[lit-ideas] Re: Martis Defensio/Offesnsio: The Shield and the Arrow

 
"Here's a question for someone will good  access to a complete OED, something 
I don't have at present: why, or perhaps  more accurately, how was it that 
the word in English for the  thing that surrounds a field, yard or garden and 
the genteel play of  swords both came to be called "fencing"? Do they have 
things in common  or is this a coincidence?"
 
While no coincidence, and the OED allows for 'fence' being 
short for both _defense_ and _offense_. Although in  fencing a field (as 
opposed to fencing the sword) I cannot  see,
nor Helm will?, I cannot see how that can be offensive.  (But trust him to 
find a Spartan argument to the contrary)
 
The OED's entry is not a tidy neat one, and for all its  historical 
principles, the organisations of senses is pretty messy. They have  the sense 
of use of 
sword with cites, as coming -- SEMANTICALLY? -- before the  use of fence as 
in field-protection. But the cites testify that the SECOND use  (of fence qua 
verb I'm speaking here), i.e. the field-related one dates from the  1400s, and 
the first use they give for fence v. to use the sword is Shakespeare. 

Good luck, illustrate the talk well, and keep us posted!
 

Cheers,
 
JL
 
 
----
 
fence, from DEFENCE  (apeth. cf. 'lure' apeth of 'veLOUR')
 
as noun:
 
1330 R.  BRUNNE  Chron. Wace (Rolls)  8638 en Octa studied in his ought: To 
stonde to fens auailled  nought. 1375  BARBOUR Bruce xx. 384 That for default  
of fenss so was To-fruschit in-to placis ser. c1430  Syr Tryam. 551 He stode 
at fence  ageyne them. a1400-50  Alexander 4753 For nouthire  fondis he to flee 
ne na fens made. c1500  Felon Sowe Rokeby in Whitaker  Craven (1878) 569 Yet, 
for the  fence that he colde make, Scho strake yt  fro his hande.
 
1425 WYNTOUN Cron. IX. xxi. 12  e Hous of fens of Dalwolsy. 1463  Mann. & 
Househ. Exp. (1841) 158 Ffusten..ffor to make doblettys off ffence. c1470  
HENRY 
Wallace v. 1095 No man of fens  is left that house within. 1488  Will of 
Sharnebourne (Somerset Ho.), Doblette of fence. 1514  Will of R. Peke of Wkd. 4 
June,  All my cottes of fense of manse body. 1555  Reg. Gild Corp. Christi York 
(Surtees) 202 My coote of fenst, and steele cappe. 1664  Flodden F. I. 5 Each 
house of  fence to fortify.
1533  UDALL Flowres Latine Speaking (1560) 133 Disciplina gladiatoria, 
is..the waie of trainyng men  in..the schooles that maisters of fence keepe. 
1535  
in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxford 131 Dennys, a poore scholler and a teacher 
of fence. 1599  SHAKES. Much Ado V. i. 75 Ile proue it  on his body..Despight 
his nice fence. 1651  HOBBES Leviath. I. v. 22 Trusting to  the false rules of 
a master of Fence. 1828  SCOTT F.M. Perth iv, A man must know  his fence, or 
have a short lease of his life. 1831  Examiner 17/2 He will point his  sword 
at shadows, and make fence at your cat. 1855  MACAULAY Hist. Eng. IV. 459 A man 
 of..consummate skill in fence. 1863  MRS. C  CLARKE Shaks. Char. iii. 87  
Osric..comes to announce..the wager at fence with Laertes. 
1634  MILTON Comus 790 Enjoy your..gay  rhetoric, That hath so well been 
taught her dazzling fence. 1862  MERIVALE Rom. Emp. (1865) V. xliv. 254  Fence 
of 
tongue was the weapon with which they were to  maintain..their honour. 1871  
BLACKIE Four Phases i. 79 The Sophists  were cunning masters of fence. 1883  
Contemp. Rev. June 871 That  shrewd critic and experienced professor of 
Parliamentary fence.
 
c1440  Promp. Parv. 155/1 Fence,  defence fro enmyes, proteccio, defensio. 
1565  JEWEL Repl. Harding 550 It is thought  to be the surest fence, & 
strongest 
warde for that Religion, that they  should be keapte stil in ignorance. 1627  
MAY Lucan II. 408 His choisest  buildings were but fence for cold. 1691  T. 
H[ALE] Acc. New Invent. 39 To deliver  up his Majesty's Ships to 
the..Worm..wholly unprovided of any Fence against  them. 1745  De Foe's Eng. 
Tradesman 
(1841) I. ix. 67 Employment is said to be the best fence against temptation. 
1756  
NUGENT Montesquieu's Spir. Laws (1758) I. XII. ii.  261 The subject has no 
fence to secure his innocence.
Proverb. 1674  N. FAIRFAX Bulk & Selv. 98, I dare be  bold to say, 'Tis such 
a flail as there can ne're be fence for. 1730  SWIFT Poems, On Stephen Duck 
115 The  Proverb says; No Fence against a Flail.

c1400  Destr. Troy 7363 He was fully  the fens..Of all the tulkes of Troy. 
1552  Godly Prayers in Liturg. Serv.  Q. Eliz. (1847) 248 O Lord Jesus Christ, 
the only  stay and fence of our mortal state.
    
c1440  Promp. Parv. 155/1 Fence, or  defence of closynge (clothynge, P.). 
1548  UDALL, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke x. 4, I send  you forth naked, wythout 
weapon 
or fense. 1671  GREW Anat. Plants (1682) I. ii. 17 The Skin is  the Fence of 
the Cortical Body. 1697  DRYDEN Virg. Georg. II. 483 A hilly Heap  of Stones 
above to lay, And press the Plants with Sherds of Potters Clay. This  Fence 
against immod'rate Rain they found. 1700  S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E.  Ind. 183 
[The 
river] is a mighty Fence to the  City Odia. 1727  SWIFT Gulliver IV. iv. 278 
My whole  body wanted a fence against heat and cold. 1814  SCOTT Ld. of Isles 
III. xix, Deer-hides  o'er them cast, Made a rude fence against the blast. 
1838  THIRLWALL Greece II. 278 They hastily  formed a high fence out of the 
wrecks round the  fleet.
fig. 1732  T. LEDIARD Sethos II, Strangers would not  believe there was a 
sufficient fence against crimes. 1860  PUSEY Min. Proph. 311 They sin, who  
first 
remove the skin..or outward tender fences of God's graces.

 
qua verb:
 
1598 SHAKES. Merry W. II. iii. 14 Alas sir,  I cannot fence. 1684  R. H. 
School Recreat. 57 Defending your self from the Thrusts  or Blows of those you 
Fence with. 1737  FIELDING Hist. Reg. III. Wks. 1882 X. 225, I do a warrior! I 
never learnt to fence. 1779  SHERIDAN Critic III. Wks. 1873 II. 181 Captain, 
thou hast fenced well! 1829  LYTTON Disowned 147, I hope you both  fence and 
shoot well.
 
---


1435  Nottingham  Rec. II. 355 Thay to fens it  [Est Croft] ham selfe at 
thayre awne coste. 1494  FABYAN Chron. VII. 466  Ye Englysshe hoste..was 
myghtely 
fensyd  with wood and tryes. 1535  COVERDALE Ezek. xxxvi. 35 The..broken  
downe cities, are now stronge and fensed agayne. 1583  STANYHURST Æneis II. 
(Arb.) 
54 Whate  forte were best to be fenced? 1611  BIBLE  Isa. v. 2 Hee fenced it, 
and  gathered out the stones thereof. 1631  T. MAY tr. Barclay's Mirrour of 
Mindes ii. 39 The lands of priuate men..were fenced with ditches. 1650  FULLER 
Pisgah III. ii. 317 The  roofs were flat and fenced with battlements. 1719  DE 
FOE Crusoe (1840) I. x. 173 Well  fenced either with hedge or pale. 1793  
Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts IV. 4 Which are all fenced with a good stone wall. 
1832  LYTTON Eugene A. I. i. 3 The greater  part of them fenced also from the 
un~frequented road a little spot.
absol. 1892  Midland News 4 Mar. 6 We must  fence more, and we shall 
be..independent of  herds.
fig. 1683  BURNET tr. More's Utopia (1685) 110 The  Minds of the Utopians, 
when fenced with a Love for Learning. 1763-5  CHURCHILL Poems, Conference, Thy 
writings  so well fenc'd in Law. 1841  MYERS Cath. Th. IV. §26. 306 The Jews  
were..fenced against communion with them. 1843  H. ROGERS Ess. (1860) III. 46  
Vincentius..takes care..to fence his proposition  with..limitations. 1870  
EMERSON Soc. & Solit., Bks. Wks. (Bohn) III. 77 The men themselves were..fenced 
by etiquette.
1535  COVERDALE 2 Chron. xiv. 7 Let vs buylde vp  these cities, and fense 
them rounde aboute with walles.  1611  BIBLE  Job xix. 8 Hee hath fenced vp my  
way. 1615  G. SANDYS Trav. 100 Which makes the  countrey people to fence in 
those places. 1667  MILTON P.L. IV. 697 On either  side Acanthus..Fenc'd up the 
verdant wall. 1697  W. DAMPIER Voy. I. viii. 222 These leaves  are fenced round 
with strong Prickles above an inch long. 1713  STEELE Englishman No. 3. 15 
His  Property is fenced about with Laws and Privileges. 1822  ‘B. CORNWALL’  
Poems, Let. Boccaccio v, Her  dwelling was Fenced round by trees. 1869  R. B. 
SMYTH Goldfields of Victoria 610  Fencing in a Claim, making a drive round the 
boundaries of  an alluvial claim to secure the wash-dirt. 1877  E. R. CONDER 
Bas. Faith viii. 349 It will be  difficult to fence in securely on the side of 
Pantheism.





**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest 
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

Other related posts: