kingdom, to whom her brother was secretary, she became acquainted with the count's daughter, and on the marriage of that lady with Field-Marshal count Königsmark, accompanied the bride as companion, and remained with her until death. She travelled to Venice, Greece, and the Morea, where the count commanded the Venetian forces, and kept a diary of her observations, portions of which were published. She died at firemen, in Germany, in 1698.
ALACOQUE MARIE,
A nun in the convent of the Visitation, at Paraile-monnial, in the province of Burgundy, who was born about the middle of the seventeenth century, was celebrated tor her sanctity throughout all France. She, in conjunction with Claude de la Colombiére a famous Jesuit, and confessor to the duchess of York, wife of James, afterwards James the Second of England, gave a form to the celebration of the solemnity of the heart of Christ, and composed an office for the occasion.
The renowned defender of the bull Unigenitus, John Joseph Languet, afterwards archbishop of Sens, was an ardent admirer of this holy fanatic, and published, in 1729, a circumstantial account of her life. She imagined that Christ appeared to her in a vision, and demanded her heart, which, when she gave him, he returned enclosed in his own, "Henceforth thou shalt be the beloved of my heart." With such wild imaginings the book of the visions of Marie Alacoque is filled, but at the time they were written they had an astonishing effect. In 1674, she declared that her divine bridegroom had showed to her his heart, and told her that he was determined, in these last days, to pour out all the treasures of his love on those faithful souls who would devote themselves to an especial adoration of it; and commanded her to acquaint Father la Colombia, his servant, that he should institute a yearly festival to his heart, and promise, to such as should dedicate themselves to it, eternal happiness. The Jesuits immediately complied with this celestial mandate, and in all parts of the world, fraternities were formed, and passion-masses, and nine-day devotions, were instituted to the honour of the heart of Jesus. In all Spain there was not a nun who had not a present from the Jesuits of a heart, cut out of red cloth, to be worn next the skin. The display of a burning zeal for making proselytes was regarded as the peculiar characteristic of the true worshipper of the heart.
ALBANI LOUISA,
Countess of, Albany, daughter of prince Stolberg-Gedern, in Germany, was born in 1753, and married in 1772, to Charles James Edward, the young Pretender, grandson of James the Second. They resided at Rome, and had a little court, by which they were addressed as king and queen. In 1780, Louisa left her husband, who was much older than herself, and with whom she did not agree, and retired to a convent. She afterwards went to France; but on her husband's death in 1788, she returned to Italy, and settled in Florence. She was then privately married to count Victor Ailieri, the Italian poet, who died at her house in 1803. She, however, still went by the name of countess of Albany, widow of the last of the Stuarts, up to the time of her death. She was fond of literature and the arts, and her house was the resort of ail distinguished
