"I was reading one of the ancient treatises, which are reposing
peacefully on your dusty shelves, my dear C., when I came across the
following passage, which rather struck my fancy:--
_The law of defence declares that your motions should be the
natural motions of a man's body. But, however sacred the dignity of
law may be, nevertheless you ought to consider that necessity knows
no law, and that it overrides even the weightiest laws of human
contrivance._
"That was written in 1600. The maxim is a trifle too sweeping for
general application, but it seems to me to be a good and serviceable
maxim when applied to sword-play.
"My remarks are perhaps somewhat disconnected. I am simply giving
you my ideas at random, as they occur to me. But my main object is
to direct your attention to the points which appear to me of some
importance.
"After the parries come the ripostes. On this subject a few words will
suffice. Never forget that the parry and riposte are twin sisters,
whose lives are so closely bound up in each other, that they cannot
exist apart. Riposte and parry ought to be so closely allied that the
riposte may seem to be the second part of the parry. Therefore, as a
general principle, riposte direct, in the line in which you have found
the blade. Changing the line wastes time, and gives your adversary an
opportunity to pull himself together and make a _remise_ or renew the
attack. Never, on any consideration, allow yourself to draw back your
arm, for then your riposte is lost,--as well throw your purse in the
gutter.
"If your judgment tells you that your adversary is waiting for your
direct riposte, and has attacked you with the object of drawing it, or
if you have noticed that he covers himself effectively on that side,
while he leaves you a clear opening elsewhere, then avoid the trap by a
disengagement or a cut-over; but only make one feint, never more than
one. For, if you do, though you may succeed once, you will probably
find out later that your success was dearly bought. It is always wise,
you know, to count the cost, and economise your resources, unless you
wish to take the straight road to ruin.