Concerning Some Historic Cats 



his sleeve; but simply a selfish desire for passing 

 amusement. He cared nothing for that most inter- 

 esting process, the development of a kitten into a cat 

 and the study of its individuality which is known only 

 to the real lover of cats. For it is recorded of him 

 that as soon as his pets were three months old he 

 sent them away, evidently not caring where, and pro- 

 cured new ones. 



M. Champfleury, however, thinks it possible that 

 there may not be any real foundation for this story 

 about Richelieu. He refers to the fact that Moncrif 

 says not a word about the celebrated cardinal's pas- 

 sion for those creatures ; but he does say, " Every- 

 body knows that one of the greatest ministers France 

 ever possessed, M. Colbert, always had a number of 

 kittens playing about that same cabinet in which so 

 many institutions, both honorable and useful to the 

 nation, had their origin." Can it be that Richelieu 

 has been given credit for Colbert's virtues ? 



In various parts of Chateaubriand's " Memoires " 

 may be found eulogiums on the cat. So well known 

 was his fondness for them, that even when his other 

 feelings and interests faded with age and decay, 

 his affections for cats remained strong to the end. 

 This love became well known to all his compeers, and 

 once on an embassy to Rome the Pope gave him a 

 cat. He was called " Micetto." According to Cha- 

 teaubriand's biographer, M. de Marcellus, " Pope Leo 

 XII's cat could not fail to reappear in the description 



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