THE SPORTING WORLD. 237 



Sporting World. I speak of about twenty-five 

 years since, but it was not found attractive enough 

 to meet the ideas of the sportsman, and faihng 

 in this it retrogaded in the estimation of gentle- 

 men, without the patronage of whom no sport 

 can flourish. I should say its day is gone. 



THE COCK PIT. 



I merely notice the patronisers of this sport 

 as forming a part of the Sporting "World. 

 To the credit of that world and of humanity 

 they now form but a very sm.all part of it. 

 Its having been a royal sport and a cock pit 

 having been permitted to add the term royal 

 to its designation only shows the perverted 

 taste of that era, it in no shape elevates the 

 sport though it lowers the taste of the times ; 

 the Earl of Derby, if I mistake not, was about 

 the last who patronised this totally useless 

 sport, useless in every sense of the word. If, 

 like racing or hunting, it improved and 

 encouraged a superior class of animal, be it 



