And therefore I shall here delineate and set forth to you the true Shapes pertaining to a compleat Cock in all respects, whereby you may be able with all the ease and facility imaginable, to discover the defects and imperfections of these Birds, and give a right definition of a Cock exactly Shaped, when need requires it.
And first I shall begin with the Head, which must be adorned with a lofty tow’ring Frontlet, or Comb, smoothly cut into the exact Shape of a Half Moon, so that rising in the Middle, it serves both for a Guard, and an Ornament to the Royal Bird; his Beak, or Bill, ought to be crooked, strong, and firm, of a middle size, and well jointed in his Head, with large Nostrils therein: his Eyes should imitate the Sparrow-Hawks, appearing quick, clear, and large; his Head ought to be round, smooth and small; his Neck short, strong, and well cemented, with a full set of Feathers for his Mane, that are strong and glittering Plumes, the better to set off his Crest, which ought to rise a little in the middle: his Back strong, crook’d, and big at the setting on: his Breast broad and large; his Body in all respects strongly made, round, close and well built, penipotent, fresh, and full Feather’d; his Legs strong, clear, and impennous, and if a little crooked ’tis so much the better, for that always denotes a deadly Heeler; his Feet with a Frog flat, and small therein; his Claws almost straight, strong and sharp: and for his Spurs (so he have any) it matters not what they be, seeing they are now of no use, save only to set to the Weapons with which they Fight in pitched Battles. And as for the Colour of your Cock, that is the best which you fancy most, be it Black or White, Red or Dun, Grey or Piled, or any other Colour whatever: For though Captain _Markham_ makes a great difference in the Colour of Cocks, preferring the Grey before the White or Dun, yet is there nothing in it, for the World affords no better Birds for the Game than many of your Duns, and Whites prove, both for Hardness and good Heeling, as we daily see and experience.
_The Scarlet colour’d Cock my Lord likes best, And next to him, the Grey with Tresle-breast, This Knight is for the Pile, or else the Black: A third cries no Cock like Dun Yellow-back: The Milk-white Cock with Golden Legs and Bill, Or else the Cuckoo, chuse you which you will: Don Magnus _swears (of all) these are the best, They heel (says he) more sure than all the rest: But this is all meer fancy and no more, The Colour’s nothing, as I said before._