THE CAT OF ALBION 93 



life made her, more than any other animal, the tar 

 get for hourly observation ; and the sagacity of our 

 forefathers wove from her wise and wicked ways 

 some shrewd lessons for their own enlightenment. 

 &quot; A blate cat makes a proud mouse,&quot; and &quot; A half 

 penny cat may look at a king,&quot; are among the pith- 

 iest of Scotch proverbs. &quot;The cat with a straw 

 tail keeps away from the fire,&quot; is English. &quot; Care 

 killed a cat,&quot; originally &quot;Care clammed a cat,&quot; 

 comes from Herefordshire. &quot; The cat sees through 

 shut lids,&quot; and &quot; Honest as the cat when the meat 

 is out of reach,&quot; reflect more credit upon Pussy s 

 acuteness than upon her rectitude. &quot; No playing 

 with a straw before an old cat,&quot; is John Heywood s 

 contribution in 1562, and so is the well-known 

 couplet, 



&quot; Fain would the cat fish cat, 

 But she is loth to wet her feet ; &quot; 



while the still more familiar nursery rhyme, 



&quot; When the cat is away, 

 The mice may play ; &quot; 



was written by Thomas Hey wood in 1607. Even 

 George Herbert did not disdain to borrow an illus 

 tration from this ever useful animal. &quot; Send not 

 the cat for lard,&quot; is his method of saying, Lead 

 not your neighbour into temptation. 



Mr. Harrison Weir has compiled a curious and 

 valuable glossary of words and idioms which owe 



