And first I shall begin with Courage, which is a thing so absolutely
necessary in a Cock of the Game that without it he can be nothing
worth; and therefore be sure in your Election of Cocks to secure to
your self such as have good Blood in their Veins, that is, such as are
really and truly hard, Cocks that will carry on a Battle to the very
last, and utmost extremity, against all the disadvantages imaginable,
and though cut down and choaked in their own Blood, yet even then will
rise and strike, or peck at least, till they expire, and die: For truly
I am of opinion that these Cocks that happen to be worsted in their
Fight so far as to be disabled, and put past striking, and do then
stand like stocks without pecking, or making any resistance whilst
their Antagonist hews them down (though they die upon the spot) yet
are they nothing worth, seeing they want the true Valour, and innate
Courage, which does indeed peculiarly belong to the right bred Cock,
who never fails to strike, or peck whilst he has either Blood or breath
left in him.
But here methinks I meet with some green Gamesters that will tell you
that they can with impunity pass by the Cowardice of a quick or close
stricken Cock, and that I am too curious in exacting so much Courage
from a Creature which is disabled, and put past the hopes of Victory in
all probability; for their parts, all that they desire of a Cock is to
cut betime, and to convert his heels _Argent_ into _Gules_, by which
they oft get the field _Or_, and that is as much as they desire; but as
for hewing it out to the last drop of Blood, and striking or pecking
when they are past standing, is a piece of such Gallantry (display’d by
a dying Animal) that they do not understand the bravery of, moreover
they will perhaps farther tell ye, that the Author of the Compleat
Gamester is altogether of another opinion.
But to silence such noises as these in a few Words, for no man that’s
veterane in Cocking will be of this Opinion, seeing experience daily
teaches us the contrary, and for that Gentleman that writ the Compleat
Gamester, speaking of Cocks, does indeed give the preheminence to close
heels, that is close striking, but when that’s done he requires true
Courage, and absolute hardness in a Cock, without which he tells ye
that he is not worth one Peny.
But however, I must needs tell you, that Author is no great Conjurer in
the Art of Cocking, nor is he much to be regarded where he tells you
that a sharp heeler that is soft, is to be preferred before a Cock that
is hard but flat heeled, seeing both are to be rejected, in my Opinion
he might as well have said nothing: but he had been yet more shallow,
had he maintained or set forth, any thing that had but looked like the
want of Courage in a Cock of the Game, for how many Hundred Guinys has
there been won by Cocks cut and mangled Blind, Lame, and laid down for
dead, when from their dying sprunts they have borrowed an unexpected
blow, which has so far wrought upon their Adversary, as to give the
seemingly vanquished Cock the Victory, and on the other hand, who has
not seen divers deep heeling Cocks at a few blows cut thro’ more than
three parts of the Battle, and then meeting with some slight Wound
which has caused them basely to skut, and run away, loosing at once
their Master’s Coin, and Credit too, and all for want of being hard,
and true-bred at the bottom, wherefore I advise all such as are
desirous to be compleat Cock-masters, in the first place to have
respect unto the true Valour and hardness of a Cock.