RECOLLECTIONS OP THE CAT, 



193 



the blood of hundreds of innocent but hapless beings was poured out to quench 

 the hideous raging thirst of deluded fanaticism and bigoted superstition. In 

 many of the trials of this "reign of terror" one could almost be tempted to 

 laugh at the amount of ridiculous credulity displayed by many of the principal 

 actors in those tragic dramas: men who could be so far led away by the 

 wildest and most extravagant narratives it is possible to conceive, as to 

 become active agents in carrying out the most fiendish cruelty in prosecution 

 of that fell sentence, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."* And all this 

 was enacted in the so-called "good old times." Well, let us be thankful 

 they are past and gone, never again, I hope, to return. Let us rejoice that 

 we live in an age of enlightened reason, with only the moon-stritck Bear of 

 Russia to bother us; and he, poor brute, must be "muzzled" ere long. 

 We now perceive how it occurs that 



"Cats are thought imps, her broom a nag,t 

 And boys against our lives combine, 

 Because, 'tis said, your cats have nine." 



And then the De'il himself in one of his "tantrums" is told 

 "Some cock or cat your rage maun stop. "J 



I have no doubt that a great many of these marvellous stories of ancient 

 date, have had their origin in exaggerated anecdotes; the age was ready enough 

 to snatch at any trifle out of the common line, and at once set it down as 

 something in "no way canny;" and there were few quiet observers of nature 

 at that time, who dare attempt any refutation of vulgar opinion. Some of 

 our old naturalists have given us very pleasing accounts of the Cat, yet do 

 not forget to tell of its being a most malicious animal; selfish to an extreme, 

 and entirely devoid of all gratitude. One antiquated author says they are 

 very good in their place, but best kept at a distance. Goldsmith scarcely 

 does "poor puss" justice in his pleasing essay,§ he speaks about patience, 

 which we regard as a virtue, and says a Cat has been known to watch a 

 mouse's hole the livelong day; but if we take up a few more modern effusions 

 on Natural History, we shall soon be convinced that our feline friend has 

 some small claim to that kindness we might well bestow. For my part I 

 stand friend to both Dog and Cat, and when very young acquired a tender 

 feeling towards them, and a further taste for any of Nature's handiwork, 

 solely I believe from reading Aikin's pithy story of ^'Eyes and No Eyes, or 

 the Art of Seeing;"l| it inspired a love of observation I have never forgotten, 

 and from having had both eyes and ears open for some time, have consequently 

 managed to pick up a good budget of anecdotes relative to both Dog and 

 Cat. Some that have been vended me are no doubt, as Jamie Hogg has it, 

 "great lees," and 



* "Scott's Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft;" "Roby's Traditions of Lancashire;" and 

 Gifford's Dialogue concerning Witches and Witchcraft," 1603; reprinted by the Percy society, 

 t "Gay's Fables." X "Bums* address to the De'il." § "Animated Nature." || "English 

 Keader." 



