The Virginia Gazette

A remarkable story of a Gentleman walking
in his sleep, as related by a foreigner.

PAYING a visit to a friend in the country, I met
there an Italian Gentleman, called Augustine Forari,
who was, it seems, a night walker, or a person, who,
whilst asleep, does all the actions of one awake. He did
not seem to exceed the age of thirty, was lean, black,
and of an extreme melancholy complexion; had a sedate
understanding, a great penetration, and a capacity for
the most abstracted sciences; his extraordinary fits used
generally to seize him in the wane of the moon, but with
the greater violence in the autumn and winter, than in
the Spring and summer. I had a strange curiosity to be
an eyewitness of what was told me, and had prevailed
with his valet-de-chambre to give me notice when his
master was likely to renew his vagary. One night, about
the end of September, after supper, the company amused
themselves with little plays, and Seignior Augustine made
one among the rest. He afterwards retired and went to
bed about eleven; his valet came soon after, and told us
that his master would that night have a walking fit, and
desired us, if we pleased, to come and observe him. I
came to his bedside with a light in my hand, and saw
him lying upon his back, with his eyes open, but fixed.
which was a sure sign, it seems, of his approaching disorder. I took him by the hands, and found them very
cold; felt his pulse, and found it so slow that his blood
seemed to have no circulation. At or about midnight
Seignior Augustine drew the curtains briskly, rose, and
dressed himself well enough. I approached him with the
candle at his very nose, and found him insensible, with
his eyes still wide open and immoveable. Before he put
on his hat, he took his belt, out of which the sword had
been removed for fear of accidents: for some of these
night walkers will deal their blows like madmen, without
any reserve.

In this equipage did Seignior Augustine walk backwards
and forwards in his chamber several times; he came to
the fire side, sat down in an elbow chair, and went some
little time after into a closet, where was his portmanteau;
he fumbled in it a long time, turned everything topsy-
turvy, and after putting every thing in order, he shut
again the portmanteau, and put the key in his pocket,
whence he drew a letter, and put it over the chimney.

He went to the chamber door and opened it, and proceeded down stairs. When he came to the bottom, one
of the company getting a great fall, Seignior Augustine
seemed frightened at the noise, and mended his pace.
The valet bid us walk softly, and not to speak, because
when any noise was made near him, and intermixed with
his dreams, he became furious, and ran with the greatest
precipitancy, as if pursued.

He traversed the whole court, which was very spacious,
and proceeded directly to the stable; he went in, stroked
and caressed his horse, bridled him, and was going to
saddle him, but not finding the saddle in its usual place,
he seemed very uneasy, like a man disappointed; he
mounted however his horse, and galloped to the house
door, which was shut. He dismounted, and taking up
a cabbage stalk, he knocked furiously against the door;
after a great deal of labour lost, he remounted his horse,
guided him to the pond, which was at the other end of
the court, let him drink, went afterwards and tied him
to his manger, and then returned to the house with great
agility. At the noise some servants made in the kitchen
he was very attentive, came near to the door, and clapped
his ear to the keyhole; but passing all on a sudden
to the other side, he entered a low parlour, where was
a billiard table: he walked backwards and forwards, and
used the same postures as if he had been playing effectually.

He proceeded thence to a pair of virginals, upon which
he could play pretty well, and made some jangling. At
last, after two hours exercise, he returned up stairs to his
chamber, and threw himself in his clothes upon the bed,
where we found him next morning at nine in the same
posture we had left him; for, upon these occasions, he
ever slept eight or ten hours together. His valet told us
there were but two ways to recover him out of these fits;
one was to tickle him strongly upon the soles of his feet,
the other, to sound a horn or trumpet at his ears.