THERE AREFOUR SPECIAL MARKS TO KNOW THE ITALIAN FIGHT IS IMPERFECT, AND THAT THE ITALIANTEACHERS AND SETTERS-FORTH OF BOOKS OF DEFENCE, NEVER HAD THE PERFECTION OF THETRUE FIGHT. 義大利的劍術並不完美，並且義大利的兵擊教頭們、乃至那些一口咬定兵擊教典裡的內容的傢伙們，他們從未掌握過真正的劍術。共有四種跡象揭示了這一事實。
The first mark is, theyseldom fight in their own country unarmed, commonly in this sort, a pair ofgauntlets upon their hands, and a good shirt of mail upon their bodies. (Yetthey persuade us that the cross of the rapier without hilt or gauntlet issufficient.)
第一條跡象，乃他們從未在自己的國度裡無甲作戰。通常來說，他們的雙手都戴著手套，他們的軀幹也有一件很好的鎖子甲保護著（然而，他們卻說服我們迅捷劍的十字劍格就足以保護手部，而籠手和手套是多餘的）。
Thesecond mark is, that neither the Italian nor any of their best scholars donever fight, but they are most commonly sore hurt, or one or both of themslain.
第二條跡象，乃義大利人亦或他們最好的學者從不親自打鬥。然而他們卻常常受傷，或者死一個，或者乾脆二人雙雙暴斃。
The third mark is, they neverteach their scholars, nor set down in their books any perfect length of theirweapons, without which no man can by nature or art against the perfect lengthfight safe, for being too short, their times are too long, and spaces too widefor their defence, and being too long, they will be uponevery cross that shall happen to be made, whether it shall be done by skill orchance, in great danger of death, because the rapier being too long, the crosscannot be undone in due time, but may be done by going back with the feet,but that time is always too long to answer the time of the hand, thereforeevery man ought to have a weapon according to his own stature, the tall manmust have his sword longer than the man of mean stature, else he has wrong inhis defence, and the man of mean stature must have his weapon longer than theman of small stature, else he has wrong in his defence, and the man of smallstature must beware he does not feed himself with this vainconceit, that he will have his weapon long, to reach as far as the tallman, for therein he shall have great disadvantage, both with the making of astrong cross, and also in uncrossing again, and in keeping his point fromcrossing, and when a cross is made upon him, to defend himself, or in dangerhis enemy, or to redeem his lost times. Again, rapiers longer than isconvenient to accord with the true statures of men are always too long or tooheavy to keep their bodies in due time from the cross of the light short swordof perfect length, the which being made by the skillfulout of any of the four true times, upon any of the four chief actions, byreason of the uncertainty and great swiftness in any of these times, theyare in great danger of a blow, or of a thrust in the hand, arm, head, or face,and in every true cross in the uncrossing, in great danger of a blow upon thehead, or full thrust in the body or face, and being taken in that time andplace, the first mover in uncrossing speeds the rapier man of imperfect length,whether it is too long, too short or too heavy, and goes free himself by thedirection of his governors.
第三條跡象，乃他們的學者從未教授他們的武器的最佳長度。他們的書中也從未提及這一點。須知，如若不知道自己武器的最佳長度的話，人們就絕無可能掌握戰鬥中的安全距離，靠天賦或靠學習都不行。若是武器太短，他們的兵擊裡露出的空隙就太大，一拍的時間又太長；若武器過長，他們就會在每一次可能交劍的機會交劍，無論是對手靠高超的技巧亦或是碰巧造成的交劍機會，都會有致人於死地的危險。因為，如果迅捷劍太長，人就無法在必要的時間內解除交劍。或許他可以通過後退一步來解除交劍，但是撤步的時間對於配合、回應手部的時間來說，還是太長了。因此，每個人都應當有適合自己體型的武器。高個子的劍應當比矮個子更長，若不然，他的兵擊就是錯誤的。矮個子的人也應留心自己別被此種虛榮的自負衝昏了頭，他不應該試圖在武器的長度上追上高個子。如果這樣的話，他就將陷入極大的劣勢。他既不能在開始交劍或解除交劍進攻時保持優勢，也不能在交劍過程中保持自己的身體姿態平衡。他在別人和他交劍時、保護自己時，或是試圖置敵人於危險中時，抑或是死前救贖自己失去的時間時都無法佔有優勢。我重申，若是一把迅捷劍超出了對於人的體型方便的程度，那麼和重量合適、長度合適的短劍相比，它對人要麼太長，要麼太重。人絕無可能拿著這樣的迅捷劍還能在必要的交劍時間內保持自己的身體姿態。而短劍，乃是由四種真時間之中任一的精湛技藝精煉而成。在做出四種主要動作任一之時，藉由其時間的迅速和虛實不辨，短劍可以靠著一記攻擊造成極大的危機。短劍可以刺擊對手的手部、胳臂、頭部、臉部。在每一次交劍和解除交劍時，都可以砍擊對手的頭部、全力刺擊軀幹或是臉部。在彼時彼刻，在交劍中動作更快的人，不管是因為迅捷劍太長、太短還是太重，都將會比迅捷劍客更迅速，且能遵循自己受到的教導讓自己全身而退。
The fourth mark is, thecrosses of their rapiers for true defence of their hands is imperfect, for thetrue carriage of the guardant fight, without which all fights are imperfect.
第四條跡象，乃迅捷劍對手部真正的防護並不完美。因為對於所有的兵擊來說，若沒有對手部真正的防護，則絕無完美可言。