s ▁tract ▁with ▁the ▁" common ▁people ": ▁it ▁was ▁performed ▁at ▁London ' s ▁Red ▁Bull ▁Theatre , ▁which ▁had ▁a ▁popul ist ▁reputation . ▁ ▁F encing ▁manual ▁▁ ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 6 1 7 ▁f encing ▁treat ise , ▁The ▁Sch o ole ▁of ▁the ▁No ble ▁and ▁W orth y ▁Science ▁of ▁Def ence , ▁Joseph ▁Sw et nam ▁represents ▁himself ▁as ▁the ▁f encing ▁instruct or ▁for ▁the ▁then - de ce ased ▁Prince ▁Henry , ▁who , ▁after ▁having ▁read ▁the ▁treat ise , ▁ur ged ▁Sw et nam ▁to ▁print ▁it — acc ording ▁to ▁Sw et nam . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁record ▁of ▁his ▁employ ment ▁in ▁Henry ' s ▁service . ▁The ▁treat ise ▁itself ▁is ▁a ▁manual ▁detail ing ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁rap ier , ▁rap ier ▁and ▁d agger , ▁back s word , ▁sword ▁and ▁d agger , ▁and ▁quarter st aff , ▁pre fac ed ▁with ▁eleven ▁chap ters ▁of ▁moral ▁and ▁social ▁advice ▁rel ating ▁to ▁f encing , ▁self - def ence , ▁and ▁honour . ▁Sw et nam ▁claims ▁that ▁his ▁f encing ▁treat ise ▁is ▁" the ▁first ▁of ▁any ▁English - mans ▁in vention , ▁which ▁prof essed ▁the ▁say d ▁Science ". ▁ ▁Sw et nam ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁teaching ▁a ▁unique ▁series ▁of ▁special ▁gu ards ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁fore - hand ▁guard , ▁broad war de , ▁la zie ▁guard , ▁and ▁c ros se ▁guard ), ▁though ▁his