THE CAT OF ALBION 93 



life made her, more than any other animal, the tar- 

 get for hourly observation ; and the sagacity of our 

 forefathers wove from her wise and wicked ways 

 some shrewd lessons for their own enlightenment. 

 " A blate cat makes a proud mouse," and " A half- 

 penny cat may look at a king," are among the pith- 

 iest of Scotch proverbs. "The cat with a straw 

 tail keeps away from the fire," is English. " Care 

 killed a cat," — originally "Care clammed a cat," 

 comes from Herefordshire. " The cat sees through 

 shut lids," and " Honest as the cat when the meat 

 is out of reach," reflect more credit upon Pussy's 

 acuteness than upon her rectitude. "No playing 

 with a straw before an old cat," is John Heywood's 

 contribution in 1562, and so is the well-known 

 couplet, 



" Fain would the cat fish eat, 

 But she is loth to wet her feet ; " 



while the still more familiar nursery rhyme, 



" When the cat is away, 

 The mice may play ; " 



was written by Thomas Heywood in 1607. Even 

 George Herbert did not disdain to borrow an illus- 

 tration from this ever useful animal. "Send not 

 the cat for lard," is his method of saying, Lead 

 not your neighbour into temptation. 



Mr. Harrison Weir has compiled a curious and 

 valuable glossary of words and idioms which owe 



