466 



Account of Frances Scanagatti. 



[Dec. 1, 



at the AcadensT, and fo confpicunudy 

 dillinguifhed herfelf by her exemplary 

 conduc^t and her progrcfs, that flie l)ore 

 away the prizes of diftinction in both 

 the years 1795 and 1796 that flie re- 

 mained there. 



At tJiis Academy flie perfeftcd herfelf 

 in the knowledge of German and F'ronch, 

 and alfo acquired a knowledge of the 

 Engiilh hingimge under Mr. Plunket, a 

 clergyman from Ireland, one of the pro- 

 feflfors of the inlHtution, who declares 

 tJiat he never had the fmallell fufpicion 

 of young Scanagatti being a girl, but 

 confidered her as a very mild and ac- 

 eom])lilhed boy, of uncommon piiidence. 

 Here alfo flic made the moft fucccf-^ful 

 srpplication to fencing and military tac- 

 tics, as well as to the various branches 

 of the mathematics. 



In the month of February, 1797, flic 

 rcfolved to addrefs the Supreme Council 

 of War at Vienna to be admitted an of- 

 ficer in the army, fupporting her appli- 

 cation by the inoft honourable teftimo- 

 nies of conduct and talents, which the 

 Academy could not refufc her, and ac- 

 companying tliefe with more eloquent 

 vouchers, namely, the prizes awarded 

 Iier during the two preceding years. 



The Supreme Council being at this 

 time particularly in want of good ofHccrs, 

 to replace the great numbers who iitirl 

 fallen in the preceding campaign-;, readi- 

 ly appointed her to an entigncy in the 

 regiment of St. George. 



Her promotion being notified to her 

 through the channel of "the Academy, flie 

 immediately fet out for Vienna, whence 

 Ihe received orders to join a tranfport 

 of recruits in Hungary, and proceed with 

 it to the Upper Rhine, where the bat- 

 talion lay to which flie was appointed. 

 This battalion was compofcd of Waradi- 

 ners, and was commanded by Major Sei- 

 tcl. It was ftationed on the i%ljt bank 

 of the Rhine, in the iieiL'hbourhood of 

 KchI, and at the cstrcTneft <)utport!^,wl;en 

 flie Joined it, but fliortly after was oblig- 

 ed to retire to the town of Manheim, the 

 enemy having paiVcd tlie Rhine between 

 Killlett and l)cerihem. 



At length the peace of Campo Formio 

 p It an.end to the campaign, and Made- 

 laoifelle Scaganatti having palVed about 

 fixtecn months in diiTerent cantonments 

 in the Empire, Silelia, and Stiria, receiv- 

 ed an order to repair to Poland, to join 

 the fourth battalion of the regiment of 

 Weiuel Colloredo, then commanded by 

 Majcu- Deeber. 

 She^wiuj now ftulioned in the town of 



Sandomir ; and here flie e.Tperienced the 

 moft dilhelliiig inquietudes, through the 

 dread of lier fex being dilbovcrcd. As 

 flie frequented the Callino, where the 

 moft feledt company aflbciated, fomc of 

 ladies who afl'cmbled there, either 

 through the conformation of her body, or 

 her rcfervcd manners, conceived and 

 communicated their fufpicions. And 

 accordingly one day a young gentleman 

 belonging to the town faid to her ingenu- 

 oufly, " Do you know, Enlign, what 

 tiiel'e ladies obfci-ve of you?" .She imme- 

 diately fnfpettcd where the blovv was di- 

 rected ; but, concealing her alarm, ihe 

 anfwered, fhe Ihould be glad to know in 

 what refpect flie had attriicted theii- no- 

 tice. " Why, (replied the gentleman,) 

 they obfervc in you the air and manner 

 of a lady." On this flic fell a laughing, 

 and, with an arch and lively air, rejoined, 

 " In this cafe, Sir, as the dcciCion of the 

 quellion is competent to a lady, 1 beg 

 leave to felcft your wife for my judge." 

 This propofal, however, he did not think 

 proper to accept, and, wifliing to difcn- 

 gagc hinifclf, protelled that he was far 

 from believing any fuch thing, and only 

 hinted at what Mcfdamcs N. N. had 

 fufpectcd. She withdrew earlier than 

 nfunl that day, and pafled r.ather an un- 

 cafy night. Hut, having fully meditat- 

 ed on her fituation, ihe rctblved to bear 

 herfelf through, put on a good focc, ap- 

 pear at the Caffino next day, and there 

 hold the moft gallant and free difcourfe 

 with the ladies, in order to remove, if 

 polTililc, their fufpicions. Accordingly, 

 after complimenting them, Ihc brought 

 the matter on the carpet, and declared, 

 that, far from being otfended, flie found 

 herfelf highly flattered, in hopes that the 

 opinion they entertained would render 

 them Icfs diflicult to favour her with a 

 verilication to enable flicin to pronounce 

 their judgment with greater cerUiinty. 

 This produced the ciTeCt flic wiflied : the 

 ladies, aftoniflieri by this niilit4iry air of 

 fmnkncfs, immediately retracted tlieir 

 opinion, faying, " You are too gallant, 

 Enfign, for us to prefume doing you any 

 farther tl;e injary of believing you a 

 lady :" and thus the matter dropt. 



.Some time after, having received or- 

 ders to jn'oceed to Cheim, flie had the 

 good fortune to efcape the prying looks 

 of the fair-fex there, who obliged her to 

 nfe uncommon tircunifpet'tion. But flie 

 fell lick on the road, and was obliged to 

 Itop at Lubin, the head-quarters of the 

 battalion. On this occaiion flie was un- 

 der much obligation to Captain Tauber, 



