The Princeton union., 1907-04-18
STORIES OF THE CAT.
Legends and Facts About the Still but
Half Tanned Animal.

There are few tales Of cat fidelity
and many Of dog, yet one thinks no
worse Of the cat for this" says an OBJ
server. 'His very independence COM
pels respect. He walks by his wild
lone. waving his wild tail, through the
wild woods as an inspired modern
writer has set forth. All the genera
tions have not served to tame him.
and the most domestic Of the race will
revert sooner to a wild life at the call
of the blood than any other friend Of
man. .ltisz thus scarcely surprising to
find that the most famous cat lovers
have been drawn from the ranks of
politicians and poets, those whom rea-
sons of state or a sensitive tempera-
ment have rendered averse from trust
Ing their fellow creatures and who con-
sequently bestOw all their affections
upon the 'tireside sphinx We are in
vited to believe that the most famous
of all cats, he who brought fame and
fortune to his master, Dick Whiting
ton, was no four legged animal at all,
but merely the French word 'achat'-
to buy and sell at pro6t-and that the
great merchant made a pet only of his
merchandise from the very beginning
Thus in later years do the idols of our
youth topple about our heads
'But other legends-nay, facts-are
left us. Cardinal Wolsey, for instance,
when acting in his official capacity as
lord chancellor is said to have had his
favorite cat always seated beside him,
and another prince of the church, Rich
elieu, found his only relaxation in
keeping number Of kittens in his pri-
vate cabinet and watching their gam
bols during his spare moments. We
cannot really reckon Richelieu as
true lover of the race, however, for d.
rectly the kittens grew to three months
he had them sent away and replaced
by others. Lord Chesterfield left in his
will life pensions to his favorite cats
and their kittens. Victor Hugo's great
cat Chanoine always sat on a large red
ottoman In the center of his salon and
received his guests in state, showing
marked displeasure if any one failed
to caress or praise her.
"Tasso wrote a sonnet to his favorite
cat, and Petrarch had one he loved as
dearly, we are told, as Laura. No
doubt she was the confidant of many
Of his trials and consoled him for much
of the fair lady's disdain, and when
pussy died the poet had her embalmed
in the Egyptian fashion and carried her
mummy about with him everywhere.
Baudelaire, the French poet, a very
shy man, was always i'll at ease in any
new house he entered until the family
cat was brought up and introduced to
him, after which, with the cat on his
knee, he was perfectly happy in his
silent poet fashion. .. ...
TRADITIONS respecting cats are. of
course, legion. From time immemorial
they have been regarded as somewhat
uncanny, omens Of veal or woe, beings
to be either conciliated or crushed.
The cat worship Of ancient Egypt and.
later, the Roman creed that the cat
was sacred to Diana speak of the one;
the wild charges of witchcraft or
concern in it-rife during the dark
ages of Europe will attest the latter.
But there is another popular belief de-
serving also Of mention, that which
sets forth the old maid as the cats
only friend, legend arising in the
medlaeval nunneries overrun with
mice, where one or more cats were
always kept and were no doubt much
petted by the good nuns."-C Chicago
News.