THE

CAT-FIGHT;

A

MOCK HEROIC POEM.

SUPPORTED WITH COPIOUS EXTRACTS

FROM

ANCIENT AND MODERN

CLASSIC AUTHORS.

MEANT AS ILLUSTRATIVE, THOUGH SOME (NOT SO IMMEDIATELY
RELATIVE) PRESSED IN BY MEDIUM OF THEIR INTRINSIC
MERIT; MAKING SOMETHING LIKE WHAT HAS
BEEN TERMED A NARROW RIVULET OF
TEXT, AND WIDE EXTENDED
MEADOW OF NOTES.

BY DOCTOR EBENEZER MACK,

Author of "Anatomy in Rhyme," &c.

ILLUSTRATED WITH FIVE ENGRAVINGS, DESIGNED AND EXECUTED
BY D. C. JOHNSTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, AUTHOR, FROM RE-
COLLECTION, OF MATHEWS AT HOME, IN LA
DILIGENCE, POLLY PACKET," &c.

NEW-YORK:—sold at 350 WATER-STREET.

"The Cat-Fight; a Mock Heroic Poem. Supported with copious extracts from ancient and modern Classic Authors. Meant as illustrative, though some (not so immediately relative) pressed in by medium of their intrinsic merit; making something like what has been termed a narrow rivulet of text, and wide extended meadow of notes. by Dr. Ebenezer Mack, Author of Anatomy in Rhyme, &c. Illustrated with five Engravings, designed and executed by D. C. Johnston, of Philadelphia, Author from recollection of Mathews at home, in la Diligence, Polly Packet," &c.

In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned;" and also to an Aci, entitled "An Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical, and other prints."

JAMES DILL,

Clerk of the Southern District of New-York.

INTRODUCTION.

SOME idea of the approbation this POEM is capable of inspiring, may be formed, by the circumstance, that except by the induction of extracts into Almanacs and other ephemeral works, it has gone forth scarce any other way than orally, or in manuscript-yet has taken such a spread as to become a part of the Mental Recreations in most of the convivial and other social circles in many of the cities and opulent towns on both sides of the Atlantic; repeated by geniuses, and to audiences of the first consideration. One gentleman in particular has scarce failed a day these seven years without reciting an extract of it, or being importuned to do so, to parties of from five to five hundred; and from the domestic firesides to the public halls, assembly-rooms, and hotels; at ntertainments, dinners, balls, and assemblies, dedicated in honour of the great diplomatic and heroic characters, and great national days of the United States. Received-with what enthusiastic applause, need not here be mentioned; as many to whom this will be presented have witnessed, and will judge for themselves.

And now, of the million who have been thus amused, at home and abroad-of the few, very few, who had known or have sought out the author, it has been frequently and confidently suggested, that a subscription would soon realize a sum adequate to the expense of an elegant publication, and in some measure remunerate for exertions. Thus stimulated, it was contemplated to publish this work, with Notes, critical and explicative, with quo. tations from Classics referred or alluded to-viz:

From Pollonius Rhodius-of Jason's expedition in the good ship Argo, from Greece to Colchis, in quest of the golden fleece, with his heroes and demi-gods; and Orpheus, inspiring with song "to thirst of glory and heroic deeds."

From "Tasso's Jerusalem"-the Crusades of the Christian powers for several ages, all combined in arms against the Heathens sacrilegiously inhabiting the Holy Land-spilling and swigging blood, through love of God, (the God of Peace) and throwing into the hand of Providence and lap of Charity, widows, orphans, and mendicants, to the elegiac chaunt of Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand.

From Camoens-the divine Camoens' Lusiad-the voyage of Gama, the Portuguese admiral, to, and his discovery of, the Indies, the golden indies-rich in gems, diamonds, and Oriental peari-of value and honour immense to his nation; yet less so than the Poem that celebrated their acquisition.

And from Claudian's Theomachy, the battle of the tremendous giants and dreadful gods, armed with lightning and mountains, devastating the order and harmony of beauty, and imputed as the cause of the fallen and depraved state of the universe.

From these Poets the excerptions to be copious, embracing a number of entire episodes, as well as detachable, distinct, and sublime parts from their main plots, well calculated and arranged for those in school or out, who are fond of acquiring elegant, but unhackneyed pieces by heart. But from those more familiar to the generality of readers, as Homer, Virgil, Milton, Pope, and Dryden, no more to be copied than barely to explain.

If any one or two should subscribe what would be the additional expense, the main scenes, as the commencement of the combat, the rising and uprisen, actuating, exterminating, and ineffable rage of the battle; the gradually diminishing, disappearing, and final disappearance; and the apparent nonentity of the physical and cogitative sections of the combatants, to be elucidated