83 



The training- of birds intended for the pit 

 occupied eight or ten days in place of the long 

 preparation favoured by cockers of 1600-1/00, 

 and the old plan of sweating or " stoving " had 

 been abandoned 



A cock, if well walked, would come up in 

 good condition, but too fat to fight, and needed 

 reducing. His tail and spurs having been cut, 

 he was put into his pen. The first day was 

 one of starvation to prepare him for the purging 

 physic he was to receive on the second day ; 

 after physic he was allowed to spar, his cut 

 spurs muffled, with another cock till he showed 

 signs of weariness, when he was restored to his 

 pen and given a large teacup of warm food, 

 bread and milk sweetened with sugar candy. 

 The food eaten, he was shut up closely till next 



morning 



On the third morning, his pen having been 

 cleaned out and his feet carefully cleaned, he 

 was given a meal of cock bread, for which this 

 was the recipe : to 3 Ibs. of fine flour, two eggs, 

 four whites of eggs and a little yeast ; knead 

 with water and well bake. Of this the bird 

 received a teacupful of small pieces twice in 

 the clay. Water was considered injurious ; on 

 the fourth clay, early in the morning, he got 

 half a teacup of barley and a little water in 

 which toast had been steeped. His pen was 



