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EPEE

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Originally appearing in Volume V09, Page 669 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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EPEE , See also:

CHARLES-See also:MICHEL, See also:ABBE DE L' (1712-1789), celebrated for his labours in behalf of the See also:deaf and dumb, was See also:born at See also:Paris on the 25th of See also:November 1712, being the son of the See also:king's architect. He studied for the See also:church, but having declined to sign a religious See also:formula opposed to the doctrines of the Jansenists, he was denied ordination by the See also:bishop of his See also:diocese. He then devoted himself to the study of See also:law; but about the See also:time of his See also:admission to the See also:bar of Paris, the bishop of See also:Troyes granted him ordination, and offered him a canonry in his See also:cathedral. This bishop died soon after, and the abbe, coming to Paris, was, on See also:account of his relations with Soanen, the famous Jansenist, deprived of his ecclesiastical functions by the See also:archbishop of See also:Beaumont. About the same time it happened that he heard of two deaf mutes whom a See also:priest lately dead had been endeavouring to instruct, and he offered to take his See also:place. The Spaniard Pereira was then in Paris, exhibiting the results he had obtained in the See also:education of deaf mutes; and it has been affirmed that it was from him that Epee obtained his See also:manual See also:alphabet. The abbe, however, affirmed that he knew nothing of Pereira's method; and whether he did or not, there can be no doubt that he attained far greater success than Pereira or any of his predecessors, and that the whole See also:system now followed in the instruction of deaf mutes virtually owes its origin to his intelligence and devotion. In 1755 he founded, for this beneficent purpose, a school which he supported at his own expense until his See also:death, and which afterwards was succeeded by the " Institution Nationale See also:des Sourds Muets a Paris," founded by the See also:National See also:Assembly in 1791. He died on the 23rd of See also:December 1789. In 1838 a See also:bronze See also:monument was erected over his See also:grave in the church of See also:Saint See also:Roch. He published various books on his method of instruction, but that published in 1784 virtually supersedes all others. It is entitled La Veritable Maniere d'instruire See also:les sourds et muets, confirmee See also:par une longue experience.

He also began a Dictionnaire See also:

general des signes, which was completed by his successor, the abbe See also:Sicard. EPEE-DE-COMBAT, a weapon still used in See also:France for See also:duel-See also:ling, and there and elsewhere (blunted, of course) for exercise and amusement in See also:fencing (q.v.). It has a See also:sharp-pointed blade, about 35 in. See also:long, without any cutting edge, and the guard, or See also:shell, is bowl-shaped, having its convexity towards the point. The epee is the See also:modern representative of the small-See also:sword, and both are distinguished from the older See also:rapier, mainly by being several inches shorter and much lighter in See also:weight. The small-sword (called thus in opposition to the heavy See also:cavalry broadsword), was worn by gentlemen in full See also:dress throughout the 18th See also:century, and it still survives in the modern See also:English See also:court See also:costume. Fencing practice was originally carried on without the See also:protection of any See also:mask for the See also:face. See also:Wire masks were not in-vented till near 1780 by a famous fencing-See also:master, La Boessiere the See also:elder, and did not come into general use until much later. Consequently, in See also:order&to avoid dangerous accidents to the face, and especially the eyes, it was long the rigorous See also:etiquette of the fencing-See also:room that the point should always be kept See also:low. In the 17th century a Scottish nobleman, who had procured the assassination of a fencing-master in revenge for having had one of his eyes destroyed by the latter at sword-See also:play, pleaded on his trial for See also:murder that it was the See also:custom to " spare the face." See also:Rowlandson's well-known See also:drawing of a fencing bout, dated 1787, shows two accomplished amateurs making a See also:foil See also:assault without masks, while in the background a less practised one is having a wire mask tied on. For greater safety the See also:convention was very See also:early arrived at that no hits should See also:count in a fencing-bout except those landing on the See also:breast. Thus sword-play soon became so unpractical as to lose much of its value as a training for See also:war or the duel. For, hits with " sharps " take effect wherever they are made, and many an See also:expert fencer.of the old school has been seriously wounded, or lost his See also:life in a duel, through forgetting that very See also:simple fact.

Strangely enough, when masks began to be generally worn, and the fleuret (anglice, " foil," a cheap and See also:

light substitute for the real epee) was invented, fencing practice became gradually even more conventional than before. No one seems to have understood that with masks all the conventions could be safely done away with, See also:root and See also:branch, and sword-practice might assume all the semblance of reality. Nevertheless it should be clearly recognized that the basis of modern foil-fencing was laid with the epee or small-sword alone, in and before the days of Angelo, of Danet, and the famous See also:chevalier de St See also:George, whowere among the first to adopt the f euret also. All the illustrious . See also:French professors who came after them, such as La Boessiere the younger, Lafaugere, See also:Jean See also:Louis, Cordelois, Grisier, See also:Bertrand and See also:Robert, with amateurs like the See also:baron d Ezpeleta, were foil-players pure and simple, whose reputations were gained before the modern epee play had any recognized status. It was reserved for See also:Jacob, a Parisian fencing-master, to establish in the last See also:quarter of the 19th century a definite method of the epee, which differed essentially from all its forerunners. He was soon followed by See also:Baudry, Spinnewyn, See also:Laurent and Ayat. The methods of the four first-named, not differing much inter se, are based on the See also:perception that in the real sword fight, where hits are effective on all parts of the See also:person, the classical " See also:bent-See also:arm guard, with the foil inclining upwards, is hopelessly See also:bad. It offers a tempting See also:mark in the exposed sword-arm itself, while the point requires a See also:movement to bring it in See also:line for the attack, which involves a fatal loss of time. The epee is really in the nature of a See also:short See also:lance held in one See also:hand; and for both rapidity and precision of attack, as well as for the See also:defence of the sword-arm and the See also:body behind it, a position of guard with the arm almost fully extended, and epee in line with the forearm, is far the safest. Against this guard the See also:direct See also:lunge at the body is impossible, except at the See also:risk of a mutual or See also:double See also:hit (le coup des deux veuves). No safe attack at the face or body can be made without first binding or beating, opposing or evading the adverse blade, and such an attack usually involves an initial forward movement.

Beats and binds of the blade, with retreats of the body, or See also:

counter attacks with opposition, replace the old foil-parries in most instances, except at See also:close quarters. And much of the offensive is reduced to thrusts at the See also:wrist or forearm, intended to disable without ,seriously wounding the adversary. The direct lunge (coup-See also:droit) at the body often succeeds in tournaments, but usually at the cost of a counter hit, which, though later in time, would be fatal with sharp weapons. Ayat's method, as might be expected from a first-class foil-player, is less simple. Indeed for years, too See also:great simplicity marked the most successful 'epee-play, because it usually gained its most conspicuous victories over those who attempted a foil defence, and whose practice gave them no safe strokes for an attack upon the extended blade. But by degrees the epeists themselves discovered new ways of attacking with See also:comparative safety, and at the See also:present See also:day a See also:complete epee-player is master of a large variety of attractive as well as 'scientific movements, both of attack and defence. It was mainly by amateurs that this development was achieved. Perhaps the most conspicuous representative of the new school is J. See also:Joseph-Renaud, a consummate swordsman, who has also been a See also:champion foil-player. Lucien Gaudin, Alibert and Edmond See also:Wallace may be also mentioned as among the most skilful amateurs, See also:Albert Ayat and L. Bouche as professors—all of Paris. See also:Belgium, See also:Italy and See also:England have also produced 'epeists quite of the first See also:rank The epee lends itself to competition far better than the foil, and the revival of the small-sword soon gave rise in France to " pools " and " tournaments " in which there was the keenest rivalry between all comers.

In considering the epee from a See also:

British point of view, it may be mentioned that it was first introduced publicly in See also:London by C. See also:Newton-See also:Robinson at an important assault-at-arms held in the Steinway See also:Hall on the 4th May 1900. See also:Professor Spinnewyn was the See also:principal demonstrator,' with his See also:pupil, the See also:late Willy Sulzbacher. The next day was held at the Inns of Court R. V. School of Arms, See also:Lincoln's See also:Inn, the first English open epee See also:tournament for amateurs. It was won by W. Sulzbacher, C. Newton Robinson being second, and See also:Paul Ettlinger, a French See also:resident in London, third. This was immediately followed by the institution of the Epee See also:Club of London, which, under the successive residencies of a See also:veteran swordsman, See also:Sir See also:Edward Jenkinson, and of See also:Lord See also:Desborough, subsequently held See also:annual open See also:international tournaments. The winners were: in 1901, Willy Sulzbacher; 1902, Robert See also:Montgomerie; 1903, the See also:marquis de Chasseloup-Laubat; 1904, J. J.-Renaud; 1905, R.

Montgomerie. In 1go6 the See also:

Amateur Fencing Association for the first time recognized the best-placed Englishman, See also:Edgar See also:Seligman (who was the actual winner), as the English epee champion. In 1907 R. Montgomerie was again the winner, in 19o8 C. L. See also:Daniell, in 1909 R. Montgomerie. Among the most active of the English amateurs who were the earliest to perceive the wonderful possibilities of epee-play, it is right to mention See also:Captain See also:Hutton, Lord Desborough, Sir Cosmo See also:Duff-See also:Gordon, See also:Bart., Sir Charles See also:Dilke, Bart., Lord See also:Howard de See also:Walden, See also:Egerton See also:Castle, A. S. See also:Cope, R.A., W. H. C.

See also:

Staveley, C. F. See also:Clay, Lord See also:Morpeth, Evan See also:James, Paul King, J. B. Cunliffe, See also:John Norbury, Jr., See also:Theodore A. See also:Cook, John Jenkinson, R. Montgomerie, S. See also:Martineau, E. B. Milnes, H. J. Law, R.

See also:

Merivale, the Marquis of Dufferin, See also:Hugh See also:Pollock, R. W. Doyne, A. G. See also:Ross, the Hon. Ivor See also:Guest and See also:Henry See also:Balfour. Among See also:foreign amateurs who did most to promote the use of the epee in England were Messrs P. Ettlinger, Anatole Paroissien, J. Joseph-Renaud, W. Sulzbacher, Rene See also:Lacroix, H. G. Berger and the Marquis 'de Chasseloup-Laubat.

Epee practice became popular among Belgian and Dutch fencers about the same time as in England, and this made it possible to set on See also:

foot international team-contests for amateurs, which have done much to promote See also:good feeling and acquaintance-See also:ship among swordsmen of several countries. In 1903 a See also:series of international matches between teams of six was inaugurated in Paris. Up to 19o9 the French team uniformly won the first place, with Belgium or England second. English fencers who were members of these international teams were Lord Desborough, Theodore A. Cook, Bowden, See also:Cecil Haig, J. Norbury, Jr., R. Montgomerie, John Jenkinson, F. Townsend, W. H. C. Staveley, S. Martineau, C.

L. Daniell, W. Godden, Captain Haig, M. D. V. See also:

Holt, Edgar Seligman, C. Newton-Robinson, A. V. See also:Buckland, P. M. Dayson, E. M.

Amphlett and L. V. See also:

Fildes. In 1906 a British epee team of four, consisting of Lord Desborough, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, Bart., Edgar Seligman and C. Newton-Robinson, with Lord Howard de Walden and Theodore Cook as reserves (the latter acting as captain of the team), went to See also:Athens to compete in the international match at the Olympic See also:games. After defeating the Germans rather easily, the team opposed and worsted the Belgians. It thus found itself matched against the French in the final, the See also:Greek team having been beaten by the French and the Dutch eliminated by the Belgians. After a very close fight the result was officially declared a tie. This was the first occasion upon which an English fencing team had encountered a French one of the first rank upon even terms. In fighting off the tie, however, the French were awarded the first See also:prize and the Englishmen the second. In the Olympic games of London, 19o8, the Epee International Individual Tournament was won by Alibert (France), but Montgomerie, Haig and Holt (England) took the 4th, 5th, and 8th places in the final See also:pool. The result of the International Team competition was also very creditable to the English representatives, Daniell, Haig, Holt, Montgomerie and Amphlett, who by defeating the Dutch, Germans, Danes and Belgians took second place to the French.

Egerton Castle was captain of the English team. In open International Tournaments on the See also:

Continent, English epeists have also been coming to the front. None had won such a competition up to 1909 outright, but the following had reached the final pool: C. Newton-Robinson, See also:Brussels, Igor (loth), See also:Etretat, 1904 (6th); E. Seligman, See also:Copenhagen, 1907 (znd), and Paris, 1909 (12th); R. Montgomerie, Paris, 1909 (5th); and E. M. Amphlett, Paris, 1909 (loth). The method of ascertaining the See also:victor in epee " tournaments " is by dividing the competitors into " pools," usually of six or eight fencers. Each of these fights an assault for first hit only, with every other member of the same pool, and he who is least often hit, or not at all, is returned the winner. If the competitors are numerous, fresh pools are formed out of the first two, three or four in each pool of the preliminary See also:round, and so on, until asmall number are See also:left in for a final pool, the winner of which is the victor of the tournament. Epee fencing can be, and often is, conducted indoors, but one of its attractions consists in its fitness for open-See also:air practice in pleasant gardens.

In the use of the epee the most essential points are (1) the position of the sword-arm, which, whether fully extended or not, should always be so placed as to ensure the protection of the wrist, forearm and See also:

elbow from direct thrusts, by the intervention of the guard or shell; (2) readiness of the legs for instant advance or See also:retreat; and (3) the way in which the weapon is held, the best position (though hard to acquire and maintain) being that adopted by J. J. Renaud with the fingers over the grip, so that a downward See also:beat does not easily disarm. The play of individuals is determined by their respective temperaments and See also:physical See also:powers. But every fencer should be always ready to deliver a well-aimed, See also:swift, direct thrust at any exposed See also:part of the antagonist's arm, his mask or thigh. Very tall men, who are usually not particularly See also:quick on their legs, should not as a See also:rule attack, otherwise than by direct thrusts, when matched against shorter men. For if they merely extend their sword-arm in response to a simple attack, their longer reach will See also:ward it off with a stop or counter-thrust. Short men can only attack them safely by beating, binding, grazing, pressing or evading the blade, and the taller fencers must be prepared with all the well-known parries and counters to such offensive movements, as well as with the stop-thrust to be made either with advancing opposition or with a retreat. Fencers of small stature must be exceedingly quick on their feet, unless they possess the See also:art of parrying to perfection, and even then, if slow to shift ground, they will continually be in danger. With plenty of room, the quick mover can always choose the moment when he will be within distance, for an attack which his slower opponent will be always fearing and unable to prevent or anticipate. It is desirable to put on See also:record the modern See also:form of the weapon. An See also:average epee weighs, complete, about a See also:pound and a See also:half, while a foil weighs approximately one-third less.

The epee blade is exactly like that of the old small-sword after the See also:

abandonment of the " colichemarde " form, in which the " forte" of the blade was greatly thickened. In length from guard or shell to point it See also:measures about 35 in., and in width at the shell about the of an See also:inch. From this it gradually and regularly tapers to the point. There is no cutting edge. The See also:side of the epee which is usually held uppermost is slightly See also:concave, the other is strengthened with a midrib, nearly equal in thickness and similar in shape to either half of the true blade. The material is tempered See also:steel. There is a haft or tang about 8 in. long, which is pushed through a circular guard or shell (" coquille ") of See also:convex form, the See also:diameter of which is normally 5 in. and the convexity 11 in. The shell is of steel or See also:aluminium, and if of the latter See also:metal, sometimes fortified at the centre with a disk of steel the See also:size of a See also:crown piece. The insertion of the haft or tang through the shell may be either central or excentric to the extent of about r in., for the better protection of the outside of the forearm. After passing through the shell, the haft of the blade is inserted in a grip or handle (" poignet "), averaging 7 in. in length and of quadrangular See also:section, which is made of tough See also:wood covered with See also:leather, See also:india-See also:rubber, See also:wound See also:cord or other strong material with a rough See also:surface. The grip is somewhat wider than its See also:vertical thickness when held in the usual way, and it diminishes gradually from shell to See also:pommel for convenience of holding. It should have a slight lateral curvature, so that in executing circular movements the pommel is kept clear of the wrist.

The pommel, usually of steel, is roughly spherical or eight-sided, and serves as a counterbalance. The end of the haft is riveted through it, except, in the See also:

case of " epees demontables," which are the most convenient, as a blade may be changed by simply unscrewing or unlocking the pommel. An epee is well balanced and light in hand when, on poising the blade across the forefinger, about i in. in advance of the shell, it is in See also:equilibrium. For practice, the point is blunted to resemble the See also:flat See also:head of a See also:nail, and is made still more incapable of penetration by winding around it a small See also:ball of waxed See also:thread, such as cobblers use. This is called the " See also:button." In competitions various forms of " boutons marqueurs," all of which are unsatisfactory, are occasionally used. The " Pointe d'arret," like a small See also:tin-tack placed head downwards on the flattened point of the epee, and fastened on by means of the waxed thread, is, on the contrary, most useful, by fixing in the clothes, to show where and when a good hit has been made. The point need only protrude about ligth of an inch from the button. There are several kinds of pointes d'arret. The best is called, after its inventor, the " See also:Leon Sazie," and has three See also:blunt points of hardened steel each slightly excentric. The single point is sometimes prevented by the thickness of the button from scoring a good hit. A mask of wire netting is used to protect the face, and a stout See also:glove on the sword hand. It is necessary to See also:wear strong clothes and to See also:pad the jacket and See also:trousers at the most exposed parts, in case the blade should break unnoticed.

A vulnerable spot, which ought to be specially padded, is just under the sword-arm. More modern are: Traite de l'art des armes, by la Boessiere, Jr. (Paris, 1818); Les Armes et le duel, by A. Grisier (2nd ed., Paris, 1847) ; Les Secrets de l'epee, by the baron de Bazancourt (Paris, 1862); See also:

Schools and Masters of Fence, by Egerton Castle (London, 1885) ; Le Jeu de l'epee, by J. Jacob and Emil See also:Andre (Paris, 1887) ; L'Escrime pratique au XIX' siecle, by Ambroise Baudry (Paris) ; L'Escrime a l' epee, by A. Spinnewyn and Paul Manonry (Paris, 1898) ; The Sword and the Centuries, by Captain Hutton (London,1901) ; "The Revival of the Small-sword," by C. Newton-Robinson, in the Nineteenth Century and After (London, See also:January 19o5); Nouveau Traite de l'epee, by Dr See also:Edom, privately published (Paris, 1908) ; and, most important of all, Methode d'escrime a l'epee, by J. Joseph-Renaud, privately published (Paris, 1909). . (C. E. N.

End of Article: EPEE

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