THE SIXTH EVENING.
I
THE last discussion 'had been stormy, and I confess to having
felt somewhat nettled by the obstinate vis inertice of the moribund
school, that mass of artificiality, the gift of tradition and
authority. It reminded me of a certain old man of the (Central
African) sea.
During the forenoon I was asked what would probably be
the subject for the evening, and my reply was the tyranny and
usurpation of le sentiment (hi fcr. Perhaps the seductive
antithesis or oxymoron had its effect, for the Marchioness
signified her high will and pleasure to be present with her two
daughters a sentimental foil, sounding in English somewhat
like an oyster in love. On the other hand, Capt. Seaton
declared solemnly that he washed his hands of the whole affair, and that whatever horror of heresy might issue from my mouth, he would not be induced to utter a word. I suspect that he had constituted as his spokesman John Shughtie, whose temper was more tranquil, more sage.
At the accustomed time I took my wonted place, and spoke
as follows:
We will begin by defining le sentiment du fer, which can
hardly bear translation as "the sentiment of the sword." The word d'outre manche expresses a something between sense and sentiment which we do not possess. Perhaps le tact du fer is a more intelligible synonym.
"The French is not only the natural language of the chase, but that of love and of war, in which ladies should be won and enemies defied." Without going so far as the misguided Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, we may, however, own that the Neo- Latin tongue has made itself at home in the fencing school, and we may use it without suspicion of " pedantry " the cry generally raised by ignorance against knowledge. Italian expresses the same things equally well, but, then, it i& farther off than the French.
The sentiment du fer is that supreme art of digitation which
is to the complete swordsman what the touch of the pulse is, or rather was, to the old physician who disclaims the new- fangled thermometer. It begins to make itself felt as soon as; the blades come into contact. Essential to the highest develop- ment of our art, it is the result of happy natural disposition, of Jong study, and of persevering attention. To the hand it gives lightness and that indescribable finesse which guide the cue of the billiard player; to the passes it communicates quickness directed by an appreciation of the case which can hardly be subjected to analysis. It is that mysterioue resume of delicate manipulation, of practised suppleness in wrist and forearm, and of precision in movement, which makes the adversary feel powerless before it, which startles at the same time that it commands- him. No quality in a swordsman is more rarely found in any degree approaching perfection. To say that I have not the highest admiration of it would be to set myself down in the lowest ranks of materialism as the world understands the word. But its very potency suggests the absolute necessity of providing against it when we find eo rare a gift opposed to us.
" A woman's wit would suggest that the easiest way would be
to oppose it by equal sentiment," said Lady B.
And she would be right, supposing everything to be as it
ought to be. But if the gift be seldom found how can we
expect to see it equally distributed between two swords? We
must reason upon the generality of fencers and not upon
exceptions. The man who has mastered this supreme excellence
of swordsmanship envelops, so to speak, within the circle of his
will the hand and the point of hie adversary; he attracts them
alternately and repels them; he plays with them; he fascinates
them as the serpent holds the bird with its glittering 1 eye. It
represents what the mesmeriser calls the power of volition; it
is the aura magnetica of the sword. Where, then, shall we find
the means of counteracting the influence? Evidently by with-
drawing ourselves- from it. I need hardly explain what our
neighbours mean by dopner Vepee. When two fencers, after
falling on guard, have " engaged " that is, have crossed
weapons the thing is done.