The Code of Health and Longevity

ON ATHLET I C EXERC I SES . I 5 5 juft before they fet to, a few barleycorns, with a little real flierry wine. A cock's firft battle is his beft, and a cock firft penned, of equal goodnefs, will beat a double penned one. Game-cocks live fully as long ascommon fowls. In fome cafes they have lafted above fourteenyears, and as found as the firft day. They are so hardy, that they can be reared in thewinter timemuch betterthan thedung- hil fort. The crofs between a game-cock and adung- hil henis excellent eating, either as chickens or fowls. * l.he followingis cxtraBcdfrom a Pamphlet called THE COCKER. On Dieting and Orderinga Cockfor Battle, In the dieting and ordering a cock for battle,confifts all the fubftance of profit and pleafure ; and therefore expert cockers are very cautiousin divulging their fe- crets, asthey call them, ofdieting, for onthat depends the winning or lofing thebattle, ^he beji cock undietcd, is unable to encounter the worjl that is dieted. Let others be as niggardly as they pleafe of their experience and obfervations, for my part, I fhall befree, and fcorn to conceal any thing that may tend to the propagationof the artand myftery of cock fighting ; therefore as to the dieting and ordering of cocks, depend on the inftrudions following : Your cock fhould be taken about the latter end of Auguft, for from that time till the latter endof May, cocking isn the prime; the fummer feafon is improper, by reafonof the violent heat. Having taken themup, view themwell, and fee that they are found, hard-fea­ thered, and full fummed, that is, havingall their fea­ thers complete; then put them into feveral penns, ha­ ving