Sobre el arte de la esgrima ("On the Art of Fencing") is a brief, anonymous passage on folio 184r of a Spanish manuscript (MS Ⅱ/1579(2)) that dates to ca. 1580.[1] The original rests in the holdings of the Biblioteca del Palacio Real de Madrid in Madrid, Spain. This is one of very few sources for instructions on the use of the montante, an Iberian greatsword.
Provenance
Contents
| 184r
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Complete Translation 
by Tim Rivera
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Transcription [edit]
by Manuel Jesús Valle Ortiz and Mary Dill Curtis
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Firstly, a nails-up gripped tajo [rasgado] and withdrawing the right foot that is in front, and taking it and continuing with a nails-down reves, withdrawing the foot, and taking the left foot forward with a […] that doesn't uncover the body, and then the right foot with a reves in the same small manner, and like this give four similar, and turn back to […] with the right foot, playing the sword in this same manner that […] ahead. And after testing [tentando] the opposing sword on the inside […] it will remain, give him a thrust to the eyes and if he will put it in below mine, lifting it up.
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[184r] primeram[ent]e un tajo uñas arriba rasgado y recoger el [pie]
d[ere]cho q[ue] esta delante / y sacarle y proseguir c[on] un rebes uñ[as]
abaxo recogiendo el pie / y sacar adelante el pie izquierdo con un [...]
q[ue] no descubra el cuerpo / y despues el pie d[ere]cho con un rebes de la
[mis]
ma man[er]a chico / y asi hechar quatro semejantes / y bolver p[ar]a tr[...]
p[ara] m[...]o con el pie d[ere]cho[,] jugando la espada de esta misma
manera q[ue] fu[...]
delante / y despues tentando la espada contr[ari]a por la p[ar]te de dentro
[...]
estubiere queda[,] echarle una estocada a los ojos[2] / y si la metiere
baxo de la mia[,] alçandola p[ar]a riba.
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But if he will remove it quickly and give me a thrust to the chest on the outside, I will raise the point of my sword a little to […] and will part his sword to the outside and give him a reves and taking the foot back I will be established with the sword point to the eye […] would be the opposite, if he would come to me on the outside […] to me, I will place mine nails-down, if he will enter to me on the inside I will place my sword nails-up, always aiming a thrust to the best place on him, always defending my body with the guards of the quillons direct nails-down direct nails-up according to what I say above.
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pero si la sacare de presto y me tirare una estocada por la pa[rte]
de fuera a los pechos[,] alçare yo la punta de mi espada un poco a [...]
y apartare su espada para fuera y tirarle he un rebes y sacan[do]
el pie atras me afirmare con la espada punta al ojo co[...]
me estubiere la contr[ari]a[,] si viniere a mi por la p[ar]te de fuera /
resp[o...]
de mi / pondre yo la mia uñas abaxo[,] si me entrare po[r] dent[ro]
pondre mi espada uñas arriba y esto apuntandole siempre es[to-]
cada donde hubiere mejor lugar en el[,] defendiendo siem[pre]
mi cuerpo co[n] los gabilanes de la guarnicion d[e]r[ech]a uñas a[baxo]
d[e]r[ech]a uñas arri[ba] conforme a lo q[ue] digo arriba.
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Gallery
Additional Resources
The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.
References
- ↑ Valle Ortiz, Curtis, p39.
- ↑ SÁNCHEZ DE CARRANZA, J. Libro de la Filosofia de las Armas. SanLucar : en casa del autor, 1582. f.147r.
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