The Book of Cats. 45 



favourite Cat made her way into the prison room 

 by getting down the chimney. 



" The first day," says Lady Morgan, in her de- 

 Hghtful book, " we had the honour of dining at the 

 palace of the Archbishop of Toronto, at Naples, 

 he said to me, * You must pardon my passion for 

 Cats, but I never exclude them from my dining- 

 room, and you will find they make excellent com- 

 pany.' Between the first and second course, the 

 door opened, and several enormously large and 

 beautiful Angora Cats were introduced by the 

 names of Pantalone, Desdemona, Otello, etc. : they 

 took their places on chairs near the table, and were 

 as silent, as quiet, as motionless, and as well behaved 

 as the most bon ton table in London could require. 

 On the bishop requesting one of the chaplains to 

 help the Signora Desdemona, the butler stepped 

 up to his lordship, and observed, ' My lord, La 

 Signora Desdemona will prefer waiting for the 

 roasts.' " 



Gottfried Mind, the celebrated Swiss painter, was 

 called the " Cat Raphael," from the excellence with 

 which he painted that animal. This peculiar talent 

 was discovered and awakened by chance. At the 

 time when Frendenberger painted his picture of the 

 *' Peasant Clearing Wood," before his cottage, with 



