The use of the two hand Sworde [82]

The ferste pleyng & begynyng of the substansce of þe too honde swerde þe ferst gronde be gynyþ w an hauke beryng i- wt þe foote wt a double rownde wt .iij. fete howtewarde & as meny homward makyng ende of þe play wt a quarter cros smetyn wt an hauke snach settyng down by þe foote

The .ij. lesson ys .ij. haukys wt .ij. halfe haukys cleuyg þe elbowys wyth þe same .ij. doubylrowndys forsayde wt .iij. foote owtwards. & as meny hamward

The .iij. lesson ys a sprynge vpward .wt an hauke quarter . downe by þe cheke .wt .ij. doubylrowndys stondyg borne on þe hed .wt a dowbylrownde born in wt þe foote .wt .iij. owtwards

The Use of the Two-hand Sword

The first playing and beginning of the substance of the two-handed sword. The first ground begins with a hawk bearing in with the foot with a double-round with 3 feet outward and as many homeward, making end of the play with a quarter-cross smiting with a hawk snatch setting down by the foot.

The 2nd lesson is 2 hawk2 with 2 half hawks cleaving the elbows with the same 2 double-rounds aforesaid, with 3 feet outward, and as many homeward.

The 3rd lesson is a spring upward, with a hawk quarter down by the cheke with 2 doubler-rounds standing born on the head, with a double-round born in with the foot, with 3 outwards.

The .iiij. lesson . ys wt a dowbil hauke wyþ .ij. doubil rowndis beryg i- wt a step .3. vp on bothe feete

The .5. lesson ys wt an hauke menyd our þe hede . but bere ht vp wt a step . breke of þe erþe wt renyng rowndis our þe hede wt .ij. halfe havkis born wt .ij. koc stappis of þe foete.

The .6. lesson bere ovte þe erþe wt .iij. koc stapps & so come home ovte of danger a gayne.

The .7. lesson ys Smyte an hauke cros . [82r] cros our þe elbovys wt a bak stop & so smyte ht on þe fet.

[T]he .8. lesson ys wt. an hauke cros smyty- wt a bakstep born wt boþe fete & a qtrary hauke hamward born- wt .ij. stoppis. // These ben stroke & revle of þe .ij. hondswerd to make hys hand & ys foete a corde//

The 4th lesson, is with a double hawk with 2 double-rounds bearing in with a step up on both feet.

The 5th lesson is with a hawk over the head, but bear it up with a step. Break of the earth with raining rounds on the head with 2 half hawks born with 2 cock-steps of the feet.

The 6th lesson bear out the stance earth with 3 cock steps and so come home out of danger again.

The 7th lesson is smite a hawk cross, cross over the elbows with a back step and so smite it on the feet.

The 8th lesson is with, a hawk cross smiting with a back-step born with both feet and a contrary hawk homeward born with two steps.

These being stroke and rule of the two hand sword to make his hand and his feet accord.

[T]he pley of þe .ij. hondswerd // by twene .ij. bokelers ys . fyrst take a sygne of þe gonde þere ȝe pley by twene .ij. bokelers . make ferst a sygne to hee wt a large hauke down to þe grownde . wt .iij. rollyng strokis . wt an hauke to þe oder side//

The play of the 2 hand sword between 2 bucklers is, first take a sign of the ground there you play between 2 bucklers, make first a sign to him with a large cut down to the ground, with 3 rolling strokes, with a cut to the other side.

[T]he .ij. lesson ys a chase . or an hauke wyþ a quarter born- in wt a kocstop ^& an hauke born- in wt a chase foyn- . y made vp wt a lyȝte spry-g/

[T]he .3. lesson ys . a chase . wt .ij. havkys cleuyng þe elbovis/

[T]he .4. lesson- . ys a chase smety- wt .ij. half rowndis . wt .ij. kocstoppis . a quarter wt a stoppe an hauke wt a chase foyn . wt þe stroke a venture smety- on .iij. fete . & made vp wt a rake down- . & bore vp wt a dovbil hauke . & so serue þe stroke aue-tur vp on boþe fete//

[T]he .5. lesson . ys a chase wt an hauke & wt a bakstep stondy-g on þe foote . & playng on þt oþr syde a quarter & þe same chase . & an hauk wt a stop . & an hauke wt a chase foyn qtrary smyten . & so smyte in wt boþe [83] Feete i made vp wt .ij. halfe hauke . wt .ij. bakstoppis . & wt þe re-nyng.

The 2nd lesson is a hunting, or a hawk with a quarter born in with a cock-step and a cut born in with a hunting-thrust, made up with a light spring.

The 3rd lesson is, a hunting with 2 hawks cleaving the elbows.

The 4th lesson, is a hunting smiting with 2 half-rounds, with 2 cock-steps, a quarter with a step and cut with a hunting thrust with the jeopardy stroke smiting on 3 feet, and made up with a rake down, and bear up with a double cut, and so serve the jeopardy stroke up on both feet.

The 5th lesson, is a hunting with a hawk and with a back step standing on the foot, and playing on that other side a quarter and the same chase, and a cut with a step, and a cut with a hunting thrust contrary struck, and so smite in with both feet made up with 2 half cuts, with 2 back-steps, and with the renyng.

The .6. lesson ys .ij. hauke qarters rovnys wt a brokyn halfe hauke a leyng dovn to þe foete wt a qtrary honde & þs is þe fyrst leyng a dovne/

The .7. lesson & þe fyrst takyng vp ys .iij. rakys vpward & .iij. dovneward . & þan i- wt a grete stoppe . wt doubyl qarter wel smyty- . bery-g ovte wt þe foete a brokyn halfe hauke setty-g downe þe swerde by þe foete

The .8. lesson & þe sec-nde ley-g a dovne of þy swerde .ij. haukys wt a qarter ^& iii wt þe foete wt a brokyn hauke . a ley-g dovne to þe foete wt a co-trary honde.

The .9. lesson & þe sec-nde taky-g vp of þy swerde ys .iij. haukys on euerych syde stondyng on þe erthe stil wt a stop bore menyd on þe erþe . wt an hauke quartr born wt a step . & wt a doubyl qarter honde & foete born ouer þe hede . an hauke menyd settyng þy swerd by þy foete.

The 6th lesson is 2 hawk quarter rounds with a broken half hawk laying down to the feet with a contrary hand and this is the first laying down.

The 7th lesson and the first taking up is 3 rakes upwards and 3 downward, and then in with a great step, with a double quarter well-smitten, bearing out with the foot a broken half hawk setting down the sword by the foot.

The 8th lesson and the second laying down of thy sword, 2 cuts with a quarter and 3 with the foot with a broken hawk, laying down to the foot with a contrary hand.

The 9th lesson and the second taking up of thy sword is 3 hawks on each side standing on the earth still with a step bearing in mind the earth with a quarter hawk born with a step, and with a double quarter hand and foot born over the head, a hawk remember setting thy sword by thy foot.

[T]he .10. lesson & þe .iij. leyng dovne// of þy swerd ys a qarter & in wt þe foete// & an hauke broky-g at þe cheke & þe- a doubil hauke a bovte þe hed brokyn . & þen in wt a spry-ge of þe foete . we a stroke aue-ture . wt a qarter & wt a snache . leyng to þe erþe wt a co-trary hond//

The 10th lesson and the 3rd laying down of thy sword is a quarter and in with the foot and a hawk broken at the cheek and then a double hawk around the head broken, and then in with a spring of the feet, with a jeopardy stroke, with a quarter and with a snatch, laying to the guard earth with a contrary hand.

The .11. lesson & þe iij. taky-g vp// ys wt a sprynge wt þt on hond riȝte// vp on to þe visage wt an halfe rounde broky- in to a stop wt a reurence to þe cros of þy hilte wt a long cartar stroke smety- flat dovne by þe bak . wt a doubil broky- spryng bak þe foete a drawyng . & in wt a long rake dobil . in wyþ þe foete walkyng & on eche foete .ij. rakys . & at þe alurys ende smyte i- .iiij. rakys doubille born i- to a stop . & so þe other rakys in to þe alure ende . & dovbil þt on in to a step . a gayn turny-g in wt a long dovbil rake wt a step . & wt þt oþr hond spryng vp þy swerd to þy ryȝt shulder & smyte þy stroke aue-tur wt an hauke setty-g dovne þy swerd by þy foete//

The 11th lesson and the third taking up is with a spring with that on hand right up on to the face with a half-round broken in to a step with a reverence to the cross of thy hilt with a long quarter-stroke smiting flat down by the back, with a double broken spring back the feet a drawing [cut], and in with a long double rake, in with the feet walking and on each foot two rakes, and at the alurys [walk’s?] end smite in four double rakes born in to a step, and so the other rakes in to the alure end, and double that on in to a step, again turning in with a long double rake with a step, and with that other hand spring up thy sword to thy right shoulder and smite thy jeopardy stroke with a cut setting down thy sword by thy foot.

To incounter wth the Two hand Swor[d]

[A]nd as for þe first [?]coua-nce of þe .ij. ho-d swerd . þu shalt walk in wt .iij. foete to þy adursary wt a bold spyrte & a mery herte wt a sengyl qarter . & a sengil quartr wastid wastyd wt a cartr stroke . & þs smyte þy cou-ter bothe of & on & lete þy hond & þy foet a corde to geder in goede afense.

[T] he .ij. counter ys wt a doubil quartr wt þy foete goyng . & a dobyl quartr wastid in to a stop & in wt þy foete & smyte a large hauke vp in to þe skye . wt a doubil snache//


[T]he .3. lesson of þe covnter ys . a rake on eche foete goyng til þu come to þy adursary . wt a doubil quartr wt hole defense born wt an oþr dobil qarter wt hole defense breke in & a sygne a toche wt a large sprynge & smyte wt fers stroke menyd wt hole defence & so smyte þs cowntr boþe of & on . & bovre þy strokis of eche of þy cowntris//

To [En]counter with the Two-Hand Sword

And as for the first [?] of the two-hand sword, thou shalt walk within 3 feet of thy adversary, with a bold spirit and a merry heart with a single quarter, and a single quarter wasted with a quarter stroke, and thus smite thy counter both off and on and let thy hand and thy foot accord together in good offense.

The 2nd counter is with a double quarter with thy feet going, and a double quarter wasted in to a step and in with thy feet and smite a large hawk up in to the sky, with a double snatch.

The 3rd lesson of the counter is, a rake on each foot until thou come to thy adversary, with a double quarter with whole defense born with another double quarter with whole defense break in and a sygne [feint?] a toche with a large sprynge and smite with fierce stroke menyd with whole defense and so smite his counter both off and on, and [?] thy strokes of each of thy counters.

[T]he .4. cowntr ys .ij. halfe rovndys// Wyth a ter?nye foyne . beryng i- þe foyne wt a qarter . & an hauke at þe skye wt a snache wt þy hole defence born a fore the . & þs cowntr most be smete wt transposyng of þy- erþe of boþe fete for surenesse of defence//

[T]he .5. cowntr is an halfe rownde of þe sec-nde foete . & þan smyte .ij. dobil haukys & boþe sides hole . & broke- enter hy- wt þe ferst foete . wt a dobil qarter . & so smyte a cartr stroke but trne hym wt a stroke aue-ture wt hole defence . & þvs smyte þs cownter boþe of & on . & lete þy eye . þy foete . & thy honde a corde in þy defence . þe cause of stroke aue-ture is callyd . for a ma- trnyth hys bak to hys enmy//

The 4th counter is two half-rounds. With a turning thrust bearing in the thrust with a quarter, and a hawk at the sky with a snatch with thy whole defense born afore thee, and this counter must be smote with transposing of thy earth of both feet for sureness of defense.

The 5th counter is a half-round of the second foot, and then smite 2 double hawks and both sides whole, and broken enter high with the first foot, with a double quarter, and so smite a quarter stroke but turn him with a jeopardy stroke with whole defense, and thus smite this counter both off and on, and let thy eye, thy foot, and thy hand accord in thy defense. The reason it is called the jeopardy stroke is because a man turns his back to his enemy.

[T] he .6. cowntr ys beryng in wt .iij. foynys on bothe fete . & loke þu trne hond & foete & smyte a large qarter . & berev in a stop wt þy bak nakyd born . & smyte a large hauke wt fers hert & draw hym sore vp to þe skye//

[T]he .7. cowntr ys menyd wt .iij. menyd foyns & tra-spose ha- boþe goyng & comyng . & smyte þy foynys wt in þy sengyl quartr smyte a . & at þe last quartr . smyte a large sprynge wt a lusty stop a fore & þen a chace foyne//

The 6th encounter is bearing in with 3 thrusts on both feet, and look thou turn hand and foot and smite a large quarter, and bear in a step with your back naked born, and smite a large hawk with fierce heart and draw him sorely up to the sky.

The 7th counter is remembered with 3 remembered thrusts and transpose hands both going and coming, and smite thy thrusts with thy single quarter, and at the last quarter, smite a large spring with a lusty step afore and then a chaste thrust.