De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d'Arme

Manual demographics

De lo Schermo was Dedicated on April 20, 1606, "to His Most Serene Majesty, the all-powerful Christianus IV, King of Denmark, Norway, Gothia and Vandalia," etc., in Copenhagen.

The treatise is divided into two books, each containing three parts, and manual includes 190 illustrations.

Weapons/styles

• Single rapier
• Rapier and dagger
• Rapier and cloak
• Unarmed, against a dagger
• Rapier, opposed by a polarm

Sections

Book One

On the basics of the sword alone

Plates

• Plates 1 through 20: guards and thrusts
• Plates 21 through 25: general admonitions
  • Plate 21: feint out of tempo
  • Plate 22: length of the disengage
  • Plate 23: mistaken opportunity
  • Plate 24: attacking when opponent's sword is free
  • Plate 25: attachment
• Plates 26 through 30: defense against/admonitions regarding cuts
• Plates 31 through 37: voids and their weaknesses
• Plates 38 through 41: attacks on the pass
• Plates 42 through 48: use of the off-hand, and defenses using voids
  • Plate 42: hand cover following an invitation to strike through the weak on the outside.
  • Plate 43: hand cover following an invitation to strike through the weak on the inside.
  • Plate 44: invitation of the perpendicular second.
  • Plate 45: parrying the sword down to the outside following an invitation on the inside.
  • Plate 46: counter to plate 42 by way of a void of the left foot.
  • Plate 47: counter to plate 43 by way of a void of the left foot.
  • Plate 48: responding to an opponent who seeks only to defend with his offhand.

Discourse on the principles of sword and dagger

Plates 49 through 70 are given as the Fabris rapier and dagger progression.

Editions

• 1606 De lo schermo overo scienza d’arme di Salvator Fabris Capo dell’ordine dei sette cori
• 1615, German translation, New Künstlich Fechtbuch: darinnen etliche vorneme Kunststück dess weitberümbten Fecht: und Lehrmeisters Sig. Salvator Fabri da Padoa
• 1615, German translation, Neu künstlich Fechtbuch Darinen 500 Stück im ainfachen Rapier, wie auch ettliche im Rapier und Dolch dess witberümberten Fecht und Lehrmeisters Sig. Salvator Fabri da Padoa
• 1617, German translation, Neu künstliches Fechtbuch darinen etliche hunder Stück im einfachen wie auch in Dolchen und Rappier auß dem Fundament der Fechtkunst
• 1619, German translation, Des Kunstreichen Italiänische Fechtkunst. Das ist: gründeliche und außfürliche Unterrichtung von dem Fechten
• 1624 Della vera pratica et scienza d’armi, libri due, pera di Salvatore Fabris
• 1676 Italian-German parallel text edition, without sword and dagger and sword and cape, with ample preface by Hynitzsch.
• 1677 Sienza e pratica d’arme
• 1713, German translation, Scienza e practica d'armed'arme di Salvatore Fabris. Das ist: Herrn Salvatore Fabris Italiänische Fecht Kunst, zu welchen noch kommen ist das dritte Buch welches einen Tractat vom Ringen, dessgleichen, wie man sich mit blossen Fäusten wider einen beschirmen solle, in sich hält, in das Teutsche übersetzet und heraus gegeben von Johann Joachim Hynitzschen
• 2005, Tommaso Leoni (trans.), Art of Dueling: Salvator Fabris' Rapier Fencing Treatise of 1606, Chivalry Bookshelf (2005), ISBN 1-891448-23-4. [1]