"Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes"

• Archive Work ID: poems.odfc
• Uniform Title: "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes" [e-text]
• First Line: 'Twas on a lofty vase's side,
• Language: English
• First Published: 1748
• References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 5-6; Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 78-85
• Summary: Written at Cambridge between 22 February and 1 March 1747 and sent in a letter of that date to Horace Walpole. Mason is the only source for this letter, the poem sent in it has not survived. First published in Dodsley's Collection of Poems by Several Hands, 3 vols, vol. II. (London, 1748), 267-269, reprinted in 6 vols, vol. II. (London, 1758 and later edns.), 328-330.

3 Manuscripts:

• • Archive MS ID: mss.0108 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "On the Death of Selima, a Favourite Cat, who fell into a China-Tub with Gold-fishes in it, & was drown'd"
  • Date: 1747
  • Physical Description: 1 page; autograph fair copy
  • Language: English
  • Location: Commonplace Book, Vol. I, 381, College Library, Pembroke College, Cambridge, Cambridge, UK <http://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/>
  • Alternate Form: Microfilm copy available in Poetic Commonplace Books and Manuscripts of Thomas Gray, 1716-1771, from Pembroke College, Cambridge (1999), reel one
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 92, 88; Poetic C. B., Pembroke College (1999), 26; Sutton (ed.), Location Register (1995), 414; Martin, Chronologie (1931), 142
  • Contents: Autograph fair copy, here entitled "On the Death of Selima, a Favourite Cat, who fell into a China-Tub with Gold-fishes in it, & was drown'd", in Gray's Commonplace Book, vol. I, 381.
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0109 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "On a favourite Cat, call'd Selima, that fell into a China Tub with Gold-Fishes in it & was drown'd."
  • Date: [17 March 1747]
  • Physical Description: 2 pages, 236 mm x 183 mm; autograph fair copy
  • Language: English
  • Location: MS Egerton 2400 (Wharton MS), ff. 19v-20r, Manuscripts Collection, British Library, London, UK <http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/bldept/manuscr/>
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 93, 88; Toynbee/Whibley (eds.), Correspondence (1971), letter no. 135, vol. i, 272-279 (subscription required); Sutton (ed.), Location Register (1995), 414
  • Contents: Autograph fair copy, here entitled "On a favourite Cat, call'd Selima, that fell into a China Tub with Gold-Fishes in it & was drown'd.", in a letter to Thomas Wharton, [17 March 1747].
  
  
• • Archive MS ID: mss.0110 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "On the Death of a favourite Cat drown'd in a China-Tub of Gold-Fishes"
  • Date: [1757?]
  • Physical Description: 2 pages, 157 mm x 102 mm; autograph fair copy
  • Language: English
  • Location: MA 3389, Literary and Historical Manuscripts (LHMS), Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY, USA <http://www.themorgan.org/collection>
  • Alternate Form: Facsimile and description in Verlyn Klinkenborg et al., British Literary Manuscripts, Series I. From 800 to 1800 (New York, 1981), no. 98. Reserve photocopy (microfilm copy) in RP149, Manuscripts Collection, The British Library, London, UK
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 94, 88; Sutton (ed.), Location Register (1995), 414; Catalogue of a Sotheby's sale (18 July 1967), lot 537; Catalogue of a Christie's sale (A. A. Houghton sale, 14 June 1979), lot 234, with facsimile, plate 29
  • Contents: Autograph fair copy, here entitled "On the Death of a favourite Cat drown'd in a China-Tub of Gold-Fishes", annotated on verso in the hand of Carolina Pery "known to be Mr Gray's handwriting about the Year 1757".