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<p>When a thrust is made in the upper lines, you should parry by raising the hand only, leaving the elbow steady in such a way that from the hand to the elbow a perpendicular line is formed. If you observe this rule you will force your adversary not to lift his sword but to attack on the outside, where you may protect yourself more easily and with less movement. If in the ''time'' of your parrying the adversary tries to hit in the centre, you will defend yourself more readily, since there will be less exposed than if you had moved the whole arm. In this way the elbow forms the centre, in the other the shoulder, hence in the latter case the movement of the hand is greater, the part uncovered larger and the defence of the face more dangerous if the adversary's sword is raised, and this because the path taken in driving his sword out of line is longer. If your adversary attacks on the outside of the sword towards the face, still you should not move your elbow but keep it steady, raising the hand only in such a manner as to defend that part to the top of the head. This will give you two advantages; firstly a better defence for you will not only parry with the cloak hand, but also make use of it and the arm down to the elbow, and so cover the whole of your right side; in the second place you do not obstruct your view, whereas if you raise the whole arm you obstruct your view and cannot see the adversary; if you observe the rule you will always see the adversary's sword hand.</p>
 
<p>When a thrust is made in the upper lines, you should parry by raising the hand only, leaving the elbow steady in such a way that from the hand to the elbow a perpendicular line is formed. If you observe this rule you will force your adversary not to lift his sword but to attack on the outside, where you may protect yourself more easily and with less movement. If in the ''time'' of your parrying the adversary tries to hit in the centre, you will defend yourself more readily, since there will be less exposed than if you had moved the whole arm. In this way the elbow forms the centre, in the other the shoulder, hence in the latter case the movement of the hand is greater, the part uncovered larger and the defence of the face more dangerous if the adversary's sword is raised, and this because the path taken in driving his sword out of line is longer. If your adversary attacks on the outside of the sword towards the face, still you should not move your elbow but keep it steady, raising the hand only in such a manner as to defend that part to the top of the head. This will give you two advantages; firstly a better defence for you will not only parry with the cloak hand, but also make use of it and the arm down to the elbow, and so cover the whole of your right side; in the second place you do not obstruct your view, whereas if you raise the whole arm you obstruct your view and cannot see the adversary; if you observe the rule you will always see the adversary's sword hand.</p>
  
<p>If the cut at the head is in ''mandiritto'' you should parry with the sword by turning the hand to ''quarte'' and thrusting the point towards the adversary's chest or face, holding the cloak hand close to the hilt. If you do not hit with the parry you should at once turn your hand to ''seconde'' or ''tierce'', carrying the cloak hand to your adversary's sword on the one side or the other, according as it is more on the inside or the outside, then bring the rear foot forward and hit in the part uncovered. With this parry you can also make a feint with the point and, after parrying, make a cut of ''riverso'' at the leg, leaving the cloak arm against the adversary's sword and bringing the rear foot forward; if you act swiftly you could also make a thrust at the chest. But if you do not wish or cannot make this defence, you should parry by holding the cloak hand under your sword, and after parrying at once disengage your sword in ''seconde'', and leaving the cloak below the adversary's sword hit the chest; or after parrying cut in ''mandiritto'' at the leg; or still defending yourself with the cloak above, cut in ''riverso''. If your adversary cuts in ''riverso'' you could parry with the guard of ''seconde'', thrusting towards his chest at the same moment, and leaving the cloak hand close to his sword for the defence of the lower parts; if you have not hit with the parry, you should leave the cloak against his sword and hit below in ''tierce'', or you mast immediately after parrying cut in ''mandiritto'' or ''riverso'', still letting the cloak defend above. If your adversary should cut in ''mandiritto'' at the leg, you could parry with the cloak and hit above with the hand in ''quarte'', so that if his cut at the leg has been an artful feint and he had then cut at the head, the sword would have defended. If he should cut in ''riverso'' you should parry still with the cloak, and with the sword in a guard of ''seconde'' for the defence of your head advance to hit in the same ''time''; if on your right foot you must carry it towards the left in order to cover yourself more by the cloak, and also lest the adversary should reach you by the yielding of the cloak; you should turn the point of your right foot outwards, in order that the cloak arm may approach nearer the line of the adversary's stroke. But if you pass with the left foot, you avoid this danger, because the cloak would cover more, so that you have only to make the hit directly. But if your adversary has made a feint of ''riverso'' at the leg and changed to a ''mandiritto'' at the head, you should then turn your hand to ''quarte'' holding the cloak close to the sword and hitting at the same time. You could also parry with the cloak alone, if you had advanced, because you would have brought it so near to his hilt that there would be no damage even to the cloak; you should hit in ''tierce'' below in the same ''time''. Or if you were in ''seconde'' when your adversary cut at the head, you could cut in ''mandiritto'' at the leg, making the same defence, or disengage from seconde and cut in ''riverso'' at the adversary's right leg.</p>
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<p>If the cut at the head is in ''mandiritto'' you should parry with the sword by turning the hand to ''quarte'' and thrusting the point towards the adversary's chest or face, holding the cloak hand close to the hilt. If you do not hit with the parry you should at once turn your hand to ''seconde'' or ''tierce'', carrying the cloak hand to your adversary's sword on the one side or the other, according as it is more on the inside or the outside, then bring the rear foot forward and hit in the part uncovered. With this parry you can also make a feint with the point and, after parrying, make a cut of ''riverso'' at the leg, leaving the cloak arm against the adversary's sword and bringing the rear foot forward; if you act swiftly you could also make a thrust at the chest. But if you do not wish or cannot make this defence, you should parry by holding the cloak hand under your sword, and after parrying at once disengage your sword in ''seconde'', and leaving the cloak below the adversary's sword hit in the chest; or after parrying cut in ''mandiritto'' at the leg; or still defending yourself with the cloak above, cut in ''riverso''. If your adversary cuts in ''riverso'' you could parry with the guard of ''seconde'', thrusting towards his chest at the same moment, and leaving the cloak hand close to his sword for the defence of the lower parts; if you have not hit with the parry, you should leave the cloak against his sword and hit below in ''tierce'', or you mast immediately after parrying cut in ''mandiritto'' or ''riverso'', still letting the cloak defend above. If your adversary should cut in ''mandiritto'' at the leg, you could parry with the cloak and hit above with the hand in ''quarte'', so that if his cut at the leg has been an artful feint and he had then cut at the head, the sword would have defended. If he should cut in ''riverso'' you should parry still with the cloak, and with the sword in a guard of ''seconde'' for the defence of your head advance to hit in the same ''time''; if on your right foot you must carry it towards the left in order to cover yourself more by the cloak, and also lest the adversary should reach you by the yielding of the cloak; you should turn the point of your right foot outwards, in order that the cloak arm may approach nearer the line of the adversary's stroke. But if you pass with the left foot, you avoid this danger, because the cloak would cover more, so that you have only to make the hit directly. But if your adversary has made a feint of ''riverso'' at the leg and changed to a ''mandiritto'' at the head, you should then turn your hand to ''quarte'' holding the cloak close to the sword and hitting at the same time. You could also parry with the cloak alone, if you had advanced, because you would have brought it so near to his hilt that there would be no damage even to the cloak; you should hit in ''tierce'' below in the same ''time''. Or if you were in ''seconde'' when your adversary cut at the head, you could cut in ''mandiritto'' at the leg, making the same defence, or disengage from seconde and cut in ''riverso'' at the adversary's right leg.</p>
  
 
<p>All thrusts whether at the head or body, can be parried with the cloak; but thrusts between the hands must be parried with a change to ''seconde'', otherwise you would be in danger of being hit; for besides the yielding of the edge of the cloak on reaching the adversary's sword, there is the danger that your right shoulder in its advanced position may be reached by his point before the point is driven out of the line. Your arm too is in danger of obstructing your defence and of being hit, as you do not wish to withdraw the arm while parrying. Therefore by changing from ''tierce'' to ''seconde'' you make the defence easier, since not only does your arm give place to the cloak, but the front of the body is changed in such a way as to escape the danger, and you hit at the same moment. When his point comes outside your cloak or sword, there is not the same difficulty as when it comes between the two. Disengagements should be made above, for the hanging cloak obstructs their being made below. But on the side of the sword they can be made below, when making a hit outside the sword. But when the adversary's sword and cloak are separated, it would be well to pass the point of his sword if it is not inclined upwards at an angle, for then you could reach the body without bringing your ''faible'' near his ''forte''. If your sword is on the outside of his, you can disengage over the point, and hit in the middle, and sometimes over the cloak hand. Again, if your sword is over his cloak, disengage in the middle, and if his weapons are united and you cannot hit there, hit over the sword, or make a feint of a hit there, and, when he moves to parry with the sword, hit in ''tierce'' below, parry with the cloak and recover to the position over the cloak hand with a change to ''seconde''; in this manner you will hit in the same time and defend yourself with the cloak against a possible stroke below.</p>
 
<p>All thrusts whether at the head or body, can be parried with the cloak; but thrusts between the hands must be parried with a change to ''seconde'', otherwise you would be in danger of being hit; for besides the yielding of the edge of the cloak on reaching the adversary's sword, there is the danger that your right shoulder in its advanced position may be reached by his point before the point is driven out of the line. Your arm too is in danger of obstructing your defence and of being hit, as you do not wish to withdraw the arm while parrying. Therefore by changing from ''tierce'' to ''seconde'' you make the defence easier, since not only does your arm give place to the cloak, but the front of the body is changed in such a way as to escape the danger, and you hit at the same moment. When his point comes outside your cloak or sword, there is not the same difficulty as when it comes between the two. Disengagements should be made above, for the hanging cloak obstructs their being made below. But on the side of the sword they can be made below, when making a hit outside the sword. But when the adversary's sword and cloak are separated, it would be well to pass the point of his sword if it is not inclined upwards at an angle, for then you could reach the body without bringing your ''faible'' near his ''forte''. If your sword is on the outside of his, you can disengage over the point, and hit in the middle, and sometimes over the cloak hand. Again, if your sword is over his cloak, disengage in the middle, and if his weapons are united and you cannot hit there, hit over the sword, or make a feint of a hit there, and, when he moves to parry with the sword, hit in ''tierce'' below, parry with the cloak and recover to the position over the cloak hand with a change to ''seconde''; in this manner you will hit in the same time and defend yourself with the cloak against a possible stroke below.</p>

Revision as of 02:02, 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.