168 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



if I told it to her. One must be careful about 

 telling evil tidings too suddenly. 



That cat would feel much more flattered to 

 hear of the " Cat's Fugue " that Dominico Scar- 

 latti made from those five notes that his cat struck 

 when she jumped on the piano keys, If this cat 

 could understand, what an interesting tale could 

 one tell her of that painter of Switzerland, Gott- 

 fried Mind, who was called the " Raphael of 

 Cats " because he made so many pictures of the 

 feline beauties. And how sincerely would this cat 

 sympathize with Gottfried's grief, when, on ac- 

 count of some signs of madness that had shown 

 themselves in the cats of Berne, the magistrates 

 of the town gave orders that the cats should be 

 killed ! Eight hundred cats are said to have per- 

 ished in that fearful massacre. Imagine what 

 Gottfried's feelings must have been ! How ter- 

 ribly lacerated ! Indeed it is said that although 

 he managed to save his own pet cat Minette from 

 this St. Bartholomew of the pussies, yet he never 

 afterward seemed to be wholly comforted. 



But, the killing-time being over, he set about 

 painting pictures of more cats and kittens than 

 ever, and the next winter he went into the busi- 

 ness of cutting chestnuts into the shape of his 

 adored pets. And so " cute " were his chestnut- 

 cats that people bought them as fast as he could 

 make them. I fear there will never arise another 

 " Raphael of Cats." 



