The Book of Cats. 26 1 



(Malignant Fate sat by and smiled) — 

 The slippery verge her feet beguiled, 

 She tumbled headlong in. 



Eight times emerging from the flood, 

 She mewed to every watery god 



Some speedy aid to send ; 

 No dolphin came, no nereid stirred, 

 No cruel Tom, no Susan heard, — 



Favourite has no friend. 



From hence, ye beauties, undeceived. 

 Know one false step is ne'er retrieved, 



And be with caution bold — 

 Not all that tempts your wandering eyes 

 And heedless hearts is lawful prize^ — 



Not all that glitters gold." 



These verses are well known, but those which 

 follow are less often met with : they are attributed 

 to George Tuberville, and written somewhere 

 about the beginning of the sixteenth century : — 



"THE LOUER, 



" Whose mistresse feared a mouse, declareth that he would become a Cat 

 if he might haue his desire. 



If I might alter kind, 



What, think you, I would bee ? 

 Not Fish, nor Foule, nor Fie, nor Frog, 



Nor Squirril on the Tree ; 



