Rules of Fencing

<p><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>Enjoy o Courteous Reader my good affection in serving you and believe for certain that some of what you will hear from me in the present and previous discussion you will not hear from any other master nor will you find any that can teach rules either more perfect or practised than these. They are a treasure that you will not find anywhere but in the ancient Academy of MARCELLI.</em></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>Francesco Antonio Marcelli's 1686 work </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>Regole della scherma</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)> (</span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>Rules of Fencing</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>) is a thorough description of the fencing system that he credits to his father Giovanni Battista and his uncle Lelio. It was a distinct tradition which even at the time had become widely known as La scherma napoletana (Neapolitan Fencing).</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>The first part of this book deals with general theory and the single rapier while the second discusses rapier accompanied by the dagger cape buckler and even lantern and also contains brief instructions on the use of the smallsword and sabre.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(68 68 68 1)>Throughout Marcelli extensively references quotes and discusses other texts written in Latin Italian and Spanish. Since this can often be quite impenetrable for a modern reader this translation has been annotated thoroughly in order to identify translate explain and expand on these references to history the classics and the works of contemporary intellectuals and other fencing masters.</span></p><p></p>