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have learned no wisdom, and the scourging hand of God once more is over them. Well for those who hear and take warning in time!

She saw Fräulein von Cochelet herself at Baden-Baden, and repeated to her the assurance that Buonaparte would return; that the year 1815 would be a most frightful year. "God has revealed it. All who take part with Napoleon will be tracked, persecuted, and punished. They will not have a place to lay their heads." She saw the Empress of Russia, and announced to her the same coming events. She saw and warned Hortense, Queen of Holland, and conjured her when Napoleon returned not to go to Paris, as nothing but destruction would attend his enterprise and connections. Messrs. Wraxall and Wehrman, in their Life of Hortense, describe her consternation on this warning. Mon Dieu!" she said to Mademoiselle de Cochelet, 66 no one respects Madame von Krüdener more than I do; there is no danger in seeing and imitating her virtues, but let your reason discern in her what is good and what is dangerous. It is not that Madame von Krüdener appears to me mad when she says to me, 'Do not return to France, for she may possibly be right. Seeing the turn things have taken there, I believe I shall have a difficulty in living there tranquilly. But when she tells me I ought to go to Russia; that the Congress will not finish; that the Emperor will return, and those who join him will be ruined,— how can she know that?"

Yes! "How can she know that?" was the cry of the incredulous multitude-crowned, diplomatic, military, and fashionable. To them all Madame von Krüdener was simply a mad woman, crazed by religion, whilst, in fact, she was about the only sane person of them all. March the 1st, saw Buonaparte step on French ground at Cannes; March 10th, saw him in Lyons; March 20th, he was at Fontainbleau; two days after the whole army had declared for him; March 25th, the allies signed an act of extermination against him, and were again en route for France. Waterloo awaited the shock of nations. The terrible tramp and march of hostile armies again scathed the springing corn of Germany, and desolated with fire and rapine the villages of France. Russians with their savage Cossacks, Prussians, Austrians, all burning with the recollection of French rapacity and barbaritics, swept like hosts of fierce demons onwards over the blasted lands. Famine and fever followed on their rear. The Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia had quartered themselves at Frankfort, the Emperor of Russia was directing his course to Heidelberg.

One evening Alexander, who had been making his way wearily for days through the crowds of exulting people, across

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Bavaria and Würtemberg, amid acclamations and overpowering honours, for they looked upon him as a saviour, entered an hotel at Heilbronn, borne down by fatigue. He shut himself up in his room and was sunk in deep reflection and not at peace in himself. Alexander is supposed to have been aware of the intended murder of the Emperor Paul, his father, and that spite of his wishes to be the benefactor of his people, he never could rise long above the dark memories that haunted him. "Oh! that some holy soul might be sent to me," he said to himself, "who could solve the mysterious enigma of my life?" At that moment, Prince Wolkonsky entered with an air of the greatest impatience, and begged pardon for disturbing his imperial highness, but that Madame von Krüdener insisted upon seeing him. "Madame von Krüdener! Madame von Krüdener !” exclaimed Alexander, "let her come in." The next moment she entered, and he told her he had been praying for her arrival. They sat down to a conversation which lasted for three hours, and in which Alexander was repeatedly melted into floods of tears. Madame Krüdener bade him throw himself on the love of Christ who was the propitiator for all sins, and on that of the Father who welcomed with joy every returning prodigal son. The Emperor declared that every word she had uttered was music to his soul, and would not allow her to go again far from him. This was equally agreeable to Madame Krüdener, for she had come burdened with the sights of the miseries of the people and charged with their entreaties for aid, for they were perishing of starvation, the passing of the Russian armies having cleared the country of every trace of provisions. She had witnessed the excesses of the Russians at Altdorf. Her representations were effectual, and the Emperor sent out orders to supply the perishing population with food as far as possible.

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Alexander fixed his head quarters at Heidelberg in a large house facing the Neckar, a little outside the city gate, the Karls Thor. He was attracted to it by a large crucifix which stood attached to the garden wall, and which stands there now. this house I myself resided two years, 1840 and 1841. In the hilly shrubbery behind there stood the Russian Imperial Crown on a stone pillar, and over the front door was a brass plate on which was engraved a command to any Russian army who might again invade Germany to spare that house. The last time I was there I observed that some ignoramus had painted over this inscription. Madame von Krüdener located herself at a pleasant villa about a mile up the Neckar valley, near the village of Schlierbach, also facing the river, and charmingly surrounded by forest hills. She was thus enabled to see the

Emperor daily, to strengthen his religious sentiment, and to incite him to great plans of human amelioration.

On June 21st the news of the defeat of the Prussians at Ligny reached Heidelberg, creating great alarm, but it was quickly followed by that of the decisive victory of Waterloo; and the triumphant monarchs hurried on to Paris. Alexander desired Madame von Krüdener to follow, and on the 14th of July, 1815, she entered Paris, and found that her son-in-law, Baron von Berkheim, by order of Alexander, had taken for her the Hotel Montchenu, near to the Emperor's own head quarters, the Elysée Bourbon. A private way through the garden behind the Elysée Bourbon enabled the Emperor to visit her any time without public observation; keeping himself the key of the door betwixt the gardens. Here Madame Krüdener had the happiness of having with her her daughter and son-in-law, Herr von Berkheim, and Madame Lezay, who was in Paris for the health of her son. Alexander paid Madame Krüdener a visit the first evening to welcome her arrival.

Here then we reach that point of our heroine's life, which fixed upon her the eyes and wonder of all Europe. Three times a week she held religious meetings in the Hotel Montchenu which were attended by all the princes, ministers and great generals of Europe. There, in the simplest costume, described by some as that of a Dominican nun, by others as in a plain black or dark blue dress with her hair cut close; yet, although past fifty, still bearing evidence of her former beauty. There she addressed the assembled Powers of Europe in an animated eloquence calling upon them in the plainest terms of the Gospel to put an end to the horrors which had so long made wretched the world, by adopting fully and effectively the principles of Christianity. To accept Christ in his completeness, and thus inaugurate the reign of peace and freedom on the earth. It was an extraordinary spectacle to see those who commanded the destinies of Europe sitting humbly, and often sunk in tears, at the feet of this inspired woman. The monarchs had been rescued by the arm of God from a long term of humiliation and of dreadful calamities to their kingdoms, and they felt, or thought they did, grateful for the deliverance. Madame von Krüdener, by the wonderful fulfilment of her predictions, and the inspired power of her preaching, had herself become one of the powers of Europe, and for a time directed the movements of the assembled princes. In private she laboured with Alexander to induce him to establish a real reign of Christ in his dominions, and to use his efforts with his brother monarchs to do the same in theirs.

It has been said that the result of these inculcations was the celebration of the great fête of the Russian troops in the plains

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of Chalons, where Alexander, at their head, gave glory to God for their final triumph over Napoleon; whence the camp was termed "The Camp of Virtue;" a scene described by Madame von Krüdener in a pamphlet at the time. Still more, the institution of "The Holy Alliance" has always been ascribed to her influence. Her present biographer, who appears to be one of her own descendants doubts this, probably not wanting to appropriate to her the origin of a league so detestable as it proved. But Mademoiselle de Cochelet, who visited her when she was using her influence for Queen Hortense, says expressly that she told her that she had been exhorting the Emperor Alexander to raise the banner of Christ. "The reign of Christ," she said, "will come, sire. Glory and honour to those who fight for Him! maledictions and woe to those who fight against Him! Form a holy alliance of all those who belong to the true faith, and let them take an oath to combat the innovators who wish to overthrow religion, and you will triumph eternally with it."

That Madame von Krüdener never proposed a Holy Alliance such as it became we are quite sure; hers was for the promotion of truth and freedom; but truth and freedom do not proceed from despots! Their religion was for the moment a pleasing phantasm-a mere thing of sentiment and feeling. The seed | had fallen on the stony ground of royal egotism, and only sprung up to perish, because it had no earth. Christ declared that His kingdom was not of this world, but the kingdoms of the autocrats were of this world and this only. Madame Krüdener must soon have perceived this; for though, on quitting Paris, Alexander pressed her to go with him to Petersburg and fix herself there, she did not do it. As one of her biographers observes, 66 She found to her grief that no permanent good effect was to be produced by working in the gilded chambers of the great; that revival of religious feeling has never yet proceeded from palaces, but always from cottages." The monarchs marched homeward with their armies, to forget as quickly as possible their brief fit of piety in Paris-to break every promise of liberal constitutions which, in the hour of degradation, they had made to their people in order to excite them to expel their conqueror, and they riveted still faster on them the fetters of their imperial wills.

From this period, Madame Krüdener devoted her life to preach the Gospel to the people. Before we follow her, however, we must notice two incidents which occurred during the time of her vain effort to convert Herod, Caiaphas, and Pontius Pilate to the faith. The restored French King determined, amongst his other victims, to put General Labedoyère to death. Madame Labedoyère entreated Madame Krüdener to engage the interest of Alexander to save him. He declined to interfere. Madame

von Krüdener, however, visited him in prison, spoke with him of religion, and did her utmost to comfort him. Wolf, the celebrated missionary and traveller, who saw Madame Krüdener in Switzerland, says that after his execution, Labedoyère appeared to her in daylight, and said to her, " Madame, Je suis sauvé."

The other incident is that Lafontaine, with his clairvoyante Maria Kummrin, on hearing of Madame von Krüdener's great influence with the Emperor of Russia, hastened to Paris, forced their way even into the presence of the Czar, and began begging for money on the pretence of propagating the Gospel. They only succeeded in disgusting the Emperor, and were quickly sent adrift to make their way back to Rappenhoff.

Over the latter, and by far the most useful portion of the life of Madame von Krudener we must, of necessity, pass briefly. It was one constant endeavour to enlighten the people on the grand and simple truth of Christianity-the forgiveness of sins by direct application to Christ, without the intervention of priests, bishops, churches, and confessionals; and the constant array of all these powers against her, and their success in driving her from country to country, where she as constantly alarmed all the legions of priesteraft by feeding and teaching the poor. The fact of a woman presuming to preach was denounced as contrary to the Gospel,-not of Christ, however, but only of Paul. Then the spectacle of a woman spending the whole of her large income-her strength and life in feeding and clothing the poor, though she thus trod in the steps of Christ-was a standing reproach to all those who taught a doctrinal Christianity, but did not practise Christianity itself,-who said, but did not; who "did not do it even unto the least of these." All the teachers of all creeds, with some noble exceptions, were against her; for she adhered to neither Papal, Greek, or Protestant Church, but only to the Church of Christ, wherever and under whatever forms it might be existing. The cry of enthusiast, fanatic, and incendiary was everywhere raised, and the arm of the State was called in to relieve the Scribes and Pharisees of her very inconvenient presence. Everybody saw that the enthusiast who

produced the fruits of self-renunciation, and of unstinted love to the neighbour, was a far nobler creature than the non-enthusiast, who, in his orthdox orderliness, produced only self-indulgence and the pride of life.

Those were times when the horrors of a long war, and the marching and counter-marching of vast armies had reduced the populations to a most frightful condition of misery. Madame Krüdener did not say to them, "Be ye warmed and fed," but she set out public tables for them where she preached, and her little party of friends, her son-in-law Baron von Berkheim and

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