As the servant of Captain von W→→→→→ opened the house door, the youth, keeping the hat on his head, and the letter in his hand, accosted

place when Kaspar went with the citizen from the Unschlittplatz to the guard, and afterwards to the dwelling of Captain von W; the official documents being partly defective and unsatisfactory; and, partly, in respect of the details exposed to the doubts of historical criticism. As, for example, the citizen relates, that having endeavoured to enter into conversation with Kaspar, and having asked him many questions, he at last observed that "Kaspar knew nothing, and had no notions, on which account I did not "converse any further with him." According to this statement, Kaspar then appeared to him as he did subsequently in the same evening to Captain von W, and afterwards at the guard room, and in the days and weeks which followed. However, the citizen relates, at the same time, that Kaspar, when asked whence he came, answered, "from Ratisbon." Further, that Kaspar, when arrived at the "New Gate," observed, "this is surely newly built, as it is called the "New Gate," &c. (3). That the witness believes he heard these and other expressions, is to me as little doubtful as that Kaspar did not utter them. All that follows proves this with incontestible evidence. The citizen, who considered Kaspar to be half witted, and, therefore, did not listen to him with much attention, may have imagined that he heard these words when the other repeated his usual

phrase "Be a horseman, as my father was." In general,

the documents of the police, in regard to this affair, are so composed, and contain so much that is not fully explained, so many contradictions, and in some of their most essential parts such strange anachronisms, that they can be used only with great caution as historical materials.

"don't

him with the words, "Be a horseman, as my father was." The servant enquired, what he wanted? Who he was? Whence he came ? But the stranger did not appear to understand any of these questions, and replied only, "Be a "horseman, as my father was;" or, "know." He was, as the Captain's servant declares in his evidence, so fatigued, that he rather "crawled along," than went. Weeping, with the expression of violent pain, he pointed to his legs, which bent under him, and he appeared to suffer from hunger and thirst. Some meat was given to him; but hardly had the first morsel entered his mouth, when he spit it out with manifestations of horror, and shook himself; whilst, at the same time, the muscles of his face were strongly convulsed. He exhibited the same signs of aversion when a glass of beer was given to him, and he had drunk a few drops of it. He swallowed ravenously, and with extreme satisfaction, a piece of brown bread, and a glass of fresh water. All the attempts which, in the mean time, were made to learn any thing relating to his person, or to his arrival, were labour lost. He appeared to hear without understanding, to see without observing any thing, and to move his legs without employing them for walking. His emotions were principally shewn by tears, by

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sounds, expressive of pain, or unintelligible; and the words, Be a horseman, as my father "was," were frequently repeated by him. In the house of the Captain he was soon regarded as a wild man; and was, in order to await the return of the master, conducted to the stable, where he immediately stretched himself on the straw, and fell into a sound sleep.

He had already slept several hours, when the Captain came home, and went forthwith to his stable to see the wild man, of whom his children had given to him so strange an account, when they welcomed him on his return. The youth was still plunged in the deepest slumber; and, in order to awaken him, was pushed, and pulled, and shaken, but all in vain. He was raised from the ground, and attempts were made to place him on his legs; but he continued to sleep, and resembled one who is apparently dead, and who differs from one who is really so only in vital heat. At length, after many exertions, which were felt by the sleeper, he opened his eyes, became more alive, looked at the Captain in his party coloured and brilliant uniform, seemed to contemplate it with a childish pleasure, and then groaned forth his, "Be a horseman," &c.

Captain von W- did not know the strange youth, nor in what manner the letter, which he brought, could be supposed to relate to himself. As, however, to all the questions which were asked, no other answers could be obtained, than, "Be a horseman," &c., or " don't know," nothing remained but to leave to the police of the town the solution of the enigma, as well as the case of the young stranger, and he was immediately led to the police. Captain von W

observes, in his examination, which was afterwards officially taken, "As far as I was able "to judge of the intellectual faculties of this

individual, he seemed to be in a state of utter "neglect, or of a childhood which contrasted with his stature."

Towards eight o'clock in the evening he had gone, and, in his bodily condition with extreme pain, to the police, in the guard-room of which were, besides some subordinate offi cers, several police soldiers. The youth appeared to all of them a singular phenomenon, and they could not immediately determine to what class of persons he might be considered to belong. The ordinary official enquiries, "What is your "name? What is your condition or trade? "Whence do you come? For what purpose? "Where is your passport?" &c. produced no

impression whatever. "Be a horseman, as my "father was," or, "don't know," or, what he also often repeated in a plaintive tone, "go home," were the only words which he uttered on very different occasions.* He did not seem to know, or to guess where he was, betrayed neither fear nor astonishment, nor embarrassment, but rather the stupidity of an animal which either does not observe exterior objects, or regards them without thinking of them, and without being excited by them. His tears and lamentations, which were always accompanied by signs, denoting the weariness of his legs, his uncouth manner, which, however, was innocent and childish, soon acquired for him the compassion of those who were present. One of the soldiers brought to him some meat and a glass of beer, but, as in the Captain's house, he rejected both of them with horror, taking only bread and water. Another gave him a coin, upon which he evinced the joy of a little child, played with it, said several times," Horse! Horse!" and made motions with his hand, by

It afterwards appeared that he did not connect any precise meaning with these phrases, and particularly with that, "Be a horseman," &c.; they were to him nothing more than sounds, which, like a parrot, he had learned by rote, and which he employed as general expressions for all his ideas, sensations, and desires.