THE CAT 



Hodge 



I shall never forget the indulgence with which 

 Dr. Johnson treated Hodge, his cat, for whom he 

 himself used to go out and buy oysters, lest the 

 servants, having that trouble, should take a dislike 

 to the poor creature. I am unluckily one of those 

 who have an antipathy to a cat, so that I am un- 

 easy when I am in the room with one; and I own 

 I frequently suffered a good deal from the presence 

 of this same Hodge. I recollect him one day 

 scrambling up Dr. Johnson's breast, apparently 

 with much satisfaction, while my friend, smiling 

 and half whistling, rubbed down his back, and 

 pulled him by the tail ; and when I observed he was 

 a fine cat, saying, " Why, yes, sir, but I have had 

 cats whom I liked better than this " ; and then, as 

 if perceiving Hodge to be out of countenance, add- 

 ing, " but he is a very fine cat, a very fine cat 

 indeed." 



This reminds me of the ludicrous account which 

 he gave Mr. Langton of the despicable state of a 

 young gentleman of good family : " Sir, when I 

 heard of him last, he was running about town, 

 shooting cats." And then, in a sort of kindly 

 reverie, he bethought himself of his own favourite 

 cat, and said, " But Hodge shan't be shot ; no, no, 

 Hodge shall not be shot." 



Life of Samuel Johnson, James Boswei/l. 

 79 



