218 THE RAT. 



me that the year before, whilst she was fast asleep 

 in the bed which I had occupied, a rat began to 

 eat into her shoulder. On saying this, she bared 

 the place to let me have a view of it ; and I dis- 

 tinctly saw the marks which the hungry rat had 

 left. " Upon my word, Madam," said I, " though 

 I am not prone to make wry faces at a fair allow- 

 ance of fleas or bugs, still I must own to you that 

 I have not yet quite made up my mind to be 

 devoured alive by rats; wherefore, if you have no 

 objections, when our breakfast is finished, we will 

 go and take a peep into the interior of the mat- 

 tress." On ripping it up, no rats were found ; but 

 out bounced seven or eight full-grown mice. The 

 old lady smiled as they ran across the floor ; and 

 I thought I could read in her face that she con- 

 sidered I had raised a false alarm. 



When I reflect on the numbers and the appetite 

 of the Hanoverian rat, and put down to its account 

 the many depredations which it is perpetually 

 committing, I cannot bring my mind to show it 

 the same good feeling which is extended in this 

 park to the rest of animated nature. In truth, I 

 consider its arrival in our country an event pro- 

 ductive of much annoyance to the community at 

 large; and, had I the power, I would send its 

 whole stock, root and branch, back again to the 

 country whence it came ; seeing that we have 

 gained nothing by letting it exterminate the 

 original English rat. 



