_Of engaging in_ Quarte _in a midling Guard._
I Have hitherto treated of the Means whereby to make Thrusts, and in
this and the following Chapters, I will shew on what Occasion they are
to be made use of. Tho' there is an infinite Number of Figures or
Postures, and that every Posture may be in Guard, whether within, or
without, _Prime_, _Seconde_, _Tierce_, or _Quarte_, they proceed from
the Midling Guard, the Strait, the High, or the Low Guard, each of which
may be attacked and defended within or without.
Though there are many Means to disorder the Enemy by putting him out of
Guard in order to hit him on that Occasion, they all depend either upon
a Feint by the Side of his Sword to draw him on, or on a Motion of your
Sword on his, to uncover him, taking his Sword from the Line of your
Body, and placing yours on a Line with his, which is called engaging.
And there are several other Ways of coming to the Sword, which are the
Beats, Crossings, Bindings, and Lashings; the Occasions of which, and
the Manners of using them, I shall shew in their proper Places. I begin
with engaging in the midling Guard, as the neatest, the most used, and
the best.
To engage this Guard within, it must be done with the Edge on the same
Side, without going wide, in order to keep your Fort before you, and
your Point before the Enemy, carrying both Parts alike; the Engagement
must be made Feeble to Feeble, a little more to your Enemy's than your
own, because if it were with the Feeble to the Fort, the Enemy's Sword
would not be displaced, besides if he should push, you could not parry,
being unable with your Feeble to resist his Fort; and if it were with
the Fort to the Feeble, you wou'd be in Danger of being hit under, where
there would be an Opening; besides you would be oblig'd to advance much,
which would be dangerous.
On your Engagement, the Enemy may do Three things, either of which,
produces several others. First, either he will let you engage, or
secondly, he will disengage, or thirdly, he will come to your Blade.
If he lets you engage, you must push _Quarte_, or, by way of
Precaution, make a Half-thrust, in order to see if he stirs, to retire,
or to have recourse to his Parade, or to Time.
If he does not stir, you must, as I said, push _Quarte_; if he retires,
redouble your Thrust; if he parrys with his Fort cut _Quarte_ under the
Wrist; if with the Feeble, disengage, or cut over the Point in _Tierce_;
and if upon the Half-thrust he takes the Time pushing strait, you must
parry and risposte, or take the Time in _Seconde_, with your Body low;
if he takes the Time lowering his Body, you must parry and oppose with
the Left-hand, risposting in _Quarte_; if he takes the Time cutting
under the Wrist, you must parry crossing the Sword in _Quarte_, opposing
with the Hand, in order to make your Rispost more safely; and if he
volts upon the Half-thrust, you must parry and risposte in
_Flanconnade_, or take the Time, with, your Body low.
If when you engage he disengages, it will be either, 1st, without
Design, or 2dly, to disengage and push _Tierce_ over, or 3dly, disengage
breaking Measure, or 4thly, disengage, and come to your Blade without,
or 5thly disengage making a Feint, and pushing _Quarte_ or 6thly,
disengage to take a Counter to your Time.
1st. If he disengages with a Design only to disengage, you must on the
Time push _Tierce_.
2dly. If he disengages breaking Measure, you must redouble in _Tierce_,
advancing.
3dly. If he disengages and pushes without, you must parry and risposte
quick where you have Light, or take Time against him, disengaging and
volting, or lowering the Body.
4thly. If he disengages and comes to your Blade without; if 'tis with
his Fort, you must cut under in _Seconde_; and if with the Feeble, you
must Counter-disengage from without to within.
5thly. If on the Engagement, he feint _Tierce_ in order to push
_Quarte_, you must push or take the Time strait upon the Feint, or by
lowering the Body on the Thrust.
6thly. If he disengages giving Light, to take a Counter to your Thrust,
whether by a Rispost or Time, you must make a False-time or
Half-thrust, and if he parrys, or takes the Time, in Case of the first,
you must baulk his Parade; and if he takes the Time, you must take
another upon him.
If, upon the Engagement, he goes to your Blade with his Fort, you must
cut under his Wrist, and if with his Feeble, disengage and push without
in _Tierce_.
Though an Engagement may be made Blade to Blade, without Disengaging,
that is Inside to Inside; better and more common to make it by
disengaging from the Outside to the Inside.