38 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



the Romans, who introduced the sport into this 

 country. Although the birds were so largely em- 

 ployed as a means of gratifying the baser instincts 

 of the population, yet, strange to say, they appear 

 to have been held sacred to numerous deities, 

 amongst whom may be mentioned Apollo, Mercury, 

 and ^Esculapius. Brand, in his writings upon the 

 sport, states : l Cock-fighting was an institution 

 partly religious and partly political at Athens, and 

 was continued there for the purpose of improving 

 the need of valour in the minds of the Athenian 

 youth ' ; while Baily gives the origin of the pastime 

 as follows : ' When Themistocles was marching his 

 army against the Persians, he by the way espying 

 two cocks fighting, caused his army to behold them, 

 and addressed them as follows : " Behold, these do 

 not fight for their household gods, for the monu- 

 ments of their ancestors, nor for glory, nor for 

 liberty, nor for the safety of their children, but only 

 because the one will not give way unto the other." 

 This so encouraged the Grecians, that they fought 

 strenuously and obtained the victory over the 

 Persians ; upon which cock-fighting was by a 

 particular law ordained to be annually practised by 

 the Athenians.' 



Although cock-fighting was prohibited in the 

 reign of Edward III, the sport revived in later years 

 only to be suppressed again, however, by Henry 

 VIII, and later on by Cromwell. It was a favourite 

 pastime in New York in the year 1873, and for many 

 years found favour with the colliers in the North 

 of England. 



