und in Dr. Prichard's _Analysis
of Egyptian Mythology_. The lines referring to cat-worship are as
follows:

"You cry and wail whene'er ye spy a cat,
Starving or sick; I count it not a sin
To hang it up, and flay it for its skin;"

from which it appears this gay free-thinker was not only somewhat
skeptical in his religious notions, but, moreover, a hard-hearted,
good-for-nothing fellow--one who, had he lived in our time, would
unquestionably have brought himself within the sweep of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Duke of Beaufort's
Humanity Act.

We learn from Herodotus that in his days it was customary, whenever a
cat died, for the whole household at once to go into mourning, and this
although the lamented decease might have been the result of old age, or
other causes purely natural. In the case of a cat's death, however, the
eyebrows only were required to be shaved off; but when a dog, a beast of
more distinguished reputation, departed this life, every inmate 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 even accompanying 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 purpose.

In modern Egypt the cat, although more docile and companionable than its
European sister, has much degenerated; but still, on account of its
usefulness in destroying scorpions and other reptiles, it is treated
with some consideration--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 a cat; and we are told by Sir
Gardner Wilkinson, that benevolent individuals have bequeathed funds by
which a certain number of these animals are daily fed at Cairo at the
Cadi's court, and the bazaar of Khan Khaleel.

But a tender regard for the inferior animals is a prevailing
characteristic of the Oriental races, and is inculcated as a duty by
their various religions. At Fez there was, and perhaps is at this day, a
wealthily-end