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m (→‎Treatise: Made the sentences fit better in Letter to the King.)
m (→‎Treatise: very humble -> most humble.)
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| LETTER TO THE KING.
 
| LETTER TO THE KING.
  
SIRE, It does not please me to say how many are to be praised for those who strive (as they say) to help or even perfect the nature, of reducing the confusion to order, and in such a way that the face of it appeared rough, sick, and inaccessible; was made easy, accessible, and approachable by them. Even though the only harm that results from confusion and disorder, and among other things that are proper to the Gentlemen make them quite recommendable. Why would I turn my pen elsewhere to show you, that to restore a battle that is in disarray, and to put it back in its previous order, it is necessary that a leader to be familiar with two things. To make sure decision to save time and the place, where and when to stop the broken ranks and by a feint to divert the enemies, while the remaining troops reform and regroup. That decision cannot be acquired, even the reason for it cannot be believed without the second point that I the leader must make is truly necessary, which is having the experience of things, from which arises the aforementioned decision. (SIRE) whoever wants to put art or doctrine back in order to avoid confusion lest in the end it will be wasted decision is required, arises from the experience seen through the exercise of the said art, which I have from having served in doing battle, very much for your grandfather, as well as for your Majesty, for twenty years in Piedmont and elsewhere. I can justly attribute to myself having used my life to experience such arms, so much so that accumulating such evidence may have allowed me to to perfect the art and the practice of them. So seeing how confused, and disordered they have been and are for today by everyone shown, and practiced, have in my mind figured some model or idea, according to which as an example, I make sure that the order will not only be good, so the art that consists of it will be completely restored, and will reach closer to perfection, which I have longed for, both because of my powerlessness and extreme poverty ( the enemy of good spirits) as well as to be prevented from serving you, kept hidden and buried among my papers in my office, where the Muses after martial efforts made me, and hope that will keep me company. But I now have the desire to give you a very humble and pleasant service, far from the zeal that all my life I have had to arms, and to those who love them, and who make a profession of them, have allowed little, that in this time (where Mars gives us some relaxation) I have not been emboldened to present myself to your Majesty, something not worthy of such a great Monarch, but very suitable for the exercise of a common man, both in war and peace, namely a treatise on the sword alone, mother of all arms, that I wrote according to my opinions, which contains six points, that I declare has never been organized, and the proofs of it, both by reason and by effect attached to the end. Here (SIRE) will contain this little work, which is like a summary or collection of the first book that I still have beside me. If your Majesty appreciates this, by God giving me the grace to live, I hope by means of your Majesty to later enlighten others. Therefore (who is the first and foremost to extricate the nobility) I thought worthy of you, who is the protector and support of the arms, of this treatise, begging you most humbly, where and when it would be reputed by other, to please take my ardent affection, which for a long time has been dedicated to offer you very humble and pleasant service, in payment for employing me for something which this concerns, and I will be more than happy with endless opportunity and will, more than great to pray to the Sovereign Rector of the Universe to give you a long, and happy life. And for the boundary of your Empire to only be the Sea.
+
SIRE, It does not please me to say how many are to be praised for those who strive (as they say) to help or even perfect the nature, of reducing the confusion to order, and in such a way that the face of it appeared rough, sick, and inaccessible; was made easy, accessible, and approachable by them. Even though the only harm that results from confusion and disorder, and among other things that are proper to the Gentlemen make them quite recommendable. Why would I turn my pen elsewhere to show you, that to restore a battle that is in disarray, and to put it back in its previous order, it is necessary that a leader to be familiar with two things. To make sure decision to save time and the place, where and when to stop the broken ranks and by a feint to divert the enemies, while the remaining troops reform and regroup. That decision cannot be acquired, even the reason for it cannot be believed without the second point that I the leader must make is truly necessary, which is having the experience of things, from which arises the aforementioned decision. (SIRE) whoever wants to put art or doctrine back in order to avoid confusion lest in the end it will be wasted decision is required, arises from the experience seen through the exercise of the said art, which I have from having served in doing battle, very much for your grandfather, as well as for your Majesty, for twenty years in Piedmont and elsewhere. I can justly attribute to myself having used my life to experience such arms, so much so that accumulating such evidence may have allowed me to to perfect the art and the practice of them. So seeing how confused, and disordered they have been and are for today by everyone shown, and practiced, have in my mind figured some model or idea, according to which as an example, I make sure that the order will not only be good, so the art that consists of it will be completely restored, and will reach closer to perfection, which I have longed for, both because of my powerlessness and extreme poverty ( the enemy of good spirits) as well as to be prevented from serving you, kept hidden and buried among my papers in my office, where the Muses after martial efforts made me, and hope that will keep me company. But I now have the desire to give you a most humble and pleasant service, far from the zeal that all my life I have had to arms, and to those who love them, and who make a profession of them, have allowed little, that in this time (where Mars gives us some relaxation) I have not been emboldened to present myself to your Majesty, something not worthy of such a great Monarch, but very suitable for the exercise of a common man, both in war and peace, namely a treatise on the sword alone, mother of all arms, that I wrote according to my opinions, which contains six points, that I declare has never been organized, and the proofs of it, both by reason and by effect attached to the end. Here (SIRE) will contain this little work, which is like a summary or collection of the first book that I still have beside me. If your Majesty appreciates this, by God giving me the grace to live, I hope by means of your Majesty to later enlighten others. Therefore (who is the first and foremost to extricate the nobility) I thought worthy of you, who is the protector and support of the arms, of this treatise, begging you most humbly, where and when it would be reputed by other, to please take my ardent affection, which for a long time has been dedicated to offer you most humble and pleasant service, in payment for employing me for something which this concerns, and I will be more than happy with endless opportunity and will, more than great to pray to the Sovereign Rector of the Universe to give you a long, and happy life. And for the boundary of your Empire to only be the Sea.
  
 
   
 
   

Revision as of 21:32, 8 January 2021

Henry de Sainct Didier
Born 1530s (?)
Pertuis, Provence
Died after 1584
Paris, France (?)
Occupation Fencing master
Patron Charles IX of France
Influences
Influenced Salvator Fabris (?)
Genres Fencing manual
Language Middle French
Notable work(s) Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule (1573)
Translations Traducción castellano
Signature Henry de Sainct Didier sig.png

Henry de Sainct Didier, Esq. was a 16th century French fencing master. He was born to a noble family in Pertuis in the Provence region of France, son of Luc de Sainct Didier. Sainct Didier made his career in the French army, ultimately serving 25 years and seeing action in Piedmont, Italy from 1554 - 1555. He wrote of himself that he "lived his whole life learning to fight with the single sword" and eventually "reached a point of perfection" in his art. Apparently he became a fencing master of some renown, for in ca. 1573 he secured a royal privilege for a period of ten years for treatises on a number of weapons, including the dagger, single side sword, double side swords, sword and buckler, sword and cloak, sword and dagger, sword and shield (both rotella and targe), and greatsword. Unfortunately, only his treatise on the single side sword, titled Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule ("Secrets of the Premier Book on the Single Sword") and printed on 4 June 1573, is known to survive; it seems likely that the others were never published at all.

Treatise

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. ISBN 978-1581607048
  • Slee, Chris. Secrets of the Sword Alone. LongEdge Press, 2014. ISBN 978-0646926353

References

  1. Pristin : ancien, antérieur
  2. Insertion du « a ».
  3. « L'es », habituellement orthographiée « ais », désigne une planche de bois placée dans le mur du fond de la salle de jeu de paume qui, si elle est touchée par un coup de volée, donne le point immédiatement. Dans le jeu de paume moderne, cette planche est remplacée par une grille. Il est possible que cet « ais » ait donné le terme anglais d'« ace » que les étymologies modernes confondent avec l'« as » du jeu de carte. Voir la définition d' « ais » de l'Encyclopédie de Diderot et d'Alembert.
  4. L’esteuf : ancien nom pour la balle.
  5. précéder. « Préaller » subsiste en français sous la forme « préalable ».
  6. Il s’agit très probablement du maître d’arme italien Fabris Salvator de Padoue (1544-1617). Voir la note sur Fabris Salvator de Vigeant p. 162 et aussi les références à ses publications (Vigeant p. 55-56)
  7. Version alimentaire de l’adage « blanc bonnet et bonnet blanc ».
  8. Transcription la plus sûre du texte : « gran d erre »
  9. Serviteur du grand prêtre venu arrêter Jésus au Mont des Olivier et dont l’oreille coupée a été immédiatement guérie. Selon la lecture du passage, il est parfois pris pour celui qui soufflète Jésus.
  10. Un des anciens nom de l’abeille.
  11. Sens incertain ; peut-être s'agit-il d'une mauvaise graphie de « filial ».
  12. drillant : étincellant, brillant (dictionnaire de Nicot).
  13. Correction du texte d’origine donnant « peid ».
  14. Cette correction sur les images d'Henri de Saint-Didier indique que celles-ci ont été réalisées avant la version finale du texte.
  15. Le « o » de troisiesme est curieusement placé en exposant.
  16. Suppression du doublement de l'esperluette.
  17. Proposition de correction de l’édition originale qui donne « gauche », en incohérence avec la gravure et le texte plus bas qui confirme que la posture du Lieutenent est identique à celle de la section précédente où c’était bien le pied droit qui était reculé.
  18. Deuxième remarque de l'auteur sur les gravures montrant que le texte a été retouché après réception des gravures. À comparer avec une remarque similaire faite dans le i.33.
  19. Correction du texte d’origine donnant « Leiutenent ».
  20. Correction de l'édition originale qui omet lors d'un changement de page le début du mot « haute »
  21. La position de la main illustrée a les doigts au-dessus, en opposition avec le texte.
  22. Proposition de correction pour « bessoin »
  23. Proposition de correction pour « avan-main »
  24. Proposition de correction pour « couté »
  25. Proposition de correction pour « Vola ».
  26. Proposition de correction pour « ongle »
  27. Sens inconnu.
  28. La tuition est un synonyme de « garde », « défense », très souvent employé à cette époque pour appuyer le mot « défense ».
  29. Proposition de correction pour « Provost »
  30. Proposition de correction de « du–sixiesme »
  31. Proposition de correction pour « persent ».
  32. Proposition de correction pour « le ongles ».
  33. Le triangle représenté ici n'est pas correct, celui cotté 65 paraît rendre mieux compte du déplacement proposé.
  34. Proposition de correction pour « Lieutent ». La marque indiquant une contraction a probablement été omise.
  35. On pourrait compléter : « ...et le mettre en 4 ». L'illustration 73 est incorrecte puisque le pied gauche est resté sur la semelle 1 et n'est pas placé sur la semelle 3 (à gauche) comme demandé ; la position des pieds de l'illustration 75 correspond à ce qui aurait dû être représenté.
  36. Proposition de correction pour « dh’aut »
  37. Sic.
  38. Le prévôt représenté ici ne correspond pas au texte puisqu'il se tient sur le pied droit.
  39. Le prévôt de la figure 80 n’est pas sur le pied gauche comme écrit et mais reste cohérent avec la figure 78.
  40. Il faut évidemment lire ici « Prevost ».
  41. Proposition de correction pour « suprint »
  42. Sic.
  43. Suppression du doublement de l'esperluette dans « sa cuisse gauche, & & tous ».
  44. Sic. Au XVIe siècle, le genre des mots était encore indécis.
  45. L’auteur annonce ici une prochaine édition augmentée de son oeuvre qui n’a a priori jamais eu lieu.
  46. Proposition de correction pour « ou ».
  47. Proposition de correction pour « mostré »
  48. Du latin médiéval « inquinatum » signifiant « pour combien »
  49. Dilection : attachement, amour pur.
  50. Un vidimus est la copie certifiée d'un acte antérieur.
  51. Il doit s'agit de Pierre ou Jean Brûlart (tout deux avait une charge au Parlement) qui signe pour le roi.