D e at h J u n c t i o n Tom Keighley
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If I could live, it would be but for a little time, though I am but young
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I need not tell you why we are brought here to suffer
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If I have or had any enemies in the world, which I do not know that ever I had in my life, I do heartily forgive them
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Sure, if a man ever speaks truth, it must be at the hour of death, therefore I hope nobody will doubt what I say
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I beg the prayers of all
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with a short pain an everlasting life
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D e at h J u n c t i o n
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How? How does a location change once you learn something negative about its past? Does this information change the ‘aura’ of the location? Do you experience the location differently? These are the questions that I have asked myself since discovering new information about a place that I walk past almost daily, ‘Death Junction’: a busy junction near central Cardiff. Its dark and shadowy past piqued my interest into the multiple narratives and infinite histories that are ever-present within a single location. I have been searching for micronarratives within one space to see what this tells me about the bigger picture of events taking place within the world right now. Death junction itself is a microcosm for the chaotic world around it: the flow of people’s lives, how they linger, wait for instruction, how they interact with the world around them.
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From Challoner’s Memoirs of Missionary Priests: St Philip Evans’ speech at the scaffold. I need not tell you why we are brought here to suffer; our sentence of condemnation is a sufficient witness that it was not for a plot, or any other crime, but for being priests; consequently I do die for religion and conscience’ sake. I shall not speak much of the goodness of my cause, because I think it would be needless, but it is so good that I would not give the happiness of dying for it for all the crowns in the world. Sure, if a man ever speaks truth. it must be at the hour of death, therefore I hope nobody will doubt of what I say. If I have or had any enemies in the world, which I do not know that ever I had in my life, I do heartily forgive them for anything done or said against me, and if I have offended anybody, I am heartily sorry for it and ask them forgiveness. I pray God bless and prosper the king. I beg the prayers of all, and in particular of the Catholics here present. Sure, this is the best pulpit a man can have to preach in, therefore I cannot forbear to tell you again that I die for God and religion’s sake, and I think myself so happy that if I had never so many lives I would willingly give them all for so good a cause. If I could live, it would be but for a little time, though I am but young; happy am I that can purchase with a short pain an everlasting life. I do forgive all those that have had any hand in my death, accusation,
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or condemnation: I ask again forgiveness of everybody; I give thanks to all that have been kind to me, and to you, Mr Sheriff. Adieu, Mr Lloyd, though for a little time, for we shall shortly meet again. Pray for me, all, and I shall return it, when it pleaseth God that I shall enjoy the beatific vision. If any of you that see me die thus willingly for my religion have any good thought upon it, I shall think myself happy.
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