GSilver3

Silver's Insert Notes

For Brief Instructions:

Sundry kinds of play or fight. Thornborow

1. Uncertain variable

2. Single

3. Guardant

3 different kinds of fight

1. That forces or presses in

2. He that goes back with some blow all these with an imperfect or thrust ward & out of the way.

3. He that stands on his wards or Passata

1. Against him that presses you, naked play is best because he uses his foot, the open lofty play (of) the hand.

2. The 2nd is best followed with the variable & uncertain handling else should you be a mark to your enemy & too slow in motion.

3. The third must be encountered with the guardant play wherein you shall try him at the Backsword or how can escape the parting blow or thrust?

When you gather keep your place & space equal & only be a patient & remember your guardant play bringing you safely in & keeping your enemy out.

Know this order of play else you best may be deceived, to be used against all these differences & bring the goodness thereof in suspicion, for all these pays are good in their kind, time & occasion offered by diversity of play, but not one of them to be continually used & played upon as perfection against every assault.

1. In the naked play you must set your self upright with your feet in a small space, observing the place of your hand where you may strike or thrust most quickly & readily & so take the time of him that presses on (using the time of his feet) with your blow or thrust where he is most open.

1. In the variable play, you drive him to his shifts changing yourself into sundry kinds of blows thrusts & lyings, which you must not stay upon,

2. Seeking to cross him still in his playing as you may, whereby you shall force him to fly, or else to stand to the proof of his backsword play.

3. The guardant play is to be used against the blow, thrust or Passata that comes within danger of hurt, for treading that right way & keeping your place & hand in space & strength you cannot loose time o defend from either of these offers

These judged of in reason & known by some practice will make you deal safely against all sorts, skillful or unskillful, so that fear of anger hinders not your knowledge.

Of Times

hand

foot

1. The time of the hand & foot

foot hand. naught

of place space, strength, & time

1. The time of the hand is when you strike from a ward of stand in place to strike.

2. The time of the foot is when you step forward to strike or when you gather towards your own right side.

3. The time of the hand & foot is when you tread your ground in course to strike rather that pressing forwards, or when you slide back or go back, your hand & foot being then of equal agility.

4. The time of the foot & hand is when you handle your guardant play using then a slow motion in both.

There is but 1 good way to gather upon your enemy, guardant. All other are dangerous & subject to the blows on the head or thrust on the body.

For no way can ward both but as aforesaid.

Your hand & feet in good play must go together, whether it is in quick or in slow motion.

In gathering forewards or towards your right side your hand falls from your place, space, time, & strength, & so falls out the loss of time.

When you gather & suffer that govern your fight, defend only. When you do, be single, or not fixed towards any single lying, but also the quickness of your hand in its proper place carried.

In breaking the thrust when you lie aloft single or guardant & space your arm somewhat bowing in warding the blow, have respect to your place of hand & strength, your arm straight. This course in your time is best performed, the one of these with your hand aloft your point down the other your hand in place your (hand?point?) more high your space less curious.

Double (fence defence treble

|time ward

|place way

|space slow motion

hand | double

arm,weapon true single | spacious

body straight | obscure

foot manifest

II. Time is chiefly to be observed in both actions upon which place 93re or space waits.

Upon these 3 the 4 following, upon these 4 the first 3, upon these the latter 3.

To hurt or defend, a time in both is observed to the furtherance of which place is to be gotten, without which time will be too long to perform that which is intended, the space is to be noted between 2 opponents & in respect of touching, or in regard of saving as also for preserving of time, by the small way it has either to the body, or putting by the weapon.

The next 4 must be used together to perform the other 3 rules, for the hand being nimble & quick of itself may else be hindered in the want of any of these, the weapon must be framed & inclined to serve the agility of the hand either in hurting or defending.

The body upright or leaning to the weapon, that it hinders not the disposition of the other 2 the foot answerable to them plying the hand & ward all in straight space, the ward with the hand high with the point down, the arm straight out as ready for both actions

The way under the ward withdrawing the body from harm, the motion slow that the action of the hand is not hindered.

The rest are the dispositions of the placed(/)displaced handlings

slow foot : swift hand : quick foot : slow hand

tread : stride : follow : fall-away

When you seek to offend with blow or thrust, your place of the hand is lost, the way to redeem it is to slide back under your lofty ward as aforesaid always that your adversary lie aloft ready to strike or thrust or use his hand only.

If you would offend him that lies low upon the thrust when you displace your weapon from aloft you may after your blow at head or arm or nearest place, stand & thrust before you go back because he is out of place & space & cannot cross, & thereby losses his time to annoy you & you may thrust & retire for a new assault.

this is not so sound

In striking or thrusting never hinder your hand with putting forth your foot but keep the place thereof 'til you have offended with the one only the bending of your body very little foreward any suffice, else you loose a double time, one in setting forth your foot, the other in recovering your lost place of your foot both to the loss of time & your purpose

Strike : thrust : ward : break

the double offense is in striking & thrusting

warding the blow

The 3 fold breaking or putting by the thrust

defence flying back under your hanging ward

win the place : stand fast, strike home

offend, defend, & go safe

All under play is beaten with most agile, single & the lofty the lofty with the guardant, His when with his foot he seeks the low lying is out of place to offend defend or not so for lack of time re the reading space & crossing, if he lies out with his the enter lying

longer weapon it is put by from aloft, who of other things has place, time & reach of body & thereto adjoining arm all with the cross.

the lofty naked play is beaten with the ward because of cross, space, time

to defend, the lofty naked single loose play serves to win the time of the low & double play.

The bent guardant requires your arm straight high & outside the point towards (93 re II well) the body & foot that way inclined

Insert:

Open fight

| upright

Open fight is to carry yor & hilt above yor hed either wt poynt |

|backwards, wch is best

| 1. becs it fals best to yt gardant ward

| | strike

| 2. yet use yt wch yõ find apteƒt to | thrust

| ward

Of ye ƒhort ƒingle ƒword againƒt ye like weapon both of a length

1.| Anƒwer him in ye ƒame fight is best but kepe your distance

2.| let yor gatherings in be ever towards his right ƒide yt yor ƒword may choake

| up al his blows made at yõ before it be in force & frõ yor ward inƒtantly uncroƒe

| & strike him on ye hed or other open place, or thrust him in yr body & inƒtantly | fly out

| 1.| tak it not wt forehand wd eccept

| | yõ be ƒure to wd it if yõ wrd

| | it so if he com in wt al, then, frõ

| | | thrust |

| | yt wrd | ƒtrike | remembring yor

| | | grype |

1. | yor enemy lye | | govrnors & strike frõ yr wrd at

| in open or true { 1.| left | 1.| ward it wt | ye hed &c, or thrust ye body.

| | | }yor hed | 1.|mount yor point so yt yor blade

| | | | |yor hilt a | 1.|ƒtrike | |hed

| | 2.|right | | little & { |inƒtantl | |

| | | | | | |ly ye left | }body

| | | 2.{or outƒide of his

| | |fro wch wrd|right thigh & fly

| | |either |back inƒtantly, on

| | | |of theƒe he cannot

| | |avoid.

| |

| 3. |hed yõ lying below in variable fight thrust at his hand or arme by

| |erecting yor pount wt yor knockles downwards & fly out instantly

2. | he thrust at yor face or body, then beat it downwards wt yor ƒword gardant bering yor point

| ƒtrongly towrds yor right ƒyde & sodainly ƒtrike him on ye hed or thruƒt him in ye body & fly out

| ƒodainly

If | 1.|forceably preƒs on ye wt yt fight intending to hurt yõ in ye face or hed, or

| |to take ye grype of yo.

| | Against him uƒe both open & gardant fight ƒo ƒhal you upon every blowe

| |or thruƒt made a yo frõ yot wards ƒtrike or thruƒt him on ye face hde or body

| |& fly out inƒtantly

| 2.|& yõ lye below in variable 1.|but wt forehand ward & be sure to kepe yor

| |fight then offer not to ward |diƒtance to make him cõ in wt his feet or foot

| yõ lye in open |ye blow made a yor hed {& yt wil diƒappoint his tyme & place

| or true gardant {with true gardant ward | {tyme will be to long} in due tyme to do it.

| fight | 2.|yor{ƒpace is to wide }

| 3.|Answer him not wt ye 1.|ƒpace wilbe to wide on both ƒyds to make a true

| | {bastard} gardant fight |ward in due tyme

| | {Imprfect 2.| arme & body wilbe open to neere him so yt wt

| | ***can't read this*** |************his body wt ye tyme of ye hand or

| |wards there yor |hand & foot he may either thruƒt yor body or

| |take ye gripe of you.

| 1.|he yt first breaketh his diƒtance & do attempt to ƒtrike at ye others hed,

| |ƒhalbe ƒurely ƒtriken on ye hed himƒelf if thother ƒtrike therat in his cõing in,

3.| both fyght upo |and ƒlip a little back wtal, for yt maketh an Indirection wherby yor blowe

| open fight {croƒƒeth his hed & maketh a true ward for yor owne.

| 2.|it is bettrfor ye patient to strike hime strongly at ye agents hed if ye agent

| |preƒs upin him to win ye place, then to thruƒt, for ye cs aboveƒaid

4.| yõ fight upon open or true gardant fight nevr ward upõforehand ward for yor ƒpace wilbe to wide

| in due tyme to make a true wrd

| he lye aloft wt his point towtds yõ aftr ye mannr of ye Imbrocata then make yor ƒpace narrow wt

| yorpoint upwards, therwt put by his point & ƒtrike or thruƒt as aforeƒaid at any open place but be

| 1.{& fly out prƒently

| ƒure herin to kepe yor distance 2.{ythe deceive yõ not in ye taking his poynt.

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