The lansquenette appears in the sixteenth century. It is a weapon about two and a half feet long, by two inches broad. The blade is broad and double-edged, and the grip thick and surmounted by a pommel. There is usually a counter-guard of two rings. [Illustration: GERMAN. SPANISH. ITALIAN. Fig. 45.--Rapiers.] The mediæval estoc is a long, narrow stabbing sword of French origin. It was often used in tournaments, and is sometimes two-handed like the real claymore; it is a horseman’s weapon. The English broadsword appears in the reign of Edward VI.; both it and the cutlass are somewhat heavy and unwieldy. Fencing is a purely European invention, and the time had now arrived when it had become more of a fine art, though still in its early stage; and this cause, more than anything else, brought about the general use of the rapier and small sword. The rapier is a sword with a great variety of guards, or with the basket hilt, either solid or perforated, and straight or curved quillons; it was introduced into England by Philip II., but appeared in Spain in the complex form during the preceding reign. This weapon has sharp edges, is grooved, and sometimes strengthened by a sharp central ridge. It was used mostly for thrusting, but not to the complete exclusion of cutting. The two-edged rapier is a military sword, but not useful for the _mêlée_, being more suitable for single combat in any form. Duels were sometimes fought with the rapier alone, but oftener with the rapier and main-gauche, the latter held in the left hand. Why the main-gauche should be specially named as left-handed is impossible to understand. Another form was with the rapier and a cloak, the latter being held in the dagger-hand. Examples of German, Spanish, and Italian rapiers are given in Fig. 45. Sir Frederick Pollock, Bart., in his admirable monograph, _The Forms and History of the Sword_, quotes George Silver (1599), the father of English broadsword play, who speaks of “that mischievous and imperfect weapon (the rapier) which serves to kill our friends in peace, but cannot much hurt our foes in war.” The small sword came into general use towards the close of the seventeenth century, and it had almost entirely superseded the two-edged lengthier and heavier rapier when the eighteenth century was in its second quarter. The duelling sword and rapier are often confounded with each other, but the former was used mostly for thrusting only, while the latter was more adapted for a cutting stroke, although still a weapon more for thrusting than cutting. The elaborate Spanish hilts were followed in the seventeenth century by the shell guard for duelling, and a hilt much lighter than before for military purposes.