THE PREFACE.

THE ROYAL SPORT OF COCKING.

A POEM, IN PRAISE OF THE Fighting-Cock.

Some LINES upon two COCKS.

A POEM WRIT UPON COCKING.

A Copy of Verses UPON TWO COCKS FIGHTING.

A Copy of Verses Writ upon a COCK-MATCH.

THE PREFACE.

THE ROYAL SPORT OF COCKING.

POEMS:
In Praise Of The Fighting-Cock.
Some Lines Upon Two Cocks.
A Poem Writ Upon Cocking.
Upon Two Cocks Fighting.
Upon A Cock-Match.

THE
ROYAL PASTIME
OF
COCK-FIGHTING,

OR

The Art of Breeding, Feeding, Fighting,
and Curing Cocks of the Game.

Published purely for the good, and benefit of all such
as take Delight in that Royal, and Warlike Sport.

To which is Prefixed,
A short Treatise, wherein Cocking is proved not only
Ancient and Honourable, but also Useful, and Profitable.

By  R. H.  a Lover of the Sport,
And a Friend to such as delight in Military Discipline.

Quem recitas meus est, O Fidentine Libellus,
Sed male cum recitas incipit esse tuus.

LONDON: Printed for D. Brown, at the Black Swan
without Temple-bar, and T. Ballard, at the
Rising-Sun in Little-britain. 1709.

To the Right Worshipful
Sir T. V. Knight.

Worthy Sir,

I Presume I need not here insist upon the long acquaintance, and friendship that has passed betwixt us, to press you to the Patronage of this little BOOK, when there are so many other considerations that in a manner force it upon you, as having a certain right to it; Cocking being not only to you a hereditary Divertisment, which for many Ages together has by your Valiant Ancestors been carefully handed down to their Posterity, with marks of the greatest love and Honour imaginable, as when your loyal Grand-father lay Bleeding and Dying on his Turfey Beed, was thus (like a good Subject) heard to say, My King and a good Cock I ever loved, and like a good Cock in my dread Sovereign’s service I shall now expire.

Also your Prudent Father and both your Uncles from their Infancy were great admirers of the Noble Science of Cocking.

And you your self in the Morning of your Days, took to the Royal Sport, and closely followed it for many Years: even till mighty William call’d you forth to signalize your Vallor in the Bloody Irish Fields of Athlone, and Cannough, where you cut through the Squadrons of the affrighted French, and made the Howling Teagues fly to the Boggs for shelter.

And after this, you in the very depth of Winter, crost those dangerous Atlantic Seas, came home, and with your Friends and Tenants your good Neighbours, and old Acquaintance that flocked about you to your Mannor-house, where you a noble Christmas kept, the Rich you highly treated, and the Poor were daily at your Gates relieved: each Rank according to their Quality you kindly entertained; till Spring approaching, and the rude allarms of War once more required you to take up Arms and fit your self for Flanders.

A Fatal Pit to many a Gallant Cock, a Bloody Spot of Ireful Ground, on which the fierce Bellona’s Shambles stands: Hither you early came prepared for Fight, and first at Charleroy you dy’d your Sword in Gallic Blood, and with your Flaming Blade, cut your own way straight to Gemblours, from whence to Charlemont you forced the French to Fly.

And last of all before Namure; what mighty Vallour did you there display? a Limb you lost, yet limping still Fought on, and charged as unconcern’d as if you had had no Wound upon you, untill his Majesty was Pleased to give particuler orders to have you brought off, and sent to Bredah, where long you lay under the Surgeon’s Hands e’er you obtained a Cure: after which Winter coming on, the Camp broke up, and the Armies on both sides were sent to their Winter-quarters, and his Majesty King William returned to the Hague where you at last also arrived with Crutches, and there laid down your Arms, kiss’d the King’s Hand, and had a good Place at Court conferred upon you in the room of your Commission.

So that now you only wait at certain times, for which you are well rewarded, and have the Liberty of retiring to your Pleasant Country Seat, where now you spend most of your time amongst your Friends, and old Acquaintance, and reap the Comforts of a rural life, amidst two or three Loyal toping Souls, many good Cocks, and rich October Liquor: with which you oft times guild the good old Doctor’s Nose, and raise the Pious Preachers Voice six Notes higher in the Afternoon, than in the Morning.

For though you daily take your Bottle, and Cock, as long as the Season lasts, yet you ne’er fail to attend the Man of God, when Sunday comes, early you to the Temple Ride, and there before the Alter offer up your Orizons with all the fervency immaginable, and in the Afternoon, when by the Sexton call’d, you bring the Priest back in your Coach well refreshed by a good Dinner, and a cheerful grace-cup after it, which enables him to perform Evening service briskly, and with a Laudable Voice pronounce a Blessing on you when the Vesper’s over.

Nor do your Tennants and poor Neighbours fail to pray for your long Life, and good success in Cocking, the only Sport you take delight in: And to speak Truth, you may really be said to be the only person of this present Age, that Practises Cocking rightly, and follows it purely for the end it was at first intended.

And therefore it was truly that I thought there was no Person so fit as you, to be the Patron of this ensuing Treatise; wherein I have not only made common to the World the many and different ways of Breeding, Feeding, and Fighting both of the great, or Game Cock (as we call them) and of the little Match-Cock also, with the several Diseases incident to them, and the most approved Medicines that are now made use of, both to prevent, and cure each Mallady, and that by the ablest Cock-masters at this Day in the known World.

I have also proved Cocking to be both Ancient and Honourable, and to the present Age (if rightly made use of) greatly profitable, and have plainly laid open the Malice and Ignorance of all such as endeavour to villify, and bespatter it, shewing the Weakness of their Arguments, and the true Motives that engage them to speak against Cocking.

And though some may think me too Copious in Etimologizing upon the right end, and use of this most Ancient and Honourable Exercise of Cocking, whilst others no less blame me for exposing to Plebeian view, those Misteries in Breeding, and Dieting, which commonly cost young Gamsters so dear, e’er they arrive at the true knowledge of.

But to pass by such as these, and give the World to understand that I have no other end in Publishing this ensuing Treatise, but meerly, and purely to promote the Noble and most Heroic Exercise of Cocking: And at the same time to acknowledge my self, most Worthy Sir, your Worship’s most Real, and most faithful Friend, and Fellow Cocker

R. H.