The Book, Cat, & Cat Book Lovers Almanac

of historical trivia regarding books, cats, and other animals. Actually this blog has evolved so that it is described better as a blog about cats in history and culture. And we take as a theme the advice of Aldous Huxley: If you want to be a writer, get some cats. Don't forget to see the archived articles linked at the bottom of the page.

May 19, 2009

May 19, 1795

James Boswell died on May 19, 1795. This Scottish writer did not like cats, but in his zeal to record the personal and "telling" details about certain famous men, he recounts Samuel Johnson's fondness for "Hodge." These details were innovative in biography at the time. His story that Johnson had to shop for Hodge's meals himself, least the servants get to dislike the cat, give us an glimpse into the world of servants in earlier centuries, a glimpse that is disquieting.
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