t no copy of this work is known (at least to bibliographers)
to exist at the present day. 'But of all kinds of pastimes fit for a
Gentleman,' he writes in 'The Scholemaster,' 'I will, God willing, in a
fitter place more at large declare fully, in my _Book of the Cockpit_;
which I do write to satisfy some.' From which it seems that he was
actually engaged upon the book. Apparently there is no record of its
publication, though an old devotee of the sport once told Mr. Harrison
Weir that he had seen a copy. 'The Commendation of Cockes and
Cock-fighting; Wherein is shewed, that Cocke-fighting was before the
comming of Christ,' by George Wilson, the sporting Vicar of Wretton, was
printed in black letter by Henry Tomes 'over against Graies Inne Gate, in
Holbourne,' in 1607. I wish you luck, brother collector, but I cannot be
sanguine that you will ever come across a copy though it was many times
reprinted. The tenth edition is dated 1655.

Under this heading also are included books on Dogs, Cats and Bees (!)
though the inclusion of the latter reminds one of the story of the
imported tortoise, which the customs officials (after much debate)
decided was an insect, and therefore not liable to quarantine! Then there
are books of sporting memoirs, sporting dictionaries, sport in particular
countries, as well as works which treat of Maypoles and Mumming,
Festivals, and old English pastimes.

Books upon Dancing, Cards, Chess, and other games all have their
devotees. 'A Bibliography of Works in English on Playing Cards and
Gaming,' by Mr. Frederic Jessel, appeared in 1905, octavo. The library of
M. Preti of Paris, a well-known chess-player who devoted his attention to
the history of the game, was sold at Sotheby's early in 1909. It included
362 lots, comprising some 1600 volumes; but the entire collection
realised only L355. The sale catalogue is a useful one--if you are so
fortunate as to come across it. But there is a numerous bibliography and
you will find a list of such volumes in Mr. W. P. Courtney's 'Register of
National Bibliography.'

[Sidenote: Theology.]

51. Theology and the Lives of the Fathers of the Early Christian Church
is a field of such magnitude that we may divide it conveniently into
periods or countries or controversies. Books on the Council of Trent
engage the attentions of some, others are attracted by the history of the
Waldenses or the Byzantine Churches. Some again specialise in the
writings of certain g