Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-01
SWORD FIGHTING.
HISTORIC CHANGES IN THE WEAp-
oNS OF OUsLING.

ment Before the Code Was Adopted.
Tho Societe Encouragement do I'E
crime, Of which NJ. Hebrard dc VilIenep,
is president, receDtly gave at the Ciror
d'Ete, in Paris, an interesting fencin
spectacle There were exhibited the var
ous ways In which two men, who for nm
reason were inimical, have cut each other,
Threats at different epochs of history nm
with what weapons
In our time, says ILLUSTRATION III
word fence is applied technically TO OK
ercise with the sword or with tho foil
which was only recently invented. In tb,
Cirque d Etc spectacle the word was OK
tended to all weapons, offensive and do
fensivc used in battle-shicld. sword 70.
pier, two hanied sword cutlass saber and
bayonet.
1t is interesting to follow the yarious
transformatbns wherein, little by little
skill replaced brutal force, at first treacb.
erously, ant later more Loyalty. as man.
ners became more civilized, attaining at
last the MODERN art of fencing, which.
pure art or serious battle on the field, OK.
acts absoltte equality in weapons and in
material contitions of battle.
The Gaulwas armed with the so called
Gahic sworf the blade OF which was In
the form of leaf, widened in the middle
thin at tie guard and oval at the point
He was d6nded with the shield. which
was long I'D with the helmet, ornament.
ed with lake wings and name. Tho
soldier wp coat of leather and cloth
trousers he Roman legionary wore n
supple cuhss made of bands of stoel
which wasartioulated SO as 10 give free.
dom to all The motions of the body. He
wore shf, round helmet He carried a
long shetland sword, which was wider,
longer antlatter. than is generally beliey.
ed. BotSaul and Roman had offensive
and. defelive arms. The same arm was
not used attack and defend as is used
today wit the sword or the foil. This Is
to be obsTed because the interest of tho
spectacl9as In the gradual development
of the aacking weapon as q defensive
weapon. N the remotest epoch when one
of two Tersaries had lost his shield, he
was ut u mercy of his enemy.
The spnd phase of the spectacle leaped
to the tie of Francis I. Then the defen.
sive arf had been so developed that tho
knightfame mass of iron, an ironclad.
A battHas only question of solidity in
armor, phe longer one could strike tho
armor fithout breaking 1t the moro
chancdhad the one who wore it to win
the bab, Then appeared the 'bombards''
and dhon, which iron could not resist.
HcavTmor became useless, and soldiers
defend themselves with their offensive
weapd the sword and the dagger This
was tIorigin of the real art of fencing.
The lsquenets wore no cuirass and did
not efy q shield. They had enormous
two Hded swords, solid enough to break
of tho ancient armor. A
battN between two men using this sword
mus hye been terrible Nobody knows
who& first appeared. Tho only certain
fact but 1t is that the art of fencing with
It vi as complete as tho weapon itself.
whi<was learncdly devised Tho handle
wasBt simple cross. 1t protected tho
han land could be used effectively atcloso
Iua RS,
II he spectacle was reproduction OF
lib nous duel between Jarnac and Cha
al raie Jarnac, smaller and weaker
In bis adversary, cut his leg. Coup do
arDc" has since become Synonymous OF
ri Rery, but at that time 1t scandalizcd
81 ", and current manners permitted
~ Rc's behavior. The only question In
idtl was to kill and not BIO killed. All
ldtIs were good and perfectly legal.
he ambuscade in which Busy d'Am-
~ fell, in the time of Henry III, in
lf4ced the definite abandonment OF the
d. The Mignons carried the attack
|word with the right hand and held q
\ ter with the left hand. Tho dagger
dthe advantage over the shield OF scrv
as an offensive weapon In case OF need.
issy defended himself vnliantly against
adversaries. He defeated two OF Thorn.
10 third made his sword fall from his
nd, and as his dagger was too short
ainst his adversary's long sword Busy
cd his cloak md killed his enemy as %
rcador docs bull This was the finest
och OF duoling. Manuals on fencing bp-
p TO appear, but ,.diels were then often
tfnpounded fclopyY Then appeared tho
y rcd figure Of Cardinal Richclieu.
In 1897 occurfed the famous duel boz
zen Montmorency- Boilcttevillc and
'unt Bouvron. The former had fought
duels. Richelieu issued an edict pro
biting dueling under pain of the scat
d. Montmorency took refuge in Brus-
s and there asked permission 10 return
France to fight one more duel. Tho
was refused Then no sworo
1T he would return to France in spite OF
erybody anG fight in Paris, in daylight,
a central square. He did it, but Rich
Gu had him and one of his seconds Or
ted, and both were executed in Place do
eve. The meeting had been a loyal ON,
Duels diminished in number, but, did
vanish, and the science OF felcing was
proved Fencers began to defend them
yes with the sword and to lunge. The
lian art of fencing lost its importancoin
'5,,swhen Thibaust published his com
It folio volume on "L'Academie dc
pee" According to its rules, the fencer
iged with both legs, whereas tho fcncer
the preseat time lunges with tho right
only.
lille. dc Maupin fought In accordance
ii Thibauss's rule Her greatest plea.
was te &fcss like man. Imprisoned
, convent, she set aro to her cell and
nton the stage One night she met ono
her comrades IN deserted street aud
le his purse The next day no related
t no had been attacked by 4 numerous
i'd, "You are boosting. she Apid ~eThe
nervous band was myself alcno- Here
,our Dursa Her ndtsDt,Ir1< were In