He practised every pass and ward, To thrust, to strike, to feint, to guard; of Zutphen to the Spaniards, for which good service he was afterwards poisoned by them, is said to have been the first who brought the rapier-fight into general use. Fuller, speaking of the swash bucklers, or bullies, of Queen Elizabeth's time, says "West Smithfield was formerly called Ruffian's Hall, where such men usually met, casually or otherwise, to try masteries with sword and buckler. More were frightened than hurt, more hurt than killed therewith, it being accounted unmanly to strike beneath the knee. But since that desperate traitor Rowland Yorke first introduced thrusting with rapiers, sword and buckler are disused." In "The Two Angry Women of Abingdon," a comedy, printed in 1599, we have a pathetic complaint:-"Sword and buckler fight begins to grow out of use. I am sorry for it: I shall never see good manhood again. If it be once gone, this poking fight of rapier and dagger will come up; then a tall man, and a good sword-and-buckler man, will be spitted like a cat or rabbit." But the rapier had upon the continent long superseded, in private duel, the use of sword and shield. The masters of the noble science of defence were chiefly Italians. They made great mystery of their art and mode of instruction, never suffered any person to be present but the scholar who was to be taught, and even examined closets, beds, and other places of possible concealment. Their lessons often gave the most treacherous advantages; for the challenger, having a right to choose his weapons, frequently selected some strange, unusual, and inconvenient kind of arms, the use of which he practised under these instructors, and thus killed at his ease his antagonist, to whom it was presented for the first time on the field of battle. See BRANTOME'S Discourse on Duels, and the work on the same subject "si gentement ecrit" by the venerable Dr Paris de Puteo. The Highlanders continued to use broadsword and target until disarmed after the affair of 1745-6. While less expert, though stronger far, The foe, invulnerable still, Foil'd his wild rage by steady skill; XVI. Now, yield thee, or by Him who made The world, thy heart's blood dyes my blade!"– "Thy threats, thy mercy, I defy! Let recreant yield, who fears to die." a 1 [MS.-"Not Roderick thus, though stronger far, More tall, and more inured to war."] 2 [This couplet is not in the MS.] 3 I have not ventured to render this duel so savagely desperate as that of the celebrated Sir Ewan of Lochiel, chief of the clan Cameron, called, from his sable complexion, Ewan Dhu. He was the last man in Scotland who maintained the royal cause during the great Civil War, and his constant incursions render -Like adder darting from his coil, ed him a very unpleasant neighbour to the republican garrison at Inverlochy, now Fort-William. The governor of the fort detached a party of three hundred men to lay waste Lochiel's possessions, and cut down his trees; but, in a sudden and desperate attack made upon them by the chieftain with very inferior numbers, they were almost all cut to pieces. The skirmish is detailed in a curious memoir of Sir Ewan's life, printed in the Appendix of Pennant's Scottish Tour. "In this engagement, Lochiel himself had several wonderful escapes. In the retreat of the English, one of the strongest and bravest of the officers retired behind a bush, when he observed Lochiel pursuing, and seeing him unaccompanied with any, he lept out, and thought him his prey. They met one another with equal fury. The combat was long and doubtful: the English gentleman had by far the advantage in strength and size; but Lochiel, exceeding him in nimbleness and agility, in the end tript the sword out of his hand: they closed and wrestled, till both fell to the ground in each other's arms. The English officer got above Lochiel, and pressed him hard, but stretching forth his neck, by attempting to disengage himself, Lochiel, who by this time had his hands at liberty, with his left hand seized him by the collar, and jumping at his extended throat, he bit it with his teeth quite through, and kept such a hold of his grasp, that he brought away his mouthful: this, he said, was the sweetest bit he ever had in his lifetime."-Vol. i. p. 375. [MS. "Yield they alone who fear to die." Like mountain-cat who guards her young, Now, gallant Saxon, hold thine own! ' [MS." Panting and breathless on the sands, But all unwounded, now he stands."] XVII. He falter'd thanks to Heaven for life, Redeem'd, unhoped, from desperate strife ; 2 Whose every gasp appear'd his last; The praise that Faith and Valour give." Undid the collar from his throat, Sate down his brow and hands to lave. 1 [MS.-"Redeem'd, unhoped, from deadly strife; Next on his foe his look he { cast, threw, Whose every breath appear'd his last."] 2 [MS.-" Faint and afar are heard the feet."] |