Book Of Milton’s Poetry Is Bound With The Skin Of A Murderer.
Hi,
.
Already Thursday….excellent!
.
As you know, I am sometimes struck by happenings which are described under my section titled’ Mysteries And Wonderments’.
This post is definitely one of them.
.
At present there is an exhibition underway at the Westcountry Study Library in Devon.
This is under the heading of ‘Crime And Punishment’.
.
One of the more unusual exhibits is a leather bound book of ‘The Poetical Works’ of John Milton, published about 160 years ago in 1852.
Milton, a 17th century poet, is most famous for his grand work ‘Paradise Lost’.
.
So far not so unusual, you might say, but now it gets strange.
.
In the year 1830, on 25th March, a hanging took place in Exeter, Devon.
The unfortunate felon was a ratcatcher named George Cudmore from Roborough.
He had been tried, and found to be guilt,y of murdering a woman by poisoning her with arsenic.
His judgement also included that he should afterwards be dissected at an Exeter hospital.
.
During this process a section of his skin was removed and kept, to later be properly flayed and tanned.
.
It was this skin which was used in 1852, quite some years later, to cover a book of Milton’s works.
.
It is this book which was was eventually donated to the library.
A bookplate in the front of the volume records that it once was part of the library of a Mr. Ralph Saunders.
.
Isn’t it strange that great people who invent wonderful things, save many lives, or create great artistic works can be forgotten, but a murderous ratcatcher who is hung before an enthusiastic crowd in the early 1800′s can be remembered because of such a peculiar happening with regard to a portion of his skin.
.
Ah fame, such a fleeting thing, and so perverse!
j,x.
.
.
