64 Gleanings from the 



Ages. Its flem was interdicted as food, having 

 been a favourite dim with the heathen Northmen. 



A curious parallel to Whittington and his cat 

 occurs in a petition of the year 1621 of one Wil- 

 liam Bragge to " the Company of the Eaft India 

 and Sommer Iflands," claiming ^ 6,875 ^ or divers 

 fervices rendered. 1 Among their recital is found : 

 " Item, more for 20 Dogges and a greate many 

 Catts which, under God, as by your booke written 

 of late, ridd away and devoured all the Ratts in 

 that Hand [Bermuda], which formerly eate up all 

 your corne, and many other blefled fruites which 

 that land afforded. Well, for theis, I will demand 

 of you but 5lb. a piece for the Doggs, and let the 

 Catts goe loolb. os. od." Hone relates that on 

 the Feftival of Corpus Chrifti at Aix in Provence, 

 " The fineft Tom cat of the country, wrapped in 

 fwaddling clothes like a child, was exhibited in a 

 magnificent fhrine to public admiration. But at 

 the Feftival of St. John poor Tom's fate was 

 reverfed. A number of the tabby tribe were put 

 into a wicker-bafket, and thrown alive into the 

 midft of an immenfe fire, kindled in the public 

 fquare by the Bifhop and his clergy. Hymns and 

 anthems were sung, and proceffions made by the 

 people in honour of the facrifice." 2 It is fingular 

 to find thefe traditions of the facrednefs of the 

 animal lingering in Europe in the Middle Ages. 



The cat is a celebrated animal in folk-lore and 

 proverbs. 3 Perhaps Fuller's faying is one of the 



1 N. and Q, 3rd S., 2, 345. 



2 "Every Day Book," vol. i., p. 758. 



3 Darwin, "Origin of Species," p. 9, ed. 6. 



