Yehuda's OGR Scroll

I'm back to writing texts after a lot of time off.  Most of them have been small and quick, to help out scribes with writers' block, but this is one of the cool and interesting ones.  The calligrapher/illuminator, Keziah Planchet, asked me the catnip question: "I need a lot of words to fit this design.  How long a text can you give me?"   

The starting point for the text was not a legal charter this time, but rather, one of the introductory prefaces to Ridolfo Capo Ferro's Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (1610), one of the foundational treatises of the Italian rapier style; a fine starting place for a rapier award.

Tindal and Alberic, Consules of the republic of the East, give greeting to each and every person to whose notice the present letter comes.

Great men of wisdom write that the sword is the noblest weapon above all others.  Yet the carrying of arms alone is not what makes a completely valorous man.  No one truly can bear a sword with honour if he has not first humbled himself, and placed himself under the law and rules of the discipline of fencing, which, in the manner of sharpened flint, and honing valour, reduces a man to the apex of his true perfection.  The value and the excellence of this discipline is such that everyone should give as much care thereunto, as they love their own life, and the security of their native land, being obligated to spend that lovingly and valorously in the service thereof.  Indeed, the discipline of fencing is so laudable and so necessary that mere mortal men have labored greatly under the weight of recounting all of its excellence.  It is extolled in the due order of its merit, for which it is greatly prized and honoured, and always praised, and the greatness and valour are commended of those who practice the art and thus worthily carry the sword at their side.

Among those who practice the art of fencing there shines gloriously the most illustrious Yehuda ben Moshe, because not only is he endowed with full and marvellous advantage of the sword, honed by practice of the discipline of fencing, but also of every other noble art, as his heroic actions by the same, to the wonder of all, clearly make manifest.  Therefore, We do by these present letters confer, bestow and endow unto the said Yehuda our Order of the Golden Rapier, to have, hold, occupy, enjoy and exercise the company thereof, along with all rights, profits, commodities and emoluments whatsoever deemed now and from ancient times to be owed or pertaining to the companions of the said order, for the term of his life.  So done and caused to be done in the fifty-fifth year of the Society, first of our Consulship, before witnesses in our Court.

And this is what Keziah, my wonderful collaborator, did with it: