Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 65 



moft ungallant of the latter : " A cat has nine 

 lives, and a woman has nine cats* lives." Almoft 

 equally paradoxical with this proverb appears at 

 firft fight what is neverthelefs regarded as a true 

 law of nature, that cats which are entirely white, 

 and have blue eyes, are generally deaf; but it has 

 lately been stated that this peculiarity is confined 

 to the males. " Care killed the cat " is another 

 proverb which reflects upon the eafy lives led by 

 thefe animals. The circumftances of their owners 

 do not affect them, and a cat is a faturnine creature, 

 equally happy and at home whatever befalls her 

 matter. The familiar prefence of the cat on every 

 hearth comes out in " a cat may look at a king." 

 Why Chefhire cats mould always grin is fome- 

 what infcrutable, but fo fays the Scotch proverb. 1 

 Shakefpeare was aware of the cat's weaknefs for 

 fifh, but its unwillingnefs to wet its feet in catching 

 them, and applies it finely. Lady Macbeth taunts 

 her hufband when he hangs back from the murder 

 with 



" Letting I dare not wait upon I would, 

 Like the poor cat i j the adage," 



referring to the mediaeval adage, 



" Catus amat pifces fed non vult tingere plantas ;" 

 and the fame poet well knew the nature of the true 

 wild cat : 



" He fleeps by day 

 More than the wild cat." (Mercb. of Venice^ ii. 5.) 



1 In Sicily the cat is facred to St. Martha. He who kills a 

 cat will be unhappy for feven years. Europe has always 

 regarded the cat as a diabolical creature. A Ruffian proverb 

 fays that a black torn cat at the end of feven years turns into 

 a devil. (Ralfton, utfup.) 



F 



