"To come back to the various situations which may occur in the assault.
If I see a fencer, as soon as he falls on guard, engage swords, and at
once hurriedly let fly thrust after thrust, attack following attack in
quick succession, if he neglects to test the length of his opponent's
sword by gradually feeling his way, by employing all the necessary
tactics of the preliminary skirmish, by prospecting for information and
discreetly sounding the enemy, then to my mind he may be classed at
once. He may have some dexterity, a certain power of execution, but by
the mere act of joining blades he may be set down as a blind fencer,
far more truly than the man who keeps out of distance, and chooses the
proper moment at one time to refuse, at another, when least expected,
to take the engagement, or to seize his opponent's blade with courage
and resolution."
"I suppose," remarked the Comte de R., "that, a few years hence, it
is highly probable that a new set of theories will be invented to
supersede these modern ideas, which are so hotly disputed now, and they
in their turn will be considered out of date."
"No doubt that is to be expected in the nature of things. The form may
or rather certainly will change, but the substance will be unaltered.
Let me submit evidence to prove it. I mentioned the other day some old
books on sword-play which I hoped to look through. I will only refer to
them for one moment. I managed to read them all, and dreary reading it
was, but I got through them, being supported by a conscientious sense
of duty, and I unearthed among others the two following passages.
"The first on the subject of _Approaches_ was written in the
seventeenth century, that is to say, it is about two hundred years
old:--
'The reason why you must make your steps of unequal Measure is that
thereby you always hold your Adversary in Suspense and uncertain what
you would be at. For if you always go about your business of a set way
and with a set regularity of step, it may happen that the Enemy will
make his reckoning so exactly, that he can direct his sword not only at
the place where he sees you to be, but even at that place to which he
knows you will presently come, whereof by this means he is hindered.'
"One might suppose that this was written yesterday. Could any
professor, however skilful, put the point better or more logically? The
weapons however were very different from ours, heavy cut and thrust
rapiers, wielded sometimes in one hand, sometimes in both; but the laws
of judgment, caution, and strategy were the same, and will be the same
a hundred years hence.
"To prove once more that this new school, which a few years since
was received with a howl of abuse, really did not advance such very
extravagant doctrines, and that the power of eye, which we were
discussing yesterday, is intimately connected with the power of touch,
I have made a note of these other few lines, still on the subject of
attacks:--
'It follows that the great gain that Science gives is Security in
making your Approaches, which cannot be obtained except you thoroughly
comprehend the Importance both of Touch and Eye; and you may rest
assured that bodily activity and readiness of hand are alike as nothing
when weighed against a good Approach.'
"And we are reluctantly obliged to admit that after all our original
ideas have been anticipated, and we stand convicted of plagiarism.
"I might revenge myself for the trouble I have taken to ransack these
ancient folios, by inflicting upon you any number of quotations, but I
will be merciful, and am content to have demonstrated that the ideas
that are supposed to be most radical are often, when they come to be
examined, most truly conservative."