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| ''I have seene and noted in diverse partes of mine owne countrie and in other places of the world, great quarrells springing from small causes, and many men slayne uppon lightr occasions. Amongest other things, I remember that in ''Liesena'' a citie of ''Sclavonia'', it was once my chance to see a sodaine quarrell and slaughter upn very small cause betweene two Italian captaines of great familiaritie and acquaintance. There was in the companie a foolish boy belonging unto one of the Captaines, who going carefully forward, & approching neere unto the other captaine, began to touch the hilts of his sword, whereupon the captaine lent the boy a little blow to teach him better manners: The other Captaine (the boies master) taking this reprehension of his boy in worse parte than there was cause, after some wordes multiplyed began to drawe his sword, the other Captaine in like sort betaking himselfe to his rapier did with a thrust run him quite through the bodie, who falling downe dead upon the place received the just reward of his frivolous quarrell. And to confesse the plaine truth in this point, it is not well done either of men of boyes to touch the weapons of another man that weareth them. Neverthelesse a man ought in all his actions to seeke and endevour to live in peace and good agreement (as much as may be) with everie one: and especially he that is a Gentleman and converseth with men of honorable quality, must above all others have a grteat regard to frame his speech and answeres with such respective reverence, that there never growe against him anie quarrell upon a foolish worde or a froward answere, as it often hath and daily doth come to passe, whereupon follow deadly hatreds, cruell murthers, and extreame ruines. Wherefore I saie and let downe as a most undoubted truth, that it is good for everie man to be taught and instructed in the Rapier and Dagger, not the rather thereby to grow insolent, or to commit murther, but to be able and ready in a case of just necessitie to defend himselfe, either as the sodaine, or upon defiance and in field assigned: for at that time it is too late to looke backe and to intend this studie, as many doo, who having appointed the time and place for fight, doe practice some point or other of this arte, the which being so lightly learned and in such hast, doth afterwards in time of need prove but little helpfull or available unto them. But this knolwedge doeth more particularly appertayne unto Gentlemen and souldiers that professe and followe warres, for they more than other men, will (for the credite of their calling, and the honor of Armes) dispute and determine with the point of the sword all points that passe in controversie, especially amongest themselves, who had rather die than not to have reason and satisfaction for everie worde of prejudice and disgrace offered unto them. Now in this case I am to exhort and advise men of all sortes and condition, as well the skilfull as the unskilfull, not to bee in anie wise to suspitious, nor to catch (as they saie) at everie flie that passeth by, for in so dooing, they purchase to themselves endlesse trouble, and enter into actions full of danger and dishonour, but rather to shunne as much as they can all occasions of quarrell, and not to fight excepte (as hath bene sayde) upon a just cause and in a point of honor. And to the end that everie man may know what to doo, and bee able to practise as much as hee knoweth (at the request of certaine Gentlemen my good friends, & to make the world witnes of my gratefull minde towards them for the many curtesies which I have received at their handes since my first coming into this Countrie) out of those preceptes which I have learned from the most rare and renowmed professors that have bin of this Art in my time, and out of that experience which I have observed in diverse fraies and fights, I have composed and framed this little worke, containing the noble Arte of the Rapier and Dagger, the which I have set down in manner of a Dialogue, &c.''
 
| ''I have seene and noted in diverse partes of mine owne countrie and in other places of the world, great quarrells springing from small causes, and many men slayne uppon lightr occasions. Amongest other things, I remember that in ''Liesena'' a citie of ''Sclavonia'', it was once my chance to see a sodaine quarrell and slaughter upn very small cause betweene two Italian captaines of great familiaritie and acquaintance. There was in the companie a foolish boy belonging unto one of the Captaines, who going carefully forward, & approching neere unto the other captaine, began to touch the hilts of his sword, whereupon the captaine lent the boy a little blow to teach him better manners: The other Captaine (the boies master) taking this reprehension of his boy in worse parte than there was cause, after some wordes multiplyed began to drawe his sword, the other Captaine in like sort betaking himselfe to his rapier did with a thrust run him quite through the bodie, who falling downe dead upon the place received the just reward of his frivolous quarrell. And to confesse the plaine truth in this point, it is not well done either of men of boyes to touch the weapons of another man that weareth them. Neverthelesse a man ought in all his actions to seeke and endevour to live in peace and good agreement (as much as may be) with everie one: and especially he that is a Gentleman and converseth with men of honorable quality, must above all others have a grteat regard to frame his speech and answeres with such respective reverence, that there never growe against him anie quarrell upon a foolish worde or a froward answere, as it often hath and daily doth come to passe, whereupon follow deadly hatreds, cruell murthers, and extreame ruines. Wherefore I saie and let downe as a most undoubted truth, that it is good for everie man to be taught and instructed in the Rapier and Dagger, not the rather thereby to grow insolent, or to commit murther, but to be able and ready in a case of just necessitie to defend himselfe, either as the sodaine, or upon defiance and in field assigned: for at that time it is too late to looke backe and to intend this studie, as many doo, who having appointed the time and place for fight, doe practice some point or other of this arte, the which being so lightly learned and in such hast, doth afterwards in time of need prove but little helpfull or available unto them. But this knolwedge doeth more particularly appertayne unto Gentlemen and souldiers that professe and followe warres, for they more than other men, will (for the credite of their calling, and the honor of Armes) dispute and determine with the point of the sword all points that passe in controversie, especially amongest themselves, who had rather die than not to have reason and satisfaction for everie worde of prejudice and disgrace offered unto them. Now in this case I am to exhort and advise men of all sortes and condition, as well the skilfull as the unskilfull, not to bee in anie wise to suspitious, nor to catch (as they saie) at everie flie that passeth by, for in so dooing, they purchase to themselves endlesse trouble, and enter into actions full of danger and dishonour, but rather to shunne as much as they can all occasions of quarrell, and not to fight excepte (as hath bene sayde) upon a just cause and in a point of honor. And to the end that everie man may know what to doo, and bee able to practise as much as hee knoweth (at the request of certaine Gentlemen my good friends, & to make the world witnes of my gratefull minde towards them for the many curtesies which I have received at their handes since my first coming into this Countrie) out of those preceptes which I have learned from the most rare and renowmed professors that have bin of this Art in my time, and out of that experience which I have observed in diverse fraies and fights, I have composed and framed this little worke, containing the noble Arte of the Rapier and Dagger, the which I have set down in manner of a Dialogue, &c.''
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== Additional Resources ==
 
== Additional Resources ==
  
* [[Giacomo di Grassi|di Grassi, Giacomo]]; [[Vincentio Saviolo|Saviolo, Vincentio]]; [[George Silver|Silver, George]]. ''Three Elizabethan Fencing Manuals''. Ed. James Louis Jackson. Scholars Facsimilies & Reprint, 1972. ISBN 978-0820111070
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{{bibliography}}
* [[Vincentio Saviolo|Saviolo, Vincentio]]. ''A Gentleman's Guide to Duelling: Of Honour and Honourable Quarrels.'' Ed. Jared Kirby. 2014. Frontline Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1848325272
 
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Latest revision as of 22:41, 1 November 2023

Vincentio Saviolo
Born date of birth unknown
Padua, Italy
Died ca. 1599
London, England
Occupation Fencing master
Nationality Italian
Patron Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Genres Fencing manual
Language English
Notable work(s) His Practice, in Two Books (1595)
First printed
english edition
Jackson, 1972

Vincentio Saviolo was a 16th century Italian fencing master. He seems to have been born in Padua, Italy some time in the mid 16th century, and he traveled widely in his youth, ultimately learning both the Italian method of rapier fencing and possibly the Spanish system of la Verdadera Destreza. He arrived in London in 1590 and quickly gained a great deal of prestige; he seems to have also taken on the former school of Italian master Rocco Bonetti. There are a number of anecdotes about Saviolo's activities in London, but as these are largely derived from the writings of his hostile critic George Silver, it's unclear how trustworthy they are.

In 1595, Saviolo published a fencing manual entitled His Practise, in Two Bookes. It presents his system of rapier fencing, apparently a synthesis of Italian and Spanish concepts,[1] and is structured as a dialogue between Saviolo and a student. The treatise was probably written with the assistance of his friend John Florio, and it's possible that Saviolo wrote the treatise in Italian and Florio translated it.

The exact date of Saviolo's death is uncertain, but he seems to have been deceased by the time George Silver published in 1599.

Treatise

Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

References

  1. Hand, Stephen and Martinez, Ramon. "Spanish Influence in the Rapier Play of Vincentio Saviolo". Spada: Anthology of Swordsmanship. Ed. Stephen Hand. Union City, CA: Chivalry Bookshelf, 2002. p 132.