i 5 4 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



by dismissing his entire household. The Church 

 of Rome, indeed, was not long permitted the exclu 

 sive privilege of sheltering and petting the cat. 

 The day came fast when her Sister of England 

 followed pliantly in her wake. If the poet Rogers 

 felt genuine delight at being allowed to dine in Italy 

 with a Cardinal and his cats, the guests of Bishop 

 Thirl wall were destined to enjoy the same simple 

 pleasure at Saint David s. His pussies sat on the 

 arms of his chair at table, and shared or dispensed 

 the hospitality of the palace. Of other luxuries 

 they appear to have had the monopoly. A visitor 

 who observed that his host looked wearied and 

 uncomfortable, asked him why he did not take an 

 easy chair. &quot; Don t you see who is in it already ? &quot; 

 said the Bishop, pointing to a grey cat fast asleep 

 on the cushion. 



Canon Liddon s &quot; extravagant partiality &quot; was 

 equally pronounced, and, let us hope, equally agree 

 able to his friends. He was the proud possessor 

 of a number of cats, who appear to have all had 

 different residences assigned them. Two hand 

 some brothers, christened stupidly Tweedledum 

 and Tweedledee, lived at Amen Corner ; another 

 shared his chambers; a fourth, named Campion, 

 was boarded out, and only visited the Canon occa 

 sionally ; and a fifth preferred the Common room at 

 Christ Church to any other quarters. This cat was 



