Our Cats and All About Them Part 27

Perhaps the most odd performance was that of "Cat Harris," an imitator of the voice of cats in 1747.

"When Foote first opened the Haymarket Theatre, amongst other projects he proposed to entertain the public with imitation of cat-music. For this purpose he engaged a man famous for his skill in mimicking the mewing of the cat. This person was called 'Cat Harris.' As he did not attend the rehearsal of this odd concert, Foote desired Shuter would endeavour to find him out and bring him with him. Shuter was directed to some court in the Minories, where this extraordinary musician lived; but, not being able to find the house, Shuter began a cat solo; upon this the other looked out of the window, and answered him with a cantata of the same sort. 'Come along,' said Shuter; 'I want no better information that you are the man. Foote stays for us; we cannot begin the cat-opera without you.'"--Ca.s.sELL'S _Old and New London_, vol. iv.

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CAT-RACING IN BELGIUM.

"On festival days, parties of young men a.s.semble in various places to shoot with cross-bows and muskets, and prizes of considerable value are often distributed to the winners. Then there are pigeon-clubs and canary-clubs, for granting rewards to the trainers of the fleetest carrier-pigeons and best warbling canaries. Of these clubs many individuals of high rank are the honorary presidents, and even royal princes deign to present them banners, without which no Belgian club can lay claim to any degree of importance." But the most curious thing is cat-racing, which takes place, according to an engraving, in the public thoroughfare, the cats being turned loose at a given time. It is thus described: "Cat-racing is a sport which stands high in popular favour.

In one of the suburbs of Liege it is an affair of annual observance during carnival time. Numerous individuals of the feline tribe are collected, each having round his neck a collar with a seal attached to it, precisely like those of the carrier-pigeons. The cats are tied up in sacks, and as soon as the clock strikes the solemn hour of midnight the sacks are unfastened, the cats let loose, and the race begins. The winner is the cat which first reaches home, and the prize awarded to its owner is sometimes a ham, sometimes a silver spoon. On the occasion of the last compet.i.tion the prize was won by a blind cat."--_Pictorial Times_, June 16th, 1860.

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CAT IMAGES.

Those with long memories will not have forgotten the Italian with a board on his head, on which were tied a number of plaster casts, and possibly still seem to hear, in the far away time, the unforgotten cry of "Yah im-a-gees." Notably, among these works of art, were models of cats--such cats, such expressive faces; and what forms! How droll, too, were those with a moving head, wagging and nodding, as it were, with a grave and thoughtful, semi-reproachful, vacant gaze! "Yah im-a-gees" has pa.s.sed on, and the country pedlar, with his "crockery" cats, mostly red and white. "Sure such cats alive were never seen?" but in burnt clay they existed, and often _adorned_ the mantel-shelves of the poor. What must the live cat sitting before the fire have thought--if cats think--when it looked up at the stolid, staring, stiff and stark new-comer? One never sees these things now; nor the cats made of paste-board covered with black velvet, and two large bra.s.s spangles for eyes. These were put into dark corners with an idea of deception, with the imbecile hope that visitors would take them to be real flesh and bone everyday black cats. But was any one ever taken in but--the maker?

Then there were cats, and cats and kittens, made of silk, for selling at fancy fairs, not much like cats, but for the _purposes_ good. Cats sitting on pen-wipers; clay cats of burnt brick-earth. These were generally something to remember rather than possess. Wax cats also, with a cotton wick coming out at the top of the head. It was a saddening sight to see these _beauties_ burning slowly away. Was this a "remnant"

of the burning of the live cats in the "good old times?" And cats made of rabbits' skins were not uncommon, and far better to give children to play with than the tiny, lovable, patient, live kitten, which, if it submit to be tortured, it is well, but if it resent pain and suffering, then it is beaten. There is more ill done "from want of thought than want of heart."

But kittens have fallen upon evil times, ay, even in these days of education and enlightenment. As long as the world lasts probably there will be the foolish, the gay, unthinking, and, in tastes, the ridiculous. But then there are, and there ever will be, those that are always craving, thirsting, longing, shall I say _mad_?--for something _new_. Light-headed, with softened intellects who must--_they_ say _they must_--have some excitement or some novelty, no matter what, to talk of or possess, though all this is ephemeral, and the silliness only lasts a few hours. Long or short, they are never conscious of these absurdities, and look forward with all the eagerness of doll-pleased infancy for another--craze. The world is being denuded of some of its brightest ornaments and its heaven-taught music, in the slaughter of birds, to gratify for scarcely a few hours the insane vanity, that is now rife in the ball-room--fashion.

What has all this to do with cats? Why, this cla.s.s of people are not content, they never are so; but are adding to the evil by piling up a fresh one. It is the kitten now, the small, about two or three weeks old kitten that is the "fashion." Not long ago they were killed and stuffed for children to play with--better so than alive, perhaps; but now they are to please children of a larger _growth_, their tightly filled skins, adorned with gla.s.s eyes, being put in sportive att.i.tudes about portrait frames, and such like uses. It is comical, and were it not for the stupid bad taste and absurdity of the thing, one would feel inclined to laugh at _clambering_ kitten skins about, and supposed to be peeping into the face of a languor-struck "beauty." Who buys such? Does any one?

If so, where do they go? Over thirty kittens in one shop window. What next, and--next? Truly frivolity is not dead!

From these, and such as these, turn to the models fair and proper; the china, the porcelain, the terra cotta, the bronze, and the silver, both English, French, German, and j.a.panese; some exquisite, with all the character, elegance, and grace of the living animals. In these there has been a great advance of late years, Miss A. Chaplin taking the lead.

Then in bold point tracery on pottery Miss Barlow tells of the animal's flowing lines and non-angular posing. Art--true art--all of it; and art to be coveted by the lover of cats, or for art alone.

But I have almost forgotten the old-time custom of, when the young ladies came from school, bringing home a "sampler," in the days before linen stamping was known or thought of. On these in needlework were alphabets, numbers, trees (such trees), dogs, and cats. Then, too, there were cats of silk and satin, in needlework, and cats in various materials; but the most curious among the young people's accomplishments was the making of tortoisesh.e.l.l cats from a snail-sh.e.l.l, with a smaller one for a head, with either wax or bread ears, fore-legs and tail, and yellow or green beads for eyes. Droll-looking things--very. I give a drawing of one. And last, not least often, the edible cats--cats made of cheese, cats of sweet sponge-cake, cats of sugar, and once I saw a cat of jelly. In the old times of country pleasure fairs, when every one brought home gingerbread nuts and cakes as "a fairing," the gingerbread "cat in boots" was not forgotten nor left unappreciated; generally fairly good in form, and gilt over with Dutch metal, it occupied a place of honour in many a country cottage home, and, for the matter of that, also in the busy town. If good gingerbread, it was saved for many a day, or until the holiday time was ended and feasting over, and the next fair talked of.

But, after all "said and done," what a little respect, regard, and reverence is there in our mode to that of the Egyptians! They had three varieties of cats, but they were all the same to them; as their pets, as useful, beautiful, and typical, they were individually and nationally regarded, their bodies embalmed, and verses chaunted in their praise; and the image of the cat then--a thousand years ago--was a deity. What do they think of the cat now, these same though modern Egyptians?

Scarcely anything. And we, who in bygone ages persecuted it, to-day give it a growing recognition as an animal both useful, beautiful, and worthy of culture.

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LOVERS OF CATS.

"The Turks greatly admire Cats; to them, their alluring Figure appears preferable to the Docility, Instinct, and Fidelity of the Dog. Mahomet was very partial to Cats. It is related, that being called up on some urgent Business, he preferred _cutting off_ the Sleeve of his Robe, to _waking_ the Cat, that lay upon it _asleep_. Nothing more was necessary, to bring these Animals into high Request. A Cat may even enter a Mosque; it is caressed there, as the Favourite Animal of the Prophet; while the Dog, that should dare appear in the Temples, would _pollute_ them with his Presence, and would be punished with instant _Death_."[H]

[H] Daniel's "Rural Sports," 1813.

I am indebted to the Rev. T. G. Gardner, of St. Paul's Cray, for the following from the French:

"A recluse, in the time of Gregory the Great, had it revealed to him in a vision that in the world to come he should have equal share of beat.i.tude with that Pontiff; but this scarcely contented him, and he thought some compensation was his due, inasmuch as the Pope enjoyed immense wealth in this present life, and he himself had nothing he could call his own save one pet cat. But in another vision he was censured; his worldly detachment was not so entire as he imagined, and that Gregory would with far greater equanimity part with his vast treasures than he could part with his beloved puss."

CATS ENDOWED BY LA BELLE STEWART.--One of the chief ornaments of the Court of St. James', in the reign of Charles II., was "La Belle Stewart," afterwards the d.u.c.h.ess of Richmond, to whom Pope alluded as the "d.u.c.h.ess of R." in the well-known line:

Die and endow a college or a cat.

The endowment satirised by Pope has been favourably explained by Warton.

She left annuities to several female friends, with the burden of maintaining some of her cats--a delicate way of providing for poor and probably proud gentlewomen, without making them feel that they owed their livelihood to her mere liberality. But possibly there may have been a kindliness of thought for both, deeming that those who were dear friends would be most likely to attend to her wishes.

Mr. Samuel Pepys had at least a gentle nature as regards animals, if he was not a lover of cats, for in his Diary occurs this note as to the Fire of London, 1666:

"_September 5th._--Thence homeward having pa.s.sed through Cheapside and Newgate Market, all burned; and seen Antony Joyce's house on fire. And took up (which I keep by me) a piece of gla.s.s of Mercer's chapel in the street, where much more was, so melted and buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. I did also see a poor cat taken out of a hole in a chimney, joining the wall of the Exchange, with the hair all burned off its body and yet alive."

Dr. Jortin wrote a Latin epitaph on a favourite cat:[I]

[I] Hone's "Every-day Book," vol. i.

IMITATED IN ENGLISH.

"Worn out with age and dire disease, a cat, Friendly to all, save wicked mouse and rat, I'm sent at last to ford the Stygian lake, And to the infernal coast a voyage make. Me _Proserpine_ receiv'd, and smiling said, 'Be bless'd within these mansions of the dead. Enjoy among thy velvet-footed loves, Elysian's sunny banks and shady groves.' 'But if I've well deserv'd (O gracious queen), If patient under sufferings I have been, Grant me at least one night to visit home again, Once more to see my home and mistress dear, And purr these grateful accents in her ear: "Thy faithful cat, thy poor departed slave, Still loves her mistress, e'en beyond the grave."'"

"Dr. Barker kept a Seraglio and Colony of Cats. It happened, that at the Coronation of George I. the Chair of State fell to his Share of the Spoil (as Prebendary of Westminster) which he sold to some Foreigner; when they packed it up, one of his favourite Cats was inclosed along with it; but the Doctor pursued his treasure in a boat to Gravesend and recovered her safe. When the Doctor was disgusted with the _Ministry_, he gave his _Female_ Cats, the Names of the _Chief Ladies_ about the Court; and the _Male-ones_, those of the _Men in Power_, adorning them with the Blue, Red, or Green Insignia of Ribbons, which the Persons they represented, wore."[J]

[J] Daniel's "Rural Sports," 1813.

Daniel, in his "Rural Sports," 1813, mentions the fact that, "In one of the Ships of the Fleet, that sailed lately from Falmouth, for the West Indies, went as Pa.s.sengers a Lady and her _seven Lap-dogs_, for the Pa.s.sage of _each_ of which, she paid _Thirty Pounds_, on the express Condition, that they were to _dine_ at the Cabin-table, and lap their _Wine_ afterwards. Yet these happy dogs do not engross the _whole_ of their good Lady's Affection; she has also, in Jamaica, FORTY CATS, and a Husband."

"The Partiality to the _domestic_ Cat, has been thus established. Some Years since, a Lady of the name of Greggs, died at an advanced Age, in Southampton Row, London. Her fortune was _Thirty Thousand Pounds_, at the Time of her Decease. _Credite Posteri!_ her _Executors_ found in her House _Eighty-six living_, and _Twenty-eight dead Cats_. Her Mode of Interring them, was, as they died, to place them in different Boxes, which were heaped on one another in Closets, as the _Dead_ are described by Pennant, to be in the Church of St. Giles. She had a black Female Servant--to Her she left One hundred and fifty pounds _per annum_ to keep the _Favourites_, whom she left _alive_."[K]

[K] Daniel's "Rural Sports," 1813.

The Chantrel family of Rottingdean seem also to be possessed with a similar kind of feeling towards cats, exhibiting no fewer than twenty-one specimens at one Cat Show, which at the time were said to represent only a small portion of their stock; these ultimately became almost too numerous, getting beyond control.

_Signor Foli_ is a lover of cats, and has exhibited at the Crystal Palace Cat Show.

_Petrarch_ loved his cat almost as much as he loved Laura, and when it died he had it embalmed.

_Ta.s.so_ addressed one of his best sonnets to his female cat.

_Cardinal Wolsey_ had his cat placed near him on a chair while acting in his judicial capacity.