A Companion in the Library

Two recreations of the ghostly tale experienced by The Reverend Augustus Jessopp in the late nineteenth century. The first version is told by Neil Storey in the role of Augustus. The second clip tells the same story using shadow puppetry.

You know, in the later years of the 19th century, I was researching the monasteries of Norfolk. And I happened to track some very unusual volumes to here, to this very building, Mannington Hall, the home of Lord Orford. The library, just through that door over there: very dark. I had to take a candle with me and stand upon a chair to reach the six old volumes that I was seeking. I took them down and then I sat myself right here, on this very spot, put the books on the table and illuminated the books with four candles.

I must have started to work around twelve midnight. And I was working through until around 1 o clock, and I went to pick up the last of the volumes. I happened to notice a white…something. I poured myself a glass of Selzer (?), and I looked again. And as I looked across, I saw that this white shape was in fact a hand. A hand that looked quite solid, you could see the veins in the back of it. But as I looked closer, I saw that the hand, although it appeared solid, you could still see the shape and the form of the chair through it.

I followed the hand, I followed the arm, and I gazed upon the man. And it seemed as if he was illuminated by the fire, but not, for the glow that he had about him was not the golden glow of the flames of the fire, but pure white. So was I looking through time’s telescope? Man on one side, perhaps way back, in the 17th century. As I finished, my final volume, closed the pages, and decided I could maybe try and talk to the figure. But the figure was gone. And where he was, was just darkness.