270 THE RAVEN. 
every thing. He was as playful as a kitten; he 
showed vast aptitude in learning to talk; and he 
was so correct an imitator of sounds, that I had 
every hope of teaching him the tune, which Gold- 
smith informs us he heard a raven sing, with “ great 
distinctness, truth, and humour.” Marco was fond 
of seeing a carriage approach the house. He would 
attend company on their arrival at the bridge, and 
wait near the gate until their return; and then he 
would go part of the way back with them. He was 
an universal favourite, notwithstanding that at times 
his evil genius prompted him to commit almost 
unpardonable excesses; so much so, that I often 
said to him in the words of the poet,— | 
‘* Difficilis,— facilis, jucundus acerbus es idem.” 
‘In all thy humours, whether grave or mellow, 
Thou art such a touchy, testy, pleasant fellow ; 
Hast so much wit, and mirth, and glee about thee, 
There is no living with thee, nor without thee.” 
One day, he took a sudden dislike to an old duck, 
with which, till then, he had been upon the best of 
terms; and he killed her in an instant. The coach- 
man and Marco were inseparable companions ; but 
at last they had a serious and a fatal quarrel. Marco 
bit him severely in the thumb; upon which, this 
ferocious son of the whip seized the bird by the 
throat, and deliberately strangled it. I learned 
from poor Marco, that birds will occasionally do 
that which I had always supposed to be solely con- 
fined to quadrupeds. When Marco could find a 
heap of sand, or when there was snow upon: the 
