An animal is a flower without a stem.
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The plant is an animal retarded by the darkness; the animal is a plant blossoming directly through the light, and devoid of root.
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If the Animal is the floral vesicle living from or by itself, it can no longer be fettered like the plant, between the elements; it must be nominally free from the chains of darkness, and thus from the earth…. No animal co-exists in two elements like the plant, but it has all elements in itself, as the flower includes all vegetable parts….
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Animals are entire heavenly bodies, satellites or moons, which circulate independently about the earth. All plants, on the contrary, taken together, are only equivalent to one heavenly body. An animal is an infinity of plants.
I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the Living God, duly and daily
serving him.
For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East
he worships in his way.
For this is done by wreathing his body seven times
round with elegant quickness.
For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.
For he rolls upon prank to work it in.
For having done duty and received blessing
he begins to consider himself.
For this he performs in ten degrees.
For first he looks at his fore-paws to see if they are clean.
For secondly he kicks up behind to clear away there.
For thirdly he works it upon stretch with the fore-paws
extended.
For fourthly he sharpens his paws by wood.
For fifthly he washes himself.
For sixthly he rolls upon wash.
For Seventhly he fleas himself, that he may not be
interrupted upon the beat.
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For Ninthly he looks up for instructions.
For Tenthly he goes in quest of food.
For having consider’d God and himself he will consider
his neighbour:
If he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness;
For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it
(a) chance:
For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.
For when his day’s work is done his business more
properly begins.
For he keeps the Lord’s watch in the night against the
adversary.
For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his
electrical skin and glaring eyes.
For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking
about the life.
For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun
loves him.
For he is of the tribe of Tiger.
For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger.
For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which
in goodness he suppresses.
For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither
will he spit without provocation.
For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he’s
a good Cat.
For he is an instrument for the children to learn bene-
volence upon;
For every house is incompleat without him and a bless-
ing is lacking in the spirit.
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For he is the cleanest in the use of his fore-paws of any
quadruped.
For the dexterity of his defence is an instance of the love
of God to him exceedingly.
For he is the quickest to his mark of any creature.
For he is tenacious of his point.
For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.
For he knows that God is his Saviour.
For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.
For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.
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For the divine spirit comes about his body to sustain it
in complete cat.
For his tongue is exceedingly pure so that it has in
purity what it wants in musick.
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For by stroking of him I have found out electricity.
For I perceived God’s light about him both wax and fire.
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For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.
For, tho’ he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.
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