To the Well born Lord, Duke Ottbo Count of Solms, Lord of Munzenberg and Sonnewaldt my Gracious Sir
Well born Gracious Sir, Your Grace, my subservience and willing service, is as every time before. Kindly Sir, it's not without particular Reasons that the Old Writings of the Knightly Free Art of Fencing with all diligence, in their Books are praised and reposed and the Princes and gentlemen themselves, with earnestness Ordered namely but that more portions of Knightly Fighting and forthright strikes from there have arisen from trustworthy, credible words, that what through' splendid feelings for Manhood originated, for the Praise also thereby in the Highest Command and administration of War will be attained/revealed not solely in the History of the Greeks and Romans but is especially proven also through daily experience, that the training in various Knights games and Fencing, is learned with diligence, like those same practices that came long before, and it is masterful with all speed. Then more to our times Princes and Noblemen no less, lve it, and to the highest advancement than our Old Riders, how then also, You Grace, besides other free Arts, associates this manly Art with earnestness, and therefore I, Your grace, as an innocent Fencing Master, to this end, I must Instruct your grace which I in all Subservience and with willful courage have accepted, and while I am not alone, a particular beauty to such Art, but rather through Your Grace’s, merciful and consecrated will, you have sensed and found out about me I have no knowledge and Way but with it I, Your Grace, in such Art can subserviently serve and want to save, so this Fencing manual was put together, and all Stücken described, to Your Grace, and delivered in the subservient hope, that Your grace, would not only learn the techniques that are taught here, but through them thus they be cast in memory to be held, but rather also will swift and useful Stücken hence be learnt from not less than, thus, a similar Fencing master, that Your Grace will have had. I beg thus in subservience Your grace, wants a work such as mine, although unwary and minor a work, than that from one, Your grace, to all possible service in subservience and wholeheartedly, studiously flowed and graciously will accept. Of this will I, Your Grace, subserviently serve and wherewith I can pleasurably show, also to the Highest solicitude. May that the Almighty would confer on Your Grace, besides other prosperity, also long life in good health and Freedoms.
Lund Manuscript · fol. 03r
[03r] Dem Wollgebornennn herrnn, herrn Ottho grave zu Sulms, hern zu Muntzenberg unnd Sunnenwaldt etc., meynem gnedigen Hern.
Wollgeborner gnediger herr, Euer Gnaden sey mein underthenig willig diennst jeder zeit bevor. Gnediger herr, es habenn die alte schribenten nit ohnn sonnderlichenn ursachenn mit allem fleiß die ritterliche freye kunst des fechtenns in ihrenn buchernn gelobt unnd gerumet, unnd dieselbige den furstenn unnd herrenn ingebildt und mit ernst befohlenn, furnemlich aber dweil mehrer theils ritterliches kampfs unnd furtreffentliche thatenn daher entsprungenn glaubwürdig gelesenn würt, dan was bey trefflichen gemutheren, fur manheit herauß enntsanden, was fur Lob auch dadurch inn hoechstenn befelchenn unnd Krieges verwaltung erlangt sey wordenn, zeygen nicht alleim der griechenn unnd roemer historienn, sonder es beweist auch die taeglich erfarung, das der so sich in allerley ritterspill unnd fechten ubet [03v] unnd die selbenn mit fleiß lernet dem unngeübtenn weit beforenn khumpt unnd in allem mit geschwindigkeit uberlegenn ist. Derenhalbenn zu unsernn zeitenn furstenn unnd herrenn disse ritterliche kunst nicht weniger liebenn unnd die zum hoechstenn befurdernn dan unsere altvetter, wie dann auch Euer Gnaden nebenn andernn freyenn kunstenn disser manlichenn kunnst mit ernnst annimpt und doher mich Euer Gnaden als ein unschuldigenn fechtmeister darzu beruffen Euer Gnaden inn solcher kunst zu unnderrichtenn, welcher ich in aller underthenigkeit mit willigem gemuth hab antrettenn, und dweil ich nit allein ein sonderlichenn anmuth zu solcher kunst, sondern auch e[ure] g[nedigen] gnedigen unnd geneigtenn willenn gegenn mir gespurt und gefunden, hab ich keinn weiß unnd weg domit ich Euer Gnaden in solcher kunst underthenig dienen kunte sparenn woellenn, derhalbenn disses fechtbuch zu samenn gesetzt unnd alle stuck beschribenn, Euer Gnaden ubergebenn in unndertheniger hoffnung Euer Gnaden, werde nicht allein die stuck die sie bisher gelehrt, dardurch so sy lesenn wurdt in gedechtnus behaltenn, sondern auch vil geschwindigkeit und nutzbarliche [04r.1] stuck darauß lernenn mugenn, nicht weniger dann so Euer Gnaden ein taeglichenn fechtmeister bey sich hette. Bitt derhalbenn underthenig Euer Gnaden wulle solche meyne, wiewol unachtsame und geringe arbeit, als die auß einem Euer Gnaden zu allenn muglichenn dienstenn in underthenigkeit unnd woll meynentem hertzen geflossenn gnediglichenn annemenn. Des wil ich, womit ich Euer Gnaden underthenige diennst unnd gefallenn erzeigenn kan, mich zum hoechstenn befleissenn. Got der almechtig wölle Euer Gnaden nebenn anderern wolfart auch langes leben in gesundtheit unndt Fridenn verlihenn. ¶
