Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Legends -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Miscellanea
It is unnecessary here to give the evidence either on this occasion or
at the subsequent trial. On being asked what he had to say for himself,
he made the following confession in a firm tone of voice:--
"The reason that I set fire to the Cathedral was on account of two
particular dreams. In the first dream I dreamed that a man stood by me
with a bow and a sheath of arrows. He shot an arrow, and the arrow stuck
in the Minster door. I then wished to shoot, and the man presented me
the bow, and I took an arrow from the sheath and shot, and it struck on
a stone and I lost it. In the second dream I dreamed that a cloud came
down on the Cathedral, and came over to the house where I slept, and it
made the whole house tremble. Then I woke; and I thought it was the hand
of God pointing out that I was to set fire to the Cathedral. And those
things which were found on me I took lest any one should be blamed
wrongfully. I took them to bear witness against myself; I cut the
hangings from the throne, or cathedra, or whatever you call it, and tore
down the curtains."
Here he stopped rather abruptly, and being asked whether he had anything
more to say, he replied, "No."
During the whole of the proceedings Martin appeared perfectly calm, and
stood with his eyes closed nearly the whole of the time, his head
inclining over the right shoulder.
His committal was then made out, and signed by Mr. Dickens, the
chairman, and the Rev. D. R. Currer, and he was removed to the City
Gaol, and given into the custody of Mr. Kilby, to remain till the
Assizes.
After Martin was committed to the charge of the gaoler on the morning
of the 9th of February, he breakfasted and went to bed. His sleep was
sound and tranquil, and he awoke much refreshed and in good spirits.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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