18 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



she was known in pleasure-loving Pompeii is proven 

 by the spirited mosaics in the Museum of Naples, 

 one of which represents her springing upon a par- 

 tridge, like the " base cat " reproached by Damo- 

 charis. There is something indefinably pitiless in 

 the attitude of this animal, a savage and ruthless 

 energy in the shedding of innocent blood, which 

 seems ill-calculated to soften the prejudiced mind. 

 Italy was indeed no school of gentleness. Cruelty 

 had been refined to a pleasure, and mercy had been 

 austerely banished from philosophy. Marcus Au- 

 relius could easily endure to sit for hours in the 

 amphitheatre, bored and distrait, it is true, but with 

 unmoved serenity. The slaughter of a hundred 

 lions afforded him no recreation ; but, as he had 

 generously given the animals to be killed for the 

 diversion of simpler souls, he found no fault with 

 their enjoyment of the spectacle. A creature, 

 beautiful and weak, might well be cherished one 

 hour for its beauty, and destroyed the next as a 

 penalty for* its weakness. In " Marius the Epicu- 

 rean " there is a pretty description of a white cat 

 purring its way gracefully among the wine cups at 

 a feast given in honour of Apuleius,— " coaxed on- 

 ward from place to place by those at table, as they 

 reclined easily on their cushions of German eider- 

 down, spread over the long-legged carved couches." 

 This dainty and somewhat supercilious guest has 

 been brought to the supper by a young Roman ; 



