The Use of the Two-hand Sworde (MS.3542, 1440)
The Harleian Manuscript (MS.3542)
Also known by the names ‘Harley’, ‘Man yt wol’. Until 17 May 1715 when the Harleian 3542 Manuscript came into the hands of the owner (from whom it now takes its name), the manuscript was in the possession of clerics around Honiton. The manuscript, dated to around 1440-1450, was therefore around Honiton and Exeter for the first 265 years of its existence.
The first known owner was Thomas Byard, a vicar of Buckerell, just outside Honiton. The second known owner was Samuel Knott[1] (d. 1687), rector of Combe Raleigh and priest of Broad Hembury, also villages on the suburbs of Honiton. The third owner was Robert Burscough (1650/51-1709), prebendary of Exeter in 1701, archdeacon of Barnstaple in 1703, rector of Cheriton Bishop in 1705.
The manuscript is actually a compendium of alchemy and medical topics, but with some miscellaneous ones rolled in. The Two-hand Swordplay sits within the miscellaneous group.
One of the most cryptic sources, with most interpretations being difficult to verify. The primary challenge is the format of its exposition. It consists of simple clauses written as aide-memoire in shorthand. This means the interpretation of its meaning was of a personal nature, not expected to be transmitted to someone else, but rather to trigger an existing mental model.
For interpreters, this poses a substantial challenge. Because it’s not written as a procedural instruction as we might expect from most other fencing source material, and sequences of actions are summarised. So instead of step-by-step instructions, the lessons collapsed. Some are written in reference, using phrases like ‘as aforementioned’. This means that restoring the procedural sequences is difficult, and the validation can only be based upon applying logic, and Ockham’s razor.
[1] Samuel Knot, or Knott, was also known as ‘Canutus’ or ‘Samuelem Canutum sive Knott, Rectorem de Combe-Raleigh in agro Devoniensi, consulto abscissis’. Knott was a prolific note-writer in the marginalia of his library. Many of his books found their way into the collection of Harley. In Bibliothecae Harleianae (1808, Vol II), many of his notes under Knott, or his nom-de-plume were referenced, for example MS. 2257 (ibid, pp. 594), 2269, 2270, 2333 (ibid, pp. 656) , 2334 (ibid), 2367 (ibid, pp. 670), 2399 (ibid, pp. 685), 2404 (ibid, pp. 688)).
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[82r] The Use of the Two-hand Sworde 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 . wt .ij. 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. |
| [82v] [T]he .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. |
| [T]hese 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 . wt .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 smy// |
| [83r] ten . & 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 .11. lesson & ye iij. takÿg vp ys wt a sprynge wt yt on hond rigte |
| [83v] 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 countr ys . a rake on eche |
| [84r] foete goyng till thou come to thy adusary . wt a doubil quartr wt hole defence born wt an othr dobil qrter wt hole defence 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 roundys. 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 .[84v] & at ye last quartr smyte a large sprynge wt a lusty stop a fore & then a chace foyne. |
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The play with the 2-hand sword in verse
man þt wol to þe tohond swerd lern boþe close & cler/ |
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[85r] thy rakys · þy rowndis · þy qūrters abowte thy stoppis · þy foynys · lete hē fast rowte thy spryngys · þy quarters · þy rabetis also Bere a goede eye & lete þy hond go ffy on a false hert þt dar not a byde Wen he seyþ rovndys · & rakys rēnyng by hs side ffle not hastly for a lytil pryde ffor lytil Wote þy adusary Wath hy̆ shal betide lete strokys fast folowe aftr hys honde And hauk rovnde wt a stop & stil þt þu stond Greve not gretly þov þu be tochyd a lyte ffor ā aftr stroke ys betr yf þu dar hy̆ smyte A gode rovnde wt an hauke & smyte ryʒt dovne Gedyr vp a doblet & spare not hys crovne Wt a rownde & a rake a byde at a bay Wt a rēnŷg qūrter sette hŷ oute of hys way Thys buþe þ e lettrs þt stondŷ in hys syʒte To Teche · or to play · or ellys for to fyʒte These buþe þe strokys of þy hole grovnde ffor hurte · or for dynte · or ellys for deþys wonde |
Anonymous, Man yt Wol (Harleian MS.3542, ff. 82-85). Available online via Wiktenauer.
Hutton, Alfred (2002). The Sword Through the Centuries. Dover Publications.