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| '''THERE FOLLOWS NOW THE GREAT REPRESENTATION OF THE USE OF FENCING. AND FIRST THE DIFFERENCE THAT IS FOUND BETWEEN THE ART AND THE USE IS EXPLAINED.'''
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| <p>'''There Follows Now the Great Representation of the Use of Fencing.'''</p>
There is the greatest difference between the art and the use, and perchance not less than between reason and luck, between confusion and good order, between knowledge and opinion. Which thing, in order that it be more manifestly understood, it is necessary that we will briefly consider and explain the definitions of the art, which, as I remember having already heard treated of with some intelligence, is not other than a multitude of useful and well-ordered precepts for civil converse; because one flower does not make Spring, nor a single precept suffice to make the art; likewise with whatsoever number of precepts, is it so with the art; but these former finally confirm themselves to be useful, and not useless; and they are not those that submerge themselves in the abyss of the dark shadows of falsities and witless opinions. For as much as that the art is not governed according to its own whim, but derives all of its precepts following the rule that the law of truth gives to it. Truth commands the art, that it does not build on air, nor teach, if not of those things which are infallible and of perpetual truth. And those precepts that do not stand as paragons of their laws are not recognized as theirs. The use of the art encompasses much more, and considers not only the true things, but cautions us yet of the false and of the many other particulars that variously occur; and in order to show their effects, takes advantage of the aid of many disciplines. For as much as we see occur daily in civil converse, that a man is insufficient to put into practice the office or the art that he does, if help does not come from those with whom civility resides, likewise are all the arts, all the sciences, and all the professions among each other conjoined and connected, so that one has need of the mutual aid of the other, if one wishes to put in execution his training; nonetheless, as in the civil practice each man has his own office, his solitary dwelling, and his good partitions, likewise the arts and the sciences have their distinct boundaries and their own precepts, which it is illicit for them to trespass. This difference between the art and the use, because some who teach do not observe it, makes them fall into many very grave errors. Thence it occurs that when teaching, likewise with the pen as with the sword in hand, they are long-winded and so confused and self-contradictory most of the time. And because they do not first lay the stable foundation of the infallible and well-ordered precepts of the art, with the greatest ease and in the briefest time would they lead their scholars to that degree of perfection which one can desire in this science. In consideration of this, in order to facilitate the art of fencing, I have managed to break down all the difficulty, and to extract it from the dark shadows of confusion, condensing it in the fewest demonstrations, separated from its use, and now to you I offer and put forward to your eyes a very few figures, the greater part of which explain our art, leaving to others the care of devoting their studies to the uncertainty and infinity of particular cases, which without fixing oneself in the same state, daily we see occur in the use of arms, and if this instability and variety of things they have indeed to teach, it seems much better to me, in the school of “hand in hand”, that they remember that they do not teach with knowledge. But it is time at last that we come to the explanation of some admonitions and advisements, as well as some terms of fencing, which pertain to the use, and to our figures as well.
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| {{section|Page:Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli) 1601.pdf/42|1|lbl=25}}
| '''SEGUITA HORA IL GRAN SIMULACRO DELL’ USO DELLA SCHERMA E PRIMA SI DICHIARA LA DIFFERENZA CHE SI TROVA FRA L’ARTE E L’USO'''
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<br/>Grandissima differenza è fra l’Arte & l’uso e, per aventura, non minore che fra la ragione e ‘l caso, fra ‘l confuso e ‘l bene ordinato, fra la scientia e l’opinione. La qual cosa, acciò che più manifestamente si comprenda, fa mestieri che brevemente consideriamo, & dichiariamo la difinitione dell’arte, la quale, sì come mi ricordo haver già udito trattare da alcuni intelligenti, non è altro che una moltitudine di precetti utili e ben ordinate alla conservation Civile, perchè un fiore non fa Primavera, nè un sol precetto è bastante a far l’arte; oltra ciò con qual si voglia numero di precetti e dell’arte, ma quegli finalmente si approvano che son utili e non disutili e non quegli che si sommergono nell’abisso delle oscure tenebre delle false & ingannevoli oppinioni. Imperocchè l’arte non si governa secondo il suo proprio arbitrio, ma indirizza tutti i suoi precetti secondo la regola che le dà la legge della verità. La verità comanda all’arte che non fondi in aria & che non insegni se non quelle cose che sono d’infallibile & di perpetua verità. E quelli precetti che non stanno a paragone delle lor leggi non riconosce per suoi. L’uso dell’arte s’allarga molto più e considera non solamente le cose vere, ma ci avvertisce ancora del falso e di molti altri particolari che variamente accadono e per mostrare i suoi effetti si prevale del soccorso di molte discipline. Imperocchè sì come vegghiamo giornalmente avvenire nella conservation Civile che un huomo non è sufficiente a metter in opra l’offitio o l’arte che fa se non vien aiutato da quelli co’ quali civilmente dimora, così tutte l’arti, tutte le scienze & tutte le professioni sono fra di loro congiunte e collogate sì che una habbia bisogno dello scambievol soccorso dell’altra, volendo porre in essecutione i suoi ammaestramenti; nulla di meno sì come nell’uso civile ciaschedun huomo ha il suo proprio uffitio, la sua casa appartata & i suoi beni separati, così l’arti e le scienze hanno i lor termini distinti e suoi proprij precetti, i quali non li è lecito di trapassare. Questa differenza fra l’arte & l’uso, perchè da alcuni che insegnano non vien osservata li fa cadere in molti gravissimi errori. Indi avviene che nell’insegnare così con la penna come anco con la spada in mano sieno sì prolissi e tanto confusi & il più delle volte a se stessi contrarij: e perchè non gettano prima lo stabil fondamento de i precetti infallibili e ben ordinati dell’arte, con molta maggior facilità e brevissimo tempo condurrebbono i loro scolari a quel grado di perfettione che in questa scienza si può desiderare. In consideratione di questo, per facilitar l’arte della scherma mi son ingegnato di spianar tutte le difficultà & cavarla delle oscure tenebre della confusione, restringendola in pochissimi ammaestramenti dal suo uso separati: & hora vi porgo e metto avanti a gli occhi pochissime figure, la maggior parte delle quali dichiara l’arte nostra, lasciando ad altri la cura d’impiegare lo studio loro nell’incertezza & infinità delle cose particolari, che senza fermarsi in un medesimo stato giornalmente vediamo avvenire nell’uso dell’armi; & se queste instabilità e varietà delle cose s’hanno pure ad insegnare molto meglio, al mio parere, nella scuola, di mano in mano si ricordano che non s’imparano con la scienza. Ma è tempo hormai, veniamo alla dichiaratione di alcuni ricordi & avvertimenti, sì ancora d’alcuni termini della scherma che s’appartengono all’uso, e delle nostre figure ancora.
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| <p>'''And First the Difference that is Found Between the Art and the Use is Explained.'''</p>
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<p>There is the greatest difference between the art and the use, and perchance not less than between reason and luck, between confusion and good order, between knowledge and opinion. Which thing, in order that it be more manifestly understood, it is necessary that we will briefly consider and explain the definitions of the art, which, as I remember having already heard treated of with some intelligence, is not other than a multitude of useful and well-ordered precepts for civil converse; because one flower does not make Spring, nor a single precept suffice to make the art; likewise with whatsoever number of precepts, is it so with the art; but these former finally confirm themselves to be useful, and not useless; and they are not those that submerge themselves in the abyss of the dark shadows of falsities and witless opinions. For as much as that the art is not governed according to its own whim, but derives all of its precepts following the rule that the law of truth gives to it. Truth commands the art, that it does not build on air, nor teach, if not of those things which are infallible and of perpetual truth. And those precepts that do not stand as paragons of their laws are not recognized as theirs. The use of the art encompasses much more, and considers not only the true things, but cautions us yet of the false and of the many other particulars that variously occur; and in order to show their effects, takes advantage of the aid of many disciplines. For as much as we see occur daily in civil converse, that a man is insufficient to put into practice the office or the art that he does, if help does not come from those with whom civility resides, likewise are all the arts, all the sciences, and all the professions among each other conjoined and connected, so that one has need of the mutual aid of the other, if one wishes to put in execution his training; nonetheless, as in the civil practice each man has his own office, his solitary dwelling, and his good partitions, likewise the arts and the sciences have their distinct boundaries and their own precepts, which it is illicit for them to trespass. This difference between the art and the use, because some who teach do not observe it, makes them fall into many very grave errors. Thence it occurs that when teaching, likewise with the pen as with the sword in hand, they are long-winded and so confused and self-contradictory most of the time. And because they do not first lay the stable foundation of the infallible and well-ordered precepts of the art, with the greatest ease and in the briefest time would they lead their scholars to that degree of perfection which one can desire in this science. In consideration of this, in order to facilitate the art of fencing, I have managed to break down all the difficulty, and to extract it from the dark shadows of confusion, condensing it in the fewest demonstrations, separated from its use, and now to you I offer and put forward to your eyes a very few figures, the greater part of which explain our art, leaving to others the care of devoting their studies to the uncertainty and infinity of particular cases, which without fixing oneself in the same state, daily we see occur in the use of arms, and if this instability and variety of things they have indeed to teach, it seems much better to me, in the school of “hand in hand”, that they remember that they do not teach with knowledge. But it is time at last that we come to the explanation of some admonitions and advisements, as well as some terms of fencing, which pertain to the use, and to our figures as well.</p>
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{{section|Page:Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli) 1601.pdf/42|2|lbl=-}} {{pagetb|Page:Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli) 1601.pdf|43|lbl=26|p=1}}
  
 
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| '''9) OF GAINING THE SWORD.'''
 
| '''9) OF GAINING THE SWORD.'''
It is of no small profit nor of little beauty to know how to gain the sword against the adversary in all the guards, and it is as well of no small importance, should the adversary have gained it against you, to know how to recover it; so that on this occasion, in case he gained it, there are three things that you will be able to do: first, you must never disengage to throw a full blow <“colpo finito”—usu. a cut with long arc>; nor disengage to parry and then strike; another, retreating back, with somewhat of a slip of the body, and lowering your sword, and your adversary wanting to follow you, in the same tempo in which he comes forward to approach and gain the sword anew, you will be able to strike him during the movement of the right foot, either above or below his sword as it happens to be more convenient; and furthermore, care must be taken that we understand stringering the sword as much as gaining it.
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It is of no small profit nor of little beauty to know how to gain the sword against the adversary in all the guards, and it is as well of no small importance, should the adversary have gained it against you, to know how to recover it; so that on this occasion, in case he gained it, there are three things that you will be able to do: first, you must never disengage to throw a full blow;<ref>“colpo finito”—usu. a cut with long arc.</ref> nor disengage to parry and then strike; another, retreating back, with somewhat of a slip of the body, and lowering your sword, and your adversary wanting to follow you, in the same tempo in which he comes forward to approach and gain the sword anew, you will be able to strike him during the movement of the right foot, either above or below his sword as it happens to be more convenient; and furthermore, care must be taken that we understand stringering the sword as much as gaining it.
 
| '''DEL GUADAGNAR DELLA SPADA'''
 
| '''DEL GUADAGNAR DELLA SPADA'''
 
9 Non è di piccol profitto nè di poca bellezza il saper guadagnar la spada all’avversario in tutte le guardie & anco non è di poca importanza, caso che l’aversario avesse guadagnata la tua, saperla ricuperare, sì che in quest’occasione, caso che guadagnata ti fosse, tre cose far potrai: prima non devi mai cavare per colpo finito, o vero cavare per parata e poi ferire; l’altra ritirandoti in dietro col cedere alquanto la vita & abbassando la spada & volendo l’avversario seguirti, tu nell’istesso tempo che verrà innanzi per accostarsi e guadagnar di novo lo potrai ferire nel muover del piè destro, di sotto o di sopra alla sua spada, sì come ti tornerà più commodo; & di più si deve avvertire che noi tanto intendiamo stringer la spada quanto che guadagnarla.
 
9 Non è di piccol profitto nè di poca bellezza il saper guadagnar la spada all’avversario in tutte le guardie & anco non è di poca importanza, caso che l’aversario avesse guadagnata la tua, saperla ricuperare, sì che in quest’occasione, caso che guadagnata ti fosse, tre cose far potrai: prima non devi mai cavare per colpo finito, o vero cavare per parata e poi ferire; l’altra ritirandoti in dietro col cedere alquanto la vita & abbassando la spada & volendo l’avversario seguirti, tu nell’istesso tempo che verrà innanzi per accostarsi e guadagnar di novo lo potrai ferire nel muover del piè destro, di sotto o di sopra alla sua spada, sì come ti tornerà più commodo; & di più si deve avvertire che noi tanto intendiamo stringer la spada quanto che guadagnarla.
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| [[File:Capo Ferro 39.png|400x400px|center]]
 
| [[File:Capo Ferro 39.png|400x400px|center]]
| '''Figure that parries <a blow to> the head with the point of the sword high and with the dagger crossed in the inside of his sword at the forte, so that the same will be able to strike in two manners, first with a thrust to the face, or alternately with a riverso to the leg.'''
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| '''Figure that parries [a blow to] the head with the point of the sword high and with the dagger crossed in the inside of his sword at the forte, so that the same will be able to strike in two manners, first with a thrust to the face, or alternately with a riverso to the leg.'''
 
I would certainly have wronged myself, if this noble parry, or defense, I had not revealed to you, which defends, and saves such a noble part of the body; accordingly in this occasion I put forth to you the present figures, of whom one lies in first, and the other in fifth; and from fifth, only by raising his arm and turning his hand into fourth, advancing a step, he will have come to gain the sword on the inside against the adversary, and his enemy disengaging by turning under his enemy’s sword, he will have thrown a dritto fendente at the same, but the same only with turning his hand into second with the point high, putting the dagger to the rear on the forte of his sword, will be able to strike the adversary safely in two places, with a thrust in the face, and a cut in the leg, as the two lines descending from the point of the sword demonstrate well, the one falling to the head, and the other to the thigh.
 
I would certainly have wronged myself, if this noble parry, or defense, I had not revealed to you, which defends, and saves such a noble part of the body; accordingly in this occasion I put forth to you the present figures, of whom one lies in first, and the other in fifth; and from fifth, only by raising his arm and turning his hand into fourth, advancing a step, he will have come to gain the sword on the inside against the adversary, and his enemy disengaging by turning under his enemy’s sword, he will have thrown a dritto fendente at the same, but the same only with turning his hand into second with the point high, putting the dagger to the rear on the forte of his sword, will be able to strike the adversary safely in two places, with a thrust in the face, and a cut in the leg, as the two lines descending from the point of the sword demonstrate well, the one falling to the head, and the other to the thigh.
 
| '''FIGVRA CHE PARA PER TESTA CON LA PVNTA DELLA SPADA ALTA ET CON IL PVGNALE INCROCIATO Per di dentro la sua spada nel forte, sì che l’istessa potrà ferire in due maniere, prima di una punta nella faccia, o vero di un riverso per gamba.'''
 
| '''FIGVRA CHE PARA PER TESTA CON LA PVNTA DELLA SPADA ALTA ET CON IL PVGNALE INCROCIATO Per di dentro la sua spada nel forte, sì che l’istessa potrà ferire in due maniere, prima di una punta nella faccia, o vero di un riverso per gamba.'''

Revision as of 04:37, 20 July 2020

Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli
Born 16th century
Died 17th century
Occupation Fencing master
Patron Federico Ubaldo della Roevere
Influences Camillo Aggrippa
Influenced Sebastian Heußler
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s) Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (1610)
Concordance by Michael Chidester

Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli (Ridolfo Capoferro, Rodulphus Capoferrus) was a 17th century Italian fencing master. He seems to have been born in the town of Cagli in Urbino and was a resident of Siena, Tuscany. Little is known about the life of this master, though the dedication to Federico Ubaldo della Roevere, the young son of Duke Francesco Maria Feltrio della Roevere, may indicate that he was associated with the court at Urbino in some capacity. The statement at the beginning of Capo Ferro's treatise describing him as a "master of the great German nation"[1] likely signifies that he was faculty at the University of Siena, either holding a position analogous to dean of all German students, or perhaps merely the fencing master who taught the German students.

Capo Ferro authored a fencing manual on the rapier entitled Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma ("Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing"); it was published in Siena in 1610 and refers to Federico by the ducal title. Though this treatise is highly praised by modern fencing historians, it is neither comprehensive nor particularly innovative and does not seem to have been terribly influential in its own time.

Treatise

Additional Resources

  • Capo Ferro, Ridolfo. Italian Rapier Combat: Ridolfo Capo Ferro's 'Gran Simulacro'. Ed. Jared Kirby. London: Greenhill Books, 2004. ISBN 978-1853675805
  • Capo Ferro, Ridolfo. Rapier: The Art and Use of Fencing by Ridolfo Capo Ferro. Trans. Nick S. Thomas. SwordWorks, 2007. ISBN 978-1906512279
  • Leoni, Tom. Ridolfo Capoferro's The Art and Practice of Fencing: A Practical Translation for the Modern Swordsman. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9825911-9-2
  • Garcia-Salmones, Eugenio. Ridolfo Capoferro, "Gran simulacro del arte y del uso de la esgrima", Traduccion al castellano. Editorial Sacauntos, 2009. ISBN 978-84-937207-0-4

References

  1. Capo Ferro da Cagli, Ridolfo. Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma. Siena, 1610. p 1.
  2. I.e. arm length.
  3. I.e. the trunk.
  4. a unit of measure variously from a palm’s width up to 10 inches
  5. “colpo finito”—usu. a cut with long arc.