The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-01-26
THE ART OF FENCING.

Expert Egerton Castles Views on the Use
of the Sword.
Mr.. Egerton Castle is one of the most &C
complished masters of the art of fencing,
and his proficiency therein has gained for
him the honorary title of Maestro de
Scherma," informally bestowed by num-
Der of his Italian experts.
Mr. Castle has little doubt that the
French system of fencing can be traced at
its origin to the ancient Italian swords
manship, which of course is the source OF
the modern Italian school. Either one or
the other is now followed by all nations in
Europe-at least for small sword or pune
turing play. The French have undoubted-
~ more followers, but Mr.. Castle considers
it an undecided question from practical
point of view-that is, with sword, not foil,
in hand-which of the two systems is the
better. All the cut and thrust play derives
its leading principles from the more elab-
crate small sword fencing, so that con-
sideration of development of the latter Is
found sufficient.
The Spanish school fourished only in the
peninsula and is now all but forgotten even
there Germany and England adopted first
the Italian, and then the French system.
Mr.. Castle says:
1T can be safely asserted that the theory
of fencing has reached all but absolute per
lection in our day-when the art has be-
come practically useless Under the reign
of scientific police arms are no longer a
necessary part of private gentleman's
dress, the absurd habit of dueling has hap
PLY disappeared, while at war, unless 1t be
against savages, more reliance is placed on
~ rfn thara
fore paradoxical that the management of
the sword should be better understood now
than in the days when the most peaceable
man might be called upon at any time to
draw in defense of his life. 1t is probably
this notion which induces most authors to
introduce the refinements of modern sword
play into descriptions of duels between
'raffines' or cavaliers
1.-THE difficulty, first, of getting at the old
authors on sword play, and secondly, when
found, of realizing their meaning in the
midst of their philosophical digressions,
seems to have hitherto prevented the inves-
tigation of the subject. A critical exami-
nation of the old treatises shows, however,
that, in the heyday of the dueling mania
more reliance was evidently placed on agil-
ity and inspiration than on settled prin-
ciples. 1t shows, moreover, that most mod
ern ideas of workmanship should be dis
missed in order to realize what duel with
rapiers in the sixteenth and early seven
teenth centuries really was, and how I'M
likely, not to say futile, are the picturesque
descriptions of historical novelists.
painters must often wish to have some
easy means of ascertaining the most usual
method of welding rapier and dagger, col
ichemardes.' or small sword. Indeed if
those old books of fencing, many of which
are easily accessible at the British museum
and other great libraries, were more often
consulted, there would be fewer pictures,
even by celebrated artists, representing. for
instance cavalier attempting to close his
hand round the three inch grip of his ra-
pier instead of screening it under the guard
by locking two fingers round the quillons,
or of 'mignons' lunging in the most ap-
proved modern style and grasping their
daggers like stilettos, thumb on pummel,
in manner which would have deprived
that weapon of any value, defensive or Of
fensive.
ACTORS also, vino, in every other case,
are most particular about historical accu-
racy, generally dispose of all questions rela-
tive to fighting by referring them to the
first fencing master at hand, and accord
ingly one sees Laertes and Hamlet, with the
utmost sangfroid, going through a salute
which, beside being perfectly unmanage-
able with rapiers, was only established in
all its details some so years ago"
The sword now being truly Il thing of the
past, Mr.. Castle agrees in the view that re-
CARDS elaborate workmanship as only a
superior sort of pastilne, combining mental
excitement and bodily exercise-the excite
ment of game of skill not entirely indie
pendent of chance, together with the de-
light, mate in all healthy organizations, OF
strife and destruction-and an exercise ne
cessitating the utmost nervous and muscu-
lar tension, while it affords the refined
pleasure of rhythmical action.-Boston
Herald.