Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-03-17

ed, SOOu-lOI-lloliIlllS iCio" WIZ, Hao
he lived in our time, would unquestionably
have brought himself within the sweep of
the Society for the Fermentation of Cruelty
10 Animals, and the Duke of Beaufort's HUI
manity Act.
We learn from Herodotus that in his days
it was customary, whenever cat died, for
the whole household at once to 90 into
mourning, and this although the lamented
deceased might have been the result of old
age, or other causes purely natural. In the
case of cats death, however, the eye
brows only were required to be shaven off;
but when dog,a beast gilmore distinguish
ed reputation, departed this life, every IN
mate of the house was expected to shave
his head and whole body all over. Both
cats and dogs are watched and attended to
with the greatest solicitude during illness
Indeed by the ancient Egyptians the cat
was treated much in the same way as are
dogs amongst us /: we find them ever ac-
commanyng their masters on their aquatic
shooting excursions and, If the testimony
of ancient monuments is to be relied on,
often catching the game for them, although
it may be permitted to doubt whether they
ever actually took to the water for this pur-
pose.
In modern Egypt the cat, although more
docile and companionable than its Europe
an sister, has much degenerated; but still,
on account of its usefulness IN destroying
scorpions and other reptiles, it is treated
with some nsideration-suffered to eat out
of the same dish with the children, to join
with them in their sports, and to be their
constant companion and daily friend. A
modern Egyptian would esteem it a heinous
sin, indeed to destroy or even maltreat
cat and we are told by Sir Gardner Wilk-
lnson, that benevolent individuals have be-
queathed funds by which certain number
Of these animals are daily fed at Cairo at
the Cadi'S court, and the bazaar of Khan
Kl.aleel.
But tender regard for the inferior ami
mails is prevailing characteristic of the
Oriental races, and is inculcated as duty
by their various religions. At Fez there
was, and perhaps is at this day, wealthy
endowed hospital, the greater part of the
fnno5 Of which was devoted TO the support
& med;es treatment of inyai;d cranes and
sto rks and occurring them decent sePnl'
ture W. whenever theY chanced 70 die. The
founders are said 10 have entertained the
poet;cal notion that these birds are, In truth
human beings natives of al S'an' 'sianos'
who at certain periods assume loleiSh
shape, and after they have satisfied lheir
curiosity with visiting other lands, retfFn
to their own, and resume their original
form,
To return however, not to our sheep, but
TO our cats, we must remark that, IN mod
ern times, in spite fthe kindness the cat
habitually receives in Egypt, his morale is
not in that country rated very high-the
universal impression being that, although,
like Snug the joiner's hon, he is by nature
"a very gentle BEAST still he is by no
means "of good conscience = that he is
in short, most ungrateful beast ; and that
when, in the future state it Is asked OF him
how he has been treated by man in this, he
will obstinately deny all the benefits he has
received at his hand, and give him such
character for cruelty and. hardness OF heart
as is shocking to think Of. The dog, however
it is understood, will conduct himself more
discreetly, and readily acknowledge the
rood Offices for which he Is indebted to the
family Of mankind
Singular anecdotes have been related of
the intense repugnance persons have been
found to entertain to these, at worst, harm
less ANIMALS. One shall be given in the very
words of the Rev. Nicholas Wanley who,
in his authentic JFonders fine Little H'orM,
has recorded a number Of other facts quite
as marvellous, and sustained by testimony
not one whit more eXceptionable "Mathl-
olus tells of German, who coming in Win
ter-time into an inn to sup with him and
some other Of his friends, the woman OF the
house being acquainted with his temper
Nest be should depart at the sight OF young
cat which she kept to breed up,) had before
hand hid her killing in a chest in the same
room where we sat at supper. But though he
had neither seen noT heard it,yet after some
time that he had sucked i'll the air injected
By the cats breath, that quality of his tenn
perament that had antipathy to that crea-
tuye being provoked, he sweat, and, OF a
sudden, paleness came over his face, and to
the wonder of US ali that were present, he
cried out that in seiae corner OF the room
there was q cat that lay hid Not long
after the battle Of Wagram and the second
occupation Of Vienna by the French, an aid
de~camp Of Napoleon, who atthe time &C.
cupied, together with his suite, the Palace
of Schonbrunn, was proceeding to bed at
an unusually late hour, when, on pasHng
the door of Napolcon's bedroom, he was
surprised by g NEST singular noise, and re-
peated calls from the Emperor for assist
ance. Opon.ng the door hastily, and rush
ing into the room, singular spectacle pre-
sented itselc--the great soldier Of the age,
half undresscd, his countenance agitated,
the beaded drops of pcrspiration standing
OH his brow,in his hand his victorious sword
with which he was making frequent and
convulsive lunges at some invisible enemy
through the tapestry that lined the walls
II was cat that had secreted herself IN
this place and Napoleon held cats rot so
much in adherence as in terror. ga fea-
ther," says the poet, ''daunts the brave; :.
and greater poet. through the mouth OF
his Shylock, remarks that ''there are some
that are mad if they behold cat-a harm
less, necessary cat" Count Bertram would
seem to have shared in this uHaccountable
aversion. When Monsieur PAROLES, the
gallant militarlst, that had the whole theory
OF war in the knot of his scarf, and the
p,,, 'tice in the shape of his dagger, was
convicted of mepdacity and cowardicc, Ber-
tram exclaimed 81 could endure anything
before this bnt Ca, and now he's cat
to me-" The force OF censure could no
further 60.
If Napoleon, however; held Gals, as kas
been averrcd in positive fear, there nave