ON COCK-FIGHTING. 
contrary at your perills. Dated the six and 
twentieth day Januarie Anno Domini 1621. 
This warrant to endure untill the 
first daye of August next comeinge. 
No. IV. 
ON COCK-FIGHTING. Vor. I. P. 371. 
Some 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 Athens was an annual feast, attended with 
Cock-fighting, instituted by Themistocles in ho- 
nor of the birds from whose fighting he received 
an omen of his success against the Persians. 
He observed, that these birds fought for mere 
glory; neither for the gods of their country, 
