After his victorious return, as an act
of gratitude for this accidental occasion of inspiring his troops
with courage, he instituted the above festival, 'in order that
what was an incitement to valour at that time might be
perpetuated as an encouragement to the like bravery hereafter.'
One cannot help smiling at these naive stories of the ancients to
account for their mightiest results. Only think of any modern
warrior halting his troops to make use of a cock-fight for the
purpose of inspiriting them to victory!
On one occasion during the Peninsular war, when an important
point was to be carried by assault, the officers were required to
say something encouraging to their men, in order to brace them up
for the encounter; but whilst the majority of the former recalled
the remembrance of previous victories, an Irish captain contented
himself with exclaiming--'Now, my lads, you see those fellows up
there. Well, if you don't kill THEM, SHURE they'll kill YOU.
That's all!' Struck with the comic originality of this address,
the men rushed forward with a laugh and a shout, carrying all
before them.
Among the ancient Greeks the cock was sacred to Apollo, Mercury,
and aesculapius, on account of his vigilance, inferred from his
early rising--the natural consequence of his 'early to bed'--and
also to Mars, on account of his magnanimous and daring spirit.
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