COCK-FIGHTING. 
217 
countries, and in others was even held sacred. One cannot but 
regret therefore that a creature so useful and noble should be so 
enormously abused by us. It is true the massacre of Shrove Tuesday 
is now in a declining way, and in a few years, it is to be hoped, will 
be totally disused ; but the cock-pit still continues a reproach to the 
humanity of Englishmen, and to their religion — the purest, the ten- 
derest, and most compassionate of all religions, not excepting even 
the Brahmanic. It is not known when the pitch-battle first entered 
England, but it was probably brought hither by the Romans. The 
bird was brought here before Caesar’s arrival, but no notice of his fight- 
ing occurs earlier than the time of William Fitz-Stephen, who wrote 
the life of archbishop Becket in the reign of Henry II. and describes 
the cocking as a sport of school-boys on Shrove Tuesday. From 
this time, the diversion, however absurd, and even impious, was con- 
tinued among us. It was followed, though disapproved and pro- 
hibited in 39 Edward III., also in the reign of Henry VIII., and 
A. D. 1596. It has by some been called regal diversion; and the 
cock-pit at Whitehall was erected by a crowned head, for the more 
magnificent celebration of it. There was another pit in Drury-laiie, 
and another in Javin-street. It was prohibited, however, by one of 
Oliver’s acts, March 31, 1664. What aggravates the reproach and 
disgrace upon Englishmen are those species of fighting which are 
called the battle-royal and the Welsh main, known no where else in 
the world, neither in China, Persia, Malacca, nor among the savage 
tribes in America. In the battle-royal, an unlimited number of fowls 
are pitted, and when they have slaughtered one another for the diver- 
sion of the otherwise generous and humane Englishmen, the single 
surviving bird is to be esteemed the victor, and carries away the 
prize. 
The Welsh main consists, we will suppose, of sixteen pair of cocks ; of 
these, the sixteen conquerors are pitted a second time, the eight conquer- 
ors of these are pitted a third time, the four conquerors the fourth time, 
and lastly the two conquerors of these are fitted the fifth time ; so that, 
incredible barbarity ! thirty-one cocks must be inhumanly murdered 
for the sport and pleasure, the noise and nonsense, the profane cursing 
and swearing, of those who have the effrontery to call themselves, 
with all these bloody doings, and with all this impiety about them, 
Christians! nay, what with many is a superior and distinct character, 
men of benevolence and morality ! But let the morality and benevo- 
lence of such be appreciated from the following instance. — The fol- 
lowing melancholy fact is recorded as authentic, in the obituary of 
the Gentleman’s Magazine for April 1789, “ Died, April 4, at Totten- 
ham, John Ardesoif, Esq. a young man of large fortune, and in the 
splendour of his carriages and horses rivalled by few country gentle- 
men. His table was that of hospitality, where it may be said he 
sacrificed too much to conviviality ; but if he had his foibles, he had 
his merits also, that far outweighed them. Mr. Ardesoif was very 
fond of cock-fighting, and had a favourite cock, upon which he had 
won many profitable matches. The last bet that he laid upon this 
cock he lost, which so enraged him, that he had the bird tied to a 
spit, and roasted alive before a large fire. The screams of the miserable 
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