128 THE TOWER MENAGERIE. 
was presented to his late majesty, more than seventeen 
years ago, by the Hudson’s Bay Company, and has long 
been the oldest inhabitant of the Tower Menagerie. The 
name of Martin, which was originally bestowed upon 
him, in imitation probably of that of the most celebrated 
bear ever exhibited in Europe, has consequently been of 
late years generally preceded by the epithet of antiquity, 
and Old Martin has become under that title almost as 
well known as his famous namesake. His size is far 
superior to that of any other bear that has ever been 
seen in this quarter of the globe; and his ferocity, in 
spite of the length of time during which he has been a 
prisoner, and of all the attempts that have been made to 
conciliate him, still continues undiminished. He does 
not offer the slightest encouragement to familiarity on 
the part of his keepers, but treats them with as much 
distance as the most perfect strangers; and although he 
will sometimes appear playful and good tempered, yet 
they know him too well to trust themselves within his 
clutch. 
