ON COCK-FIGHTING. 311 



conti'ary at your perills. Dated the six and 

 twentieth day J anuarie Am\o Domini 1621. 



This warrant to endure untill the 

 first daye of August next comeinge. 



No. IV. 

 ON COCK-FIGHTING. Vol. I. P. 371. 



oOME account of the barbarous custom of 

 Cock-fighting, so frequent, till of late years, 

 a favorite amusement among some of all ranks 

 in this kingdom, will be no improper append- 

 age to the history of our domestic birds. 



If it can be any apology for so cruel a diver- 

 sion, we may plead that it was in use among the 

 most polite people of antiquity : first invented, 

 in all probability, by the Athenians, and bor- 

 rowed from them by other nations, in particu- 

 lar by the Romans, who introduced it into our 

 islands. 



At Atheiis was an annual feast, attended with 

 Cock-fighting, instituted by Themistodes in ho- 

 nor of the birds from whose fighting he received 

 an omen of his success against the Pei^sians. 

 He observed, that these birds fought for mere 

 glory; neither for the gods of their country, 



