The Use of the Two-hand Sworde (MS.3542, 1440)
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)).
Transcription
f. 82r
[Latin, tentative reading, outside the collated witnesses][1]
The vse of the two hand ſworde
1 The ferſte pleyng ‧ begȳnyng of tho[2]
2 ſubſtanſe of þᵉ too honde ſwerde· þᵉ
3 ferſt gronde be gynyþ wt an hauke
4 beryng &[3] wt þᵉ foote wt a double rownde wt·iij·
5 fete howtewarde ‧ as meny hom̄ward makȳ-
6 ng ende of þᵉ play wt a quarter cros ſmetyn
7 wt an hauke ſnach ſettyng downe by þᵉ foote
8 The ·ij· leſſon ys ·ij· haukys ⟨Lectio ſc[un]da⟩
9 wt ·ij· halfe haukys cleuyng þᵉ elbowys
10 wyth þᵉ ſame ·ij· doubyl rowndys forſayde wt
11 ·iij· foote owtward· ‧ as meny hamward ⟨Lect[io]
12 The ·iij· leſſon ys a ſprynge vpwardes wt ·2·⟩
13 an hauke quarter· downe by þᵉ cheke· wt·ij· don-
14 byl rowndys ſtondys borne on[4] þᵉ hed· wt a dow-
15 byl rownde born in wt þᵉ foote· wt·iij· owtward[es]
16 The ·iiij· leſſon· ys wt a dowbil hauke ⟨Lecti[o]
17 wyþ ·ij· doubil rowndys beryng & wt a ſtop ⟨·3·⟩
18 vp on[5] bothe feete ⟨Lectio quinta⟩
19 The ·5· leſſon ys wt an hauke meuyd on[6] þᵉ
20 hede· but[7] ber[e] ht vp wt a ſtop· breke of þᵉ erþe
21 wt rennyng rowndys on þᵉ hede wt·ij· halfe hau-
22 kis born wt·ij· koc ſtappis of þᵉ foote ⟨Lecti[o] 6⟩[8]
23 The ·6· leſſon beres ovte þᵉ erþe wt·iij· koc ſtappis
24 & ſo come home ovte of danger a ȝayne ⟨Lect[io ·7·]⟩[9]
f. 82v[10]
1 [T]he ·7· leſſon ys· Smyte an hauke cros· cros oū[11]
2 þᵉ elbovys wt a bak ſtop & ſo ſmyte ht on þᵉ fet
3 [T]he ·8· leſſon ys wt an hauke cros ſmytyn wt
4 a bakſtop born wt boþᵉ fete & a ꝯtrary hauke
5 hamward born wt ·ij· ſtoppis// Theſe ben ſtrokes
6 & revle of þᵉ ·ij· hondſwerd· to make hys hond
7 & ys foete a corde//
8 The pley of þᵉ ·ij· hondſwerd//[12]
9 By tweene[13] ·ij· bokelers ys· fyrſt take
10 a ſygne of þᵉ gronde þer ȝe[14] pley· by twene ·ij·
11 bokelers· make ferſt a ſygne to hē wt a lar-
12 ge hauke down to þᵉ grownde· wt ·iij· rollyng
13 ſtrokis· wt an hauke to þᵉ oder ſide//
14 [T]he ·ij· leſſon ys a chaſe· or an hauke wyþ
15 a quarter born in wt a kocſtop· & an hauke born
16 in wt a chaſe foyn· ys made vp wt a lyȝte ſpryng//
17 [T]he ·3· leſſon ys· a chaſe· wt ·ij· havkys
18 cleuyng þᵉ elbovis//
19 [T]he ·4· leſſon· ys a chaſe ſmetyn wt ·ij· half
20 rowndis· wt ·ij· kocſtoppis· a quarter wt a ſtoppe
21 an hauke wt a chaſe foyn· wt þᵉ ſtroke a ven-
22 ture ſmetyn on ·iij· fete· & made vp wt a rake
23 downn· & bore vp wt a dovbil hauke· & ſo ſerue
24 þᵉ ſtroke auentur vp on boþᵉ fete//
25 [T]he ·5· leſſon· ys a chaſe wt an hauke & wt
26 a bakſtop ſtondys[15] on þᵉ foote· & playng on
27 þᵗ oþᵉr ſyde a quarter & þᵉ ſame chaſe· & an hauk
28 wt a ſtop· & an hauke wt a chaſe foyn ꝯtrary ſmy-
f. 83r[16]
1 ten· & ſo ſmyte in wt boþᵉ fete· & made vp wt·ij·
2 halfe hauke· wt·ij· bakſtoppis· & wt þᵉ rennyng
3 [T]he ·6· leſſon ys ·ij· hauke quarters // robnys[17]
4 wt a brokyn halfe hauke a leyng down//
5 to þᵉ foote wt a ꝯtrary honde & þis is þᵉ fyrſt
6 leyng a downe//
7 [T]he ·7· leſſon & þᵉ fyrſt takyng vp ys ·iij· ra-
8 kys vpward· & ·iij· dovnward· & þan i[n][18] wt a
9 grete ſtoppe· wt dovbyl quarter wel ſmytyn· beryng
10 ovte wt þᵉ foote a brokyn halfe hauke ſettyng
11 downn þᵉ ſwerde by þᵉ foote//
12 [T]he ·8· leſſon & þᵉ ſecunde leyng a dovnn of þy
13 ſwerde· ·ij· haukys wt a quarter & in wt þᵉ foote wt
14 a brokyn hauke· a leyng dovnn to þᵉ foote wt
15 a ꝯtrary honde//
16 [T]he ·9· leſſon & þᵉ ſecunde takyng vp of þy ſw-
17 erde ys ·iij· haukys on euerych ſyde ſtondyng
18 on þᵉ erthe ſtil wt a ſtop born meuyd on þᵉ erþ
19 wt an hauke quarter born wt a ſtop· & wt a dou-
20 byl quarter honde & foote born on[19] þᵉ hede· an
21 hauke meuyd ſettyng þy ſwerd by þy foote//
22 [T]he ·10· leſſon & þᵉ ·iij· leyng dovne
23 of þy ſwerd ys a quarter & in wt þᵉ foote//
24 & an hauke brokyng at þᵉ cheke· & þen a dovbil
25 hauke a bovte þᵉ hed brokyn· & þen in wt a
26 ſpryng of þᵉ foote· wt a ſtroke auentures· wt a quar-
27 ter & wt a ſnache· leyng to þᵉ erþe wt a ꝯtrary honde//
28 [T]he ·11· leſſon & þᵉ ·iij· takyng vp//
29 ys wt a ſprynge wt þᵗ on honde riȝte//
f. 83v[20]
1 vp on to þᵉ viſage wt an halfe rownde brokyn in-
2 to a ſtop wt a reuence[21] to þᵉ cros of þy hilte
3 wt a long cartar ſtroke ſmetyn flat dovne by þᵉ
4 bak· wt a doubil brokyn ſpryng bak þᵉ foote
5 a drawyng· & in wt a long rake dobil· in wyþ
6 þᵉ foote walkyng & on eche foote ·ij· rakys· &
7 at þᵉ aluryſ ende ſmyte i[n] ·iiij· rakys dovbille
8 born i[n] to a ſtop· & ſo þᵉ other rakys in to þᵉ a-
9 lures ende· & dovbil þᵗ on in to a ſtop· a gayn
10 turnyng in wt a long dovbil rake wt a ſtop· &
11 wt þᵗ oþᵉr honde ſpryng vp þᵉ ſſkerd[22] to þy riȝt
12 ſhulder & ſmyte þy ſtroke auentures wt an
13 hauke ſettyng dovne þy ſſkerd by þy foote//
To incounter wth the Twohand Swor[de][23]
14 nd[24] as for þᵉ fyrſt contenance of þᵉ ·ij· hond-
15 ſwerdys· þou ſhalt walk in wt ·iij· foote
16 to þy aduerſary wt a bold ſpyrte & a mery herte
17 wt a ſengyl quarter & a ſengil quarter
18 waſtid waſtyd[25] wt a cartre ſtroke· & þ[en] ſmyte þy
19 counter bothe of & on & lete þy honde & þy foet
20 acorde togeder in goede afenſe//
21 [T]he ·ij· counter ys wt a doubil quarter wt þy
22 foote goyng· & a dobil quarter waſtid in to a
23 ſtop· & in wt þy foote· & ſmyte a large hauke
24 vp in to þᵉ ſkye· wt a doubil ſnache//
25 [T]he ·3· leſſon of þᵉ covnter ys. a rake on eche
f. 84r[26]
1 foote goyng til þou come to þy aduerſary· wt a doubil
2 quarter wt hole defenſe born wt an oþer dobil quarter wt
3 hole defenſe· breke in· & ſygne a toche wt
4 a large ſprynge & ſmyte wt fers ſtroke meuyd
5 wt hole defence & ſo ſmyte þis cownter boþe of &
6 on· & bovre þy ſtrokis of eche of þy cowntrs//
7 [T]he ·4· cownter ys ·ij· halfe rovndys
8 wyth a ternyd foyne· beryng in þᵉ foyne wt a quarter· & an hauke at þᵉ ſkye wt a ſnache wt þy hole
9 defence born a fore the· & þis cownter moſt be
10 ſmete wt tranſpoſyng of þy erþe of boþe fete for
11 ſurenesse of defence//
12 [T]he ·5· cownter is an halfe rownde of þᵉ ſecende
13 foete· & þan ſmyte ·ij· dobil haukys & boþᵉ ſides
14 hole· & broken cnter hym wt ferſt foete· wt a dobil quarter· & ſo ſmyte a carter ſtroke but terne
15 hym wt a ſtroke auenturs wt hole defence· &
16 þys ſmyte þis cownter boþe of & on· & lete þy eye
17 þy foete· & þy honde acorde in þy defence· þᵉ
18 cauſe of ſtroke auenturs is callyd· for a man ternyth hys bak to hys enmy//
19 [T]he ·6· cownter ys beryng in wt ·iij· foynys on
20 bothe fete· & loke þu tune hond & foete & ſmyte
21 a large quarter· & ber in a ſtop wt þy bak na-
22 kyd born· & ſmyte a large hauke wt fers hert
23 & draw hym ſor vp to þᵉ ſkye//
24 [T]he ·7· cownter ys meuyd wt ·iij· meuyd foynis
25 & tranſpoſe ham boþe goyng & comyng· & ſmyte
26 þy foynys wt in þy ſengyl quarter· ſmyte þᵉ
f. 84v[27]
1 & at þᵉ laſt quarter· ſmyte a large ſprynge wt a
2 luſty ſtop a foyn & þen a chace foyne//
The play with the 2·hand ſword in verſe
3 Man þᵗ wol to þᵉ to hond ſwerd lere boþe cloſe
4 & clere· He moſt haue a goode eye
5 boþᵉ fer & nere// & an in ſtop· & an owte
6 ſtop· & an hauke quarter// A cantel· a doblet· an
7 half for hys fere//
8 too rowndys· & an halfe wt a goode chere//
9 þis ys þᵉ ferſt cownter of þᵉ too hond
10 ſwerd ſere// Bynde he[m] to gedere &
11 ſey god ſpede// two quarters & a rownde a ſtop
12 þu hym bede// A rake wt a ſprynge þer þu hym a by-
13 de// ffalle in wt an hauke & ſtride noȝte to wyde/
14 Smyte a rennyng quarter owte for hys ſyde
15 ffal a pon hys harneys yf he wole a byde
16 Come in wt a rake in euy a ſyde
17 An hole rownde & an halfe· Wath ſo ht be tyde
18 ·iiij· quarters & a rownde· & auentures ſtroke wyth[28]
19 Ber vp hys harnes & gete þu þᵉ gryth
20 Dobyl vp lyȝtly & ſo as y ſeye[29]
21 ffal in wt an hauke & ber a goode eye
22 A ſpryng & a rownde & ſtap i[n] wyth
23 Spar noȝth a hauke yf he lye in þy kyth
24 Smyte a rennyng quarter ſore owte of þy honde
25 A byde a pon a pendent & leſe not þy londe
26 Smyte in þᵉ lyfte foete & cleue ryȝt dovne
27 Geder ovte of þy ryȝte hond & ſmyte a hauke
28 rownde// ffreſly ſmyte þy ſtrokis by dene
29 & hold wel þy lond þath ht may be ſene[30]
f. 85r[31]
1 Thy rakys· þy rowndis· þy quarters a bowte
2 Thy ſtoppis· þy foynys· lete he faſt rowte
3 Thy ſprynges· þy quarters· þy rabetis alſo
4 Ber a goode eye & lete þy hond go
5 ffy on a falſe hert þᵗ dar not a byde
6 Wen he ſeyþ rowndys & rakys rennyng by hys ſide
7 ffle not haſtely for a lytil pryde
8 ffor lytil knowe þy aduerſary wath hym ſhal betyde
9 Late ſtrokys faſt folowe after hys honde
10 And hauk rownde & ſtil wt a ſtop & ſtal[32] þᵗ þu ſtonde
11 Greue not gretly þov þu be tochyd a lyte
12 ffor a aft[er] ſtroke ys bet[er] yf þu dar hy[m] ſmyte
13 A goode rownde wt an hauke & ſmyte ryȝt dovne
14 Gedyr vp a doblet & ſpar not hys crowne
15 Wt a rownde & a rake a byde at a bay
16 Wt a rēnŷg quarter ſette hym owte of hys way
17 Thys byþ þᵉ letteris þᵗ ſtondyn in hys ſyȝte
18 To teche· or to play· or ellys for to fyȝte
19 Theſe byþ þᵉ ſtrokys of þy hole grovnde
20 ffor hurte· or for dynte· or ellys for deþys Wonde [33]
A hard line separates this from “Ad multiplicandum Lunam”[34]
Apparatus criticus
For ease of reference, the substantive points arising from this leaf-by-leaf check are:
- on þe hed(e), not Gel.’s ouer, in the recurring “borne/meuyd … þe hed(e)” formula (ff. 82r ll. 14, 18, 19, 21; f. 83r l. 20) — n. 3, n. 17.
- iiij. quarters, not Gel.’s iij (f. 84v, verse) — n. 23.
- ſo as y ſeye, confirming Gel. against Hut., Mat. and Brn. (f. 84v, verse) — n. 24.
- may be ſene, not Gel.’s may defend (f. 84v, verse) — n. 25.
[1]The three lines of Latin above the treatise’s rubric title belong to the preceding, unrelated item (catalogued as beginning “Valde bona notibilis…”, ff. 81–82) and fall outside the five collated witnesses. The reading offered is tentative: apparently a standard alchemical formula timing a whitening-to-reddening (albedo–rubedo) cycle in twenty-day stages, “pursued under due governance.” Not part of the sword text proper. The top of the leaf carries the tail of an unrelated, preceding alchemical item, in Latin, followed by the added rubric title and the opening of Part I, lessons 1–6.
[2]of tho, l. 1. The final letter is the scribe’s closed, double-compartment allograph of medial/terminal e, which reads visually close to an o. All five witnesses (Hut., Mat., ARMA, Brn., Gel.) read the, which is followed here; the same allograph recurs at f. 84v (see n. 23 below).
[3]beryng & wt þe foote, l. 4. The mark between beryng and wt is small and could represent a contracted in (so Mat., Gel., and the edition’s reading text) or the tironian et. Retained here as a genuine crux rather than silently resolved.
[4]on þe hed(e), l. 14. Gel. reads ouer þe hed; Hut. and Mat. both read on. The word in the manuscript is unambiguously two letters, not four, and the same short word recurs at ll. 18, 19 and 21 below, and again at f. 83r (see n. 15). Adopted here as on against Gel.
[5]See n. 3 above: manuscript reads on, not ouer (Gel.).
[6]See n. 3 above: manuscript reads on, not ouer (Gel.).
[7]but, l. 20. The minims here are ambiguous and could be misread as irt; all witnesses read but, which the sense requires, so the reading is retained, but the letterforms are genuinely uncertain.
[8]The rubricated tag ⟨Lectio 6⟩ at l. 22 mislabels what is structurally the fifth lectio as the sixth; Gel. explains this as the rubricator’s slip, which then displaces the numbering of the following tag by one. See also n. 25 below.
[9]The final catch-tag, l. 24, is reduced to Lect plus a heavily flourished mark. Gel.’s collated reading of ⟨Lectio 7⟩ is followed here rather than an independent guess from so compressed a mark.
[10] The verso completes Part I (lessons 7–8 and the closing formula), then opens Part II, “the play between two bucklers,” through the first five lessons, breaking off mid-word (“smy-”, completing as “ten” on f. 83r). No decorative initials were begun on this leaf; each lesson opens with an unfilled void.
[11]cros oū — i.e. ouer — here genuinely supported by the abbreviation mark (a macron over a single minim, consistent with a suspended r). Contrast the on þe hed(e) formula discussed at n. 3: this is a different construction (“cross over the elbows,” a crossing motion, not a stroke held in a position), and ouer is very plausibly correct on its own terms.
[12]This line, set off and centred rather than run into the surrounding prose, supports J. Hester’s reading of it as a section title in its own right (so Gel.’s note ad loc.), against Hut.’s and Mat.’s printed layouts, which run it into the following sentence. A layout observation; the wording is not in dispute.
[13]tweene, with two e‘s, against the collated witnesses’ twene. Possibly a genuine doubling rather than a misreading: the same word recurs correctly as twene two words later in the same sentence.
[14]ȝe: the yogh is clear; this favours Hut.’s ye over Hester’s proposed he.
[15]ſtondys, where Gel. and the edition’s reading text print stondyng. The terminal stroke is a generic suspension mark that could resolve either way; flagged rather than emended.
[16] This leaf opens mid-word, completing “smy-ten” from the foot of 82v, and carries the treatise from lesson 6 through to the opening of lesson 11, where the page runs out. No decorative initials were begun on this leaf either.
[17]robnys, f. 83r l. 3. Resists confident gloss; the ascender is consistent with b rather than a minim-cluster that would resolve to a more common word. Gel. also leaves it untranslated. A crux for the glossary rather than a settled reading.
[18]þan i[n] wt a, f. 83r l. 8. The manuscript’s mark here is compressed; Gel. supplies the same bracketed [n] for the same reason, and no more secure resolution is offered here.
[19]born on þe hede, f. 83r l. 20. A fifth, independent instance of the formula discussed at n. 3, recurring on a different leaf. Across five occurrences in three lessons (3, 5 and 9) the word is consistently on; Gel.’s ouer is not supported at any of them. This is now proposed as a firm apparatus amendment rather than a tentative flag.
[20] Completes lesson 11 and the whole of Part I; the rubric title for Part II, written in a later, more formal hand, follows, and the leaf ends five lines into “To incounter with the two hand sword.”
[21]reuence, f. 83v l. 2, for reuerence: the suspension mark covers the missing -er-, standard practice in this hand.
[22]ſſkerd, f. 83v ll. 11 and 13, for the expected ſwerde. The letterform reads like a doubled long-s where w is expected; possibly an idiosyncratic ductus for w at speed, possibly a minim-count slip on the editor’s part. All witnesses read swerd(e), which sense requires, so the reading text is not altered, but the spot is worth a second look against the original.
[23]The rubric To incounter wth the Two Hand Sworde is written in a visibly later, more formal hand than the main scribe’s, confirming this as one of Knott’s added titles.
[24]The opening word of Part II is reduced to nd, with a small correction mark above; the space reserved for a three-line decorative initial was, like all those after f. 82r, never filled in.
[25]waſtid waſtyd: the doubling is in the manuscript. Gel. treats this as very likely scribal repetition rather than two distinct words; followed here.
[26] Continues “To incounter with the two hand sword” through counters 2–7.
[27] Concludes “To incounter with the two hand sword” and opens “The play with the two hand sword in verse” (the edition’s verse-lines 1–c.20), in a later, more formal added rubric hand for the title.
[28]iiij. quarters, f. 84v (verse). The manuscript clearly reads four minims, iiij, not three. This confirms Hut., Mat. and Reliquiae Antiquae against Gel.’s lone iij (cf. the main edition’s apparatus at this line), and may now be adopted with confidence rather than as the probable majority reading.
[29]ſo as y ſeye, f. 84v (verse), against Hut., Mat. and Brn.’s do as y seye. Here the manuscript supports Gel. The divergences do not all run one way.
[30]may be ſene, f. 84v (verse), against Gel.’s may defend. The final word ends in the scribe’s closed, o-like allograph of terminal e (cf. n. 1 above, of tho for of the), which is most plausibly sene, completing the couplet-rhyme with dene two lines above. Defend is a substantially longer word than the letterforms on the page support.
[31] Concludes the verse and the treatise, with a boxed catchword and the immediate opening, in the same later hand, of an unrelated alchemical recipe.
[32]ſtil … & ſtal, f. 85r (verse). An apparent near-doublet within a single line; transcribed as it stands on the page rather than harmonised, since this may reflect a genuine scribal correction or an uncancelled false start best judged from the original.
[33]deþes, f. 85r, final line: the line is cut by the edge of the available image and this reading should not be treated as fully secure.
[34]The treatise ends here, mid-page, with a boxed catchword Bounde and an immediately following, unrelated item opening with a large decorative R and the marginal rubric Ad multiplicandum Lunam (“for multiplying the Moon,” i.e. silver, in alchemical shorthand), apparently in the same later annotating hand responsible for the rubric titles elsewhere on these leaves. This matches the manuscript’s catalogued contents for ff. 85–94v as a run of medical and alchemical recipes, and confirms the sword text is bookended by alchemical material on both sides, as at its opening on f. 82r (cf. n. 9).
Bibliography
Anonymous, Man yt Wol (Harleian MS.3542, ff. 82-85). Available online via Wiktenauer.
A catalogue of the Harleian manuscripts, in the British Museum. With indexes of persons, places, and matters, available via Archive.org.
Hutton, Alfred (2002). The Sword Through the Centuries. Dover Publications.