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fingsJust finished re-reading HP Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward for my book club meeting Sunday.
One of the plot bits involves Curwin and his compatriots temporarily resurrecting notable people of the past, using their remains.
The letters from Curwin's correspondents talk about wanting "B. F.", who based on the evidence, would be Benjamin Franklin.
"Meanwhile forget not I am desirous of B. F. if you can possibly get him for me. You know G. in Philada. better than I. Have him upp firste if you will, but doe not use him soe hard he will be Difficult, for I must speake to him in ye End."
"O. sayes you have promis'd him B. F. I must have him after."
And it's strongly implied Curwin almost had his remains, but a twist of fate saved B. F. from being subject to Curwin's sorcery and summoned back:
'In a lonely spot near Hope Valley had occurred one of the frequent sordid waylaying of trucks by "hi-jackers" in quest of liquor shipments, but this time the robbers had been destined to receive the greater shock. For the long cases they seized proved upon opening to contain some exceedingly gruesome things; so gruesome, in fact, that the matter could not be kept quiet amongst the denizens of the underworld. The thieves had hastily buried what they discovered, but when the State Police got wind of the matter a careful search was made. A recently arrived vagrant, under promise of immunity from prosecution on any additional charge, at last consented to guide a party of troopers to the spot; and there was found in that hasty cache a very hideous and shameful thing. It would not be well for the national—or even the international—sense of decorum if the public were ever to know what was uncovered by that awestruck party. There was no mistaking it, even by those far from studious officers; and telegrams to Washington ensued with feverish rapidity.'
Which is a shame, because old Ben would have been down with it! Check out this excerpt from a letter by Franklin:
One of the plot bits involves Curwin and his compatriots temporarily resurrecting notable people of the past, using their remains.
The letters from Curwin's correspondents talk about wanting "B. F.", who based on the evidence, would be Benjamin Franklin.
"Meanwhile forget not I am desirous of B. F. if you can possibly get him for me. You know G. in Philada. better than I. Have him upp firste if you will, but doe not use him soe hard he will be Difficult, for I must speake to him in ye End."
"O. sayes you have promis'd him B. F. I must have him after."
And it's strongly implied Curwin almost had his remains, but a twist of fate saved B. F. from being subject to Curwin's sorcery and summoned back:
'In a lonely spot near Hope Valley had occurred one of the frequent sordid waylaying of trucks by "hi-jackers" in quest of liquor shipments, but this time the robbers had been destined to receive the greater shock. For the long cases they seized proved upon opening to contain some exceedingly gruesome things; so gruesome, in fact, that the matter could not be kept quiet amongst the denizens of the underworld. The thieves had hastily buried what they discovered, but when the State Police got wind of the matter a careful search was made. A recently arrived vagrant, under promise of immunity from prosecution on any additional charge, at last consented to guide a party of troopers to the spot; and there was found in that hasty cache a very hideous and shameful thing. It would not be well for the national—or even the international—sense of decorum if the public were ever to know what was uncovered by that awestruck party. There was no mistaking it, even by those far from studious officers; and telegrams to Washington ensued with feverish rapidity.'
Which is a shame, because old Ben would have been down with it! Check out this excerpt from a letter by Franklin:
I wish it were possible, from this instance, to invent a
method of embalming drowned persons in such a manner
that they may be recalled to life at any period, however
distant : for, having a very ardent desire to see and observe
the state of America a hundred years hence, I should prefer
to an ordinary death, the being immersed in a cask of
Madeira wine, with a few friends, until that time, then to
be recalled to life by the solar warmth of my dear country!
But since, in all probability, we live in an age too early, and
too near the infancy of science, to see such an art brought in
our time to its perfection
