The Harleian Manuscript 3542 (ff. 82-85) is, essentially, a short set of instructions on the use of the longsword or greatsword written down some time in the mid 1400's in medieval England. It is a rare example of medieval English martial arts in lesson format.

The Harleian Manuscript is a copy of two separate (but certainly related) works, comprised of "the Man that Would" rhyme and then the 26 lessons that precede it. The original manuscripts have been lost, and were likely the notes of a student, or the notes of a teacher, intended as sort of a lesson plan.

The first eight plays described in the manuscript seem mostly intended (except where otherwise noted) as solo drills, either against a pell, or at the open air. This type of exercise is not unknown in eastern martial arts (such as iaido), and practical recreation shows that many of these plays are good for developing muscle memory and stamina.

The next 11 plays probably include a partner in their execution. The section begins with "the play of the two hands sword between two bucklers" and the enumeration of the plays following resets to the beginning. This would seem to indicate a separate section of study. It is possible that the next section "the encounter of the two-hand sword" is an incomplete follow-up to the "two bucklers" section, and represents a "patient agent" role for the exercises.