THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



Animals" (1828), points out some of the 

 distinctions between the two species. He 

 also alludes to the spotted variety, termed 

 the Cypress Cat, as noticed by Menet, who 

 wrote the earliest book on British Natural 

 History in 1667. 



" It is a curious fact," says Mr. J. E. Her- 

 ting, an eminent naturalist, " that in Ireland, 

 notwithstanding reports to the contrary, all 

 endeavours to find a genuine wild cat have 

 failed, the so-called ' wild cat ' of the natives 

 proving to be the ' marten cat,' a very differ- 

 ent animal." 



In the early Middle Ages, according to 

 tradition, cats were utilised in a strange man- 

 ner. The illustration on p. 7 depicts a German 

 fortress which it was desired by the enemy to 

 set on fire. Not being able, one may suppose, 

 to effect this by treachery, the foes pressed 

 into their service both biped and quadruped. 

 On the back of the pigeon and cat alike, a 

 flask of inflammable matter is attached, and 

 furnished with a time fuse to ignite at the 

 proper moment. There is a broad road for 

 the cat to travel, and we must presume that 

 the gate of the fortress was left open for her 

 entrance. The pigeon would be supposed 

 to cut the cord of the flask with her beak 

 when just over the magazine and let it drop 

 at an auspicious moment. This cut is reduced 

 from a coloured drawing in an unpublished 

 manuscript volume dated 1575, in which is a 

 great variety of illustrations of fireworks for 

 war and recreation. 



It is strange that the cat, which was an 

 object of worship and adoration to the Egyp- 

 tians, should, during the long, dark years of 

 mediaeval history, be looked upon as a diabol- 

 ical creature. The only pleasant legend handed 

 down to us from the r "Middle Ages is that of 

 " Dick Whittington and his Cat." There are 

 records to show that this worthy citizen was 

 thrice Lord Mayor of London, and we have 

 always been led to believe that it was to his 

 cat he owed his wealth and prosperity. At 

 all events, so long as London is London, 

 Whittington will ever be associated with his 

 cat. 



Innumerable are the legends that gather 

 round the cat during the Middle Ages. It 

 was believed that the devil borrowed the coat 

 of a black cat when he wished to torment his 

 victims. Sorcerers pretended to cure epilepsy 

 by the help of three drops of blood taken from 

 the vein under a cat's tail. At numerous trials 

 for witchcraft, puss figured as the wicked as- 

 sociate of the accused. Cats were offered by 

 sorcerers as oblations to Satan, and they were 

 flung into the fire at the Festival of St. John. 

 All praise to Louis XIII., who as the Dauphin 

 interceded for the lives, of these poor pussies 

 thus annually sacrificed. It was thought to 

 bring good luck to a house if a cat were cooked 

 alive in a brick oven, and in Scotland she was 

 roasted before a slow fire as a means of divin- 

 ing the future. 



The mania of witchcraft had pervaded all 

 ranks, even the holy profession, whose duty 

 it should be to preach peace and goodwill. 

 Hundreds of wretched old women were sent 

 out of life " in a red gown " (the slang of that 

 day for being burnt " quick " or alive), after 

 undergoing the most excruciating tortures to 

 make them confess the impossibilities for which 

 they suffered. 



In 1591, when King James of Scotland was 

 crossing from Denmark, a great tempest arose 

 at sea. This was supposed to have been 

 caused by a " christened cat " being placed 

 in the vessel by witches. The following is an 

 extract from an old pamphlet : " Againe it is 

 confessed that the said christened cat was the 

 cause that the Kings Majestie's shippe had 

 a contrarie wind to the rest of the shippes in 

 his companie, for when the rest of the shippes 

 had a fair and good winde, then was the winde 

 contrarie and altogether against his Majestie." 

 Thus, in the past as in the present day, blame 

 was laid upon the poor harmless puss, where 

 no blame was due. 



In an old book called " Twenty Lookes 

 over all the Roundheads of the World," pub- 

 lished in 1643, we read : 



" In the Reigne of Oueene Mary (at which time 

 Popery was much exalted) then were the Round- 

 heads (namely, the monks and friars) so odious 



