The Royal Pastime of Cock-fighting: The art of breeding, feeding, fighting, and curing cocks of the gameR. H. (Robert Howlett)
History
The Royal Pastime of Cock-fighting: The art of breeding, feeding, fighting, and curing cocks of the game
R. H. (Robert Howlett)
Cockfighting
But this Etimology perhaps may appear impertinent to some who have not
so great a regard to Cocks of the Game, as they deserve, but for the
more ingenious sort of Men, such I mean as are true lovers of Cocking,
I know will think nothing too much that tends to the promotion of these
Warlike Birds. And if so? seeing then the _Shake-bag_ is a Cock judged
able to fight with any thing, and has this Excellency attending him
above the little Match-Cock, that you are never put to the trouble of
matching, which oft proves both difficult and dangerous too, unless
you are very skilful in handling: Also the great Game Cock is the more
profitable Bird in that he carries away the Prizes given by Public
Houses for their Custom, which serves not only to defray the Charge of
Dieting of them, but also pays for their Walk the Year following; And
therefore it is, that these _Shake-bags_, or great Game Cocks are by
some Men much preferred before the small battle Cock, or little match
Cock, call him which you will, and those think themselves the most
happy (for the most part) that can gain a Bird of the largest Size,
but in this they greatly err, who aim so much at Magnitude, for of
_Shake-bags_ the largest rarely proves the best, and a wonderful great
Cock, seldom proves a Winning Cock; for they generally strike over, and
seldom, or never come to Point until they are so weakened with their
Wounds, that they can do no good, wherefore I advise them, who ever
they be, that delights in Shake-bags, to make choice of a cock that is
neither above Eight, nor yet under Six Pounds weight, when first he
is brought up from his Walk and put to Feed (for afterwards he will
weigh lighter if rightly managed) and with such a Bird, if right bred
and well Shaped, you may boldly venture to Fight the biggest Cock that
ever trod upon a Turf; for ’tis two to one upon the lesser Cock’s side,
because he not only lies under the great Cock, by which means he is
secured from almost all his blows, which for the most part are stricken
quite over, but he also has the advantage of under holds, and having
Strength withall to strike Home, and Close, he seldom fails to win, nor
is there any thing more common than to see the unwieldy Lubbers over
wrestled, and by far less Cocks cut down and conquered, wherefore in my
opinion, the Cock that weighs nine or ten Pounds, or more, and measures
six or eight and Thirty, or perhaps nigh Forty Inches long, is by no
means a fit Bird to Fight, for a well turned Cock of six Pound weight,
shall with ease overcome such a useless Rumbo.
[Sidenote: Match not to be allowed in little Cocks.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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