Sickness." It is a free paraphrase of the poem in Isaiah, xxxviii.; and the subject was suggested by a sermon preached by Sir James Stonhouse. The publication took place at the especial request of Bishop Lowth, although many were desirous of seeing it in print.

It was about the same time (1781), that the sympathies of Miss More were engaged in favour of a most interesting object, whether regarded personally, or with reference to the mystery which involves the story of her life. A pupil and intimate friend of Miss More, to whom I am indebted for the communication, being on a visit at Belmont, was one day surprised, on riding through the village of Flax Bourton, at the appearance of a remarkably delicate hand and arm gathering blackberries from a hedge beside a haystack, and emerging from a sleeve by no means of the finest texture. On turning round, the fair owner discovered a beauty of countenance, a delicacy of person, a taste in her mean but singular apparel, and a gracefulness of carriage, which at once convinced the spectatress she was no common peasant girl. Her countenance, apart from its loveliness, had an expression which in any face would have arrested attention. Her clothing was entirely woollen, and in the tucks of her dress she carried articles of earthenware. She was unemployed in any rural labour; she was neither travelling nor begging; but seemed to be wildly perambulating the small inclosure round the haystack. The lady addressed her, offered her money, (which she then

accepted,) and desired to see her the next morning at Belmont. She kept the appointment, and requested some milk, but arranged the money in a fanciful form at the side of the road; nor could she then be prevailed on to receive any money whatever. Being asked where she dwelt, she replied, "Under the haystack."

It was obvious that the unfortunate girl was insane; her patroness immediately inquired into her history, and found that she had been first discovered under the haystack some time previous; and that the ladies of the neighbourhood, finding it impossible to persuade her to enter a house, had, on that occasion, placed her in confinement in St. Peter's Hospital, Bristol. She had, however, shortly after, obtained her release, and returned six miles to her beloved haystack at Flax Bourton, where she had remained ever since, fed and protected by the compassion of the neighbours. A benevolent lady had offered her the shelter of a roof; but she had replied, with great pertinacity, "Trouble and misery dwell in houses, and there is no happiness but in liberty and fresh air.” On this, some ladies of the neighbourhood subscribed and bought the haystack. She would receive no money or trinkets, but placed the money at the doors of houses, and suspended the trinkets on the trees. To this practice she made an exception in favour of bracelets and miniatures. She had sometimes desired to have a Queen Ann's halfcrown sewed on a black ribbon, and would wear

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it on her arm, kissing it with great delight, and saying it much resembled mamma.

The poor sufferer's new patroness immediately forwarded a statement of her case to the Misses More. With their customary activity and philanthropy, they immediately exerted themselves in behalf of the unhappy creature, and had her removed to Mr. Henderson's lunatick asylum at Hanham. A subscription was immediately instituted, to which Hannah herself largely contributed, and the application of which she directed. Poor Louisa (for by that name the maniack was commonly known) continued to experience the kindness of her benefactress until the 19th of December 1800, when she died in Guy's Hospital, whither she had been removed as an incurable.

It is certain that Louisa was a person accustomed to the usages of refined society, and, apparently, a German. She was, however, studiously reserved on the subject of her connections. On the morning when she first visited Belmont, Mr. Turner, inferring from her accent that she was a foreigner, addressed her in several continental languages; at last, on making his communication in German, she, although at that time in the highest spirits, immediately burst into a passionate flood of tears. The wife of a Danish captain of a vessel, resident in Bristol, visited her under the haystack, and conversed with her in German; when Louisa told her that she had been confined by her father in a convent at Sleswig,

because she would not marry the person of his choice, and had thence escaped with her lover. The Danish lady was afterwards reduced to be an upper servant in the house where Louisa was confined; but no further disclosures were made, although the unhappy maniack would not unfrequently ask in German for any thing she wanted.

Notwithstanding Louisa's caution, she was occasionally thrown off her guard. On one occasion, when the servants of the asylum ran to the window, she asked the cause; and, on being told it was a carriage and four horses, exclaimed, "A wonderful sight, truly! my father's carriage was always drawn by eight." When two gentlemen visited her at Mr. Henderson's, after some conversation, they said; "Shall we, Louisa, drive to Bohemia ?" She instantly replied, "That is papa's own country." During her sojourn at Mr. Henderson's, a young man in a travelling carriage called at the house, and desired to see Louisa. The servants said he had landed from abroad, and had travelled post a night and a day. His manner and importunity prevailed with Mr. H. to grant the request, which at first he was unwilling to do. On seeing him, the poor maniack uttered a piercing scream; while the visitor, shocked at the spectacle, hid his face with both hands, and exclaiming, with an expression of horror, " It is herself!" sprang into his carriage, and hastened away with the utmost precipitation. Nor could Louisa be persuaded to look up until she was assured he had departed. Miss More had scarcely become acquainted with

Louisa, before she published the few particulars she could glean respecting her in the St. James's Chronicle, under the title of "A Tale of real Wo." This account was forthwith translated into German, and circulated at Vienna; it was also printed in France; and thus the publick attention, as well abroad as in England, was directed to the subject.

In the year 1785, a French tract was published on the continent, but without any mention of author, publisher, or place of publication, although supposed to be printed in some part of the imperial dominions. It was intituled "L'Inconnue: Histoire Veritable;" and, if it be really what it professes, it scarcely leaves a doubt that the unfortunate lady of the haystack was none other than Mdlle. La Freulen, the supposed illegitimate daughter of the Emperor Francis I. It would neither suit the limits nor the subject of these pages to enter at any length into that story; but the notice of Louisa would, perhaps, be incomplete without some allusion to it. When Joseph II. was on his travels in Italy, the King of Spain received a letter purporting to come from the Emperor, and imploring his protection for an illegitimate halfsister, till somewhat should be done towards her settlement in life. The king, suspecting some forgery, sent the letter to Joseph at Milan, who had neither written it, nor heard of the person; and he accordingly transmitted it to the Empress Maria Teresa; who immediately set on foot an inquiry, and arrested Mdlle. La Freulen, at Bourdeaux. She was thence conducted to the Count