Now Gentlemen, Match your Cock carefully, or what you have hitherto done, is nothing.  And here observe the Length, and Strength of Cocks.  The Length is thus known:  Gripe the Cock by the Waste, and make him shoot out his Legs, and in this Posture compare, And have your Judgment about you.  The Strength is known by this Maxim, The largest in the Garth, is the Strongest Cock.  The Dimension of the Garth is thus known:  Gripe the Cock about from the joynts of your Thumb, to the Points of your great Finger, and you will find the Disadvantage, The weak long Cock is the quickest easier Riser, and the short strong one, the surest Striker.

Thus being well Matcht, accoutre him for the Pit.  Clip his Main off close to his Neck, from his head to his shoulders.  Clip his Tail close to his Rump, the Redder it appears the better.  His wings sloping, with sharp Points; scrape smooth, and sharpen his Spurs; leave no feathers on his Crown; then moisten his head with Spittle.

The Battle done, search and suck your Cocks wounds, and wash them well with hot Urine, then give him a Roll of your best Scouring, and stove him for that Night.  If he be swelled, the next morning, suck and bathe his Wounds again, and pounce them with the Powder of the Herb Robert, through a fine Bag; give him an handful of Bread in warm Urine, and stove him, till swelling be down.  If he be hurt in his Eye, chew a little ground Ivy, and Spit the Juice in it; which is good for Films, Haws, Warts, &c.  Or if he hath veined himself in his fight, by narrow striking, or other cross blows, when you have found the hurt, bind the soft Down of Hair to it, will cure it.

When you visit your wounded Cocks, a month or two after you have put them to their Walks, if you find about their heads any swollen Bunches, hard and blackish at one end, then there are unsound Cores undoubtedly in them; therefore open them, and with your Thumb crush them out, suck out the Corruption, and fill the holes with fresh Butter; and that will infallibly cure them.

Cures for Distempers incident to the Cock or Chick of the Game.

For Lice, being most common, I begin with; proceeding from corrup Meat, and want of Bathing, _&c._ Take Pepper beaten to Powder, mix it with warm Water, and wash them with it.

For the Roup; a filthy swelling on the Rump, and very contagious to the whole body; the staring and turning back of the Feathers is its Symptom.  Pull away the Feathers, open and thrust out the Core, and wash the Sore with Water and Salt, or Brine.

For the Pip; visit the mouth, and examine what hinders your Cocks, Hen, or Chicks feeding, and you’ll find a white thin Scale on the Tip of the Tongue, which pull off with your Nail, and rubbing the Tongue with Salt, will cure it.

For the Flux; proceeding from eating too moist Meat, give them Pease-Bran scalded, will stop it.