occasion, some opener way to greate aduantage: for vpon euery sleight [...]ing of the arme, it is better to make offer of hurt to that pa [...]the [...] our home for such prof [...] many times drawes the aduersary to a Guard, that neglects a [...] of more deadly danger. Last [...] [...]m [...] and [...]ac [...] may both succeed to your wishes, yet Distance [...] [...]ustly checke your resolution: [...] obseruation more then [...] the Iudgement required, which being from our purpose to set downe i [...] figure, I referre you to the laborious worke of Gio [...]an de Gras [...] the Italian, who handles this [...]o [...] a [...] large and hath tooke vp much ground in the expression thereof.
Thus much for our speculatiue [...] Science, wherein I know [...] [...]a [...] disagree with me which [Page] I could not omit to set downe, because it makes to the honour of the worthy Professors of this Science, whom I desire the courteous Reader by no meanes to imagine that I am so ignorant to meane, where any question is made of their sufficiencie in this Booke: for I dare boldly affirme, for generall Weapons no Country can afford more able and sufficient professors then this our owne in their performance; whose teaching I will not dispraise, if it come not within compasse of these following Taxations, which by way of Objection and Resolution, I presume, I haue made apparantly worthy of censure to all indifferent practisers.