i6 THE FIRESIDE SPHINX 



No ! as to pacify Patroclus dead, 

 Twelve Trojans by Pelides' sentence bled, 

 So shall thy blood appease the feathery shade, 

 And for one guiltless life shall nine be paid." 



Poor Pussy ! wasting thy soft purrs and delicate 

 blandishments on the destroyer. And, as if the 

 wrath of Agathias were not enough to damn thee 

 forever, Damocharis, a friend and disciple, must 

 needs pour forth his eloquent denunciations, liken- 

 ing thee to one of Aktaeon's hounds that tore its 

 master, — no such guilt was thine, — and reproach- 

 ing thee for long neglected duties. "And thou, 

 base cat, thinkest only of partridges, while the mice 

 dance and play, regaling themselves upon the dainty 

 food that thou disdainest." 



The episode is worthy of Hogarth's pencil ; — 

 idleness leading the way, the straight, smooth way 

 to murder and the gallows. Alas ! for Egypt's 

 little god in that bleak atmosphere of morality. 



Rome honoured, if she did not cherish the cat. 

 The conquerors of the world recognized and re- 

 spected the indomitable love of liberty which won 

 then, as it wins now, for this small weak animal an 

 independence lost wholly and forever by beasts of 

 many times her strength. The dog serves, the 

 horse, the camel, the elephant serve, and are slaves 

 of man. The cat has never served, save briefly and 

 capriciously, casting aside her allegiance when it 



