And therefore without taking any notice of the Colour, I shall only hold you close, to the afore-mentioned shape as being the all, and only parts necessary to make up a compleat Cock.
Lastly, having obtained a Cock that is hard, Sharp-Heel’d, and handsome shaped, it remains then that you pitch upon a fit Size for your purpose, for otherwise you will still be at a loss: Now tho’ there be almost as many different Sizes, as there are several Cocks, yet are these Birds commonly reduced into two sorts only, and distinguished by these two general terms, that is to say, the great Game Cock, or Shake-bag, and the little Match, or Battle-Cock.
First then of the Giant, or Herculean Cock called a Shake-bag by the _English_, and _Dutch_, but by the _Indians_ they are called _Mag Chantille Champone_, and by the _Scotch_, who much esteem these gude Birds, _Mag-Gal-And_, as _Baden_ assures us; (says he) the word _Mag_ signifies Great, or Mighty, both to the _Scotch_, and the _Indians_, and is derived from the Latin Word _Magnus_, and by _Gal_ may be understood _Gallus_ the Cock, and for the Word _And_, the Patron of their Country St. _Andrew_ is meant, who was (as he tells you) not only a great and a gude Man, but also a mighty admirer of these Royal Birds, wherefore they call them _Mag-Gal-And_, that is, Mighty Cocks of St. _Andrew_, or, St. _Andrew’s_ great Cocks: Birds Powerful in Battle, _&c._ And the _Indians_ from _Chanticleer_, draw the Word _Chantile_, and from _Champion_ take the Word _Champone_, so that whereas they call them _Mag-Cantille-Champone_, they might more properly and with more Conciseness call them only great, or Champion Cocks, which is all that is comprehended in their long jingle of Words.
[Sidenote: Why great Cocks are called _Shake-bags_.]
And Dr. _Wilde_ gives this Reason, why these sort of Cocks are called _Shake-bags_; here in _England_ (says he) they are so termed from a Scottish Custom that the Drunken _Dutchmen_ have who are great admirers of large Cocks, because they may be Fought at a venture, without the trouble of Matching, and their way is (as he tells ye) to steep their own Brains in Brandy, till they are not only past judging of a Cock’s Size, but also past handling of him too, wherefore they neither see the Cock they are to Fight with before hand, nor lay a hand upon their own, after he is brought into the Pit, but take the Bag by the bottom, and shake the Cock out at the Mouth upon the Pit, and so let him go against his adversary, from which Custom they are called _Shake-bags_ here in _England_.