André des Bordes

André des Bordes
Born	1582 Nancy, Lorraine
Died	28 January 1625 Nancy, Lorraine (?)
Spouse(s)	Marie Olivier
Occupation	Fencing master
Patron	Henri II, Duke of Lorraine
Genres	Fencing manual
Language	Middle French
Notable work(s)	Discours de la théorie de la pratique et de l’excellence des armes (1610)
Manuscript(s)	MS E.1939.65.435

André des Bordes (Abraham Racinot; 1582-1625) was a 17th century French fencing master. Nothing is known of this master's youth other than the fact that he studied swordsmanship in Italy for many years and achieved some degree of mastery. After returning to his native France, he soon befriended the future duke Henri, and was appointed fencing master to Duke Charles III of Lorraine in 1606. When Henri became duke in 1609, Bordes was named a gentleman, and in August of 1609 he was raised to nobility (with the usual fees waived). Earlier that year in June, he had married Marie Olivier, a woman from a distinguished family in Pont-à-Mousson.

In 1610, Bordes completed a treatise on fencing entitled Discours de la théorie de la pratique et de l’excellence des armes ("Discourse on Theory, Practice, and Excellence at Arms"); it was published in Nancy and dedicated to the Duke. Bordes' treatise seems to largely be an abbreviated French translation of Camillo Palladini's Italian treatise Discorso di Camillo Palladini Bolognese sopra l'arte della scherma come l'arte della scherma è necessaria à chi si diletta d'arme (De Walden Library 14/10).

After this, Bordes' wealth and prestige increased; in 1612 he was appointed captain, warden and tax collector of Boulay, and in 1615, captain and provost of Sierck. In 1617, he joined the duchy's Council of State and gained the title Squire. At some point, Bordes also seems to have served as a foreign ambassador for Lorraine. Events turned against Bordes after the death of Henri II in 1624. His political enemies contrived to have him imprisoned on charges of witchcraft in November of that year, and on 28 January 1625 Bordes confessed to the crime and was executed by strangulation and burned.

Treatise

Rapier

Illustrations	No Translation	Transcription by Olivier Dupuis
	Text to copy	Text to copy

Copyright and License Summary

For further information, including transcription and translation notes, see the discussion page.

Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Images		Bibliothèque Renaissance à Nancy
Translation	Rob Runacres	The Renaissance Sword Club
Transcription	Olivier Dupuis	Index:Discours de la théorie de la pratique et de l’excellence des armes (André des Bordes)