OF THE WILD CAT AND ITS NATURE

CAP™ 10.—OF THE CAT AND OF
HIS NATURE

THE cat is a comoun best inowe it nedep nat to
telle of his makyng for fewe men ben pat ne han
seie som of hem. Napbeless per byn many diuers
maners of cattes aftir som maistris opynyons and
namely of wylde and specially per ben some cattes
pt byn as moche as leopardes and som men callen
hem Guyer loupes corryners’ and ober Cattes
wolfes and it is euel saide for pei ben neiper wolfes
ne coriners ne cattes wolpes mene mi3t calle hem
Cattes leopardes pan oper wyse for pei drawe more
toa leopardes kynde than to anoper best. pei lyuen
be suche mete as oper cattes doon saf that pei take
hennys in hegges” and goot and sleep (sic) 3it pei
fynde hem allon for pei ben as moche as a wolt
and alle moost byn fourmed and made as a libard
but hur tayle is nat so longe, a greihound alon
myght not take oon of hem to make him abide
for a gray hond shuld rather take and hold faster
and more stedfastly a wolf pan he shuld oon of
hem for he clees as a leoparde and ferpermore ryght
bytyng. Men hunten at hym but seeld but 3it it
be by auenture whan pe houndes fynde by auenture
such a Catt he wil not be longe hunted for anoon
he puttep hym to his defence or he rennep vpon
a tree. And by cause pat he fleep not longe perfore
shal I not speke but litel of huntyng for in his
huntyng nedeth no grete maystre. And pei beren
her kytons, And be in hure loue as othir Cattes
sauf pei han but ii kyttons at onys pei dwell in
holowe trees and per pei make her liggynge® and
her beddes of ferne and of gras. The Catte helpep
euel to norssh his kyttons as pe wolf dop his
welpes. 4s of comoun wylde Cattes me nedes nat to Speke
myche of hem for euery hunter in Ingelond knowethe hem
and her felnesse and malice wel inowe. But oone ping
dare I wel say that if eny beest hap the deuelis streynt
in hym wipout doute it is pe Catt and pat bop pe wilde
and the tame.

' According to the Shirley MS. this passage runs,
Wild Cat.

CHAP. 10._OF THE WILD CAT
AND ITS NATURE

THE cat is a common beast enough therefore I
need not tell of his making, for there are few men
that have not seen some of them. Nevertheless
there are many and diverse kind of cats, after some
masters’ opinions, and specially of wild cats. Espe-
cially there are some cats as big as leopards and
some men call them Guyenne loup cerviers and
other cat-wolves, and this is wrong for they are
neither wolves nor cerviers nor cat-wolves, they
might better call them cat-leopards than otherwise,
for they draw more to the leopard kind than to any
other beast. They live on such meat as other cats
do save that they take hens in hedges® and goats and
sheep, if they find them alone, for they are as big
as a wolf, and almost the form and make of a leopard,
but their tail is not quite so long.
alone could not take one of them to make him stop,
for a greyhound could sooner take and hold fast

A greyhound

and more steadfastly a wolf than he could one of
them. For he claws as a leopard and furthermore
bites hard.
adventure they do, such a cat would not be long

Men hunt them but seldom, but if per-

hunted for soon he putteth him to his defence or
And because he flieth not
long therefore shall I speak but little of his hunt-

he runneth up a tree.

ing for in hunting him there is no need of great
mastery. They bear their kittens and are in their
love as other cats save that they have but two
kittens at once. They dwell in hollow trees and
there they make their ligging® and their beds of
ferns and of grass. The cat helps as badly to
nourish his kittens as the wolf does his whelps.
Of common wild cats I need not to speak much, for
every hunter in England knows them, and their
falseness and malice are wellknown. But one thing
I dare well say that if any beast has the devil’s
spirit in him without doubt it is the cat, both the
wild and the tame.

“Men calleth him in Guyene loupeceruyers.’’ See Appendix :

A era as Baccara ce Nes es : ee ae
Shirley MS. has “ and egges,”’ instead of in hedges, which is the rendering G. de F. gives.

* See Appendix: Ligging.