Chapter I: Front Matter

THE
BOOK OF THE SWORD

LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET

THE
BOOK OF THE SWORD

BY
RICHARD F. BURTON
MAÎTRE D’ARMES (BREVETÉ)

_WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_

London

CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY

1884

[_All rights reserved_]

‘He that hath no Sword (-knife = μάχαιρα), let him sell his
garment and buy one.’ _St. Luke_ xxii. 36.

‘_Solo la spada vuol magnificarsi._’
(Nothing is high and awful save the Sword.)
_Lod. della Vernaccia_, A.D. 1200.

‘But, above all, it is most conducive to the greatness of
empire for a nation to profess the skill of arms as its
principal glory and most honourable employ.’
BACON’S _Advancement of Learning_, viii. 3.

‘The voice of every people is the Sword
That guards them, or the Sword that beats them down.’
TENNYSON’S _Harold_.

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| TO |
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| THE MEMORY |
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| OF |
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| MY OLD AND DEAR COLLEGE FRIEND |
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| ALFRED BATE RICHARDS |
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| WHO |
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| IN YEARS GONE BY |
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| ACCEPTED THE DEDICATION OF THESE PAGES |
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FOREWORD.

‘I wanted a book on the Sword, not a treatise on Carte and Tierce,’ said the Publisher, when, some years ago, my earliest manuscript was sent to him.

It struck me then and there that the Publisher was right. Consequently the volume was re-written after a more general and less professional fashion.

I have only one wish that reader and reviewer can grant: namely, a fair field and no favour for certain ‘advanced views’ of Egyptology. It is my conviction that this study, still in its infancy, will greatly modify almost all our preconceived views of archæological history.

RICHARD F. BURTON.

TRIESTE: _November 20, 1883_.