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The Book of Dreams and Ghosts
·
Andrew Lang
44
The
most
commonly
known
of
dreams
prior
to,
or
simultaneous
with
an
historical
occurrence
represented
in
the
vision,
is
Mr.
Williams's
dream
of
the
murder
of
Mr.
Perceval
in
the
lobby
of
the
House
of
Commons,
May
11,
1812.
Mr.
Williams,
of
Scorrier
House,
near
Redruth,
in
Cornwall,
lived
till
1841.
He
was
interested
in
mines,
and
a
man
of
substance.
Unluckily
the
versions
of
his
dream
are
full
of
discrepancies.
It
was
first
published,
apparently,
in
The
Times
during
the
"silly
season"
of
1828
(August
28).
According
to
The
Times,
whose
account
is
very
minute,
Mr.
Williams
dreamed
of
the
murder
thrice
before
2
a.m.
on
the
night
of
May
11.
He
told
Mrs.
Williams,
and
was
so
disturbed
that
he
rose
and
dressed
at
two
in
the
morning.
He
went
to
Falmouth
next
day
(May
12),
and
told
the
tale
to
every
one
he
knew.
On
the
evening
of
the
13th
he
told
it
to
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Tucker
(his
married
daughter)
of
Tremanton
Castle.
Mr.
Williams
only
knew
that
the
chancellor
was
shot;
Mr.
Tucker
said
it
must
be
the
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer.
From
the
description
he
recognised
Mr.
Perceval,
with
whom
he
was
at
enmity.
Mr.
Williams
had
never
been
inside
the
House
of
Commons.
As
they
talked,
Mr.
William's
son
galloped
up
from
Truro
with
news
of
the
murder,
got
from
a
traveller
by
coach.
Six
weeks
later,
Mr.
Williams
went
to
town,
and
in
the
House
of
Commons
walked
up
to
and
recognised
the
scene
of
the
various
incidents
in
the
murder.
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