But what confirmed her in this belief, was the realization of a circumstance which she had been forewarned of, in a dream--it was finding the _Miraculous seal_. One morning, in sweeping out the shop, she found a seal, with the initials I.S., which could mean nought else but Joanna Southcott. From this moment she bid adieu to the upholstering trade, and set up in business for herself as Prophetess. In her first prophecies she states that in 1792 she was visited by the Lord, who promised to enter into an everlasting covenant with her, and told her that a vision would be shown her in the night. It accordingly appeared, sometimes in the shape of a cup, then like a cat, which she kicked to pieces, but was very uneasy, until she was told that it was nothing more than a trick of Satan, with a view to torment her. On the appearance of her first prophecies, the Methodist preachers, already adverted to, endeavoured to convince her of the _diabolical_ nature of her doings, and attributed them to Satan himself. She then appointed an interview with as many as might choose to attend, in order to put the question at rest. The discussion was warm, but it ended in all present signing the following document:-- "I, Joanna Southcott, am clearly convinced that my calling is of God, and my writings are indited by His Spirit, as it is impossible for any Spirit, but an All-wise God, that is wondrous in working, wondrous in power, wondrous in truth, could have brought round such mysteries, so full of truth, as is in my writings; so I am clear in whom I have believed, that my writings came from the Spirit of the most high God. "JOANNA SOUTHCOTT." From this time her converts increased surprisingly, so that she could not furnish seals sufficient to answer all demands. The sealed papers contained a text of Scripture (not uniformly the same), promissory of beatitude hereafter, and the envelope was stamped with the seal found in the upholsterer's shop. The _sealed_ person was forbidden to open the paper lest the charm should be destroyed. She came to London, at the invitation of Sharp the engraver, and then she began deluding her followers that she was the destined mother of the Messiah, who would be born on October 19, 1814. Her personal appearance favoured the appearance that she was in an "interesting condition," but after her death it was found she was suffering from dropsy. Large sums of money were subscribed towards the expense of her accouchement, and a most expensive cradle was provided. The time passed by, but no Shiloh, and she died on December 29, 1814, and was buried in the churchyard attached to St. John's Chapel, St. John's Wood; her deluded followers believing for long after that she would rise again, and come among them. There are many satirical prints respecting this impostor, but I do not care to reproduce any of them, as they are either too silly or too coarse.