A PUBLIC FUNERAL 105 



reign of Tiberius, a raven selected for her eyrie the 

 top of the temple of Castor and Pollux in the Forum. 

 One of the young birds happened to flutter down 

 into a cobbler's shop in the city, and claimed or 

 received at once the religious reverence and the 

 hospitality of its owner. It soon learned to talk, 

 and made a practice of flying, each morning, to the 

 rostra still rich with the memories of the eloquence 

 of Hortensius and Cicero and perching thereon, 

 would wish "Good morning," by name, first, to the 

 reigning Emperor, Claudius, then to the Caesars, 

 his heirs, Germanicus and Drusus, and afterwards, 

 to any other passer-by. Then, returning to the 

 cobbler's shop, he would, after the manner of his 

 kind, help or hinder every one at his work, and 

 became a universal favourite. A neighbouring 

 cobbler, jealous of the popularity his rival's shop 

 had thereby acquired, or angered by the sullying, in 

 his own shop, of some newly-made sandals by the 

 peripatetic bird, killed it with a blow. The people 

 rose in their fury, and first drove away and then 

 killed the murderer. A public funeral was given to 

 the bird ; its body was laid upon a costly bier which 

 was borne aloft on the shoulders of two Nubians, 

 ebony black as their burden ; a trumpeter marched 

 before, and persons bearing wreaths and "floral 



