202 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



by Frenchman, since Moncrif flattered the high- 

 bom pussies of Paris and Versailles. 



The Black and White Dynasties that reigned 

 over M. Theophile Gautier's hearth have been 

 chronicled by him with surpassing gayety and grace. 

 He is the true " historiogriffe," rather than poor 

 Moncrif, who writhed under the ridicule implied by 

 a title, which — albeit the pun is but a poor one — 

 would have delighted Gautier's soul. The author 

 of " Menagerie Intime " was as catholic in his 

 affection for animals as was Cowper or Lord Byron. 

 To dogs he was ever faithfully attached, and was 

 wont to make some boast of his friendship for them, 

 finding, as so many of us have found, that when he 

 said he liked dogs, people at once gave him credit 

 for frank and generous sentiments. Magpies, cha- 

 meleons, and white rats were also favourites, though 

 he vaunted their charms less loudly to a prejudiced 

 world. But cats were his supreme delight, the 

 crowning passion of his life. Unswerving in his 

 devotion, he loved them ardently from childhood ; 

 and tells with grateful pride how his mother's big 

 grey cat invariably took his part when he was in 

 disgrace, and used to bite Mme. Gautier's legs 

 when she scolded her little son. If, later on, he 

 transferred his allegiance lightly from one beautiful 

 pet to another, he excuses this apparent fickleness 

 by pleading the sad brevity of feline life, the incur- 



