First hit in Fourth against Third

This is the first wound in Fourth (prima ferita di quarta), shown by the following figure, made with the feet remaining firm (fatta à pie fermo) against a guard of Third (terza guardia). It may have been caused because the one who is in Third wished to feint a wound on the inside (vorrà fingere di ferire di dentro), while the other also stood in Third, so that he carried himself forward in order to make him parry (si è spinto inanzi per farlo parare). But the other, taking that tempo (pigliando il tempo) and bringing the hilt to the enemy point (portando il finimento alla punta nimica), went to wound with his own point, advancing the right foot, bending the body, and turning the hand into Fourth (uoltare la mano in quarta), and thus met and wounded the enemy in the very instant that he was coming on. That is why the enemy could not parry, since he was still, as it were, in the air with the foot and coming forward.

Likewise, it may be that both were on the outside in Third, and that the one who remained wounded wanted to disengage to the inside (cauare di dentro), advancing sword and body in order to put the adversary under necessity to parry, with the intention of wounding him in that time by turning from Third into Second (uoltando di terza in seconda) and lowering the body, or else of returning outside from that same Third to wound above the sword. Either of those two intentions would indeed have taken effect if the adversary had done as was desired; but the man who stood still, with the sword free in hand (la spada libera in mano) and who remained at wide measure (misura larga) waiting for time either to wound or to gain some advantage (pigliare qualche uantaggio), immediately, seeing the enemy motion accompanied by the body as it carried forward, understood that the enemy, although he had not moved the foot, nonetheless could not break measure (non poteua ... rompere di misura), since one cannot approach and increase distance in the same instant.

From this one may understand how grave a danger it is to move without time (mouersi senza tempo), especially when the enemy sword remains free, and one approaches while the enemy is already settled in wide measure. If a man is constrained to move in order to free himself from danger, it would be better to withdraw than to approach (meglio ritirandosi, che approssimandosi), especially if the enemy stands still; for in that way, if the enemy wished in that time to wound, one might defend and offend in a single instant (diffendere, & offendere in uno medesimo instante). Even if the sword and body had moved, provided the foot remained firm, one could still save oneself while remaining in wide measure; but in close measure (misura stretta) every small motion carries great danger.

Fabris adds further that while the enemy sword remains free and still, to wish to feint against it is, in his judgment, nothing other than a fruitless rushing into danger (cercare di precipittare infruttuosamente). One who wishes to feint can never wound, even if the other goes to parry, provided only that he stands firm with the feet; and if, after the feint, he wishes then to wound, the other will be able to break measure, so that the feinter will not arrive and will remain disordered and in danger of being wounded before he recovers. Therefore, in order to feint, one must either wait for some motion from the adversary or first not leave the enemy sword free, but occupy it (non lasciare la nimica libera ... prima occuparla), so that it cannot wound in the place where it lies; only after that may one feint, without ever abandoning the advantage (non abbandonando però mai il vantaggio). And in making such a feint one must go forward, so that if the enemy does not parry, the feint itself may wound, and if he does parry, one may in the change arrive at the body before he can save himself by breaking measure. But if, while the feint is made, the enemy breaks measure, one must not continue forward, because one is then too far away; instead one must stop and return to regain the advantage (fermarsi, & tornare ad aquistare). Had the wounded man observed this rule, he would sooner have been the striker than the struck, or at least would have saved himself.