Book covered in human flesh to be sold
DONCASTER, England (UPI) -- A British auction house has agreed to put a 400-year-old book covered in a sheet of human skin on the block.
The book, "A True And Perfect Relation Of The Whole Proceedings Against The Late Most Barbarous Traitors, Garnet A Jesuit And His Confederates," details the trials and executions of Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators in the 1605 plot to blow up the houses of Parliament, Sky News reported Wednesday.
The tome, which was published months after the event in 1606, is covered in a sheet of human skin that reportedly came from one of Fawkes' co-plotters.
The current owner of the book, who asked not to be identified, said he hopes it is purchased from Wilkinson's Auctioneers in Doncaster by a museum so it can be seen by the public. He said marks on the book and an inscription on the cover, "severe penitence punished the flesh," seem to indicate the skin's former owner was tortured before his death.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
Nice to see I'm not the only one that found that story a bit disturbing.
| QUOTE (redhot-brat @ Dec 3 2007, 05:55 PM) |
| The current owner of the book, who asked not to be identified, said he hopes it is purchased from Wilkinson's Auctioneers in Doncaster by a museum so it can be seen by the public. |
Does he now?
'Cause it seems to me that if he REALLY wanted it able to be seen by the public, he could... I don't know... DONATE it to a museum...