74 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



" Puss passer-by, within this simple tomb 



Lies one whose life fell Atropos hath shred ; 

 The happiest cat on earth hath heard his doom, 



And sleeps forever in a marble bed. 

 Alas ! what long delicious days I 've seen ! 



O cats of Egypt, my illustrious sires, 

 You who on altars, bound with garlands green, 



Have melted hearts, and kindled fond desires ; 

 Hymns in your praise were paid, and offerings too, 

 , But I 'm not jealous of those rites divine; 

 Since Ludovisa loved me, fond and true, 



Your ancient glory was less proud than mine. 

 To live, a simple pussy, by her side, 



Was nobler far than to be deified." 



From Moncrif, too, we learn of Tata, the cat of 

 Mme. la Marquise de Montglas ; and of Dom Gris, 

 the cat of Mme. la Duchesse de Bethune ; and of 

 the incomparable Menine, " morte vierge au prin- 

 temps de la vie," whom the young Duchesse de 

 Lesdiguieres cherished and lost. 



" Menine, qui jamais ne connut de Menin, 

 Et qui fut, de son temps, des Chattes la Lucrece ; 

 Chatte pour tout le monde, et, pour les Chats, Tigresse." 



When this fair Amazon died, Mme. de Lesdiguieres 

 built over the little corpse a noble mausoleum, with 

 a marble pussy sleeping upon a marble pillow, 

 whereon was engraved the following courtly epitaph : 



" Ci git une Chatte jolie : 

 Sa Maitresse qui n'aima rien, 

 L'aima jusque a la folie ; 

 Pourquoi le dire ? On le voit bien." 



