Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-07-28
From the Edinbuyg LITERARY .Jourooi
THE SINGLE COMBAT
At nunc horrentia Martis.
Anna Feienque capo.--pir.rik

:" HeHe'ci we DISCUSS the comparative in
teilectuai powers OF man and other animals.
our conclusions are liable to inaccuracy for
reason too often overlooked. We nre
prone to forget that the arbiters in this case
are party concerned, and that preiud;ce
Will exert some influence, however candid
we may feel disposed to be- Refectnp the
other day upon the above mentioned TOPIC. !
soon awarded the superiority TO INV own
race. In conducting the enquiry, methoupht
that had completely fortified nv mind n.
galnst the beguilng whispers Of selfloye
endeavorcd To- render myself an isolated
being; 10 contemplate man as somethino al
together unconnected with me; TO ar1ue Ike
an exalted intelligence, exempt from those
natural ties, and indissoluble associations
winch must ever bias the decisions of a NOR
TAI. The attempt was vain and illusorv.
Human intellect still plead its own cause
ana that OF competitor, before the tribunal
oi human intellect. Thus blinded to the Cd.
eraiiof oil parhality, took reason from the
brute and bestowed il exclusively unon his
master. extended nv enthusiastic adm,
ration OF the latter TO his less noble attri-
butes and even to his degrading passions In
fraud, he was most crafty, in hatred. more
implacabe, and IN anger, more terrible than
any other animated being in creations scale
Such were the results of abstract reflections
But fifteen minutes Of stern, uncontroverti
bic experience soon dsspated the specula
tons OF that day. This sudden apostacy
from my iormer opinion was owing TO a bat
TIC Witnessed one evening between our fa
Eorltc Iom-Cat and u veteran Rat, who had
Tor many years tenantcd the wood shed adj
Joining our house, and hitherto committed
ms depredatlons with impumity. During
this sahgunary engagement, all those trc-
inendous passions, which in analogous ca
SEES, CONFUSE the soul and countenance of
man, were depicted with equal subIimity up
on the phizzes OF the complaints in point
oil lntlepldity, Marshal Ncy and Kosciusko
would have sunk into insigniicance before
them; and II the hero of St. Helena had
been a spectator OF the ingenuity and knov-l-
edge of tactics displayed in their stratagems
the blush of envy would have kept his cheeks
warm, all along the road TO Moscow. But
to quit the encomiastic strain, which is too
often suspected of hyperbole, let me remark
that the scene was so ieplcte with subject for
philosophers reflection, and the hostile
couple SO far above the common herd Of
cats and rats, that a more comprehensive
account, instead of requiring an apology
cannot in justice be dispensed with And
hrst III Importance well as in dignity. is
the character of Voltairc, our venerable mol,-
SER This remarkable cognomcn was hes.
towed upon him by the children, for what
reason has never been exactly ascertained.
though conjecture attributes il TO a suspicion
| that Fuss was slightly tinctured with those
principles OF inhdehty which his great name
sake is known to have advocated. Such 4
suspicion existed, nor was it wholly ground
less. For 1t must be confessed that our cat
las more than once manifested a kind of
bucksh contempt for Sunday, by stealing
out OF the kitchen window almost cvcrv Sun
day morning, to prosecute his amours with a
dozen or two of youthful Tables who reside
in the neIghborhood; and among whom his
arrival never fails 10 produce Il very lively
sensation. Notwithstanding this faint of
Atheism, Foltalre was looked up TO with the
greatest respect and Difference by the pur.
ring community in his neighborhood Ey-
allied TO the chair by the unanimous suffrage
OF his acquaintance, he presided with gray
ity at all their civil and political assemblies.
and ofhcated as chUriStcr at all their noctur-
nal concerts. TO this latter recreation the
whole tribe was excessively addicted. They
lndulged in it to my knowledge, no
less than seven nights in u week, and their
arrangements merit particular notice.
Voitaire himself took his station, invariably
upon the cistern box. The others formed =
CitCic Iounu nun on the ground. After ia
king the pitch (Which was given by Voltaire)
the exercises commenced with "Strke the
Cymbals" in full chorus Their zeal for
psalmody was, however, little too fcrvent:
and as the orchestra happened to be situa.
ted exactly under my bedroom window, l
was once compelled TO adjourn the singing
meeting somewhat irregularly, by dropping
hand iron among the performers. Ii was
an unlucky device; for the hand iron happen
cd 10 alight upon the choristor's tail, and the
extremity of that member has over since
looked like an Indians paddle. But to re-
turn--the subject of these remarks was not
defective in point of personal appearance.
lie exhibited indeed, model for cats. His
gait was majestic, and, previous to tho above
mentioned accident, his long, glossy velvet
tail waived to and fro with n gracefulness
peculiar to itself OF this elegant appurte-
nance he was not little vain; and indeed.
n -