Malcolm,

Yet another point to ponder. I have come across another version of the song, which has it as: 'Napoleon like some banty cock sat mounted on his spurs,' Now you could say that
Napoleon sat mounted on his horse with his spurs on, … but … when the fighting cock is prepared for battle he also has long needle sharp spurs fitted over his own natural spurs. I would say again that this yet another image comparing Napoleon to the fighting cock. 'Mounted on a bar' and 'spurred' ready for the fight.   (Bar rhymes very well with war also.)

Napoleon like some banty Cock sat mounted in his spurs,
And high he tried to represent grim as the God of War,
On his high platform where he did stand and there so loud he crew,
But he drooped his wings and turned his head and fled from Waterloo.

I believe that all of these are definite references to Napoleon as the image of 'the 'fighting cock' … 'sat mounted on a bar' … 'sat mounted in his spurs' … 'so loud he crew,' (surely Mars the god of war would not crow like a cock) … neither would I think that Mars would droop his wings as he fled from Waterloo.

What do you think Malcolm. ???