Chapter 76 – Which corresponds to the play, or combat, with two swords, one in each hand
For you, I will compose a play of two swords, which will be a matter leading you to excellence, and of a sort which few would be able to execute. But I will not put another going to the play [here], apart from [telling you that] when you are in one corner of the school or the barriers, you will brandish your right sword and you will advance to your enemy leaping two or three steps, until you are in reach of your enemy. There, you will arrange yourself in coda longa e alta with the right sword and with the left one you will be in porta de ferro, with your left foot forward, very elegantly.
Chapter 77 – Of the first assault with the two swords
You know that I am telling you that you will remain with the sword in your right hand in coda longa e alta and that the one in your left hand will be in porta de ferro alta. From here you need to be agent, in order to make something come out of your enemy. To do that, you will put your left sword under the one he has in front, and with the right one you will strike with a falso from below to above with the hand, without moving your feet, and then you shall return to the aforementioned guard.
But know that if your enemy should strike you with a stoccata or ponta in your face, I want you to strike on these, be it stoccata or ponta, with the false edge of your left sword on the outside ; upon which you shall advance with your right foot forward, and there you shall let out a strong ponta to his chest. Then for your protection you will put your right foot behind the left, and you will cross your swords at the same time, and then you will arrange yourself in the first guard I mentioned above ; and there I want you to be patient, that is, that you will let your companion attack first.
Chapter 78 – Of the patient in this second part
Being in the two guards I have shown you first, I want you to uncover your left leg in order for him to have a reason to strike you there with a dritto or a roverso.
Now note this : if he throws a mandritto, you will parry with a falso with your left sword, that is, by lifting your first above in guardia di fianco ; and once you have parried said mandritto, you will pass with your right foot forward, and then, you will throw a mandritto at his leg or head, or you will let out a punta at his side.
And for your protection you will back the right foot behind the left and you will cross the swords, so that you come back to the guard I have described first, and there you will wait for your enemy to throw a roverso at your leg or at your head.
Chapter 79. Of the third part, being patient against the roverso
Know that, if your enemy throws a roverso, either high or low, you will advance your right foot to his weak side and you will parry the roverso on the straight edge of your left sword, turning the point to the ground and lifting the pommel, and at the same time you parry, you will throw a roverso sgualembrato with your right sword, which will go from his head to the tip of his feet.
And for your protection, you will put your right foot behind the left and you will cross your swords together. Then you will do a half turn of the fist for each of your hands, which will put you into the same guard as the one I have told you first, very elegantly, with your arms well extended to the right side of your enemy.
Chapter 80 – How you will be agent with the falso
You know that you are with the left sword in cinghiara porta di ferro stretta and the right in coda longa e stretta, with the right foot forward. There you will strike a falso from below to above to the hand of your enemy with the right sword. And once you have thrown said falso, you will uncover the high half of your body a little, for him to have a reason to attack you there.
But know that if he throws a stoccata, or a mandritto, or a roverso, or a punta, against all these strickes, when he attacks, you will advance your right leg strongly forward, and while you are moving, you will move your right sword hurting him above, to bring it under the left sword, so that the two swords are then crossed ; and you will throw a roverso with the right sword to his foremost leg, so that your right sword becomes arranged in coda longa e stretta and that your left sword is in coda longa e alta.
Then, if your enemy throws a strike at your head, you will advance your left foot, to his right side, and you will parry the enemy's strike on the straight edge of the sword you have in the left hand ; and with the right one, you will throw a mandritto sgualembrato, which will go from his head to the tip of his feet ; and instead of letting your left foot stay advanced, you will back it behind the right, while throwing a mandritto sgualembrato with your left sword ending in cinghiera porta di ferro, and the right one in coda longa e stretta. And there you will remain elegantly and gallantly.
Chapter 81. Of the fifth part, where you will be agent
You know that you are with the left sword in cinghiara porta di ferro stretta and the right in coda longa e stretta with the right foot forward. From there, with the sword you are holding in your left hand, you shall strike a falso from below to above to the right hand of your enemy, passing forward with your left leg ; and with the right sword you will throw a mandritto to his legs, so that your right sword ends in cinghiara porta de ferro, and the left in coda longa e stretta with the left foot forward. And know that when you do this strike it is necessary that you meet your enemy in porta de ferro alta and coda longa e stretta, or his two swords crossed ; this way you may do it safely.
And so, being in these two guards, and your enemy striking you at the head or leg, you will advance your right leg forward and you will cross your two swords, and thus you will have parried. And you shall throw a roverso with your right sword at his leg.
But let us assume that you are in coda longa e stretta and cinghiera porta di ferro, with the left foot forward, and that your enemy does not wish to strike you. I want you to throw a ponta with the left sword through the middle of his swords while stepping forward with the right foot. It is necessary for him to have his right sword in porta di ferro or in coda longa e stretta, so that when you push your punta, he will uncover his left side. Then you, seing this opening, will strike a mandritto on his left arm with your right sword, or if you wish to his left leg. And if he riposts, then to protect yourself, you will cross the swords together, without moving any of your feet, and there you will throw a roverso to his legs with your right sword. Once you have done said roverso, you will back your right foot behind his left, and you shall cross again your swords together, so that you will have your left sword in porta de ferro alta and the right in coda longa e alta. And there, you shall remain very elegantly with your arms and legs.
Chapter 82 – In this sixth part the left hand will be the agent
Being with the left sword in porta de ferro and the right in coda longa e alta with the left foot forward, you need to find your enemy in the exact same guards I have just mentioned. Then, when you meet him in these guards as I told you, you will throw a powerful roverso with your left sword onto his left hand on the sword, and at the moment you throw such a roverso, you will pass with your right foot strongly towards his uncovered side and while stepping, you will let out a strong punto on his flank. If you wish, you may instead throw a mandritto to his left leg.
And to protect yourself, you will bring the right foot behind the left, and you shall cross your swords together, and when you have crossed your swords thusly, you shall do a half turn of the fist with both hands, so that you come back into porta de ferro with the left sword and that your right sword be in coda longa e alta with the left foot forward. And there, you shall remain elegantly with your arms and legs.
Chapter 83 – Of the seventh part of said assault
Being with the left sword in porta di ferro and the right in coda longa e alta, you shall put the straight edge of your left hand sword on the outside of your enemy's left sword, that is, on his falso (your enemy must be in the same guard as you). And when you put said straight edge on his falso, at the same time you shall thrust a falso inpontato to this left temple, advancing your right foot to his left side. At the same time as the falso inpontato you shall throw a mandritto to the left leg, so that your left leg ends in guardia di testa, and the right in porta di ferro larga.
From there, if your enemy throws anything at you, either high or low, or if he decides to do nothing, you shall advance your right foot the length of four digits to his right side and during this move, you shall strike a falso from below to above with your right sword into his sword, with a roverso from your right sword.
And to protect yourself, you shall put your left leg behind the right and during this move, you shall cross your swords together. Thus crossed, you shall do a half turn of the first with both hand, so that your right hand ends in coda longa e stretta and the left hand end in coda longa e alta ; and there you shall remain very elegantly with your arms and legs.
Chapter 84 – Of the finishing of said assalto with the two swords
Being in guard with your right sword in coda longa e stretta and your left hand in coda longa e alta, from there, I want you to strike your enemy with the left sword, doing a falso from below to above to that hand of his, which you deem to be uncovered. You do that so he has a reason to strike you upon your uncovered half, either high, or low. You must remain alert, so that when he strikes you with anything, you may parry the strike with the straight edge of your right sword, and you must, in said parry, send the point of said right sword towards the ground. And from the left you shall thrust a firm punta to his chest, passing strongly with your left leg to the right the moment you perform said thrust. Once you have thrusted, for your protection, you shall put back the left leg behind the right and you shall throw a fendente to his head in the style of a tramazzone. This way your right sword will end in porta di ferro larga and your left sword wil be in coda longa e alta with the left foot forward. And there, you shall arrange yourself very properly, with your arms and legs, and for that I want you to do a half turn of the fists with both hands, and know that having done said half turn, your right hand sword will be in coda longa e stretta and your left hand sword will be in cinghiera porta di ferro.
And from there you shall do falso and roverso with the left hand and falso and mandritto with the right, stepping with your right leg behind the left, so that your right sword ends in cinghiera porta di ferro and the left in coda longa e stretta with the left foot forward.
Once you have done that, you shall make a big step backwards with your left leg, putting it behind the right. While you retreat, you shall do falso and roverso with the left sword and falso and dritto with the right*, ending your left sword with the point to the ground and the right sword in guardia alta, arranging the hock of your right leg so that it be near the tip of your left foot, very properly, with your arms and legs well extended, and thus you will have performed your return from the play.
* The Italian text says "left" but this makes no sense.