_Of the Parade of the Hand._
There are, in Fencing, three Parades with the Left-hand: The first, like
the Opposition that is from the Top to the Bottom; the second, with the
Palm of the Hand without, towards the Right Shoulder, and the third,
from the Bottom to the Top, with the Outside of the Hand: Of these three
Parades, the first is the easiest, the most used, and the least
dangerous: They are condemned by able Men, as weakening those of the
Sword; wherefore it is wrong in a Master to shew them to a Scholar,
before he has practised those of the Blade a good while, which being
longer, can return to all feints, which the Left-hand cannot, it being
impossible to parry with it except you be near, which is very dangerous,
as well by reason of the Difficulty of meeting properly with the Sword,
as of the Facility of deceiving the Hand, which in this Case has not
Time to come to the Parade, because of it's small Distance; and besides
the Facility of deceiving it, you need only push at the Arm, Sword in
Hand, in order to make it useless.
_Of the Opposition of the Hand._
Many People make no Distinction between the Parade and Opposition of the
Hand, tho' there is a very great Difference, the Parade being made only
against the Adversary's Thrust, and the Opposition to prevent a
following Thrust after having parryed with the Sword, which is very
necessary in most Thrusts, especially in the Risposts which may be made
to your Thrust in _Seconde_.
Besides the Opposition of the Hand, after having parryed with the Sword,
you may oppose with it, taking the Time, that is to say, when the Enemy
pushes from above to below, as the motion of his sword is greater than
your's, having only a strait line to push _Quarte_ on, whereas his from
above to below, is crooked, so that pushing upon his time, he cannot
avoid the thrust, and you may easily oppose his with the Left-hand,
which is very different from the parade with the hand, to which you do
not push 'till after you have parryed.