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JFub7is7uu> jJugmtrSl803, by J. Neil . Sonarvav To 
 
 Van Aften del. 
 
 Thrnbull tfc. 
 
 
THE 
 
 AFFECTING HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 LOUISA, 
 
 THE 
 
 .WANDERING MANIAC, 
 
 O R, 
 
 '" Lady of the Hay -Stack}" 
 
 So called, from having taken up her Residence under that 
 Shelter, in the Village of 
 
 BOURTON, NEAR BRISTOL, , 
 
 STATE OF MELANCHOLY DERANGEMENT; 
 and supposed to be 
 
 A NATURAL DAUGHTER 
 FRANCIS 1. EMPEROR of GERMANY. 
 
 A REAL TALE OF WOE. 
 
 On this History Mr. Boaden founded the favourite Playo£ 
 "The MAID of BRISTOL." 
 
 London : 
 
 PRINTED AttD PUBLISHED BY A. NEIL, 
 
 At the Sommers -Town Printing Office, 30, Chalton Street % 
 
 and may be had of aH other Booksellers. 
 
 J8O4. 
 *fclCE SIX-PEKCE. 
 
• • * • ,' « 1 • . . * • ' » • 
 
 '«». .,•.».» i » 04» • w i ft * 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 R. Bo ad en having, with so much 
 success, dramatised the following inte- 
 resting Tale, under the title of " The Maid 
 cf Bristol? induced us to present the Pub 
 lie with the original Narrative ; which we 
 are enabled to do, from the most aut T> 
 
 documents. It is so stri&ly ad ] 
 
 rally true, that it does not req any or- 
 nament from fi&ion, or any embL .ment 
 from language. Those for whom truth 
 has any charms, and who can commise- 
 rate the calamities of a fellow -creature, 
 will feel for poor LOUISA, whose history 
 is here related with the utmost simplicity, 
 and the closest adherence to fad. 
 
 w^ 
 
 M13477 
 
AFFECTING HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 JLOUJSA^ 
 
 OOME few years ago, a young woman ftbppecE 
 at the village of Bourton y near Briftol, and beg* 
 ged the refrefhment of a little milk,. There was 
 fomething fo attra&ive in her whole appearance* 
 as to engage the attention of all around her. 
 She was young and beautiful ; her manners grace- 
 ful and elegant, and her countenance interefting 
 to the lafl degree. She was alone- — a.ftranger-— 
 and in extreme diftrefs — yet fee uttered no com- 
 plaint, nor ufed any arts to excite companion !— - • 
 Her whole deportment and converfation bore vU 
 £ble marks of fuperior breeding, but there was ft 
 wildnefs and want of confiftency in all fee faid 
 and did. As fee could, not be induced even tc* 
 make known her name,, fee was diitinguifeed by 
 that of LOUISA. 
 
 All day fee wandered about in. fearch of a 
 place to- lay her wretched head, and at night ac- 
 tually took up her lodging under an old hay- 
 ftack. The neighbouring ladies remonftratecL 
 with her on the danger of fo expoied a fituation, 
 but in vain ; their bounty fupplied her with the 
 sieceffaries of life, but neither prayers nor any 
 tther pxeajis could induce her to fleep in a.houfe. 
 A 3 As 
 
I i ) 
 
 As fhe at time.} difcovered evident fymptoms of 
 infinity, (he was at length conveyed to Briftol, 
 and confined in St. Peter's Hofpital in that city -> 
 from whence, however, flie. foon.made her ef- 
 cape, and with all the fpeed her final] remains of 
 ftrength allowed, flew to her favourite hay- flacky 
 though it was fix miles from the place of her con- 
 finement. f^er rapture was inexpreflible on 
 
 finding herfelf at liberty, and once more fate be- 
 neath this miferable fhelter. 
 
 Hardfhip, ficknefs, intenfe cold, and extreme 
 mifery now gradually injured her health, and 
 impaired her beauty, but fhe was yet an inte- 
 refting figure: {he had an uncommon fweetnefs 
 and delicacy in her air and manner; and was 
 above all that vanity fo common to her fex ; for 
 fhe would neither wear nor accept of any gaudy 
 drefs or ornament, but hung them on the bufhes 
 as beneath her attention. Her way of life was 
 the moil harmlefs and inofFenfive that can be ima- 
 gined : every fine morning (he walked around the 
 village, converfed with the poor children, made 
 them little prcfents of fuch things as were given 
 her, and received others in return ; but fhe would 
 take no food except milk or tea, or the molt 
 fimple diet. 
 
 No means had been left unattempted by the 
 neighbouring ladies to prevail on her to live in a 
 houfe, but her conftant reply was, that trouble and 
 ?n!Jhy divtlt in hoitfesy and that there zvas no kappi- 
 ?iefs kit in liberty and frejh air" She was at length, 
 with great reluctance, removed to the village of 
 .Bitton, in Gloucefterfhire, and iupported by fub- 
 fcription, under the management of the benevolent 
 Mils Hannah Moore and her filters. 
 
 From a certain peculiarity of expreffion, with 
 -a flight foreign tincture in her pronunciation, fome 
 
 have 
 
( 9 y 
 
 have been led to conjecture fhe was not of this* 
 country; and various attempts were made to draw,. 
 from this circumftance, fome knowledge of her 
 origin. 
 
 A refpeclable gentleman in Briftol, who has 
 favoured us with fome authentic memoirs, and 
 who, from motives of humanity, vifited poor 
 Louifa, while under the care of Mr. Henderfon,. 
 keeper of a private mad-houfe near Briitol, fpoke 
 to her in Fiench. She appeared uneafy, reftlefs, 
 and embarraffed ; but when he addreffed her in 
 German, her emotion was too great to be fup- 
 prefTed ; fhe turned from him, and burft into 
 tears ! Having a(ked her a queftion in the fame 
 language, fhe anfwered in Englifh ; but as if fhe 
 had been hurried into an imprudence, fhe artfully 
 changed the fubjedf, and denied having underftood 
 what had been laid to her in German. 
 
 c< I fhould have conceived her," fays the wri- 
 ter, u to be about five-and-twenty ; and notwith- 
 Handing the injuries which her fituation and mode 
 of life mud inevitably have occafioned in her looks, 
 ihe had ftlll a very pleafing countenance, fnte- 
 retting it certainly was in a high degree; but it 
 is not eafy to fay how much this impreilion was 
 to be attributed to the previous knowledge of her 
 flory. She had fine, expreflive, black eyes and 
 eye-brows ; her complexion was wan, but not 
 fickly ; her under jaw projected a little, and I fan- 
 cied I could diftinguifh fomething of the Aufrrian 
 lip; but it was not decidedly marked. Her nofe 
 had nothing particular ; her hair was very dark, 
 if not black, and in length about a year and a 
 half's growth, not being thick, but coming down 
 on her forehead ; her arm and hand were delicate^ 
 with fmail long fingers. 
 
 " Upon being addreffed, fhe lifted up her eyes, 
 
 and 
 
and having articulated fome incoherent words, fhe 
 a)mpofed herfelf again. Being told " that the 
 gentleman, was a friend who came to fee her," fhe 
 imiled, and moved her under lip for fome time,, 
 without pronouncing a word. This practice, 
 which exhibited more of the ideot than any other 
 part of her behaviour, fhe fbon left off, when we 
 began to draw her into a fort of converfation. 
 
 u Where is papa?" — u Is mama come for me,, 
 to take me away ?" were the flrft words me ut- 
 tered, which were frequently reiterated during my 
 ftay. By addrefling her in a ftrain of familiar 
 kindnefs, many replies were drawn: from her, and* 
 fhe feemed gratified by my joining in her laugh 5 
 which, under any other circumftances, would be: 
 efteemed a very pleafant one. 
 
 " The mode of her fpeaking Englifh, though* 
 imperfect, I could not abfolutely pronounce to be 
 that of a foreigner, but rather that of an infant ;„ 
 as fhe frequently omitted the conne&ing particles, 
 and fometimes made ufe of childifh epithets. 
 
 <c My firft entreaty was, that fhe would reach* 
 out her hand,, in order that, by this kind of falu- 
 tation, I might gain an opportunity of obferving^ 
 tta grace with which fhe had been faid to move it. 
 Tnere was a delicacy in her manner of giving it ; 
 and I had farther occafion to remark, that her 
 motions and attitude (as far as her pofture would 
 admit) were thofeof a perfon who had been in no- 
 common line of life. She obliged me to repeat a* 
 queftion feveral times, before fhe would return an 
 anfwer; not becaufe fhe did not comprehend it,, 
 but either from indifference, which gradually di- 
 minifhed, or warinefs to avoid being entrapped 
 by leading queftions, againft which, it was very 
 evident, in fpiteof her infanity, that fhe was con* 
 flantly endeavouring to guard 5 though now and 
 
 the%, 
 
f » ) 
 
 then, when her fpirits were raifed-, fhe was fed> 
 into replies that threw a glimmering light on 
 what fhe had laboured to conceal. This myfte- 
 rious conduct, which was probably at firft the ef- 
 fect of defign and refolution y had now become ha- 
 bituaU On feeing a carriage pafs, drawn by four 
 horfes, fhe exclaimed, " My father's coach was 
 drawn by eight horfes."* 
 
 " Some of the many unconnected queftions and* 
 anfwers which parted, are as follow j but it mufb 
 be premifed, that inftead of adverting to what I 
 afked her,, fhe more ufually talked of " Mama's 
 coming to take her away,," and other fentences,. 
 which, as I was informed by thofe about her, (he 
 was in the habit of uttering. 
 
 " Do you find it cold, Louifa?" (the dow 
 ftanding open.) 
 
 " No, 'tis warm here." 
 
 " Do you love the fire ?" 
 
 * No, liOy fire nafty," (with an expreffive 
 frown.) 
 
 " I am your friend, Louifa ; and am come to 
 take you away from hence. Will you go withme !' 
 
 " Yes," (with emotion) " but mama muft 
 come and bring me clothes j I muft be drefled," 
 (pointing her hands towards her neck and (boul- 
 ders, and moving her fingers about .) 
 
 " We (hall go in. a coach and four horfes, and; 
 we will make them gallop ; and the people (hall 
 admire us as we pafs along." 
 
 Here (he burft into a fit of laughter and a fort 
 ©f exultation, as if enjoying the idea of parade. 
 
 • c And we (hall let all the glaffes down." 
 
 "No, that will be too cold." 
 
 By this anfwer, and other minute circumftances r 
 fhe appeared to have a proper notion of a carriage, 
 and to have bepn uied to one. 
 
 " But 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 I « But where (hall we drive to ?" 
 
 " Home! 
 
 " But where, to what home ?" 
 - <c Oh, here and there, backwards and forwards, 
 all round aboutj" (waving her hand*) 
 
 <c Shall we, Louisa, (pointedly) fha-ll we 
 drive to Bohemia ?" 
 
 <c That is papa's own cowitry" 
 
 This remarkable anfwer came from her in a 
 perfectly fair and direft manner, after fhe had been 
 in a train of talking and laughing, and when fhe 
 might be fuppofed to be off her guard. I took the 
 opportunity of joining in her laugh, and afking 
 other queftions before her fpirits had time to fub- 
 fide, or her warinefs returned; but my defign was 
 not fuccefsful.- She would inftantly afliime a fe- 
 rious, and even a fullen look, when fhe thought 
 my interrogations impertinent. Sometimes fhe 
 evaded them in a different manner. She talked 
 much about a fifter. I offered to call her— 
 
 " But how mail I addrefs her? What is her 
 name ?" 
 
 " She will tell you when fhe comes," (with a 
 fignificant air.) 
 
 "" Is your fitter like you, Louifa l" — — She 
 laughed. < 
 
 " If fhe is like you, fhe is very pretty." " 
 
 M A faint blufh came over her cheek, and call- 
 ing down her eyes with a coquetifh fmile, fhe tried 
 to hide her face in the ftraw of her bed. 
 
 « When fpoken to in French, fhe feemed, but 
 not very decidedly, to underftand it, and particu*- 
 larly, when defired, in that language, to give her 
 hand at parting, fhe reached it out ; but the corre- 
 fponding action on my part might poflibly have in- 
 duced her. to do this, independently of the requeft ; 
 certainly, however, when addrefled in French, 
 
 fhe 
 
( *3 ) 
 
 {he did not give lefs figns of intelligence than 'when 
 fpoken to in Englifh, nor did ;{he exprefs by her 
 countenance, any furprife at the change of language* 
 She did not, however, fpeak a word, of French. I 
 tried a few words of German, at which fhe burft 
 into immoderate fits of laughter, as if at my auk- 
 ward pronunciation of it, and mifapplication of 
 words. No French phrafe addrefled to her had 
 the fame effe&. 
 
 " When the difcourfe ran on the fubje<3: of tra-s 
 veiling, I mentioned a variety of towns in Europe, 
 but without being able to perceive any concomi- 
 tant emotion. When afked if fhe liked Bruffels.,fhe 
 feemed to contradl: a look of difpleafure or difguft ; 
 and I think the fame alfo when Bruflels-lace was, 
 mentioned to her. I talked about crofting, the fea, 
 and of fea-ficknefs. No particular words dropped- 
 from her, but {he appeared to grow ferious and 
 refer ved, and to difcourage the fubjecT:. 
 
 " I was informed that file had a particular paf- 
 fion for bracelets and miniature pictures, but a 
 mofl fovereign contempt for every other ornament. 
 Of a Queen Anne's half-crown fhe appeared vaftly 
 fond ; fhe has fometimes defired to have one fewed 
 on a black ribbon; faid it much refembled her 
 mama ; would wear it on her arm, and kifs it with 
 great delight. 
 
 " She feldom arofe from her bed of flraw; on 
 that fhe lay very quiet ; but if they attempted to 
 drefs her, or put her on a comfortable bed, fhe 
 became outrageous. She did not require to be 
 treated with harfhnefs, as thefe fits of refentment 
 only arofe from being difturbed from her indolent 
 repofe. She often amufed herfelf with fhaping 
 her blanket into the imitation of a royal robe. 
 
 " Will you have your hair dreffed, Louifa I* 
 faid I* 
 
 " Oh t 
 
i 1* ) 
 
 u Oh, no, no," (with a look of indignation, 
 which was alio repeated when I talked of powder) 
 W my hair mult be thus," (pointing to and laying 
 delicate hold of the ringlets on her forehead) tt and 
 when I go home, it will flow down my back and 
 fhouldeis, or come down here," pointing to them. 
 
 • This laft was exprefled partly by a&ion and 
 partly by words, the particular phrafe, excepting 
 in fhort replies, not being always exactly collect- 
 ed, though her idea was perfectly intelligible. 
 
 u The term p#pa fhe applied in a vague and inco- 
 herent manner ; fometimes to the gentleman (Mr. 
 Henderibn) who had the charge of her, and at 
 times to fome unknown perfon at a diftance, to 
 whofe home fhe talked of going. 
 
 " A foreign lady, refident in Briflol, once went 
 to fee Louifa, when fhe was under the hay-ftack. 
 With her, I underftand, fhe talked German, and 
 told her ihe had lived at Slefwick ; had been in a 
 convent, and escaped with her lover. This was 
 the only moment in which any thing of her native 
 language or country efcaped her. l&y fome mis- 
 fortune, this lady (who was genteel and well- 
 bred) was reduced to be a fuperintending fervant 
 in the very houfe where Louifa was confined, and 
 had the chief care of her. Louifa, remembering 
 the former confidant me had made her, could never 
 be prevailed on to renew the converfation, though 
 ihe frequently fpoke fhort fentences to her in Ger- 
 man, particularly if fhe wanted tea, or had any 
 other favour to afk. 
 
 u From this lady I learnt, that poor Louifa had 
 the marks of a very large wound on the lower part 
 of her head, behind the ear, and of a large fear 
 upon the breaft, which feemed to have been occa- 
 sioned by a very confiderable wound. 
 
 " Books have been left in the room, but al- 
 though 
 
( *5 ) 
 
 though fhe Ins been narrawly watched, fhe has 
 never been obfei ved to open any of them. Being 
 once prefled to read, fhe cried, " No, no ; read- 
 ing is ftudy, and ftudy makes me mad." 
 
 " There was a peculiarity in her enunciations- 
 approaching, but not amounting, to a lifp, or as 
 when the tongue flightly touches the under row of 
 teeth. Her voice was foft and feminine, and I 
 never heard her loud, except in her fits of laughter. 
 Her humours were faid to be various ; to me fhe 
 was good-natured, and I might almoft fay affable. 
 After the door was locked on her, I could hear 
 her laughing. In fpite of the m'fery of her coildU 
 dition, fhe feemed not to be unhappy." 
 
 Shortly after poor Louifa had been difcovered in this 
 country i , the following Narrative made its appear- 
 ance on the Continent^ and was read with great 
 avidity. There are Jo many Jinking coincidences 
 contained therein with ihe foregoing, that warrarft 
 the pi obability of La Fru'ehn and Louifa being the 
 fame-, efpedally, when we conftder that the Jcars 
 
 ■ described on each, exaclly correjponded -, with other 
 eircumjianc-es, Jufficiently corroborative of the iden- 
 tity, and of courje, that Louja was a natural 
 daughter of Francis 1. Emperor of Germany. — £ 
 7 he H'Jiory is exceedingly hit crejYing in itjelf; we 
 jhall therefore prejent our readers with the Tranj- 
 lation : 
 
 IN the fummer of the year 1768, the Count de 
 Cobenzel, Imperial Minifter at BrufTels, received 
 a letter from a lady at Bourdeaux; the writer re- 
 queued him « not to think it ftrange, if his advice 
 und friendship, were eagerly fought afters—ad- 
 ding, " that the univerfal refpeft which his ta- 
 lents and his intereft at Court hud acquired, en- 
 B gaged 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 gaged her to addrefs herfe'f to him — that in a little 
 time he fliould know who the per ion was that had 
 prefumed to folicit his good offices, and that per- 
 haps he would not repent of having attended to 
 her." This letter, which was written in very in- 
 different French, was figned La Fruelen. The 
 Count was defired to return an anfwer to Ma- 
 moi Telle La Fruelen, at Bourdeaux. 
 
 A fhort time after this the Count received a let- 
 ter from Prague, figned " Le Comte J. de Weif- 
 fendorfl,^ in which he was entreated to give the 
 heft advice in his power to Mademoifelle La Fru- 
 elen — to intereft himfelf warmly in her behalf—to 
 write to Bourdeaux in her favour — and even to 
 advance her money, to the amount of a thoufand 
 ducats, if fhe flood in need of it. 7'he letter was 
 concluded in thefe words: When you Jhall kncw^ 
 iSVr, who this f ranger is, you will be delighted to 
 think that you have Jerved her^ and grateful to thoje 
 who have given you the opportunity of doing it, 
 
 M. de Cobenzel replied to the Lady, that he 
 was highly fenfible of the honour of her good opi- 
 nion — that he (hould be proud of afMing her with 
 his advice, and of ferving her to the, utmoft of his 
 power: but that it was abfolutely neceffary he 
 ihould in the ririt inftance be informed of her real 
 name. 
 
 After this the Count received a letter from 
 Vienna, figned u Le Comte Dietrichftein." ""Id 
 this he was again requefted to pay every pofiible 
 attention to Mademoifelle La Fruelen, and in par- 
 ticular to entreat her to be frugal. He anfwered 
 this, as well as the former letter from Prague— 
 but no notice was taken of his reply to either. 
 
 Meanwhile his epiilolary intercourfe with the 
 young lady at Bourdeaux continued. Towards 
 the erid of the fame year, the .wife of a tradefman 
 
 ©f 
 
( n ) 
 
 ©f that city,, named Madame L-'Englume, came 
 to Bruffels upon bufinefs — that bulinefs having in- 
 troduced her to the Count de Cobenzel, fhe fpoke 
 to him of Mademoifelle La Frueien in terms of the 
 higheft praife. She extolled her beauty, her ele- 
 gance y and above all, that prudence and propriety 
 of conduct, which did fo much honour to a perfon 
 left at that tender age to her own difpofal. She 
 added, that the young lady had a houfe of her own, 
 that fhe was generous, expenfive, and even mag- 
 nificent — that fhe had been three years at Bour- 
 deaux — that the diftinguifhed attention with whichr- 
 the Marechil de Richelieu treated her, the ex- 
 treme refembiance of her features to thofe of the 
 late Emperor, Francis the Firft, and the entire 
 ignorance of the world as to her birth, gave rife 
 to ftrange conjectures — That the young lady had 
 often been queftioned on the fubjeft, but that fhe 
 always took care to obferve the moft fcrupulous 
 filence as to her family. 
 
 In December, 1768, M. de Cobcnzel received a 
 very fingular letter, dated, * Vienna. From 
 my bed — two in the morning" In this, the Count 
 was highly commended for the good advice he had 
 given the.- young ftranger, and requefted to conti- 
 nue his attentions. 
 
 He was alfo charged to inculcate economy, and 
 particularly admonifhed of the importance of the 
 fecret. This letter had no fignature. 
 
 Some time afterwards, the young lady fent to^ 
 M. de Cobenzel, enquiring whether he had not 
 received a letter concerning her ? He anfwered in 
 the affirmative, and laid that fhe had been recom- 
 mended to his care in the frrongeft terms. She 
 replied, u I. am, much obliged to you, Sir, for your 
 goodnefs ; but I will tell you honeftly, that if I 
 wanted any particular favour, I would rather ad- 
 dreis myfelf to God than to the faints ! ,> 
 
( i8 > ' 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1769, the .Count- 
 received foine difpatches from Vienna, which con- 
 tained fevera! very extraordinary circumftances re- 
 fpe&ing the ftranger. The Court of Vienna had 
 lent a reqvifition to that of Verfailles, to arrefb 
 Mademoifejle La Fruelen, and to fend her, under 
 a ftrong guard, to Brifiels, where fhe was to be 
 examined by M. de Cobenzel and the Fir ft Pre- 
 fident, M. -de Ner.y. Prince Charles, about the^ 
 fame time, received a letter from the Emprefs, en- 
 joining him to be very careful that the prifoner 
 fhould not efcape ; and defiring him not to fpare 
 
 either pains or expence in detaining her. Her 
 
 Majefty's letter concluded as follows : 
 
 " This wretch wijhes to pafsfcr the daughter of our 
 
 hte royal majltr. If there was the leaf probabi* 
 
 Iky in the fiery, J would love her, and treat her like* 
 one of my own children : but I know it is an impof- 
 ture ; and I w r Jh every pcjfible effort to he ?nade r 
 that this unhappy creature may no longer profane th& 
 dear and venerable name of our departed Lora.' 9 -* ■ ■» . 
 The Emprefs recommended the ftridreft fecrefy in ; 
 carrying on the bufinefs ; and added, that this ad- 
 venture had already made too much noife, and that 
 all Europe would foon ring of it. 
 
 It feems the Court of Vienna was informed of 
 the affair in the following manner : While Jo- 
 feph the Second was on his travels in Italy, the : 
 King of Spain received a letter, apparently written 
 by his imperial- Majefty, informing him, in con- 
 fidence, that his father, the late Emperor, had left 
 a natural daughter, whofe ftory was only known 
 to his fiftcr the Archduchefs Marianne, himfelf, 
 and-, a few faithful and confidential friends ; — that 
 the young lady had been moll: earneftly recom- 
 mended to his care by his father ; and that -fhe was. 
 refident at Bourdeaux. He intreated the King of 
 
 Spain 
 
( '9 ) 
 
 Spain to fend for her, and give her an eftablifh- 
 ment at Madrid with fome lady of rank, or in ar 
 convent, where fhe might be treated with the care 
 and refpect due to her birth, till fome plan fhould 
 be fixed on for the future happinefs of her life.— 
 He added, that he requefted this mark of friendfhipr 
 of his Catholic Majefty, becaufe he himfelf did noc 
 dare to undertake thefe kind offices for the perfon 
 in queftion, left the Emprefs fhould by fome means 
 or other hear of it, whom he wifhed to remain in 
 perpetual ignorance of the ftory. 
 
 The King of Spain, thinking this letter very 
 extraordinary, tranfmitted it to the Emperor him- 
 felf, who was then at Milan, demanding fome ex- 
 planation of the matter. The Emperor, who had 
 not written the letter,- nor ever heard a fyllable of 
 the adventure, fent the packet to the Emprefs ; 
 who made inftant inquiries about the ftranger, and 
 difpatched a meflenger to Bourdeaux to feize her. 
 She was accordingly arretted at her own houfe, in 
 Auguft 1769* 
 
 Fear and diftrefs took off much of La Fruelen's 
 beauty; (he had continual fpatms in her ftomach", . 
 attended with fpitting of blood, which obliged her 
 to travel very flowly. At length fhe arrived at 
 Bruflels, attended by M. de Poyot, an officer un- 
 der M. Ferrand. While (lie was on her journey, 
 and almoft immediately before fhe quitted the 
 French dominions, a perfon unknown, dreiied 
 like a courier, put a billet into her hands at the 
 coach-window, and then fed with die utr noil pre- 
 cipitation. She begged her guide ta-iead the bil- 
 let, which only contained thefe words — u My dear 
 • girl, every thing has been attempted to fave you : 
 
 - keep up your fpirits, and do not defpair." She 
 
 protefted that fhe neither knew the courier^ nor 
 trie hand- writing. 
 
 B£ Oft.. 
 
( 2o y 
 
 On her arrival at Bruffels, (he was immediately 
 taken to the hotel of the Count de Cobenzel.— 
 She was d re fled in a gown of grey taffeta, a black 
 coat, and a veil of white gauze, which covered 
 her face, and which (he took off when fhe entered 
 the Minifter's apartment. Her figure would have 
 intereffed the moft infenfible heart in her favour. 
 She was tall, and elegantly formed > her air was 
 at once fimple and majeftic ;. her complexion was 
 fair ; her arms were delicately turned *, her hair 
 was brov/n, and calculated to receive the embel- 
 lifhments of art to the greateft advantage. She 
 had that freftmefs of colour which no borrowed 
 tints can imitate ; fine dark eyes, and a look which 
 exprefled every emotion of her foul. She fpoke 
 French with a German accent, and appeared much 
 confufed, but without any particular fymptom of 
 female weaknefs. 
 
 Her alarm was foon diiSpated by that confidence 
 which M. de Cobenzel fo well knew how to in- 
 fpire. In her letters (he had always called him her 
 father ; when in his prefence,, (he addreffed him by 
 the fame endearing name * r (he would have kifled 
 his hand, bat he prevented her by catching her in 
 his arms. He fat down near her; talked to her 
 en the fubjeclr of her health ; defned her to make 
 herfelf perfectly eafy ; and told her (he (hould have 
 the utmoft attention and the kindeft treatment, if 
 (he would ftrictly adhere to truth. She repeated 
 feveral times, M Yes > indeed, my dear father, I will 
 inform you of every thing ; lama good girl, and 
 never injured any human creature. It is true, I 
 have contracted forne debts ; but what, was that a 
 crime I I had been plentifully fupplied with mo- 
 ney, and I expected a continuation of my allow- 
 ance." All her dinrefs appeared to arife from the 
 sijxumftance of her debts •> thofe (he confidered as 
 
 her/ 
 
t 21 } 
 
 her only faults, and as the fole caufe of her being 
 apprehended. 
 
 She exprefied no concern whatever at her being 
 a prifoner, and only afked M. de Coberfzel if fhe 
 might not remain at his houfe. The Count frank- 
 ly told her that this was impofuble ; alluring her, 
 at the fame time, that fhe fhould be treated with 
 all imaginable refpeft, in art apartment which he 
 had prepared for her to the forfcrefs of Montsrel, 
 at a very little diftance from Bruffels j and that if 
 fhe wanted any thing, fhe had but to exprefs her 
 wifh, and her commands fhould immediately be 
 obeyed. He promifed to wait on her there the 
 next day > and fhe took her leave of him, to all ap- 
 pearance, in a ftate of perfect tranquillity. *She 
 
 was conducted to Fort Monterel, under the guard 
 of Major de Camerlang, a man of fenfe and good 
 nature ; and M. de Neny had taken care to pro- 
 vide a female attendant for her* The next day,, 
 the Count went to fee her, and found her in very 
 good fpirits - y fhe feemed delighted with her apart- 
 ment, and pleafed with the conduit of thofe about 
 her. The Count offered her the ufe of any books 
 from his library. She thanked him ; but faid {he 
 never had a moment which hung heavy on her 
 hands, fo much was her mind taken up with vi- 
 fionary projects for her future life : the truth was^ 
 fhe could neither read nor write* M. de Camer- 
 lang taught her to fign her name, while fhe was 
 in confinement. The caufe of this ignorance will 
 prefently be explained. The next day her ex- 
 amination began. M. de Cobenzel and the Pre- 
 sident went to Fort Monterel at ten in the morn- 
 ing. The Count de Neny, who had not before 
 feen the prifoner, was extremely furprifed at her 
 ftriking refemblance to the late Emperor. They 
 afked her where fhe was born? She laid fhe knew 
 
f 2a ) 
 
 not, but that fhe had been told the place where (he 
 was educated, was called Bohemia.— — She was 
 afked, if that place was a town ; and what was the 
 earlielt incident in the courfe of her life that fhe 
 could remember ? ; — She (aid, that the place where 
 fhe was brought up, was a little fequeftered houfe 
 in the country y that there was neither town ncr 
 village near it ; and that before her inhabiting this 
 houfe, {he had not the leafr. recollection of any 
 thing which had happened to her. That in her 
 infancy {he had been under the care of two women, 
 one about fifty years old, the other about thirty. — 
 That fhe called the firft mama, the fecond Cathe- 
 rine ; that fhe ilept in the apartment of the hrfK 
 •named woman, and that both of them treated her 
 with much kindnefs and affection. That, from 
 time to time, an Ecclefiaftic (as fhe has ilnce fu£- 
 peeled, a Jefuit) came to fay mafs in an apartment 
 .in the houfe, and to teach her the catechifm ; that 
 the woman whom fhe called mama had began to 
 ,inftru£T, her in reading and writing, but that the 
 prieft oppofed it, from the moment it came, to his 
 knowledge ; and from that time fhe was taught no 
 more ! However, fhe added, that he always treated 
 her with infinite refpecl:. 
 
 She faid, that about a year after this,.a handfome 
 , man, in a hunting fuit, accompanied- by another 
 gentleman, dreft in the fame manner, came to the 
 houfe where fhe refuted.. That fhe was immedi- 
 ately fent for ; when the ftranger embraced her, 
 placed her^ on his knee, carefled her much, and 
 recommended it to her to be good and fubmiflive. 
 She doubts not that this perfon had feen her before, 
 becaufe fhe recollects that he thought her grown 
 taller, and altered ; but fhe never remembers hav- 
 ing (ccn him at any former time. 
 
 About eighteen months afterwards he returned, 
 
 accom— 
 
f n > 
 
 accompanied by the fame attendant as before, 
 and wearing the very fame drefs. She faid, that, 
 at this fecond interview, the features of her un- 
 known vifitor made fo ftrong an impreflion on her 
 mind, that had (he never feen him more, fhe 
 fliould not have forgotten them. She fays, that 
 he was of a middling fize, and rather corpulent, 
 that he had an open countenance, a ruddy complex- 
 ion, a dark beard, and a little white foot upon 
 one of his temples. She obferved, that M. da 
 Neny bore fame diftant refemblance to the perfon 
 (he fpoke of, particularly in the lower part of his 
 face ; fhe faid further, that at this fecond inter- 
 view, remarking fomewhat red that appeared 
 about the ftranger's neck under hfs riding-coat, fhe 
 afked him what it was ? he replied, it was a mark 
 of diftinction worn by officers — fhe, ignorant in 
 every particular, enquired what he meant by an 
 officer? " They are," faid he, " Men of Honour, 
 u Galantry, and Spirit, whom you muft love, be- 
 cause you are the daughter of an officer yourfelf."* 
 She added, at this fecond vifit {he found herfelf ex- 
 tremely attached to the ft ranger ; and that when 
 he took his leave (he ihed a flood of tears ; at which. 
 he appeared much affected, and promifed her to 
 return foon. 
 
 He did not keep his word ; for he returned not 
 till two years after, and when (he reproached him. 
 with abfenting himfclf fo long, he told her, that 
 at the time he had fixed for coming to her, he had 
 been violently ill, in confequence of over-heating 
 himfelf in the chace. 
 
 [N. B. Prince Charles recollected, that at a 
 time correfponding with that above-mentioned, 
 the Emperor was in fact taken ill on his return 
 from hunting.] 
 
 This, 
 
( 24 ); 
 
 This third interview, which was the laft, fur- 
 niflies the moft interefting anecdotes. The Gran- 
 ger defired to be left alone with her. When he 
 told her of his illnefs (he (bed tears ; he was himfelf 
 melted^ and afked her why fhe wept ;" " Becaufe 
 I love you." He allured her that he felt equal 
 love for her; that he would take care of her; 
 would make her rich and happy ; would give her 
 a palace, money, and attendants ; and that her do- 
 meftics mould wear yellow and blue liveries. He 
 afked her, afterwards, if fhe did not wifh to fee 
 the queen ? (he replied, fhe did not know what a- 
 queen meant. " A queen is the firfr. lady in the 
 kingdom, and highly to be refpe£ted as fuch ; voir 
 would love her much if you knew her ; but that* 
 for the fake of her peace of mind, you mud; never 
 do." He then prefented her with the two pic- 
 tures, which fhe had fent from Bourdeaux to M. 
 de Cobenzel. She faid, fhe told the ftranger, that 
 one was his own picture ; he allowed it, and bade 
 her keep it as long as fhe lived, as well as that 
 of the Emprefs : and a third picture, which he af- 
 terwards gave her of a female, whofe features 
 were half concealed by a veil. This, he told 
 her, was her own mother. The - pictures were 
 in a blue filk purfe which contained a great quan- 
 tity of ducats. The ftranger, when he quitted 
 the young lady, aflured her (he fhould foon be hap- 
 py, and not to have a wifh ungratified ; but that (lie 
 muft promife him never to marry > and to keep that 
 vow always in her remembrance. After this he 
 took leave of her with the utmoft tendernefs, and 
 fhe was herfelf extremely affe&ed. 
 
 She related, that in the interval between the 
 Granger's firft and fecond vifit, there came one 
 day, accompanied by two men, a lady, who 
 a&ed to fee her. The lady was dreffed in a ftyle 
 
 of 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 «T great Simplicity : fhe was of moderate ftature, 
 fair, of a pleafmg afpect, and rather inclining to cor- 
 pulence. This lady looked at her with great ear- 
 neftnefs, and began to weep ; {he afked her fe- 
 deral indifferent queftions, and then embracing 
 her two or three times, (aid, " My child, you 
 are indeed unhappy !" — Her emotion was fo great, 
 that fhe called for a glafs of water to keep her 
 from fainting ; fhe drank it, and departed imme- 
 diately. Mademoifelle La Fruelen faid, that (he 
 could not be pofitive, whether the picture which 
 the ftranger gave her at his lait viiit bore any re- 
 semblance to this lady or not. 
 
 When the examination had proceeded thus far, 
 it was obferved that the young prifoner began to 
 prevaricate about the circumftances of her ftory. 
 Yet even after this was difcovered, (he per- 
 fifted in moil folemnly declaring, that till now, 
 and indeed till her quitting the houfe where (he 
 Was educated, her narrative had been faithful in all 
 its particulars. Every incident was thoroughly 
 examined 3 the queftions were put to her in every 
 poilible form to obferve if (he did not vary in her 
 replies : but fhe always repeated the above facts 
 with the fame circumftances, and the fame fim- 
 plicity. 
 
 She then told the ftory of her departure from 
 the place of her education, in words to the fol- 
 lowing purport. That a little time after the 
 
 ftranger's laft vifit, the Kcclefiaftic who had ta- 
 ken care of her from her infancy, came to inform 
 her, that her Protector was no more; and that 
 before he expired he had ordered her to be con- 
 ducted to fome convent in France — the prieft faid, 
 u that fhe muft fet forward on her journey in a 
 few days, and that he came to meafure her for 
 fome apparel j which he afterwards did, with a 
 
 ribbon 
 
< ($ ) 
 
 ribbon he had brought with him for that purpofe* 
 A week after this he arrived in a poft-chaife, 
 bringing with him four complete drefles, viz* 
 two -peliiTes, a black gown, and a red one; till 
 now the had only worn a dimity undrefs. The 
 priefl immediately made a parcel of all the young 
 lady's little property* — She put on a blue peliiie 5 
 he handed her and her attendant Catherine jnto 
 the carriage and then got into it himfelf. 
 
 She wept grievoufly at parting with the woman 
 (he had called " mama ;" but befides what fhe felt 
 oh account of the feparation, (he was terribly afraid 
 of the convent/ The enquiries fhe had made of 
 Catherine and her mama (in the week preceding 
 her departure) had given her rnoft frightful ideas 
 of the life to which (he thought herfelf con- 
 demned for the remainder of her days. She could 
 not tell what towns fhe palled through ; but (he 
 faid, that on her arrival at Hamburgh, the priefr, 
 after difmifling her attendant, had made her em- 
 bark on board a veffel freighted for Bourdeaux* 
 The moment fhe took fhip, a man, to all appear- 
 ance about fifty years old, came to offer her his 
 fervices, faying, that he would take care of her 
 during her voyage. On their arrival at Bour- 
 deaux, this man, who had acquired great influ- 
 ence over her, took her to the houfe of a Ger- 
 man merchant, who was fettled in that city ; an$ 
 the wife of this merchant placed her with Madame 
 "GuiHaumor, with whom fhe remained, during 
 the whole time of her ftay in Bourdeaux. A 
 fortnight after her arrival at this lady's houfe, a 
 letter was brought to her, addrefled * c to Made- 
 moifelle Felicia Juliana de Schonau," a name 
 which at her leaving Bohemia, the Pried told bar 
 ftie was in future to confider as her own. Ma- 
 dame Guillaumot, by her defire, read this letter 
 
 to 
 
I w ) 
 
 to her. — It contained rules for her future conduct, 
 and affurances that {he ffiould be amply fupplied 
 with money : (lie was directed by the writer to 
 remain with Madame Guillaumot; but flie was 
 advifed to perfuade that lady to difmifs all her 
 other boarders, and to devote her attention to her 
 alone. This letter was concluded without either 
 fignature or date, and it enjoined her to be difcreer, 
 
 and to forbear making too curious enquiries.- • 
 
 Some days after this, a gentleman came to her 
 houfe, and, without a preface, put a purfe of a 
 thoufand louis-d'ors into her hand ; Only adding, 
 that he was commanded to advance her that fum 
 for the purchafe of furniture. She afked him, 
 from whence the money came ; he begged her to 
 make herfelf eafy, and not to be curious. — She 
 fays flie has reafon to think this man was an Ec- 
 clefiaftic. She then took a houfe and furnifhed 
 it. Madame Guillaumot wen* thitner as her com- 
 panion ; and fhe lived at Bourdeaux amongft per* 
 fons of the firft confequence, till the day of her 
 confinement. 
 
 The manner in which the ftranger told die 
 tale of her embarking at Hamburgh and her ar- 
 rival at Bourdeaux appearing highly improbable, 
 M. de Cobenzel told her it was evident that her 
 ftory was untrue. — He bade her remember what 
 he had faid to her on the day of her arrival at Bruf- 
 fels ; " that the only way to obtain the favour 
 and protection of the Emprefs, was to be ingenu- 
 ous and fincere" — that it was on this condition 
 alone he had offered her his beft fervices ; but 
 that, as he found flie had deceived him, he fhould 
 now abandon her to all the confluences of her 
 impoflure. As the Count faid this, he locked at 
 her with a fixed and fevere countenance, which 
 &iconcerted her the more, as till now fhe had 
 only feeri that air of teniernefs and politenefs, 
 C which 
 
t 28 ) 
 
 •which mailced his general character. She was all 
 •condition ; and M. de Cobenzel having rifen from 
 •his feat, as if about to depart, fee held him by his 
 cloaihs, and throwing herfelf at his feet, faid, with 
 many tears, that it was true fhe had much to re- 
 late to him, but (lie could fay no more in the pre- 
 tence of Monfieur de Neny's fecretary. As foon 
 as that gentleman had left tire room, (he fell down 
 -again on her knees, and with renewed expreffions 
 of grief, entreated M. de -Cobenzel to take pity 
 upon her; confefied that fhe had deceived him in 
 the account of her embarkation at Hamburgh; but 
 called Heaven to witnefs, that all which fhe had 
 laid of her education in Bohemia was true to the 
 moil minute circumftance. She afterwards always 
 perfifled in this afiertion, nor ever varied in the 
 fmalleft particular, when crofs-examined at differ- 
 ent times as to the former part of her life.— And 
 thus the told anew the ftory of her departure: 
 
 When the prieft came to take her from her houfe 
 in Bohemia, he told her, that he was going to con- 
 duct her to a convent in France. Ignorant as fhe 
 was, the little which Catharine and |er mama had 
 told her of a religious life, taught her to confider 
 a convent as an horrible prifon, from which there 
 was noefcape: and this idea had fo difturbed her 
 mind, that from the moment of her quitting her 
 habitation in Bohemia, fhe had formed the projeft 
 of flying, as foon as pomble, from fuch captivity. 
 During "her journey to Hamburgh, fee found no 
 opportunity of executing her defign— but her alarm 
 was fo much increafed, when on her arrival in that 
 city fhe faw the fea and the fhips, that on the 
 eve of the day fixed for her departure fhe rofe from 
 Catharine's fide as fee flept, made a little parcel 
 of one sown and fome linen, took the blue purie 
 with the three pidures, and the hundred ducats 
 which the ftranger had given her, and at break of 
 
 day 
 
( n ) 
 
 day left the city. She walked a long time; till:: 
 fpent with fatigue and terror, JI>e' took refuge in the. 
 barn of a farmer, and there fell afleep. The owner 
 of the premifes found her, and, ftruck with her 
 youth and beauty, civilly offered her a little room,, 
 and the bell b^d h: his houfe, which (he accepted." x 
 
 Her fears not fuffering her to continue (b near to 
 Hamburgh, fhe foon quitted this retreat. She 
 wifhed to give fome proof of her gratitude to the 
 honeft people who had aiiorded her protect) on 5 
 but they would accept of nothing. From hence, 
 mounted on a wretched carriage, fhe took the road 
 towards Sweden. The third day of her journey, 
 ihe fell from her vehicle, and received fo dangerous 
 a wound in her head, that it was neceflary to take 
 her to a neighbouring inn, and call in the afTift- 
 ance of a furgeon. 
 
 It happened, that a Dutch family called at the 
 inn in their way to Pomerania and Sweden ; thefe. 
 people defrayed the expences of her ficknefs, and r 
 out of companion, fuffered her to join their travel- 
 ling party. (At her examination, ihe told -the 
 names of thefe Hollanders; ^% well as the Lutheran, 
 prieft who was with them, and who at this prefent 
 time is private tutor to a merchant's children in 
 Hamburgh.) When {he arrived at Stockholm,. 
 &e quitted her fellow travellers, and went to lodge 
 at the houfe of a German woman, whofe hufband 
 had a fmall poft under government. This woman, 
 happily for Made moi fell e La Fruelen, was a perfon 
 of great integrity, and conceived the tendered 
 friendfhip for her. While fhe refided here,, her 
 hair-drefler told her one day, that the Count de 
 Belgioiofo, Imperial Minifter at Stockholm, was 
 making flrict enquiries after a young lady that had 
 eloped from Hamburgh. La Fruelen, who began 
 to form an idea of the confeqnunces of her flight,. 
 and. whom the apprehexiftons of poverty terrified 
 
 ftill 
 
( 20 : 
 
 ftill more than the thoughts of a convent, told her 
 informer, that '(he was the perfon fought after, and 
 permitted him to make this difcovery to the Am- 
 baffodor. The next day (he received a billet from 
 that Minifter, inviting her to his houfe. The bil- 
 let was read to her by a girl that waited upon her, 
 named Sophia ; (he did not hefitate a moment, but 
 repaired that day to the Count de Belgioiofo. He- 
 received her with great refpeel ; afked her the cir- 
 cumftances of her departure from Hamburgh; and' 
 it being (as he thought by her replies) evident 
 that fee was the perfon whom he fought, he told' 
 her, that he was inftrucled to take the greateft care 
 of her, and that he would go to fee whether (he 
 was in convenient lodgings. He offered her mo- 
 ney, which (he accepted, for the blue purfe was en- 
 tirely empty. M.. de Belgioiofo went to vifit her 
 the next day ; he told her (he muft ftay no longer 
 in fuch a place, and that he would procure her a 
 more commodious apartment near his own houfe. 
 In two days (he went to this apartment; it was 
 at the houfe of a tradesman : and Sophia continued 
 about her perfon. — M. de Belgioiofo fent her a 
 lacquey, and furnifhed her with provifions from his 
 own table. Not long afterwards, he told her that 
 fee had been ftill more ftrongly recommended to 
 his protection, and that (he muft take up her abode 
 at his houfe ;. and accordingly (he went thither the 
 ^fame afternoon. 
 
 She fays, that while (he was at the houfe of M. 
 de Belgioiofo, (he was fo affected by the fight of a 
 picture, perfectly fefembling the ftranger who came 
 three times' to fee her at her dwelling in Bohemia, 
 that (he fwooned away upon the fpot. (The 
 Count de Belgioiofo has by letter confirmed this 
 aiTertion; and it feems the pr&ure was that of the 
 Emperor Francis.) It was with the greateft diffi- 
 culty that they recovered her from her fainting-fit j 
 
 and 
 
( 3* ) 
 
 and a violent fever was the confequence, whichr 
 very nearly proved fatal to her. She fays {he grew 
 taller during this illnefs,- which laired fix weeks*, 
 and was fo much altered, that (he appeared to be 
 thirty years old, though fhe could not at this time 
 have been above fixteen. 
 
 When {he was perfectly recovered, the Ambaf-- 
 fador told her, he had received advice from Ham- 
 burgh, that {he had quitted that city in company 
 with a young Englimman. She denied it in the 
 moil folemn manner, becaufe {he had no Englifh 
 acquaintance whatever : but M. de Belgioiofo per- 
 illed in- hisaccufation fo long, that,- wearied out 
 with conftant persecution on the iubje<Sr, fhe con- 
 fefled herfelf guilty of a crime which Ihe knew was 
 faNely laid to her charge. 
 
 This ra{h.confeifion,,as well as many other in- 
 ftances of imprudence in her conduct {he attempted^ 
 to palliate, in a manner that very ftrongly proved: 
 her fimplicity and ignorance of the world. Her 
 ignorance indeed extended to fuch a degree, that 
 M. St. Gere, Afliftant to the Imperial Conful at : 
 Bourdeaux, who was fent for to Bruffels during tlw; - 
 prifoner's examination,, depofed, that while he was- 
 her fecretary at Boivrdeaux,. {he wiihed him to fign 
 a feigned name to a letter— and when he remon- 
 ftrated, that {he could not make ufe of: a name 
 that was not her own, fhe replied, " Who can for- 
 bid my doing any thing that I wifh? May I 
 not afturne any. name, any. fignature, at ruyplea*- 
 fure I" 
 
 It muft be obferved, that about the time of her 
 elopement from Hamburgh, - the daughter of a 
 merchant in that city had been carried off by a 
 young EnglKhman; and this adventure, being 
 confounded with that of our heroine, gave the Am- 
 baffador thofe fufpicipns which {he had the folly to 
 confirm. It is evident^ that after this coafemofi, 
 C-3 ' M. de. 
 
( 32 ) 
 
 M. cle Belgioiofb believed her to be the merchant^ 
 daughter, and not the young lady who had been re- 
 commended to his care: becaufe a little time after 
 this* he told her he was miftaken as to her perfon> 
 and ad'vifed her to return to Hamburgh, He gave 
 her twenty-five louis-d'brs for her travelling e%- 
 pences, and entrufted her to the care of a merchant 
 who was then on his return to that city. On her 
 arrival at Hamburgh, (he anxioufly fought after thofe 
 persons, whom flie had quitted with fa much pre- 
 cipitation; fhe walked every thy oil the quay, and 
 in the moft frequented parts of the town. i 
 
 At this time, a man, in appearance about fifty 
 years old, and plainly dreiTed, who had followed 
 hex ,at a.diftance for feveral days, at laft accofted 
 her, and propofed to her to go to Bourdeaux. She 
 co/rjented to, it more readily, becaufe fhe recollected 
 that the pricil bad wifhed her to embark for that 
 place j and fhe fiippofed, that by following the 
 plan at firft marked out for her,, (he fhould the 
 more eafdy meet with thofe who interefted them- 
 ielves about her fate. - The man whom fhe met on 
 the quay embarked with her > her voyage was pros- 
 perous in every particulrry and he attended her dur- 
 ing the courfe-of it in the manner fhe had at firft 
 related. The prilbner always per filled in faying 
 that every circumftanee file had mentioned, of her 
 arrival at Bourdeaux, and her adventures in that 
 city, was. moft fcrupuioufly true, v . 
 
 Soon after fhe. had taken a houfe of her own, to 
 which Madame Guillaumot accompanied her y fhe 
 received an anonymous letter, in which fhe was 
 commanded to go to the Duke de Richelieu, and 
 afk that protection, of which fhe ftood fo much in 
 need. The writer prefled her the more earneftly 
 to do this, becaufe the Duke was already acquainted 
 with the particulars of her ftory. Accordingly fhe 
 went to the Duke's palace. He informed her that 
 
 he 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 he had received a letter from the Princefs d' Aver f- 
 berg, recommending Mademoiselle de Schonau in 
 the ilrongeft terms to his care. He made her a 
 thoufand offers oS fer vice, and according to his cuf- 
 torn, faid more than a woman of honour oueht to 
 hear. She burft into tears, and on her knees im- 
 plored his pity; and the Duke on his part made 
 apologies for his imprudence. 
 
 A few days after this he came to her houfe, and 
 earneftly recommended it to her to learn the French 
 language, which as yet (he underwood very imper- 
 fectly. M. de Richelieu paid her Several other vi- 
 sits, and always treated her with the higheft refpeft. 
 She was a conftant gueff. at all his entertainments > 
 and when any queflions wire afked him concerri- 
 ing her. he made this uniform reply — * c She is 'a 
 lady of great d'ljlinflion." 
 
 The reif, of the examination confifted of minute 
 circumftances, foreign to our purpofe; and chiefly 
 refpe£ted the company with whom fhe affociated 
 during her residence at Bourdeaux. It muff not 
 however be forgotten, that (he had two very ad- 
 vantageous offers of marriage : the one from M* 
 
 de -» \ the other from the nephew of M. de Fer- 
 
 rand, a counfelbr of the parliament of Boupdeaux* 
 She refufed both ; conceiving herfeif bound to per- 
 petual celibacy by the promife file had made the 
 ftranger In Bohemia. 
 
 It is neceflary to mention her pecuniary refources. 
 We have already obferved, that while fhe lived 
 with Madame Guiilaumot, a perfon unknown pre- 
 sented her with a thoufand louis-d'ors. This fame 
 perSon brought her Several Sums of money after- 
 wards, at different times; and me received through 
 this channel about a hundred arid fifty thoufand \i- 
 vres, without ever learning, or being able to dis- 
 cover to whom She was obliged for this noble allow- 
 ance. — As all this tended to confirm her in her 
 
 ideas 
 
( 34 ) 
 
 ideas that flie belonged to a very wealthy family, 
 Ihe fpent this money as fait as (he received it. On 
 a fudden her remittances flopped* She had little 
 or no money by her; fo that in a {hort time, as 
 {he made no alteration whatever in her ftyle of li- 
 ving, (he contracted debts to the amount of fixty 
 thoufand livres, which remained undifcharged at 
 the time of her being arretted at Bordeaux. 
 
 In the defperate fituation to which the menaces 
 of her creditors reduced her, ihe took the wild re,- 
 folution of fabricating thofe letters, which when 
 prefented to her at her examinaiion, (lie owned 
 -were dictated by herfelf. As, firfr, the letter to 
 M. de Cobenzel, dated, " Vienna — From my 
 • u bed— two in the limning" — Another, figned, 
 
 " Le Comte J. de \\ v eifTendorf." Another to 
 
 the Emperor, addrefTed to Florence. Another to 
 the Bavarian Minifter at Paris. And, laftly, the 
 letter to the King of Spain, which had led to the 
 difcovery. But though fhe frankly confefled the 
 having lent all thefe letters, fhe declared at the 
 lame time her perfect ignorance of that figned " Le 
 Gomte de Dieftrichftein" — and of feveral others, 
 which the Counts de Cobenzel and de Neny had 
 received from time to time concerning her. 
 
 It is obfervable, that her fimplicity was fo great, 
 as to make it irnpofEble to explain to her how highly 
 criminal fhe had been, in procuring forged letters 
 on fubjecls of fuch impoitance. She made the 
 fame reply now that fhe had done to M. St. Gere, 
 at Bourdeaux-— Nay, fhe innocently perfrfted in 
 it, that fhe thought fhe had acled right; because 
 the extraordinary education that had been given 
 her, the conjectures fhe had formed of her parentage,, 
 the portraits which gave fuch weight to thofe coi>- 
 ieclures, and the confiderable fums that had been 
 remitted to her, could not but lead her to fufpec\ 
 that fhe was in point of fail the late Emperors 
 
 daughter* 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 daughter. She declared that fhe had never uttered 
 her thoughts to any human creature ; but finding 
 herfelf all at once utterly forfaken, fhe concluded 
 the perlbn was dead who had been commifnoned- to 
 &rnifh/her with money. And as fhe fuppofed 
 that this perfon alone was acquainted with the place 
 of her abode, flie concluded that her fupplies only 
 ceafed becaufe her refidence was no longer known. 
 However, as fhe thought it highly probable that 
 her father might have entrufled more than one per* 
 fon with the fecret of her birth, fhe hoped, by writ- 
 ing to all the moft illuftrious fervants of the Houfe 
 ofAuftria, to find fome one who, knowing her 
 hiftory, might place her in that fituation which 
 her father had defigned for her. She faid further, 
 that fhe did not write thefe lettei s in her own name, 
 becaufe fhe would not expofeherfelf to the trouble- 
 some curiofity of thofe who, not being in the fecret, 
 would immediately make inquiry about her birth. 
 That if but one of thofe letters had fallen into the 
 hands of any perfon acquainted with her ftory, that 
 perfon would immediately have known more par- 
 ticulars of her life than fhe herfelf could know. In 
 the mean time, her fufpicions being unfupported by 
 pofitive proof, all that fhe could fay would not pre- 
 vent her palling for an rmpoftor. She added, that 
 a ftrong argument of her confeious innocence, and 
 of her firm perfuafion that fhe was really the Em- 
 peror's daughter, might.be drawn from the circunfr* 
 fiance of her having pointed out the place of her 
 abode in all her letters ; every one of which tended 
 to put her in the power of the Court of Vienna^ 
 that court which was alone interefted in punifhing 
 a fraud of this nature. She affirmed, that fhe ne- 
 ver had coniulted any perfon whatever as to the 
 fteps fke had taken ; and fhe particularly denied 
 having written the letter, figned " The Princefs 
 d'Averfberg," which the Duke de Richelieu re- 
 ceived foon after her arrival at Baurdeaux*. 
 
( 36 J 
 
 The examination, after twenty-four fittings, 
 being entirely fmifhed, Meffrs. de Cobenzel and 
 de Neny ferioufly confidered what fteps were moft 
 proper to be taken in confequence of it. The 
 Court having defired them to give their opinion, 
 they agreed, u That the molt prudent meafure- 
 would he to place the poor girl in fome diftant 
 eonvent v and there keep her, tilLtime fliould throw 
 fbme light on this myfterious affair." At the mo- 
 ment when this opinion was to have been trans- 
 mitted to, Vienna, M. de Neny received a letter 
 from his father, (private fee retary tothe Emprefs) 
 which itated, that from the. examination, whieta 
 had been fent from time to time to court, her Im- 
 perial Majeity had* formed a very difadvantageous 
 opinion of the ft ranger ; and that fhe was deter- 
 mined to treat her with the utmoft fever-ity. Aftex 
 reading thefe difpatches, M. de Neny's fentiments 
 were fo entirely changed, that he propofed fending, 
 the unhappy prifoner to Bourdeaux, and there put- 
 ting her into the power of her creditors. He even^ 
 fent this to Vienna as his opinion. But the Count 
 de Cobenzel, whom no confederation- could induce 
 to change thofe fentiments which honour and hu- 
 manity dictated,. feared not, in behalf of innocence,, 
 to difpleafe his ibvereign herfelf; and in a letter to 
 the Emprcfs,\ ftrongly inveighed agaiuft M. d$- 
 Neny.'s opinion, and advifed that the unhappy pri- 
 foner mould- be fent to fame convent. But this 
 advice was not followed, and that of the Count 
 de*Neny was impracticable^ The Duke de Choi- 
 feul refufed to grant the paflport neceffary to con* 
 duel her to Bourdeaux. - In vaia M. de Barre (Se- 
 cretary to the Emba-fly at Paris, and Charge des 
 Affaires inthe Count de Mercy's abfence) repre- 
 fented to the Duke that her creditors would be 
 injured, if their debtor was not reftored to them ; 
 he {earned to think it a plea of no confequence, and 
 #erfiited in his refuial. d The 
 
t 37 ) 
 
 The day before M. de Cobenzel's death, after 
 lie had received the facrament, he faid to a confi- 
 dential friend, who had been made acquainted with 
 every circumftance refpecling the ftranger : " I 
 -have juft received difpatches from Vienna, charg- 
 ing me to acquaint the Court with the prifoner's 
 whole hiflory — by no means to difmifs her ; and to 
 take no ftep without frdh orders. '" He alluded to 
 a letter juft received from M. de Kaunitz. The 
 Count immediately burnt it; adding, by way of 
 reflection, Cl Ton fee an bonejl maris opinion will 
 fome times prevail. ' ' ~ 
 
 He died the next day : and it is probable, that 
 but for this misfortune, the affair would have ended 
 in a very different mt^ner. If fimilar orders came 
 to any other perfon, they came to6 late. 
 
 Four days after his death, t he ftranger was ta- 
 Jcen out of prifon ; a Sub-Lieutenant of the Mare- 
 •chaufle of Brabant conducted her to Ouievraingi 
 a fmall town between Mons and Valenciennes, 
 {about a day's journey from Calais, or Oftend) ; 
 fifty louis-d'ors were put into her hand ; and fhe 
 was abandoned to her wretched deftiny ! 
 
 Thus far the French Narrative ; — and we think 
 it highly probable 5 thatfhe was fhortly after brought 
 into this country, where fhe was cruelly abandoned 
 by fome vile feducer ; and which, no doubt, caufed 
 the calamity into which (he fell. Many endeavours 
 were ufed to trace her family, by defer ibing her fitu- 
 ation in the public papers both here and on the Con- 
 tinent, but without effeft ; and there is now very 
 little profpecl of the fecret, whatever it was, being 
 farther elucidated — for poor Louifa is no more ! 
 
 Having remained for a confiderable time under 
 the care of Mr. Henderfon, already mentioned, 
 and fupported by fubfeription, fhe was at length 
 xemoved, as incurable, to Guy's Hofpital, in the 
 
 Borough 
 
( 31 ) 
 
 Borough of Southwark ; where (he died rather fud- 
 denly on the 19th of December, 1801, and was 
 buried in the ground belonging to that Hofpitalon 
 the 23d. 
 
 The fame kind and much the fame degree of 
 mental derangement remained with this poor de- 
 parted child of mifery to the laft. The contrac- 
 tion of her limbs, from the expofure to cold in the 
 open fields, and from herconftant propensity to re- 
 main inactive, rendered her an object of the ftrong- 
 eii pity. The change was therefore merciful ; her 
 life was a fcene of mifery ; and not to be defired 
 by thofe who witriefled her fufferings for the laft 
 twenty-five years! She was firft difcovered under 
 the hay-flack about the year I776. 
 
 It is but juftice to mention, that a certain fum 
 was v allowed annually by the benevolent Mifs 
 Hannah Moore, towards cloathing, &c. for poor 
 Louife, whofe funeral expences where alfo defray- 
 ed by that lady. 
 
 The following appropiate Epitaph, we under- 
 hand, was written in Bath, and transmitted from 
 that city : 
 
 IN yonder 4uft, unmark'd for public fame, 
 Low reft the relics of poor LOUISA'S frame.. • 
 Poor hapless sufTrer, of the maniac line ! 
 Thy wrongs no more a tortur'd breast confine. 
 Enough for thee, that ling'ring sorrow's breath 
 Found final rescue in the boon of death ! 
 Consoi'd be they, who sought thy soul's relief; 
 Tormented they^ who overwhelmed with grief ! 
 Accurs'd the crime, that 'reft thy reason's ray, 
 Though thou be ransom'd for eternal day ! 
 And where frail innocence would Vice repel, 
 May guardian angtls thy sad story teii ! 
 
 FINIS. 
 
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