a humorous remembrance of a college cat

In which Sir Frederick Pollock (this one, I'm betting) honors the memory of a four-legged academic colleague ("the Senior Fellow" and "Tom" of the poem) with good judgement.  Starts slow, but stay with it; it's warm hearted and will bring a smile.

LINES ON THE DEATH OF A COLLEGE CAT.
By SIR FREDERICK POLLOCK.

THE Junior Fellow's vows were said;
Among his co-mates and their Head
His place was fairly set.
Of welcome from friends old and new
Full dues he had, and more than due ;
What could be lacking yet ?

One said, "The Senior Fellow's vote !"
The Senior Fellow, black of coat,
Save where his front was white,
Arose and sniffed the stranger's shoes
With critic nose, as ancients use
To judge mankind aright.

I for 'twas I who tell the tale
Conscious of fortune's trembling scale,
Awaited the decree ;
But Tom had judged : "He loves our race,"
And, as to his ancestral place,
He leapt upon my knee.

Thenceforth in common-room and hall
A verus socius known to all
I came and went and sat,
Far from cross fate's or envy's reach;
For none a title could impeach
Accepted by the cat.

While statutes changed, and freshmen came,
His gait, his wisdom were the same,
His age no more than mellow ;
Yet nothing mortal may defy
The march of Anno Domini,
Not e'en the Senior Fellow.

Beneath our linden shade he lies ;
Mere eld hath softly closed his eyes
With late and honoured end.
He seems, while catless we confer,
To join with faint Elysian purr,
A tutelary friend.

-- from Cook, T. Andrea (ed). (1902). An Anthology of humorous verse. New York: Brentano's. pp. 283-4.