emies to Christ; that the anger of God had therefore
fallen upon them; and that if death should surprise them in the midst of
their sins the eternal torments of hell would be their portion. The over-
excited congregation upon this repeated their words, which naturally must
have increased the fury of their convulsive attacks. When the discourse
had produced its full effect the preacher changed his subject; reminded
those who were suffering of the power of the Saviour, as well as of the
grace of God, and represented to them in glowing colours the joys of
heaven. Upon this a remarkable reaction sooner or later took place.
Those who were in convulsions felt themselves raised from the lowest
depths of misery and despair to the most exalted bliss, and triumphantly
shouted out that their bonds were loosed, their sins were forgiven, and
that they were translated to the wonderful freedom of the children of
God. In the meantime their convulsions continued, and they remained
during this condition so abstracted from every earthly thought that they
stayed two and sometimes three days and nights together in the chapels,
agitated all the time by spasmodic movements, and taking neither repose
nor nourishment. According to a moderate computation, 4,000 people were,
within a very short time, affected with this convulsive malady.

The course and symptoms of the attacks were in general as follows:--There
came on at first a feeling of faintness, with rigour and a sense of
weight at the pit of the stomach, soon after which the patient cried out,
as if in the agonies of death or the pains of labour. The convulsions
then began, first showing themselves in the muscles of the eyelids,
though the eyes themselves were fixed and staring. The most frightful
contortions of the countenance followed, and the convulsions now took
their course downwards, so that the muscles of the neck and trunk were
affected, causing a sobbing respiration, which was performed with great
effort. Tremors and agitation ensued, and the patients screamed out
violently, and tossed their heads about from side to side. As the
complaint increased it seized the arms, and its victims beat their
breasts, clasped their hands, and made all sorts of strange gestures. The
observer who gives this account remarked that the lower extremities were
in no instance affected. In some cases exhaustion came on in a very few
minutes, but the attack usually lasted much longer, and there w