The illumined page of history reveals Cock-fighting as an ancient royal sport. The Early Greeks and Romans in their day Found pastime sweet in setting cock on cock; The sage Themistocles took keen delight In battling fowls; while glorious Cæsar, too, Loved much to back his bird; and, furthermore, Marc Antony's gamecocks did always lose When pitted against Cæsar's fiercer breed. King Henry VIII., of sainted memory! At Whitehall had a special cock-pit built, Wherein his royal birds made lively sport For gentle dames and all his merry knights. The most accomplished scholar of his day, Squire Roger Ascham, tutor to Queen Bess, Much as he loved his books, loved cocks the more, And loved them most when victors in the fight. And last of all, that great and noble Duke, The conqueror of Blenheim, in game birds Found something that reminded him of self; And thus we see the fighting instinct strong In cocks, and other nobles of past time. "Game cocks, we find, from earliest Cockereldom, Delight in war, as dogs to bark and bite, And raining blows upon each other's ribs Do best fulfil their part of nature's plan, Which built them slim and bade them love the fray; And while we hope no preference here to show,-- 'Tis open question, whether rearing fowls To wring their necks, or match them in the pit, Does more exalt the brute or sink the man. "But here, the cocks were armed with spurs of steel, And 'tis a subtle matter, whether they With iron shod, or spurred with native horn, Do deal the deadliest blows in angry fray; And, while we have our own opinion strong! 'Tis not within our province to pronounce. "If it be wrong with steel to prick a fowl, What of the spurs with which hard riders goad The bleeding sides of horses in the race, Or in the steeplechase, or country hunt? And what of hares in coursing run to death? Of quivering foxes torn by yelling hounds? Of wheeling pigeons slaughtered for a prize? We make no mention of the common use, Of otter hunting, grouse and pheasant drives. And of the sport termed _noble_, where the stag Is forced upon the guns that lay him low. No doubt, two blacks can never make one white, Nor multiplying blacks turn black to grey; But if to brutalise mankind be thought amiss, Then there are other ways, than fighting cocks.