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Page:DiGraſsi his true Arte of Defence (Giacomo di Grassi) 1594.pdf/60

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pose, which beside their ordinarie hilts, haue also two long sterts of Iron, foure fingers length, and are distant from the dagger the thicknes of a bow-string, into which distance, when it chaunceth the enimies sworde to be driuen, they suddenly straine and holde fast the sworde, the which may come to passe, but I holde it for a thing rather to be immagined then practised, the case so standing, that in the heate of fight, where disdaine bickereth with feare, little doth a man discerne whether the sworde be in that straight or no. And when he is to premeditate and marke, endeuouring and striuing in his liuely iudgement, he must aduise himselfe to perfourme it with the exquisite knowledge and perfect discerning of the enimies motions, his neerenesse and farrensse, and to resolue himselfe to strike by the shortest way that may be: for therehence springeth the victorie.

Let euery man therefore holde his dagger with the edge or flatt towardes the enimie, as it shall most aduantage him, or as he hath beene most accustomed. True it is, that by holding the edge towards the enimie there is this aduantage gotten, that with the dagger he may strike with the edge, which he may not do the other waie. But let euery man hold it as he wil, yet he ought to carrie his arme stretched out before him, with the poynt in manner aforesaide, to the end he may be able to finde the enimies sworde a great deale before it hitteth his person.

Besides this, he ought to obserue for an infallible rule, that when the poynt or edge commeth on the left side, he must beat it from that side with the dagger. And in like sort defending himselfe with the

sworde,