Narrative of Facts. trouble and mifery dwell in houfes; and that there is no happiness but in liberty and fresh air.' [The French author has here a note; part of which the tranflator has ventured to infert into the text. One in particular, &c. This lady is named Atking; fhe refides at Bristol, and has benevolently undertaken the care of our fugitive. By the most conftant affiduity, fhe has perfuaded her to refide at the house of a furgeon in that city, where the is ftill living. He has contrived to gain her efteem-but as foon as he would make any inquiry as to her birth, the lifts her finger to her lips. As her averfion to fleeping in a bed fubfifts, a matrafs is placed for her on the ground-and the often amufes herself with fhaping the quilt into the imitation of a royal robe. • One day a coach and four pafsed along the ftreet-her attendants ran to the windows-She inquired the caule; and then 'said,—A wonderful fight truly! my father's coach was always drawn by EIGHT HORSES.'] From a certain peculiarity of expreffion, with a flight foreign tincture in her pronunciation, and in the conftruction of fome fentences, fome have been led to conjecture, that he is not of this country. Various attempts have been made at different times to draw from this circumftance fome knowledge of her origin. About a year ago, a gentleman fpoke to her in the languages of the Continent; the appeared uneafy, reft lefs, and embarraffed: but when he addreffed her in German, her emotion was too great to be fuppreffed; fhe turned from him, and burft into tears. This anecdote, which is told in the neighbourhood, was a few days ago related to two gentlemen, whom humanity led to vifit this forlorn ereature. One of them, who fpoke German VOL. II. N° 12. 393 fluently, made the experiment': fhe was evidently confufed, blufhed, and from accident, or a knowledge in the language, anfwered feme questions in English; but, feeling as if he had been hurried into an imprudence, fhe artfully changed the fubject, and denied having underflood what had been faid to her. This artless ftory is written with no other view but the warm hope that it may catch the eye of fome one interested in this tale of wo, and the ardent with of reftoring an amiable and wretched young creature to the arms of (perhaps) a brokenhearted parent. The writer heartily wishes the whole had been a fiction, and that he had not been himself an eye-witnefs to the diftrefs he relates-it would have fpared him many a pang of unavailing forrow, and (although a man) fome tears of useless compaffion. PHILALETHES. The above ftory was first published in the St James's Chronicle about four years ago. The unhappy fubject of it is still in a ftate of confinement under the humane inspection of the well known Mifs Hannah Moore, the perfon meant above by the name of Atking. The ftranger's diforder approaches nearer to idiotism than to lunacy,--her beauty is gone, and her body pale and emaciated. The French tranflator thought that the narrative, of which the following is the fubftance, might perhaps throw light on her ftory. In the fummer of the year 1768, the Count de Cobenzel, Imperial minifter at Bruffels, received a letter from a lady at Bourdeaux; the writer requested him not to think it ftrange, if his advice and friendfhip were eagerly fought after;'-adding, that the univerfal refpect which his talents and his interest at court had acquired, engaged her to 3 D ad addrefs herself to him-that in a little time he should know who the perfon was that had prefumed to folicit his good offices, and that perhaps he would not repent of having attended to her.' This letter, which was written in very indifferent French, was figned La Freulen. The Count was defired to return an answer to Mademoiselle La Freulen, at Bourdeaux. A fhort time after this, the Count received a letter from Prague, figned Le Comte J. de Weiffendorff;' in which he was intreated to give the beft advice in his power to Mademoifelle La Freulen-to intereft himself warmly in her behalf to write to Bourdeaux in her favour-and even to advance her money, to the amount of a thousand ducats, if fhe ftood in need of it. The letter was concluded in these words: When you shall know, Sir, WHO this firanger is, you will be delighted to think that you have ferved ber, and grateful to thofe who have given you the opportunity of doing it. M. de Cobenzel replied to the ftranger, that he was highly fenfible of the honour of her good opinion. -that he should be proud of affifting her with his advice, and of ferving her to the utmost of his power: but that it was firft abfolutely neceffary he should be informed of her real name. After this the Count received a let ter from Vienna, figned Le Comte de Dietrichstein.' In this he was again requested to pay every poffible attention to Mademoiselle La Freulen, and in particular to intreat her to be frugal. He anfwered this, as well as the former letter from Praguebut no notice was taken of his reply to either. Mean while his epiftolary intercourfe with the lady at Bourdeaux continued. He heard from a perfon of that place that fhe was exceedingly beautiful, and, though very young, elegant in her manners and prudent in her conduct; that he lived magnificently, but was exceedingly referved when queftioned with respect to her family; and that her countenance had a ftriking resemblance to that of the late Emperor. The Lady afterwards informed the Count, that she was ready to impart to him the circumstances of her sto ry; and as the fecret was too important to be trusted to chance, fhe propofed to vifit the Auftrian Netherlands on purpofe. In the mean time fhe fent him her picture; which she defired him to examine with attention, as it might lead him to some conjectures as to what the had to relate. The Count faw in it nothing more than the features of a very lovely woman ;-but Prince Charles de Lorrain thought it bore a strong refemblance to the late Emperor his brother. She afterwards Tent him two other pictures, which proved to be the portraits of the Emperor and Emprefs. In December 1768, M. de Cobenzel 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 requested to continue his attentions. The writer faid that the poor girl had fuffered greatly, but that it was defigned to put her in fuch a fituation as would make her ample amends, he was fo tenderly recommended to me by that person who was deareft to me in the world. The Count was charged to inculcate economy, and particularly admonished of the importance of the fecret. This letter had no fignature. 1 Upon the Count's informing her that he had received this letter, and that he was recommended to his care in the ftrongest terms, the replied, I am much obliged to you for your goodness; but I will tell 6 you fuppofed to throw Light on the Bristol Stranger. 395 any fiaftic. That here fhe was three times vifited at diftant intervals by a handsome man in a riding fuit, who embraced, careffed, and even wept over her, gave her the two pictures she had fent to M. de Cobenzel, and promised her a palace, money, and attendants. That afterwards being told by the ecclefiaftic that her protector was no more, fhe was taken from her folitude, brought to Hamburg, and then to Bourdeaux. Being charged with prevarication in this part of her narrative, fhe confeffed that from Hamburg the had gone to Sweden, where the stayed fome time, and had received many civilities from the Imperial minifter at Stockholm.From Sweden she went to Bourdeaux, and there refufed feveral advantageous offers of marriage, in confequence of a promise made to the ftranger in Bohemia, binding herself to perpetual celibacy. you honeftly, that if I wanted particular favour, I would rather addrefs myself to God than to the faints. While the Emperor was on his travels in Italy, the King of Spain received a letter apparently written by his imperial Majefty, informing him in confidence, that his father, the late Emperor, had left a natural daughter, who had been earneftly recom, mended to his care by his father, and that she was refident at Bourdeaux. He intreated the King of Spain to fend for her, and give her an eftablishment at Madrid, till fome plan fhould be fixed on for her future life; which he himself could not do, left the Emprefs fhould hear of it. The King of Spain fent his letter to the Emperor, requesting fome explanation. He, who had not written the letter, fent it to the Emprefs, and a meffenger was immediately dispatched to Bourdeaux to have the lady feized. She was accordingly arrefted and conveyed to Bruffels to be examined. She arrived at the houfe of the Count de Cobenzel; and he beheld a figure that would have interefted the most infenfible heart. She was tall and elegantly formed, her air was at once fimple and majestic, her coomplexion fair, her hair brown, and calculated to receive the embellishments of art to the greatest advantage. She had fine dark eyes, and a look which expreffed every emotion of her foul. She fpoke French with a German accent, and appeared much confufed, but without any particular fymptom of female weakness. By Mr Cobenzel fhe was received with great kindness; but enjoined to adhere strictly to truth at her examination, if she wifhed to preferve his friendship. The account fhe gave of herfelf was as follows. She faid fhe did not know where she was born; but that fhe was educated at a fequeftered house fomewhere in Bohemia, under the care of two women and an eccle At Bourdeaux fhe had received at different times, from unknown hands, about 150,000 livres; which confirmed her in the idea that the belonged to a very wealthy family. But this refource having all at once ftopped, fhe contracted debts to the amount of 60,000 livres. Le In this defperate fituation he took the wild refolution of fabricating the letters mentioned above, to wit, that dated Vienna from my bed-two in the morning; another figned Le Comte de Weiffendorff, the letter to the King of Spain, &c. but declared her ignorance of the letter figned Comte de Dietrichstein. She faid fhe had received 700 Louis d'ors of the late Duke of York, with a promife of as much as would discharge all her debts. That one morning he wrote her a letter as follows: I was about to fend you the remainder of your money; but when I left your houfe, I received a letter, which pofitively commanded me to give you no more than a part of it. I have written to the Princess d'Aversberg, 3 D 2 and and have requested permiffion at least to fend you the fum you want to fhelter you from your creditors,but! In a few days after, his Royal Highnefs died. From this examination, the Emprefs formed a very disadvantageous opinion of the ftranger, and determined to treat her with the utmost feverity. M. de Cobenzel oppofed himself to this determination; for though he was convinced that the lady was not the daughter of the Emperor, yet he thought there were SIR, ΤΗ circumftances in her ftory which threw a myfterious perplexity over her birth. He was therefore of opinion that the fhould be confined in a convent till time fhould throw fome light on her history. But Cobenzel dying in a fhort while after, the lady was taken out of prifon, a fub-lieutenant of the Marechaufée of Brabant conducted her to a small town between Mons and Valenciennes,-fifty Louis d'ors were put into her hands, and fhe was abandoned to her wretched destiny. Pillar at Aberlemny. HE fubject of the Plate I fend you, is a representation of the pillar raised to commemorate the victory over the Danes near the vil lage of Loncarty, in the reign of Kenneth III. about the year 985. In the beginning of this engagement, the advantages gained by either fide held the balance doubtful, till the Danish general having published that none should be allowed to return into the camp except thofe who were conquerors, their rufhed with army the utmoft fury upon the Scots, who were inftantly put to flight. Near the field of battle, a man of the name of Hay and his two fons were at work ploughing. When they faw the army flying, they took the yokes from the necks of their oxen; and, favoured by the narrownefs of the pafs, with thefe arms alone oppofed themselves to their countrymen; and declaring that they alfo would prove Danes against them, proceeded to beat back thofe that came in their way. The more timorous ftopped; and the others who had been forced to fly merely by the confufion of their own men, took this opportu nity of rallying, and cried out that help was at hand. The whole body immediately turned about, charged their purfuers, and drove the Danes back upon their own men. The Scots, who had been appointed to guard the baggage, with a diforderly rout of common people, hereupon gathering together, and bearing the appearance of a fresh army, ftruck fuch a terror into the Danish host, that they inftantly fled, leaving multitudes of their countrymen dead upon the spot, and the Scots the honour of a complete victory. This ftone is placed in the churchyard of Aberlemny; but funk deep, and near half buried in the earth. Upon one fide is a curious crofs raifed in baffo-relievo, covered with flowerings and waved ornaments. Above the upper angles of this cross are two figures of animals looking backwards; and below, on the right fide thereof, are two animals pointing their heads at each other, and ftanding out, but the lower part of their bodies erazed.-On the reverfe, toward the upper fide of the ftone, is another ornament or hieroglyphic; which I cannot explain otherwife than it is a bordered fquare figure, with another smaller fquare within it: Above this there paffes a line, at one end of which hangs |