The Shasta courier., 1866-08-18
SHASTA COURIER.
Self-Crucffxion.

The circumstance which follows is one of
the most extraordinary and deplorable in
stances Of self delusion on record. Matthew
LOvat was born at Casale, hamlet belong
ing to the parish of Soldo in the territory OF
Relluno, of poor parents. employed in the
coarsest and most laborious works of hus
bahdry, and fixed to place remote from
almost all society. His imagination was SO
forcibly smitten with the view Of the easy
and comfortable lives of the rector and his
curate, who were the only persons in the
whole parish exempted from the labors OF
the field, and who engrossed all the power
and consequence which the little world
wherein Matthew lived presented to his eyes,
that he made an effort to prepare himself for
the priesthood, and placed himself under the
tuition of the curate, who taught him to read
and to write little. But the poverty of his
family was an effectual barrier to his desire
he was obliged to renounce study forever,
and to betake himself to the trade of shoe.
maker.
Having become shoemaker from necessi-
ty, he never succeeded either IS a neat or
expeditions workman. The sedentary life,
and the silence to which apprentices were
always condemned in the shops of masters
abroad, formed in him the habit of medita-
tion and rendered him gloomy and taciturn.
As his age increased, he became subject, in
the spring, to giddiness in his head, and
eruptions of a leprous appearance Showed
themselves on his face and hands.
Until the month of July. 1902, Matthew
Lovat did nothing extraordinary. His life
was regular and uniform, his habits were
simple, and nothing distinguished him but
an extreme degree of devotion. lie spoke on
no other subject than the affairs of the
church-its festivals and fasts, with sermons,
saints ETC., constituted the topics of his con-
versation.
1t was at this date that in imitation of the
early devotees, he determined to disarm the
tempter by mutilating himself. He eff cted
his purpose without having anticipated the
species of celebrity which the operation was
to procure for him and which compelled
the poor creature to keep himself shut up in
his house, from which he did not venture to
stir for some time, not even to go to mass.
At length, on the 18th of November. in
the same year, he went to Venice, where
younger brother named Angelo, conducted
Matthew to the house of widow. the reIict
of Andrew Osgualda, with whom he lodged
until the 2lst of September, in the following
year, working assduously at his trade, and
without exhibiting any signs of madness
But on the above mentioned day he made an
attempt to cruelty himself in the middle of
the street called the Cross of Biri, upon a
frame which he had constructed of the tim
Der of his bed he was prevented from ac-
complishing his purpose by several persons
who came upon him just as he was driving
the nail in his left foot His landlady dis
missed him from her house lest he should
perform similar exploit there.
Being interrogated repeatedly as to the
motive for his self crucifxion, he maintain
ed an obstinate silence, except that he once
said to his brother, that that day was the
festival of St. Matthew, and that he could
give no further explanation. Some days
after this. he set out for his own country,
where he remained a certain time, but after
ward returned to Venice, and in July. 1905,
lodged in room on the third floor of house
in the street Dele Monacher.
Here his old ideas of cruci6xion laid hold
of him again. He wrought little every
day in forming the instrument of his torture,
and providing himself with the necessary
articles of nails, ropes, bands, the crown of
thorns. cts. As he fore aw that it would be
rather difficult to fasten himself secure upon
the cross, he made net Of small cords capa.
ble of supporting his weight, in case he
should happen to disengage himself from it.
This net he secured at the bottom, by fasten-
ing it in knot at the lower extremity of the
perpendicular beam, little below the brack
ct designed to support his feet, and the other
end was stretched to the extremities of the
transverse spar, which formed the arms of
the cross, so that it had the appearance in
front of purse turned upside down. From
the middle of the upper extremity of the net
thus placed, proceeded one rope, and from
the point at which the two spars forming the
cross intersected each other, second rope
both of which were firmly tied to
n beam in the inside of the chamber. imme.
diately above the window, of which the para
pet was very low; and the length of these
ropes was just sufficient to allow the cross to
rest horizontally upon the floor of the apart
ment.
These cruel preparations being ended,
Matthew stripped himself naked aud pro-
ceeded to crown himself with thorns of
which two or three pierced the skin which
covers the forehead. He next bound white
handkerchief around his loins and thighs,
leaving the rest of his body bare; then,
passing his legs between the net and the
cross, seating himself upon it, be took one Of
the nails destined for his hands, of which
the point was smooth and sharp, and intro
aucing 1t into the palm of the left, he drove
II, by striking its head on the floor. until the
nan OF 1t had appeared through the back of
,ne hand; He now adjusted his feet to the
bracket which had been prepared to receive
them. the right over the left, and taking a
na,l ma .is hye French inches and half long,
sharp. and placing it on the upper foot with
his left hand. he drove it with a malIet which
ne held IN his right, until he not only pene.
trased both his feet, but entering the hole
prepared for it in the bracket, made it's way
80 lar through the tree Of the cross as to fast
en- the victim firmly to it. He planted the
third nail in his right hand as he had man.
aged with regard to the left, and having
bound himself by the middle to the nerna,,s
d,caiar OF the cross by a cord, which he had
previously stretched under him, he Sc. abou,
Inf1Icting the wound in tho Cd. -