Chap. I.
If thy left handed adversary doth strike at thy head without.

1. Stringere thy left handed adversary at the outisde of his weapon, as soone as he striketh at the outside of thy Rapier at thy head, then parere his blow with a Quarte towards thy right side downewards, when thou hast parered, at an instant strike with a Quarte towards thy left side at the outside of his left arme, or at his left cheeke.

2. Or just at the approaching of his blow steppe in, and let the Prime of thy Rapier slide along thine adversaries without, towards his point, and in one motion of thine arme strike with the Quarte under his weapon at the outside of his left arme.

3. Or when his blow is comming without towards thy head, then thrust with a Secunde at the inside of his weapon at his left shoulder, which thrust if he doth parere towards his right side with a Quarte, then strike downewards with a Secunde or back blow at his left legge within.

4. Or steppe towards thy left side with thy left legge at the comming of his blow, and drawing thy right arme to thee, cut him at the inside of his left arme with a Quarte.

5. Or steppe with thy left legge backwards not stirring thy right legge, just at the comming of his blow, and strike him at the inside of his left arme with a Secunde.



Chap. II.
If thy left handed adversary doth strike at thy head within.

1. Stringere thy left handed adversary within, as soone as hee doth strike at thee within, then parere his blow with a Secunde downewards towards thy left side, and in a moment strike with a Secunde or a back blow at the inside of his left arme.

2. Or when thou seest his blow commingat thee within, then thrust him with a Quarte at the outside of his weapon, over his left arme, if he parereth that thrust then strike downewards with a Quarte at his left legge without.

3. If he doth strike within at thy head againe, then stepping back with thy left legge; strike him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arme.

4. Or stepping with thy right legge towards thy right side out, at the approaching of his blow, strike him with a Secunde or Quarte at the outside of his left arme.


Chap. III.
If thine adversary doth strike at the outside of thy right arme.

1. Strike at thy left handed adversary within, if he doth strike at the outside of thine arme, then drawing thine arme to thee let thy hilt sinke downe at the outside of his weapon, and strike with a Quart at the outside of his arme towards thy left side out.

2. If thine adversary doth strike from under up with a Quart at the outside of thy weapon at thy elbow, then let thy point sinke downeinto a Secunde, and Passere him at his left thigh, or when thou by letting sinke thy point downewards into a Secunde at the inside of his weaponhast passered his under blow, then immediately raising thy point, strike him with a Secunde or back blow at the inside of his left arme.


Chap. IV.
If thine adversary would strike at the inside of thy right arme.

1. Make a blow at thine adversary without with a Quarte, if hee then doth strike with a Secunde at the inside of thy right arme, seeing that, turne thy blow in the aire, and goe with a stretched arme towards thy right side out, then hee doth misse thine arme, as soone as his blow is passed under thy right arme, at an instant strike with a Quarte towards thy left side at the outside over his weapon, at his left arme.

2. If he striketh from under up with a Secunde at the inside of thy right arme, then letting thy point sinke downe into a Quarte, when his blow approacheth, at the outside of his weapon, and thrust him with a Quarte at his left thigh.

3. Or let thy point sinke downe into a Quarte at the comming of his blow towards the inside of thy right arme from under up, and parere his under blow, upon a suddaine raise thy point and strike him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arme, or at his left cheeke.


Chap. V.
If thine adversary doth strike at thy right legge without.

1. If thy left handed adversary doth strike at the outside of thy right leg with a Quarte then at the approaching of his blow, let thy point sinke downe into a secunde at the inside of his weapon and parere his blow, as soone as thou hast parered, strike with a secunde or a backblow (first raising thy point) at the inside of his left arme, or at the right cheeke.

2. Or when thou seest his blow comming towards the outside of thy right legge, then drawing thy right legge to thee, let his blow passe towards thy left side, and strike him with a secunde or back blow at the inside of his left arme, or else at his face.


Chap. VI.
How to Parere those blows that thy left handed adversary makes at thy right legge within.

1. If thine adversary doth make a blow with a Secunde at the inside of thy right legge, then let the point of thy weapon sinke downe into a Quarte and parere it, presently raise thy point againe and strike him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arme.

2. Or when thou hast parered his blow with a Quarte then changing thy Quarte instantly into a Secunde, close to the outside of his weapon, strike him with a Secunde or a back blow at the inside of his left leg.

3. Or seeing his blow approach towards the inside of thy right leg, draw thy right leg to thee and let his blow passe thy leg, and strike contra-tempo or at one time with him with a Quarte at the outside of his left arme, or else at his left cheeke.

An advertisement to the Reader concerning the left handed.
There is no very great difficultie for a right handed man to play against a left handed at Rapier or at back Sword, when thou canst play against a right handed, and dost but observe those rules which I have set downe at large in the first booke of this treatise, onely note these following axiomes.

1. Those rules thou makest use of against a right handed man within, thou must use against a left handed man without. As for example, Thou alwayes must thrust at the right handed man with a Quarte at the inside of his Rapier, this Quarte thou must use against the left handed without over his left arme.

2. Those lessons thou must make use of against thy right handed adversary without over his right arme, them thou must use against thy left handed adversary at the inside of his Rapier. Example, As when thou dost thrust the right handed man at the outside over his right arme with a Secunde or Tertz, even so thou must thrust the left handed man at the inside of his Rapier with a Secunde only, not with a Tertz, because the Tertz cannot keepe off a blow in this case but you willboth be wounded.

3. When thy left handed adversary maketh a thrust or blow at thee without, thou mayst safely parere, like those thy right handed adversary maketh at thee without.

4. And those thrusts or blowes thy left handed adversary maketh at thee within thou parere like those thy right handed adversary maketh at thee within.

And thus I have finished the whole treatise concerning the true and genuine way of Fencing, which in these our deplorable dayes is most highly necessary. It were to be wished for that a Saturnine and golden age might againe returne, when armes should cease and the use of them be slackned and we might not have reason to bewaile and lament our cloudy times with the saying of that learned an praise worthy Heathen:

That this page might not bee empty, I thought it not amisse to set downe these following verses of that divine Boetius.

Libri IV. Metrum 15.