Capoferro: Plates 1-4

Plates 1-4 show "the way to lay your hand on the sword", and the six guard positions. The guard positions are denoted by letters A-F, referring to prima, seconda, terza, quarta, quinta, and sesta.

Plate 2 shows quarta and prima.

Plate 3 shows seconda and sesta.

Plate 4 shows terza and quinta.

Plate 1 "Way of Laying the Hand on the Sword"

Because customs are not the same in all lands, and often times enmities are expressed with little sincerity, in order to be provided against all occasions, it will not, perhaps, be out of place to teach the way of laying the hand on the sword, before we come to deal with its handling. Therefore, if by chance you have your right leg forward when laying your hand on the sword, as one of these figures shows, you will draw back the said leg, extending your right arm at the same time into high prima; and if perchance you find yourself with the left leg forward, as the other figure shows, it will not happen if you do not draw your sword in the aforesaid manner, without changing your pace; and if you should wish to avail yourself of the sword and cape, or sword and dagger, as well as the single sword, the true way is, that first you will take a step forward with your right foot in order to present yourself in quarta, or alternately, the adversary being near you, you will draw your left foot back, presenting yourself as above, and then at your ease you will be able to wind your cape or extend your hand to your dagger with more safety, being that the point of your sword will make it such that your adversary remains distant while you accommodate yourself to your weapons; and this is as much as it occurs to me to say about this particular topic.

Plate One

Plate 2 "Of the Guards"

Even as one cannot make some composition of beautiful and judicious writings without employing the letters of the alphabet, so does it occur in this, our art of fencing, that without the following guards, and some voids and retreats of the body which come to be the foundation of this practice, one could not in any way demonstrate this, our use; therefore the following six figures are designated alphabetically. “A” demonstrates prima to you, and seconda is presented to you as “B”, and terza as “C”. Quarta is named as “D”, quinta as “E”, and sesta as “F”.