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An Authentie Narrative of the Extraordinary Cure performed by Prince Alexander Hohenlohe, on Miss Barbara O'Connor, a Nun, in the Convent of New-Hall, near. Chelmsford: with a full Refutation of the numerous. false Reports and Misrepresentations. By JOHN BADELEY, M.D., Protestant Physician to the Convent. London. Whittakers, 1823.

CARABOO and the Fortunate Youth were nothing to this. It was possible that a tawny lady might drop into Somersetshire from Japan, or the Philippines, or the Moluccas-or the Moon; and it was possible that an old man in a stage-coach should take a fancy to a young one, and leave him an immense property-even though some of it came under the ominous denomination of Chateaux en Espagne, in which our readers may recollect the youth aforesaid declared-and, for once, truly-great part of his wealth to consist. These two stories, equally credible and equally credited, were esteemed to have pretty well established the fame of John Bull for a capacious swallow, but he had not then, by any means, shewn the extent of his powers in this way. We recol lect once seeing a pantomime, in which Harlequin jumped down the throat of a huge figure representing a Doctor in Medicine;-here the characters are but transposed, for the Doctor is the Harlequin, who strives to leap down the throat of the believing public, taking with him Columbine and Pantaloon, personated by Miss Barbara O'Connor and Prince Alexander Hohenlohe. We do not know whether this would be, as the Baron of Bradwardine says, "gula causâ, for the oblectation of the gullet "!

But we have been talking as if our readers already knew what we are talking about; perhaps, however, we are authorized to do this from "the general interest which the public in England, France, and Ireland, have taken in the extraordinary recovery of Miss O'Connor," which sentence forms the opening of the Doctor's authen. tic narrative. For our own part, with shame we confess, hat before this pamphlet was put into our hands by a friend," as a curiosity," we were equally ignorant of the existence of the nun and the Doctor-that is, the Chelmsford dealer in drugs, not the Bamberg ejaculator of prayers, for some notices of this last have, together with M.M. Grimm's nursery stories, been lately imported into this country from Germany. It may be as well to mention, par parenthèse, for the behoof of those of our readers to whom the fame of the Prince may not have reached, that he is a person who is said to have the power of healing the sick by his prayers,-and, as this case would shew, without seeing the patients, and being at any distance from them...

But we will be serious, if we can, and set before our readers this very extraordinary case-we say extraor dinary, from the belief which it seems to have excited among some people not confined either in a monastery or a mad-house-not from its own intrinsic circumstances, for folly, fanaticism, and imposture have existed in all ages of the world. The most curious agent in the whole business is Dr. Badeley himself. As we said before, we know nothing of the Doctor, except from his pamphlet, but in this he has chosen to place himself in a light equalled only by that of the worthy Dogberry himself; he has been so particularly solicitous "to write himself down-" &c.

We fully acquit him of any share in the imposture

he evidently has a full and real belief in the whole busi ness, but even this is less extraordinary than the unaccountable delusion that he has witnessed and proved the facts, when, from his own shewing, he cannot by any possibility know, of his own knowledge, any thing at all about the matter.

We will lay his statement in his own words before our readers, and then make a remark or two on what

he says.

On the 7th of December, 1820, Miss Barbara O'Connor, a nun, in the convent at New Hall, near Chelmsford, aged thirty, was suddenly attacked, without any evident cause, with a pain in the ball of the right thumb; which rapidly encreased, and was succeeded by a swelling of the whole hand and arm, as far as the elbow. It soon became red, and painful to the touch. Mr. Barlow, the skilful surgeon to the convent, was sent for, and applied leeches, lotions, blisters, fomentations, poultices, long immersions in warm water, and every thing that was judged proper, a long time, without much benefit. One cold application diIninished the swelling, but occasioned acute pain in the axilli and mamma. Leeches were applied to the axilla, and the same cold lotion; by which means the pain was removed from the axilla, and the hand and arm became as bad as before.

On the 5th of January, an incision was made in the ball of the thumb; only blood followed, no pus. Mr. Carpue, an eminent surgeon from Dean-street, was sent for on the 7th, and enlarged the incision, expecting pus, but none appeared.

On the 15th, another incision was made on the back of the fore-finger; still, only blood followed, and with very little relief. As her constitution seemed much affected, I prescribed a course of medicines; and amongst others, mercurials: they were attended with much benefit, but did not affect the salivary glands. The surgeons recommended mercurial friction on the arm, which was continued till salivation was excited. The arm by this was much reduced, and remained so several days. It flattered us with some hope of recovery, but it was transient. The symptoms soon returned as bad as ever, notwithstanding the general health was perfectly re-established, and notwithstanding every thing was done which the London and country surgeons, in consultation, could suggest during a whole year and a half.

Mrs. Gerard, the superior of the convent, having heard of many extraordinary cures, performed by Prince Hohenlohe, of Bamberg, in Germany, employed a friend to request his assistance, which he readily

granted, and sent the following instructions, dated Bamberg, March 16, 1822.

"Pour la Religieuse Novice en Angleterre.

"Le trois du Mois de Mai, à huit heures, je dirai, conformement à votre demande, pour votre guerison mes prières. Joignez-y à la même heure, après avoir confessé et communié, les votres, avec cette ferveur evangelique, et cette confiance 'plénière que nous devons à notre Redempteur Jesus Christ. Excitez au fond de votre cœur les vertus divines d'un vrai repentir, d'un amour Chretien, d'une croyance sans bornes d'être exaucé, et d'une résolution inebranlable de mener une vie exemplaire, a fin de vous maintenir en etat de grace. Agréez l'assurance de ma consideration.

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Miss O'Connor's general health being re-established, and the surgical treatment of the hand being out of my province, I did not see her for some weeks; but having occasion to visit some of the ladies on the 2d of May, I was requested to look at Miss O'Connor's hand and arm, which I found as much swollen and bad as I had ever seen them. The fingers looked ready to burst, and the wrist was fifteen inches in circumference. I did not then know the reason of my being desired to see the hand and arm on that day, not having heard of the application to the Prince.

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On the next day, the 3d of May (a day of particular notice by the Catholics,) she went through the religious process prescribed by the Prince. Mass being nearly ended, Miss O'Connor, not finding the immediate relief she expected, exclaimed, Thy will be done, oh, Lord! thou hast not thought me worthy of this cure." Almost immediately after she felt an extraordinary sensation through the whole arm, to the end of her fingers. The pain instantly left her, and the swelling gradually subsided; but it was some weeks before the hand resumed its natural size and shape. Now, I can perceive no difference from the other. The general reports that the arm was paralytic, and that both hand and arm were again as bad as ever, have not the least foundation.-pp. 9-16.

After a digression, refuting the idea of imposture in the existence of the disorder, the Doctor thus conti

nues:

But let us return to Miss O'Connor, whom we left in the chapel, free from pain. This was on the 3d of May. I did not see her again till the 11th. Then it was that I first heard of the application to the Prince. Upon her being informed that I was in the convent, she came into the room, to my great astonishment, putting her hand behind her, and moving her fingers without pain, and with considerable activity,

considering the degree of swelling; the hand and arm having hitherto been immoveable, and constantly supported in a sling. I immediately exclaimed, "What have you been doing?"-" Nothing, I declare," she said, "except following the instructions of Prince Hohenlohe."

As she could already use her fingers a little, although only eight days had elapsed, and they were still much swollen, I asked for a sheet of paper, and folding it up in the form of a letter, inquired if her London' surgeon had been informed of the cure. On her replying in the negative, "Then be so obliging, Madam," said I, “to address this to him, and I will write the letter as soon as I reach home." She immediately complied, and wrote very legibly.-pp. 19-20.

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Now, that Miss Barbara O'Connor had a pain in her right thumb, we fully believe and admit. We believe also that the London and country surgeons, in consultation, could suggest, during a whole year and a half," nothing to remove the said pain in the said thumb, but it is not a necessary sequitur from these premises, that we should give to Prince Dow sterswivel of Hohenlohe, the credit of effecting a cure, which the London and country surgeons" had so long tried in vain. Does not Dr. Badeley see-if he does not, every one who reads his pamphlet does that he knows nothing, except that between the 2d and the 11th of May, considerable amendment had taken place. All the rest the mass nearly passing without any relief-the ejaculation of pious resignation-the "extraordinary sensation"-the ceasing of the pain-the subsiding of the swelling-in short, all of what foreign diplomatists would call the events of the 3d of May," rest solely on the assertion of Miss Barbara O'Connor herself. All that the Doctor can speak to, of his own knowledge, is, that this disorder in the arm-of the cause and nature of which he confesses that he and his brethren were ignorant-from causes equally unknown, was healed in the space of" some weeks," the commencement of which recovery took place at some period between the 2d and the

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