3i S A TRIAL FOR MR. MERRY. 



present generation Mr. Merry was known only as a 

 racing-man ; but much of his early life was passed 

 in two pursuits of diverse character, viz., in the 

 lucrative business of an iron-master, and the not 

 unremunerative recreation of cock-fighting. I am 

 told by one likely to know, and therefore am ready 

 to believe, that at one time he possessed more game 

 fowls than any other person in the world ; keeping 

 thousands of game-cocks at a time, entirely for the 

 purpose of matching them, and seldom had a less 

 number. It was his singular fancy to breed all the 

 birds the same colour — black-breasted reds. In his 

 business, which he carried on with Mr. Cunningham 

 as his partner, he accumulated an immense fortune ; 

 but big as it was, it was increased, I believe, in no 

 despicable manner by his luck or good management 

 at cocking. Many of the battles he fought were 

 for 50 guineas aside, and 500 guineas the main ; and 

 not a few were fought for much heavier stakes. On 

 this sport, in those days, as on racing to-day, large 

 sums were lost and won, and from all I hear Mr. 

 Merry's balance was usually on the right side. 



Without professing to know much of cocking, I 

 may say I have, when a boy, both kept game-cocks 

 and fought them. The great art consisted in 

 feeding and heeling them — that is, putting on artificial 

 spurs — a task always beyond the compass of my 

 ability. I never heard whether Mr. Merry fought 

 his birds in silver or steel spurs ; but the latter were 



