FOWL. 



THE GAME COCK. 



standing this, the Romans did not match the latter till the com- 

 mencement of the deojae of the empire. 



It is not particularly known when the pitched battle was first 

 introduced into England. We have no notice of cock-fighting 

 earlier than the reign of Henry II. William Fitz-Stephen 

 describes it then, as the sport of school-boys, on Shrove Tuesday ; 

 the theatre was the school, and the schoolmaster, it seems, was 

 the controller and director of the sport. The practice was pro- 

 hibited in the 39th of Edward III., but became general under 

 Henry VIII., who was personally attached to it, and established 

 the cock-pit at Whitehall, to bring it more into credit. James 

 the First was so remarkably fond of it, that, according to Mon- 

 sier de la Bodenie, who was ambassador for Henry IV. to the 

 King, he constantly amused himself with it twice a week. Under 



