[Illustration:  8th.  Plate.  Flannconade.]

[Illustration:  The Opposition of the Hand to the lowering the body_.]

CHAP.  IX.

Of Flanconnade.

This Thrust is to be made only in engaging or risposting when the Adversary carries his Wrist too far inward, or drops the Feeble of his Sword, then you must press a little within, and with your Feeble on his, in order to lower it, and by that means get an Opening in his Flank.

The Body, in this Thrust, is not so strait as in Quart within, tho’ the Arms are. See the 8th Plate.

It is necessary to oppose with the Left hand, in order to avoid a low Thrust on your engaging, pushing or risposting.  This is the last Thrust of the Five which are to be made in our Art.  The first us Quart within the Sword, the second Tierce without the Sword, the third Seconde under the Sword, the fourth Quart under the Sword, and the fifth, Flanconnade; and there is not any Attack, Thrust, Feint, Time or Rispost in this extensive Art, but what depends on one of these.

The Recovery from Flanconnade, should be the same as from Quart within the Sword.

Flanconnade is generally avoided by taking the Time in Seconde with the Body low; the Hand must oppose to shun the Thrust, and hit the Adversary at the same time.  Instead of pushing at the Flank, you should push within the Body. See the 8th Plate.

Besides the taking Time in Seconde, there is another very good Parade, very little practised in Schools; either because few Masters know it, or because it is more difficult to execute it justly.  This Parade is made by lowering the Adversary’s Sword, bringing it under your’s to the Inside, and parrying a little lower on the Feeble of his Sword, you make your Rispost where he intended his Thrust, that is to say in the Flank.

CHAP.  X.

Of Parades.

There are two Sorts of Parades, the one by binding the Blade, the other by a dry beat.  The binding Parade is to be used when you are to rispost in Quart within, in Tierce without, in Seconde under, in Flanconnade, and in all Feints:  And the Beat, giving a favourable Opportunity of risposting, is to be used when you rispost to a Thrust in Seconde; or when after having parryed a Thrust in Quart within, you see an Opening under the Wrist.  To these two Thrusts, you must rispost almost as soon as the adversary pushes, quitting his Blade for that Purpose, which is to be done only by a smart Motion, joining again immediately, in order to be in Defence if the Adversary should thrust.

There are three Things more to be observed in parrying.  First, that you are to parry all Thrusts with the inmost Edge, except in yeilding Parades, which are made with the Flat.  Secondly, that your Fort be to the Middle, and your Middle to the Feeble of the Adversary’s Sword.