viii 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



Father Capistrani told us that we might take 

 hold of her hand. It was her left hand that was 

 nearest to us ; and Miss Edmonstone, her sister, 

 and myself, availed ourselves of the permission. 

 Whilst we were in the act of holding it, she 

 suddenly placed herself upon her knees, by a 

 movement which I am convinced no other mortal 

 could effect. I had never seen the like in the 

 whole course of my life ; and I cannot describe it 

 in a manner to give a correct idea of what I then 

 witnessed. The reader must imagine to himself a 

 person lying recumbent on his back, and then 

 arising to an upright position without bending the 

 knees, or making any use of his hands. 



No sooner had she got upon her knees, than she 

 fell into ecstacy, with her eyes fixed on the crucifix 

 at the foot of the bed ; and in her appearance she 

 seemed to be noways altered from that in which 

 we had observed her on our first entering the 

 apartment. 



I myself distinctly saw, and felt with my own 

 fingers, the cicatrix on her left hand ; but her right 

 hand being out of my reach on account of her 

 position, it was not in my power to examine it. 



Father Capistrani now informed us, that the 

 Ecstatica was in the act of praying : and in about 

 a couple of minutes after this he desired her to 



