Captain John Godfrey's A TREATISE Upon the Useful Science of Defence.

Connecting the SMALL and BACK-SWORD, And showing the Affinity between them
LIKEWISE
Endeavouring to weed the Art of those superfluous, unmeaning Practices which overrun it, and choke the true Principles, by reducing it to a narrow Compass, and and supporting it with Mathematical Proofs.
ALSO
An Examination into the Performances of the most Noted Masters of the Back-Sword, who have fought upon the Stage, pointing out their Faults, and allowing their Abilities.
WITH
Some Observations upon Boxing, and the Characters of the most able Boxers within the Author's Time.

Author: Captain John Godfrey.
Published: 1747, London, UK
Weapons covered: Smallsword, Backsword, Pugilism.

Use of this work is freely granted subject to the conditions of this Creative Commons Licence.

Format: MS Word html

Transcribed by Jonathan Pellett, 2005, and hosted here with his kind permission.