204 History of Nature. [BOOK X. 



They go to roost with the Sim ; and at the fourth watch in 

 the Camp they call Men up to their Cares and Labour : 

 they will not suffer the Sun to steal upon us unwarned ; but 

 by their crowing they proclaim the corning Day, and they 

 foretel their crowing likewise, by clapping their Sides. They 

 are Rulers of their own Kind ; and in whatever House they 

 are, they exercise Sovereignty. This is gotten by fighting 

 one with another, as if they knew that naturally they had 

 Weapons given them on their Legs for this Purpose ; and 

 many Times there is no end until they kill one another. But 

 if one of them obtains the Palm, immediately he croweth for 

 his Victory, and makes it known that he is truly the Chief. 

 He that is beaten hideth himself in Silence ; but beareth his 

 Bondage with Reluctance. And the very common Sort, also, 

 are as proud ; marching with their Neck stretched upright, 

 and the Comb lifted aloft. And there is not a Bird besides 

 that so often looketh at the Sky, at the same Time erecting 

 his arched Tail ; and therefore it is, that they are a terror to 

 Lions, which of all wild Beasts are the most courageous. 



Now of these Cocks, some are bred for nothing but Wars 

 and constant Battles ; and these Cocks have rendered illus- 

 trious the Countries from whence they come, as Ilhodus and 

 Tenagra ; in a second Place of Honour are esteemed those of 

 Melos and Chalcis ; so that to those Birds, for their Worth, 

 the Roman Purple affords much Honour. These are they 

 from which- the Tripudium solistimum 1 is observed. These rule 

 our Magistracy every Day ; and they open or shut their 

 Houses to them ; they urge forward or hold back the 

 Roman Rods ; they order or forbid the Battle, and were the 

 Auspices of all our Victories throughout the World ; and, 



1 A kind of omen derived from the manner of their eating. It was 

 the business of the proper officers to watch this : of others, their mode of 

 walking ; of others, their voice and crowing; of others, their air and coun- 

 tenance ; and the principal of all attended to the appearance of their 

 entrails in sacrifice. As the cock was peculiarly an emblem of watchful- 

 ness, the augury derived from him was of particular importance in the 

 army; and cocks continued to be carried with armies in comparatively 

 modern times, professedly to proclaim the hours by their crowing, but 

 certainly through the lingering remains of ancient custom. Wer?i. Club. 



