Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-05
StS6ra-Play at New York.


Sword-play as taught by the Etedern mas
ters of fence bears some resemblance to the
most elegant form of rowing known, that of
Venice: The action Is in both cases continu
GUS, not vi61sntj but capable of being pushed
to all that the most powerful raan can bear.
The position of the body during its practice
is somewhat alike in fencing and gondola
rowing 8s regards uprightness of carriage
and complets survey of the field. In rowing
after the fashion of Venice there is no cramp-
ing of the muscles of the front Of t1s body;
in fencing there is hammering and sldg-
ging at short arm as in boxing. Each in its
own sphere Is distinctively superior grade
of exercise-sinee in exercises there are
grades of all kinds. Good teachers have not
been lacking in New York ct any time, but
at present there is marked increase IN the
favor shown to practice with the foil as
means of health and fascinating game. Mr..
Monastery, Dane, now well on in years, was
great favorite Until his fame was somewhat
eclipsed by NJ. Senae, Gaseon with a beau
tiful figure and a magnificent pose, who had
a distinct advantage over his elder, MIR.
Monastery, by reason of his own quickness
and the latter's failing eyesight. Senac is
still the chief professional expert in New
York, teaching the methods most In vogue
in Paris, as he was Taught them in his youth,
without attempting to paint the iily or gid
refined gold by making innovations OF his
own. Hippolyte Nicolas has been withdrawn
from public instruction by the Fencers' club,
an Organization now In its third year, which
is said to antedate ell other societies of its
kind in Paris or elsewhere. His method is
on the whole distinctively original, though it
might be discovered that each one of his
ideas have had at some time an earlier pro
moter. He directs the eyes at the opponents
wrist; holds the blade not exactly straight
toward the enemy but slantlng, carries the
point high, instead of following the old rule
of ''paiHt opposite opponents eye;' does not
advocate siffsinS low in the knees; is rather
intolerant of the foitisbes and elaborations
which are the stock in trade Of most teach
ers; seeks in every particular to ratfonallze
and simplify the art. His critics think that
d 'fhigh guard in tierce, which is often prac-
ticed by him and some of his pupils, leaves
the lower body somewhat unprotected, but
that is touching oil technical matters as in
tricate; and as burning, and as productive OF
endless discussion, as, among painters, are
the different ways OF laying on paint. Be
nae is criticised for putting too much care on
externa1s and relying too much on brilliant
work." tours dc force, tricks of the floor
which please the gallery, movements intend
ed to disconcert the enemy. Monastery, also,
is not without his friendly critics, who say
that his work is lacking in inesse as much as
Senacs has it in too great quantity. Nicolas
receives no quarter. owing to an alleged
''lack of form," although 1t is generally con-
ceded that he has very interesting and we'll
reasoned theory of the game.
The sight of a fencing floor such as that
of the Fencers club on West Twenty-fourth
street or of Senac on Sixth avenue is lively
enough about five of all afternoon in winter,
when clerks, merchants, lawyers, professors,
judges, editors and society men drop in for a
set-to, which will give their much retarded
circulations flip, induce gentle perspira-
ton, and prepare them hearty appetite and
solid sleep for the night. All the way down
the long gallery couples are in earnest parley;
the foils leap, the feet fly and occasionally >
shout breaks out. The men who fence for
ambition aud those who work for exercise
alone readily distinguished. Actors and
spectators are intensely interested, practice
enabling them to follow the flashes of the
blades and tell whether or not a point has
told. Fencing has this in common with all
high-grade sports, that it soon develops great
difficulties after certain point of progress
has been reached. Under an able teacher a
few moments attention is enough to-make a
man hold his foil tidily against an old stager.
and now and then make q point when the
latter gets careless and attempts to play with
the tyro. But six months later the fencer
discovers that he knows nothing about fen
cling Ten years after he realizes that he has
always something to learn. This comes from
the slenderness of the foil, which permits
the opposing blade to slide in after the most
unexpected fashion, and gives an infinite va
riety to the chosen movements, also from
the fact that defense as well as attack de-
pends on that slender blade alone. The dis
tance between the dueling sword and the two
| handed cleayer used by knights in armor not
so many centuries ago is as great as between
the politics of William the Conqueror and
those of Abraham Lincoln. A relic of al
intermediate stage of sword-play fingers al
the German universities in the sohlager, 8
straight sword not so heavy a sabre, whose
| name (f'striker'0 well describes the resound
ing blows which are dealt by it ON the face
and back of the enormously heavy masks
FUSED in its pursuit Fencing accords better
with the needs of an American city. the ply
sique of American townsmen and the eccen-
tricities of the American climate.