Table of Contents
Gerolamo (Heironyme) Cavalcabo
Original text for French readers (BnF):
- Traite ou Instruction pour Tirer des Armes. There are the three shorter works contained in the single, larger book: Le Guidon des Capitaines (a book on army camp management yet to be translated), Cavalcabo's text and Paternoster's text, and a guide to hunting.
There a free PDF translation on the LongEdge Press website.
Also available in an English translation by Rob Runacres (Lulu.com):
Stance
Note that in Palladini, very much the link between Agrippa and this later “tradition,” seconde has the sword hand at the height of the shoulder and the point slightly lowered while premiere is similar or perhaps a little higher with the point angled slightly upwards. This matches the diagrams in de Heredia.
Cavalcabo agrees that there are four basic guard positions following the Agrippan pattern in that they discuss the position of the arm, not the orientation of the hand.
The first guard [prime] is when you hold your arm above the shoulder. The second [seconde] will be when the hand is at the same height as the shoulder. The third [tierce] is when the arm is a little advanced in front of the knee. The fourth [quarte] will be when holding the sword and dagger on the left side.
Tierce is best for attacking. Quarte is best for defending. Other postures arise from actions and circumstances. Cavalcabo has little to say about the actual positioning of the body. 
Paternostrier outlines a posture which seems to fit here.
Counterguards
| Guard | Definition | Counterguard |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Hand held higher than the shoulder | Quarte |
| Seconde | Hand held at shoulder height | Quarte |
| Tierce | Hand held “a little advanced before the knee” | Quarte “outside the opponent's sword” |
| Quarte | Hand held on the left side | Seconde or tierce |
| Left foot forward | Any guard with the left foot forward | Seconde or tierce |
There is no stated counter-posture for a right-hander facing a left-hander although this may be inferred from the larger sword and dagger section of the text.
When using sword and dagger, the dagger is always held close to the guard of the sword. The two weapons work together as a pair. Only in exceptional and specific circumstances are they handled differently. So, if standing in tierce guard, both weapons are held on your outside line (providing an invitiation to your inside), and if standing in quarte both weapons are held on your inside line (providing an invitation to your outside).
Notes
- Quarte as counterguard to Tierce: This is the only counterguard which mentions movement. I think that this counterguard involves opposing the opponent's tierce with your quarte by shifting to your inside to push the opponent's blade offline on your inside line.
- Premiere and Seconde: Einsiedell's and Heredia's illustrations show the point angled high and above the sword hand for premier and angled downward for seconde. Agrippa has the point directed at the opponent. Palladini more than roughly matches de Heredia. This needs further exploration.
Strikes
Cavalcabo provides a list of four basic strikes with no detail. Compare with the five basic strikes listed in Paternoster Patenostrier and the discussions of the sword along later in Cavalcabo.
In these two guards [ie: tierce and quarte] can be made tierce, quarte, and a beat of the hand, and a pass below.
Cavalcabo's four basic strikes are:
- A (straight?) thrust in tierce
- A (straight?) thrust in quarte
- Beating the opponent's point away with your hand (or dagger, cape, etc?) while striking
- Stepping out and low to your inside line, evading the opponent's attack, while striking
Generic List of Counters
This list is an uncritically examined dive into the text. See the Tables of Actions below for a better analysis.
- Countertime thrusts with opposition in quarte or tierce as appropriate, especially against an opponent's cut. Very Agrippa.
- Pass below (especially against an opponent who comes on “with great resolution”).
- Parrying in seconde/tierce stepping left
- Withdraw backwards, beat the opponent's sword point with your hand (or offhand weapon) and counter-attack.
- A parry followed by a main droite or renvers cutting strike.
Measure and Tempo
The measure is defined as when one can reach the other with a sword thrust. Out of measure is when neither can reach.
Note that this is a simpler definition of measure than Patenostrier's tripartite definition.
Tempo is a more complex term. It needs to be compared and contrasted with the definitions in Paternoster's text. For Cavalcabo, tempo is the appropriate opportunity in which to act and attack your opponent. He lists three tempi and says only that they “are those which can be taken, being in measure, when one wants to offend the enemy.”
- tempo of the sword,
- tempo of the dagger,
- tempo of the foot.
The three tempo seems to correlate with Agrippa's idea of tempo as both the time taken to perform an action as well as the correct time to strike. For example, when the opponent is concentrating on moving their feet, they are not thinking of attacking you.
Even this description represents more words than Cavalcabo throws at the concept.
Oddities
Look at Cavalcabo's twin definitions of the caver. The original text uses ou bien to signify an “exclusive or” between the feinting high|low and wounding low|high in the first definition and the more typical disengagement action in the second definition.
Caver, vaut autant à dire, comme feindre vouler donner au haut, & porter au bas, ou feindre donner au bas, & porter au haut, ou bien donner par dessous les armes
Caver: is equivalent to saying to feint wanting going high and to go low or to pretend to give low and going high, or else giving under the weapons.
Tactical Advice
The sword alone section is very brief and only outlines the shape of Cavalcabo's ideas about using the sword alone. However, the sword and dagger section is filled with tactical advice and other information of use.
Universal play of the single sword with both the point and the edge
Wanting to attack, you will commence with an estocade in tierce to the enemy's shoulder so that he has the occasion to parry. If he parries, caver the sword under the arm of his own and give him an estocade of tierce passing to the [his?] right side.
There's a whole list of other responses to the parry which are captured in the tables of actions below. This quote is included here simply to show the shape of the tactical advice.
To understand how to attack for the best
When you want to attack the enemy, you must strike the nearest part, awaiting his riposte.
This is the clear and consistent theme for the shape of the fight.
As one must conduct oneself with a man against whom one has never fenced
To find out what your enemy wants to do, give him the advanced sword with the body bent forward and the dagger close to your sword. Draw near him to see if he wants to parry with his dagger or his sword.
Another long list of options follows. This action is a little different to other advice given. This is an invitation of the extended sword to test … what? I imagine it tests whether the opponent waits for or takes opportunities presented. It tests the opponent's cunning.
To know whether it is better to wait or to assault
Both are good, but I am of the opinion that waiting is better than the assault. And if the man tries to attack sometimes, he would still have far more advantage waiting, the reason being such that he who assaults inconveniences the body, and he who waits is not inconvenienced, [when] speaking of those who know how to make the guards for waiting. For my part, I would pretend to attack in order to induce the enemy to strike first, so that I should have the measure to thrust or offend his closest parts, with the intention of awaiting his riposte, preparing nevertheless the counter. Because otherwise, we would run great danger of wanting to attack the body of the enemy in the first instance. Yet I would never advise this, if the man had not great convenience to do so.
It's a long quote with plenty of value in it and the key point is highlighted.
To attack it is necessary to go with the thrust and the cut
Recollect this when you want to start your attack: you must carry a resolute point to the enemy's face, so that he is subjected [“obligated” may have been a better word choice here] to parry. If he does not parry, let the botte go to his face.
Again, there's a list of potential follow-up actions. The point here is the shape of the fight Cavalcabo envisions.
Table of Actions
Actions of the Sword Alone
Maxim: If you attack, attack with the point and deliver a cut. If you wait, parry then strike the nearest opening.
Brief Speech About the Sword Alone Regarding the Point
| My engagement or invitation | Opponent's reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement of invitation in quarte? | Opponent attacks with a tierce on the pass. | Counter-time thrust |
| Caver into seconde (half circle parry?), protect with offhand, pass with left foot, strike with thrust. | ||
| Quarte over the arm | ||
| Pass below | ||
| Withdraw, beat with hand, and thrust | ||
| Engagement or invitation in tierce? | Opponent attacks in quarte | Counter-time thrust in quarte with opposition |
| Disengage in time to thrust in tierce | ||
| Parry and riposte | ||
| Withdraw, beat with the hand, and thrust | ||
| I hold my sword high to provide the opponent the opportunity to pass below. | Opponent makes a pass below | Cut the opponent's sword away, passing left, strike in seconde |
| Withdraw, be prepared to beat with hand, strike as you can. | ||
| I present the sword for the opponent to beat. | Opponent beats with the hand | Withdraw, beat with the hand, and thrust in seconde |
| Caver and thrust in quarte, passing forward |
Universal Plays: Opponents cuts to enter measure
| My preparation or feint | Opponents Reaction | My counter | Opponents counter to my counter | My final action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (nothing) | Opponent cuts to enter measure | Thrust in counter time on the firm foot | ||
| Thrust in counter time in passing |
Universal Plays : I want to attack
| My preparation or feint | Opponents Reaction | My counter | Opponents counter to my counter | My final action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrust in tierce to the shoulder | Opponent parries | Disenegage under and thrust in tierce, passing with left foot | ||
| Strike a revers to the opponent's leg while passing withyour left foot. Protect with offhand. Withdraw blade to thrust in tierce. | ||||
| Caver your sword on the point of his and thrust in quarte | ||||
| Strike a main droit to the leg | ||||
| Cutover to thrust in tierce, passing with your left foot. Grab the opponent's sword. | ||||
| Disengage under the opponent's sword, passing with your left foot, grab the opponent's hilt. | ||||
| If parried to your outside, turn a revers into tierce guard to await the riposte. Withdraw? | Opponent ripostes with a thrust | Thrust in counter time | ||
| Opponent ripostes with a cut | Parry and riposte | |||
| If parries to your inside, turn a main droit into quarte guard to away the riposte. Withdraw? | Opponent ripostes with a thrust | Thrust in counter time | ||
| Opponent ripostes with a cut | Parry and riposte | |||
| Opponent passes under your sword | Cut at the sword | |||
| Opponent beats with the hand | Make a pass below | |||
| Thrust in quarte (presumably by disengaging around the opponent's hand) | ||||
| Makes a pass below | Cut at the opponent's sword, passing with your left foot, grab the hilt, strike as it pleases you. | |||
| Make a pass below |
Universal Plays : Opponent wants to attack
| My preparation or feint | Opponents Reaction | My counter | Opponents counter to my counter | My final action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adopt quarte guard (invitation in quarte) | Opponent strikes on the firm foot | Parry with the sword, strike in tierce or seconde, passing with your left foot. | ||
| Opponent attacks while passing | Withdraw and parry with the sword. Grab at the opponent's hilt. | |||
| Opponent thrusts | Cut into the sword in quarte (main droit), grab the hilt passing wide with your left foot, strike in seconde. | |||
| Adopt tierce guard (invitation in tierce) | Opponent thrusts | Beat with the hand | ||
| Pass under the sword (Pass below or disengage?) | ||||
| Counter time action (thrust?) | ||||
| Cut into the opponent's sword | ||||
| Parry the attack (then cut a main droit to the opponent's head or leg) | ||||
| Parry the attack (then cut a revers to the opponent's leg, passing with your left foot) | ||||
| Opponent cuts with a revers | Parry by cutting a reverse, pass with you left foot, grabbing the hilt. | |||
| Parry by cutting a revers, then make a riposte, cutting with a reverse to the opponent's left leg | ||||
| Counter time action (thrust?) |
Actions of the Sword and Dagger
This table (below) is specifically to look at the sword and dagger used together. The format may change as I come to better understand the actions.
Also, the actions seem specifically tied in the text to fencing situations, eg: “against those who use feints”, “against those who strike on the firm foot”, etc. I'm not sure how to encode this information in the table.
Against those who strike first then withdraw
| Opponent's Action | My Counter |
|---|---|
| Opponent attacks (with a thrust?) | Parry with sword then follow, passing in a straight line with the left foot. Return to guard in seconde to await the opponent's riposte. |
| Parry with dagger then follow, passing in a straight line with the left foot. Return to guard in quarte to await the opponent's riposte. |
Against those who use feints
There's a trick here in that you must know that your opponent is likely to feint.
| Opponent's Action | My Reaction | Opponent's Counter | My Counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent feints (with a thrust) | Make as if to parry with the sword so that the opponent cavers around/under it. | Opponent cavers around/under your parry. | Strike (with a thrust) in counter time |
| Make as if to parry with the dagger so that the opponent cavers around/under it. | Opponent cavers around/under your parry. | Strike (with a thrust) in counter time | |
| Feint a thrust in counter time against the opponent's strike | Opponent cavers around/under your parry. | (Parry and) riposte |
Against those who withdraw the foot
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Make a show of moving one foot | Opponent withdraws | Disengage around the dagger and strike in seconde to the shoulder |
Against those who strike on the firm foot
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| I stand in “high guard” (seconde?) with sword and dagger high, inviting an attack to lower targets | Opponent strikes with a thrust | Parry with dagger. Strike with a thrust to the face. |
| Parry with dagger. Strike with a thrust to the body. | ||
| Parry with dagger. Cut to the opponent's forward arm. | ||
| Cut or beat the opponent's sword stepping to inside. Secure with dagger. Strike in seconde. |
Against those who pass
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Present the sword high (invitation to the low line?) so that they have an opportunity to pass. | Opponent strikes (with a thrust) | Withdraw (slip the front foot), parry with the dagger, strike with a thrust in tierce or seconde |
| Cut or beat the opponent's sword with yours. Protect yourself with the dagger and strike in seconde | ||
| Withdraw, maintaining measure, into tierce guard (dagger near hilt as usual) before making your attack | ||
| Turn a point (sidestep?) and strike | ||
| Disenge over or under the opponent's dagger to strike in quarte | ||
| Present the sword and dagger low (invitation to the high line) so that they have the opportunity to pass | Opponent strikes (with a thrust) | Disengage over or under the dagger to strike in seconde, protecting yourself withthe dagger. |
| Pivot offline (turning the body) to evade the attack, parry with the dagger, strike in tierce | ||
| Withdraw, maintaining measure, into quarte guard (dagger near hilt as usual) before making your attack | ||
| Present the sword between the opponent's weapons so that the opponent has the opportunity to beat and pass to strike. | Opponent attempts to beat your sword with their dagger and strike | Strike with a thrust in quarte, making a volte/inquartata with the rear foot. (Finally, a proper volte!) |
Against those who want to strike first
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Stand in tierce to invite an attack your inside line | Opponent strikes | Parry and riposte |
Against those who want to cover your sword with theirs
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Stand in tierce, holding your sword a little too wide to the outside. Keep the dagger near the hilt. | The opponent makes to cover/touch your sword | Disengage under/around the opponent's sword, passing around the opponent to your inside, striking with a thrust in tierce or seconde |
| Disengage under the opponent's sword, passing forward withe the rear foot, to strike under his sword, protecting yourself with your dagger | ||
| Stand in quarte, holding your sword a little to wode to the inside. Keep the dagger near the hilt. | The opponent makes to cover/touch your sword | Disengage under/around the opponent's sword, securing it with your dagger, and strike on the firm foot. |
| Disengage under/around the opponent's sword, securing it with your dagger, and strike on a volte. | ||
| Instead of volte,“ the phrase used is passing your left foot to the side of his dagger.” |
Against those who hold the dagger very forward and the sword at the rear
This action category is split into two in order to group actions by strategy.
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation in tierce or seconde? (“You must place yourself in seconde or tierce, holding your dagger close to the guard of your sword, or on your right arm, turning from the side of the enemy’s dagger, always starting to turn with the left foot first, and holding the right to ready to strike the nearest part, always remembering the riposte that your enemy can throw.”) | Opponent strikes (with a thrust) on the pass | Disengage around the dagger and strike between the weapons. Parry the opponent's strike with the dagger. |
| Opponent strikes (with a thrust?) on the firm foot | Parry with dagger. Strike to shoulder in seconde. |
Against those who hold the dagger very forward and the sword at the rear
This action category is split into two in order to groups actions by strategy.
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Provoke by making a feint outside the dagger, cutting, etc: lots of sword actions to provoke the opponent to strike at your open side. | Opponent strikes (with a thrust?) on the firm foot | Parry with dagger. Strike to shoulder in seconde. |
| Opponent strikes (with a thrust) on the pass | Disengage around the dagger and strike between the weapons. Parry the opponent's strike with the dagger. |
Against those who uncover the right ot the left part
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Provoke the opponent by feinting at the opening they leave. |
Against those who never want to strike
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Strike at the closest part and return to guard in seconde to wait for the opponent's riposte. | Opponent ripostes | Parry and strike with a cut |
| Parry and strike with a thrust | ||
| Strike at the closest part and return to guard in quarte to wait for the opponent's riposte. | Opponent ripostes | Parry and strike with a cut |
| Parry and strike with a thrust |
Against one who never wants to strike
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Strike at the closest part and return to guard (in seconde or quarte) to await the opponent's riposte. |
Against those who give the sword to beat
| My Invitation of Engagement | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter | Opponent's Counter to My Counter | My Final Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feint beating the sword with your dagger | The opponent disengages around your dagger | Thrust on the firm foot (in counter time?) parrying with your dagger | ||
| Thrust on the pass, parrying with your dagger | ||||
| Pass to your inside around the opponent to secure the opponent's sword with yours. Capture the opponent's sword with your dagger so that your can strike in seconde. | ||||
| Opponent withdraws the sword | Feint over the dagger | Opponent parries with the dagger | Disengage over/around the dagger and thrust to the face. | |
| Disengage over/around the dagger and thrust to the body. | ||||
| Disengage and feint a strike over the dagger before returning to guard to await the opponent's riposte | ||||
| Opponent does nothing | Beat the sword with the dagger (or hand) and thrust on the firm foot. | |||
| Beat the sword with the dagger (or hand) and thrust, passing with the rear foot. |
Against those who parry with the sword or with the dagger
| My Action | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Strike with a thrust (between the weapons if possible) | Opponent parries with the sword | Disengage to strike in tierce, protecting yourself with the dagger |
| Envelope to strike in seconde, protecting yourself with the dagger, passing to the inside | ||
| Turn the strike into tierce while the opponent parries (Agrippa's “crokked strike”?) while stepping forward with the rear foot, protecting yourself with the dagger. | ||
| Opponent parries with the dagger | Cutover the dagger and strike to the face | |
| Cutover the dagger and strike to the offhand shoulder |
Against those who hold the weapons apart.
| My Action | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Strike straight between the weapons | Opponent parries with dagger | Caver around the dagger to strike the left (dagger side) shoulder, stepping to your outside. |
| Opponent parries with sword | Caver around the sword to strike the right (sword arm) shoulder, stepping to your inside | |
| Make a quarte stepping to your inside with the left foot, securing the opponent's sword with your dagger |
Against one who is always circling
| My Action | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Step in the direction the opponent is circling, keeping your sword and dagger on that side. Strike as the opening presents itself. |
Against those who place themselves low, holding their dagger close to their sword
| My Action | Opponent's Reaction | My Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Thrust (unspecified) over the dagger on the firm foot. | ||
| Thrust (unspecified) over the dagger, passing with the rear foot. | ||
| Beat with the dagger, thrust in tierce on the firm foot | ||
| Beat with the dagger, thrust in tierce, passing with the rear foot | ||
| Thrust in tierce in opposition, passing forward, protecting yourself with the dagger. | ||
| Feint a thrust over the dagger so that the opponent parries. | Opponent parries with the dagger | Disengage under/around the dagger to thrust in seconde, passing the opponent to the inside with your rear foot, controling the sword with your dagger. |
| Disengage around/over the dagger to strike between the weapons, passing the opponent to the inside with your rear foot. Return to guard to await the riposte. |
Cape et Épée - Sword and Cape
This is a bit of a disappointment. There's no flashy techniques in Cavalcabo for the cape or cloak. The cape “is an assistant to the sword.” It is simply another off-hand weapon and is used in the same way as the dagger or, indeed, the bare hand.
On the defensive, one parries cuts and thrusts with the sword then controls the opponent's sword with the cape wrapped around the off-hand in order to create an opening and a safe position from which to riposte.
On the offensive, one follows the same basic pattern outlined everywhere else in the text: “If you want to attack him, you will strike a feint to his face to make him parry with his sword.” The cape wrapped hand is used to secure the opponent's blade.
It is always used as a secondary implement and never as the primary means of controlling the opponent's sword – unlike in de Heredia's text.
Cavalcabo is insistent on two aspects which are not otherwise stated in the sword and dagger sections:
- Make a rear foot pass to the opponent's side. I take this to mean stepping around the opponent rather than stepping towards the opponent along the line.
- Use the cape-wrapped hand to control the opponent's sword guard. This is mentioned explicitly several times.
He warns against throwing the cape unless first having subjected the opponent's sword.
At the end of the section on sword and cape, he asks himself which is better, sword and cape or sword and dagger. Cavalcabo answers that the sword and dagger is preferred because “if you strike him in the face, it will always be best for you.”
As a side note, Palladini's chapter on the sword and cape is very similar to Cavalcabo.
| Invitation, Engagement or Preparatory Action | No. of Actions | Opponent's Action or Parry | Counter Action | Source(s) | Concordance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 2-3 | Parries in quarte | Disengage under the opponent's sword, protecting yourself with the cape, and strike in tierce stepping around to your inside |  | |
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 2-3 | Parries in quarte | Disengage under the opponent's sword, control the opponent's hilt with the cape, and strike in tierce stepping around to your inside | ||
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 2-3 | Parries in quarte | Disengage under the opponent's sword, control the opponent's hilt with the cape, and strike in seconde stepping around to your inside | ||
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 1-2 | Does nothing | Continue the strike to the face or body | ||
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 3 | Counter-time strike | Rond into the opponent's strike while stepping around to your inside. Control the opponent's hilt with the cape and strike. | ||
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 2 | Parries with a renvers (or in tierce?) | Caver under and control the opponent's sword with the cape. Strike in tierce stepping around to your outside. | ||
| Feint with a thrust to opponent's face | 2-3 | Opponent cavers | Counter-caver. Control the opponent's hilt with the cape and strike with a quarte between the opponent's weapons. | ||
| Invitation in quarte, cape held near my hilt | 3-4 | Opponent attacks “with the point,” ie: a thrust | Parry with the sword, stepping around to my inside. Secure with the cape. Strike in seconde. | ||
| Invitation in quarte, cape held near my hilt | 2 | Opponent strikes “with an estramaçon,” ie: a cut in quarte | Parry with the sword, stepping around to my inside. Secure with the cape. Strike with a thrust (in seconde?), a cut to the face or a cut ot the leg. | ||
| Invitation in quarte, cape held near my hilt | 2 | Opponent strikes with a renvers | Parry with the sword, stepping around to my inside. Secure with the cape. Strike with a thrust in quarte, a cut to the face or a cut ot the leg. |