the same animal; but if so,
it is allowable, as pussy may be considered as the christian name and
cat as the surname of the animal. It is to be presumed that the cat
addressed is young, for it evidently was at play, and old cats do not
play. Otherwise it would not have been necessary to repeat her name, to
call her attention to the question. The cat answers in few words, as if
not wishing to be interrupted, that she has been to London to see the
new queen. What queen of England may be referred to, it is impossible
to positively ascertain; but as she says the new queen, we have a right
to suppose that it must refer to the accession of a queen to the throne
of England. We have here to choose between three,--Elizabeth, Mary, and
Anne; and for many reasons, particularly as the two last were married,
we are inclined to give the preference to the first, the word _new_
having, for the sake of the metre, been substituted for virgin. Certain
it is that a married woman cannot be considered as _new_, although she
may not be old. We therefore adhere to our supposition that this rhyme
was composed at the accession of the great Elizabeth. And here we may
observe, that the old adage "that a cat may look at the king" is fully
corroborated, for pussy says expressly that she has been to see the new
queen, pointing out, that as the sun shines upon all alike, so the sun
of royalty, in a well-administered government, will equally dispense its
smiles upon all who approach to bask in them; and that even a cat is not
considered as unworthy to look upon that gracious majesty who feels that
it is called to rule over so many millions, for the purpose of making
them happy.

It would appear as if the cat continued to play with her ball, or
whatever else might have been its amusements, after having answered the
first question; for, on the second question being put, her attention is
obliged to be again roused by the repetition of her name. She is asked
what she did there, and the reply is, that she hunted a titty mouse
under the chair. There is a wonderful effect in this last line, which
fully gives us at once the nature and disposition of the cat, and a very
excellent moral lesson. The cat calls the mouse a _titty_ mouse, a term
of endearment applied to the very animal that she was putting in bodily
fear. It is well known how cats will play with a mouse in the most
graceful way; you would almost imagine, from the manner in which it is
to