the Adversary's Sword, by which Means, the Thrust will be well planted,
and you less liable to receive one, which Advantages you lose by pushing
otherwise.

In order to make the Thrust perfect, it must have its proper Strength
and Support when planted: The Strength, is the Vigour with which the
Thrust is made, and the Support is the Consequence of the Motion of the
Wrist, turning and bearing upwards, which makes the Foil to bend
accordingly, fixing itself 'till you retire.

The Foil may bend upwards in two Manners; the best Way for it to bend,
is from the Middle towards the Button; the other Way is, when almost all
the Blade makes a Semi-circle. The first has a better Effect, the Feeble
being stronger, the other makes a greater Show; but the Point being
feeble, there is not the same Advantage in the Thrust.

In all Thrusts, the Button should hit before the Right Foot comes to the
Ground, and the Left Hand and Arm be stretched out smartly, to help the
Body forward, and give more Swiftness to the Thrust: The Left Hand
should always be conformable to the Right, turning to _Quart_ or
_Tierce_, according to the Thrust. The Left Hand and Arm should be on a
Line with the Thigh, and their Height a little lower than the Shoulder.

The Body must lean a little forward before, to give the Thrust a greater
Length; the Hips must not be so much bent as other Times; which weakens
and shortens the Thrust, by the Distance which the lowering the Body
causes from the Height of the Line which must come from the Shoulder;
besides 'tis harder to recover, and you, by that Means, give the
Adversary an Opportunity of taking your Feeble with his Fort, your
Situation being very low. The Front of the Body should be hid by turning
the two Shoulders equally on a Line.

The Foot should go out strait; in order to preserve the Strength and
Swiftness of the Thrust, it must have its proper Line and Distance. The
Line must be taken from the Inside of the Left Heel to the Point of the
Adversary's Right Foot; If it turn inward or outward, the Button will
not go so far, the strait Line being the shortest; besides the Body would
be uncovered, for by carrying the Foot inwards, the Flank is exposed,
and by carrying it outwards the Front of the Body, and the Body is
thereby weakened; the Prop and the Body being obliged to form an Angle
instead of a strait Line, from the Heel of the Left Foot to the Point or
Button of the Foil.

In order to know the Distance