DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0213
WONDERFUL SLEEPERS'.
185
always preserved its poise. It seemed as if this waxen statue
was glued by the feet to a pedestal, to keep it from falling.
She was to all appearance quite insensible; she was
pinched, a chafing dish of coals was held under her feet,
they hollowed in her ear, that she had gained her cause, but
nothing was capable of exciting the least motion.
She was blooded in the foot, and then the company went
to supper, but soon returned, and found her recovered from
her fit, which had lasted between 3 and 4 hours. And
now she as much astonished them with a long harangue,
well connected and uttered, being chiefly a pathetic nar-
rative of her misfortunes, and particularly of the progress of
her law suit; the whole interspersed with moral reflections,
and fervent prayers. They at first endeavoured, at the exr
pence of truth, to give her some comfort, and then question-
ed her about the particulars of the fit.
She said she saw nothing, but heard by intervals, and
could even distinguish, some persons by their voice. She
could scarce believe she had been let blood, till she saw the
ligature on her foot: the chafing dish, the effect of which
one would have thought should have been very sensible, did
not affect her in the least; and though she had been suffi-
ciently shaken, tumbled about, and distorted, yet she felt no
lassitude at all.
Whilst she was thus talked to, she would now and then
drop her discourse, and fetch a gentle sigh, at which time
her eyes were fixed and steady. Every precaution was used
to prevent a second fit, and she cleared up again, and con-
tinued talking, yet she could not recover the thread of her
story but began another, though she was reminded where
she had left off; and this happened as often as the sighs and
little threatening symptoms returned, the idea of what she
was about to say absolutely vanishing, and a new one pre-
senting itself. In about an hour the fit returned, the cata-
leptic symptoms were as strong if not stronger than before,
VOL. V. B b
185
always preserved its poise. It seemed as if this waxen statue
was glued by the feet to a pedestal, to keep it from falling.
She was to all appearance quite insensible; she was
pinched, a chafing dish of coals was held under her feet,
they hollowed in her ear, that she had gained her cause, but
nothing was capable of exciting the least motion.
She was blooded in the foot, and then the company went
to supper, but soon returned, and found her recovered from
her fit, which had lasted between 3 and 4 hours. And
now she as much astonished them with a long harangue,
well connected and uttered, being chiefly a pathetic nar-
rative of her misfortunes, and particularly of the progress of
her law suit; the whole interspersed with moral reflections,
and fervent prayers. They at first endeavoured, at the exr
pence of truth, to give her some comfort, and then question-
ed her about the particulars of the fit.
She said she saw nothing, but heard by intervals, and
could even distinguish, some persons by their voice. She
could scarce believe she had been let blood, till she saw the
ligature on her foot: the chafing dish, the effect of which
one would have thought should have been very sensible, did
not affect her in the least; and though she had been suffi-
ciently shaken, tumbled about, and distorted, yet she felt no
lassitude at all.
Whilst she was thus talked to, she would now and then
drop her discourse, and fetch a gentle sigh, at which time
her eyes were fixed and steady. Every precaution was used
to prevent a second fit, and she cleared up again, and con-
tinued talking, yet she could not recover the thread of her
story but began another, though she was reminded where
she had left off; and this happened as often as the sighs and
little threatening symptoms returned, the idea of what she
was about to say absolutely vanishing, and a new one pre-
senting itself. In about an hour the fit returned, the cata-
leptic symptoms were as strong if not stronger than before,
VOL. V. B b