first bout of sparring with another, the spurs of 

 either bird being muffled in " hots " which 

 were '' soft bumbastecl rolls of leather " so that 

 they could not hurt one another 



After the sparring bout, which took place in 

 the early morning at the time when, ordinarily, 

 food was given, the bird was 4< sweated," i.e., put 

 into a basket made for the purpose, covered 

 with straw and allowed to " stove and sweat." 

 Before he was put into the '* stove," he was 

 given a condiment made of butter, rosemary 

 finely chopped and white sugar candy mixed 

 together, as large as a man's thumb. After 

 four o'clock in the afternoon the bird was taken 

 out, and his head and eyes having been licked 

 over with the cock master's tongue, he was 

 restored to his pen and received his first meal 

 that clay 



The bread used during the training was of a 

 special kind, made of wheatmeal and oatmeal 

 mixed into a stiff paste, with ale, eggs and 

 butter ; this dough was well worked up, rolled 

 out into thin cakes and kept for three or four 

 days before use. Some cock masters mixed 

 aniseed, licorice, or other spices with the 

 dough, but the practice was not approved by 

 all as tending to heat the blood 



