ce in Suppleness, also makes a Difference in the Extention;
a Man who has the Freedom of his Shoulders and Hips, going farther than
one that has them constrain'd. It may also happen that two Men of like
Proportion and Freedom of Parts, may not have an equal Extention, by
their being taught differently; some Masters teaching to keep the Body
upright, the Wrist raised, or too much on one Side, and the Left-foot
first; whereas the Body shou'd lean a little forward, without raising
or carrying the Hand to one Side, farther than to keep the Body
covered, and the Left-foot shou'd lye down on the Edge; this Situation
gives a greater Length than the other.

The different Lengths of Swords sometimes make it difficult to know the
Measure, and makes it impossible to fix it by Rule, as several Masters
have pretended: Some of them say that the Measure is just, when the
Points cross each other a Foot; others, with as little Reason, wou'd
have the Middle of your Blade touch the Point of the Adversary's; but
what gives a true Knowledge of the Measure is frequent Exercise,
accompanied with a good Judgment, pushing often _Quart_ and _Tierce_
with different Foils, and being pushed at by different Persons.

The Extention is taken from the Left-foot, which is the Centre, to the
Button of the Foil.

I did design, in this Place, to treat of Time, and of a regular Way of
pushing in Lessons, from the Beginning to the End of one Year, according
to the Disposition of Scholars; but after I had finished it, I thought
that my Fellow-Brethren would perhaps take it ill that I should
prescribe Lessons to their Scholars, by which, instead of gaining their
good Opinion, I might incur the Accusation of being more busy than
knowing.

CHAP. XXIX.

_Of the Necessity of some Qualities in a Master_.

In order to teach well, it's necessary to have a perfect Idea of the
Means which conduce from the Beginning to the End of the Matter
proposed, I mean to it's Perfection, or to what comes nearest it, if our
Age has not as yet arrived to it.

In Fencing, as well as in other Exercises, there should be Judgment and
Knowledge how to act and how to Teach: The first is the Effect of a long
and good Theory; the second, of a good Theory, long Practice, and a good
Disposition; and the third, besides the Theory and Practice, is the
Effect of a good Genius, or of a particular Talent.

Qualities which shou'd be always united; so that the Genius may be
capable