THE CAT TRIUMPHANT 157 



which made possible this often quoted passage in 

 a letter of Southey s to Bedford. 



&quot; Alas, Grosvenor, to-day poor Rumpel was found 

 dead, after as long and happy a life as cat could wish 

 for, if cats form wishes on that subject. His full 

 titles were : The Most Noble, the Archduke Rum- 

 pelstiltzchen, Marcus Macbum, Earl Tomlefnagne, 

 Baron Raticide, Waowhler and Scratch. There 

 should be a court-mourning in Catland, and if the 

 Dragon &quot; (Bedford s cat) &quot; wear a black ribbon 

 round his neck, or a band of crape a la militaire 

 round one of his forepaws, it will be but a becom 

 ing mark of respect.&quot; 



People who admired &quot; The Cataract of Lodore,&quot; 

 or &quot;The March to Moscow,&quot; may possibly have 

 thought this letter amusing. We, if less easily 

 entertained, should at least forgive it, remembering 

 that Southey loved his cats, though he could joke 

 clumsily over their graves. He was sincerely at 

 tached, not only to Rumpel, but to Othello, and 

 &quot; the Zombi,&quot; - which sounds like a litter, but was 

 in reality a single puss, named after the chief of the 

 Palmares negroes. All these animals enjoyed as 

 much consideration and respect as Bentham s fa 

 mous cat, who began life as simple Langbourne, 

 was subsequently knighted, and known as Sir John 

 Langbourne, and ended his dignified days as Rev. 

 Sir John Langbourne, D. D. 



