The Vse of the Two Hand Sworde. (HARLEIAN MS 3542)

 

 

The ferste pleyng & begÿnyng of the substansce of ye too honde swerde / ye ferst gronde be gynyth w an hauke beryng inwt ye foote wt a double rownde wt. iij . fete howtewarde & as meny homward makyng ende of ye play wt a quarter cros smetyn wt an hauke snach settyng down by ye foote.

 

 

The . ij . lesson ys . ij . haukys wt ij . halfe haukys cleuÿg ye elbowys wyth ye same . ij . doublylrowndys forsayde wt. iij . foote owtward . & as meny hamward.

 

 

The . iij . lesson ys a sprynge vpward . wt an hauke quarter . downe by ye cheke . wt iij . doubylrowndys stondÿg borne on ye hed . wt a dowbylrownde born in wt ye foote . w . iij . outwards.

 

 

The . iiij . lesson . ys wt a dowbil hauke wyth . ij . doubil rowndis berÿg inwt a step vp on bothe feete.

 

 

The . 5 . lesson ys wt an hauke menyd our ye hede . but bere ht vp wt a step . breke of ye erthe wt rënyng rowndis on ye hede wt. ij . halfe havkis born wt. ij . koc stappis of ye foete.

 

 

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

 

 

The . 7 . lesson ys . Smyte an hauke cros . cros our ye elbovys wt a bak stop & so smyte ht on ye fet.

 

 

[T] he . 8 . lesson ys wt. an hauke cros smytÿ wt a bakstep born wt bothe fete & a contrary hauke hamward born wt. ij . steppis.

 

 

These ben stroke & revle of ye . ij . hondswerd to make hys hond & ys foete a corde.

 

 

[T] he pley of ye . ij . hondswerd by twene . ij . bokelers ys . fyrst take a sygne Of ye gonde ther ye pley by twene . ij . bokelers . make ferst a sygne to hë wt a large hauke down to ye grownde . w . iij . rollyng strokis . wt an hauke to ye oder side.

 

 

[T]he . ij . lesson ys a chase . or an hauke

wyt a quartr born in wt a kocstep & an hauke

born in wt a chase foyn . y made vp wt a lygte

sprÿg

 

 

[T]he . 3 . lesson ys . a chase . vt . ij . havkys cleuyng ye elbovis.

 

 

[T]he . 4 . lesson . ys a chase smetÿ wt . ij . half rowndis . wt . ij . kocstoppis . a qrter wt a steppe an hauke wt a chase foyn . wt ye stroke a venture smetÿ on . iij . fete . & made vp wt a rake down . ~ bore vp wt a dovbil hauke . & so serue ye stroke aüetur vp on bothe fete.

 

 

[T]he . 5 . lesson . ys a chase wt an hauke & wt a bakstep stondÿg on ye foote . & playng on yt othr syde a qrter & ye same chase . & an hauk wt a step . & an hauke wt a chase foyn contry smyten . & so smyte in wt bothe feete i made vp wt . ij . halfe hauke . wt. ij . bakstoppis . & wt ye rënyng.

 

 

[T] he . 6 . lesson ys . ij . hauke qrters rovnys wt a brokyn halfe hauke a leyng dovn to ye foete wt a contrary honde ys is ye fyrst leyng a dovne.

 

 

[T]he . 7 . lesson & ye fyrst takyng vp ys . iij . rakys vpward & . iij . dovneward . & gan inwt a grete steppe . wt doubyl qrter wel smytÿ . berÿg ovte wt ye foete a brokyn halfe hauke settÿg downe ye swerde by ye foete.

 

 

[T]he . 8 . lesson & ye secnde leÿg a dovne of thy swerde . ij . haukys wt a qrter & iii wt ye foete wt a brokyn hauke . a leÿg dovne to ye foete wt a cötrary honde.

 

 

[T] he . 9 . lesson & ye secnde takÿg vp of thy swerde ys . iij . haukys on euych syde stondyng on ye erthe stil wt a stop bor menyd on ye erthe. wt an hauke quartr born wt a step . and wt a doubyl qrter honde & foete born our ye hede . an hauke menyd settyng thy swerd by thy foete.

 

 

[T] he . 10 . lesson & ye . iij . Ieyng dovne of thy swerd ys a qrter & in wt ye foete & an hauke brokÿg at ye cheke & then a doubil hauke a bovte ye hed brokyn . & then in wt a sprÿge of ye foete . wt a stroke auëture . wt a qrter & wt a snache . leyng to ye erthe wt a cötrary hond.

 

 

[T]he . II . lesson & ye iij . takÿg vp ys wt a sprynge wt yt on hond rigte vp on to ye visage wt an halfe rounde broky in to a step wt a reuence to ye cros of thy hilte wt a long cartar stroke smety flat dovne by ye bak . wt a doubil brokÿ spryng bak ye foete a drawyng . & in wt a long rake dobil . in wyth ye foete walkyng & on eche foete . ij . rakys . & at ye alurys ende smyte in . iiij . rakys doubille born into a step . & so ye other rakys in to ye alure ende . & dovbil yt on in to a step . a gayn turnÿg in wt a long dovbil rake wt a step . & wt yt othr hond spryng vp thy swerd to thy rygt shulder & smyte thy stroke auëtur wt an hauke settÿg dovne thy swerd by thy foete.

 

 

 

To Incounter wth the Two Hand Sworde.

 

 

And as for ye first contenance of ye . ij . höd swerd . thou shalt walk in wt. iij . foete to thy adursary wt a bold spyrte & a mery herte wt a sengyl qrter . & a sengil quartr wastyd wt a cartr stroke and thus smyte thy conter bothe of & on & lete thy hond & thy foet a corde to geder in goede afense.

 

 

[T] he . ij . conter ys wt a doubil quartr wt thy foete goyng . & a dobyl quartr wastid in to a step & in wt thy foete & smyte a large hauke vp in to ye skye . wt a doubil snache.

 

 

[T]he . 3 . lesson of ye covnter ys . a rake on eche foete goyng till thou come to thy adusary .wt a doubil quartr wt hole defense born wt an othr dobil qrter wt hole defense breke in & a sygne a toche wt a large sprynge & smyte wt fers stroke menyd wt hole defence & so smyte ys cowntr bothe of & on . & bovrel thy strokis of eche of thy cowntris.

 

 

[T]he. 4 . cowntr ys . ij . halfe rovndys. Wyth a tnye foyne . beryng in ye foyne wt a qrter . & an hauke at ye skye wt a snache wt thy hole defence born a for the . & ths cowntr most be smete wt tnsposyng of thy erthe of bothe fete for surenesse of defence.

 

 

[T]he . 5 . cowntr is an halfe rownde of ye secnde foete . & than smyte . ij . dobil haukys & bothe sides hole . & brokë enter hÿ wt ye ferst foete . wt a dobil qrter . & so smyte a cartr stroke but tne hym wt a stroke auëture wt hole defence . & thvs smyte ths cownter bothe of & on . & lete thy eye . thy foete . & thy honde a corde in thy defence ye cause of stroke auëture is callyd . for a ma tnyth hys bak to hys enmy.

 

 

[T] he . 6 . cowntr ys beryng in wt. iij . foynys on bothe fete . & loke thou t¨ne hond & foete & smyte a large qrter . & ber in a stop wt thy bak nakyd born . & smyte a large hauke wt fers hert & draw hym sor vp to ye skye.

 

 

[T]he. 7. cowntr ys menyd . iij . menyd foyns & träspose hä bothe goyng & comyng. & smyte thy foynys wt in thy sengyl quartr . & at ye last quartr smyte a large sprynge wt a lusty stop a fore & then a chace foyne.

 

 

 

The Play with the 2 Hand Sword in Verse.

 

 

Man yt wol to ye to hond swerd lern bothe close

& clere /

 

 

He most haue a goode eye both fer & nere

 

 

& an in stop . & an owte stop . & an hauke

qrter. A cantel . a doblet . an half for hys

fere

 

 

Too rowndys . & an halfe wt a goede cher .

This ys ye ferst cownter of ye too hond

swerd sere

 

 

Bynde hë to gedere & sey god spede . Two

qrters & a rownde a stop thou hÿ bede

 

 

A rake wt a spryng yer thou hÿ a byde . ffalle

in v an hauke & stride nogte to wyde

 

 

Smyte a rënÿg qrter owte for hys syde

 

 

ffal a pö hys harneys yf he wole a byde

 

 

Come in wt a rake in euy a syde

 

 

An hole rownde & an halfe . Wath so ht be

tyde

 

 

. iiij. qrters & a rownd . & aueture stroke wyth

 

 

Bere vp hys harnes & gete thou ye gryth

 

 

Dobyl vp lygtly & do as y seye

 

 

ffal in wt an hauke & ber a goede eye

 

 

A spryn~ & a rownde & stap in wyth

 

 

Spar nogth ä hauke yf he lye in thy kyth

 

 

Smyte a rënÿg qrter for owte of thy honde

 

 

A byde a pon a pëdent & lese not thy londe

 

 

Smyte in ye lyfte foete & cleue rygt dovne

 

 

Geder ovte of thy rygte hond & smyte a hauke

rovnde

 

 

ffresly smyte thy strokis by dene

 

 

And hold wel thy lond thath hyt may be sene

 

 

Thy rakys . thy rowndis . thy qrters a bowte

 

 

Thy stoppis . thy foynys . lete he fast rowte

 

 

Thy sprynys . thy quarters . thy rabetis also

 

 

Bere a goede eye & lete thy hond go

 

 

ffy on a false hert yt dar not a byde

 

 

en he seyth rovndys & rakys rënyng by hs side

 

 

ffle not hastly for a lytil pryde

 

 

ffor lytil wote thy adusary wath hÿ shal be tide

 

 

lete strokys fast folowe aftr hys honde

 

 

And hauk rovnde wt a stop & stil yt thou stond

 

 

Greue not gretly thov yu be tochyd a 1yte

 

 

ffor a aftr stroke ys betr yf thou dar hÿ smyte

 

 

A gode rovnde wt an hauke & smyte rygt dovne

 

 

Gedyr vp a doblet & spar not hys crovne

 

 

Wt a rownde & a rake a byde at a bay

 

 

Wt a rënÿg qrter sette hÿ oute of hys way

 

 

Thys beeth ye lettr yt stondÿ in hys sygte

 

 

To teche . or to play . or ellys for to fygte

 

 

These beeth ye strokys of thy hole grovnde

 

 

ffor hurte . or for dynte or ell~s for dethys

wonde.