he
Lunge is greater by about three Inches, which a Man who is a Judge of
Measure need never have recourse to, because he will not push but when
he knows he is within Reach.

Some of the Subscribing Gentlemen will, perhaps, be surprized, when they
find this Book published in my Name, after having taken Receipts, for
the first Moiety of their Subscription Money, in the Name of Mr.
_Campbell_, to whom I am obliged for his Assistance in the Translation,
he being a better Master of the _French_ Tongue than I am. Indeed to the
chief Reasons why they were not signed in my Name, are, First, because I
was, at the Time of their being signed, a Stranger in this city, being
then lately come from _England_. And secondly, lest I should meet with
such Opposition as might perhaps have frustrated my Design of publishing
this book, I thought proper to conceal my being concerned in it, 'till
Mr. _Campbell_ had shown the Translation to all the principal Masters in
Town, and gained their Approbation much in Favour of it.

THE

ART of FENCING;

OR THE

USE of the SMALL-SWORD.

CHAP. I.

_Of chusing and mounting a_ Blade.

Courage and Skill being often of little Use without a good Weapon, I
think it necessary, before I lay down Rules for using it, to shew how to
chuse a good Blade, and how it ought to be mounted.

The Length of the Blade ought to be proportionable to the Stature of the
Person who is to use it: The longest Sword, from Point to Pommel,
should reach perpendicularly from the Ground to the Navel, and the
shortest, to the Waste; being large in Proportion to its Length, and not
extremely large, nor very small, as some People wear them; the over
large Blades being unweildy, unless very hollow, which makes them weak,
and the narrow ones being not sufficient to cover the Body enough.

In Order to chuse a good Blade, three Things are to be observed: First,
that the Blade have no Flaw in it, especially across, it being more
dangerous so than Length-way. Secondly, That it be well tempered, which
you'll know by bending it against a Wall or other Place; if it bend only
towards the Point, 'tis faulty, but if it bend in a semicircular Manner,
and the Blade spring back to its Straitness, 'tis a good Sign; If it
remains bent it is a Fault, tho' not so great as if it did not bend at
all; for a Blade that bends being of a soft Temper, seldom breaks; but a
stiff One being hard tempered is easily broke. The third Observatio