Skill with the small-sword was a necessary part of the education of a gentleman. At the age when the boy of our day is just about opening his Latin grammar for the first time, the young prince or noble of two hundred years ago was being taught the art of _longe_ and _parry_, of _tierce_ and _carte_. And besides the usefulness of being skillful with a weapon which every gentleman carried and was ready to use at short notice, the practice of fencing gave an easy carriage to the body, making the joints supple, and strengthening every muscle.
The art of fencing, says an old French comedy, consists of two simple things--to hit, and not to be hit; but like a great many other simple things, its simplicity takes a vast deal of finding out. Each position, whether for thrust or parry, is easy by itself, but when your thrust is quickly parried, and the point of your opponent's foil is reaching for your breast quick as thought, then the cool head, the quick eye, the ready hand, are brought into play. The first thing for the beginner to do after equipping himself for the contest--and about this we shall have a few words to say later on--is to master the proper position. In no exercise is position of greater importance. Let the right side of your body be half turned toward your adversary; feet at right angles, with the left foot pointing to the left, and placed behind the right. The foil is held in the left hand, down by your side. Grasping it by the hilt with the right hand, you draw it through the left hand, at the same time raising both hands so that by the time the point of your foil comes into your left hand both hands are above your head, the one holding the hilt and the other the point of the foil.
From this position you will easily and gracefully fall into the third position, "on guard," by bringing your sword-hand down in front of you, and bending your elbow until the fore-arm and the sword make one straight line. The left arm will remain where it was. While you are doing this, bend the knees, and advance the right foot about twelve inches, sinking down only just so far as that the shin-bone of the right leg shall be perpendicular to the floor. This position is the position of defense, and is always returned to after a thrust.