| Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule |
| Secrets of the Premier Book on the Single Sword |
 |
| Author(s) |
Henry de Sainct Didier |
| Illustrated by |
Unknown |
| Dedicated to |
Charles IX of France |
| Place of Origin |
Paris, France |
| Language |
Middle French |
| Genre(s) |
Fencing manual |
| Publication Date |
1573 |
| Pages |
180 pages |
 |
The title of this article contains the character é. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule (Henry de Sainct Didier).
Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule ("Secrets of the Premier Book on the Single Sword") is a French fencing manual written by Henry de Sainct Didier and printed in 1573.[1] The treatise is lavishly illustrated and stands out as the oldest surviving French treatise on swordsmanship. It is also quite innovative, including the first use of footwork diagrams in a fencing manual.
Publication History
The first edition of Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule was printed in Paris, France on 4 June 1573 by Jean Mettayer and Matthurin Challenge. Sainct Didier secured a royal privilege to prevent unauthorized reproduction for a period of ten years, but no additional printings are known to exist before a facsimile was produced in 1907 by the Société du Livre d'Art Ancien et Moderne.
Contents
Gallery
Additional Resources
- Hyatt, Robert Preston and Wilson, Devon. "The Single Sword of Henry de Sainct Didier." Masters of Medieval and Renaissance Martial Arts. Ed. Jeffrey Hull. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58160-668-3
- Sainct Didier, Henry de. The Single Sword of Henry de Sainct Didier (Traicté Contenant Les Secrets Du Premier Livre Sur L'Espée Seule). Trans. Robert Preston Hyatt and Devon Wilson. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 2009.
References
