fence

[…] pray you, if you know,

Where in the purlieus of this forest stands

A sheep-cote fenc’d about with olive trees?

Cosin, our hands I hope shall fence our heads,

And strike off his that makes you threaten vs.

The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.

Challenges are flying right and left between these bully-swordsmen, these spadassinicides, and poor devils of the robe who have never learnt to fence with anything but a quill.

A lady, sir, as you will find, / Keeps counsel, or she speaks her mind, / Means what she says and scorns to fence / And palter with feigned innocence.