Pallas armata The gentlemans armorie; wherein the right and genuine use of the rapier and of the sword, as well against the right handed as against the left handed man is displayed: and now set forth and first published for the commmon [sic] good by the author.

LIB. II. PARS POSTERIOR The second part of the second Booke shewing how a right∣handed man is to play at single Sword with the left handed.

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

[ 1] STringere thy left handed adver∣versary at the outside 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, to∣wards 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 with∣out towards thy head, then thrust with a Secunde at the inside of his weapon at his left shoulder, which thrust if he doth pa∣rere 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] STingere thy left handed adver∣sary 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 comming at 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 a∣gaine, then stepping back with thy left legge; strike him with a Quarte at the out∣side of his left arme.

[ 4] Or stepping with thy right legge to∣wards thy right side out, at the approach∣ing 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] SStrike at thy left handed adver∣sary within, if he doth strike at the outside of thine arme, then drawing thine arme to thee let thy hilt sinke downe at the out∣side 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 uu∣der up with a Quarte at the outside of thy

weapon at thy elbow, then let thy point sinke downe into a Secunde, and Passere him at his left thigh, or when thou by letting sinke thy point downewards into a Se∣cunde at the inside of his weapon hast pa∣rered his under blowe, then immediatly raising thy point, strike him with a Se∣cunde 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 Se∣cunde 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 to∣wards 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 the inside of his weapon and parere his blow, as soone as thou hast parered, strike with a secunde or a back blow (first raising thy point) at the inside of his left arme, or 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 blowes that thy left han∣ded 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 sink 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 in∣stantly 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 han∣ded at Rapier or at back Sword, when thou caust 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 the left handed without. As for example, Thou alwayes must thrust at the right handed man with a Quarte at the in∣side 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 a∣gainst 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 Se∣cunde or a Tertz, even so thou must thrust the left handed man at the inside of his Ra∣pier with a Secunde only, not with a Tertz, because the Tertz cannot keepe off a blow in this case but you will both 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 han∣ded adversary maketh at thee within thou parere like those thy right handed adversary maketh at thee within.

And thus I have finished the whole trea∣tise 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 Saturn••ne and golden age might againe returne, when armes should cease and the use of them be slack∣ned, and we might not have reason to be∣waile and lament our cloudy times with the saying of that learned and praise wor∣thy Heathen:

Damnosa quid non imminuit dies? Aetas parentum pejor avis tulit Nos nequiores, mox daturos Progeniem Vitiosiorem.

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.

Quid tautos juvat motus exitare? Et propria fatum sollicitare manum Si mortem petitis propinquat ipsa Sponte sua, volucres nec remoratur equos Quos Serpens, Leo, Tigris, Vrsus, Aper Dente petunt ijdemse tamen e••se petunt, An distant quia, dissidentque mores, Iujustas acies & fera bella m••v••nt, Alteriusque volunt perire telis? Non est justa satis saevitie ratio▪ Vis aptam meritis vicem referre? Dilige jure bonos, & miseresae malis.