The Common Cock. 325 



courageous and strong that she will rise and fight any 

 men or animals that dare to approach her nest. It is 

 impossible to conceive how, with such a scanty suste- 

 nance as she takes, she can, for twenty-one days, emit 

 constantly from her body as much heat as would raise 

 Fahrenheit's thermometer to ninety-six degrees. The 

 flesh of this bird is delicate and wholesome, and univer- 

 sally relished as nourishing and agreeable food. 



There are several varieties of families of this fowl. 

 The Hamburg Cock has a beautiful tuft of feathers about 

 his ears and on the top of his head ; and the Bantam has 

 his legs and toes entirely feathered, which is more an 

 impediment than an ornament to the bird. 



The cruel sport of cockfighting may be traced back to 

 the earliest antiquity. The Athenians seem to have re- 

 ceived it from India, where it is even now followed with 

 a kind of frenzy ; and we are told that the Chinese will 

 sometimes risk not only the whole of their property, but 

 their wives and children, on the issue of a battle. The 

 religion of the Greeks could not see that game with plea- 

 sure, and therefore cockfighting was allowed only once a 

 year; but the Eomans adopted the practice with rap- 

 ture, and introduced it into this island. Henry VIII. 

 delighted in this sport, and caused a commodious house 

 to be built for the purpose, which, although now applied 

 to a very different use, still retains the name of the 

 Cockpit. The part of our ships so called, seems also to 

 indicate that in former times the diversion of cockfight- 

 ing was permitted, in order to beguile the tedious hours 

 of a long voyage. The Cock has been a subject of con- 

 siderable interest with the poets ; and has been very 

 commonly called by them " Chanticleer :" 



" Within this homestead lived, without a peer 

 For crowing loud, the noble Chanticleer." DRYDEN. 



" The feathered songster, Chanticleer, 



Had wound his bugle-horn, 

 And told the early villager 

 The coming of the morn." CHATTERTON. 



