Cecily de Walbrook

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Cecily de Walbrook (fl. 1232) was the wife of a nobleman of Southern England. In 1232 a scoundrelly trick was passed upon her by one Joscelin de Snitton, a minor magician, who hit upon a way of insinuating himself into her presence unsuspected. He appeared to her in the shape of a large grey cat, scratching at her chamber door. The lady being tender-hearted took the cat in, named it 'Sir Loveday', fed it from her own hand and made it her darling. She even permitted it to sleep on her bed at night, and puss in his turn appeared so very fond of her that he followed her into the streets and even into church. Eventually however the cat was seen by the magician Walter de Chepe, who detected the imposition and advised the lady of how she was abused. He then forced de Snitton to appear in his proper shape[48].