Angelo Vizani Dal MontoneTrattato dello Schermo 1575.pdf

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TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION

The following is a translation of the introductory portions and Part Three (of three) of Lo

Schermo d’Angelo Viggiani … into English. I have worked chiefly from a facsimile of the

1575 edition, obtained from Dr. Patri Pugliese, with reference to a copy in the Royal

Swedish Armoury to provide legibility for page 66R. As is stated in the second

dedication of the text, Angelo Viggiani entrusted the book to his brother Battista with the

stipulation that it not be presented until 15 years after Angelo’s death. Dr. Sydney

Anglo notes in The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe , p.332, n.19, that a copy exists

of the manuscript in which Battista’s dedication is dated Oct. 10, 1567, and Angelo’s

May 15, 1551.

As has been claimed often, and, in my opinion, justifiably, Parts One and Two contain

relatively little of interest to the practical student of historical fence. Rather, they consist

of lengthy discourses over philosophical points surrounding topics such as the relative

merits of arms and letters, and the primacy of offense or defense based upon observation

of natural phenomena and theological metaphors. I will confess that I have not made

more than a token effort to read these sections (that is, only what was required to confirm

for myself the nature thereof). I am sure there is much there to merit scholarly attention;

my interest, however is solely in “the schermo ”, that is, the system of swordplay

advocated by Viggiani, and so it is to Part Three that I have directed my efforts.

The present translation should not be regarded as authoritative. I would do a disservice to

the reader were I to claim to be fluent in Italian; I taught myself to read the language from

a textbook, expressly for the purpose of translation of manuals of fence. I have been

aided in this endeavor by the use of John Florio’s A Worlde of Wordes, or Most copious

and exact Dictionarie in Italian and English (1598), which has clarified several phrases and

words which would have otherwise remained impenetrable. It must be borne in mind that

this translation is the work of an amateur. While I have labored to convey Viggiani’s

meanings correctly throughout, it seems unavoidable that I have in places failed.

Thankfully, the descriptions of action and motion (in which Viggiani is often remarkably

detailed) are the syntactically simplest portions of the text, and I hold hope that if I have

failed to properly convey some nuance of meaning, that I have nonetheless rendered the

schermo uncorrupted.

Before turning to the text of the translation, I must explain the structure of the notation

and conventions of translation that I have used.

1) Italian vocabulary has been presented in italics. I have been somewhat (perhaps

unavoidably) arbitrary in my choice of words left in the original. Names of guards and

blows I have left in the original, as they are effectively technical terminology. In regards

to blows, I have chosen to render “ intiero ” into English as “full” (e.g. a “full mandritto ”)

while leaving “ mezo ” (e.g. a “ mezo mandritto ”) in the original, as the former term is used

mainly for emphasis or clarification, as it is a default, while half blows constitute a

peculiar and distinct subspecies. “ Schermo ” has been left as is (except when Viggiani

clearly uses the modern meaning of “protection”), as no good English equivalent suggests

itself; “system of fence” seemed too awkward, and Florio’s “a fence” sounds too curt to

the modern ear in context. Likewise, although I have translated “ da filo ” as “edged” I have

chosen to leave “ spada da filo ” in the original, rather than literally render it as “edged

sword”. Some debate continues as to whether this indicates the weapon as a type as

opposed to merely meaning “sharp sword”. I choose to side with caution, rather than

invite comparison to di Grassi’s “I.G. gentleman”.

2) Superscript numbers at the beginning of lines refer to the corresponding marginalia.

These are no more than subject headings or summaries of the body of the text, and are

useful chiefly as an index. In the original, Viggiani restates the entire collection of

marginalia (of all three Parts) in alphabetical order (the “copiosissima Tavola ” referred to

on the title page), a system which I have found approximately useless. In this translation,

I have provided only the marginalia of Part Three, in numerical order as they occur, in the

place of the “ copiosissima Tavola ”; it is hoped that these will prove of utility to the

modern reader.

3) Bold numbers in brackets refer to the leaf number of the original text, to which is

appended “R” or “V”, referring to the recto or verso page of the said leaf, respectively.

4) Superscript lowercase letters refer to endnotes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are a number of people without whom this translation would have never occurred,

or been far more difficult. First, I am indebted to those long gone, namely Battista

Viggiani, for saving his brother’s work and seeing it to print; and John Florio, a

lexicographer of impressive skills, the more so for his day. I most gratefully acknowledge

Dr. Patri Pugliese, who has done the western martial arts community such an enormous

service, through making available facsimiles of this and many other period manuals.

Among my contemporary colleagues, the lion’s share of thanks goes to Gary Chelak,

Roger Siggs, and most especially William Wilson for initial inspiration by way of

example, and for sharing scholarship since that day. In addition, I thank them, and

Nathan Barnett, for helpful comments and questions on this translation. Vern Corson and

Henrik Andersson have my gratitude for providing me with a second copy of page 66R,

which was partially illegible in the copy from which I mainly worked. Finally, my

deepest gratitude is due to my wife, Kirsti: for tolerating a husband who spends most of

his free time researching antiquated means of depriving others of breath; for finding it

charming when he is enthralled by complete esoterica; and who manages to find it amusing

when he yells in foreign languages at men who have been dead for four centuries. Truly, I

am blessed.

W. Jherek Swanger

May, 2002

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