Page:A cyclopaedia of female biography.djvu/463

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KUL.
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that her conversations with Alexander were mainly instrumental in suggesting the idea of the holy alliance: it is certain that in her later sermons she held it up almost as a new covenant. In 1815 she went to Bâle, where a small community of devout mystics was already collected. Here a young clergyman of Geneva followed her, and preached in the prayer-meetings which the baroness held every evening. Women and girls went in numbers to these meetings, and gave liberally to the poor, often to a degree much beyond what they could afford. These meetings had a very bad moral effect. Cases were reported which excited great scandal, and a preacher named Făsch finally denounced the priestess. The magistracy of Bâle obliged her to leave the city. She experienced the same treatment at Lörrach, Aaran, and other places; yet, according to the common course of things, the number of her followers increased, particularly among young females. At the same time, she carried on an extensive correspondence, and money was sent to her from great distances. In 1816, with her daughter, she went to reside not far from Bâle, in Baden. Here she assembled many poor people, great numbers of whom were vagabonds, whom she provided with food and lodgings without labour. These were very ready to profit by the kindness of the benevolent lady, who preached against the cold-heartedness of the rich as the source of all evil. The public peace was so much disturbed by these proceedings, that her place of residence was surrounded by soldiers, in 1817, and her disciples carried away to Lörrach. She wrote, in consequence, a remarkable letter to the minister at Carlsruhe, in which she spoke of the "desert of civilization" through which she was obliged to wander, and reminded him of the law of God, requiring the authorities to take care of the poor. She now travelled about, preaching in the open air, often surrounded by thousands of people, and giving bountifully to the poor. Wherever she arrived, she was under the surveillance of the police. In Leipsic, police officers were even placed at her door, so that nobody could be admitted to see her. At length the police transported her to the Russian frontier, where she received orders not to go to Moscow or to St. Petersburg. In 1824, she went with her daughter and her son-in-law to the Crimea, and died there the same year, December 13th., at Karafubasar. She appears to have been an amiable enthusiast, pouring out pious effusions, mingled with arrogant prophecies; and is one of the many instances where ardent zeal and good intention (for it is probable that she considered herself to be doing right) are by no means sufficient to render one capable of effecting a great reformation.

KULMAN, MADEMOISELLE.

There are now a number of public journals at St. Petersburg, devoted to literature and education, which afford facilities for the exercise of female talent, and one of the most frequent and popular contributor to these is the lady above named.