THE CAT OF ANTIQUITY 9 



tilizers of the ancient soil, — a more honourable fate, 

 and one which consigned them gently to oblivion. 

 The incredible number of such mummies found at 

 Beni Hasan and other sacred cemeteries proves 

 that Egypt, "in the hour of her pride," was the 

 abode of countless pussy-cats, and explains the sar- 

 casm of that travelled Greek, who observed that, 

 on the banks of the Nile, it was more common to 

 meet gods than men. 



Once outside of Egypt, where, thanks to inscrip- 

 tions, embalming, and an admirable pictorial art, we 

 know with exactness what we know at all, the his- 

 tory of the cat is shrouded in mystery and gloom. 

 There is no proof that she was domesticated in 

 Babylon or Assyria ; and what scanty information 

 we can gather as the centuries roll on is of a dis- 

 hearteningly fabulous character. There is a story 

 which used to be found in the school-books of our 

 youth, but which has probably been eliminated in 

 these duller days, of the infamous scheme devised 

 by Cambyses — and worthy of him — for the cap- 

 ture of Pelusium. Each Persian soldier was bidden 

 to carry in his arms a cat, so that he was safe from 

 the weapons of the Egyptians, who feared to wound 

 the sacred animal he bore. The tale, it must be 

 admitted, does not sound veracious. To march to 

 battle carrying a cat — a cat that must have been 

 eminently unwilling to go — would have required 



