The Court of Cacus; Or, The Story of Burke and Hare — John Shaqi
The Court of Cacus; Or, The Story of Burke and HareLeighton, Alexander
History
The Court of Cacus; Or, The Story of Burke and Hare
Leighton, Alexander
Body snatching; Burke, William, 1792-1829; Hare, William, 1792?-1870?
Surely it is impossible that these holy feelings can have a final cause so
indifferent to Him who, out of man's heart, however hardened, "brings the
issues of love," that it can be overlooked, defeated, and mocked by that
pride of science of which man makes an idol. The _ludibrium_ referred to
by Lucretius is in this instance, at least, of man's making; and if it is
conceded to be necessary that the bodily system should be known, that
necessity, which is so far of man's thought, must be restricted by that
other necessity, which is altogether of God's.
It was not to be supposed that this romantic mailing should escape the
observation of our anatomist. Nor did it; and we are specially reminded of
the fact by an admission made by Liston himself, that, unpoetical and
rough as he was, an incident once occurred here which touched him more
than any operation he ever performed. On this occasion he and his friends
had made use of a boat specially hired for the purpose--a mode of
conveyance which subsequently passed into a custom, before the Limekilns
people were roused from their apathy, and became next to frantic under
circumstances which left it in doubt whether any one of them, husband,
wife, father, mother, or lover, could say that their relations had not
been stolen away from their cherished Rosyth. The adventurers studied
their time so well that their boat would get alongside of the dike under
the shade of night, and they could wile away an hour or two while they
watched the opportunity of a descent. They were favoured by that
inspissated moonlight, which was enough for their keen eyes, and not less
keen hands, and yet might suffice to enable them to escape observation.
But just as they were about to land they observed the figure of a young
woman sitting near one of the head-stones. The stillness all about enabled
them to hear deep sobs, as if the heart had been convulsed, and tried by
these efforts to throw off the weight of a deep grief. The story was
readable enough even by gouls, but so intent were they on their prey that
they felt no response to these offerings of the stricken heart to Him who,
for His own purposes, had struck it. The scene continued beyond the
endurance of their patience, and science, as usual, murmured against
Nature's decrees; but at length she who was thought an intruder rose, and
after some movement of the arms, which came afterwards to be understood,
slowly left the spot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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