Works

Hester Thrale wrote these thoughts on the year 2000 AD just four days before the The Estates General to the French Revolution.

The Emperor's Death¹ will make a great Bustle in Europe, & there is enough already. The French struggling to obtain that Liberty they will not know how to use; The Rage for emancipating Negro Slaves, & the Number of Jews lately baptized into Protestant Churches; The expected Comet, and the propagation of the Gospel in so any newly-discover'd Countries, make one think the end of the World approaches—especially as we are now close upon the Year 1800. which leaves only two Centuries more, and the third Division of Time is completed—2000 Years from the Creation to the Deluge², 2000 from the Flood to the Coming of Jesus Christ—and 2000 more from his Crucifixion to his second Appearance in Glory preceded by a flaming World.—I really think that Cecilia's Great Grand Children may see the closing Scene.”;³

Footnotes

1. Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor.↩︎
2. Noah's Ark presumably.↩︎
3. Although Cecilia Thrale did have children, all Hester's descendants had died well before the year 2000.↩︎