Steel Marginalia
[66]

Last Fourth against Second

De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d'Arme
Salvator Fabris · Book I · Thrust in Fourth to the chest.

Plate

Both fencers inside in Third; enemy's withdrawn guard relies on left hand near face; striker disengages around the fingers and wounds in Fourth as enemy turns to Second
Both fencers inside in Third; enemy's withdrawn guard relies on left hand near face; striker disengages around the fingers and wounds in Fourth as enemy turns to Second De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d'Arme · Copenhagen, 1606 · Plate 66

Translation

Here is yet the last wound in Fourth against Second, where the enemy likewise wished to parry with the left hand, but with the contrary result. Both are in Third on the inside. The one who wanted to parry with the hand had withdrawn the guard so much that the forte could not defend him, trusting only in the defense of that hand, which was too high for the face. The striker makes a feint as though he wished to wound in the angle of the right flank; and the other, turning the body to remove that part, brings the hand to the defense and turns into Second in order to wound the enemy in the chest. But the striker, seeing this effect, disengages the sword by the side of the fingers of the enemy hand (cauato la spada per la parte delle dita della mano auersa) and wounds him in the chest with Fourth in the same time that he was carrying himself forward; and, turning the body out of presence, the striker also saves himself with the hilt, so that the enemy blade passes vainly, although the angle of that Second bent toward the part where he was turning his body.

Fabris' final lesson in this cluster is that a withdrawn guard which leaves the forte unable to defend and trusts only to the hand is structurally weak. The hand may seem ready to close the line, but once the body must also turn and the blade must also threaten, the sword can be disengaged around the fingers and the whole defense collapses.

Analysis

Initial guards Both in Third on the inside.
Wound Thrust in Fourth to the chest.
  1. The enemy has withdrawn the guard so far that the forte cannot defend him.
  2. He relies only on the left hand, held too high near the face.
  3. You feint toward the angle of the right flank.
  4. He turns the body to withdraw that target.
  5. He carries the hand to the defence and changes into seconda to strike the chest.
  6. Seeing that, you disengage around the line of the fingers of his left hand (per la parte delle dita della mano aversa).
  7. You hit him in the chest in quarta in the tempo of his advance.
  8. Turning the body fuori di presenza, you also save yourself with the hilt.
  9. His point passes vainly, even though his seconda angled toward the line of your turn.

Translation note

Johnson says the adversary "meant to parry with the left hand but has failed." The fuller point is: his guard was so withdrawn that only the left hand could defend, and that defect made the action fail.
The Steel Marginalia · HEMA Study Group Notes in the margins. Truth in the bind.