GAME FOWL. 35 



Elizabeth, it was not less in vogue, and the learned Roger Ascham, 

 then favoured the world with a treatise on the subject. There 

 was then a pit in Drury-lane, Horseferry-road, and Gray's-Inn- 

 lane, St. James's Park, and another in Jewin-street ; but the 

 practice was a second time prohibited, by an act under the Pro- 

 tectorship, in 1554. Our Dublin pits are of a more recent date, 

 the principal of which were in Clarendon-street and Essex-street, 

 where the Heaths and Kildares often proved the powers of their 

 cocks. The fights were managed by men, who made a livelihood 

 by it, and were called handlers : they alone were admissible 

 within the "magic circle." 



A cock-pit, like a race-course, in a sporting point of view, was 

 for every person, and selection of company was entirely out of 

 the question. The noble lord, and the needy commoner, were 

 both at home, after they had paid their tip, for admission ; and 

 persons who enter the pit to sport a crown, bet a sovereign, or to 

 put down their pounds, are too much interested upon the main, 

 to consider who they may choose to "rub against" for the time 

 being. 



Cocking was kept up with great spirit at Newcastle. At one 

 of their last meetings, the cockers at the above place, in point of 

 extent, exceeded everything of the kind known in Great Britain. 

 Upwards of 200 cocks were fought, and the fighting generally 

 good, particularly the cocks of Baglin-hill and Lockey, which all 

 won great majorities. A remarkable circumstance occurred on 

 the Saturday before fighting. A match was made for 20 sove- 

 reigns, between Parker and Reed, feeders, and won by the latter 

 after a hard contest. Parker's cock, however, came round so 

 soon after, that his party made a second match, to come off, on 

 the following Monday, for a like sum, which was again won by 

 Reed, after a severe battle a circumstance, perhaps, altogether 

 unknown in the annals of cocking. It is also calculated that, at 

 the termination of the races, which finished with cocking, upwards 

 of 1,000 cocks had met their deaths. Newcastle, therefore, 

 challenged the world for cocking. Cheltenham, Chester, Glou- 

 cester, Norwich, Lancaster, Preston, Stamford, &c., &c., were 

 celebrated for their cocks. The patrons were the Earl of Derby, 

 Sir William Wynne, Ralph Benson, Esq., &c., &c. 



The exterior qualifications of a cock are, head thin and long, 

 or, if not, very taper ; a large, full eye ; beak crooked and stout ; 

 neck thick and long (a cock with a long neck has a great advan- 

 tage in his battle, particularly if his antagonist is one of those 

 cocks that will fight at no other place but the head) ; his body 



