Section 1 · 3 passages
To the Noble High-born Prince and Lord, Lord Georg Hansen Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria, Count at Veldenz and Lord of Lutzelstein, my gracious Prince and Lord
Munich Manuscript · fol. IIIr.1
[IIIr.1] Dem Durchleuchtigen hochgebornen Fursten vnd Hern, Hern Görg Hansen Pfaltzgraff en bey Rhein Hertzog In Bayern, Graff en zu Veldentz vnd Herren zu Lutzelstein, meinem Gnedigen Fursten vnd Herren.
Noble high-born Prince, Your Princely Grace, my submissive obedient willing and diligent service is ready at all times, gracious Lord. The ancient scholars have not in vain made the art of fencing famous with all praise and diligence to all and the same enthusiastic princes and lords imagined especially because of the greater part of chivalrous fights and excellent deeds, hence an origin was taken and credibly told, by which many of the most famous minds are so awakened and strengthened that they may be praised and honored for their high observance and administration of war, and will be magnificent. Therefore, up to the present day, the inspired practice and the art of fencing has not fallen to any decline but has retained its old praises and worthiness by all, the youth are instructed in many noble deeds and practices, solely in accordance with all the arts, intact and undamaged, in the old traditional standings, and have become infatuated. But since I have heard and understood how that Your Princely Grace bears no displeasure to such honorable fencing but much more gracious respect to such fighting Stucken, and how they are not to be divided, and that as such, their virtues are composed in writing, the same to give Your Grace an easy account of all these Stucke, done to keep and retain the much covered arts quite free from defects, in subservience, I shall not spare my diligence, in which, Your Princely Grace, through my submissive means and ways, and as much as I have learned from youth and sought to describe and show here. Which and although it might be a little longer than I myself hoped, and that Your Princely Grace shall forgive and take into account that such multiple works require so much time and effort to write. To this end, it would not be enough that one weapon, two or three is taught and delivered to you, but rather that one Stuck is attached to the other like in a chain, one thing after another is noted, and experience is gained, and one weapon is the teacher of another, I have been caused to assemble the entire fencing art, as if it was very proper and I, in consideration, have ascribed this tract to Your Princely Grace as a princely person, and have produced it solely by the limited Stucken of the same, for Your Princely Grace, giving their proper titles and names, how I know and am obliged to do, also in good part so that the teaching can be clearly understood, and brought to this point, that some Stucken are so completely incomprehensible for and to the hand, that I myself may scarcely understand again their same proper titles and reverence, not to mention where the honorific words should remain, so that it might be of use to someone, that thus not intentionally, but rather without obscuring the art, the pieces have been written with general words. I must show that the understanding is clearly taken without any error, even where one can apply a school law, the following may you learn and understand for yourself, but with what effort and work it will be done, an art that must be arranged and learned in practice alone, delivered here in writing for the eyes, and equally beheld as if they were to be practiced with the hands and the whole body. Put to paper and penned, especially those which were previously attempted and understood by few, I submissively give Your Princely Grace a high princely understanding and a graceful submission for your acceptance, from my slight ability to reveal the fencing arts in an understandable way, and to disclose the same in an intelligible manner sparing neither diligence nor effort (although the same content might be unremarkable). However, Your Princely Grace, I am most hopeful that you will graciously accept and embrace such a work as I have done, which has been carried out according to my will and how then such work has verily flowed from a loyal heart to Your Princely Grace in all possible service and in devoted submissiveness, from me as a faithful servant hereby most diligently commanded in graciousness, dated 7 March 1561.
Munich Manuscript · fol. IIIr.2
[IIIr.2] Durchleuchtiger Hochgeborner Furst Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, seien mein vnderthenig gehorsam willig vnd gefl issen dhinst, Jederzeit Anbereith gnediger herr, Es haben die Alten gelertten nit vergebenlich, mit allem lob vnd vließ, die fecht khunst, gegen Jederman berhumbt gemacht, vnd deroselbigen Liebhaber, Fursten vnnd herren eingebildet, bej anderlich weil das mehrertheil Ritterlichenn kampfs vnd furtreffl icher thatten, daher ein vhrsprung genhommenn, glaubwurdig erzelt wurdt, dardurch vieler der berhumptisten gemutter deromossen zu aller manheit erweckt vnd gestercket, das sie In lob vnd ehr zuu hochsten befelchen vnd krigs verwaltung gerathen vnd brachtseind werden, derowegen dhan bitz ahn heuttigen tag, Angeregte übung [IIIv] vnd fecht khunst zu keinem abgang gefallen, sonder bey meniglich Ihr aldt lob vnd wurdigkeit erhaltendt, die Jugent zu viel Adelichen thaten vnnd Anfengen vnderrricht, vnd beynach allein vnder allen khunsten, vhn Angetast vhn verletzt, In altem herkhommennem standt vnd wurden plieben. Dieweil aber ich gehort vnd verstanden, wie das Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, zu solcher ehrloblichen fecht khunst, kein misfallens, sonder viel mehr gnedige Ahnmuttung, solch kempfl iche stuck nit abgetilget zuwerden tragen, vnd dhamit solch Ihr zier schriff tlichen verfast, mocht derselbigen Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, In allen stucken, leichtlichern bericht geben, vielgedechte khunst durchaussen von mengeln ergentzet, zubehalten, hab In vnderthenigkeit mein vlei nit sparen sollen, In dem Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, vnderthenig mittel ꞵ vnnd weg, so viel ich von Jugent her erfarren vnd versucht zubeschreiben vnd zuzeigen. Welches, vnd ob wol sichs etwas lenger, dhan ich selbst verhoff et, verzegen, solle doch Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, solches der vielfachen Arbeitt, die so viel weil vnd zeit genhemen, heimrechnen, zu dem [IVr] wolle es nit genug sein, ein wehr, zwey, oder drey, abzuferttigen, vnd gemacht zu vberschicken, sonder dem nach ein stuck dem andern ketten, weiß Angehenckt, eins vß dem andern vermerck vnnd zu erfarnus kombt vnnd ein wehr des andern lehrmeister ist, bin ich die gantz fechtkhunst zusamen zu setzen, bevhrsacht worden, Es were auch wol billich, vnd mir Angestanden, In erwegung, ich Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, als einer Fürstlichen person, disses Tractatlin zuschreib, vnd derognaden allein verfertigt, durch die gesetzte stuck derselbigen Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, ihrn gepurlichen titul vnd Ahn nhamen hette geben, wie mich das zuthun schuldig weis vnd gewust, Auch zum guthen theil, vnd so far die lehr clörlich sein khonen, vnderstanden, vnd dhahin gebracht, sein doch etliche stuck, so gantz vhn verstendtlich, fur vnd ahn die handt gelauff en, das ich die khaum selber gesetzter gepurlicher titul vnd Reuerentz halben, wider verschen mogen, zugeschweigen wo die ehrwörtter solten gebliben sein, das sie Irgents einem andern, zu nutzen gereichet, das also nit fursatzlich, sonder ohn verduncklung halben der khunst, die stuck mit Generall wortten ich mussen Anzeigen dhamit der verstandt clörlich ohn allen Ihrtumb abgnhomen wurde, Auch wo einer ein schulrecht khan, das noch volgendt fur sich selbst lernen vnd begreiff en mochte, Aber mit was muhe vnd arbeith es beschehen, ein khunst, so allein In der vbung verhandlet vnd [IVv.1] gelertt mus werden, schriftlich fur augen zustellen, vnd gleich als were sie mit der handt, vnd des gantzen leibs vbung ansichtig, vff s papier zubringen vnnd verfassen, furnhemlich die zuuor von wenigen versucht vnd vnderstanden, will ich Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, hohen furstlichen verstandt vnd gnediger ertheilung vnderthenig zuermessen geben, vnd nachdem ich meinem geringen, vermogen noch, An mir die fechtkhunst fur zumollen, vnd die selbige verstendtlichen zuoff enbaren kein vleis noch muhe erwinden lassen (wiewol die selbige vhnachtbar gehalten macht werden) Jedoch bin ich vester hoff nung, Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, werden solch mein gehabte arbeith, als were die noch meinem willen volbrecht, gnediglich vff vnd ahn nhemen, wie dhan solches werlich auß einem Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, zu allen muglichen diensten, In vnderthenigkeit ergebnem hertzen gefl ossen, Eure, Fürstliche, Gnaden, mich als ein getrewen thiner hiemit hochstes vleiß In gnaden befelhendt. Datum 7 Marty
Your Princely Grace
Subservient, Obedient, Willing,
Joachim Meyer
Frey Fechter
Munich Manuscript · fol. IVv.2