Ridolfo Capo Ferro

“There is nothing in the world that Nautre, Sage teacher and benign Mother of the universe, regards with greater foresight and more diligence than the preservation of self. As such, man, being above every other noblest creature, shows himself to have great regard for his safety. Nature provides him, then, with singular privilege of the hand, with which he not only goes procuring all the things necessary for the sustenance of life, but also arms him with the sword, noblest instrument of all, for protection and defending himself with it against any assault of enemy force, therefore in accordance with the correct rules of true valor and the art of fencing.”
― Ridolfo Capo Ferro