CAT KIND. S89 



make an attack, like those of the dog kind, at a 

 disadvantage ; on the contrary, they fly when the 

 force against them is superior, or even equal to 

 their own, and the lion himself will not venture 

 to make a second attempt where he has been once 

 repulsed with success. For this reason, in coun- 

 tries that are tolerably inhabited, the lion is so 

 cowardly that he is often scared away by the cries 

 of women and children. 



The Cat, which is the smallest animal of this 

 kind, is the only one that has been taken under 

 human protection, and may be considered as a 

 faithless friend, brought to oppose a still more 

 insidious enemy.* It is, in fact, the only animal 

 of this tribe whose services can more than recom- 

 pense the trouble of their education, and whose 

 strength is not sufficient to make its anger formid- 

 able. The lion or the tiger may easily be tamed, 

 and rendered subservient to human command ; 

 but, even in their humblest and most familiar 

 moments, they are still dangerous ; since their 

 strength is such, that the smallest fit of anger or 

 caprice may have dreadful consequences. But 

 the cat, though easily offended, and often capri- 

 cious in her resentments, is not endowed with 

 powers sufficient to do any great mischief. Of 

 all animals, when young, there is none more 

 prettily playful than the kitten ; but it seems to 

 lose this disposition as it grows old, and the in- 

 nate treachery of its kind is then seen to pre- 

 vail. From being naturally ravenous, education 



' * This description is nearly translated from 31. BufFon : what I have 

 added is marked with inverted commas. 



