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Difference between revisions of "Salvator Fabris"

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<p>Fencing with the sword and cloak is a noble art, and in general use in every province where it is not prohibited. But like the dagger in many states and cities its use is forbidden by the ruling princes, so that it falls into disuse, and the labour and time spent in acquiring an understanding of the art are rendered vain. However, we have considered it fitting to treat of it in order to explain its nature, and how and when it should be employed.</p>
 
<p>Fencing with the sword and cloak is a noble art, and in general use in every province where it is not prohibited. But like the dagger in many states and cities its use is forbidden by the ruling princes, so that it falls into disuse, and the labour and time spent in acquiring an understanding of the art are rendered vain. However, we have considered it fitting to treat of it in order to explain its nature, and how and when it should be employed.</p>
  
<p>We say thus that the cloak is both a defensive and offensive weapon; by offensive we mean capable of inflicting damage on the adversary. By being cast in various ways it can impede his view and his hand, a disadvantage which the user of the cloak may himself suffer by throwing it over his head and impeding his own view; though we think that this should happen only to one entirely inexperienced in its use. To one who understands it well, it is a very advantageous weapon. Its use requires an understanding of the sword alone, since in many senses the sword defends with the aid of the cloak, especially cuts outs at the head. In parrying such cuts you should never interpose your arm, owing to the danger of the cloak being cut and the arm hit. Even if you wrap the cloak round your arm, besides leaving the lower parts exposed with grave danger, it would not support such a stroke without injury to the arm. Against such cuts it is beyond comparison better supposing that the cloak is held correctly, to bring the left foot forward and, extending the cloak arm, to parry near the adversary's hand; in this way the danger would be avoided. In case you were not near enough for such a move, you could let the cut pass without resistance, and then advance the sword and cloak together. Otherwise you should parry with the sword supported by the cloak or with both together, hitting in the same ''time''.</p>
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<p>We say thus that the cloak is both a defensive and offensive weapon; by offensive we mean capable of inflicting damage on the adversary. By being cast in various ways it can impede his view and his hand, a disadvantage which the user of the cloak may himself suffer by throwing it over his head and impeding his own view; though we think that this should happen only to one entirely inexperienced in its use. To one who understands it well, it is a very advantageous weapon. Its use requires an understanding of the sword alone, since in many senses the sword defends with the aid of the cloak, especially against cuts outs at the head. In parrying such cuts you should never interpose your arm, owing to the danger of the cloak being cut and the arm hit. Even if you wrap the cloak round your arm, besides leaving the lower parts exposed with grave danger, it would not support such a stroke without injury to the arm. Against such cuts it is beyond comparison better supposing that the cloak is held correctly, to bring the left foot forward and, extending the cloak arm, to parry near the adversary's hand; in this way the danger would be avoided. In case you were not near enough for such a move, you could let the cut pass without resistance, and then advance the sword and cloak together. Otherwise you should parry with the sword supported by the cloak or with both together, hitting in the same ''time''.</p>
  
 
<p>The lower parts can be very well defended by the cloak in spite of its weakness; for it yields to the shock and in addition has its length and width. These three conditions give it its power to resist and parry. With its flexibility and without its width it would not defend, however long, so that its strength consists in its width; but the part which yields must be aided by the movement of the feet and body to render the defence secure both against cuts and thrusts. The cloak also will defend all thrusts under the arm on either side by its edge hanging from the hand towards the ground. The arm must be held extended with the hand towards the adversary in order to parry far from the body and in order that his point may not reach your body on the yielding of the cloak before it is driven out of the line. Therefore you must not hold the width of the cloak facing the adversary, lest he should hit in the middle, for it is more difficult to parry with the cloak in this position than when it is held on edge; in the later[!] case it easily carried[!] the thrust outwards on either side. Besides holding the arm extended you must hold it so high that your hand is on a level with the head whilst you look towards the adversary along the line of that hand. The cloak must hang only so far, that on lowering the arm, whether from fatigue or any other reason, it does not reach the feet with the danger of causing you to fall. You should cover your arm with the cloak up to the elbow, and the point of your sword should be in conjunction with the cloak hand, for better protection and for the strengthening of the sword, and in order to defend the cloak hand better. When your arm is weary you should bring it towards the hilt of your sword and close the two hands so that the adversary cannot come between them; you should face in such a way that the edge of the cloak always looks towards the adversary.</p>
 
<p>The lower parts can be very well defended by the cloak in spite of its weakness; for it yields to the shock and in addition has its length and width. These three conditions give it its power to resist and parry. With its flexibility and without its width it would not defend, however long, so that its strength consists in its width; but the part which yields must be aided by the movement of the feet and body to render the defence secure both against cuts and thrusts. The cloak also will defend all thrusts under the arm on either side by its edge hanging from the hand towards the ground. The arm must be held extended with the hand towards the adversary in order to parry far from the body and in order that his point may not reach your body on the yielding of the cloak before it is driven out of the line. Therefore you must not hold the width of the cloak facing the adversary, lest he should hit in the middle, for it is more difficult to parry with the cloak in this position than when it is held on edge; in the later[!] case it easily carried[!] the thrust outwards on either side. Besides holding the arm extended you must hold it so high that your hand is on a level with the head whilst you look towards the adversary along the line of that hand. The cloak must hang only so far, that on lowering the arm, whether from fatigue or any other reason, it does not reach the feet with the danger of causing you to fall. You should cover your arm with the cloak up to the elbow, and the point of your sword should be in conjunction with the cloak hand, for better protection and for the strengthening of the sword, and in order to defend the cloak hand better. When your arm is weary you should bring it towards the hilt of your sword and close the two hands so that the adversary cannot come between them; you should face in such a way that the edge of the cloak always looks towards the adversary.</p>

Revision as of 01:51, 5 June 2022

Salvator Fabris
Born 1544
Padua, Italy
Died 11 Nov 1618 (aged 74)
Padua, Italy
Occupation
Nationality Italian
Alma mater University of Padua (?)
Patron
  • Christianus Ⅳ of Denmark
  • Johan Frederik of Schleswig-Holstein-
    Gottorp
Influenced
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s) Scienza d’Arme (1601-06)
Manuscript(s)
Translations

Salvator Fabris (Salvador Fabbri, Salvator Fabriz, Fabrice; 1544-1618) was a 16th – 17th century Italian knight and fencing master. He was born in or around Padua, Italy in 1544, and although little is known about his early years, he seems to have studied fencing from a young age and possibly attended the prestigious University of Padua.[citation needed] The French master Henry de Sainct Didier recounts a meeting with an Italian fencer named "Fabrice" during the course of preparing his treatise (completed in 1573) in which they debated fencing theory, potentially placing Fabris in France in the early 1570s.[1] In the 1580s, Fabris corresponded with Christian Barnekow, a Danish nobleman with ties to the royal court as well as an alumnus of the university.[2] It seems likely that Fabris traveled a great deal during the 1570s and 80s, spending time in France, Germany, Spain, and possibly other regions before returning to teach at his alma mater.[citation needed]

It is unclear if Fabris himself was of noble birth, but at some point he seems to have earned a knighthood. In fact, he is described in his treatise as Supremus Eques ("Supreme Knight") of the Order of the Seven Hearts. In Johann Joachim Hynitzsch's introduction to the 1676 edition, he identifies Fabris as a Colonel of the Order.[3] It seems therefore that he was not only a knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts, but rose to a high rank and perhaps even overall leadership.

Fabris' whereabouts in the 1590s are uncertain, but there are rumors. In 1594, he may have been hired by King Sigismund of Poland to assassinate his uncle Karl, a Swedish duke and competitor for the Swedish crown. According to the story, Fabris participated in a sword dance (or possibly a dramatic play) with a sharp sword and was to slay Karl during the performance when the audience was distracted. (The duke was warned and avoided the event, saving his life.)[4] In ca. 1599, Fabris may have been invited to England by noted playwright William Shakespeare to choreograph the fight scenes in his premier of Hamlet.[5][2] He also presumably spent considerable time in the 1590s developing the fencing manual that would guarantee his lasting fame.

What is certain is that by 1598, Fabris had left his position at the University of Padua and was attached to the court of Johan Frederik, the young duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. He continued in the duke's service until 1601, and as a parting gift prepared a lavishly-illustrated, three-volume manuscript of his treatise entitled Scientia e Prattica dell'Arme (GI.kgl.Saml.1868 4040).[2]

In 1601, Fabris was hired as chief rapier instructor to the court of Christianus Ⅳ, King of Denmark and Duke Johan Frederik's cousin. He ultimately served in the royal court for five years; toward the end of his tenure and at the king's insistence, he published his opus under the title Sienza e Pratica d’Arme ("Science and Practice of Arms") or De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d’Arme ("On Defense, or the Science of Arms"). Christianus funded this first edition and placed his court artist, Jan van Halbeeck, at Fabris' disposal to illustrate it; it was ultimately published in Copenhagen on 25 September 1606.[2]

Soon after the text was published, and perhaps feeling his 62 years, Fabris asked to be released from his six-year contract with the king so that he might return home. He traveled through northern Germany and was in Paris, France, in 1608. Ultimately, he received a position at the University of Padua and there passed his final years. He died of a fever on 11 November 1618 at the age of 74, and the town of Padua declared an official day of mourning in his honor. In 1676, the town of Padua erected a statue of the master in the Chiesa del Santo.

The importance of Fabris' work can hardly be overstated. Versions of his treatise were reprinted for over a hundred years, and translated into German at least four times as well as French and Latin. He is almost universally praised by later masters and fencing historians, and through the influence of his students and their students (most notably Hans Wilhelm Schöffer), he became the dominant figure in German fencing throughout the 17th century and into the 18th.

Treatise

Additional Resources

References

  1. Didier, Henry de Sainct. Les secrets du premier livre sur l'espée seule. Paris, 1573. pp 5-8.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fabris, Salvator and Leoni, Tom. Art of Dueling: Salvator Fabris' Rapier Fencing Treatise of 1606. Highland Village, TX: Chivalry Bookshelf, 2005. pp XVIII-XIX.
  3. Fabris, Salvator and Leoni, Tom. Art of Dueling: Salvator Fabris' Rapier Fencing Treatise of 1606. Highland Village, TX: Chivalry Bookshelf, 2005. p XXIX.
  4. Andersson, Henrik. Salvator Fabris as a Hired Assassin in Sweden. Association for Renaissance Martial Arts. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  5. Barbasetti, Luigi. Fencing Through the Ages.[Full citation needed]
  6. Originally "asseruatore", but corrected in the errata.
  7. This seems like a mistranslation of rompere di misura at first blush, but according to Kevin Murakoshi, this is an archaic piece of fencing jargon that was still current in the early 20th century. It means to "break measure" or withdraw. ~ Michael Chidester
  8. Originally "richeide", but corrected in the errata.
  9. Originally "dirarsi", but corrected in the errata.
  10. Originally "longuezza", but corrected in the errata.
  11. Originally "mettre", but corrected in the errata.
  12. Originally "volto", but corrected in the errata.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 There's no conclusion of this word on the next page, just a new sentence.
  14. Originally "occcsione", but corrected in the errata.
  15. Originally "albassare", but corrected in the errata.
  16. Originally "& migliore", but corrected in the errata.
  17. Originally "temerariemente", but corrected in the errata.
  18. Originally "bisogna", but corrected in the errata.
  19. The letter 'F' was omitted in the print and hand-corrected in all copies.
  20. Originally "guardia", but corrected in the errata.
  21. Originally "equali", but corrected in the errata.
  22. Originally "poco", but corrected in the errata.
  23. Originally "poco", but corrected in the errata.
  24. Originally "non buoni", but corrected in the errata.
  25. Originally "queui", but corrected in the errata.
  26. Originally "che spada", but corrected in the errata.
  27. Originally "accorgendosi", but corrected in the errata.
  28. Originally "con pugnale", but corrected in the errata.
  29. Originally "mouendolo", but corrected in the errata.
  30. Originally "diuersi", but corrected in the errata.
  31. Originally "dentro la spada", but corrected in the errata.
  32. Originally "andere", but corrected in the errata.
  33. Originally "richede", but corrected in the errata.
  34. Originally "in suoi", but corrected in the errata.
  35. This word can't be read on the photos I have. It's a 6-letter word that seems to end in "s?ed". The Italian word means to move or advance, and Tom Leoni translates it as "fling".
  36. Originally "della", but corrected in the errata.
  37. Originally "la dette", but corrected in the errata.
  38. Originally "è passare", but corrected in the errata.
  39. The errata adds "l’".
  40. Originally "farmarsi", but corrected in the errata. The errata says it should be on page 232, but this is the only instance of the word in the book.
  41. This large blank space was probably meant to be filled in later with a suitable translation for brezza, which means "breeze" though that's obviously not the intended meaning here. It might be a spelling of brecca, meaning "breach". Tom Leoni translates it "rampart". ~ Michael Chidester
  42. Originally "sforza", but corrected in the errata. The errata says it should be on page 241, but this is the only instance of the word on the correct line.
  43. Should be 183.
  44. Originally "ineguale", but corrected in the errata.