The prisoner being
unable to pay the fine, some of the ladies and gentlemen in court kindly
raised the amount amongst them, in pity for the poor creature's obvious
contrition, rather than see him sent to prison for a month in default of
payment.
"The prisoner was then conducted to the temple, followed by a
considerable number of people. Strange to say, in spite of the
overwhelming evidence that they had just heard, some few among the
followers, whose love of the marvellous overpowered their reason, still
maintained that the prisoner was the Sunchild. Nothing could be more
decorous than the prisoner's behaviour when, after hearing the
recantation that was read out to him by the Manager, he signed the
document with his name and address, which we again withhold, and kissed
the reliquary in confirmation of his words.
"The Mayor then declared the prisoner to be at liberty. When he had done
so he said, 'I strongly urge you to place yourself under my protection
for the present, that you may be freed from the impertinent folly and
curiosity of some whose infatuation might lead you from that better mind
to which I believe you are now happily restored. I wish you to remain
for some few hours secluded in the privacy of my own study, where Dr.
Downie and the two excellent Professors will administer that ghostly
counsel to you, which will be likely to protect you from any return of
your unhappy delusion.
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