e first, possessed the body of a certain Princess,
daughter of a Count of _Barcelona_, who became thereby violently
tormented with horrible convulsions. She was taken to the church by her
afflicted father. The daemon who possessed her, and who, spoke for her,
said, that nothing could relieve her from her sufferings but the
prayers of a devout and pious hermit, named _Guerin_, who dwelt on
_Montserrat_. The father, therefore, immediately repaired to _Guerin_,
and besought his prayers and intercession for the recovery of his
daughter. It so happened (for so the devil would have it) that this
business could not be perfectly effected in less than nine days; and
that the Princess must be left that time alone with _Guerin_ in his
cave. Poor _Guerin_, conscious of his frail nature, opposed this measure
with all his might; but there was no resisting the argument and
influence of the devil, and she was accordingly left. Youth, beauty, a
cave, solitude, and virgin modesty, were too powerful not to overcome
even the chaste vows and pious intentions of poor _Guerin_. The devil
left the virgin, and possessed the saint. He consulted his false friend,
and told him how powerful this impure passion was become, and his
intentions of flying from the danger; but the devil advised him _to
return to his cell_, and pray to God to protect him from sin. _Guerin_
took his council, returned and fell into the fatal snare. The devil then
persuaded him to kill the Princess, in order to conceal his guilt, and
to tell her father she had forsaken his abode while he was intent on
prayer. _Guerin_ did so; but became very miserable, and at length
determined to make a pilgrimage to Rome, to obtain a remission of his
complicated crimes. The Pope enjoined him to return to _Montserrat_, on
all fours, and to continue in that state, without once looking up to
heaven, for the space of seven years, or 'till a child of three months
old told him, his sins were forgiven: all which _Guerin_ chearfully
complied with, and accordingly crawled back to the defiled mountain.

Soon after the expiration of the seven years Count _Vifroy_, the father
of the murdered Princess, was hunting on the mountain of _Montserrat_,
and passing near _Guerin's_ cave, the dogs entered, and the servant
seeing a hideous figure concluded they had found the wild beast they
were in pursuit of: they informed the Count of what they had seen, who
gave directions to secure the beast alive, which was a