EPEE, CHARLES-MICHEL, ABBE DE If (1712-1789), French educationist famous for his work on behalf of the deaf and dumb, was born at Paris on Nov. 25, 1712, being the son of the king's architect. He became a canon of Troyes, but was deprived of his ecclesiastical functions on account of his Jansenist leanings. He then began to instruct two deaf mutes. The Spaniard Pereira was then in Paris, and it has been affirmed that it was from him that Epee obtained his manual alphabet. In any case there can be no doubt that he attained far greater success than Pereira or any of his predecessors, and that the whole system now fol lowed in the instruction of deaf mutes virtually owes its origin to his intelligence and devotion. In 1755 he founded at his own expense a school for deaf mutes, which afterwards was succeeded by the "Institution Nationale des Sourds Muets a Paris," founded by the National Assembly in 1791. He died on Dec. He wrote La Veritable Maniere d'instruire les sourds et muets, confirmee par une longue experience (1784). His Dictionnaire general des signes was completed by his successor the abbe Sicard.
is a weapon still used in France for duelling and there and elsewhere (blunted, of course) for exercise and amusement in fencing. It has a sharp-pointed blade, about 35in. long, without any cutting edge, and the guard, or shell is bowl-shaped, having its convexity towards the point. The epee is the modern representative of the small-sword, and both are dis tinguished from the older rapier, by being several inches shorter and much lighter in weight. The small-sword (called thus in opposition to the heavy cavalry broadsword), was worn by gentle men in full dress throughout the 18th century, and it still sur vives in the modern English court costume.
Methods of foil-fencing after the introduction of the fencing mask are described in the article. Jacob, a Parisian fencing master, was the first to establish in the last quarter of the 1 gth century a definite method of the epee, which differed essentially from all its forerunners. He was soon followed by Baudry, Spinnewyn, Laurent and Ayat. The methods of the four first named, not differing much inter se, are based on the perception that in the real sword fight, where hits are effective on all parts of the person, the "classical" bent-arm guard, with the foil inclining upwards, is hopelessly bad. It offers a tempting mark in the exposed sword-arm itself, while the point requires a movement to bring it in line for the attack, which involves a fatal loss of time. The epee is really in the nature of a short lance held in one hand, and for both rapidity and precision of attack, as well as for the defence of the sword-arm and the 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 direct lunge at the body is impossible, except at the risk of a mutual or double 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 at tack usually involves an initial forward movement. Beats and binds of the blade, with retreats of the body, or counter attacks with opposition, replace the old foil-parries in most instances, ex cept at close quarters. And much of the offensive is reduced to thrusts at the wrist or forearm, intended to disable without seri ously wounding the adversary. The direct lunge (coup-droit) at the body often succeeds in tournaments, but usually at the cost of a counter hit, which 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 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 them selves discovered new ways of attacking with comparative safety, and at the present day a complete epee-player is master of a large variety of 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 was J. Joseph-Renaud, a consummate swordsman, who had also been a champion foil-player. Lucien Gaudin, Alibert and Ed mond Wallace may be also mentioned as among the most skilful amateurs, Albert Ayat and L. Bouche as professors—all of Paris. Belgium, Italy and England have also produced epeists quite of the first 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 corners.
In considering the epee from a British point of view, it may be mentioned that it was first introduced publicly in London by C. Newton-Robinson at an important assault-at-arms held in the Steinway Hall on May 4, 1 goo. Professor Spinnewyn was the prin cipal demonstrator, with his pupil, the late Willy Sulzbacher. The next day was held at the Inns of Court R. V. School of Arms, Lincoln's Inn, the first English open epee tournament for ama teurs. It was won by W. Sulzbacher, C. Newton-Robinson being second, and Paul Ettlinger, a French resident in London, third. This was immediately followed by the institution of the Epee Club of London, which, under the successive presidencies of a veteran swordsman, Sir Edward Jenkinson, and of Lord Desbor ough, subsequently held annual open international tournaments. In 1906, the Amateur Fencing Association recognized the best placed Englishman, Edgar Seligman (the actual winner), as the English epee champion.
Epee practice became popular among Belgian and Dutch fencers about the same time as in England, and this made it possible to set on foot international team-contests for amateurs, which have done much to promote good feeling and acquaintance ship among swordsmen of several countries. In 1 go3 a series of international matches between teams of six was inaugurated in Paris. Up to the year 1909 the French team uniformly won the first place, with Belgium or England second. 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 Athens, to compete in the international match at the Olympic games. After defeating the Germans rather easily, the team opposed and worsted the Bel gians. It thus found itself matched against the French in the final, the 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. In fighting off the tie, however, the French were awarded the first prize.
In the Olympic games of London, 19o8, the Epee International Individual Tournament was won by Alibert (France), but Mont gomerie, Haig and Holt (England), took the 4th, 5th and 8th places in the final pool. In the International Team competition the English representatives, Daniell, Haig, Holt, Montgomerie and Amphlett, took second place to the French. Egerton Castle was captain of the English team.
The method of ascertaining the victor in epee tournaments as indeed with all three weapons, 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 round, and so on until a small number are left for a final pool, the victor in which is the winner of the tournament.
An average epee weighs, complete, about a pound and a half, while a foil weighs approximately one-third less. The epee blade is triangular in section and almost exactly like that of the old small-sword after the abandonment of the colichemarde form, in which the forte of the blade was greatly thickened. In length from guard or shell to point it measures about 35in., and in width at the shell about i din. From this it gradually and regularly tapers to the point. There is no cutting edge. The side of the epee which is usually held uppermost is slightly concave, the other is strengthened with a midrib, nearly equal in thickness and similar in shape to either half of the true blade. The mate rial is tempered steel. There is a haft or tang about Bin. long, which is pushed through a circular guard or shell (coquille) of convex form, the diameter of which is normally Sin. and the convexity On. The shell is of steel or aluminium, and if of the latter metal, sometimes fortified at the centre with a disk of steel the size of a crown piece. The insertion of the haft or tang through the shell may be either central or eccentric to the extent of about 'in., for 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 yin. in length and of quadrangular section, which is made of tough wood covered with leather, india-rubber, wound cord or other strong material with a rough surface. The grip is somewhat wider than its vertical thick ness when held in the usual way, and it diminishes gradually from shell to 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 counter balance. The end of the haft is riveted through it, except in the 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 iin. in advance of the shell, it is in equilibrium.
For practice, the point is blunted to resemble the flat head of a nail, and is made still more incapable of penetration by winding around it a small ball of waxed thread, such as cobblers use. This is called the "button." In competitions various forms of boutons marqueurs, all of which are unsatisfactory, are occasionally used. The Pointe d'arret, like a small 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 nth of an inch from the button. There are several kinds of pointes d'arret. The best is called, after its inventor, the "Leon Sazie," and has three blunt points of hardened steel each slightly eccentric. 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 glove on the sword hand. It is necessary to wear strong clothes and to pad the jacket and trousers at the most exposed parts, in case the blade should break unnoticed. A vul nerable spot is just under the sword-arm.
The epee has been popularized not only in London and at the provincial Salles, it has even spread to the villages. Thanks to Mr. W. Godden, a veteran international fencer, a club for village lads was started in Buckinghamshire in 1926, and aroused much local enthusiasm. All the London hospitals have clubs, which fight with all three weapons, but specialize in epee play.
One feature of epee fencing which has arisen in latter years is to be deplored. Assaults with that weapon are now decided in international events by two hits out of three instead of by a single hit. There appear to be three good and sufficient arguments against this practice : (a) where the target is the whole body, such concentration is required that a single hit is quite sufficient to determine the issue; (b) the knowledge that a single hit is not fatal tends to carelessness over the first hit; (c) a fencer who has won the first hit can win the encounter equally with a good second hit or a coup double, and anything which tends to exploit the coup double is much to be deprecated.
The principal epee events held annually in London, in addition to the Amateur are the Epee competition of the Amateur Fencing Association, corresponding to the Foil competi tion, which is limited to fencers who have never reached the final pool of the Epée championship, nor competed in an international match, and the inter-Salle competition with teams of four for the Savage Shield. Epee Champions since 1922 are : 1922 G. M. Burt 193o Hon. I. D. Campbell 1923 M. D. V. Holt Gray 1924 C. H. Biscoe 193' B. Childs 1925 Major C. B. Notley 1932 Hon. I. D. Campbell 1926 Hon. I. D. Campbell- Gray Gray '34 A. E. Pelling 1927 Major C. B. Notley 1935 Hon. I. D. Campbell 1928 B. Childs Gray 1929 L. V. Fildes 1936 C. L. de Beaumont (See also FENCING.) (C. E. N. R.; A. R. H.)