of, from the fact that, beyond the merely religious senses, no others are excited, as is the case in the latter; and, moreover, that all the phenomena arise from natural, not from supernatural causes. All these persons were afflicted with sickness, and in general also subject to the most violent spasms and convulsions, without any power of acting beneficially upon others, or of revealing the futurity of events or humanity. The visions which are occasionally met with associated with spasms are nothing extraordinary; and the appearance of bleeding wounds on the body are to be explained psychologically, as the intensely active imagination in all these cases preserves its power, and transforms the ideas of the fancy through an uninterrupted contemplation, into permanent shapes, which even obtain a certain plastic firmness in the body, as similar appearances have been observed in nature, and in pathological conditions; so that we are by no means justified in ascribing them to artificially produced deceptions, even if (sit venia verbis) intentional deceptions had taken place. The soul creates and the body forms; and, in fact, only according to that shape which has been held before it. The imagination is the creative and inventive power of the soul, which endeavours to reproduce outwardly that which it inwardly believed; and this succeeds more especially when the body is in a passive condition, and the outward senses are dormant. Even animals-as, for instance, horses-have been known to produce young of a certain colour which has been constantly before them; the nightmare, the terror of an inevitable danger, have been known to leave permanent marks upon the body. As the human imagination, however, alone creates ideas, so can it alone impress ideal marks,—as the wounds of our Saviour, on the body.

Anna Katharina Emmerich, a sister in the Convent of Dülmen, had numerous visions, and the remarkable power of distinguishing between harmless and noxious plants, as well as between the bones of saints and those of any other person. In frequent ecstasies she revealed secrets to various persons, which could only have occurred by a higher inspiration; and particularly to the clergyman and her confessor. Born in the neighbourhood of Coesfeld, she was sickly, but of a pious disposition, from her childhood; and even before

she entered the convent had a vision of the Saviour, who appeared to her as a radiant youth, offering her a garland with the left hand, and a crown of thorns with the right. She seized the latter, and pressed it with devotion on her brow; but on recovering consciousness, felt a severe pain encircling her head, and drops of blood appeared. In 1802 she entered the convent at Dülmen; and it was at that time that her remarkable history, in fact, commenced; though it was not till 1814 that it was made known-first by Von Druffel, in the Salzburg "Medicinisch-chirurgischer Zeitung," and in 1815 by her attendant physician, in a small pamphlet. With the latter I have enjoyed the advantage of a personal communication. Many particulars were subsequently reported concerning her, which found violent opponents and defenders.

The most important and accurate account is given by Clemens v. Brentano-who observed her for years—in his work "Das Bittere Leiden unsers Herrn nach den Betrachtungen der Gottseligen Katharina Emmerich." From her childhood she was of a weakly constitution; and, according to medical testimony, was during her residence in the convert often confined for weeks to her bed. In March 1813 the Rev. Mr. Stensing communicated to the Ecclesiastical Board that Katharine Emmerich for several months had not taken any medicine, and no sustenance but a little water, and, according to Druffel, a few drops of wine mixed with it: nothing else would remain on her stomach; and she perspired considerably. During the course of the evening a fainting fit would most probably take place, in which she would lie like a piece of wood. Her face during this state, however, always bore the most perfect aspect of health; and she replied to the priestly blessing by making the sign of the cross; (according to Druffel, she was pale and thin). The most remarkable features in this case were, a bloody crown encircling the head, marks of wounds in the hands and feet and in the side, and two or three crosses on the breast. These, and the mark round her forehead, often bled; the latter usually on Wednesday, and the former on Friday, and with such obstinacy that very often heavy drops ran down. This statement was subscribed by physicians and others, as well as by Katharine Emmerich herself. To this docu

ment was added, that she had, from her youth upwards, been piously inclined; that she considered resignation, under trial and suffering, to the divine will, one of the most divine gifts, as it brought her nearer to our crucified Saviour; but that in the convent she was regarded as an enthusiast, as she went to Communion several times during the week, and spoke with much enthusiasm of the happiness of suffering, as well as occasionally letting fall a few words about visions. To investigate these particulars, the Ecclesiastical Board visited Dülmen several times, and found the facts more or less to agree with the report; particularly that upon the breast was to be seen the figure of a double cross, in single, red, connected lines, under which was a greyish patch of the size of a clover leaf, from which at first acrid matter issued. A gentle touch produced trembling in the arms and the whole body. The bleeding had gradually developed itself, and for four years, she had experienced Hnceasing suffering; and before each flow of blood a stronger sensation of burning. All accounts agreed that no corrosive substances could have produced these wounds, for at a later period they were carefully washed and watched for eight days. On the back, and in the inside of the hands and feet, wounds were visible, on which was a crust of blood of the thickness of paper. Katharine wished to remain quite unnoticed. and was very unwilling to receive visits; and she of all others was unlikely to reap benefit from her sufferings. At her interrogation she said, that it was very hard that she should be subjected to it, as she only wished to be left to the will of God. After this, judicial investigations were instituted from Münster; and she was obliged to submit to many annoyances, as they always inclined to believe her to be an impostor: but these did not bring to light any fresh evidence.

In the Mastiaux "Kirchenzeitung" of 1821 we find the account of a visit paid to her by Count Stolberg, in which the particulars are materially the same as those we have already mentioned. In this it is stated that during the whole winter and spring her whole nourishment consisted of a daily glass of water and the juice of a piece of apple or a plum, and during the cherry season she occasionally took a cherry. For ten days she had been watched by credible

witnesses day and night, and one-and-thirty witnesses confirmed to the fact. Nothing had passed from her for three weeks. Although she perspired copiously, there was not the least unpleasant odour in the room. In her fainting fits and convulsions she had often phantasms, like feverpatients, or spoke in strange and beautiful language. Early on the Friday the thorn wounds in her brow and the back of her head began to bleed; later in the day the eight wounds on her hands and feet; and the marks of the thorns round the head could not be more accurately painted by the most skilful artist. On removing the drops of blood, small red punctures still remained. Blood-drops oozed from the wounds; and she always felt relieved by a copious bleeding. With the double cross on the breast it was the same. This nun, who in her childhood herded cattle, and laboured hard, now spoke in a gentle voice, and expressed herself on religion with a nobility of language and elevation of mind which she could not have learned in the convent. Her spiritual expression, her cheerful friendliness, her penetrating knowledge, and her love, breathed forth from every word she uttered.

One very remarkable passage in Brentano's writings must not be overlooked, in which he says, that in his native country, about Coesfeld, there were persons who were able to foretell deaths, marriages, and military movements, from visions; also that Katharina Emmerich occasionally sewed together children's clothes during the night, and without light, at which she was very much surprised the following morning. "Her childhood,' says Brentano, "has much

resemblance to the childhood of the venerable Anna Garcias and Dominica de Paradiso, and other contemplative spirits of the lower ranks. From the earliest time of her recollections she had enjoyed a high and yet friendly guidance, which continued till her end. A gift, which we find alone in the histories of St. Sibyllina de Pavia, Ida von Löwen. Ursula Bennicasa, and a few other pious and holy persons, was in her a permanent quality from her childhood-the gift, namely, of distinguishing between good and bad-holiness and wickedness-in man and the spirit. As a child, she was accustomed to bring home with her, from great distances, plants, which she alone knew to possess healing

virtues; and, on the contrary, destroyed every poisonous plant, and particularly those which were used in the rites of magic and superstition. At heathen mounds and burial places she felt repulsed and ill at ease, but was attracted by the reliques of saints. She distinguished the bones of saints when placed among others; and not only told various incidents from their lives, but also related the various changes by which they had been handed down." As regards the phenomena of the ecstatic state, Brentano refers the reader to the life of St. Magdalena à Pazis, with whose life that of Katharina Emmerich bore much resemblance.

Maria v. Mörl had very similar appearances to Katharina Emmerich; but the higher conditions were neither so pure or so distinct. She is now in the convent at Kaltern. On the contrary, Domenica Lazari, who suffers more physical pain, has the wounds, which bleed every Thursday and Friday, more distinctly marked on her hands and feet. On her back and side the wounds are more distinct than in any other recorded case. Her feet and legs have, as it were, grown together, from her continual lying in bed. On the back of the hand, and the instep of the right foot (the left foot is alway covered by the sole of the right), two prominences are to be seen when there is no bleeding, which bear a perfect resemblance to the heads of two nails. She suffers the most terrible pain and cramps; and is often heard to cry out "O, dio, ajutami!" at several houses distance. The most singular circumstance, however, is, that, winter and summer, she lies in a miserable room with the windows open, and only covered with a thin cloth; and that during unsettled windy weather she is much relieved. Since 1834 she has neither taken food nor drink. For two years her dissolution has been daily expected.

Other cases of bleeding wounds are on record,—as, for instance, one in the fifteenth century, of a girl at Ham, as related by Rolewink, 1414:-"Quæ veracissima stigmata dominicæ passionis habuit in manibus pedibus, ac latere."

Another was a Beguine at Delphi, according to Raynaldus. Lillbopp relates it as of a nun at Hadamar; and Beda Weber mentions the same of Giovanna della Croce, and of Maria Hunber, the prioress of the School Sisters at Brixen during the thirty years' war. A similar case was that of Frederika