Account of' tJte Nuremberg Boy, Caspar Hauser. 135 



now restored to social life ; and, as would appear, pursued by 

 the same villain who, for twelve years, had kept him buried in 

 a dungeon. A person of high rank, and distinguished by the 

 sujieriority of his mind, has addressed to us the following letter, 

 which reveals, in some measure, the entire history of this unfor- 

 tunate being. Our correspondent has seen and conversed with 

 this mysterious young man. We have thought it right to publish 

 his letter in the same spirit which dictated it, that is to say, less 

 as the recital of an extraordinary and touching adventure, than 

 as a subject of moral and psychological study. At the moment 

 when we were sending this letter to press, we received the No^l- 

 velle Revue Germatiique, which is printed at Strasburg, and in 

 which the same facts are translated from the Hesperus, one of 

 the best of the German journals. But we have in addition, the 

 assurance of authenticity and the observations made on the same 

 subject by a person who, by profound study, has been familiar- 

 ized with all the great questions of philosophy.* 



" TO THE EDITOR OF LE GLOBE. 



" Sir, Paris, November 15. 1829. 



" Within a few days the French journals speak, for the first 

 time, of the history of a young man found at Nuremberg, whose 

 name is Caspar Hauser. They speak of him in consequence of 

 the assassination attempted upon his person in the course of last 

 month, quoting the Austrian Observer, which has itself derived 

 its information from German journals printed in countries near- 

 er the place of the atrocity than Vienna. The story appears to 

 them incredible, and with good reason, for what is true is not 

 always probable. I have seen the young man in question, and 

 am able to furnish authentic information respecting him. I am 

 convinced you will judge it worthy of being made public. 



" In the month of May 1828, there was observed at the en- 

 trance of one of the gates of the city of Nuremberg, a young 

 man who kept himself in a motionless attitude. He spoke not 

 but wept, and held in his hand a letter addressed to an officer of 

 the regiment of Light Horse in garrison in the town. The let- 

 ter annoiinci-'tl thai from the age of lour to that of sixteen years, 



• The Ic'lU-r is jirobably the i)ioductiou of the celebrated Cousin. 



