eize the Enemy's Sword, bringing yours from under over,
and advancing the Left-foot to the Side of the Right, you draw back the
Right presenting the Point. You must take notice, that in a Pass in
_Quarte_ with it's Joining, there are but three Steps, and that in the
Passes in _Tierce_ and _Seconde_ there are four. The first, passing the
Left-foot before the Right; the second, advancing the Right to seize the
Sword; the third, bringing up the Left-foot a little, and the fourth,
bringing back the Right, presenting the Point.

In order to avoid, and to hit the Enemy on his Pass, besides parrying
and pushing strait, as in the Thrust lunged in _Seconde_, in the 6th
Plate, you may also make a strait Thrust, opposing with the Left-hand,
or by volting, as is shewn in the Cut of the 10th Plate.

Tho' a Pass carries along with it, as I have observed, a greater
Extension and Swiftness than a Lunge, yet as you cannot recover from it,
it should be seldom practised, especially if you are not the strongest,
or able in three attacks to hit twice, there being nothing more
disagreeable to the Sight than to see several Passes made without
hitting. But it is otherwise in Lunges, by reason of the Liberty of
recovering and parrying.

Passes were more used formerly than they are now, whether it was to
endeavour to bring them to Perfection, or because it has been found that
this Sort of Play was not so sure.

CHAP. XVII.

_Of volting the Body._

The Volting of the Body, which many People call _Quarting_, shou'd never
be done but at times when you are abandoned, as in Case of Lunges or on
an Engagement of Feint in Disorder, of when finding yourself so
disordered as not being able to parry, you must of necessity have
recourse to volting in order to avoid the Thrust; but to do it at an
improper time, as some do, is very dangerous, by reason of the Facility
of parrying it, it being a Figure in Fencing which gives the least
Strength, Extention, of Swiftness to a Thrust; besides that presenting
the Flank and Small of the Back, the Adversary, in order to hit these
Parts, has nothing to do but parry with his point a little within and
low.

In volting you must begin with the Arms and Left-foot, by whose
Assistance you turn the body; the Hands shou'd turn in _Quarte_, the
Right as in a Lunge or Pass, and the Left more without; you must at the
same time turn upon the Point of the Right-foot, bringing the Heel
outwards, and the Left-foot