quare-cut manchet, **** therein, and let them feed
whilst the****is hot; for this will cause their scouring to work, and
will wonderfully cleanse both head and body.'

Was ever poor animal subjected to such indignity? The preparation of the
other animal, the jockey, is nothing to it. But, to continue:--

'The second day after his sparring, take your cock into a fair green
close, and, having a dunghill cock in your arms, show it him, and then
run from him, that thereby you may entice him to follow, permitting him
to have now and then a blow, and thus chafe him up and down about half
an hour; when he begins to pant, being well-heated, take him up and
carry him home, and give him this scouring, &c.'

This training continued for six weeks, which was considered a sufficient
time for 'ordering a cock for the battle;' and then, after the
'matching,' came the last preparation of the poor biped for the
terrible fight in which he would certainly be either killed or kill his
antagonist, if both were not doomed to bite the dust. This consisted in
the following disfigurement of the beautiful creature:--

'With a pair of fine cock-shears cut all his mane off close into his
neck from the head to the setting on of the shoulders: secondly, clip
off all the feathers from the tail close to his rump; the redder it
appears the better is the cock in condition: thirdly, take his wings and
spread them forth by the length of the first rising feather, and
clip the rest slope-wise with sharp points, that in his rising he may
therewith endanger the eye of his adversary; fourthly, scrape, smooth,
and sharpen his spurs with a pen-knife; fifthly, and lastly, see that
there be no feathers on the crown of his head for his adversary to take
hold of; then, with your spittle moistening his head all over, turn him
into the pit TO MOVE TO HIS FORTUNE.'

I should, perhaps, state that, instead of the natural spurs, long
artificial ones of well-tempered steel were fixed to the cock's heels
in later times, and these were frequently driven into the body of his
antagonist with such vigour that the two cocks were spitted together,
and had to be separated.

The dreadful fight having come off, the following was the treatment
prescribed for the fortunate conqueror.

'The battle being ended, immediately search your cock's wounds, as many
as you can find. SUCK the blood out of them; then wash them well with
warm ****, and that will keep them from rankling; after