 | My great-great-grandfather had grown up fraternally with Danton. Throughout his illustrious political career, Danton never forgot his childhood friend.
When Danton was sentenced to death, my great-great-grandfather was able to reach out to him and take his last will. Danton had heard that his enemies were determined to bury his remains in a common grave, with no clue by which to ever recognize them.
Er flehte seinen treuen Gefährten an, das Unmögliche zu versuchen und sich wenigstens seinen Kopf anzueignen, wozu er Helfer gewinnen müsse.
Sanson, der Henker, ein fanatischer Bewunderer des großen Redners, beschloss, in diesem Fall gegen seine Vorschriften zu verstoßen und erteilte meinem Ur-Urgroßvater folgende Anweisung:
At the fateful moment, Danton should ask the executioner to show his head to the people.
After the knife fell, Sanson would do as the executed man ordered, and expose the bloodied head to the greedy gazes of the people.
Then, the moment he dropped it again, he would slide it into the second basket, which was always near the first and contained cloths to clean the knife and tools to sharpen the edge. | My great, great grandfather was raised brotherly with Danton. During his brilliant political career, Danton never forgot the friend from his childhood.
Pic.
When Danton was condemned to death, My great, great grandfather was able to get into contact with him, receiving his last will. Danton heard that his enemies were designated to throw his remains into a mass grave, without any hint to find him again.
He beseeched his loyal companion to try the impossible: acquiring his head. Therefore, he needed help.
Sanson, the hangman and a fanatic admirer of the famous orator, decided to impinge his regulations, giving my great, great grandfather the following order: In the fateful event, Danton is supposed to ask the hangman to show the head to the public.
After the knife has fallen, Sanson would follow the wish of the executed, showing the bloody head to the greedy eyes of the public.
In the exact moment of the hangman letting the head drop, he would slide the head into a second basket that was always close to the first one, containing cloths to clean the knife as well as tools for grinding the edge.
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 | Wenige Tage später vollendete das Messer sein Werk.
Sanson carried out his plan and gave the head to my great-great-grandfather.
Nachdem dieser sich über die am häufigsten verwendete Methode des Einbalsamierens informiert hatte, unterwarf er den Kopf zahlreichen chemischen Bädern, die seine Konservierung sichern sollten.
Since that time, the strange relic had been preserved through five generations of my family.
When I noticed the perfect condition of the brain matter and the nerves, I tried for a long time to produce some kind of reflex movement in the head by applying electricity. But all my attempts were unsuccessful. | A few days later, the knife gave the final touch.
Samson carried out the plan and gave the head to my great, great grandfather.
After he informed himself about the most popular methods of embalming, he conducted several chemical baths on the head, trying to secure its conservation.
Since this time, this strange relic has been passed on through five generations of my family.
When I recognized the flawless condition of the brain matter and the nerves, I tried hard to trigger a reflex motion with the help of electricity. Yet, all my efforts were in vain.
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 | I sunk my head in the big diamond that was filled with the aqua-micans.
The effect was far greater than in the previous experiments.
The nerves of the lips seemed to be forming words, while the muscles of the eyes and eyebrows moved tentatively. Evidently the brain was operating in a sort of routine, and after careful investigation I found that the astounding eloquence, the pre-eminent quality of the glorious orator, passed preferentially to the lips: the lips repeated Danton's last speech.
When this discovery became known, I received letters from families who had become aware, and who tenderly wished to see one of their own, hopelessly snatched from them, alive before their eyes after the unfortunate moment of separation. | I engulfed the head into the large diamante that was filled with the Aqua-Micans.
The effect was better compared to the former ones.
The lip's nerves seemed to form words, whereas the muscles of the eyes and the eyebrows slightly moved. Obviously, the brain worked in some kind of routine. After careful examinations, I concluded that the astonishing eloquence, the outstanding ability of the famous orator, mainly effected the lips: the lips repeated the last speech by Danton.
When this discovery was published, I received letters of families that had one wish: making one of their hopelessly lost come back to life after the unfortunate moment of separation, right in front of their eyes.
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