The Heptarchy of the Cats. 31 



demned as savouring of treachery, though lions may do it 

 by right divine. 



The tiger — " cruel and unkind, that with greediness thirsts 

 after blood," — '* formed to cruel meals," stands, in fact, in 

 the poets for the symbol of pure bloodthirstiness — " with fell 

 clawes full of fierce gourmandise, and greedy mouth wide- 

 gaping like hell-gate " — 



" As when some tiger, to his haunt from day 

 Returns, bloodfoaming, with his slaughtered prey, 

 Grim-pleased that there with undisturbed roar 

 He'll glut and revel o'er the reeking gore ; 

 Glares in wild fury o'er the gloomy waste. 

 And growls terrific o'er the mangled beast ; 

 Now drags relentless down the rugged vale. 

 And stains the forest with a bloody traii." 



This episode from Wilson is characteristic of a hundred 

 other passages equally untrue to nature, for the tiger is not 

 by many fathoms such a fool as to drag his prey to his 

 haunt, "and stain the forest with a bloody trail" which 

 would inevitably lead to his destruction. Nor does he roar 

 at his meals. Another popular poets' error is preserved in 

 Montgomery, where, in an otherwise excellent passage, he 

 speaks of the tiger dragging the buffalo to his lair and 

 " crashing through the ribs at once unto the heart," for this 

 animal never commences its meal either at the heart, or, as 

 other poets say, at the throat, but at the buttocks of the prey. 

 "The tigress in her whelpless ire," "the cubless tigress 

 in her jungle raving" (Byron), "the tiger-dam with red 

 fangs " (Cook) — is a very favourite simile for supreme fero- 

 city, carried in Mar\'ell even to the point of suicide — 



•' So from Euphrates' bank, a tigress fell 

 After her robbers for her whelps doth yell. 

 But sees enraged the river flow between. 

 Frustrate revenge, and love by loss more keen, 

 At her own breast her useless claws does arm — 

 She tears herself." 



