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diff --git a/2668-h/2668-h.htm b/2668-h/2668-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3780c9a --- /dev/null +++ b/2668-h/2668-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5809 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + P.headingsummary { margin-left: 5%;} + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4, H5 { + text-align: left; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } + td { vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid black;} + td p { margin: 0.2em; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: gray;} + + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h2> +<a href="#startoftext">The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck, by Baron Trenck</a> +</h2> +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck, by +Baron Trenck, Edited by Henry Morley, Translated by Thomas Holcroft + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck + Vol. 1 (of 2) + + +Author: Baron Trenck + +Editor: Henry Morley + +Release Date: October 16, 2007 [eBook #2668] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF BARON +TRENCK*** +</pre> +<p><a name="startoftext"></a></p> +<p>Transcribed from the 1892 Cassell & Co. edition by David +Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org, proofed by Bridie, Rab Hughes and +Roland Chapman.</p> +<h1><span class="smcap">the</span><br /> +LIFE AND ADVENTURES<br /> +<span class="smcap">of</span><br /> +BARON TRENCK</h1> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">translated +by</span><br /> +THOMAS HOLCROFT.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"><span class="smcap">Vol.</span> +I.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">CASSELL & COMPANY, <span +class="smcap">Limited</span>:<br /> +<span class="smcap"><i>london</i></span>, <span +class="smcap"><i>paris & melbourne</i></span>.<br /> +1892.</p> +<h2>INTRODUCTION.</h2> +<p>There were two cousins Von der Trenck, who were barons +descended from an ancient house in East Prussia, and were +adventurous soldiers, to whom, as to the adventurous, there were +adventures that lost nothing in the telling, for they were told +by the authors’ most admiring +friends—themselves. Franz, the elder, was born in +1711, the son of an Austrian general; and Frederick, whose +adventures are here told, was the son of a Prussian +major-general. Franz, at the age of seventeen, fought +duels, and cut off the head of a man who refused to lend him +money. He stood six feet three inches in his shoes, knocked +down his commanding officer, was put under arrest, offered to pay +for his release by bringing in three Turks’ heads within an +hour, was released on that condition, and actually brought in +four Turks’ heads. When afterwards cashiered, he +settled on his estates in Croatia, and drilled a thousand of his +tenantry to act as “Pandours” against the +banditti. In 1740, he served with his Pandours under Maria +Theresa, and behaved himself as one of the more brutal sort of +banditti. He offered to capture Frederick of Prussia, and +did capture his tent. Many more of his adventures are +vaingloriously recounted by himself in the <i>Mémoires du +Baron Franz de Trenck</i>, published at Paris in 1787. This +Trenck took poison when imprisoned at Grätz, and died in +October, 1747, at the age of thirty-six.</p> +<p>His cousin Frederick is the Trenck who here tells a story of +himself that abounds in lively illustration of the days of +Frederick the Great. He professes that Frederick the King +owed him a grudge, because Frederick the Trenck had, when +eighteen years old, fascinated the Princess Amalie at a +ball. But as Frederick the Greater was in correspondence +with his cousin Franz at the time when that redoubtable personage +was planning the seizure of Frederick the Great, there may have +been better ground for the Trenck’s arrest than he allows +us to imagine. Mr. Carlyle shows that Frederick von der +Trenck had been three months in prison, and was still in prison, +at the time of the battle of the Sohr, in which he professes to +have been engaged. Frederick von der Trenck, after his +release from imprisonment in 1763, married a burgomaster’s +daughter, and went into business as a wine merchant. Then +he became adventurous again. His adventures, published in +German in 1786-7, and in his own French version in 1788, formed +one of the most popular books of its time. Seven plays were +founded on them, and ladies in Paris wore their bonnets à +la Trenck. But the French finally guillotined the author, +when within a year of threescore and ten, on the 26th of July, +1794. He had gone to Paris in 1792, and joined there in the +strife of parties. At the guillotine he struggled with the +executioner.</p> +<p style="text-align: right">H.M.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> +<p>I was born at Königsberg in Prussia, February 16, 1726, +of one of the most ancient families of the country. My +father, who was lord of Great Scharlach, Schakulack, and Meichen, +and major-general of cavalry, died in 1740, after receiving +eighteen wounds in the Prussian service. My mother was +daughter of the president of the high court at +Königsberg. After my father’s death she married +Count Lostange, lieutenant-colonel in the Kiow regiment of +cuirassiers, with whom she went and resided at Breslau. I +had two brothers and a sister; my youngest brother was taken by +my mother into Silesia; the other was a cornet in this last-named +regiment of Kiow; and my sister was married to the only son of +the aged General Valdow.</p> +<p>My ancestors are famous in the Chronicles of the North, among +the ancient Teutonic knights, who conquered Courland, Prussia, +and Livonia.</p> +<p>By temperament I was choleric, and addicted to pleasure and +dissipation; my tutors found this last defect most difficult to +overcome; happily, they were aided by a love of knowledge +inherent in me, an emulative spirit, and a thirst for fame, which +disposition it was my father’s care to cherish. A too +great consciousness of innate worth gave me a too great degree of +pride, but the endeavours of my instructor to inspire humility +were not all lost; and habitual reading, well-timed praise, and +the pleasures flowing from science, made the labours of study at +length my recreation.</p> +<p>My memory became remarkable; I am well read in the Scriptures, +the classics, and ancient history; was acquainted with geography; +could draw; learnt fencing, riding, and other necessary +exercises.</p> +<p>My religion was Lutheran; but morality was taught me by my +father, and by the worthy man to whose care he committed the +forming of my heart, whose memory I shall ever hold in +veneration. While a boy, I was enterprising in all the +tricks of boys, and exercised my wit in crafty excuses; the +warmth of my passions gave a satiric, biting cast to my writings, +whence it has been imagined, by those who knew but little of me, +I was a dangerous man; though, I am conscious, this was a false +judgment.</p> +<p>A soldier himself, my father would have all his sons the same; +thus, when we quarrelled, we terminated our disputes with wooden +sabres, and, brandishing these, contested by blows for victory, +while our father sat laughing, pleased at our valour and +address. This practice, and the praises he bestowed, +encouraged a disposition which ought to have been +counteracted.</p> +<p>Accustomed to obtain the prize, and be the hero of scholastic +contentions, I acquired the bad habit of disputation, and of +imagining myself a sage when little more than a boy. I +became stubborn in argument; hasty to correct others, instead of +patiently attentive: and, by presumption, continually liable to +incite enmity. Gentle to my inferiors, but impatient of +contradiction, and proud of resisting power, I may hence date, +the origin of all my evils.</p> +<p>How might a man, imbued with the heroic principles of liberty, +hope for advancement and happiness, under the despotic and iron +Government of Frederic? I was taught neither to know nor to +avoid, but to despise the whip of slavery. Had I learnt +hypocrisy, craft, and meanness, I had long since become +field-marshal, had been in possession of my Hungarian estates, +and had not passed the best years of my life in the dungeons of +Magdeburg. I was addicted to no vice: I laboured in the +cause of science, honour, and virtue; kept no vicious company; +was never in the whole of my life intoxicated; was no gamester, +no consumer of time in idleness nor brutal pleasures; but devoted +many hundred laborious nights to studies that might make me +useful to my country; yet was I punished with a severity too +cruel even for the most worthless, or most villanous.</p> +<p>I mean, in my narrative, to make candour and veracity my +guides, and not to conceal my failings; I wish my work may remain +a moral lesson to the world. Yet it is an innate +satisfaction that I am conscious of never having acted with +dishonour, even to the last act of this distressful tragedy.</p> +<p>I shall say little of the first years of my life, except that +my father took especial care of my education, and sent me, at the +age of thirteen, to the University of Königsberg, where, +under the tuition of Kowalewsky, my progress was rapid. +There were fourteen other noblemen in the same house, and under +the same master.</p> +<p>In the year following, 1740, I quarrelled with one young +Wallenrodt, a fellow-student, much stronger than myself, and who, +despising my weakness, thought proper to give me a blow. I +demanded satisfaction. He came not to the appointed place, +but treated my demand with contempt; and I, forgetting all +further respect, procured a second, and attacked him in open +day. We fought, and I had the fortune to wound him twice; +the first time in the arm, the second in the hand.</p> +<p>This affair incited inquiry:—Doctor Kowalewsky, our +tutor, laid complaints before the University, and I was condemned +to three hours’ confinement; but my grandfather and +guardian, President Derschau, was so pleased with my courage, +that he took me from this house and placed me under Professor +Christiani.</p> +<p>Here I first began to enjoy full liberty, and from this worthy +man I learnt all I know of experimental philosophy and +science. He loved me as his own son, and continued +instructing me till midnight. Under his auspices, in 1742, +I maintained, with great success, two public theses, although I +was then but sixteen; an effort and an honour till then +unknown.</p> +<p>Three days after my last public exordium, a contemptible +fellow sought a quarrel with me, and obliged me to draw in my own +defence, whom, on this occasion, I wounded in the groin.</p> +<p>This success inflated my valour, and from that time I began to +assume the air and appearance of a Hector.</p> +<p>Scarcely had a fortnight elapsed before I had another with a +lieutenant of the garrison, whom I had insulted, who received two +wounds in the contest.</p> +<p>I ought to remark, that at this time, the University of +Königsberg was still highly privileged. To send a +challenge was held honourable; and this was not only permitted, +but would have been difficult to prevent, considering the great +number of proud, hot-headed, and turbulent nobility from Livonia, +Courland, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland, who came thither to study, +and of whom there were more than five hundred. This brought +the University into disrepute, and endeavours have been made to +remedy the abuse. Men have acquired a greater extent of +true knowledge, and have begun to perceive that a University +ought to be a place of instruction, and not a field of battle; +and that blood cannot be honourably shed, except in defence of +life or country.</p> +<p>In November, 1742, the King sent his adjutant-general, Baron +Lottum, who was related to my mother, to Königsberg, with +whom I dined at my grandfather’s. He conversed much +with me, and, after putting various questions, purposely, to +discover what my talents and inclinations were, he demanded, as +if in joke, whether I had any inclination to go with him to +Berlin, and serve my country, as my ancestors had ever done: +adding that, in the army, I should find much better opportunities +of sending challenges than at the University. Inflamed with +the desire of distinguishing myself, I listened with rapture to +the proposition, and in a few days we departed for Potzdam.</p> +<p>On the morrow after my arrival, I was presented to the King, +as indeed I had before been in the year 1740, with the character +of being, then, one of the most hopeful youths of the +University. My reception was most flattering; the justness +of my replies to the questions he asked, my height, figure, and +confidence, pleased him; and I soon obtained permission to enter +as a cadet in his body guards, with a promise of quick +preferment.</p> +<p>The body guards formed, at this time, a model and school for +the Prussian cavalry; they consisted of one single squadron of +men selected from the whole army, and their uniform was the most +splendid in all Europe. Two thousand rix-dollars were +necessary to equip an officer: the cuirass was wholly plated with +silver; and the horse, furniture, and accoutrements alone cost +four hundred rix-dollars.</p> +<p>This squadron only contained six officers and a hundred and +forty-four men; but there were always fifty or sixty +supernumeraries, and as many horses, for the King incorporated +all the most handsome men he found in the guards. The +officers were the best taught of any the army contained; the King +himself was their tutor, and he afterwards sent them to instruct +the cavalry in the manoeuvres they had learnt. Their rise +was rapid if they behaved well; but they were broken for the +least fault, and punished by being sent to garrison +regiments. It was likewise necessary they should be +tolerably rich, as well as possess such talents as might be +successfully employed, both at court and in the army.</p> +<p>There are no soldiers in the world who undergo so much as this +body guard; and during the time I was in the service of Frederic, +I often had not eight hours’ sleep in eight days. +Exercise began at four in the morning, and experiments were made +of all the alterations the King meant to introduce in his +cavalry. Ditches of three, four, five, six feet, and still +wider, were leaped, till that someone broke his neck; hedges, in +like manner, were freed, and the horses ran careers, meeting each +other full speed in a kind of lists of more than half a league in +length. We had often, in these our exercises, several men +and horses killed or wounded.</p> +<p>It happened more frequently than otherwise that the same +experiments were repeated after dinner with fresh horses; and it +was not uncommon, at Potzdam, to hear the alarm sounded twice in +a night. The horses stood in the King’s stables; and +whoever had not dressed, armed himself, saddled his horse, +mounted, and appeared before the palace in eight minutes, was put +under arrest for fourteen days.</p> +<p>Scarcely were the eyes closed before the trumpet again +sounded, to accustom youth to vigilance. I lost, in one +year, three horses, which had either broken their legs, in +leaping ditches, or died of fatigue.</p> +<p>I cannot give a stronger picture of this service than by +saying that the body guard lost more men and horses in one +year’s peace than they did, during the following year, in +two battles.</p> +<p>We had, at this time, three stations; our service, in the +winter, was at Berlin, where we attended the opera, and all +public festivals: in the spring we were exercised at +Charlottenberg; and at Potzdam, or wherever the King went, during +the summer. The six officers of the guard dined with the +King, and, on gala days, with the Queen. It may be presumed +there was not at that time on earth a better school to form an +officer and a man of the world than was the court of Berlin.</p> +<p>I had scarcely been six weeks a cadet before the King took me +aside, one day, after the parade, and having examined me near +half an hour, on various subjects, commanded me to come and speak +to him on the morrow.</p> +<p>His intention was to find whether the accounts that had been +given him of my memory had not been exaggerated; and that he +might be convinced, he first gave me the names of fifty soldiers +to learn by rote, which I did in five minutes. He next +repeated the subjects of two letters, which I immediately +composed in French and Latin; the one I wrote, the other I +dictated. He afterwards ordered me to trace, with +promptitude, a landscape from nature, which I executed with equal +success; and he then gave me a cornet’s commission in his +body guards.</p> +<p>Each mark of bounty from the monarch increased an ardour +already great, inspired me with gratitude, and the first of my +wishes was to devote my whole life to the service of my King and +country. He spoke to me as a Sovereign should speak, like a +father, like one who knew well how to estimate the gifts bestowed +on me by nature; and perceiving, or rather feeling, how much he +might expect from me, became at once my instructor and my +friend.</p> +<p>Thus did I remain a cadet only six weeks, and few Prussians +can vaunt, under the reign of Frederic, of equal good +fortune.</p> +<p>The King not only presented me with a commission, but equipped +me splendidly for the service. Thus did I suddenly find +myself a courtier, and an officer in the finest, bravest, and +best disciplined corps in Europe. My good fortune seemed +unlimited, when, in the month of August, 1743, the King selected +me to go and instruct the Silesian cavalry in the new manoeuvres: +an honour never before granted to a youth of eighteen.</p> +<p>I have already said we were garrisoned at Berlin during +winter, where the officers’ table was at court: and, as my +reputation had preceded me, no person whatever could be better +received there, or live more pleasantly.</p> +<p>Frederic commanded me to visit the literati, whom he had +invited to his court: Maupertuis, Jordan, La Mettrie, and +Pollnitz, were all my acquaintance. My days were employed +in the duties of an officer, and my nights in acquiring +knowledge. Pollnitz was my guide, and the friend of my +heart. My happiness was well worthy of being envied. +In 1743, I was five feet eleven inches in height, and Nature had +endowed me with every requisite to please. I lived, as I +vainly imagined, without inciting enmity or malice, and my mind +was wholly occupied by the desire of earning well-founded +fame.</p> +<p>I had hitherto remained ignorant of love, and had been +terrified from illicit commerce by beholding the dreadful objects +of the hospital at Potzdam. During the winter of 1743, the +nuptials of his Majesty’s sister were celebrated, who was +married to the King of Sweden, where she is at present Queen +Dowager, mother of the reigning Gustavus. I, as officer of +my corps, had the honour to mount guard and escort her as far as +Stettin. Here first did my heart feel a passion of which, +in the course of my history, I shall have frequent occasion to +speak. The object of my love was one whom I can only +remember at present with reverence; and, as I write not romance, +but facts, I shall here briefly say, ours were mutually the +first-fruits of affection, and that to this hour I regret no +misfortune, no misery, with which, from a stock so noble, my +destiny was overshadowed.</p> +<p>Amid the tumult inseparable to occasions like these, on which +it was my duty to maintain order, a thief had the address to +steal my watch, and cut away part of the gold fringe which hung +from the waistcoat of my uniform, and afterwards to escape +unperceived. This accident brought on me the raillery of my +comrades; and the lady alluded to thence took occasion to console +me, by saying it should be her care that I should be no +loser. Her words were accompanied by a look I could not +misunderstand, and a few days after I thought myself the happiest +of mortals. The name, however, of this high-born lady is a +secret, which must descend with me to the grave; and, though my +silence concerning this incident heaves a void in my life, and +indeed throws obscurity over a part of it, which might else be +clear, I would much rather incur this reproach than become +ungrateful towards my best friend and benefactress. To her +conversation, to her prudence, to the power by which she fixed my +affections wholly on herself, am I indebted for the improvement +and polishing of my bodily and mental qualities. She never +despised, betrayed, or abandoned me, even in the deepest of my +distress; and my children alone, on my death-bed, shall be taught +the name of her to whom they owe the preservation of their +father, and consequently their own existence.</p> +<p>I lived at this time perfectly happy at Berlin, and highly +esteemed. The King took every opportunity to testify his +approbation; my mistress supplied me with more money than I could +expend; and I was presently the best equipped, and made the +greatest figure, of any officer in the whole corps. The +style in which I lived was remarked, for I had only received from +my father’s heritage the estate of Great Scharlach; the +rent of which was eight hundred dollars a year, which was far +from sufficient to supply my then expenses. My amour, in +the meantime, remained a secret from my best and most intimate +friends. Twice was my absence from Potzdam and +Charlottenberg discovered, and I was put under arrest; but the +King seemed satisfied with the excuse I made, under the pretext +of having been hunting, and smiled as he granted my pardon.</p> +<p>Never did the days of youth glide away with more apparent +success and pleasure than during these my first years at +Berlin. This good fortune was, alas, of short +duration. Many are the incidents I might relate, but which +I shall omit. My other adventures are sufficiently +numerous, without mingling such as may any way seem foreign to +the subject. In this gloomy history of my life, I wish to +paint myself such as I am; and, by the recital of my sufferings, +afford a memorable example to the world, and interest the heart +of sensibility. I would also show how my fatal destiny has +deprived my children of an immense fortune; and, though I want a +hundred thousand men to enforce and ensure my rights, I will +leave demonstration to my heirs that they are incontestable.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> +<p>In the beginning of September, 1744, war again broke out +between the Houses of Austria and Prussia. We marched with +all speed towards Prague, traversing Saxony without +opposition. I will not relate in this place what the great +Frederic said to us, with evident emotion, when surrounded by all +his officers, on the morning of our departure from Potzdam.</p> +<p>Should any one be desirous of writing the lives of him and his +opponent, Maria Theresa, without flattery and without fear, let +him apply to me, and I will relate anecdotes most surprising on +this subject, unknown to all but myself, and which never must +appear under my own name.</p> +<p>All monarchs going to war have reason on their side; and the +churches of both parties resound with prayers, and appeals to +Divine Justice, for the success of their arms. Frederic, on +this occasion, had recourse to them with regret, of which I was a +witness.</p> +<p>If I am not mistaken, the King’s army came before Prague +on the 14th of September, and that of General Schwerin, which had +passed through Silesia, arrived the next day on the other side of +the Moldau. In this position we were obliged to wait some +days for pontoons, without which we could not establish a +communication between the two armies.</p> +<p>The height called Zischka, which overlooks the city, being +guarded only by a few Croats, was instantly seized, without +opposition, by some grenadiers, and the batteries, erected at the +foot of that mountain, being ready on the fifth day, played with +such success on the old town with bombs and red-hot balls that it +was set on fire. The King made every effort to take the +city before Prince Charles could bring his army from the Rhine to +its relief.</p> +<p>General Harsh thought proper to capitulate, after a siege of +twelve days, during which not more than five hundred men of the +garrison, at the utmost, were killed and wounded, though eighteen +thousand men were made prisoners.</p> +<p>Thus far we had met with no impediment. The Imperial +army, however, under the command of Prince Charles of Lorraine, +having quitted the banks of the Rhine, was advancing to save +Bohemia.</p> +<p>During this campaign we saw the enemy only at a distance; but +the Austrian light troops being thrice as numerous as ours, +prevented us from all foraging. Winter was approaching, +dearth and hunger made Frederic determine to retreat, without the +least hope from the countries in our rear, which we had entirely +laid waste as we had advanced. The severity of the season, +in the month of November, rendered the soldiers excessively +impatient of their hardships; and, accustomed to conquer, the +Prussians were ashamed of and repined at retreat: the +enemy’s light troops facilitated desertion, and we lost, in +a few weeks, above thirty thousand men. The pandours of my +kinsman, the Austrian Trenck, were incessantly at our heels, gave +us frequent alarms, did us great injury, and, by their alertness, +we never could make any impression upon them with our +cannon. Trenck at length passed the Elbe, and went and +burnt and destroyed our magazines at Pardubitz: it was therefore +resolved wholly to evacuate Bohemia.</p> +<p>The King hoped to have brought Prince Charles to the battle +between Benneschan and Kannupitz, but in vain: the Saxons, during +the night, had entered a battery of three-and-twenty cannon on a +mound which separated two ponds: this was the precise road by +which the King meant to make the attack.</p> +<p>Thus were we obliged to abandon Bohemia. The dearth, +both for man and horse, began to grow extreme. The weather +was bad; the roads and ruts were deep; marches were continual, +and alarms and attacks from the enemy’s light troops became +incessant. The discontent all these inspired was universal, +and this occasioned the great loss of the army.</p> +<p>Under such circumstances, had Prince Charles continued to +harass us, by persuading us into Silesia, had he made a winter +campaign, instead of remaining indolently at ease in Bohemia, we +certainly should not have vanquished him, the year following, at +Strigau; but he only followed at a distance, as far as the +Bohemian frontiers. This gave Frederic time to recover, and +the more effectually because the Austrians had the imprudence to +permit the return of deserters.</p> +<p>This was a repetition of what had happened to Charles XII. +when he suffered his Russian prisoners to return home, who +afterwards so effectually punished his contempt of them at the +battle of Pultawa.</p> +<p>Prague was obliged to be abandoned, with considerable loss; +and Trenck seized on Tabor, Budweis, and Frauenberg, where he +took prisoners the regiments of Walrabe Kreutz.</p> +<p>No one would have been better able to give a faithful history +of this campaign than myself, had I room in this place, and had I +at that time been more attentive to things of moment; since I not +only performed the office of adjutant to the King, when he went +to reconnoitre, or choose a place of encampment, but it was, +moreover, my duty to provide forage for the headquarters. +The King having only permitted me to take six volunteers from the +body guard, to execute this latter duty, I was obliged to add to +them horse chasseurs, and hussars, with whom I was continually in +motion. I was peculiarly fortunate on two occasions, by +happening to come after the enemy when they had left loaded +waggons and forage bundles.</p> +<p>I seldom passed the night in my tent during this campaign, and +my indefatigable activity obtained the favour and entire +confidence of Frederic. Nothing so much contributed to +inspire me with emulation as the public praises I received, and +my enthusiasm wished to perform wonders. The campaign, +however, but ill supplied me with opportunities to display my +youthful ardour.</p> +<p>At length no one durst leave the camp, notwithstanding the +extremity of the dearth, because of the innumerable clouds of +pandours and hussars that hovered everywhere around.</p> +<p>No sooner were we arrived in Silesia, than the King’s +body guard were sent to Berlin, there to remain in winter +quarters.</p> +<p>I should not here have mentioned the Bohemian war, but that, +while writing time history of my life, I ought not to omit +accidents by which my future destiny was influenced.</p> +<p>One day, while at Bennaschen, I was commanded out, with a +detachment of thirty hussars and twenty chasseurs, on a foraging +party. I had posted my hussars in a convent, and gone +myself, with the chasseurs, to a mansion-house, to seize the +carts necessary for the conveyance of the hay and straw from a +neighbouring farm. An Austrian lieutenant of hussars, +concealed with thirty-six horsemen in a wood, having remarked the +weakness of my escort, taking advantage of the moment when my +people were all employed in loading the carts, first seized our +sentinel, and then fell suddenly upon them, and took them all +prisoners in the very farm-yard. At this moment I was +seated at my ease, beside the lady of the mansion-house, and was +a spectator of the whole transaction through the window.</p> +<p>I was ashamed of and in despair at my negligence. The +kind lady wished to hide me when the firing was heard in the +farm-yard. By good fortune, the hussars, whom I had +stationed in the convent, had learnt from a peasant that there +was an Austrian detachment in the wood: they had seen us at a +distance enter the farmyard, hastily marched to our aid, and we +had not been taken more than two minutes before they +arrived. I cannot express the pleasure with which I put +myself at their head. Some of the enemy’s party +escaped through a back door, but we made two-and-twenty +prisoners, with a lieutenant of the regiment of +Kalnockichen. They had two men killed, and one wounded; and +two also of my chasseurs were hewn down by the sabre, in the +hay-loft, where they were at work.</p> +<p>We continued our forage with more caution after this accident: +the horses we had taken served, in part, to draw the carts; and, +after raising a contribution of one hundred and fifty ducats on +the convent, which I distributed among the soldiers to engage +them to silence, we returned to the army, from which we were +distant about two leagues.</p> +<p>We heard firing as we marched, and the foragers on all sides +were skirmishing with the enemy. A lieutenant and forty +horse joined me; yet, with this reinforcement, I durst not return +to the camp, because I learned we were in danger from more than +eight hundred pandours and hussars, who were in the plain. +I therefore determined to take a long, winding, but secret route, +and had the good fortune to come safe to quarters with my +prisoners and five-and-twenty loaded carts. The King was at +dinner when I entered his tent. Having been absent all +night, it was imagined I had been taken, that accident having +happened the same day to many others.</p> +<p>The instant I entered, the King demanded if I returned +singly. “No, please your Majesty,” answered I; +“I have brought five-and-twenty loads of forage, and +two-and-twenty prisoners, with their officer and +horses.”</p> +<p>The King then commanded me to sit down, and turning himself +towards the English ambassador, who was near him, said, laying +his hand on my shoulder, “<i>C’est un Matador de ma +jeunesse</i>.”</p> +<p>A reconnoitring party was, at the same moment, in waiting +before his tent: he consequently asked me few questions, and to +those he did ask, I replied trembling. In a few minutes he +rose from the table, gave a glance at the prisoners, hung the +Order of Merit round my neck, commanded me to go and take repose, +and set off with his party.</p> +<p>It is easy to conceive the embarrassment of my situation; my +unpardonable negligence deserved that I should have been broken, +instead of which I was rewarded; an instance, this, of the great +influence of chance on the affairs of the world. How many +generals have gained victories by their very errors, which have +been afterwards attributed to their genius! It is evident the +sergeant of hussars, who retook me and my men by bringing up his +party, was much better entitled than myself to the recompense I +received. On many occasions have I since met with disgrace +and punishment when I deserved reward. My inquietude lest +the truth should be discovered, was extreme, especially +recollecting how many people were in the secret: and my +apprehensions were incessant.</p> +<p>As I did not want money, I gave the sergeants twenty ducats +each, and the soldiers one, in order to insure their silence, +which, being a favourite with them, they readily promised. +I, however, was determined to declare the truth the very first +opportunity, and this happened a few days after.</p> +<p>We were on our march, and I, as cornet, was at the head of my +company, when the King, advancing, beckoned me to come to him, +and bade me tell him exactly how the affair I had so lately been +engaged in happened.</p> +<p>The question at first made me mistrust I was betrayed, but +remarking the King had a mildness in his manner, I presently +recovered myself, and related the exact truth. I saw the +astonishment of his countenance, but I at the same time saw he +was pleased with my sincerity. He spoke to me for half an +hour, not as a King, but as a father, praised my candour, and +ended with the following words, which, while life remains, I +shall never forget: “Confide in the advice I give you; +depend wholly upon me, and I will make you a man.” +Whoever can feel, may imagine how infinitely my gratitude towards +the King was increased, by this his great goodness; from that +moment I had no other desire than to live and die for his +service.</p> +<p>I soon perceived the confidence the King had in me after this +explanation, of which I received very frequent marks, the +following winter, at Berlin. He permitted me to be present +at his conversations with the literati of his court, and my state +was truly enviable.</p> +<p>I received this same winter more than five hundred ducats as +presents. So much happiness could not but excite jealousy, +and this began to be manifest on every side. I had too +little disguise for a courtier, and my heart was much too open +and frank.</p> +<p>Before I proceed, I will here relate an incident which +happened during the last campaign, and which will, no doubt, be +read in the history of Frederic.</p> +<p>On the rout while retreating through Bohemia, the King came to +Kollin, with his horse-guards, the cavalry piquets of the +head-quarters, and the second and third battalions of +guards. We had only four field pieces, and our squadron was +stationed in one of the suburbs. Our advance posts, towards +evening, were driven back into the town, and the hussars entered +pell-mell: the enemy’s light troops swarmed over the +country, and my commanding officer sent me immediately to receive +the King’s orders. After much search, I found him at +the top of a steeple, with a telescope in his hand. Never +did I see him so disturbed or undecided as on this +occasion. Orders were immediately given that we should +retreat through the city, into the opposite suburb, where we were +to halt, but not unsaddle.</p> +<p>We had not been here long before a most heavy rain fell, and +the night became exceedingly dark. My cousin Trenck made +his approach about nine in the evening, with his pandour and +janissary music, and set fire to several houses. They found +we were in the suburb, and began to fire upon us from the city +windows. The tumult became extreme: the city was too full +for us to re-enter: the gate was shut, and they fired from above +at us with our field-pieces. Trenck had let in the waters +upon us, and we were up to the girths by midnight, and almost in +despair. We lost seven men, and my horse was wounded in the +neck.</p> +<p>The King, and all of us, had certainly been made prisoners had +my cousin, as he has since told me, been able to continue the +assault he had begun: but a cannon ball having wounded him in the +foot, he was carried off, and the pandours retired. The +corps of Nassau arrived next day to our aid; we quitted Kollin, +and during the march the King said to me, “Your cousin had +nearly played us a malicious prank last night, but the deserters +say he is killed.” He then asked what our +relationship was, and there our conversation ended.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> +<p>It was about the middle of December when we came to Berlin, +where I was received with open arms. I became less cautious +than formerly, and, perhaps, more narrowly observed. A +lieutenant of the foot guards, who was a public Ganymede, and +against whom I had that natural antipathy and abhorrence I have +for all such wretches, having indulged himself in some very +impertinent jokes on the secret of my amour, I bestowed on him +the epithet he deserved: we drew our swords, and he was +wounded. On the Sunday following I presented myself to pay +my respects to his Majesty on the parade, who said to me as he +passed, “The storm and the thunder shall rend your heart; +beware!” <a name="citation1"></a><a href="#footnote1" +class="citation">[1]</a> He added nothing more.</p> +<p>Some little time after I was a few minutes too late on the +parade; the King remarked it, and sent me, under arrest, to the +foot-guard at Potzdam. When I had been here a fortnight, +Colonel Wartensleben came, and advised me to petition for +pardon. I was then too much a novice in the modes of the +court to follow his counsel, nor did I even remark the person who +gave it me was himself a most subtle courtier. I complained +bitterly that I had so long been deprived of liberty, for a fault +which was usually punished by three, or, at most, six days’ +arrest. Here accordingly I remained.</p> +<p>Eight days after, the King being come to Potzdam, I was sent +by General Bourke to Berlin, to carry some letters, but without +having seen the King. On my return I presented myself to +him on the parade; and as our squadron was garrisoned at Berlin, +I asked, “Does it please your Majesty that I should go and +join my corps?” “Whence came you?” +answered he. “From Berlin.” “And +where were you before you went to Berlin?” +“Under arrest.” “Then under arrest you +must remain!”</p> +<p>I did not recover my liberty till three days before our +departure for Silesia, towards which we marched, with the utmost +speed, in the beginning of May, to commence our second +campaign.</p> +<p>Here I must recount an event which happened that winter, which +became the source of all my misfortunes, and to which I must +entreat my readers will pay the utmost attention; since this +error, if innocence can be error, was the cause that the most +faithful and the best of subjects became bewildered in scenes of +wretchedness, and was the victim of misery, from his nineteenth +to the sixtieth year of his age. I dare presume that this +true narrative, supported by testimonies the most authentic, will +fully vindicate my present honour and my future memory.</p> +<p>Francis, Baron of Trenck, was the son of my father’s +brother, consequently my cousin german. I shall speak, +hereafter, of the singular events of his life. Being a +commander of pandours in the Austrian service, and grievously +wounded at Bavaria, in the year 1743, he wrote to my mother, +informing her he intended me, her eldest son, for his universal +legatee. This letter, to which I returned no answer, was +sent to me at Potzdam. I was so satisfied with my +situation, and had such numerous reasons so to be, considering +the kindness with which the King treated me, that I would not +have exchanged my good fortune for all the treasures of the Great +Mogul.</p> +<p>On the 12th of February, 1744, being at Berlin, I was in +company with Captain Jaschinsky, commander of the body guard, the +captain of which ranks as colonel in the army, together with +Lieutenant Studnitz, and Cornet Wagnitz. The latter was my +field comrade, and is at present commander-general of the cavalry +of Hesse Cassel. The Austrian Trenck became the subject of +conversation, and Jaschinsky asked if I were his kinsman. I +answered, yes, and immediately mentioned his having made me his +universal heir. “And what answer have you +returned?” said Jaschinsky.—“None at +all.”</p> +<p>The whole company then observed that, in a case like the +present, I was much to blame not to answer; that the least I +could do would be to thank him for his good wishes, and entreat a +continuance of them. Jaschinsky further added, +“Desire him to send you some of his fine Hungarian horses +for your own use, and give me the letter; I will convey it to +him, by means of Mr. Bossart, legation counsellor of the Saxon +embassy; but on condition that you will give me one of the +horses. This correspondence is a family, and not a state +affair; I will make myself responsible for the +consequences.”</p> +<p>I immediately took my commander’s advice, and began to +write; and had those who suspected me thought proper to make the +least inquiry into these circumstances, the four witnesses who +read what I wrote could have attested my innocence, and rendered +it indubitable. I gave my letter open to Jaschinsky, who +sealed and sent it himself.</p> +<p>I must omit none of the incidents concerning this letter, it +being the sole cause of all my sufferings. I shall +therefore here relate an event which was the first occasion of +the unjust suspicions entertained against me.</p> +<p>One of my grooms, with two led horses, was, among many others, +taken by the pandours of Trenck. When I returned to the +camp, I was to accompany the King on a reconnoitring party. +My horse was too tired, and I had no other: I informed him of my +embarrassment, and his Majesty immediately made me a present of a +fine English courser.</p> +<p>Some days after, I was exceedingly astonished to see my groom +return, with my two horses, and a pandour trumpeter, who brought +me a letter, containing nearly the following words:—</p> +<p>“The Austrian Trenck is not at war with the Prussian +Trenck, but, on the contrary, is happy to have recovered his +horses from his hussars, and to return them to whom they first +belonged,” &c.</p> +<p>I went the same day to pay my respects to the King, who, +receiving me with great coldness, said, “Since your cousin +has returned your own horses, you have no more need of +mine.”</p> +<p>There were too many who envied me to suppose these words would +escape repetition. The return of the horses seems +infinitely to have increased that suspicion Frederic entertained +against me, and therefore became one of the principal causes of +my misfortunes: it is for this reason that I dwell upon this and +suchlike small incidents, they being necessary for my own +justification, and, were it possible, for that of the King. +My innocence is, indeed, at present universally acknowledged by +the court, the army, and the whole nation; who all mention the +injustice I suffered with pity, and the fortitude with which it +was endured with surprise.</p> +<p>We marched for Silesia, to enter on our second campaign: +which, to the Prussians, was as bloody and murderous as it was +glorious.</p> +<p>The King’s head-quarters were fixed at the convent of +Kamentz, where we rested fourteen days, and the army remained in +cantonments. Prince Charles, instead of following us into +Bohemia, had the imprudence to occupy the plain of Strigau, and +we already concluded his army was beaten. Whoever is well +acquainted with tactics, and the Prussian manoeuvres, will easily +judge, without the aid of calculation or witchcraft, whether a +well or ill-disciplined army, in an open plain, ought to be +victorious.</p> +<p>The army hastily left its cantonments, and in twenty-four +hours was in order of battle; and on the 14th of June, eighteen +thousand bodies lay stretched on the plain of Strigau. The +allied armies of Austria and Saxony were totally defeated.</p> +<p>The body guard was on the right; and previous to the attack, +the King said to our squadron, “Prove today, my children, +that you are my body guard, and give no Saxon quarter.”</p> +<p>We made three attacks on the cavalry, and two on the +infantry. Nothing could withstand a squadron like this, +which for men, horses, courage, and experience, was assuredly the +first in the world. Our corps alone took seven standards +and five pairs of colours, and in less than an hour the affair +was over.</p> +<p>I received a pistol shot in my right hand, my horse was +desperately wounded, and I was obliged to change him on the third +charge. The day after the battle all the officers were +rewarded with the Order of Merit. For my own part, I +remained four weeks among the wounded, at Schweidnitz, where +there were sixteen thousand men under the torture of the army +surgeons, many of whom had not their wounds dressed till the +third day.</p> +<p>I was near three months before I recovered the use of my hand: +I nevertheless rejoined my corps, continued to perform my duty, +and as usual accompanied the King when he went to +reconnoitre. For some time past he had placed confidence in +me, and his kindness towards me continually increased, which +raised my gratitude even to enthusiasm.</p> +<p>I also performed the service of adjutant during this campaign, +a circumstantial account of which no person is better enabled to +write than myself, I having been present at all that +passed. I was the scholar of the greatest master the art of +war ever knew, and who believed me worthy to receive his +instructions; but the volume I am writing would be insufficient +to contain all that personally relates to myself.</p> +<p>I must here mention an adventure that happened at this time, +and which will show the art of the great Frederic in forming +youth for his service, and devotedly attaching them to his +person.</p> +<p>I was exceedingly fond of hunting, in which, notwithstanding +it was severely forbidden, I indulged myself. I one day +returned, laden with pheasants; but judge my astonishment and +fears when I saw the army had decamped, and that it was with +difficulty that I could overtake the rear-guard.</p> +<p>In this my distress, I applied to an officer of hussars, who +instantly lent me his horse, by the aid of which I rejoined my +corps, which always marched as the vanguard. Mounting my +own horse, I tremblingly rode to the head of my division, which +it was my duty to precede. The King, however, had remarked +my absence, or rather had been reminded of it by my superior +officer, who, for some time past, had become my enemy.</p> +<p>Just as the army halted to encamp, the King rode towards me, +and made a signal for me to approach, and, seeing my fears in my +countenance, said, “What, are you just returned from +hunting?” “Yes, your Majesty. I +hope—” Here interrupting me, he added, +“Well, well, for this time, I shall take no further notice, +remembering Potzdam; but, however, let me find you more attentive +to your duty.”</p> +<p>So ended this affair, for which I deserved to have been +broken. I must remind my readers that the King meant by the +words remembering Potzdam, he remembered I had been punished too +severely the winter before, and that my present pardon was +intended as a compensation.</p> +<p>This was indeed to think and act greatly; this was indeed the +true art of forming great men: an art much more effectual than +that of ferocious generals, who threaten subalterns with +imprisonment and chains on every slight occasion; and, while +indulging all the rigours of military law, make no distinction of +minds or of men. Frederic, on the contrary, sometimes +pardoned the failings of genius, while mechanic souls he +mechanically punished, according to the very letter of the laws +of war.</p> +<p>I shall further remark, the King took no more notice of my +late fault, except that sometimes, when I had the honour to dine +with him, he would ridicule people who were too often at the +chase, or who were so choleric that they took occasion to quarrel +for the least trifle.</p> +<p>The campaign passed in different manoeuvres, marches, and +countermarches. Our corps was the most fatigued, as being +encamped round the King’s tent, the station of which was +central, and as likewise having the care of the vanguard; we were +therefore obliged to begin our march two hours sooner than the +remainder of the army, that we might be in our place. We +also accompanied the King whenever he went to reconnoitre, traced +the lines of encampment, led the horse to water, inspected the +head-quarters, and regulated the march and encampment, according +to the King’s orders; the performance of all which robbed +us of much rest, we being but six officers to execute so many +different functions.</p> +<p>Still further, we often executed the office of couriers, to +bear the royal commands to detachments. The King was +particularly careful that the officers of his guards, whom he +intended should become excellent in the art of tactics, should +not be idle in his school. It was necessary to do much in +order that much might be learnt. Labour, vigilance, +activity, the love of glory and the love of his country, animated +all his generals; into whom, it may be said, he infused his +spirit.</p> +<p>In this school I gained instruction, and here already was I +selected as one designed to instruct others; yet, in my fortieth +year, a great general at Vienna told me, “My dear Trenck, +our discipline would be too difficult for you to learn; for +which, indeed, you are too far advanced in life.” +Agreeable to this wise decision was I made an Austrian invalid, +and an invalid have always remained; a judgment like this would +have been laughed at, most certainly, at Berlin.</p> +<p>If I mistake not, the famous battle of Soor, or Sorau, was +fought on the 14th day of September. The King had sent so +many detachments into Saxony, Bohemia, and Silesia, that the main +army did not consist of more than twenty-five thousand men. +Neglecting advice, and obstinate in judging his enemy by numbers, +and not according to the excellence of discipline, and other +accidents, Prince Charles, blind to the real strength of the +Prussian armies, had enclosed this small number of Pomeranian and +Brandenburg regiments, with more than eighty-six thousand men, +intending to take them all prisoners.</p> +<p>It will soon be seen from my narrative with what kind of +secrecy his plan was laid and executed.</p> +<p>The King came into my tent about midnight; as he also did into +that of all the officers, to awaken them; his orders were, +“Secretly to saddle, leave the baggage in the rear, and +that the men should stand ready to mount at the word of +command.”</p> +<p>Lieutenant Studnitz and myself attended the King, who went in +person, and gave directions through the whole army; meantime, +break of day was expected with anxiety.</p> +<p>Opposite the defile through which the enemy was to march to +the attack eight field-pieces were concealed behind a hill. +The King must necessarily have been informed of the whole plan of +the Austrian general, for he had called in the advanced posts +from the heights, that he might lull him into security, and make +him imagine we should be surprised in the midst of sleep.</p> +<p>Scarcely did break of day appear before the Austrian +artillery, situated upon the heights, began to play upon our +camp, and their cavalry to march through the defile to the +attack.</p> +<p>As suddenly were we in battle array; for in less than ten +minutes we ourselves began the attack, notwithstanding the +smallness of our number, the whole army only containing five +regiments of cavalry. We fell with such fury upon the enemy +(who at this time were wholly employed in forming their men at +the mouth of the defile, and that slowly, little expecting so +sudden and violent a charge), that we drove them back into the +defile, where they pressed upon each other in crowds; the King +himself stood ready to unmask his eight field-pieces, and a +dreadful and bloody slaughter ensued in this narrow place; from +which the enemy had not the power to retreat. This single +incident gained the battle, and deceived all time hopes of Prince +Charles.</p> +<p>Nadasti, Trenck, and the light troops, sent to attack our +rear, were employed in pillaging the camp. The ferocious +Croats met no opposition, while this their error made our victory +more secure. It deserves to be noticed that, when advice +was brought to the King that the enemy had fallen upon and were +plundering the camp, his answer was, “So much the better; +they have found themselves employment, and will be no impediment +to our main design.”</p> +<p>Our victory was complete, but all our baggage was lost; the +headquarters, utterly undefended, were totally stripped; and +Trenck had, for his part of the booty, the King’s tent and +his service of plate.</p> +<p>I have mentioned this circumstance here, because that, in the +year 1740, my cousin Trenck, having fallen into the power of his +enemies, who had instituted a legal, process against him, was +accused, by some villanous wretches, of having surprised the King +in bed at the battle of Sorau, and of having afterwards released +him for a bribe.</p> +<p>What was still worse, they hired a common woman, a native of +Brünn, who pretended she was the daughter of Marshal +Schwerin, to give in evidence that she herself was with the King +when Trenck entered his tent, whom he immediately made prisoner, +and as immediately released.</p> +<p>To this part of the prosecution I myself, an eye-witness, can +answer: the thing was false and impossible. He was informed +of the intended attack. I accompanied the watchful King +from midnight till four in the morning, which time he employed in +riding through the camp, and making the necessary preparations to +receive the enemy; and the action began at five. Trenck +could not take the King in bed, for the battle was almost gained +when he and his pandours entered the camp and plundered the +head-quarters.</p> +<p>As for the tale of Miss Schwerin, it is only fit to be told by +schoolboys, or examined by the Inquisition, and was very unworthy +of making part of a legal prosecution against an innocent man at +Vienna.</p> +<p>This incident, however, is so remarkable that I shall give in +this work a farther account of my kinsman, and what was called +his criminal process, at reading which the world will be +astonished. My own history is so connected with his that +this is necessary, and the more so because there are many +ignorant or wicked people at Vienna, who believe, or affirm, +Trenck had actually taken the King of Prussia prisoner.</p> +<p>Never yet was there a traitor of the name of Trenck; and I +hope to prove, in the clearest manner, the Austrian Trenck as +faithfully served the Empress-Queen as the Prussian Trenck did +Frederic, his King. Maria Theresa, speaking to me of him +some time after his death, and the snares that had been laid for +him, said, “Your kinsman has made a better end than will be +the fate of his accusers and judges.”</p> +<p>Of this more hereafter: I approach that epoch when my +misfortunes began, and when the sufferings of martyrdom attended +me from youth onward till my hairs grew grey.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> +<p>A few days after the battle of Sorau, the usual camp postman +brought me a letter from my cousin Trenck, the colonel of +pandours, antedated at Effek four months, of which the following +is a copy:—</p> +<p>“Your letter, of the 12th of February, from Berlin, +informs me you desire to have some Hungarian horses. On +these you would come and attack me and my pandours. I saw +with pleasure, during the last campaign, that the Prussian Trenck +was a good soldier; and that I might give you some proofs of my +attachment, I then returned the horses which my men had +taken. If, however, you wish to have Hungarian horses, you +must take mine in like manner from me in the field of battle: or, +should you so think fit, come and join one who will receive you +with open arms, like his friend and son, and who will procure you +every advantage you can desire,” &c.</p> +<p>At first I was terrified at reading this letter, yet could not +help smiling. Cornet Wagenitz, now general in chief of the +Hesse Cassel forces, and Lieutenant Grotthausen, both now alive, +and then present, were my camp comrades. I gave them the +letter to read, and they laughed at its contents. It was +determined to show it to our superior officer, Jaschinsky, on a +promise of secrecy, and it was accordingly shown him within an +hour after it was received.</p> +<p>The reader will be so kind as to recollect that, as I have +before said, it was this Colonel Jaschinsky who on the 12th of +February, the same year, at Berlin, prevailed on me to write to +the Austrian Trenck, my cousin; that he received the letter open, +and undertook to send it according to its address; also that, in +this letter, I in jest had asked him to send me some Hungarian +horses, and, should they come, had promised one to +Jaschinsky. He read the letter with an air of some +surprise; we laughed, and, it being whispered through the army +that, in consequence of our late victory, detached corps would be +sent into Hungary, Jaschinsky said, “We shall now go and +take Hungarian horses for ourselves.” Here the +conversation ended, and I, little suspecting future consequences, +returned to my tent.</p> +<p>I must here remark the following observations:—</p> +<p>1st. I had not observed the date of the letter brought +by the postman, which, as I have said, was antedated four months: +this, however, the colonel did not fail to remark.</p> +<p>2ndly. The probability is that this was a net, spread +for me by this false and wicked man. The return of my +horses, during the preceding campaign, had been the subject of +much conversation. It is possible he had the King’s +orders to watch me; but more probably he only prevailed on me to +write that he might entrap me by a fictitious answer. +Certain it is, my cousin Trenck, at Vienna, affirmed to his death +he never received any letter from me, consequently never could +send any answer. I must therefore conclude this letter was +forged.</p> +<p>Jaschinsky was at this time one of the King’s +favourites; his spy over the army; a tale-bearer; an inventor of +wicked lies and calumnies. Some years after the event of +which I am now speaking, the King was obliged to break and banish +him the country.</p> +<p>He was then also the paramour of the beauteous Madame +Brossart, wife of the Saxon resident at Berlin, and there can be +little doubt but that this false letter was, by her means, +conveyed to some Saxon or Austrian post-office, and thence, +according to its address, sent to me. He had daily +opportunities of infusing suspicions into the King’s mind +concerning me; and, unknown to me, of pursuing his diabolical +plan.</p> +<p>I must likewise add he was four hundred ducats indebted to +me. At that time I had always a plentiful supply of +money. This booty became his own when I, unexamined, was +arrested, and thrown into prison. In like manner he seized +on the greatest part of my camp equipage.</p> +<p>Further, we had quarrelled during our first campaign, because +he had beaten one of my servants; we even were proceeding to +fight with pistols, had not Colonel Winterfield interfered, and +amicably ended our quarrel. The Lithuanian is, by nature, +obstinate and revengeful; and, from that day, I have reason to +believe he sought my destruction.</p> +<p>God only knows what were the means he took to excite the +King’s suspicious; for it is incredible that Frederic, +considering his <i>well-known professions</i> of public justice, +should treat me in the manner he did, without a hearing, without +examination, and without a court-martial. This to me has +ever remained a mystery, which the King alone was able to +explain; he afterwards was convinced I was innocent: but my +sufferings had been too cruel, and the miseries he had inflicted +too horrible, for me ever to hope for compensation.</p> +<p>In an affair of this nature, which will soon he known to all +Europe, as it long has been in Prussia, the weakest is always +guilty. I have been made a terrible example to this our +age, how true that maxim is in despotic States.</p> +<p>A man of my rank, having once unjustly suffered, and not +having the power of making his sufferings known, must ever be +highly rewarded or still more unjustly punished. My name +and injuries will ever stain the annals of Frederic <i>the +Great</i>; even those who read this book will perhaps suppose +that I, from political motives of hope or fear, have sometimes +concealed truth by endeavouring to palliate his conduct.</p> +<p>It must ever remain incomprehensible that a monarch so +clear-sighted, himself the daily witness of my demeanour, one +well acquainted with mankind, and conscious I wanted neither +money, honour, nor hope of future preferment; I say it is +incomprehensible that he should really suppose me guilty. I +take God to witness, and all those who knew me in prosperity and +misfortune, I never harboured a thought of betraying my +country. How was it possible to suspect me? I was +neither madman nor idiot. In my eighteenth year I was a +cornet of the body guard, adjutant to the King, and possessed his +favour and confidence in the highest degree. His presents +to me, in one year, amounted to fifteen hundred dollars. I +kept seven horses, four men in livery; I was valued, +distinguished, and beloved by the mistress of my soul. My +relations held high offices, both civil and military; I was even +fanatically devoted to my King and country, and had nothing to +wish.</p> +<p>That I should become thus wretched, in consequence of this +unfortunate letter, is equally wonderful: it came by the public +post. Had there been any criminal correspondence, my +kinsman certainly would not have chosen this mode of conveyance; +since, it is well known, all such letters are opened; nor could I +act more openly. My colonel read the letter I wrote; and +also that which I received, immediately after it was brought.</p> +<p>The day after the receipt of this letter I was, as I have +before said, unheard, unaccused, unjudged, conducted like a +criminal from the army, by fifty hussars, and imprisoned in the +fortress of Glatz. I was allowed to take three horses, and +my servants, but my whole equipage was left behind, which I never +saw more, and which became the booty of Jaschinsky. My +commission was given to Cornet Schatzel, and I cashiered without +knowing why. There were no legal inquiries made: all was +done by the King’s command.</p> +<p>Unhappy people! where power is superior to law, and where the +innocent and the virtuous meet punishment instead of +reward. Unhappy land! where the omnipotent “<span +class="smcap">such is our will</span>” supersedes all legal +sentence, and robs the subject of property, life, and honour.</p> +<p>I once more repeat I was brought to the citadel of Glatz; I +was not, however, thrown into a dungeon, but imprisoned in a +chamber of the officer of the guard; was allowed my servants to +wait on me, and permitted to walk on the ramparts.</p> +<p>I did not want money, and there was only a detachment from the +garrison regiment in the citadel of Glatz, the officers of which +were all poor. I soon had both friends and freedom, and the +rich prisoner every day kept open table.</p> +<p>He only who had known me in this the ardour of my youth, who +had witnessed how high I aspired, and the fortune that attended +me at Berlin, can imagine what my feelings were at finding myself +thus suddenly cast from my high hopes.</p> +<p>I wrote submissively to the King, requesting to be tried by a +court-martial, and not desiring any favour should I be found +guilty. This haughty tone, in a youth, was displeasing, and +I received no answer, which threw me into despair, and induced me +to use every possible means to obtain my liberty.</p> +<p>My first care was to establish, by the intervention of an +officer, a certain correspondence with the object of my +heart. She answered, she was far from supposing I had ever +entertained the least thought treacherous to my country; that she +knew, too well, I was perfectly incapable, of +dissimulation. She blamed the precipitate anger and unjust +suspicions of the King; promised me speedy aid, and sent me a +thousand ducats.</p> +<p>Had I, at this critical moment, possessed a prudent and +intelligent friend, who could have calmed my impatience, nothing +perhaps might have been more easy than to have obtained pardon +from the King, by proving my innocence; or, it may be, than to +have induced him to punish my enemies.</p> +<p>But the officers who then were at Glatz fed the flame of +discontent. They supposed the money I so freely distributed +came all from Hungary, furnished by the pandour chest; and +advised me not to suffer my freedom to depend upon the will of +the King, but to enjoy it in his despite.</p> +<p>It was not more easy to give this advice than to persuade a +man to take it, who, till then, had never encountered anything +but good fortune, and who consequently supported the reverse with +impatience. I was not yet, however, determined; because I +could not yet resolve to abandon my country, and especially +Berlin.</p> +<p>Five months soon passed away in prison: peace was concluded; +the King was returned to his capital; my commission in the guards +was bestowed on another, when Lieutenant Piaschky, of the +regiment of Fouquet, and Ensign Reitz, who often mounted guard +over me, proposed that they and I should escape together. I +yielded; our plan was fixed, and every preparatory step +taken.</p> +<p>At that time there was another prisoner at Glatz, whose name +was Manget, by birth a Swiss, and captain of cavalry in the +Natzmerschen hussars; he had been broken, and condemned by a +court-martial to ten years’ imprisonment, with an allowance +of only four rix-dollars per month.</p> +<p>Having done this man kindness, I was resolved to rescue him +from bondage, at the same time that I obtained freedom for +myself. I communicated my design, and made the proposal, +which was accepted by him, and measures were taken; yet were we +betrayed by this vile man, who thus purchased pardon and +liberty.</p> +<p>Piaschky, who had been informed that Reitz was arrested, saved +himself by deserting. I denied the fact in presence of +Manget, with whom I was confronted, and bribed the Auditor with a +hundred ducats. By this means Reitz only suffered a +year’s imprisonment, and the loss of his commission. +I was afterwards closely confined in a chamber, for having +endeavoured to corrupt the King’s officers, and was guarded +with greater caution.</p> +<p>Here I will interrupt my narrative, for a moment, to relate an +adventure which happened between me and this Captain Manget, +three years after he had thus betrayed me—that is to say, +in 1749, at Warsaw.</p> +<p>I there met him by chance, and it is not difficult to imagine +what was the salutation he received. I caned him; he took +this ill, and challenged me to fight with pistols. Captain +Heucking, of the Polish guards, was my second. We both +fired together; I shot him through the neck at the first shot, +and he fell dead on the field.</p> +<p>He alone, of all my enemies, ever died by my own hand; and he +well merited his end, for his cowardly treachery towards the two +brave fellows of whom I have spoken; and still more so with +respect to myself, who had been his benefactor. I own, I +have never reproached myself for this duel, by which I sent a +rascal out of the world.</p> +<p>I return to my tale. My destiny at Glatz was now become +more untoward and severe. The King’s suspicions were +increased, as likewise was his anger, by this my late attempt to +escape.</p> +<p>Left to myself, I considered my situation in the worst point +of view, and determined either on flight or death. The +length and closeness of my confinement became insupportable to my +impatient temper.</p> +<p>I had always had the garrison on my side, nor was it possible +to prevent my making friends among them. They knew I had +money, and, in a poor garrison regiment, the officers of which +are all dissatisfied, having most of them been drafted from other +corps, and sent thither as a punishment, there was nothing that +might not be undertaken.</p> +<p>My scheme was as follows:—My window looked towards the +city, and was ninety feet from the ground in the tower of the +citadel, out of which I could not get, without having found a +place of refuge in the city.</p> +<p>This an officer undertook to procure me, and prevailed on an +honest soap-boiler to grant me a hiding place. I then +notched my pen-knife, and sawed through three iron bars; but this +mode was too tedious, it being necessary to file away eight bars +from my window, before I could pass through; another officer +therefore procured me a file, which I was obliged to use with +caution, lest I should be overheard by the sentinels.</p> +<p>Having ended this labour, I cut my leather portmanteau into +thongs, sewed them end to end, added the sheets of my bed, and +descended safely from this astonishing height.</p> +<p>It rained, the night was dark, and all seemed fortunate, but I +had to wade through moats full of mud, before I could enter the +city, a circumstance I had never once considered. I sank up +to the knees, and after long struggling, and incredible efforts +to extricate myself, I was obliged to call the sentinel, and +desire him to go and tell the governor, Trenck was stuck fast in +the moat.</p> +<p>My misfortune was the greater on this occasion, because that +General Fouquet was then governor of Glatz. He was one of +the cruellest of men. He had been wounded by my father in a +duel; and the Austrian Trenck had taken his baggage in 1744, and +had also laid the country of Glatz under contribution. He +was, therefore, an enemy to the very name of Trenck; nor did he +lose any opportunity of giving proofs of his enmity, and +especially on the present occasion, when he left me standing in +the mire till noon, the sport of the soldiers. I was then +drawn out, half dead, only again to be imprisoned, and shut up +the whole day, without water to wash me. No one can imagine +how I looked, exhausted and dirty, my long hair having fallen +into the mud, with which, by my struggling, it was loaded.</p> +<p>I remained in this condition till the next day, when two +fellow-prisoners were sent to assist and clean me.</p> +<p>My imprisonment now became more intolerable. I had still +eighty louis-d’ors in my purse, which had not been taken +from me at my removal into another dungeon, and these afterwards +did me good service.</p> +<p>The passions soon all assailed me at once, and impetuous, +boiling, youthful blood overpowered reason; hope disappeared; I +thought myself the most unfortunate of men, and my King an +irreconcileable judge, more wrathful and more fortified in +suspicion by my own rashness. My nights were sleepless, my +days miserable; my soul was tortured by the desire of fame; a +consciousness of innocence was a continued stimulus inciting me +to end my misfortunes. Youth, inexperienced in woe and +disastrous fate, beholds every evil magnified, and desponds on +every new disappointment, more especially after having failed in +attempting freedom. Education had taught me to despise +death, and these opinions had been confirmed by my friend La +Mettrie, author of the famous work, “L’Homme +Machine,” or “Man a Machine.”</p> +<p>I read much during my confinement at Glatz, where books were +allowed me; time was therefore less tedious; but when the love of +liberty awoke, when fame and affection called me to Berlin, and +my baulked hopes painted the wretchedness of my situation; when I +remembered that my loved country, judging by appearances, could +not but pronounce me a traitor; then was I hourly impelled to +rush on the naked bayonets of my guards, by whom, to me, the road +of freedom was barred.</p> +<p>Big with such-like thoughts, eight days had not elapsed since +my last fruitless attempt to escape, when an event happened which +would appear incredible, were I, the principal actor in the +scene, not alive to attest its truth, and might not all Glatz and +the Prussian garrison be produced as eye and ear witnesses. +This incident will prove that adventurous, and even rash, daring +will render the most improbable undertakings possible, and that +desperate attempts may often make a general more fortunate and +famous than the wisest and best concerted plans.</p> +<p>Major Doo <a name="citation2"></a><a href="#footnote2" +class="citation">[2]</a> came to visit me, accompanied by an +officer of the guard, and an adjutant. After examining +every corner of my chamber, he addressed me, taxing me with a +second crime in endeavouring to obtain my liberty; adding this +must certainly increase the anger of the King.</p> +<p>My blood boiled at the word crime; he talked of patience; I +asked him how long the King had condemned me to imprisonment; he +answered, a traitor to his country, who has correspondence with +the enemy, cannot be condemned for a certain time, but must +depend for grace and pardon on the King.</p> +<p>At that instant I snatched his sword from his side, on which +my eyes had some time been fixed, sprang out of the door, tumbled +the sentinel from the top to the bottom of the stairs, passed the +men who happened to be drawn up before the prison door to relieve +the guard, attacked them sword in hand, threw them suddenly into +surprise by the manner in which I laid about me, wounded four of +them, made way through the rest, sprang over the breastwork of +the ramparts, and, with my sword drawn in my hand, immediately +leaped this astonishing height without receiving the least +injury. I leaped the second wall with equal safety and good +fortune. None of their pieces were loaded; no one durst +leap after me, and in order to pursue, they must go round through +the town and gate of the citadel; so that I had the start full +half an hour.</p> +<p>A sentinel, however, in a narrow passage, endeavoured to +oppose my flight, but I parried his fixed bayonet, and wounded +him in the face. A second sentinel, meantime, ran from the +outworks, to seize me behind, and I, to avoid him, made a spring +at the palisadoes; there I was unluckily caught by the foot, and +received a bayonet wound in the upper lip; thus entangled, they +beat me with the butt-end of their muskets, and dragged me back +to prison, while I struggled and defended myself like a man grown +desperate.</p> +<p>Certain it is, had I more carefully jumped the palisadoes, and +despatched the sentinel who opposed me, I might have escaped, and +gained the mountains. Thus might I have fled to Bohemia, +after having, at noonday, broken from the fortress of Glatz, +sprung past all its sentinels, over all its walls, and passed +with impunity, in despite of the guard, who were under arms, +ready to oppose me. I should not, having a sword, have +feared any single opponent, and was able to contend with the +swiftest runners.</p> +<p>That good fortune which had so far attended me forsook me at +the palisadoes, where hope was at an end. The severities of +imprisonment were increased; two sentinels and an under officer +were locked in with me, and were themselves guarded by sentinels +without; I was beaten and wounded by the butt-ends of their +muskets, my right foot was sprained, I spat blood, and my wounds +were not cured in less than a month.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> +<p>I was now first informed that the King had only condemned me +to a year’s imprisonment, in order to learn whether his +suspicions were well founded. My mother had petitioned for +me, and was answered, “Your son must remain a year +imprisoned, as a punishment for his rash +correspondence.”</p> +<p>Of this I was ignorant, and it was reported in Glatz that my +imprisonment was for life. I had only three weeks longer to +repine for the loss of liberty, when I made this rash +attempt. What must the King think? Was he not obliged +to act with this severity? How could prudence excuse my +impatience, thus to risk a confiscation, when I was certain of +receiving freedom, justification, and honour, in three +weeks? But, such was my adverse fate, circumstances all +tended to injure and persecute me, till at length I gave reason +to suppose I was a traitor, notwithstanding the purity of my +intentions.</p> +<p>Once more, then, was I in a dungeon, and no sooner was I there +than I formed new projects of flight. I first gained the +intimacy of my guards. I had money, and this, with the +compassion I had inspired, might effect anything among +discontented Prussian soldiers. Soon had I gained +thirty-two men, who were ready to execute, on the first signal, +whatever I should command. Two or three excepted, they were +unacquainted with each other; they consequently could not all be +betrayed at a time: had chosen the sub-officer Nicholai to head +them.</p> +<p>The garrison consisted only of one hundred and twenty men from +the garrison regiment, the rest being dispersed in the county of +Glatz, and four officers, their commanders, three of whom were in +my interest. Everything was prepared; swords and pistols +were concealed in the oven which was in my prison. We +intended to give liberty to all the prisoners, and retire with +drums beating into Bohemia.</p> +<p>Unfortunately, an Austrian deserter, to whom Nicholai had +imparted our design, went and discovered our conspiracy. +The governor instantly sent his adjutant to the citadel, with +orders that the officer on guard should arrest Nicholai, and, +with his men, take possession of the casement.</p> +<p>Nicholai was on the guard, and the lieutenant was my friend, +and being in the secret, gave the signal that all was +discovered. Nicholai only knew all the conspirators, +several of whom that day were on guard. He instantly formed +his resolution, leaped into the casement, crying, +“Comrades, to arms, we are betrayed!” All +followed to the guard-house, where they seized on the cartridges, +the officer having only eight men, and threatening to fire on +whoever should offer resistance, came to deliver me from prison; +but the iron door was too strong, and the time too short for that +to be demolished. Nicholai, calling to me, bid me aid them, +but in vain: and perceiving nothing more could be done for me, +this brave man, heading nineteen others, marched to the gate of +the citadel, where there was a sub-officer and ten soldiers, +obliged these to accompany him, and thus arrived safely at +Braunau, in Bohemia; for, before the news was spread through the +city, and men were collected for the pursuit, they were nearly +half-way on their journey.</p> +<p>Two years after I met with this extraordinary man at +Ofenbourg, where hue was a writer: he entered immediately into my +service, and became my friend, but died some months after of a +burning fever, at my quarters in Hungary, at which I was deeply +grieved, for his memory will be ever dear to me.</p> +<p>Now was I exposed to all the storms of ill-fortune: a +prosecution was entered against me as a conspirator, who wanted +to corrupt the officers and soldiers of the King. They +commanded me to name the remaining conspirators; but to these +questions I made no answer, except by steadfastly declaring I was +an innocent prisoner, an officer unjustly broken; unjustly, +because I had never been brought to trial; that consequently I +was released from all my engagements; nor could it be thought +extraordinary that I should avail myself of that law of nature +which gives every man a right to defend his honour defamed, and +seek by every possible means to regain his liberty: that such had +been my sole purpose in every enterprise I had formed, and such +should still continue to be, for I was determined to persist, +till I should either be crowned with success, or lose my life in +the attempt.</p> +<p>Things thus remained: every precaution was taken except that I +was not put in irons; it being a law in Prussia that no gentleman +or officer can be loaded with chains, unless he has first for +some crime been delivered over to the executioner; and certainly +this had not been my case.</p> +<p>The soldiers were withdrawn from my chamber; but the greatest +ill was I had expended all my money, and my kind mistress, at +Berlin, with whom I had always corresponded, and which my +persecutors could not prevent, at last wrote—</p> +<blockquote><p>“My tears flow with yours; the evil is +without remedy—I dare no more—escape if you +can. My fidelity will ever be the same, when it shall be +possible for me to serve you.—Adieu, unhappy friend: you +merit a better fate.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>This letter was a thunderbolt:—my comfort, however, +still was that the officers were not suspected, and that it was +their duty to visit my chamber several times a day, and examine +what passed: from which circumstance I felt my hopes somewhat +revive. Hence an adventure happened which is almost +unexampled in tales of knight-errantry.</p> +<p>A lieutenant, whose name was Bach, a Dane by nation, mounted +guard every fourth day, and was the terror of the whole garrison; +for, being a perfect master of arms, he was incessantly involved +in quarrels, and generally left his marks behind him. He +had served in two regiments, neither of which would associate +with him for this reason, and he had been sent to the garrison +regiment at Glatz as punishment.</p> +<p>Bach one day, sitting beside me, related how, the evening +before, he had wounded a lieutenant, of the name of Schell, in +the arm. I replied, laughing, “Had I my liberty, I +believe you would find some trouble in wounding me, for I have +some skill in the sword.” The blood instantly flew in +his face; we split off a kind of pair of foils from an old door, +which had served me as a table, and at the first lunge I hit him +on the breast.</p> +<p>His rage became ungovernable, and he left the prison. +What was my astonishment when, a moment after, I saw him return +with two soldiers’ swords, which he had concealed under his +coat.—“Now, then, boaster, prove,” said he, +giving me one of them, “what thou art able to +do.” I endeavoured to pacify him, by representing the +danger, but ineffectually. He attacked me with the utmost +fury, and I wounded him in the arm.</p> +<p>Throwing his sword down, he fell upon my neck, kissed me, and +wept. At length, after some convulsive emotions of +pleasure, he said, “Friend, thou art my master; and thou +must, thou shalt, by my aid, obtain thy liberty, as certainly as +my name is Bach.” We bound up his arm as well as we +could. He left me, and secretly went to a surgeon, to have +it properly dressed, and at night returned.</p> +<p>He now remarked, that it was humanly impossible I should +escape, unless the officer on guard should desert with +me;—that he wished nothing more ardently than to sacrifice +his life in my behalf, but that he could not resolve so far to +forget his honour and duty to desert, himself, while on guard: he +notwithstanding gave me his word of honour he would find me such +a person in a few days; and that, in the meantime, he would +prepare everything for my flight.</p> +<p>He returned the same evening, bringing with him Lieutenant +Schell, and as he entered said, “Here is your +man.” Schell embraced me, gave his word of honour, +and thus was the affair settled, and as it proved, my liberty +ascertained.</p> +<p>We soon began to deliberate on the means necessary to obtain +our purpose. Schell was just come from garrison at +Habelchwert to the citadel of Glatz, and in two days was to mount +guard over me, till when our attempt was suspended. I have +before said, I received no more supplies from my beloved +mistress, and my purse at that time only contained some six +pistoles. It was therefore resolved that Bach should go to +Schweidnitz, and obtain money of a sure friend of mine in that +city.</p> +<p>Here must I inform the reader that at this period the officers +and I all understood each other, Captain Roder alone excepted, +who was exact, rigid, and gave trouble on all occasions.</p> +<p>Major Quaadt was my kinsman, by my mother’s side, a +good, friendly man, and ardently desirous I should escape, seeing +my calamities were so much increased. The four lieutenants +who successively mounted guard over me were Bach, Schroeder, +Lunitz, and Schell. The first was the grand projector, and +made all preparations; Schell was to desert with me; and +Schroeder and Lunitz three days after were to follow.</p> +<p>No one ought to be surprised that officers of garrison +regiments should be so ready to desert. They are, in +general, either men of violent passions, quarrelsome, overwhelmed +with debts, or unfit for service. They are usually sent to +the garrison as a punishment, and are called the refuse of the +army. Dissatisfied with their situation, their pay much +reduced, and despised by the troops, such men, expecting +advantage, may be brought to engage in the most desperate +undertaking. None of them can hope for their discharge, and +they live in the utmost poverty. They all hoped by my means +to better their fortune, I always having had money enough; and, +with money, nothing is more easy than to find friends, in places +where each individual is desirous of escaping from slavery.</p> +<p>The talents of Schell were of a superior order; he spoke and +wrote six languages, and was well acquainted with all the fine +arts. He had served in the regiment of Fouquet, had been +injured by his colonel, who was a Pomeranian; and Fouquet, who +was no friend to well-informed officers, had sent him to a +garrison regiment. He had twice demanded his dismissal, but +the King sent him to this species of imprisonment; he then +determined to avenge himself by deserting, and was ready to aid +me in recovering my freedom, that he might, by that means, spite +Fouquet.</p> +<p>I shall speak more hereafter of this extraordinary man, that I +must not in this place interrupt my story. We determined +everything should be prepared against the first time Schell +mounted guard, and that our project should be executed on our +next. Thus, as he mounted guard every four days, the eighth +was to be that of our flight.</p> +<p>The governor meantime had been informed how familiar I was +become with the officers, at which taking offence, he sent orders +that my door should no more be opened, but that I should receive +my food through a small window that had been made for the +purpose. The care of the prison was committed to the major, +and he was forbidden to eat with me, under pain of being +broken.</p> +<p>His precautions were ineffectual; the officers procured a +false key, and remained with me half the day and night.</p> +<p>Captain Damnitz was imprisoned in an apartment by the side of +mine. This man had deserted from the Prussian service, with +the money belonging to his company, to Austria, where he obtained +a commission in his cousin’s regiment, who having prevailed +on him to serve as a spy, during the campaign of 1744, he was +taken in the Prussian territories, known, and condemned to be +hanged.</p> +<p>Some Swedish volunteers, who were then in the army, interested +themselves in his behalf, and his sentence was changed to +perpetual imprisonment, with a sentence of infamy.</p> +<p>This wretch, who two years after, by the aid of his +protectors, not only obtained his liberty but a +lieutenant-colonel’s commission, was the secret spy of the +major over the prisoners; and he remarked that, notwithstanding +the express prohibition laid on the officers, they still passed +the greater part of their time in my company.</p> +<p>The 24th of December came, and Schell mounted guard. He +entered my prison immediately, where he continued a long time, +and we made our arrangements for flight when he next should mount +guard.</p> +<p>Lieutenant Schroeder that day dined with the governor, and +heard orders given to the adjutant that Schell should be taken +from the guard, and put under arrest.</p> +<p>Schroeder, who was in the secret, had no doubt but that we +were betrayed, not knowing that the spy Damnitz had informed the +governor that Schell was then in my chamber.</p> +<p>Schroeder, full of terror, came running to the citadel, and +said to Schell, “Save thyself, friend; all is discovered, +and thou wilt instantly be put under arrest.”</p> +<p>Schell might easily have provided for his own safety, by +flying singly, Schroeder having prepared horses, on one of which +he himself offered to accompany him into Bohemia. How did +this worthy man, in a moment so dangerous, act toward his +friend?</p> +<p>Running suddenly into my prison, he drew a corporal’s +sabre from under his coat, and said, “Friend, we are +betrayed; follow me, only do not suffer me to fall alive into the +hands of my enemies.”</p> +<p>I would have spoken: but interrupting me, and taking me by the +hand, he added, “Follow me; we have not a moment to +lose.” I therefore slipped on my coat and boots, +without having time to take the little money I had left; and, as +we went out of the prison, Schell said to the sentinel, “I +am taking the prisoner into the officer’s apartment; stand +where you are.”</p> +<p>Into this room we really went, but passed out at the other +door. The design of Schell was to go under the arsenal, +which was not far off, to gain the covered way, leap the +palisadoes, and afterwards escape after the best manner we +might.</p> +<p>We had scarcely gone a hundred paces before we met the +adjutant and Major Quaadt.</p> +<p>Schell started back, sprang upon the rampart, and leaped from +the wall, which was there not very high. I followed, and +alighted unhurt, except having grazed my shoulder. My poor +friend was not so fortunate; having put out his ankle. He +immediately drew his sword, presented it to me, and begged me to +despatch him, and fly. He was a small, weak man: but, far +from complying with his request, I took him in my arms, threw him +over the palisadoes, afterwards got him on my back, and began to +run, without very well knowing which way I went.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> +<p>It may not be unnecessary to remark those fortunate +circumstances that favoured our enterprise.</p> +<p>The sun had just set as we took to flight; the hoar frost +fell. No one would run the risk that we had done, by making +so dangerous a leap. We heard a terrible noise behind +us. Everybody knew us; but before they could go round the +citadel, and through the town, in order to pursue us, we had got +a full half league.</p> +<p>The alarm guns were fired before we were a hundred paces +distant; at which my friend was very much terrified, knowing that +in such cases it was generally impossible to escape from Glatz, +unless the fugitives had got the start full two hours before the +alarm guns were heard; the passes being immediately all stopped +by the peasants and hussars, who are exceedingly vigilant. +No sooner is a prisoner missed than the gunner runs from the +guard-house, and fires the cannon on the three sides of the +fortress, which are kept loaded day and night for that +purpose.</p> +<p>We were not five hundred paces from the walls, when all before +us and behind us were in motion. It was daylight when we +leaped, yet was our attempt as fortunate as it was wonderful: +this I attributed to my presence of mind, and the reputation I +had already acquired, which made it thought a service of danger +for two or three men to attack me.</p> +<p>It was besides imagined we were well provided with arms for +our defence; and it was little suspected that Schell had only his +sword, and I an old corporal’s sabre.</p> +<p>Among the officers commanded to pursue us was Lieutenant Bart, +my intimate friend. Captain Zerbst, of the regiment of +Fouquet, who had always testified the kindness of a brother +towards me, met us on the Bohemian frontiers, and called to me, +“Make to time left, brother, and you will see some lone +houses, which are on the Bohemian confines: the hussars have +ridden straight forward.” He then passed on as if he +had not seen us.</p> +<p>We had nothing to fear from the officers; for the intimacy +between the Prussian officers was at that time so great, and the +word of honour so sacred, that during my rigorous detention at +Glatz I had been once six-and-thirty hours hunting at Neurode, at +the seat of Baron Stillfriede; Lunitz had taken my place in the +prison, which the major knew when he came to make his +visit. Hence may be conjectured how great was the +confidence in which the word of the unfortunate Trenck was held +at Glatz, since they did not fear letting him leave his dungeon, +and hunt on the very confines of Bohemia. This, too, shows +the governor was deceived, in despite of his watchfulness and +order, and that a man of honour, with money, and a good head and +heart, will never want friends.</p> +<p>These my memoirs will be the picture of what the national +character then was; and will prove that, with officers who lived +like brothers, and held their words so sacred, the great +Frederick well might vanquish his enemies.</p> +<p>Arbitrary power has now introduced the whip of slavery, and +mechanic subordination has eradicated those noble and rational +incitements to concord and honour. Instead of which, +mistrust and slavish fear having arisen, the enthusiastic spirit +of the Brandenburg warrior declines, and into this error have +most of the other European States fallen.</p> +<p>Scarcely had I borne my friend three hundred paces before I +set him down, and I looked round me, but darkness came on so fast +that I could see neither town nor citadel; consequently, we +ourselves could not be seen.</p> +<p>My presence of mind did not forsake me: death or freedom was +my determination. “Where are we, Schell?” said +I to my friend. “Where does Bohemia lie? on which +side is the river Neiss?” The worthy man could make +no answer: his mind was all confusion, and he despaired of our +escape: he still, however, entreated I would not let him be taken +alive, and affirmed my labour was all in vain.</p> +<p>After having promised, by all that was sacred, I would save +him from an infamous death, if no other means were left, and thus +raised his spirits, he looked round, and knew, by some trees, we +were not far from the city gates. I asked him, “Where +is the Neiss?” He pointed sideways—“All +Glatz has seen us fly towards the Bohemian mountains; it is +impossible we should avoid the hussars, the passes being all +guarded, and we beset with enemies.” So saying, I +took him on my shoulders, and carried him to the Neiss; here we +distinctly heard the alarm sounded in the villages, and the +peasants, who likewise were to form the line of desertion, were +everywhere in motion, and spreading the alarm. As it may +not be known to all my readers in what manner they proceed on +these occasions in Prussia, I will here give a short account of +it.</p> +<p>Officers are daily named on the parade whose duty it is to +follow fugitives as soon as the alarm-guns are fired.</p> +<p>The peasants in the villages, likewise, are daily appointed to +rim to the guard of certain posts. The officers immediately +fly to these posts to see that the peasants do their duty, and +prevent the prisoner’s escape. Thus does it seldom +happen that a soldier can effect his escape unless he be, at the +very least, an hour on the road before the alarm-guns are +fired.</p> +<p>I now return to my story.</p> +<p>I came to the Neiss, which was a little frozen, entered it +with my friend, and carried him as long as I could wade, and when +I could not feel the bottom, which did not continue for more than +a space of eighteen feet, he clung round me, and thus we got +safely to the other shore.</p> +<p>My father taught all his sons to swim, for which I have often +had to thank him; since by means of this art, which is easily +learnt in childhood, I had on various occasions preserved my +life, and was more bold in danger. Princes who wish to make +their subjects soldiers, should have them educated so as to fear +neither fire nor water. How great would be the advantage of +being able to cross a river with whole battalions, when it is +necessary to attack or retreat before the enemy, and when time +will not permit to prepare bridges!</p> +<p>The reader will easily suppose swimming in the midst of +December, and remaining afterwards eighteen hours in the open +air, was a severe hardship. About seven o’clock the +hoar-fog was succeeded by frost and moonlight. The carrying +of my friend kept me warm, it is true, but I began to be tired, +while he suffered everything that frost, the pain of a dislocated +foot (which I in vain endeavoured to reset), and the danger of +death from a thousand hands, could inflict.</p> +<p>We were somewhat more tranquil, however, having reached the +opposite shore of the Neiss, since nobody would pursue us on the +road to Silesia. I followed the course of the river for +half an hour, and having once passed the first villages that +formed the line of desertion, with which Schell was perfectly +acquainted, we in a lucky moment found a fisherman’s boat +moored to the shore; into this we leaped, crossed the river +again, and soon gained the mountains.</p> +<p>Here being come, we sat ourselves down awhile on the snow; +hope revived in our hearts, and we held council concerning how it +was best to act. I cut a stick to assist Schell in hopping +forward as well as he could when I was tired of carrying him; and +thus we continued our route, the difficulties of which were +increased by the mountain snows.</p> +<p>Thus passed the night; during which, up to the middle in snow, +we made but little way. There were no paths to be traced in +the mountains, and they were in many places impassable. Day +at length appeared: we thought ourselves near the frontiers, +which are twenty English miles from Glatz, when we suddenly, to +our great terror, heard the city clock strike.</p> +<p>Overwhelmed, as we were, by hunger, cold, fatigue, and pain, +it was impossible we should hold out through the day. After +some consideration, and another half-hour’s labour, we came +to a village at the foot of the mountain, on the side of which, +about three hundred paces from us, we perceived two separate +houses, which inspired us with a stratagem that was +successful.</p> +<p>We lost our hats in leaping the ramparts; but Schell had +preserved his scarf and gorget, which would give him authority +among the peasants.</p> +<p>I then cut my finger, rubbed the blood over my face, my shirt, +and my coat, and bound up my head, to give myself the appearance +of a man dangerously wounded.</p> +<p>In this condition I carried Schell to the end of the wood not +far from these houses; here he tied my hands behind my back, but +so that I could easily disengage them in ease of need: and +hobbled after me, by aid of his staff, calling for help.</p> +<p>Two old peasants appeared, and Schell commanded them to run to +the village, and tell a magistrate to come immediately with a +cart. “I have seized this knave,” added he, +“who has killed my horse, and in the struggle I have put +out my ankle; however, I have wounded and bound him; fly quickly, +bring a cart, lest he should die before he is hanged.”</p> +<p>As for me, I suffered myself to be led, as if half-dead, into +the house. A peasant was despatched to the village. +An old woman and a pretty girl seemed to take great pity on me, +and gave me some bread and milk: but how great was our +astonishment when the aged peasant called Schell by his name, and +told him he well knew we were deserters, having the night before +been at a neighbouring alehouse where the officer in pursuit of +us came, named and described us, and related the whole history of +our flight. The peasant knew Schell, because his son served +in his company, and had often spoken of him when he was quartered +at Habelschwert.</p> +<p>Presence of mind and resolution were all that were now +left. I instantly ran to the stable, while Schell detained +the peasant in the chamber. He, however, was a worthy man, +and directed him to the road toward Bohemia. We were still +about some seven miles from Glatz, having lost ourselves among +the mountains, where we had wandered many miles. The +daughter followed me: I found three horses in the stable, but no +bridles. I conjured her, in the most passionate manner, to +assist me: she was affected, seemed half willing to follow me, +and gave me two bridles. I led the horses to the door, +called Schell, and helped him, with his lame leg, on +horseback. The old peasant then began to weep, and beg I +would not take his horses; but he luckily wanted courage, and +perhaps the will to impede us; for with nothing more than a +dung-fork, in our then feeble condition, he might have stopped us +long enough to have called in assistance from the village.</p> +<p>And now behold us on horseback, without hats or saddles; +Schell with his uniform scarf and gorget, and I in my red +regimental coat. Still we were in danger of seeing all our +hopes vanish, for my horse would not stir from the stable; +however, at last, good horseman-like, I made him move: Schell led +the way, and we had scarcely gone a hundred paces, before we +perceived the peasants coming in crowds from the village.</p> +<p>As kind fortune would have it, the people were all at church, +it being a festival: the peasants Schell had sent were obliged to +call aid out of church. It was but nine in the morning; and +had the peasants been at home, we had been lost past +redemption.</p> +<p>We were obliged to take the road to Wunshelburg, and pass +through the town where Schell had been quartered a month before, +and in which he was known by everybody. Our dress, without +hats or saddles, sufficiently proclaimed we were deserters: our +horses, however, continued to go tolerably well, and we had the +good luck to get through the town, although there was a garrison +of one hundred and eighty infantry, and twelve horse, purposely +to arrest deserters. Schell knew the road to Brummem, where +we arrived at eleven o’clock, after having met, as I before +mentioned, Captain Zerbst.</p> +<p>He who has been in the same situation only can imagine, though +he never can describe, all the joy we felt. An innocent +man, languishing in a dungeon, who by his own endeavours, has +broken his chains, and regained his liberty, in despite of all +the arbitrary power of princes, who vainly would oppose him, +conceives in moments like these such an abhorrence of despotism, +that I could not well comprehend how I ever could resolve to live +under governments where wealth, content, honour, liberty, and +life all depend upon a master’s will, and who, were his +intentions the most pure, could not be able, singly, to do +justice to a whole nation.</p> +<p>Never did I, during life, feel pleasure more exquisite than at +this moment. My friend for me had risked a shameful death, +and now, after having carried him at least twelve hours on my +shoulders, I had saved both him and myself. We certainly +should not have suffered any man to bring us, alive, back to +Glatz. Yet this was but the first act of the tragedy of +which I was doomed the hero, and the mournful incidents of which +all arose out of, and depended on, each other.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> +<p>Could I have read the book of fate, and have seen the forty +years’ fearful afflictions that were to follow, I certainly +should not have rejoiced at this my escape from Glatz. One +year’s patience might have appeased the irritated monarch, +and, taking a retrospect of all that has passed, I now find it +would have been a fortunate circumstance, had the good and +faithful Schell and I never met, since he also fell into a train +of misfortunes, which I shall hereafter relate, and from which he +could never extricate himself, but by death. The sufferings +which I have since undergone will be read with astonishment.</p> +<p>It is my consolation that both the laws of honour and nature +justify the action. I may serve as an example of the +fortitude with which danger ought to be encountered, and show +monarchs that in Germany, as well as in Rome, there are men who +refuse to crouch beneath the yoke of despotism, and that +philosophy and resolution are stronger than even those lords of +slaves, with all their threats, whips, tortures, and instruments +of death.</p> +<p>In Prussia, where my sufferings might have made me supposed +the worst of traitors, is my innocence universally acknowledged; +and instead of contempt, there have I gained the love of the +whole nation, which is the best compensation for all the ills I +have suffered, and for having persevered in the virtuous +principles taught me in my youth, persecuted as I have been by +envy and malicious power. I have not time further to +moralise; the numerous incidents of my life would otherwise swell +this volume to too great an extent.</p> +<p>Thus in freedom at Braunau, on the Bohemian frontiers, I sent +the two horses, with the corporal’s sword, back to General +Fouquet, at Glatz. The letter accompanying them was so +pleasing to him that all the sentinels before my prison door, as +well as the guard under arms, and all those we passed, were +obliged to run the gauntlet, although the very day before he had +himself declared my escape was now rendered impossible. He, +however, was deceived; and thus do the mean revenge themselves on +the miserable, and the tyrant on the innocent.</p> +<p>And now for the first time did I quit my country, and fly like +Joseph from the pit into which his false brethren had cast him; +and in this the present moment of joy for my escape, the loss +even of friends and country appeared to me the excess of good +fortune.</p> +<p>The estates which had been purchased by the blood of my +forefathers were confiscated; and thus was a youth, of one of the +noblest families in the land, whose heart was all zeal for the +service of his King and country, and who was among those most +capable to render them service, banished by his unjust and misled +King, and treated like the worst of miscreants, malefactors, and +traitors.</p> +<p>I wrote to the King, and sent him a true state of my case; +sent indubitable proofs of my innocence, and supplicated justice, +but received no answer.</p> +<p>In this the monarch may be justified, at least in my +apprehension. A wicked man had maliciously and falsely +accused me; Colonel Jaschinsky had made him suspect me for a +traitor, and it was impossible he should read my heart. The +first act of injustice had been hastily committed; I had been +condemned unheard, unjudged; and the injustice that had been done +me was known too late; Frederic the Great found he was not +infallible. Pardon I would not ask, for I had committed no +offence; and the King would not probably own, by a reverse of +conduct, he had been guilty of injustice. My resolution +increased his obstinacy: but, in the discussion of the cause, our +power was very unequal.</p> +<p>The monarch once really loved me; he meant my punishment +should only be temporary, and as a trial of my fidelity. +That I had been condemned to no more than a year’s +imprisonment had never been told me, and was a fact I did not +learn till long after.</p> +<p>Major Doo, who, as I have said, was the creature of Fouquet, a +mean and covetous man, knowing I had money, had always acted the +part of a protector as he pretended to me, and continually told +me I was condemned for life. He perpetually turned the +conversation on the great credit of his general with the King, +and his own great credit with the general. For the present +of a horse, on which I rode to Glatz, he gave me freedom of +walking about the fortress; and for another, worth a hundred +ducats, I rescued Ensign Reitz from death, who had been betrayed +when endeavouring to effect our escape. I have been assured +that on that very day on which I snatched his sword from his +side, desperately passed through the garrison, and leaped the +walls of the rampart, he was expressly come to tell me, after +some prefatory threats, that by his general’s intercession, +my punishment was only to be a year’s imprisonment, and +that consequently I should be released in a few days.</p> +<p>How vile were means like these to wrest money from the +unfortunate! The King, after this my mad flight, certainly +was never informed of the major’s base cunning; he could +only be told that, rather than wait a few days, I had chosen, in +this desperate manner, to make my escape, and go over to the +enemy.</p> +<p>Thus deceived and strengthened in his suspicion, must he not +imagine my desire to forsake my country, and desert to the enemy, +was unbounded? How could he do otherwise than imprison a +subject who thus endeavoured to injure him and aid his +foes? Thus, by the calumnies of wicked men, did my cruel +destiny daily become more severe; and at length render the +deceived monarch irreconcilable and cruel.</p> +<p>Yet how could it be supposed that I would not willingly have +remained three weeks longer in prison, to have been honourably +restored to liberty, to have prevented the confiscation of my +estate, and to have once more returned to my beloved mistress at +Berlin.</p> +<p>And now was I in Bohemia, a fugitive stranger without money, +protector, or friend, and only twenty years of age.</p> +<p>In the campaign of 1744 I had been quartered at Braunau with a +weaver, whom I advised and assisted to bury his effects, and +preserve them from being plundered. The worthy man received +us with joy and gratitude. I had lived in this same house +but two years before as absolute master of him and his +fate. I had then nine horses and five servants, with the +highest and most favourable hopes of futurity; but now I came a +fugitive, seeking protection, and having lost all a youth like me +had to lose.</p> +<p>I had but a single louis-d’or in my purse, and Schell +forty kreutzers, or some three shillings; with this small sum, in +a strange country, we had to cure his sprain, and provide for all +our wants.</p> +<p>I was determined not to go to my cousin Trenck at Vienna, +fearful this should seem a justification of all my imputed +treasons; I rather wished to embark for the East Indies, than to +have recourse to this expedient. The greater my delicacy +was the greater became my distress. I wrote to my mistress +at Berlin, but received no answer; possibly because I could not +indicate any certain mode of conveyance. My mother believed +me guilty, and abandoned me; my brothers were still minors, and +my friend at Schweidnitz could not aid me, being gone to +Königsberg.</p> +<p>After three weeks’ abode at Braunau, my friend recovered +of his lameness. We had been obliged to sell my watch, with +his scarf and gorget, to supply our necessities, and had only +four florins remaining.</p> +<p>From the public papers I learned my cousin, the Austrian +Trenck, was at this time closely confined, and under criminal +prosecution. It will easily be imagined what effect this +news had upon me.</p> +<p>Never till now had I felt any inconvenience from poverty; my +wants had all been amply supplied, and I had ever lived among, +and been highly loved and esteemed by, the first people of the +land. I was destitute, without aid, and undetermined how to +seek employment, or obtain fame.</p> +<p>At length I determined to travel on foot to Prussia to my +mother, and obtain money from her, and afterwards enter into the +Russian service. Schell, whose destiny was linked to mine, +would not forsake me. We assumed false names: I called +myself Knert, and Schell, Lesch; then, obtaining passports, like +common deserters, we left Braunau on the 21st of January, in the +evening, unseen of any person, and proceeded towards Bielitz in +Poland. A friend I had at Neurode gave me a pair of pocket +pistols, a musket, and three ducats; the money was spent at +Braunau. Here let me take occasion to remark I had lent +this friend, in urgent necessity, a hundred ducats, which he +still owed me; and when I sent to request payment, he returned me +three, as if I had asked charity.</p> +<p>Though a circumstantial description of our travels alone would +fill a volume, I shall only relate the most singular accidents +which happened to us; I shall also insert the journal of our +route, which Schell had preserved, and gave me in 1776, when he +came to see me at Aix-la-Chapelle, after an absence of thirty +years.</p> +<p>This may be called the first scene in which I appeared as an +adventurer, and perhaps my good fortune may even have +overbalanced the bad, since I have escaped death full thirty +times when the chances were a hundred to one against me; certain +it is I undertook many things in which I seemed to have owed my +preservation to the very rashness of the action, and in which +others equally brave would have found death.</p> +<h3>JOURNAL OF TRAVELS ON FOOT.</h3> +<p>From Braunau, in Bohemia, through Bielitz, in Poland, to +Meseritsch, and from Meseritsch, by Thorn, to Ebling; in the +whole 169 miles, <a name="citation3"></a><a href="#footnote3" +class="citation">[3]</a> performed without begging or +stealing.</p> +<p>January 18th, 1747.—From Braunau, by Politz, to Nachod, +three miles, we having three florins forty-five kreutzers in our +purse.</p> +<p>Jan. 19.—To Neustadt. Here Schell bartered his +uniform for an old coat, and a Jew gave him two florins fifteen +kreutzers in exchange; from hence we went to Reichenau; in all, +three miles.</p> +<p>Jan. 20.—We went to Leitomischl, five miles. Here +I bought a loaf hot out of the oven, which eating greedily, had +nearly caused my death. This obliged us to rest a day, and +the extravagant charge of the landlord almost emptied our +purse.</p> +<p>Jan. 22.—From Trübau, to Zwittau, in Moravia, four +miles.</p> +<p>Jan. 23.—To Sternberg, six miles. This day’s +journey excessively fatigued poor Schell, his sprained ankle +being still extremely weak.</p> +<p>Jan. 24.—To Leipnik, four miles, in a deep snow, and +with empty stomachs. Here I sold my stock-buckle for four +florins.</p> +<p>Jan. 25.—To Freiberg, by Weiskirch, to Drahotusch, five +miles. Early in the morning we found a violin and case on +the road; the innkeeper in Weiskirch gave us two florins for it, +on condition that he should return it to the owner on proving his +right, it being worth at least twenty.</p> +<p>Jan. 26.—To Friedek, in Upper Silesia, two miles.</p> +<p>Jan. 27.—To a village, four miles and a half.</p> +<p>Jan. 28.—Through Skotschau, to Bielitz, three +miles. This was the last Austrian town on the frontiers of +Poland, and Captain Capi, of the regiment of Marischall, who +commanded the garrison, demanded our passports. We had +false names, and called ourselves common Prussian deserters; but +a drummer, who had deserted from Glatz, knew us, and betrayed us +to the captain, who immediately arrested us very rudely, and sent +us on foot to Teschin (refusing us a hearing), four miles +distant.</p> +<p>Here we found Lieut.-Colonel Baron Schwarzer, a perfectly +worthy man, who was highly interested in our behalf, and who +blamed the irregular arbitrary conduct of Captain Capi. I +frankly related my adventures, and he used every possible +argument to persuade me, instead of continuing my journey through +Poland to go to Vienna, but in vain; my good genius, this time, +preserved me—would to God it ever had! How many +miseries had I then avoided, and how easily might I have escaped +the snares spread for me by the powerful, who have seized on my +property, and in order to secure it, have hitherto rendered me +useless to the state by depriving me of all post or +preferment.</p> +<p>I returned, therefore, a second time to Beilitz, travelling +these four miles once more. Schwarzer lent us his own horse +and four ducats, which I have since repaid, but which I shall +never forget, as they were of signal service to me, and procured +me a pair of new boots.</p> +<p>Irritated against Captain Capi, we passed through Beilitz +without stopping, went immediately to Biala, the first town in +Poland, and from thence sent Capi a challenge to fight me, with +sword or pistol, but received no answer; and his non-appearance +has ever confirmed him in my opinion a rascal.</p> +<p>And here suffer me to take a retrospective view of what was my +then situation. By the orders of Capi I was sent prisoner +as a contemptible common deserter, and was unable to call him to +account. In Poland, indeed, I had that power, but was +despised as a vagabond because of my poverty. What, alas! +are the advantages which the love of honour, science, courage, or +desire of fame can bestow, wanting the means that should +introduce us to, and bid us walk erect in the presence of our +equals? Youth depressed by poverty, is robbed of the +society of those who best can afford example and +instruction. I had lived familiar with the great, men of +genius had formed and enlightened me; I had been enumerated among +the favourites of a court; and now was I a stranger, unknown, +unesteemed, nay, condemned, obliged to endure the extremes of +cold, hunger, and thirst; to wander many a weary mile, suffering +both in body and mind, while every step led me farther from her +whom most I loved, and dearest; yet had I no fixed plan, no +certain knowledge in what these my labours and sufferings should +end.</p> +<p>I was too proud to discover myself; and, indeed, to whom could +I discover myself in a strange land? My name might have +availed me in Austria, but in Austria, where this name was known, +would I not remain; rather than seek my fortune there, I was +determined to shun whatever might tend to render me suspicious in +the eyes of my country. How liable was a temper so ardent +as mine, in the midst of difficulties, fatigues, and +disappointments, hard to endure, to betray me into all those +errors of which rash youth, unaccustomed to hardship, impatient +of contrariety, are so often guilty! But I had taken my +resolution, and my faithful Schell, to whom hunger or ease, +contempt or fame, for my sake, were become indifferent, did +whatever I desired.</p> +<p>Once more to my journal.</p> +<p>Feb. 1.—We proceeded four miles from Biala to Oswintzen, +I having determined to ask aid from my sister, who had married +Waldow, and lived much at her case on a fine estate at Hanmer, in +Brandenburg, between Lansberg, on the Warta and Meseritsch, a +frontier town of Poland. For this reason we continued our +route all along the Silesian confines to Meseritsch.</p> +<p>Feb. 2.—To Bobrek and Elkusch, five miles. We +suffered much this day because of the snow, and that the +lightness of our dress was ill suited to such severe +weather. Schell, negligently, lost our purse, in which were +nine florins. I had still, however, nineteen grosch in my +pocket (about half-a-crown).</p> +<p>Feb. 3.—To Crumelew, three miles; and</p> +<p>Feb. 4.—To Wladowiegud Joreck, three miles more; and +from thence, on.</p> +<p>Feb. 5.—To Czenstochowa, where there is a magnificent +convent, concerning which, had I room, I might write many +remarkable things, much to the disgrace of its inhabitants.</p> +<p>We slept at an inn kept by a very worthy man, whose name was +Lazar. He had been a lieutenant in the Austrian service, +where he had suffered much, and was now become a poor innkeeper +in Poland. We had not a penny in our purse, and requested a +bit of bread. The generous man had compassion on us, and +desired us to sit down and eat with himself. I then told +him who we were, and trusted him with the motives of our +journey. Scarcely had we supped, before a carriage arrived +with three people. They had their own horses, a servant and +a coachman.</p> +<p>This is a remarkable incident, and I must relate it +circumstantially, though as briefly as possible.</p> +<p>We had before met this carriage at Elkusch, and one of these +people had asked Schell where we were going; he had replied, to +Czenstochowa; we therefore had not the least suspicion of them, +notwithstanding the danger we ran.</p> +<p>They lay at the inn, saluted us, but with indifference, not +seeming to notice us, and spoke little. We had not been +long in bed, before our host came to awaken us, and told us with +surprise, these pretended merchants were sent to arrest us from +Prussia; that they had offered, first, fifty, afterwards, a +hundred ducats, if he would permit them to take us in his house, +and carry us into Silesia: that he had firmly rejected the +proposal, though they had increased their promises: and that at +last they had given him six ducats to engage his silence.</p> +<p>We clearly saw these were an officer and under-officers sent +by General Fouquet, to recover us. We conjectured by what +means they had discovered our route, and imagined the information +they had received could only come from one Lieutenant Molinie, of +the garrison of Habelschwert, who had come to visit Schell, as a +friend, during our stay at Braunau. He had remained with us +two days, and had asked many questions concerning the road we +should take, and he was the only one who knew it. He was +probably the spy of Fouquet, and the cause of what happened +afterwards, which, however, ended in the defeat of our +enemies.</p> +<p>The moment I heard of this infamous treachery, I was for +entering with my pistols primed, into the enemy’s chamber, +but was prevented by Schell and Lazar: the latter entreated me, +in the strongest manner, to remain at his house till I should +receive a supply from my mother, that I might be enabled to +continue my journey with more ease and less danger: but his +entreaties were ineffectual; I was determined to see her, +uncertain as I was of what effect my letter had produced. +Lazar assured me, we should, most infallibly, be attacked on the +road. “So much the better,” retorted I; +“that will give me an opportunity of despatching them, +sending them to the other world, and shooting them as I would +highwayman.” They departed at break of day, and took +the road to Warsaw.</p> +<p>We would have been gone, likewise, but Lazar, in some sort, +forcibly detained us, and gave us the six ducats he had received +from the Prussians, with which we bought us each a shirt, another +pair of pocket pistols, and other urgent necessaries; then took +an affectionate leave of our host, who directed us on our way, +and we testified our gratitude for the great services done +us.</p> +<p>Feb. 6.—From Czenstochowa to Dankow, two miles. +Here we expected an attack. Lazar had told us our enemies +had one musket: I also had a musket, and an excellent sabre, and +each of us was provided with a pair of pistols. They knew +not we were so well armed, which perhaps was the cause of their +panic, when they came to engage.</p> +<p>Feb. 7.—We took the road to Parsemechi: we had not been +an hour on the road, before we saw a carriage; as we drew near, +we knew it to be that of our enemies, who pretended it was set in +the snow. They were round it, and when they saw us +approach, began to call for help. This, we guessed, was an +artifice to entrap us. Schell was not strong; they would +all have fallen upon me, and we should easily have been carried +off, for they wanted to take us alive.</p> +<p>We left the causeway about thirty paces, +answering—“we had not time to give them help;” +at which they all ran to their carriage, drew out their pistols, +and returning full speed after us, called, “Stop, +rascals!” We began to run, but I suddenly turning +round, presented my piece, and shot the nearest dead on the +spot. Schell fired his pistols; our oppressors did the +same, and Schell received a ball in the neck at this +discharge. It was now my turn; I took out my pistols, one +of the assailants fled, and I enraged, pursued him three hundred +paces, overtook him, and as he was defending himself with his +sword, perceiving he bled, and made a feeble resistance, pressed +upon him, and gave him a stroke that brought him down. I +instantly returned to Schell, whom I found in the power of two +others that were dragging him towards the carriage, but when they +saw me at their heels, they fled over the fields. The +coachman, perceiving which way the battle went, leaped on his +box, and drove off full speed.</p> +<p>Schell, though delivered, was wounded with a ball in the neck, +and by a cut in the right hand, which had made him drop his +sword, though he affirmed he had run one of his adversaries +through.</p> +<p>I took a silver watch from the man I had killed, and was going +to make free with his purse, when Schell called, and showed me a +coach and six coming down a hill. To stay would have +exposed us to have been imprisoned as highwaymen; for the two +fugitives who had escaped us would certainly have borne witness +against us. Safety could only be found in flight. I, +however, seized the musket and hat of him I had first killed, and +we then gained the copse, and after that the forest. The +road was round about, and it was night before we reached +Parsemechi.</p> +<p>Schell was besmeared with blood; I had bound up his wound the +best I could; but in Polish villages no surgeons are to be found: +and he performed his journey with great difficulty. We met +with two Saxon under-officers here, who were recruiting for the +regiment of guards at Dresden. My six feet height and +person pleased them, and they immediately made themselves +acquainted with me. I found them intelligent, and entrusted +them with our secret, told them who we were, related the battle +we had that day had with our pursuers, and I had not reason to +repent of my confidence in them. Schell had his wounds +dressed, and we remained seven days with these good Saxons, who +faithfully kept us company.</p> +<p>I learned, meantime, that of the four men by whom we had been +assaulted, one only, and the coachman, returned to Glatz. +The name of the officer who undertook this vile business was +Gersdorf; he had a hundred and fifty ducats in his pocket when +found dead. How great would our good fortune have been, had +not that cursed coach and six, by its appearance, made us take to +flight; since the booty would have been most just! Fortune, +this time, did not favour the innocent; and though treacherously +attacked, I was obliged to escape like a guilty wretch. We +sold the watch to a Jew for four ducats, the hat for three +florins and a half, and the musket for a ducat, Schell being +unable to carry it farther. We left most of this money +behind us at Parsemechi. A Jew surgeon sold us some dear +plaisters, which we took with us and departed.</p> +<p>Feb. 15.—From Parsemechi, through Vielum, to Biala, four +miles.</p> +<p>Feb. 16.—Through Jerischow to Misorcen, four miles and a +half.</p> +<p>Feb. 17.—To Osterkow and Schwarzwald, three miles.</p> +<p>Feb. 18.—To Sdune, four miles.</p> +<p>Feb. 19.—To Goblin two miles.</p> +<p>Here we arrived wholly destitute of money. I sold my +coat to a Jew, who gave me four florins and a coarse +waggoner’s frock, in exchange, which I did not think I +should long need, as we now drew nearer to where my sister lived, +and where I hoped I should be better equipped. Schell, +however, grew weaker and weaker; his wounds healed slowly, and +were expensive; the cold was also injurious to him, and, as he +was not by nature cleanly in his person, his body soon became the +harbour of every species of vermin to be picked up in +Poland. We often arrived wet and weary, to our smoky, +reeking stove-room. Often were we obliged to lie on straw, +or bare boards; and the various hardships we suffered are almost +incredible. Wandering as we did, in the midst of winter, +through Poland, where humanity, hospitality, and gentle pity, are +scarcely so much as known by name; where merciless Jews deny the +poor traveller a bed, and where we disconsolately strayed, +without bread, and almost naked: these were sufferings, the full +extent of which he only can conceive by whom they have been +felt. My musket now and then procured us an occasional meal +of tame geese, and cocks and hens, when these were to be had; +otherwise, we never took or touched anything that was not our +own. We met with Saxon and Prussian recruiters at various +places; all of whom, on account of my youth and stature, were +eager to inveigle me. I was highly diverted to hear them +enumerate all the possibilities of future greatness, and how +liable I was hereafter to become a corporal: nor was I less merry +with their mead, ale, and brandy, given with an intent to make me +drunk. Thus we had many artifices to guard against; but +thus had we likewise, very luckily for us, many a good meal +gratis.</p> +<p>Feb. 21.—We went from Goblin to Pugnitz, three miles and +a half.</p> +<p>Feb. 22.—Through Storchnest to Schmiegel, four +miles.</p> +<p>Here happened a singular adventure. The peasants at this +place were dancing to a vile scraper on the violin: I took the +instrument myself, and played while they continued their +hilarity. They were much pleased with my playing: but when +I was tired, and desired to have done, they obliged me, first by +importunities, and afterwards by threats, to play on all +night. I was so fatigued, I thought I should have fainted; +at length they quarrelled among themselves. Schell was +sleeping on a bench, and some of them fell upon his wounded hand: +he rose furious: I seized our arms, began to lay about me, and +while all was in confusion, we escaped, without further +ill-treatment.</p> +<p>What ample subject of meditation on the various turns of fate +did this night afford! But two years before I danced at +Berlin with the daughters and sisters of kings: and here was I, +in a Polish hut, a ragged, almost naked musician, playing for the +sport of ignorant rustics, whom I was at last obliged to +fight.</p> +<p>I was myself the cause of the trifling misfortune that befell +me on this occasion. Had not my vanity led me to show these +poor peasants I was a musician, I might have slept in peace and +safety. The same vain desire of proving I knew more than +other men, made me through life the continued victim of envy and +slander. Had nature, too, bestowed on me a weaker or a +deformed body, I had been less observed, less courted, less +sought, and my adventures and mishaps had been fewer. Thus +the merits of the man often become his miseries; and thus the +bear, having learned to dance, must live and die in chains.</p> +<p>This ardour, this vanity, or, if you please, this emulation, +has, however, taught me to vanquish a thousand difficulties, +under which others of cooler passions and more temperate desires +would have sunk. May my example remain a warning; and thus +may my sufferings become somewhat profitable to the world, cruel +as they have been to myself! Cruel they were, and cruel +they must continue; for the wounds I have received are not, will +not, cannot be healed.</p> +<p>Feb. 23.—From Schmiegel to Rakonitz, and from thence to +Karger Holland, four miles and a half. Here we sold, to +prevent dying of hunger, a shirt and Schell’s waistcoat for +eighteen grosch, or nine schostacks. I had shot a pullet +the day before, which necessity obliged us to eat raw. I +also killed a crow, which I devoured alone, Schell refusing to +taste. Youth and hard travelling created a voracious +appetite, and our eighteen grosch were soon expended.</p> +<p>Feb. 24.—We came through Benzen to Lettel, four +miles. Here we halted a day, to learn the road to Hammer, +in Brandenburg, where my sister lived. I happened luckily +to meet with the wife of a Prussian soldier who lived at Lettel, +and belonged to Kolschen, where she was born a vassal of my +sister’s husband. I told her who I was, and she +became our guide.</p> +<p>Feb. 26.—To Kurschen and Falkenwalde.</p> +<p>Feb. 27.—Through Neuendorf and Oost, and afterwards +through a pathless wood, five miles and a half to Hammer, and +here I knocked at my sister’s door at nine o’clock in +the evening.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> +<p>A maidservant came to the door, whom I knew; her name was +Mary, and she had been born and brought up in my father’s +house. She was terrified at seeing a sturdy fellow in a +beggar’s dress; which perceiving, I asked, “Molly, do +not you know me?” She answered, “No;” and +I then discovered myself to her. I asked whether my +brother-in-law was at home. Mary replied, “Yes; but +he is sick in bed.” “Tell my sister, +then,” said I, “that I am here.” She +showed me into a room, and my sister presently came.</p> +<p>She was alarmed at seeing me, not knowing that I had escaped +from Glatz, and ran to inform her husband, but did not +return.</p> +<p>A quarter of an hour after the good Mary came weeping, and +told us her master commanded us to quit the premises instantly, +or he should be obliged to have us arrested, and delivered up as +prisoners. My sister’s husband forcibly detained her, +and I saw her no more.</p> +<p>What my feelings must be, at such a moment, let the reader +imagine. I was too proud, too enraged, to ask money; I +furiously left the house, uttering a thousand menaces against its +inhabitants, while the kind-hearted Mary, still weeping, slipped +three ducats into my hand, which I accepted.</p> +<p>And, now behold us once more in the wood, which was not above +a hundred paces from the house, half dead with hunger and +fatigue, not daring to enter any habitation, while in the states +of Brandenburg, and dragging our weary steps all night through +snow and rain, until our guide at length brought us back, at +daybreak, once again to the town of Lettel.</p> +<p>She herself wept in pity at our fate, and I could only give +her two ducats for the danger she had run; but I bade her hope +more in future; and I afterwards sent for her to Vienna, in 1751, +where I took great care of her. She was about fifty years +of age, and died my servant in Hungary, some weeks before my +unfortunate journey to Dantzic, where I fell into my +enemies’ hands, and remained ten years a prisoner at +Magdeburg.</p> +<p>We had scarcely reached the wood, before, in the anguish of my +heart, I exclaimed to Schell, “Does not such a sister, my +friend, deserve I should fire her house over her +head?” The wisdom of moderation, and calm +forbearance, was in Schell a virtue of the highest order; he was +my continual mentor; my guide, whenever my choleric temperament +was disposed to violence. I therefore honour his ashes; he +deserved a better fate.</p> +<p>“Friend,” said he, on this occasion, +“reflect that your sister may be innocent, may be withheld +by her husband; besides, should the King discover we had entered +her doors, and she had not delivered us again into his power, she +might become as miserable as we were. Be more noble minded, +and think that even should your sister be wrong, the time may +come when her children may stand in need of your assistance, and +you may have the indescribable pleasure of returning good for +evil.”</p> +<p>I never shall forget this excellent advice, which in reality +was a prophecy. My rich brother-in-law died, and, during +the Russian war, his lands and houses were laid desolate and in +ruins; and, nineteen years afterwards, when released from my +imprisonment at Magdeburg, I had an opportunity of serving the +children of my sister. Such are the turns of fate; and thus +do improbabilities become facts.</p> +<p>My sister justified her conduct; Schell had conjectured the +truth; for ten years after I was thus expelled her house, she +showed, during my imprisonment, she was really a sister. +She was shamefully betrayed by Weingarten, secretary to the +Austrian ambassador at Berlin; lost a part of her property, and +at length her life fell an innocent sacrifice to her brother.</p> +<p>This event, which is interwoven with my tragical history, will +be related hereafter: my heart bleeds, my very soul shudders, +when I recollect this dreadful scene.</p> +<p>I have not the means fully to recompense her children; and +Weingarten, the just object of vengeance, is long since in the +grave; for did he exist, the earth should not hide him from my +sword.</p> +<p>I shall now continue my journal: deceived in the aid I +expected, I was obliged to change my plan, and go to my mother, +who lived in Prussia, nine miles beyond Königsberg.</p> +<p>Feb. 28.—We continued, tired, anxious, and distressed, +at Lettel.</p> +<p>March 1.—We went three miles to Pleese, and on the 2nd, +a mile and a half farther to Meseritz.</p> +<p>March 3.—Through Wersebaum to Birnbaum, three miles.</p> +<p>March 4.—Through Zircke, Wruneck, Obestchow, to +Stubnitz, seven miles, in one day, three of which we had the good +fortune to ride.</p> +<p>March 5.—Three miles to Rogosen, where we arrived +without so much as a heller to pay our lodgings. The Jew +innkeeper drove us out of his house; we were obliged to wander +all night, and at break of day found we had strayed two miles out +of the road.</p> +<p>We entered a peasant’s cottage, where an old woman was +drawing bread hot out of the oven. We had no money to +offer, and I felt, at this moment, the possibility even of +committing murder, for a morsel of bread, to satisfy the +intolerable cravings of hunger. Shuddering, with torment +inexpressible, at the thought, I hastened out of the door, and we +walked on two miles more to Wongrofze.</p> +<p>Here I sold my musket for a ducat, which had procured us many +a meal: such was the extremity of our distress. We then +satiated our appetites, after having been forty hours without +food or sleep, and having travelled ten miles in sleet and +snow.</p> +<p>March 6.—We rested, and came, on the 7th, through Genin, +to a village in the forest, four miles.</p> +<p>Here we fell in with a gang of gipsies (or rather banditti) +amounting to four hundred men, who dragged me to their +camp. They were mostly French and Prussian deserters, and +thinking me their equal, would force me to become one of their +hand. But, venturing to tell my story to their leader, he +presented me with a crown, gave us a small provision of bread and +meat, and suffered us to depart in peace, after having been four +and twenty hours in their company.</p> +<p>March 9.—We proceeded to Lapuschin, three miles and a +half; and the 10th to Thorn, four miles.</p> +<p>A new incident here happened, which showed I was destined, by +fortune, to a variety of adventures, and continually to struggle +with new difficulties.</p> +<p>There was a fair held at Thorn on the day of our +arrival. Suspicions might well arise, among the crowd, on +seeing a strong tall young man, wretchedly clothed, with a large +sabre by his side, and a pair of pistols in his girdle, +accompanied by another as poorly apparelled as himself, with his +hand and neck bound up, and armed likewise with pistols, so that +altogether he more resembled a spectre than a man.</p> +<p>We went to an inn, but were refused entertainment: I then +asked for the Jesuits’ college, where I inquired for the +father rector. They supposed at first I was a thief, come +to seek an asylum. After long waiting and much entreaty his +jesuitical highness at length made his appearance, and received +me as the Grand Mogul would his slave. My case certainly +was pitiable: I related all the events of my life, and the +purport of my journey; conjured him to save Schell, who was +unable to proceed further, and whose wounds grew daily worse; and +prayed him to entertain him at the convent till I should have +been to my mother, have obtained money, and returned to Thorn, +when I would certainly repay him whatever expense he might have +been at, with thanks and gratitude.</p> +<p>Never shall I forget the haughty insolence of this +priest. Scarcely would he listen to my humble request; +thou’d and interrupted me continually, to tell me, +“Be brief, I have more pressing affairs than +thine.” In fine, I was turned away without obtaining +the least aid; and here I was first taught jesuitical pride; God +help the poor and honest man who shall need the assistance of +Jesuits! They, like all other monks, are seared to every +sentiment of human pity, and commiserate the distressed by taunts +and irony.</p> +<p>Four times in my life I have sought assistance and advice from +convents, and am convinced it is the duty of every honest man to +aid in erasing them from the face of the earth.</p> +<p>They succour rascals and murderers, that their power may be +idolised by the ignorant, and ostentatiously exert itself to +impede the course of law and justice; but in vain do the poor and +needy virtuous apply to them for help.</p> +<p>The reader will pardon my native hatred of hypocrisy and +falsehood, especially when he hears I have to thank the Jesuits +for the loss of all my great Hungarian estates. Father +Kampmuller, the bosom friend of the Count Grashalkowitz, was +confessor to the court of Vienna, and there was no possible kind +of persecution I did not suffer from priestcraft. Far from +being useful members of society, they take advantage of the +prejudices of superstition, exist for themselves alone, and +sacrifice every duty to the support of their own hierarchy, and +found a power, on error and ignorance, which is destructive of +all moral virtue.</p> +<p>Let us proceed. Mournful and angry, I left the college, +and went to my lodging-house, where I found a Prussian +recruiting-officer waiting for me, who used all his arts to +engage me to enlist; offering me five hundred dollars, and to +make me a corporal, if I could write. I pretended I was a +Livonian, who had deserted from the Austrians, to return home, +and claim an inheritance left me by my father. After much +persuasion, he at length told me in confidence, it was very well +known in the town that I was a robber; that I should soon be +taken before a magistrate, but that if I would enlist he would +ensure my safety.</p> +<p>This language was new to me; my passion rose instantaneously; +I remembered my name was Trenck, I struck him, and drew my sword; +but, instead of defending himself, he sprang out of the chamber, +charging the host not to let me quit the house. I knew the +town of Thorn had agreed with the King of Prussia, secretly, to +deliver up deserters, and began to fear the consequences. +Looking through the window, I presently saw two under Prussian +officers enter the house. Schell and I instantly flew to +our arms, and met the Prussians at the chamber door. +“Make way,” cried I, presenting my pistols. The +Prussian soldiers drew their swords, but retired with fear. +Going out of the house, I saw a Prussian lieutenant, in the +street, with the town-guard. These I overawed, likewise, by +the same means, and no one durst oppose me, though every one +cried, “Stop thief!” I came safely, however, to +the Jesuits’ convent; but poor Schell was taken, and +dragged to prison like a malefactor.</p> +<p>Half mad at not being able to rescue him, I imagined he must +soon be delivered up to the Prussians. My reception was +much better at the convent than it had been before, for they no +longer doubted but I was really a thief, who sought an +asylum. I addressed myself to one of the fathers, who +appeared to be a good kind of a man, relating briefly what had +happened, and entreated he would endeavour to discover why they +sought to molest us.</p> +<p>He went out, and returning in an hour after, told me, +“Nobody knows you: a considerable theft was yesterday +committed at the fair: all suspicious persons are seized; you +entered the town accoutred like banditti. The man where you +put up is employed as a Prussian enlister, and has announced you +as suspicious people. The Prussian lieutenant therefore +laid complaint against you, and it was thought necessary to +secure your persons.”</p> +<p>My joy, at hearing this, was great. Our Moravian +passport, and the journal of our route, which I had in my pocket, +were full proofs of our innocence. I requested they would +send and inquire at the town where we lay the night before. +I soon convinced the Jesuit I spoke truth; he went, and presently +returned with one of the syndics, to whom I gave a more full +account of myself. The syndic examined Schell, and found +his story and mine agreed; besides which, our papers that they +had seized, declared who we were. I passed the night in the +convent without closing my eyes, revolving in my mind all the +rigours of my fate. I was still more disturbed for Schell, +who knew not where I was, but remained firmly persuaded we should +be conducted to Berlin; and, if so, determined to put a period to +his life.</p> +<p>My doubts were all ended at ten in the morning when my good +Jesuit arrived, and was followed by my friend Schell. The +judges, he said, had found us innocent, and declared us free to +go where we pleased; adding, however, that he advised us to be +upon our guard, we being watched by the Prussian enlisters; that +the lieutenant had hoped, by having us committed as thieves, to +oblige me to enter, and that he would account for all that had +happened.</p> +<p>I gave Schell a most affectionate welcome, who had been very +ill-used when led to prison, because he endeavoured to defend +himself with his left hand, and follow me. The people had +thrown mud at him, and called him a rascal that would soon be +hanged. Schell was little able to travel farther. The +father-rector sent us a ducat, but did not see us; and the chief +magistrate gave each of us a crown, by way of indemnification for +false imprisonment. Thus sent away, we returned to our +lodging, took our bundles, and immediately prepared to leave +Thorn.</p> +<p>As we went, I reflected that, on the road to Elbing, we must +pass through several Prussian villages, and inquired for a shop +where we might purchase a map. We were directed to an old +woman who sat at the door across the way, and were told she had a +good assortment, for that her son was a scholar. I +addressed myself to her, and my question pleased her, I having +added we were unfortunate travellers, who wished to find, by the +map, the road to Russia. She showed us into a chamber, laid +an atlas on the table, and placed herself opposite me, while I +examined the map, and endeavoured to hide a bit of a ragged +ruffle that had made its appearance. After steadfastly +looking at me, she at length exclaimed, with a sad and mournful +tone—“Good God! who knows what is now become of my +poor son! I can see, sir, you too are of a good +family. My son would go and seek his fortune, and for these +eight years have I had no tidings of him. He must now be in +the Austrian cavalry.” I asked in what +regiment. “The regiment of Hohenhem; you are his very +picture.” “Is he not of my height?” +“Yes, nearly.” “Has he not light +hair?” “Yes, like yours, sir.” +“What is his name?” “His name is +William.” “No, my dear mother,” cried I, +“William is not dead; he was my best friend when I was with +the regiment.” Here the poor woman could not contain +her joy. She threw herself round my neck, called me her +good angel who brought her happy tidings: asked me a thousand +questions which I easily contrived to make her answer herself, +and thus, forced by imperious necessity, bereft of all other +means, did I act the deceiver.</p> +<p>The story I made was nearly as follows:—I told her I was +a soldier in the regiment of Hohenhem, that I had a furlough to +go and see my father, and that I should return in a month, would +then take her letters, and undertake that, if she wished it, her +son should purchase his discharge, and once more come and live +with his mother. I added that I should be for ever and +infinitely obliged to her, if she would suffer my comrade, +meantime, to live at her house, he being wounded by the Prussian +recruiters, and unable to pursue his journey; that I would send +him money to come to me, or would myself come back and fetch him, +thankfully paying every expense. She joyfully consented, +told me her second husband, father-in-law to her dear William, +had driven him from home, that he might give what substance they +had to the younger son; and that the eldest had gone to +Magdeburg. She determined Schell should live at the house +of a friend, that her husband might know nothing of the matter; +and, not satisfied with this kindness, she made me eat with her, +gave me a new shirt, stockings, sufficient provisions for three +days, and six Lunenburg florins. I left Thorn, and my +faithful Schell, the same night, with the consolation that he was +well taken care of; and having parted from him with regret, went +on the 13th two miles further to Burglow.</p> +<p>I cannot describe what my sensations were, or the despondence +of my mind, when I thus saw myself wandering alone, and leaving, +forsaking, as it were, the dearest of friends. These may +certainly be numbered among the bitterest moments of my +life. Often was I ready to return, and drag him along with +me, though at last reason conquered sensibility. I drew +near the end of my journey, and was impelled forward by hope.</p> +<p>March 14.—I went to Schwetz, and</p> +<p>March 15.—To Neuburg and Mowe. In these two days I +travelled thirteen miles. I lay at Mowe, on some straw, +among a number of carters, and, when I awoke, perceived they had +taken my pistols, and what little money I had left, even to my +last penny. The gentlemen, however, were all gone.</p> +<p>What could I do? The innkeeper perhaps was privy to the +theft. My reckoning amounted to eighteen Polish +grosch. The surly landlord pretended to believe I had no +money when I entered his house, and I was obliged to give him the +only spare shirt I had, with a silk handkerchief, which the good +woman of Thorn had made me a present of, and to depart without a +single holler.</p> +<p>March 16.—I set off for Marienburg, but it was +impossible I should reach this place, and not fall into the hands +of the Prussians, if I did not cross the Vistula, and, +unfortunately, I had no money to pay the ferry, which would cost +two Polish schellings.</p> +<p>Full of anxiety, not knowing how to act, I saw two fishermen +in a boat, went to them, drew my sabre, and obliged them to land +me on the other side; when there, I took the oars from these +timid people, jumped out of the boat, pushed it off the shore, +and left it to drive with the stream.</p> +<p>To what dangers does not poverty expose man! These two +Polish schellings were not worth more than half a kreutzer, or +some halfpenny, yet was I driven by necessity to commit violence +on two poor men, who, had they been as desperate in their defence +as I was obliged to be in my attack, blood must have been spilled +and lives lost; hence it is evident that the degrees of guilt +ought to be strictly and minutely inquired into, and the degree +of punishment proportioned. Had I hewn them down with my +sabre, I should surely have been a murderer; but I should +likewise surely have been one of the most innocent of +murderers. Thus we see the value of money is not to be +estimated by any specific sum, small or great, but according to +its necessity and use. How little did I imagine when at +Berlin, and money was treated by me with luxurious neglect, I may +say, with contempt, I should be driven to the hard necessity, for +a sum so apparently despicable, of committing a violence which +might have had consequences so dreadful, and have led to the +commission of an act so atrocious!</p> +<p>I found Saxon and Prussian recruiters at Marion-burgh, with +whom, having no money, I ate, drank, listened to their proposals, +gave them hopes for the morrow, and departed by daybreak.</p> +<p>March 17.—To Elbing, four miles.</p> +<p>Here I met with my former worthy tutor, Brodowsky, who was +become a captain and auditor in the Polish regiment of +Golz. He met me just as I entered the town. I +followed triumphantly to his quarters; and here at length ended +the painful, long, and adventurous journey I had been obliged to +perform.</p> +<p>This good and kind gentleman, after providing me with +immediate necessaries, wrote so affectionately to my mother, that +she came to Elbing in a week, and gave me every aid of which I +stood in need.</p> +<p>The pleasure I had in meeting once more this tender mother, +whose qualities of heart and mind were equally excellent, was +inexpressible. She found a certain mode of conveying a +letter to my dear mistress at Berlin, who a short time after sent +me a bill of exchange for four hundred ducats upon Dantzic. +To this my mother added a thousand rix-dollars, and a diamond +cross worth nearly half as much, remained a fortnight with me, +and persisted, in spite of all remonstrance, in advising me to go +to Vienna. My determination had been fixed for Petersburg; +all my fears and apprehensions being awakened at the thought of +Vienna, and which indeed afterwards became the source of all my +cruel sufferings and sorrows. She would not yield in +opinion, and promised her future assistance only in case of my +obedience; it was my duty not to continue obstinate. Here +she left me, and I have never seen her since. She died in +1751, and I have ever held her memory in veneration. It was +a happiness for this affectionate mother that she did not hive to +be a witness of my afflictions in the year 1754.</p> +<p>An adventure, resembling that of Joseph in Egypt, happened to +me in Elbing. The wife of the worthy Brodowsky, a woman of +infinite personal attraction, grew partial to me; but I durst not +act ungratefully by my benefactor. Never to see me more was +too painful to her, and she even proposed to follow me, secretly, +to Vienna. I felt the danger of my situation, and doubted +whether Potiphar’s wife offered temptations so strong as +Madame Brodowsky. I owned I had an affection for this lady, +but my passions were overawed. She preferred me to her +husband, who was in years, and very ordinary in person. Had +I yielded to the slightest degree of guilt, that of the present +enjoyment, a few days of pleasure must have been followed by +years of bitter repentance.</p> +<p>Having once more assumed my proper name and character, and +made presents of acknowledgment to the worthy tutor of my youth, +I became eager to return to Thorn.</p> +<p>How great was my joy at again meeting my honest Schell! +The kind old woman had treated him like a mother. She was +surprised, and half terrified, at seeing me enter in an +officer’s uniform, and accompanied by two servants. I +gratefully and rapturously kissed her hand, repaid, with +thankfulness, every expense (for Schell had been nurtured with +truly maternal kindness), told her who I was, acknowledged the +deceit I had put upon her concerning her son, but faithfully +promised to give a true, and not fictitious account of him, +immediately on my arrival at Vienna. Schell was ready in +three days, and we left Thorn, came to Warsaw, and passed thence, +through Crakow, to Vienna.</p> +<p>I inquired for Captain Capi, at Bilitz, who had before given +me so kind a reception, and refused me satisfaction; but he was +gone, and I did not meet with him till some years after, when the +cunning Italian made me the most humble apologies for his +conduct. So goes the world.</p> +<p>My journey from Dantzic to Vienna would not furnish me with an +interesting page, though my travels on foot thither would have +afforded thrice as much as I have written, had I not been fearful +of trifling with the reader’s patience.</p> +<p>In poverty one misfortune follows another. The +foot-passenger sees the world, becomes acquainted with it, +converses with men of every class. The lord luxuriously +lolls and slumbers in his carriage, while his servants pay +innkeepers and postillions, and passes rapidly over a kingdom, in +which he sees some dozen houses, called inns; and this he calls +travelling. I met with more adventures in this my journey +of 169 miles, than afterwards in almost as many thousand, when +travelling at ease, in a carriage.</p> +<p>Here, then, ends my journal, in which, from the hardships +therein related, and numerous others omitted, I seem a kind of +second Robinson Crusoe, and to have been prepared, by a gradual +increase and repetition of sufferings, to endure the load of +affliction which I was afterwards destined to bear.</p> +<p>Arrived at Vienna in the month of April, 1747.</p> +<p>And now another act of the tragedy is going to begin.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> +<p>After having defrayed the expenses of travelling for me and my +friend Schell, for whose remarkable history I will endeavour to +find a few pages in due course, I divided the three hundred +ducats which remained with him, and, having stayed a month at +Vienna, he went to join the regiment of Pallavicini, in which he +had obtained a lieutenant-colonel’s commission, and which +was then in Italy.</p> +<p>Here I found my cousin, Baron Francis Trenck, the famous +partisan and colonel of pandours, imprisoned at the arsenal, and +involved in a most perplexing prosecution.</p> +<p>This Trenck was my father’s brother’s son. +His father had been a colonel and governor of Leitschau, and had +possessed considerable lordships in Sclavonia, those of +Pleternitz, Prestowacz, and Pakratz. After the siege of +Vienna, in 1683, he had left the Prussian service for that of +Austria, in which he remained sixty years.</p> +<p>That I may not here interrupt my story, I shall give some +account of the life of my cousin Baron Francis Trenck, so +renowned in the war of 1741, in another part, and who fell, at +last, the shameful sacrifice of envy and avarice, and received +the reward of all his great and faithful services in the prison +of the Spielberg.</p> +<p>The vindication of the family of the Trencks requires I should +speak of him; nor will I, in this, suffer restraint from the fear +of any man, however powerful. Those indeed who sacrificed a +man most ardent in his country’s service to their own +private and selfish views, are now in their graves.</p> +<p>I shall insert no more of his history here than what is +interwoven with my own, and relate the rest in its proper +place.</p> +<p>A revision of his suit was at this time instituted. +Scarcely was I arrived in Vienna before his confidential agent, +M. Leber, presented me to Prince Charles and the Emperor; both +knew the services of Trenck, and the malice of his enemies; +therefore, permission for me to visit him in his prison, and +procure him such assistance as he might need, was readily +granted. On my second audience, the Emperor spoke so much +in my persecuted cousin’s favour that I became highly +interested; he commanded me to have recourse to him on all +occasions; and, moreover, owned the president of the council of +war was a man of a very wicked character, and a declared enemy of +Trenck. This president was the Count of Lowenwalde, who, +with his associates, had been purposely selected as men proper to +oppress the best of subjects.</p> +<p>The suit soon took another face; the good Empress Queen, who +had been deceived, was soon better informed, and Trenck’s +innocence appeared, on the revision of the process most +evidently. The trial, which had cost them twenty-seven +thousand florins, and the sentence which followed, were proved to +have been partial and unjust; and that sixteen of Trenck’s +officers, who most of them had been broken for different +offences, had perjured themselves to insure his destruction.</p> +<p>It is a most remarkable circumstance that public notice was +given, in the <i>Vienna Gazette</i>, to the following +purport.</p> +<p>“All those who have any complaints to make against +Trenck, let them appear, and they shall receive a ducat per day, +so long as the prosecution continues.”</p> +<p>It will readily be imagined how fast his accusers would +increase, and what kind of people they were. The pay of +these witnesses alone amounted to fifteen thousand florins. +I now began the labour in concurrence with Doctor Gerhauer, and +the cause soon took another turn; but such was the state of +things, it would have been necessary to have broken all the +members of the council of war, as well as counsellor Weber, a man +of great power. Thus, unfortunately, politics began to +interfere with the course of justice.</p> +<p>The Empress Queen gave Trenck to understand she required he +should ask her pardon; and on that condition all proceedings +should be stopped, and he immediately set at liberty. +Prince Charles, who knew the court of Vienna, advised me also to +persuade my cousin to comply; but nothing could shake his +resolution. Feeling his right and innocence, he demanded +strict justice; and this made ruin more swift.</p> +<p>I soon learned Trenck must fall a sacrifice—he was +rich—his enemies already had divided among them more than +eighty thousand florins of his property, which was all +sequestered, and in their hands. They had treated him too +cruelly, and knew him too well, not to dread his vengeance the +moment he should recover his freedom.</p> +<p>I was moved to the soul at his sufferings, and as he had +vented public threats, at the prospect of approaching victory +over his enemies, they gained over the Court Confessor: and, +dreading him as they did, put every wily art in practice to +insure his destruction. I therefore, in the fulness of my +heart, made him the brotherly proposition of escaping, and, +having obtained his liberty, to prove his innocence to the +Empress Queen. I told him my plan, which might easily have +been put in execution, and which he seemed perfectly decided to +follow.</p> +<p>Some days after, I was ordered to wait on field-marshal Count +Konigseck, governor of Vienna. This respectable old +gentleman, whose memory I shall ever revere, behaved to me like a +father and the friend of humanity, advised me to abandon my +cousin, who he gave me clearly to understand had betrayed me by +having revealed my proposed plan of escape, willing to sacrifice +me to his ambition in order to justify the purity of his +intentions to the court, and show that, instead of wishing to +escape, he only desired justice.</p> +<p>Confounded at the cowardly action of one for whom I would +willingly have sacrificed my life, and whom I only sought to +deliver, I resolved to leave him to his fate, and thought myself +exceedingly happy that the worthy field-marshal would, after a +fatherly admonition, smother all farther inquiry into this +affair.</p> +<p>I related this black trait of ingratitude to Prince Charles of +Lorraine, who prevailed on me to again see my cousin, without +letting him know I knew what had passed, and still to render him +every service in my power.</p> +<p>Before I proceed I will here give the reader a +per-’trait of this Trenck.</p> +<p>He was a man of superior talents and unbounded ambition; +devoted, even fanatically, to his sovereign; his boldness +approached temerity; he was artful of mind, wicked of heart, +vindictive and unfeeling. His cupidity equalled the utmost +excess of avarice, even in his thirty-third year, in which he +died. He was too proud to receive favours or obligations +from any man, and was capable of ridding himself of his best +friend if he thought he had any claims on his gratitude or could +get possession of his fortune.</p> +<p>He knew I had rendered him very important services, supposed +his cause already won, having bribed the judges, who were to +revise the sentence, with thirty thousand florins, which money I +received from his friend Baron Lopresti, and conveyed to these +honest counsellors. I knew all his secrets, and nothing +more was necessary to prompt his suspicious and bad heart to seek +my destruction.</p> +<p>Scarcely had a fortnight elapsed, after his having first +betrayed me, before the following remarkable event happened.</p> +<p>I left him one evening to return home, taking under my coat a +bag with papers and documents relating to the prosecution, which +I had been examining for him, and transcribing. There were +at this time about five-and-twenty officers in Vienna who had +laid complaints against him, and who considered me as their +greatest enemy because I had laboured earnestly in his +defence. I was therefore obliged, on all occasions, to be +upon my guard. A report had been propagated through Vienna +that I was secretly sent by the King of Prussia to free my cousin +from imprisonment; he, however, constantly denied, to the hour of +his death, his ever having written to me at Berlin; hence also it +will follow the letter I received had been forged by +Jaschinsky.</p> +<p>Leaving the Arsenal, I crossed the court, and perceived I was +closely followed by two men in grey roquelaures, who, pressing +upon my heels, held loud and insolent conversation concerning the +runaway Prussian Trenck. I found they sought a quarrel, +which was a thing of no great difficulty at that moment, for a +man is never more disposed to duelling than when he has nothing +to lose, and is discontented with his condition. I supposed +they were two of the accusing officers broken by Trenck, and +endeavoured to avoid them, and gain the Jew’s place.</p> +<p>Scarcely had I turned down the street that leads thither +before they quickened their pace. I turned round, and in a +moment received a thrust with a sword in the left side, where I +had put my bag of papers, which accident alone saved my life; the +sword pierced through the papers and slightly grazed the +skin. I instantly drew, and the heroes ran. I +pursued, one of them tripped and fell. I seized him; the +guard came up: he declared he was an officer of the regiment of +Kollowrat, showed his uniform, was released, and I was taken to +prison. The Town Major came the next day, and told me I had +intentionally sought a quarrel with two officers, Lieutenants +F---g and K---n. These kind gentlemen did not reveal their +humane intention of sending me to the other world.</p> +<p>I was alone, could produce no witness, they were two. I +must necessarily be in the wrong, and I remained six days in +prison. No sooner was I released, than these my good +friends sent to demand satisfaction for the said pretended +insult. The proposal was accepted, and I promised to be at +the Scotch gate, the place appointed by them, within an +hour. Having heard their names, I presently knew them to be +two famous swaggerers, who were daily exercising themselves in +fencing at the Arsenal, and where they often visited +Trenck. I went to my cousin to ask his assistance, related +what had happened, and, as the consequences of this duel might be +very serious, desired him to give me a hundred ducats, that I +might be able to fly if either of them should fall.</p> +<p>Hitherto I had expended my own money on his account, and had +asked no reimbursement; but what was my astonishment when this +wicked man said to me, with a sneer, “Since, good cousin, +you have got into a quarrel without consulting me, you will also +get out of it without my aid!” As I left him, he +called me back to tell me, “I will take care and pay your +undertaker;” for he certainly believed I should never +return alive.</p> +<p>I ran now, half-despairing, to Baron Lopresti, who gave me +fifty ducats and a pair of pistols, provided with which I +cheerfully repaired to the field of battle.</p> +<p>Here I found half a dozen officers of the garrison. As I +had few acquaintances in Vienna, I had no second, except an old +Spanish invalid captain, named Pereyra, who met me going in all +haste, and, having learned whither, would not leave me.</p> +<p>Lieutenant K---n was the first with whom I fought, and who +received satisfaction by a deep wound in the right arm. +Hereupon I desired the spectators to prevent farther mischief; +for my own part I had nothing more to demand. Lieutenant +F---g next entered the lists, with threats, which were soon +quieted by a lunge in the belly. Hereupon Lieutenant M-f, +second to the first wounded man, told me very +angrily—“Had I been your man, you would have found a +very different reception.” My old Spaniard of eighty +proudly and immediately advanced, with his long whiskers and +tottering frame, and cried—“Hold! Trenck has +proved himself a brave fellow, and if any man thinks proper to +assault him further, he must first take a breathing with +me.” Everybody laughed at this bravado from a man who +scarcely could stand or hold a sword. I +replied—“Friend, I am safe, unhurt, and want not aid; +should I be disabled, you then, if you think proper, may take my +place; but, as long as I can hold a sword, I shall take pleasure +in satisfying all these gentlemen one after another.” +I would have rested myself a moment, but the haughty M-f, enraged +at the defeat of his friend, would not give me time, but +furiously attacked me, and, having been wounded twice, once in +the hand and again in the groin, he wanted to close and sink me +to the grave with himself, but I disarmed and threw him.</p> +<p>None of the others had any desire to renew the contest. +My three enemies were sent bleeding to town; and, as M---f +appeared to be mortally wounded, and the Jesuits and Capuchins of +Vienna refused me an asylum, I fled to the convent of +Keltenberg.</p> +<p>I wrote from the convent to Colonel Baron Lopresti, who came +to me. I told him all that had passed, and by his good +offices had liberty, in a week, to appear once more at +Vienna.</p> +<p>The blood of Lieutenant F---g was in a corrupt state, and his +wound, though not in itself dangerous, made his life +doubtful. He sent to entreat I would visit him, and, when I +went, having first requested I would pardon him, gave me to +understand I ought to beware of my cousin. I afterwards +learned the traitorous Trenck had promised Lieutenant F---g a +company and a thousand ducats if he would find means to quarrel +with me and rid the world of me. He was deeply in debt, and +sought the assistance of Lieutenant K-n; and had not the papers +luckily preserved me, I had undoubtedly been despatched by his +first lunge. To clear themselves of the infamy of such an +act, these two worthy gentlemen had pretended I had assaulted +them in the streets.</p> +<p>I could no more resolve to see my ungrateful and dangerous +kinsman, who wished to have me murdered because I knew all his +secrets, and thought he should be able to gain his cause without +obligation to me or my assistance. Notwithstanding all his +great qualities, his marked characteristic certainly was that of +sacrificing everything to his private views, and especially to +his covetousness, which was so great that, even at his time of +life, though his fortune amounted to a million and a half, he did +not spend per day more than thirty kreutzers.</p> +<p>No sooner was it known that I had forsaken Trenck than General +Count Lowenwalde, his most ardent enemy, and president of the +first council of war, by which he had been condemned, desired to +speak to me, promised every sort of good fortune and protection, +if I would discover what means had secretly been employed in the +revision of the process; and went so far as to offer me four +thousand florins if I would aid the prosecution against my +cousin. Here I learned the influence of villains in power, +and the injustice of judges at Vienna. The proposal I +rejected with disdain, and rather determined to seek my fortune +in the East Indies than continue in a country where, under the +best of Queens, the most loyal of subjects, and first of +soldiers, might be rendered miserable by interested, angry, and +corrupt courtiers. Certain it is, as I now can prove, +though the bitterest of my enemies, and whose conduct towards me +merited my whole resentment, he was the best soldier in the +Austrian army, had been liberal of his blood and fortune in the +Imperial service, and would still so have continued had not his +wealth, and his contempt for Weber and Lowenwalde put him in the +power of those wretches who were the avowed enemies of courage +and patriotism, and who only could maintain their authority, and +sate their thirst of gain, by the base and wicked arts of +courts. Had my cousin shared the plunder of the war among +these men, he had not fallen the martyr of their intrigues, and +died in the Spielberg. His accusers were, generally, +unprincipled men of ruined fortunes, and so insufficient were +their accusations that a useful member of society ought not, for +any or all of them, to have suffered an hour’s +imprisonment. Being fully informed, both of all the +circumstances of the prosecution and the inmost secrets of his +heart, justice requires I should thus publicly declare this truth +and vindicate his memory. While living he was my bitterest +enemy, and even though dead, was the cause of all my future +sufferings; therefore the account I shall give of him will +certainly be the less liable to suspicion, where I shall show +that he, as well as myself, deserved better of Austria.</p> +<p>I was resolved forever to forsake Vienna. The friends of +Trenck all became distrustful of him because of his ingratitude +to me. Prince Charles still endeavoured to persuade me to a +reconciliation, and gave me a letter of recommendation to General +Brown, who then commanded the Imperial army in Italy. But +more anxious of going to India, I left Vienna in August, 1748, +desirous of owing no obligation to that city or its inhabitants, +and went for Holland. Meantime, the enemies of Trenck found +no one to oppose their iniquitous proceedings, and obtained a +sentence of imprisonment, in the Spielberg, where he too late +repented having betrayed his faithful adviser, and prudent +friend. I pitied him, and his judges certainly deserved the +punishment they inflicted: yet to his last moments he showed his +hatred towards me was rooted, and, even in the grave, strove by +his will to involve me in misfortune, as will hereafter be +seen.</p> +<p>I fled from Vienna, would to God it had been for ever; but +fate by strange ways, and unknown means, brought me back where +Providence thought proper I should become a vessel of wrath and +persecution: I was to enact my part in Europe, and not in +Asia. At Nuremberg I met with a body of Russians, commanded +by General Lieuwen, my mother’s relation, who were marching +to the Netherlands, and were the peace-makers of Europe. +Major Buschkow, whom I had known when Russian resident at Vienna, +prevailed on me to visit him, and presented me to the +General. I pleased him, and may say, with truth, he behaved +to me like a friend and a father. He advised me to enter +into the Russian service, and gave me a company of dragoons, in +the regiment of Tobolski, on condition I should not leave him, +but employ myself in his cabinet: and his confidence and esteem +for me were unbounded.</p> +<p>Peace followed; the army returned to Moravia, without firing a +musket, and the head-quarters were fixed at Prosnitz.</p> +<p>In this town a public entertainment was given, by General +Lieuwen, on the coronation day of the Empress Elizabeth; and here +an adventure happened to me, which I shall ever remember, as a +warning to myself, and insert as a memento to others.</p> +<p>The army physician, on this day, kept a Faro bank for the +entertainment of the guests. My stock of money consisted of +two and twenty ducats. Thirst of gain, or perhaps example, +induced me to venture two of these, which I immediately lost, and +very soon, by venturing again to regain them, the whole two and +twenty. Chagrined at my folly, I returned home: I had +nothing but a pair of pistols left, for which, because of their +workmanship, General Woyekow had offered me twenty ducats. +These I took, intending by their aid to attempt to retrieve my +loss. Firing of guns and pistols was heard throughout the +town, because of the festival, and I, in imitation of the rest, +went to the window and fired mine. After a few discharges, +one of my pistols burst, and endangered my own hand, and wounded +my servant. I felt a momentary despondency, stronger than I +ever remember to have experienced before; insomuch that I was +half induced, with the remaining pistol, to shoot myself through +the head. I however, recovered my spirits, asked my servant +what money he had, and received from him three ducats. With +these I repaired, like a desperate gamester, once more to the +Faro table, at the General’s, again began to play, and so +extraordinary was my run of luck, I won at every venture. +Having recovered my principal, I played on upon my winnings, till +at last I had absolutely broke the Doctor’s bank: a new +bank was set up, and I won the greatest part of this likewise, so +that I brought home about six hundred ducats.</p> +<p>Rejoiced at my good fortune, but recollecting my danger, I had +the prudence to make a solemn resolution never more to play at +any game of chance, to which I have ever strictly adhered.</p> +<p>It were to be wished young men would reflect upon the effects +of gaming, remembering that the love of play has made the most +promising and virtuous, miserable; the honest, knaves; and the +sincere, deceivers and liars. Officers, having first lost +all their own money, being entrusted with the soldiers’ +pay, have next lost that also; and thus been cashiered, and +eternally disgraced. I might, at Prosnitz, have been +equally rash and culpable. The first venture, whether the +gamester wins or loses, ensures a second; and, with that, too +often destruction. My good fortune was almost miraculous, +and my subsequent resolution very uncommon; and I entreat and +conjure my children, when I shall no longer be living to advise +and watch for their welfare, most determinedly to avoid +play. I seemed preserved by Providence from this evil but +to endure much greater.</p> +<p>General Lieuwen, my kind patron, sent me, from Crakow, to +conduct a hundred and forty sick men down the Vistula to Dantzic, +where there were Russian vessels to receive and transport them to +Riga.</p> +<p>I requested permission of the General to proceed forward and +visit my mother and sister, whom I was very desirous to see: at +Elbing, therefore, I resigned the command to Lieutenant Platen, +and, attended by a servant, rode to the bishopric of Ermeland, +where I appointed an interview with them in a frontier +village.</p> +<p>Here an incident happened that had nearly cost me my +life. The Prussians, some days before, had carried off a +peasant’s son from this village, as a recruit. The +people were all in commotion. I wore leathern breeches, and +the blue uniform of the Russian cavalry. They took me for a +Prussian, at the door, and fell upon me with every kind of +weapon. A chasseur, who happened to be there, and the +landlord, came to my assistance, while I, battling with the +peasants, had thrown two of them down. I was delivered, but +not till I had received two violent bruises, one on the left arm, +and another which broke the bridge of my nose. The landlord +advised me to escape as fast as possible, or that the village +would rise and certainly murder me; my servant, therefore, who +had retired for defence, with a pair of pistols, into the oven, +got ready the horses and we rode off.</p> +<p>I had my bruises dressed at the next village; my hand and eyes +were exceedingly swelled, but I was obliged to ride two miles +farther, to the town of Ressel, before I could find an able +surgeon, and here I so far recovered in a week, that I was able +to return to Dantzic. My brother visited me while at +Ressel, but my good mother had the misfortune, as she was coming +to me, to be thrown out of her carriage, by which her arm was +broken, so that she and my sister were obliged to return, and I +never saw her more.</p> +<p>I was now at Dantzic, with my sick convoy, where another most +remarkable event happened, which I, with good reason, shall ever +remember.</p> +<p>I became acquainted with a Prussian officer, whose name I +shall conceal out of respect to his very worthy family; he +visited me daily, and we often rode out together in the +neighbourhood of Dantzic.</p> +<p>My faithful servant became acquainted with his, and my +astonishment was indeed great when he one day said to me, with +anxiety, “Beware, sir, of a snare laid for you by +Lieutenant N-; he means to entice you out of town and deliver you +up to the Prussians.” I asked him where he learned +this. “From the lieutenant’s servant,” +answered he, “who is my friend, and wishes to save me from +misfortune.”</p> +<p>I now, with the aid of a couple of ducats, discovered the +whole affair, and learned it was agreed, between the Prussian +resident, Reimer, and the lieutenant, that the latter should +entice me into the suburb of Langfuhr, where there was an inn on +the Prussian territories. Here eight recruiting +under-officers were to wait concealed, and seize me the moment I +entered the house, hurry me into a carriage, and drive away for +Lauenberg in Pomerania. Two under-officers were to escort +me, on horseback, as far as the frontiers, and the remainder to +hold and prevent me from calling for help, so long as we should +remain on the territories of Dantzic.</p> +<p>I farther learned my enemies were only to be armed with +sabres, and that they were to wait behind the door. The two +officers on horseback were to secure my servant, and prevent him +from riding off and raising an alarm.</p> +<p>These preparations might easily have been rendered fruitless, +by my refusing to accept the proposal of the lieutenant, but +vanity gave me other advice, and resentment made me desirous of +avenging myself for such detestable treachery.</p> +<p>Lieutenant N--- came, about noon, to dine with me as usual, +was more pensive and serious than I had ever observed him before, +and left me at four in the afternoon, after having made a promise +to ride early next day with him as far as Langfuhr. I +observed my consent gave him great pleasure, and my heart then +pronounced sentence on the traitor. The moment he had left +me I went to the Russian resident, M. Scheerer, an honest Swiss, +related the whole conspiracy, and asked whether I might not take +six of the men under my command for my own personal +defence. I told him my plan, which he at first opposed; but +seeing me obstinate, he answered at last, “Do as you +please; I must know nothing of the matter, nor will I make myself +responsible.”</p> +<p>I immediately joined my soldiers, selected six men, and took +them, while it was dark, opposite the Prussian inn, hid them in +the corn, with an order to run to my help with their firelocks +loaded the first discharge they should hear, to seize all who +should fall into their power, and only to fire in case of +resistance. I provided them with fire-arms, by concealing +them in the carriage which brought them to their +hiding-place.</p> +<p>Notwithstanding all these precautions, I still thought it +necessary to prevent surprise, by informing myself what were the +proceedings of my enemies, lest my intelligence should have been +false; and I learned from my spies that, at four in the morning, +the Prussian resident, Reimer, had left the city with post +horses.</p> +<p>I loaded mine and my servant’s horse and pocket pistols, +prepared my Turkish sabre, and, in gratitude to the +lieutenant’s man, promised to take him into my service, +being convinced of his honesty.</p> +<p>The lieutenant cheerfully entered about six in the morning, +expatiated on the fineness of the weather, and jocosely told me I +should be very kindly received by the handsome landlady of +Langfuhr.</p> +<p>I was soon ready; we mounted, and left the town, attended by +our servants. Some three hundred paces from the inn, my +worthy friend proposed that we should alight and let our servants +lead the horses, that we might enjoy the beauty of the +morning. I consented, and having dismounted, observed his +treacherous eyes sparkle with pleasure.</p> +<p>The resident, Reimer, was at the window of the inn, and called +out, as soon as he saw me, “Good-morrow, captain, +good-morrow; come, come in, your breakfast is +waiting.” I, sneering, smiled, and told him I had not +time at present. So saying, I continued my walk, but my +companion would absolutely force me to enter, took me by the arm, +and partly struggled with me, on which, losing all patience, I +gave him a blow which almost knocked him down, and ran to my +horses as if I meant to fly.</p> +<p>The Prussians instantly rushed from behind their door, with +clamour, to attack me. I fired at the first; my Russians +sprang from their hiding-place, presented their pieces, and +called, <i>Stuy</i>, <i>stuy</i>, <i>yebionnamat</i>.</p> +<p>The terror of the poor Prussians may well be supposed. +All began to run. I had taken care to make sure of my +lieutenant, and was next running to seize the resident, but he +had escaped out of the back door, with the loss only of his white +periwig. The Russians had taken four prisoners, and I +commanded them to bestow fifty strokes upon each of them in the +open street. An ensign, named Casseburg, having told me his +name, and that he had been my brother’s schoolfellow, +begged remission, and excused himself on the necessity which he +was under to obey his superiors. I admitted his excuses and +suffered him to go. I then drew my sword and bade the +lieutenant defend himself; but he was so confused, that, after +drawing his sword, he asked my pardon, laid the whole blame upon +the resident, and had not the power to put himself on his +guard. I twice jerked his sword out of his hand, and, at +last, taking the Russian corporal’s cane, I exhausted my +strength with beating him, without his offering the least +resistance. Such is the meanness of detected +treachery. I left him kneeling, saying to him, “Go, +rascal, now, and tell your comrades the manner in which Trenck +punishes robbers on the highway.”</p> +<p>The people had assembled round us during the action, to whom I +related the affair, and the attack having happened on the +territories of Dantzic, the Prussians were in danger of being +stoned by the populace. I and my Russians marched off +victorious, proceeded to the harbour, embarked, and three or four +days after, set sail for Riga.</p> +<p>It is remarkable that none of the public papers took any +notice of this affair; no satisfaction was required. The +Prussians, no doubt, were ashamed of being defeated in an attempt +so perfidious.</p> +<p>I since have learnt that Frederic, no doubt by the false +representations of Reimer, was highly irritated, and what +afterwards happened proves his anger pursued me through every +corner of the earth, till at last I fell into his power at +Dantzic, and suffered a martyrdom most unmerited and +unexampled.</p> +<p>The Prussian envoy, Goltz, indeed, made complaints to Count +Bestuchef, concerning this Dantzic skirmish, but received no +satisfaction. My conduct was justified in Russia, I having +defended myself against assassins, as a Russian captain +ought.</p> +<p>Some dispassionate readers may blame me for not having avoided +this rencontre, and demanded personal satisfaction of Lieutenant +N---. But I have through life rather sought than avoided +danger. My vanity and revenge were both roused. I was +everywhere persecuted by the Prussians, and I was therefore +determined to show that, far from fearing, I was able to defend +myself.</p> +<p>I hired the servant of the lieutenant, whom I found honest and +faithful, and whom I comfortably settled in marriage, at Vienna, +in 1753. After my ten years’ imprisonment, I found +him poor, and again took him into my service, in which he died, +at Zwerbach, in 1779.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> +<p>And now behold me at sea, on my voyage to Riga. I had +eaten heartily before I went on board; a storm came on; I worked +half the night, to aid the crew, but at length became sea-sick, +and went to lie down. Scarcely had I closed my eyes before +the master came with the joyful tidings, as he thought, that we +were running for the port of Pillau. Far from pleasing, +this, to me, was dreadful intelligence. I ran on deck, saw +the harbour right before me, and a pilot coming off. The +sea must now be either kept in a storm, or I fall into the hands +of the Prussians; for I was known to the whole garrison of +Pillau.</p> +<p>I desired the captain to tack about and keep the sea, but he +would not listen to me. Perceiving this, I flew to my +cabin, snatched my pistols, returned, seized the helm, and +threatened the captain with instant death if he did not +obey. My Russians began to murmur; they were averse to +encountering the dangers of the storm, but luckily they were +still more averse to meet my anger, overawed, as they were, by my +pistols, and my two servants, who stood by me faithfully.</p> +<p>Half an hour after, the storm began to subside, and we +fortunately arrived the next day in the harbour of Riga. +The captain, however, could not be appeased, but accused me +before the old and honourable Marshal Lacy, then governor of +Riga. I was obliged to appear, and reply to the charge by +relating the truth. The governor answered, my obstinacy +might have occasioned the death of a hundred and sixty persons; +I, smiling, retorted, “I have brought them all safe to +port, please your Excellency; and, for my part, my fate would +have been much more merciful by falling into the hands of my God +than into the hands of my enemies. My danger was so great +that I forgot the danger of others; besides, sir, I knew my +comrades were soldiers, and feared death as little as I +do.” My answer pleased the fine grey-headed general, +and he gave me a recommendation to the chancellor Bestuchef at +Moscow.</p> +<p>General Lieuwen had marched from Moravia, for Russia, with the +army, and was then at Riga. I went to pay him my respects; +he kindly received me, and took me to one of his seats, named +Annaburg, four miles from Riga. Here I remained some days, +and he gave me every recommendation to Moscow, where the court +then was. It was intended I should endeavour to obtain a +company in the regiment of cuirassiers, the captains of which +then ranked as majors, and he advised me to throw up my +commission in the Siberian regiment of Tobolski dragoons. +Peace be to the names and the memory of this worthy man! +May God reward this benevolence! From Riga I departed, in +company with M. Oettinger, lieutenant-colonel of engineers, and +Lieutenant Weismann, for Moscow. This is the same Weismann +who rendered so many important services to Russia, during the +last war with the Turks.</p> +<p>On my arrival, after delivering in my letters of +recommendation, I was particularly well received by Count +Bestuchef. Oettinger, whose friendship I had gained, was +exceedingly intimate with the chancellor, and my interest was +thereby promoted.</p> +<p>I had not been long at Moscow before I met Count Hamilton, my +former friend during my abode at Vienna. He was a captain +of cavalry, in the regiment of General Bernes, who had been sent +as imperial ambassador to Russia.</p> +<p>Bernes had been ambassador at Berlin in 1743, where he had +consequently known me during the height of my favour at the court +of Frederic. Hamilton presented me to him, and I had the +good fortune so far to gain his friendship, that, after a few +visits, he endeavoured to detach me from the Russian service, +offering me the strongest recommendations to Vienna, and a +company in his own regiment. My cousin’s misfortunes, +however, had left too deep an impression on my mind to follow his +advice. The Indies would then have been preferred by me to +Austria.</p> +<p>Bernes invited me to dine with him in company with his bosom +friend, Lord Hyndford, the English ambassador. How great +was the pleasure I that day received! This eminent +statesman had known me at Berlin, and was present when Frederic +had honoured me with saying, <i>C’est un matador de ma +jeunesse</i>. He was well read in men, conceived a good +opinion of my abilities, and became a friend and father to +me. He seated me by his side at table, and asked me, +“Why came you here, Trenck?” “In search +of bread and honour, my lord,” answered I, “having +unmeritedly lost them both in my own country.” He +further inquired the state of my finances; I told him my whole +store might be some thirty ducats.</p> +<p>“Take my counsel,” said he; “you have the +necessary qualifications to succeed in Russia, but the people +here despise poverty, judge from the exterior only, and do not +include services or talents in the estimate; you must have the +appearance of being wealthy. I and Bernes will introduce +you into the best families, and will supply you with the +necessary means of support. Splendid liveries, led horses, +diamond rings, deep play, a bold front, undaunted freedom with +statesmen, and gallantry among the ladies, are the means by which +foreigners must make their way in this country. Avail +yourself of them, and leave the rest to us.” This +lesson lasted some time. Bernes entered in the interim, and +they determined mutually to contribute towards my promotion.</p> +<p>Few of the young men who seek their fortune in foreign +countries meet incidents so favourable. Fortune for a +moment seemed willing to recompense my past sufferings, and again +to raise me to the height from which I had fallen. These +ambassadors, here again by accident met, had before been +witnesses of my prosperity when at Berlin. The talents I +possessed, and the favour I then enjoyed, attracted the notice of +all foreign ministers. They were bosom friends, equally +well read in the human heart, and equally benevolent and +noble-minded; their recommendation at court was decisive; the +nations they represented were in alliance with Russia, and the +confidence Bestuchef placed in them was unbounded.</p> +<p>I was now introduced into all companies, not as a foreigner +who came to entreat employment, but as the heir of the house of +Trenck, and its rich Hungarian possessions, and as the former +favourite of the Prussian monarch.</p> +<p>I was also admitted to the society of the first literati, and +wrote a poem on the anniversary of the coronation of the Empress +Elizabeth. Hyndford took care she should see it, and, in +conjunction with the chancellor, presented me to the +sovereign. My reception was most gracious. She +herself recommended me to the chancellor, and presented me with a +gold-hilted sword, worth a thousand roubles. This raised me +highly in the esteem of all the houses of the Bestuchef +party.</p> +<p>Manners were at that time so rude in Russia, that every +foreigner who gave a dinner, or a ball, must send notice to the +chancellor Bestuchef, that he might return a list of the guests +allowed to be invited. Faction governed everything; and +wherever Bestuchef was, no friend of Woranzow durst appear. +I was the intimate of the Austrian and English ambassadors; +consequently, was caressed and esteemed in all companies. I +soon became the favourite of the chancellor’s lady, as I +shall hereafter notice; and nothing more was wanting to obtain +all I could wish.</p> +<p>I was well acquainted with architectural design, had free +access to the house and cabinet of the chancellor, where I drew +in company with Colonel Oettinger, who was then the head +architect of Russia, and made the perspective view of the new +palace, which the chancellor intended to build at Moscow, by +which I acquired universal honour. I had gained more +acquaintance in, and knowledge of, Russia in one month, than +others, wanting my means, have done in twelve.</p> +<p>As I was one day relating my progress to Lord Hyndford, he, +like a friend, grown grey in courts, kindly took the trouble to +advise me. From him I obtained a perfect knowledge of +Russia; he was acquainted with all the intrigues of European +courts, their families, party cabals, the foibles of the +monarchs, the principles of their government, the plots of the +great Peter, and had also made the peace of Breslau. Thus, +having been the confidential friend of Frederic, he was +intimately acquainted with his heart, as well as the sources of +his power. Hyndford was penetrating, noble-minded, had the +greatness of the Briton, without his haughtiness; and the +principles, by which he combined the past, the present, and the +future, were so clear, that I, his scholar, by adhering to them, +have been enabled to foretell all the most remarkable revolutions +that have happened, during the space of six-and-thirty years, in +Europe. By these I knew, when any minister was disgraced, +who should be his successor. I daily passed some hours +improving by his kind conversation; and to him I am indebted for +most of that knowledge of the world I happen to possess.</p> +<p>He took various opportunities of cautioning me against the +effects of an ardent, sanguine temper; and my hatred of arbitrary +power warned me to beware of the determined persecution of +Frederic, of his irreconcilable anger, his intrigues and +influence in the various courts of Europe, which he would +certainly exert to prevent my promotion, lest I should impede his +own projects, and lamented my future sufferings, which he plainly +foresaw. “Despots,” said he, “always are +suspicious, and abhor those who have a consciousness of their own +worth, of the rights of mankind, and hold the lash in +detestation. The enlightened are by them called the +restless spirits, turbulent and dangerous; and virtue there, +where virtue is unnecessary for the humbling and trampling upon +the suffering subject, is accounted a crime, of all others the +most to be dreaded.”</p> +<p>Hyndford taught me to know, and highly to value freedom: to +despise tyrants, to endure the worst of miseries, to emulate true +greatness of mind, to despise danger, and to honour only those +whose elevation of soul had taught them equally to oppose bigotry +and despotism.</p> +<p>Bernes was a philosopher; but with the penetration of an +Italian, more cautious than Hyndford, yet equally honest and +worthy. His friendship for me was unbounded, and the time +passed in their company was esteemed by me most precious. +The liberality of my sentiments, thirst after knowledge and +scientific acquirements gained their favour; our topics of +conversation were inexhaustible, and I acquired more real +information at Moscow than at Berlin, under the tuition of La +Metri, Maupertuis, and Voltaire.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> +<p>Scarcely had I been six weeks in this city before I had an +adventure which I shall here relate; for, myself excepted, all +the persons concerned in it are now dead. Intrigues +properly belong to novels. This book is intended for a more +serious purpose, and they are therefore here usually +suppressed. It cannot be supposed I was a +woman-hater. Most of the good or bad fortune I experienced +originated in love. I was not by nature inconstant, and was +incapable of deceit even in amours. In the very ardour of +youth I always shunned mere sensual pleasures. I loved for +more exalted reasons, and for such sought to be beloved +again. Love and friendship were with me always united; and +these I was capable of inciting, maintaining, and +deserving. The most difficult of access, the noblest, and +the fairest, were ever my choice: and my veneration for these +always deterred me from grosser gratifications. By woman I +was formed; by the faith of woman supported under misfortunes; in +the company of woman enjoyed the few hours of delight my life of +sorrows has experienced. Woman, beautiful and well +instructed, even now, lightens the burden of age, the +world’s tediousness and its woes; and, when these are +ended, I would rather wish mine eyes might be closed by fair and +virgin hands, than, when expiring, fixed on a hypocritical +priest.</p> +<p>My adventures with women would amply furnish a romance: but +enough of this, I should not relate the present, were it not +necessary to my story.</p> +<p>Dining one public day with Lord Hyndford, I was seated beside +a charming young lady of one of the best families in Russia, who +had been promised in marriage, though only seventeen, to an old +invalid minister. Her eyes soon told me she thought me +preferable to her intended bridegroom. I understood them, +lamented her hard fate, and was surprised to hear her exclaim, +“Oh, heavens! that it were possible you could deliver me +from my misfortune: I would engage to do whatever you would +direct.”</p> +<p>The impression such an appeal must make on a man of four and +twenty, of a temperament like mine, may easily be supposed. +The lady was ravishingly beautiful; her soul was candour itself, +and her rank that of a princess; but the court commands had +already been given in favour of the marriage; and flight, with +all its inseparable dangers, was the only expedient. A +public table was no place for long explanations. Our hearts +were already one. I requested an interview, and the next +day was appointed, the place the Trotzer garden, where I passed +three rapturous hours in her company: thanks to her woman, who +was a Georgian.</p> +<p>To escape, however, from Moscow, was impossible. The +distance thence to any foreign country was too great. The +court was not to remove to Petersburg till the next spring, and +her marriage was fixed for the first of August. The +misfortune was not to be remedied, and nothing was left us but +patience perforce. We could only resolve to fly from +Petersburg when there, the soonest possible, and to take refuge +in some corner of the earth, where we might remain unknown of +all. The marriage, therefore, was celebrated with pomp, +though I, in despite of forms, was the true husband of the +princess. Such was the state of the husband imposed upon +her, that to describe it, and not give disgust, were +impossible.</p> +<p>The princess gave me her jewels, and several thousand roubles, +which she had received as a nuptial present, that I might +purchase every thing necessary for flight; my evil destiny, +however, had otherwise determined. I was playing at ombre +with her, one night, at the house of the Countess of Bestuchef, +when she complained of a violent headache, appointed me to meet +her on the morrow, in the Trotzer gardens, clasped my hand with +inexpressible emotion, and departed. Alas! I never +beheld her more, till stretched upon the bier!</p> +<p>She grew delirious that very night, and so continued till her +death, which happened on the sixth day, when the small-pox began +to appear. During her delirium she discovered our love, and +incessantly called on me to deliver her from her tyrant. +Thus, in the flower of her age, perished one of the most lovely +women I ever knew, and with her fled all I held most dear.</p> +<p>All my plans were now to be newly arranged. Lord +Hyndford alone was in the secret, for I hid no secrets from him: +he strengthened me in my first resolution, and owned that he +himself, for such a mistress, might perhaps have been weak enough +to have acted as I had done. Almost as much moved as +myself, he sympathised with me as a friend, and his advice +deterred me from ending my miseries, and descending with her, +whom I have loved and lost, to the grave. This was the +severest trial I had ever felt. Our affection was +unbounded, and such only as noble hearts can feel. She +being gone, the whole world became a desert. There is not a +man on earth, whose life affords more various turns of fate than +mine. Swiftly raised to the highest pinnacle of hope, as +suddenly was I cast headlong down, and so remarkable were these +revolutions that he who has read my history will at last find it +difficult to say whether he envies or pities me most. And +yet these were, in reality, but preparatory to the evils that +hovered over my devoted head. Had not the remembrance of +past joys soothed and supported me under my sufferings, I +certainly should not have endured the ten years’ torture of +the Magdeburg dungeon, with a fortitude that might have been +worthy even of Socrates.</p> +<p>Enough of this. My blood again courses swifter through +my veins as I write! Rest, gentle maiden, noble and lovely +as thou wert! For thee ought Heaven to have united a form +so fair, animated as it was, by a soul so pure, to ever-blooming +youth and immortality.</p> +<p>My love for this lady became well-known in Moscow; yet her +corpulent overgrown husband had not understanding enough to +suppose there was any meaning in her rhapsodies during her +delirium.</p> +<p>Her gifts to me amounted in value to about seven thousand +ducats. Lord Hyndford and Count Bernes both adjudged them +legally mine, and well am I assured her heart had bequeathed me +much more.</p> +<p>To this event succeeded another, by which my fortune was +greatly influenced. The Countess of Bestuchef was then the +most amiable and witty woman at Court. Her husband, +cunning, selfish, and shallow, had the name of minister, while +she, in reality, governed with a genius, at once daring and +comprehensive. The too pliant Elizabeth carelessly left the +most important things to the direction of others. Thus the +Countess was the first person of the Empire, and on whom the +attention of the foreign ministers was fixed.</p> +<p>Haughty and majestic in her demeanour, she was supposed to be +the only woman at court who continued faithful to her husband; +which supposition probably originated in her art and education, +she being a German born: for I afterwards found her virtue was +only pride, and a knowledge of the national character. The +Russian lover rules despotic over his mistress: requires money, +submission, and should he meet opposition, threatens her with +blows, and the discovery of her secret.</p> +<p>During Elizabeth’s reign foreigners could neither appear +at court, nor in the best company, without the introduction of +Bestuchef. I and Sievers, gentlemen of the chamber, were at +that time the only Germans who had free egress and regress in all +houses of fashion; my being protected by the English and Austrian +ambassadors gave me very peculiar advantages, and made my company +everywhere courted.</p> +<p>Bestuchef had been resident, during the late reign, at +Hamburg, in which inferior station he married the countess, at +that time, though young and handsome, only the widow of the +merchant Boettger. Under Elizabeth, Bestuchef rose to the +summit of rank and power, and the widow Boettger became the first +lady of the empire. When I knew her she was eight and +thirty, consequently no beauty, though a woman highly endowed in +mind and manners, of keen discernment, disliking the Russians, +protecting the Prussians, and at whose aversions all +trembled.</p> +<p>Her carriage towards the Russians was, what it must be in her +situation, lofty, cautious, and ironical, rather than kind. +To me she showed the utmost esteem on all occasions, welcomed me +at her table, and often admitted me to drink coffee in company +with herself alone and Colonel Oettinger. The countess +never failed giving me to understand she had perceived my love +for the princess N---; and, though I constantly denied the fact, +she related circumstances which she could have known, as I +thought, only from my mistress herself; my silence pleased her; +for the Russians, when a lady had a partiality for them, never +fail to vaunt of their good fortune. She wished to persuade +me she had observed us in company, had read the language of our +eyes, and had long penetrated our secret. I was ignorant at +that time that she had then, and long before, entertained the +maid of my mistress as a spy in her pay.</p> +<p>About a week after the death of the princess, the countess +invited me to take coffee with her, in her chamber; lamented my +loss, and the violence of that passion which had deprived me of +all my customary vivacity, and altered my very appearance. +She seemed so interested in my behalf, and expressed so many +wishes, and so ardent to better my fate, that I could no longer +doubt. Another opportunity soon happened, which confirmed +these my suspicions: her mouth confessed her sentiments. +Discretion, secrecy, and fidelity, were the laws she imposed, and +never did I experience a more ardent passion from woman. +Such was her understanding and penetration, she knew how to rivet +my affections.</p> +<p>Caution was the thing most necessary. She contrived, +however, to make opportunity. The chancellor valued, +confided in me, and employed me in his cabinet; so that I +remained whole days in his house. My captainship of cavalry +was now no longer thought of: I was destined to political +employment. My first was to be gentleman of the chamber, +which in Russia is an office of importance, and the prospect of +futurity became to me most resplendent. Lord Hyndford, ever +the repository of my secrets, counselled me, formed plans for my +conduct, rejoiced at my success, and refused to be reimbursed the +expense he had been at, though now my circumstances were +prosperous.</p> +<p>The degree of credit I enjoyed was soon noticed: foreign +ministers began to pay their court to me: Goltz, the Prussian +minister, made every effort to win me, but found me +incorruptible.</p> +<p>The Russian alliance was at this time highly courted by +foreign powers; the humbling of Prussia was the thing generally +wished and planned: and nobody was better informed than myself of +ministerial and family factions at this court.</p> +<p>My mistress, a year after my acquaintance with her, fell into +her enemies’ power, and with her husband, was delivered +over to the executioner. Chancellor Bestuchef, in the year +1756, was forced to confession by the knout. Apraxin, +minister of war, had a similar fate. The wife of his +brother, then envoy in Poland, was, by the treachery of a certain +Lieutenant Berger, with three others of the first ladies of the +court, knouted, branded, and had their tongues cut out. +This happened in the year 1741, when Elizabeth ascended the +throne. Her husband, however, faithfully served: I knew him +as Russian envoy, at Vienna, 1751. This may indeed be +called the love of our country, and thus does it happen to the +first men of the state: what then can a foreigner hope for, if +persecuted, and in the power of those in authority?</p> +<p>No man, in so short a space of time, had greater opportunities +than I, to discover the secrets of state; especially when guided +by Hyndford and Bernes, under the reign of a well-meaning but +short-sighted Empress, whose first minister was a weak man, +directed by the will of an able and ambitious wife, and which +wife loved me, a stranger, an acquaintance of only a few months, +so passionately that to this passion she would have sacrificed +every other object. She might, in fact, be considered as +Empress of Russia, disposing of peace or war, and had I been more +prudent or less sincere, I might in such a situation, have +amassed treasures, and deposited them in full security. Her +generosity was boundless; and, though obliged to pay above a +hundred thousand roubles, in one year, to discharge her +son’s debts, yet might I have saved a still larger sum; but +half of the gifts she obliged me to receive, I lent to this son, +and lost. So far was I from selfish, and so negligent of +wealth, that by supplying the wants of others, I often, on a +reverse of fortune, suffered want myself.</p> +<p>This my splendid success in Russia displeased the great +Frederic, whose persecution everywhere attended me, and who +supposed his interest injured by my success in Russia. The +incident I am going to relate was, at the time it happened, well +known to, and caused much agitation among all the foreign +ambassadors.</p> +<p>Lord Hyndford desired I would make him a fair copy of a plan +of Cronstadt, for which he furnished the materials, with three +additional drawings of the various ships in the harbour, and +their names. There was neither danger nor suspicion +attending this; the plan of Cronstadt being no secret, but +publicly sold in the shops of Petersburg. England was +likewise then in the closest alliance with Russia. Hyndford +showed the drawing to Funk, the Saxon envoy, his intimate friend, +who asked his permission to copy it himself. Hyndford gave +him the plan signed with my name; and after Funk had been some +days employed copying it, the Prussian minister, Goltz, who lived +in his neighbourhood, came in, as he frequently paid him friendly +visits. Funk, unsuspectingly, showed him my drawing, and +both lamented that Frederic had lost so useful a subject. +Goltz asked to borrow it for a couple of days, in order to +correct his own; and Funk, one of the worthiest, most honest, and +least suspicious of men, who loved me like a brother, accordingly +lent the plan.</p> +<p>No sooner was Goltz in possession of it than he hurried to the +chancellor, with whose weakness he was well acquainted, told him +his intent in coming was to prove that a man, who had once been +unfaithful to his king and country, where he had been loaded with +favours, would certainly betray, for his own private interest, +every state where he was trusted. He continued his preface, +by speaking of the rapid progress I had made in Russia, and the +free entrance I had found in the chancellor’s house, where +I was received as a son, and initiated in the secrets of the +cabinet.</p> +<p>The chancellor defended me: Goltz then endeavoured to incite +his jealousy, and told him my private interviews with his wife, +especially in the palace-garden, were publicly spoken of. +This he had learned from his spies, he having endeavoured, by the +snares he laid, to make my destruction certain.</p> +<p>He likewise led Bestuchef to suspect his secretary, S-n, was a +party in the intrigue; till at last the chancellor became very +angry; Goltz then took my plan of Cronstadt from his pocket, and +added, “Your excellency is nourishing a serpent in your +bosom. This drawing have I received from Trenck, copied +from your cabinet designs, for two hundred ducats.” +He knew I was employed there sometimes with Oettinger, whose +office it was to inspect the buildings and repairs of the Russian +fortifications. Bestuchef was astonished; his anger became +violent, and Goltz added fuel to the flame, by insinuating, I +should not be so powerfully protected by Bernes, the Austrian +ambassador, were it not to favour the views of his own +court. Bestuchef mentioned prosecution and the knout; Goltz +replied my friends were too powerful, my pardon would be +procured, and the evil this way increased. They therefore +determined to have me secretly secured, and privately conveyed to +Siberia.</p> +<p>Thus, while I unsuspectingly dreamed of nothing but happiness, +the gathering storm threatened destruction, which only was +averted by accident, or God’s good providence.</p> +<p>Goltz had scarcely left the place triumphant, when the +chancellor entered, with bitterness and rancour in his heart, +into his lady’s apartment, reproached her with my conduct, +and while she endeavoured to soothe him, related all that had +passed. Her penetration was much deeper than her +husband’s: she perceived there was a plot against me: she +indeed knew my heart better than any other, and particularly that +I was not in want of a poor two hundred ducats. She could +not, however, appease him, and my arrest was determined. +She therefore instantly wrote me a line to the following +purport.</p> +<p>“You are threatened, dear friend, by a very imminent +danger. Do not sleep to-night at home, but secure yourself +at Lord Hyndford’s till you hear farther from +me.”</p> +<p>Secretary S-n, her confidant (the same who, not long since, +was Russian envoy at Ratisbon) was sent with the note. He +found me, after dinner, at the English ambassador’s, and +called me aside. I read the billet, was astonished at its +contents, and showed it Lord Hyndford. My conscience was +void of reproach, except that we suspected my secret with the +countess had been betrayed to the chancellor, and fearing his +jealousy, Hyndford commanded me to remain in his house till we +should make further discovery.</p> +<p>We placed spies round the house where I lived; I was inquired +for after midnight, and the lieutenant of the police came himself +and searched the house.</p> +<p>Lord Hyndford went, about ten in the morning, to visit the +chancellor, that he might obtain some intelligence, who +immediately reproached him for having granted an asylum to a +traitor. “What has this traitor done?” said +Hyndford. “Faithlessly copied a plan of Cronstadt, +from my cabinet drawings,” said the chancellor; +“which he has sold to the Prussian minister for two hundred +ducats.”</p> +<p>Hyndford was astonished; he knew me well, and also knew that +he had then in money and jewels, more than eight thousand ducats +of mine in his own hands: nor was he less ignorant of the value I +set on money, or of the sources whence I could obtain it, when I +pleased. “Has your excellency actually seen this +drawing of Trenck’s?”—“Yes, I have been +shown it by Goltz.”—“I wish I might likewise be +permitted to see it; I know Trenck’s drawing, and make +myself responsible that he is no traitor. Here is some +mystery; be so kind as to desire M. Goltz will come and bring his +plan of Cronstadt. Trenck is at my house, shall be +forthcoming instantly, and I will not protect him if he proves +guilty.”</p> +<p>The Chancellor wrote to Goltz; but he, artful as he was, had +no doubt taken care to be informed that the lieutenant of the +police had missed his prey. He therefore sent an excuse, +and did not appear. In the meantime I entered; Hyndford +then addressed me, with the openness of an Englishman, and asked, +“Are you a traitor, Trenck? If so, you do not merit +my protection, but stand here as a state prisoner. Have you +sold a plan of Cronstadt to M. Goltz?” My answer may +easily be supposed. Hyndford rehearsed what the chancellor +had told him; I was desired to leave the room, and Funk was sent +for. The moment he came in, Hyndford said, “Sir, +where is that plan of Cronstadt which Trenck copied?” +Funk, hesitating, replied, “I will go for it.” +“Have you it,” continued Hyndford, “at +home? Speak, upon your honour.”—“No, my +Lord, I have lent it, for a few days, to M. Goltz, that he may +take a copy.”</p> +<p>Hyndford immediately then saw the whole affair, told the +chancellor the history of this plan, which belonged to him, and +which he had lent to Funk, and requested a trusty person might be +sent with him to make a proper search. Bestuchef named his +first secretary, and to him were added Funk and the Dutch envoy, +Schwart, who happened then to enter. All went together to +the house of Goltz. Funk demanded his plan of Cronstadt; +Goltz gave it him, and Funk returned it to Lord Hyndford.</p> +<p>The secretary and Hyndford both then desired he would produce +the plan of Cronstadt which he had bought of Trenck for two +hundred ducats. His confusion now was great, and Hyndford +firmly insisted this plan should be forthcoming, to vindicate the +honour of Trenck, whom he held to be an honest man. On +this, Goltz answered, “I have received my king’s +commands to prevent the preferment of Trenck in Russia, and I +have only fulfilled the duty of a minister.”</p> +<p>Hyndford spat on the ground, and said more than I choose to +repeat; after which the four gentlemen returned to the +chancellor, and I was again called. Everybody complimented +me, related to me what had passed, and the chancellor promised I +should be recompensed; strictly, however, forbidding me to take +any revenge on the Prussian ambassador, I having sworn, in the +first transports of anger, to punish him wherever I should find +him, even were it at the altar’s foot.</p> +<p>The chancellor soothed me, kept me to dine with him, and +endeavoured to assuage my boiling passions. The countess +affected indifference, and asked me if suchlike actions +characterised the Prussian nation. Funk and Schwart were at +table. All present congratulated me on my victory, but none +knew to whom I was indebted for my deliverance from the hasty and +unjust condemnation of the chancellor, although my protectress +was one of the company. I received a present of two +thousand roubles the next day from the chancellor, with orders to +thank the Empress for this mark of her bounty, and accept it as a +sign of her special favour. I paid these my thanks some +days after. The money I disregarded, but the amiable +Empress, by her enchanting benevolence, made me forget the +past. The story became public, and Goltz appeared neither +in public, nor at court. The manner in which the countess +personally reproached him, I shall out of respect pass +over. Bernes, the crafty Piedmontese, assured me of +revenge, without my troubling myself in the matter, +and—what happened after I know not; Goltz appeared but +little in company, fell ill when I had left Russia, and died soon +after of a consumption.</p> +<p>This vile man was, no doubt, the cause of all the calamities +which fell upon me. I should have become one of the first +men in Russia: the misfortune that befel Bestuchef and his family +some years afterward might have been averted: I should never have +returned to Vienna, a city so fatal to the name of Trenck: by the +mediation of the Russian Court, I should have recovered my great +Sclavonian estates; my days of persecution at Vienna would have +passed in peace and pleasure: nor should I have entered the +dungeon of Magdeburg.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> +<p>How little did the Great Frederic know my heart. Without +having offended, he had rendered me miserable, had condemned me +to imprisonment at Glatz on mere suspicion, and on my flying +thence, naked and destitute, had confiscated my paternal +inheritance. Not contented with inflicting all these +calamities, he would not suffer me peaceably to seek my fortune +in a foreign land.</p> +<p>Few are the youths who, in so short a time, being expelled +their native country with disgrace, by their own efforts, merits, +and talents, have obtained honour and favour so great, acquired +such powerful friends, or been entrusted with confidence equally +unlimited in transactions so important. Enraged as I was at +the treachery of Goltz, had opportunity offered, I might have +been tempted even to turn my native country into a desert; nor do +I deny that I afterwards promoted the views of the Austrian +envoy, who knew well how to cherish the flame that had been +kindled, and turn it to his own use. Till this moment I +never felt the least enmity either to my country or king, nor did +I suffer myself, on any occasion, to be made the agent of their +disadvantage.</p> +<p>No sooner was I entrusted more intimately with cabinet +secrets, than I discovered the state of factions, and that +Bestuchef and Apraxin were even then in Prussian pay; that a +counterpoise, by their means, might be formed to the prevalence +of the Austrian party.</p> +<p>Hence we may date the change of Russian politics in the year +1762. Here also we may find a clue to the contradictory +orders, artifices, positions, retreats and disappointments of the +Russian army, in the seven years’ war, beginning in +1756. The countess, who was obliged to act with greater +caution, foresaw the consequence of the various intrigues in +which her husband was engaged: her love for me naturally drew her +from her former party; she confided every secret to me, and ever +remained till her fall, which happened in 1758, during my +imprisonment, my best friend and correspondent. Hence was I +so well informed of all the plans against Prussia, to the years +1754 and 1756; much more so than many ministers of the interested +courts, who imagined they alone were in the secret. How +many after events could I then have foretold! Such was the +perverseness of my destiny, that where I should most have been +sought for, and best known, there was I least valued.</p> +<p>No man, in my youth, would have believed I should live to my +sixtieth year, untitled and obscure. In Berlin, Petersburg, +London, and Paris, have I been esteemed by the greatest +statesmen, and now am I reduced to the invalid list. How +strange are the caprices of fortune! I ought never to have +left Russia: this was my great error, which I still live to +repent.</p> +<p>I have never been accustomed to sleep more than four or five +hours, so that through life I have allowed time for paying visits +and receiving company. I have still had sufficient for +study and improvement. Hyndford was my instructor in +politics; Boerhaave, then physician to the court, my bosom +friend, my tutor in physic and literary subjects. Women +formed me for court intrigues, though these, as a philosopher, I +despised.</p> +<p>The chancellor had greatly changed his carriage towards me +since the incident of the plan. He observed my looks, +showed he was distrustful, and desirous of revenge. His +lady, as well as myself, remarked this, and new measures became +necessary. I was obliged to act an artful, but, at the same +time, a very dangerous part.</p> +<p>My cousin, Baron Trenck, died in the Spielberg, October 4, +1749, and left me his heir, on condition I should only serve the +house of Austria. In March, 1750, Count Bernes received the +citation sent me to enter on this inheritance. I would hear +nothing of Vienna; the abominable treatment of my cousin +terrified me. I well knew the origin of his prosecution, +the services he had rendered his country, and had been an +eye-witness of the injustice by which he was repaid. Bernes +represented to me that the property left me was worth much above +a million: that the empress would support me in pursuit of +justice, and that I had no personal enemy at Vienna, that a +million of certain property in Hungary was much superior to the +highest expectations in Russia, where I myself had beheld so many +changes of fortune, and the effects of family cabals. +Russia he painted as dangerous, Vienna as secure, and promised me +himself effectual assistance, as his embassy would end within the +year. Were I once rich, I might reside in what country I +pleased; nor could the persecutions of Frederic anywhere pursue +me so ineffectually as in Austria. Snares would be laid for +me everywhere else, as I had experienced in Russia. +“What,” said he, “would have been the +consequence, had not the countess warned you of the impending +danger? You, like many other honest and innocent men, would +have been sent to Siberia. Your innocence must have +remained untested, and yourself, in the universal opinion, a +villain and a traitor.”</p> +<p>Hyndford spoke to me in the same tone, assured me of his +eternal protection, and described London as a certain asylum, +should I not find happiness at Vienna. He spoke of slavery +as a Briton ought to speak, reminded me of the fate of Munich and +Osterman, painted the court such as I knew it to be, and asked me +what were my expectations, even were I fortunate enough to become +general or minister in such a country.</p> +<p>These reasonings at length determined me; but having plenty of +money, I thought proper to take Stockholm, Copenhagen, and +Holland in my way, and Barnes was in the meantime to prepare me a +favourable reception at Vienna. He desired, also, I would +give him authority to get possession of the estates to which I +was heir. My mistress strongly endeavoured to detain me, +but yielded at length to the force of reason. I tore myself +away, and promised, on my honour, to return as soon as I had +arranged my affairs at Vienna. She made the proposition of +investing me within some foreign embassy, by which I might render +the most effectual services to the court at Vienna. In this +hope we parted with heavy hearts: she presented me with her +portrait, and a snuffbox set with diamonds; the first of these, +three years after was torn from my bosom by the officers in my +first dungeon at Magdeburg, as I shall hereafter relate. +The chancellor embraced me, at parting, with friendship. +Apraxin wept, and clasped me in his arms, prophesying at the same +time, I should never be so happy as in Russia. I myself +foreboded misfortune, and quitted Russia with regret, but still +followed the advice of Hyndford and Bernes.</p> +<p>From Moscow I travelled to Petersburg, where I found a letter, +at the house of Baron Wolf, the banker, from the countess, which +rent my very heart, and almost determined me to return. She +endeavoured to terrify me from proceeding to Vienna, yet inclosed +a bill for four thousand roubles, to aid me on my journey, were I +absolutely bent to turn my back on fortune.</p> +<p>My effects, in money and jewels, amounted to about thirty-six +thousand florins; I therefore returned the draft, intreated her +eternal remembrance, and that she would reserve her favour and +support to times in which they might become needful. After +remaining a few days at Petersburg, I journeyed, by land, to +Stockholm; taking with me letters of recommendation from all the +foreign envoys.</p> +<p>I forgot to mention that Funk was inconsolable for my +departure; his imprudence had nearly plunged me into misery, and +destroyed all my hopes in Russia. Twenty-two years after +this I met the worthy man, once more in Dresden. He, there, +considered himself as the cause of all the evils inflicted on me, +and assured me the recital of my sufferings had been so many +bitter reproaches to his soul. Our recapitulation of former +times gave us endless pleasure, and it was the sweetest of joys +to meet and renew my friendship with such a man, after having +weathered so many storms of fate.</p> +<p>At Stockholm I wanted for no recommendation; the Queen, sister +to the great Frederic, had known me at Berlin, when I had the +honour, as an officer of the body guard, of accompanying her to +Stettin. I related my whole history to her without +reserve. She, from political motives, advised me not to +make any stay at Stockholm, and to me continued till death, an +ever-gracious lady. I proceeded to Copenhagen, where I had +business to transact for M. Chaise, the Danish envoy at Moscow: +from whom also I had letters of recommendation. Here I had +the pleasure of meeting my old friend, Lieutenant Bach, who had +aided me in my escape from my imprisonment at Glatz. He was +poor and in debt, and I procured him protection, by relating the +noble manner in which he behaved I also presented him with five +hundred ducats, by the aid of which he pushed his fortune. +He wrote to me in the year 1776, a letter of sincere thanks, and +died a colonel of hussars in the Danish service in 1776.</p> +<p>I remained in Copenhagen but a fortnight, and then sailed in a +Dutch ship, from Elsineur to Amsterdam. Scarcely had we put +to sea, before a storm arose, by which we lost a mast and +bowsprit, had our sails shattered, and were obliged to cast +anchor among the rocks of Gottenburg, where our deliverance was +singularly fortunate.</p> +<p>Here we lay nine days before we could make the open sea, and +here I found a very pleasant amusement, by going daily in the +ship’s boat from rock to rock, attended by two of my +servants, to shoot wild ducks, and catch shell-fish; whence I +every evening returned with provisions, and sheep’s milk, +bought of the poor inhabitants, for the ship’s crew.</p> +<p>There was a dearth among these poor people. Our vessel +was laden with corn; some of this I purchased, to the amount of +some hundreds of Dutch florins, and distributed wherever I +went. I also gave one of their ministers a hundred florins +for his poor congregation, who was himself in want of bread, and +whose annual stipend amounted to one hundred and fifty +florins.</p> +<p>Here in the sweet pleasure of doing good, I left behind me +much of that money I had so easily acquired in Russia; and +perhaps had we stayed much longer should myself have left the +place in poverty. A thousand blessings followed me, and the +storm-driven Trenck was long remembered and talked of at +Gottenburg.</p> +<p>In this worthy employment, however, I had nearly lost my +life. Returning from carrying corn, the wind rose, and +drove the boat to sea. I not understanding the management +of the helm, and the servants awkwardly handling the sails, the +boat in tacking was overset. The benefit of learning to +swim, I again experienced, and my faithful servant, who had +gained the rock, aided me when almost spent. The good +people who had seen the shallop overset, came off in their boats +to my assistance. An honest Calmuc, whom I had brought from +Russia, and another of my servants perished. I saw the +first sink after I had reached the shore.</p> +<p>The kind Swedes brought me on board, and also righted and +returned with the shallop. For some days I was +sea-sick. We weighed anchor, and sailed for the Texel, the +mouth of which we saw, and the pilots coming off, when another +storm arose, and drove us to the port of Bahus, in Norway, into +which we ran, without farther damage. In some few days we +again set sail, with a fair wind, and at length reached +Amsterdam.</p> +<p>Here I made no long stay; for the day after my arrival, an +extraordinary adventure happened, in which I was engaged chiefly +by my own rashness.</p> +<p>I was a spectator while the harpooners belonging to the whale +fishery were exercising themselves in darting their harpoons, +most of whom were drunk. One of them, Herman Rogaar by +name, a hero among these people, for his dexterity with his +snickasnee, came up, and passed some of his coarse jests upon my +Turkish sabre, and offered to fillip me on the nose. I +pushed him from me, and the fellow threw down his cap, drew his +snickasnee, challenged me, called me monkey-tail, and asked +whether I chose a straight, a circular, or a cross cut.</p> +<p>Thus here was I, in this excellent company, with no choice but +that of either fighting or running away. The robust, +Herculean fellow grew more insolent, and I, turning round to the +bystanders, asked them to lend me a snickasnee. “No, +no,” said the challenger, “draw your great knife from +your side, and, long as it is, I will lay you a dozen ducats you +get a gash in the cheek.” I drew; he confidently +advanced with his snickasnee, and, at the first stroke of my +sabre, that, and the hand that held it, both dropped to the +ground, and the blood spouted in my face.</p> +<p>I now expected the people would, indubitably, tear me to +pieces; but my fear was changed into astonishment at hearing a +universal shout applauding the vanquisher of the redoubted Herman +Rogaar who, so lately feared for his strength and dexterity, +became the object of their ridicule. A Jew spectator +conducted me out of the crowd, and the people clamorously +followed me to my inn. This kind of duel, by which I gained +honour, would anywhere else have brought me to the highest +disgrace. A man who knew the use of the sabre, in a single +day, might certainly have disabled a hundred Herman +Rogaars. This story may instruct and warn others. He +that is quarrelsome shall never want an enemy. My temerity +often engaged me in disputes which, by timely compliance and +calmness, might easily have been avoided; but my evil genius +always impelled me into the paths of perplexity, and I seldom saw +danger till it was inevitable</p> +<p>I left Amsterdam for the Hague, where I had been recommended +to Lord Holderness, the English ambassador, by Lord Hyndford; to +Baron Reisbach, by Bernes; to the Grand Pensionary Fagel, by +Schwart; and from the chancellor I had a letter to the Prince of +Orange himself I could not, therefore, but be everywhere received +with all possible distinction. Within these +recommendations, and the knowledge I possessed, had I had the +good fortune to have avoided Vienna, and gone to India, where my +talents would have insured me wealth, how many tears of +affliction had I been spared! My ill fortune, however, had +brought me letters from Count Bernes, assuring me that heaven was +at Vienna, and including a citation from the high court, +requiring me to give in my claim of inheritance. Bernes +further informed me the Austrian court had assured him I should +meet with all justice and protection, and advised me to hasten my +journey, as the executorship of the estates of Trenck was +conducted but little to my advantage.</p> +<p>This advice I took, proceeded to Vienna, and from that moment +all my happiness had an end. I became bewildered in +lawsuits, and the arts of wicked men, and all possible calamities +assaulted me at once, the recital of which would itself afford +subject matter for a history. They began by the following +incidents:—</p> +<p>One M. Schenck sought my acquaintance at the Hague. I +met with him at my hotel, where he intreated I would take him to +Nuremberg, whence he was to proceed to Saxony. I complied, +and bore his expenses; but at Hanau, waking in the morning, I +found my watch, set with diamonds, a ring worth two thousand +roubles, a diamond snuff-box, with my mistress’s picture, +and my purse, containing about eighty ducats, stolen from my +bed-side, and Schenck become invisible. Little affected by +the loss of money, at any time, I yet was grieved for my +snuff-box. The rascal, however, had escaped, and it was +fortunate that the remainder of my ready money, with my bills of +exchange, were safely locked up.</p> +<p>I now pursued my journey without company, and arrived in +Vienna. I cannot exactly recollect in what month, but I had +been absent about two years; and the reader will allow that it +was barely possible for any man, in so short a time, to have +experienced more various changes of fate, though many smaller +incidents have been suppressed. The places, where my +pledged fidelity required discretion will be easily supposed, as +likewise will the concealment of court intrigues, and artifices, +the publication of which might even yet subject me to more +persecutions. All writers are not permitted to speak truth +of monarchs and ministers. I am the father of eight +children, and parental love and duty vanquish the inclination of +the author; and this duty, this affection, have made me +particularly cautious in relating what happened to me at Vienna, +that I might, thereby, serve them more effectually than by +indulging the pride of the writer, or the vengeance of the +man.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> +<p>Since accounts so various, contradictory, and dishonourable to +the name of Trenck, have been circulated in Vienna, concerning +facts which happened thirty-seven years ago, I will here give a +short abstract of them, and such as may he verified by the +records of the court. I pledge my honour to the truth of +the statement, and were I so allowed, would prove it, to the +conviction of any unprejudiced court of justice: but this I +cannot hope, as princes are much more disposed to bestow +unmerited favours than to make retribution to those whom they +have unjustly punished.</p> +<p>Francis Baron Trenck died in the Spielberg, October 4th, +1749. It has been erroneously believed in Vienna that his +estates were confiscated by the sentence which condemned him to +the Spielberg. He had committed no offence against the +state, was accused of none, much less convicted. The court +sentence was that the administration of his estate should be +committed to Counsellor Kempf and Baron Peyaczewitz, who were +selected by himself, and the accounts of his stewards and farmers +were to be sent him yearly. He continued, till his death, +to have the free and entire disposal of his property.</p> +<p>Although, before his death, he sent for his advocate, Doctor +Berger, and by him petitioned the Empress she would issue the +necessary orders to the Governor of the Spielberg, to permit the +entrance of witnesses, and all things necessary to make a legal +will, it by no means follows that he petitioned her for +permission to make this will. The case is too clear to +admit of doubt. The royal commands were given, that he +should enjoy all freedom of making his will. Permission was +also given that, during his sickness, he might be removed to the +capuchin convent, which was equal to liberty, but this he refused +to accept.</p> +<p>Neither was his ability to make a will questioned. The +advocate was only to request the Queen’s permission to +supply some formalities, which had been neglected, when he +purchased the lordships of Velika and Nustar, which petition was +likewise granted. The royal mandate still exists, which +commissioned the persons therein named as trustees to the estate +and effects of Trenck, and this mandate runs thus: “Let the +last will of Trenck be duly executed: let dispatch be used, and +the heir protected in all his rights.” Confiscation, +therefore, had never been thought of, nor his power to make a +will questioned.</p> +<p>I will now show how I have been deprived of this valuable +inheritance, while I have been obliged to pay above sixty +thousand florins, to defray legacies he had left; and when this +narrative is read, it will no longer be affirmed at Vienna, that +by the favours of the court I inherited seventy-six thousand +florins, or the lordship of Zwerbach from Trenck, I shall proceed +to my proofs.</p> +<p>The father of Baron Trenck, who died in the year 1743, +governor of Leitschau, in Hungary, named me in his will the +successor of his son, should he die without heirs male.</p> +<p>This will was sent to be proved, according to form, at Vienna, +after having been authenticated in the most legal manner in +Hungary. The court called Hofkriegsrath, at Vienna, +neglected to provide a curator for the security of the next heir; +yet this could not annul my right of succession. When +Trenck succeeded his father, he entered no protest to this, his +father’s will; therefore, dying without children, in the +year 1749, my claim was indisputable. I was heir had he +made no will: and even in case of confiscation, my title to his +father’s estates still remained valid.</p> +<p>Trenck knew this but too well: he, as I have before related, +was my worst enemy, and even attempted my life. I will +therefore proceed to show the real intent of this his crafty +testament.</p> +<p>Determined no longer to live in confinement, or to ask +forgiveness, by which, it is well known, he might have obtained +his freedom, having lost all hopes of reimbursing his losses, his +avarice was reduced to despair. His desire of fame was +unbounded, and this could no way be gratified but by having +himself canonized for a saint, after spending his life in +committing all the ravages of a pandour. Hence originated +the following facts:—</p> +<p>He knew I was the legal claimant to his father’s +estates. His father had bought with the family money, +remitted from Prussia, the lordships of Prestowacz and +Pleternitz, in Sclavonia, and he himself, during his +father’s life, and with his father’s money, had +purchased the lordship of Pakratz, for forty thousand florins: +this must therefore descend also to me, he having no more power +to will this from me, than he had the remainder of his paternal +inheritance. The property he himself had gained was +consigned to administrators, but a hundred thousand florins had +been expended in lawsuits, and sixty-three suits continued +actually pending against him in court; the legacies he bequeathed +amounted to eighty thousand florins. These, he saw, could +not be paid, should I claim nothing more than the paternal +inheritance; he, therefore, to render me unfortunate after his +death, craftily named me his universal heir, without mentioning +his father’s will, but endeavoured, by his mysterious +death, and the following conditions, to enforce the execution of +his own will.</p> +<p>First,—I was to become a Catholic.</p> +<p>Secondly,—I was to serve only the house of Austria; +and,</p> +<p>Lastly,—He made his whole estate, without excepting the +paternal inheritance, a <i>Fidei commissum</i>.</p> +<p>Hence arose all my misfortunes, as indeed was his intention; +for, but a short time before his death, he said to the Governor, +Baron Kottulinsky, “I shall now die contented, since I have +been able to trick my cousin, and render him wretched.”</p> +<p>His death, believed in Vienna to be miraculous, happened after +the following manner; and by this he had induced many weak +people, who really believed him a saint, to further his +views.</p> +<p>Three days before his death, while in perfect health, he +desired the governor of the Spielberg would send for his +confessor, for that St. Francis had revealed to him he should be +removed into life everlasting on his birth-day at twelve +o’clock. The capuchin was sent for, but the +prediction laughed at.</p> +<p>The day, however, after the departure of his confessor, he +said, “Praise be to God, my end approaches; my confessor is +dead, and has appeared to me.” Strange as it may +seem; it was actually found to be true that the priest was +dead. He now had all the officers of the garrison of Brunn +assembled, tonsured his head like a capuchin, took the habit of +the order, publicly confessed himself in a sermon of an +hour’s length, exhorted them all to holiness, acted the +part of a most exemplary penitent, embraced all present, spoke +with a smile of the insignificance of all earthly possessions, +took his leave, knelt down to prayers, slept calmly, rose, prayed +again, and about eleven in the forenoon, October 4th, taking his +watch in his hand, said, “Thanks be to my God, my last hour +approaches.” All laughed at such a farce from a man +of such a character; yet they remarked that the left side of his +face grew pale. He then leaned his arm on the table, +prayed, and remained motionless, with his eyes closed. The +clock struck twelve—no signs of life or motion could be +discovered; they spoke to him, and found he was really dead.</p> +<p>The word miracle was echoed through the whole country, and the +transmigration of the Pandour Trenck, from earth to heaven, by +St. Francis, proclaimed. The clue to this labyrinth of +miracles, known only to me, is truly as follows:—He +possessed the secret of what is called the <i>aqua tofana</i>, +and had determined on death. His confessor had been +entrusted with all his secrets, and with promissory notes, which +he wished to invalidate. I am perfectly certain that he had +returned a promissory note of a great prince, given for two +hundred thousand florins, which has never been brought to +account. The confessor, therefore, was to be provided for, +that Trenck might not be betrayed, and a dose of poison was given +him before he set off for Vienna: his death was the +consequence. He took similar means with himself, and thus +knew the hour of his exit; finding he could not become the first +on earth, he wished to be adored as a saint in heaven. He +knew he should work miracles when dead, because he ordered a +chapel to be built, willed a perpetual mass, and bequeathed the +capuchins sixty thousand florins.</p> +<p>Thus died this most extraordinary man, in the thirty-fourth +year of his age, to whom nature had denied none of her gifts; who +had been the scourge of Bavaria; the terror of France; and who +had, with his supposed contemptible pandours, taken above six +thousand Prussian prisoners. He lived a tyrant and enemy of +men, and died a sanctified impostor.</p> +<p>Such was the state of affairs, as willed by Trenck, when I +came to Vienna, in 1759, where I arrived with money and jewels to +the amount of twenty thousand florins.</p> +<p>Instead of profiting by the wealth Trenck had acquired, I +expended a hundred and twenty thousand florins of my own money, +including what devolved to me from my uncle, his father, in the +prosecution of his suits. Trenck had paid two hundred +ducats to the tribunal of Vienna, in the year 1743, to procure +its very reprehensible silence concerning a curator, to which I +was sacrificed, as the new judges of this court refused to +correct the error of their predecessors. Such are the +proceedings of courts of justice in Vienna!</p> +<p>On my first audience, no one could be received more kindly +than I was, by the Empress Queen. She spoke of my deceased +cousin with much emotion and esteem, promised me all grace and +favour, and informed me of the particular recommendations she had +received, on my behalf, from Count Bernes. Finding +sixty-three cases hang over my head, in consequence of the +inheritance of Trenck, to obtain justice in any one of which in +Vienna, would have employed the whole life of an honest man, I +determined to renounce this inheritance, and claim only under the +will and as the heir of my uncle.</p> +<p>With this view I applied for and obtained a copy of that will, +with which I personally appeared, and declared to the court that +I renounced the inheritance of Francis Trenck, would undertake +none of his suits, nor be responsible for his legacies, and +required only his father’s estates, according to the legal +will, which I produced; that is to say, the three lordships of +Pakratz, Prestowacz, and Pleneritz, without chattels or personal +effects. Nothing could be more just or incontrovertible +than this claim. What was my astonishment, to be told, in +open court, that Her Majesty had declared I must either wholly +perform the articles of the will of Trenck, or be excluded the +entire inheritance, and have nothing further to hope. What +could be done? I ventured to remonstrate, but the will of +the court was determined and absolute: I must become a Roman +Catholic.</p> +<p>In this extremity I bribed a priest, who gave me a signed +attestation, “That I had abjured the accursed heresy of +Lutheranism.” My religion, however, remained what it +had ever been. General Bernes about this time returned from +his embassy, and I related to him the lamentable state in which I +found my affairs. He spoke to the Empress in my behalf, and +she promised everything. He advised me to have patience, to +perform all that was required of me, and to make myself +responsible for the depending suits. Some family concerns +obliged him, as he informed me, to make a journey to Turin, but +his return would be speedy: he would then take the management of +my affairs upon himself, and insure my good fortune in +Austria. Bernes loved me as his son, and I had reason to +hope, from his assurance, I should be largely remembered in his +will, which was the more probable, as he had neither child nor +relations. He parted from me, like a father, with tears in +his eyes; but he had scarcely been absent six weeks before the +news arrived of his death, which, if report may be credited, was +effected by poison, administered by <i>a friend</i>. Ever +the sport of fortune, thus were my supporters snatched from me at +the very moment they became most necessary.</p> +<p>The same year was I, likewise, deprived by death of my friend +and protector, Field-marshal Konigseck, Governor of Vienna, when +he had determined to interest himself in my behalf. I have +been beloved by the greatest men Austria ever produced, but +unfortunately have been persecuted by the chicanery of +pettifoggers, fools, fanatics, and priests, who have deprived me +of the favour of my Empress, guiltless as I was of crime or +deceit, and left my old age in poverty.</p> +<p>My ills were increased by a new accident. Soon after the +departure of Bernes, the Prussian minister, taking me aside, in +the house of the Palatine envoy, M. Becker, proposed my return to +Berlin, assured me the King had forgotten all that was past, was +convinced of my innocence, that my good fortune would there be +certain, and be pledged his honour to recover the inheritance of +Trenck. I answered, the favour came too late; I had +suffered injustice too flagrant, in my own country, and that I +would trust no prince on earth whose will might annihilate all +the rights of men. My good faith to the King had been too +ill repaid; my talents might gain me bread in any part of the +world, and I would not again subject myself to the danger of +unmerited imprisonment.</p> +<p>His persuasions were strong, but ineffectual. “My +dear Trenck,” said he, “God is my judge that my +intentions are honest; I will pledge myself, that my sovereign +will insure your fortune: you do not know Vienna; you will lose +all by the suits in which you are involved, and will be +persecuted because you do not carry a rosary.”</p> +<p>How often have I repented I did not then return to +Berlin! I should have escaped ten years’ +imprisonment; should have recovered the estates of Trenck: should +not have wasted the prime of life in the litigation of suits, and +the writing of memorials; and should have certainly been ranked +among the first men in my native country. Vienna was no +place for a man who could not fawn and flatter: yet here was I +destined to remain six-and-thirty years, unrewarded, unemployed; +and through youth and age, to continue on the list of invalid +majors.</p> +<p>Having rejected the proposition of the Prussian envoy, all my +hopes in Vienna were ruined; for Frederic, by his residents and +emissaries, knew how to effect whatever he pleased in foreign +courts, and determined that the Trenck who would no longer serve +or confide in him should at least find no opportunity of serving +against him: I soon became painted to the Empress as an arch +heretic who never would be faithful to the house of Austria, and +only endeavoured to obtain the inheritance of Trenck that he +might devote himself to Prussia. This I shall hereafter +prove; and display a scene that shall be the disgrace of many, by +whom the Empress was induced to harbour unjust suspicions of an +able and honest man. I here stand erect and confident +before the world; publish the truth, and take everlasting shame +to myself, if any man on earth can prove me guilty of one +treacherous thought. I owe no thanks; but so far from +having received favours, I have six and thirty years remained +unable to obtain justice, though I have all the while been +desirous of shedding my blood in defence of the monarchy where I +have thus been treated. Till the year 1746, I was equally +zealous and faithful to Prussia; yet my estates there, though +confiscated, were liable to recovery: in Hungary, on the +contrary, the sentence of confiscation is irrevocable. This +is a remarkable proof in favour of my honour, and my +children’s claims.</p> +<p>Surely no reader will be offended at these digressions; my +mind is agitated, my feelings roused, remembering that my age and +grey hairs deprive me of the sweet hope of at length vanquishing +opposition, either by patience, or forcing justice, by eminent +services, or noble efforts.</p> +<p>This my history will never reach a monarch’s eye, +consequently no monarch, by perceiving, will be induced to +protect truth. It may, indeed, be criticised by literati; +it will certainly be decried by my persecutors, who, through +life, have been my false accusers, and will probably, therefore, +be prohibited by the priests. All Germany, however, will +read, and posterity perhaps may pity, should my book escape the +misfortune of being classed among improbable romances; to which +it is the more liable, because that the biographers of Frederic +and Maria Theresa, for manifest reasons, have never so much as +mentioned the name of Trenck.</p> +<p>Once more to my story: I was now obliged to declare myself +heir, but always <i>cum reservatione juris mei</i>, not as simply +claiming under the will of Francis Trenck I was obliged to take +upon myself the management of the sixty-three suits, and the +expenses attending any one of these are well known in +Vienna. My situation may be imagined, when I inform the +reader I only received, from the whole estate of Trenck, 3,600 +florins in three years, which were scarcely sufficient to defray +the expenses of new year’s gifts to the solicitors and +masters in chancery. How did I labour in stating and +transcribing proofs for the court! The money I possessed +soon vanished. My Prussian relations supported me, and the +Countess Bestuchef sent me the four thousand roubles I had +refused at Petersburg. I had also remittances from my +faithful mistress in Prussia; and, in addition, was obliged to +borrow money at the usurious rate of sixty per cent. +Bewildered as I was among lawyers and knaves, my ambition still +prompted me to proceed, and all things are possible to labour and +perseverance; but my property was expended: and, at length, I +could only obtain that the contested estates should be made a +<i>Fidei commissum</i>, or put under trust; whereby, though they +were protected from being the further prey of others, I did not +inherit them as mine. In this pursuit was my prime of life +wasted, which might have been profitably and honourably +spent.</p> +<p>In three years, however, I brought my sixty-three suits to a +kind of conclusion; the probabilities were this could not have +been effected in fifty. Exclusive of my assiduity, the +means I took must not be told; it is sufficient that I here +learnt what judges were, and thus am enabled to describe them to +others.</p> +<p>For a few ducats, the president’s servant used to admit +me into a closet where I could see everything as perfectly as if +I had myself been one of the council. This often was +useful, and taught me to prevent evil; and often was I scarcely +able to refrain bursting in upon this court.</p> +<p>Their appointed hour of meeting was nine in the morning, but +they seldom assembled before eleven. The president then +told his beads, and muttered his prayers. Someone got up +and harangued, while the remainder, in pairs, amused themselves +with talking instead of listening, after which the news of the +day became the common topic of conversation, and the council +broke up, the court being first adjourned some three weeks, +without coming to any determination. This was called +<i>judicium delegatum in causis Trenkiansis</i>; and when at last +they came to a conclusion, the sentence was such as I shall ever +shudder at and abhor.</p> +<p>The real estates of Trenck consisted in the great Sclavonian +manors, called the lordships of Pakratz, Prestowatz, and +Pleternitz, which he had inherited from his father, and were the +family property, together with Velika and Nustak, which he +himself had purchased: the annual income of these was 60,000 +florins, and they contained more than two hundred villages and +hamlets. The laws of Hungary require—</p> +<p>1st. That those who purchase estates shall obtain the +<i>consensus regius</i> (royal consent).</p> +<p>2nd. That the seller shall possess, and make over the +right of property, together with that of transferring or +alienating, and</p> +<p>3dly. That the purchaser shall be a native born, or have +bought his naturalisation.</p> +<p>In default of all, or any of these, the Fiscus, on the death +of the purchaser, takes possession, repaying the <i>summa +emptitia</i>, or purchase-money, together within what can be +shown to have been laid out in improvements, or the <i>summa +inscriptitia</i>, the sum at which it stands rated in the fiscal +register.</p> +<p>Without form or notice, the Hungarian Fiscal President, Count +Grassalkowitz, took possession of all the Trenck estates on his +decease, in the name of the Fiscus. The prize was great, +not so much because of the estates themselves, as of the personal +property upon them. Trenck had sent loads of merchandise to +his estates, of linen, ingots of gold and silver from Bavaria, +Alsatia, and Silesia. He had a vast storehouse of arms, and +of saddles; also the great silver service of the Emperor Charles +VII., which he had brought from Munich, with the service of plate +of the King of Prussia; and the personal property on these +estates was affirmed considerably to exceed in value the estates +themselves.</p> +<p>I was not long since informed by one of the first generals, +whose honour is undoubted, that several waggons were laden with +these rich effects and sent to Mihalefze. His testimony was +indubitable; he knew the two pandours, who were the confidants of +Trenck, and the keepers of his treasures; and these, during the +general plunder, each seized a bag of pearls, and fled to Turkey, +where they became wealthy merchants. His rich stud of +horses were taken, and the very cows driven off the farms. +His stand of arms consisted of more than three thousand rare +pieces. Trenck had affirmed he had sent linen to the amount +of fifty thousand florins, in chests from Dunnhausen and +Cersdorf, in the county of Glatz, to his estates. The +pillage was general; and when orders came to send all the +property of Trenck and deliver it to his universal heir, nothing +remained that any person would accept. I have myself seen, +in a certain Hungarian nobleman’s house, some valuable +arms, which I knew I had been robbed of! and I bought at Esseck +some silver plates on which were the arms of Prussia, that had +been sold by Counsellor D-n, who had been empowered to take +possession of these estates, and had thus rendered himself +rich. Of this I procured an attestation, and proved the +theft: I complained aloud at Vienna, but received an order from +the court to be silent, under pain of displeasure, and also to go +no more into Sclavonia. The principal reason of my loss of +the landed property in Hungary was my having dared to make +inquiries concerning the personal, not one guinea of which was +ever brought to account. I then proved my right to the +family estates, left by my uncle, beyond all dispute, and also of +those purchased by my cousin. The commissions appointed to +inquire into these rights even confirmed them; yet after they had +been thus established, I received the following order from the +court, in the hand of the Empress herself:—“The +president, Count Grassalkowitz, takes it upon his conscience that +the Sclavonian estates do not descend to Trenck, <i>in +natura</i>; he must therefore receive the <i>summa emptitia et +inscriptitia</i>, together with the money he can show to have +been expended in improvements.”</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> +<p>And herewith ended my pleadings and my hopes. I had +sacrificed my property, laboured through sixty-three inferior +suits, and lost this great cause without a trial. I could +have remained satisfied with the loss of the personal property: +the booty of a soldier, like the wealth amassed by a minister, +appears to me little better than a public robbery; but the +acquirements of my ancestors, my birth-right by descent, of these +I could not be deprived without excessive cruelty. Oh +patience! patience!—Yet shall my children never become the +footmen, nor grooms, of those who have robbed them of their +inheritance; and to them I bequeathed my rights in all their +power: nor shall any man prevent my crying aloud, so long as +justice shall not be done.</p> +<p>The president, it is true, did not immediately possess himself +of the estates, but he took good care his friends should have +them at such rates that the sale of them did not bring the fiscal +treasury 150,000 florins, while I, in real and personal property, +lost a million and a half; nay, probably a sum equal to this in +personal property alone.</p> +<p>The summa <i>inscriptitia et emptitia</i> for all these great +estates only amounted to 149,000 florins, and this was to be paid +by the chamber, but the president thought proper to deduct 10,000 +on pretence the cattle had been driven off the estate of Pakratz; +and, further, 36,000 more, under the shameful pretence that +Trenck, to recruit his pandours, had drained the estates of 3,600 +vassals, who had never returned; the estates, therefore, must +make them good at the rate of thirty florins per head, which +would have amounted to 108,000 florins; but, with much +difficulty, this sum was reduced, as above stated, to 36,000 +florins, each vassal reckoned at ten florins per head. Thus +was I obliged, from the property of my family, to pay for 3,600 +men who had gloriously died in war, in defence of the contested +rights of the great Maria Theresa; who had raised so many +millions of contributions for her in the countries of her +enemies; who, sword in hand, had stormed and taken so many towns, +and dispersed, or taken prisoners, so many thousands of her +foes. Would this be believed by listening nations?</p> +<p>All deductions made for legacies, fees, and formalities, there +remained to me 63,000 florins, with which I purchased the +lordship of Zwerbach, and I was obliged to pay 6,000 florins for +my naturalisation. Thus, when the sums are enumerated which +I expended on the suits of Trenck, received from my friends at +Berlin and Petersburg, it will be found that I cannot, at least, +have been a gainer by having been made the universal heir of the +immensely rich Trenck. With regret I write these truths in +support of my children’s claims, that they may not, in my +grave, reproach me for having neglected the duty of a father.</p> +<p>I will mere add a few particulars which may afford the reader +matter for meditation, cause him to commiserate my fate, and give +a picture of the manner in which the prosecution was carried on +against Trenck.</p> +<p>One Schygrai, a silly kind of beggarly baron, who was treated +as a buffoon, was invited in the year 1743 to dine with Baron +Pejaczewitz, when Trenck happened to be present. The +conversation happened to turn on a kind of brandy made in this +country, and Trenck jocularly said he annually distilled this +sort of brandy from cow-dung to the value of thirty thousand +florins. Schygrai supposed him serious, and wished to learn +the art, which Trenck promised to teach him Pejaczewitz told him +he could give him thirty thousand load of dung.</p> +<p>“But where shall I get the wood?” said +Schygrai. “I will give you thirty thousand +klafters,” answered Trenck. The credulous baron, +thinking himself very fortunate, desired written promises, which +they gave him; and that of Trenck ran thus:</p> +<blockquote><p>“I hereby permit and empower Baron Schygrai +to sell gratis, in the forest of Tscherra Horra, thirty thousand +klafters of wood.</p> +</blockquote> +<p style="text-align: right">“Witness my hand,<br /> +“<span class="smcap">Trenck</span>.”</p> +<p>Trenck was no sooner dead than the Baron brought his note, and +made application to the court. His attorney was the noted +Bussy, and the court decreed the estates of Trenck should pay at +the rate of one form thirty kreutzers per klafter, or forty-five +thousand florins, with all costs, and an order was given to the +administrators to pay the money.</p> +<p>Just at this time I arrived at Vienna, from Petersburg. +Doctor Berger, the advocate of Trenck, told me the affair would +admit of no delay. I hastened to the Empress, and obtained +an order to delay payment. An inquiry was instituted, and +this forest of Tscherra Horra was found to be situated in +Turkey. The absurdity and injustice were flagrant, and it +was revoked. I cannot say how much of these forty-five +thousand florins the Baron had promised to the noble judge and +the attorney. I only know that neither of them was +punished. Had not some holidays luckily intervened, or had +the attorney expected my arrival, the money would have been paid, +and an ineffectual attempt to obtain retribution would have been +the consequence, as happened in many similar instances.</p> +<p>I have before mentioned the advertisement inviting all who had +any demands or complaints against Trenck to appear, with the +promise of a ducat a day; and it is mere proper to add that the +sum of fifteen thousand florins was brought to account, and paid +out of the estates of Trenck. For this shameful purpose +some thousand of florins were paid besides to this species of +claimants and though, after examination, their pretensions all +proved to be futile, and themselves were cast in damages, yet was +none of this money ever refunded, or the false claimants +punished. Among these the pretended daughter of General +Schwerin received two thousand florins, notorious as was her +character. Again, Trenck was accused of having appropriated +the money to his own use, and treated as if convicted. +After his death a considerable demand was accordingly made. +I happening, however, to meet with Ruckhardt, his quarter-master, +he with asseverations declared that, instead of being indebted to +the regiment, the regiment was more than a hundred thousand +florins indebted to him, advised me to get attestations from the +captains, and assured me he himself would give in a clear +statement of the regiment’s accounts.</p> +<p>I followed his advice, hastened to the regiment, and obtained +so many proofs, that the quarter-master of the regiment, who, +with the major, had in reality pocketed the money, was imprisoned +and put in irons. What became of the thief or the false +witness afterward I know not; I only know that nothing was +refunded, that the quarter-master found protectors, detained the +money, and, some years after this vile action, purchased a +commission. One instance more.</p> +<p>Trenck, to the corps of infantry he commanded, added a corps +of hussars, which he raised and provided with horses and +accoutrements sold by auction. My demand on this account +was upwards of sixty thousand florins, to which I received +neither money nor reply. He had also expended a hundred +thousand florins for the raising and equipping his three thousand +pandours; in consequence of which a signed agreement had been +given by the Government that these hundred thousand florins +should be repaid to his heir, or he, the heir, should receive the +command of the regiment. The regiment, however, at his +decease, was given to General Simschen; and as for the agreement, +care was taken it should never come into my hands. Thus +these hundred thousand florins were lost.</p> +<p>Yet it has been wickedly affirmed he was imprisoned in the +Spielberg for having embezzled the regiment’s money; +whereas, I would to God I only was in possession of the sums he +expended on this regiment; for he considered the regiment as his +own; and great as was his avarice, still greater was his desire +of fame, and greater still his love for his Empress, for whom he +would gladly have yielded both property and life.</p> +<p>Within respect to the money that was to have been repaid for +improvement of the estates, I must add, these estates were bought +at a time when the country had been left desolate by the Turks, +and the reinstalment of such places as had fallen into their +hands, and the erecting of farmhouses, mills, stocking them with +horses, cattle, and seed corn, according to my poor estimate, +could not amount to less than eighty thousand florins; but I was +forbidden to go into Sclavonia, and the president offered, as an +indemnification, four thousand florins. Everybody was +astonished, but he, within the utmost coolness, told me I must +either accept this or nothing. The hearers of this sentence +cast their eyes up to heaven and pitied me. I remonstrated, +and thereby only made the matter worse. Grief and anxiety +occasioned me to take a journey into Italy, passing through +Venice, Rome, and Florence.</p> +<p>On my return to Vienna, I, by a friendly interference in +behalf of a woman whose fears rather than guilt had brought her +into danger, became suspected myself; and the very officious +officers of the police had me imprisoned as a coiner without the +least grounds for any such accusation except their own +surmises. I was detained unheard nine days, and when, +having been heard, I had entirely justified myself, was again +restored to liberty; public declaration was then made in the +Gazette that the officers of the police had acted too +precipitately.</p> +<p>This was the satisfaction granted, but this did not content +me. I threatened the counsellor by whom my character had +been so aspersed, and the Empress, condescending to mediate, +bestowed on me a captainship of cavalry in the Cordova +cuirassiers.</p> +<p>Such was the recompense I received for wounds so deep, and +such the neglect into which I was thrown at Vienna. +Discontent led me to join my regiment in Hungary.</p> +<p>Here I gained the applause of my colonel, Count Bettoni, who +himself told the Empress I, more than any other, had contributed +to the forming of the regiment. It may well be imagined how +a man like me, accustomed, as I had been, to the first company of +the first courts, must pass my time among the Carpathian +mountains, where neither society nor good books were to be found, +nor knowledge, of which I was enamoured, improved. The +conversation of Count Bettoni, and the chase, together with the +love of the general of the regiment, old Field-marshal Cordova, +were my only resources; the persecutions, neglect, and even +contempt, I received at Vienna, were still the same.</p> +<p>In the year 1754, in the month of March, my mother died in +Prussia, and I requested the permission of the court that held +the inheritance of Trenck, as a <i>fidei commissum</i>, to make a +journey to Dantzic to settle some family affairs with my brothers +and sister, my estates being confiscated. This permission +was granted, and thither I went in May, where I once more fell +into the hands of the Prussians; which forms the second great and +still more gloomy epoch in my life. All who read what +follows will shudder, will commiserate him who, feeling himself +innocent, relates afflictions he has miserably encountered and +gloriously overcome.</p> +<p>I left Hungary, where I was in garrison, for Dantzic, where I +had desired my brothers and sister to meet me that we might +settle our affairs. My principal intent, however, was a +journey to Petersburg, there to seek the advice and aid of my +friends, for law and persecution were not yet ended at Vienna; +and my captain’s pay and small income scarcely sufficed to +defray charges of attorneys and counsellors.</p> +<p>It is here most worthy of remark that I was told by Prince +Ferdinand of Brunswick, governor of Magdeburg, he had received +orders to prepare my prison at Magdeburg before I set out from +Hungary.</p> +<p>Nay, more; it had been written from Vienna to Berlin that the +King must beware of Trenck, for that he would be at Dantzic at +the time when the King was to visit his camp in Prussia.</p> +<p>What thing more vile, what contrivance more abominable, could +the wickedest wretch on earth find to banish a man his country, +that he might securely enjoy the property of which the other had +been robbed? That this was done I have living witnesses in +his highness Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and the Berlin +ministry, from whose mouths I learned this artifice of +villainy. It is the more necessary to establish this truth, +because no one can comprehend why the <i>Great Frederic</i> +should have proceeded against me in a manner so cruel that, when +it comes to be related, must raise the indignation of the just, +and move hearts of iron to commiserate.</p> +<p>Men so vile, so wicked, as I have described them, in +conjunction with one Weingarten, secretary to Count Puebla, then +Austrian minister at Berlin, have brought on me these my +misfortunes.</p> +<p>This was the Weingarten who, as is now well known, betrayed +all the secrets of the Austrian court to Frederic, who at length +was discovered in the year 1756, and who, when the war broke out, +remained in the service of Prussia. This same Weingarten, +also, not only caused my wretchedness, but my sister’s ruin +and death, as he likewise did the punishment and death of three +innocent men, which will hereafter be shown.</p> +<p>It is an incontrovertible truth that I was betrayed and sold +by men in Vienna whose interest it was that I should be eternally +silenced.</p> +<p>I was immediately visited by my brothers and sister on my +arrival at Dantzic, where we lived happy in each other’s +company during a fortnight, and an amicable partition was made of +my mother’s effects; my sister perfectly justified herself +concerning the manner in which I was obliged to fly from her +house an the year 1746: our parting was kind, and as brother and +sister ought to part.</p> +<p>Our only acquaintance in Dantzic was the Austrian resident, M. +Abramson, to whom I brought letters of recommendation from +Vicuna, and whose reception of us was polite even to +extravagance.</p> +<p>This Abramson was a Prussian born, and had never seen Vienna, +but obtained his then office by the recommendation of Count +Bestuchef, without security for his good conduct, or proof of his +good morals, heart, or head. He was in close connection +with the Prussian resident, Reimer; and was made the instrument +of my ruin.</p> +<p>Scarcely had my brothers and sister departed before I +determined to make a voyage by sea to Russia. Abramson +contrived a thousand artifices, by which he detained me a week +longer in Dantzic, that, he in conjunction with Reimer, might +make the necessary preparations.</p> +<p>The King of Prussia had demanded that the magistrates of +Dantzic should deliver me up; but this could not be done without +offending the Imperial court, I being a commissioned officer in +that service, with proper passports; it was therefore probable +that this negotiation required letters should pass and repass; +and for this reason Abramson was employed to detain me some days +longer, till, by the last letters from Berlin, the magistrates of +Dantzic were induced to violate public safety and the laws of +nations. Abramson, I considered as my best friend, and my +person as in perfect security; he had therefore no difficulty in +persuading me to stay.</p> +<p>The day of supposed departure on board a Swedish ship for Riga +approached, and the deceitful Abramson promised me to send one of +his servants to the port to know the hour. At four in the +afternoon he told me he had himself spoken to the captain, who +said he would not sail till the next day; adding that he, +Abramson, would expect me to breakfast, and would then accompany +me to the vessel. I felt a secret inquietude which made me +desirous of leaving Dantzic, and immediately to send all my +luggage, and to sleep on board. Abramson prevented me, +dragging me almost forcibly along with him, telling me he had +much company, and that I must absolutely dine and sup at his +house; accordingly I did not return to my inn till eleven at +night.</p> +<p>I was but just in bed when I heard a tremendous knocking at my +chamber door, which was not shut, and two of the city magistrates +with twenty grenadiers entered my chamber, and surrounded my bed +so suddenly that I had not time to take to my arms and defend +myself. My three servants had been secured and I was told +that the most worthy magistracy of Dantzic was obliged to deliver +me up as a delinquent to his majesty the King of Prussia.</p> +<p>What were my feelings at seeing myself thus betrayed! +They silently conducted me to the city prison, where I remained +twenty-four hours. About noon Abramson came to visit me, +affected to be infinitely concerned and enraged, and affirmed he +had strongly protested against the illegality of this proceeding +to the magistracy, as I was actually in the Austrian service; but +that they had answered him the court of Vienna had afforded them +a precedent, for that, in 1742, they had done the same by the two +sons of the burgomaster Rutenberg, of Dantzic, and that, +therefore, they were justified in making reprisal; and likewise, +they durst not refuse the most earnest request accompanied with +threats, of the King of Prussia.</p> +<p>Their plea of retaliation originated as follows:—There +was a kind of club at Vienna, the members of which were seized +for having committed the utmost extravagance and debauchery, two +of whom were the sons of the burgomaster Rutenberg, and who were +sentenced to the pillory. Great sums were offered by the +father to avoid this public disgrace, but +ineffectually—they were punished, their punishment was +legal, and had no similarity whatever to my case, nor could it +any way justly give pretence of reprisal.</p> +<p>Abramson, who had in reality entered no protest whatever, but +rather excited the magistracy, and acted in concert with Reimer, +advised me to put my writings and other valuable effects into his +hands, otherwise they would be seized. He knew I had +received letters of exchange from my brothers and sister, about +seven thousand florins, and these I gave him, but kept my ring, +worth about four thousand, and some sixty guineas, which I had in +my purse. He then embraced me, declared nothing should be +neglected to effect my immediate deliverance; that even he would +raise the populace for that purpose; that I could not be given up +to the Prussians in less than a week, the magistracy being still +undetermined in an affair so serious, and he left me, shedding +abundance of crocodile tears, like the most affectionate of +friends.</p> +<p>The next night two magistrates, with their posse, came to my +prison, attended by resident Reimer, a Prussian officer and under +officers, and into their hands I was delivered. The pillage +instantly began; Reimer tore off my ring, seized my watch, +snuff-box, and all I had, not so much as sending me a coat or +shirt from my effects; after which, they put me into a close +coach with three Prussians. The Dantzic guard accompanied +the carriage to the city gate, that was opened to let me pass; +after which the Dantzic dragoons escorted me as far as Lauenburg +in Pomerania.</p> +<p>I have forgotten the date of this miserable day; but to the +best of my memory, it must have been in the beginning of +June. Thirty Prussian hussars, commanded by a lieutenant, +relieved the dragoons at Lauenburg, and thus was I escorted from +garrison to garrison, till I arrived at Berlin.</p> +<p>Hence it was evidently falsely affirmed, by the magistracy of +Dantzic, and the conspirator Abramson, who wrote in his own +excuse to Vienna, that my seizure must be attributed wholly to my +own imprudence, and that I had exposed myself to this arrest by +going without the city gates, where I was taken and carried off; +nor was it less astonishing that the court of Vienna should not +have demanded satisfaction for the treachery of the Dantzickers +toward an Austrian officer. I have incontrovertibly proved +this treachery, after I had regained my liberty Abramson indeed +they could not punish, for during my imprisonment he had quitted +the Austrian for the Prussian service, where he gradually became +so contemptible, that in the year 1764, when I was released from +my imprisonment, he was himself imprisoned in the house of +correction; and his wife, lately so rich, was obliged to beg her +bread. Thus have I generally lived to see the fall of my +betrayers; and thus have I found that, without indulging personal +revenge, virtue and fortitude must at length triumph over the +calumniator and the despot.</p> +<p>This truth will be further proved hereafter, nor can I behold, +unmoved, the open shame in which my persecutors live, and how +they tremble in my presence, their wicked deeds now being known +to the world Nay, monarchs may yet punish their +perfidy:—Yet not so!—May they rather die in +possession of wealth they have torn from me! I only wish +the pity and respect of the virtuous and the wise.</p> +<p>But, though Austria has never resented the affront commenced +on the person of an officer in its service, still have I a claim +on the city of Dantzic, where I was thus treacherously delivered +up, for the effects I there was robbed of, the amount of which is +between eleven and twelve thousand florins. This is a case +too clear to require argument, and the publication of this +history will make it known to the world. This claim also, +among others, I leave to the children of an unfortunate +father.</p> +<p>Enough of digression; let us attend to the remarkable events +which happened on the dismal journey to Berlin. I was +escorted from garrison to garrison, which were distant from each +other two, three, or at most five miles; wherever I came, I found +compassion and respect. The detachment of hussars only +attended me two days; it consisted of twelve men and an officer, +who rode with me in the carriage.</p> +<p>The fourth day I arrived at ---, where the Duke of Wirtemberg, +father of the present Grand Duchess of Russia, was commander, and +where his regiment was in quarters. The Duke conversed with +me, was much moved, invited me to dine, and detained me all the +day, where I was not treated as a prisoner. I so far gained +his esteem that I was allowed to remain there the next day; the +chief persons of the place were assembled, and the Duchess, whom +he had lately married, testified every mark of pity and +consideration. I dined with him also on the third day, +after which I departed in an open carriage, without escort, +attended only by a lieutenant of his regiment.</p> +<p>I must relate this, event circumstantially for it not only +proves the just and noble character of the Duke, but likewise +that there are moments in which the brave may appear cowards, the +clear-sighted blind, and the wise foolish; nay, one might almost +be led to conclude, from this, that my imprisonment at Magdeburg, +was the consequence of predestination, since I remained riveted +in stupor, in despite of suggestions, forebodings, and favourable +opportunities. Who but must be astonished, having read the +daring efforts I made at Glatz, at this strange insensibility now +in the very crisis of my fate? I afterwards was convinced +it was the intention of the noble-minded Duke that I should +escape, and that he must have given particular orders to the +successive officers. He would probably have willingly +subjected himself to the reprimands of Frederic if I would have +taken to fight. The journey through the places where his +regiment was stationed continued five days, and I everywhere +passed the evenings in the company of the officers, the kindness +of whom was unbounded I slept in their quarters without sentinel, +and travelled in their carriages, without other guard than a +single officer in the carriage. In various places the high +road was not more than two, and sometimes one mile from the +frontier road; therefore nothing could have been easier than to +have escaped; yet did the same Trenck, who in Glatz had cut his +way through thirty men to obtain his freedom, that Trenck, who +had never been acquainted with fear, now remain four days +bewildered, and unable to come to any determination.</p> +<p>In a small garrison town, I lodged in the house of a captain +of cavalry, and continually was treated by him with every mark of +friendship. After dinner he rode at the head of his +squadron to water the horse, unsaddled. I remained alone in +the house, entered the stable, saw three remaining horses, with +saddles and bridles; in my chamber was my sword and a pair of +pistols. I had but to mount one of the horses and fly to +the opposite gate. I meditated on the project, and almost +resolved to put it in execution, but presently became +undetermined by some secret impulse. The captain returned +some time after, and appeared surprised to find me still +there. The next day he accompanied me alone in his +carriage; we came to a forest, he saw some champignons, stopped, +asked me to alight, and help him to gather them; he strayed more +than a hundred paces from me, and gave me entire liberty to fly; +yet notwithstanding all this, I voluntarily returned, suffering +myself to be led like a sheep to the slaughter.</p> +<p>I was treated so well, during my stay at this place, and +escorted with so much negligence, that I fell into a gross +error. Perceiving they conveyed me straight to Berlin, I +imagined the King wished to question me concerning the plan +formed for the war, which was then on the point of breaking +out. This plan I perfectly knew, the secret correspondence +of Bestuchef having all passed through my hands, which +circumstance was much better known at Berlin than at +Vienna. Confirmed in this opinion, and far from imagining +the fate that awaited me, I remained irresolute, insensible, and +blind to danger. Alas, how short was this hope! How +quickly was it succeeded by despair! when, after four days’ +march, I quitted the district under the command of the Duke of +Wirtemberg, and was delivered up to the first garrison of +infantry at Coslin! The last of the Wirtemberg officers, +when taking leave of me, appeared to be greatly affected; and +from this moment till I came to Berlin, I was under a strong +escort, and the given orders were rigorously observed.</p> +<h2>CHAPTER XV.</h2> +<p>Arrived here, I was lodged over the grand guardhouse, with two +sentinels in my chamber, and one at the door. The King was +at Potzdam, and here I remained three days; on the third, some +staff-officers made their appearance, seated themselves at a +table, and put the following questions to me:—</p> +<p>First. What was my business at Dantzic?</p> +<p>Secondly. Whether I was acquainted with M. Goltz, +Prussian ambassador to Russia?</p> +<p>Thirdly. Who was concerned with me in the conspiracy at +Dantzic?</p> +<p>When I perceived their intention, by these interrogations, I +absolutely refused to reply, only saying I had been imprisoned in +the fortress of Glatz, without hearing, or trial by +court-martial; that, availing myself of the laws of nature, I had +by my own exertions procured my liberty, and that I was now a +captain of cavalry in the imperial service; that I demanded a +legal trial for my first unknown offence, after which I engaged +to answer all interrogatories, and prove my innocence; but that +at present, being accused of new crimes, without a hearing +concerning my former punishment, the procedure was illegal. +I was told they had no orders concerning this, and I remained +dumb to all further questions.</p> +<p>They wrote some two hours, God knows what; a carriage came up; +I was strictly searched, to find whether I had any weapons; +thirteen or fourteen ducats, which I had concealed, were taken +from me, and I was conducted under a strong escort, through +Spandau to Magdeburg. The officer here delivered me to the +captain of the guard at the citadel; the town major came, and +brought me to the dungeon, expressly prepared for me; a small +picture of the Countess of Bestuchef, set with diamonds, which I +had kept concealed in my bosom, was now taken from me; the door +was shut, and here was I left.</p> +<p>My dungeon was in a casemate, the fore part of which, six feet +wide and ten feet long, was divided by a party wall. In the +inner wall were two doors, and a third at the entrance of the +casemate itself. The window in the seven-feet-thick wall +was so situated that, though I had light, I could see neither +heaven nor earth; I could only see the roof of the magazine; +within and without this window were iron bars, and in the space +between an iron grating, so close and so situated, by the rising +of the walls, that it was impossible I should see any parson +without the prison, or that any person should see me. On +the outside was a wooden palisade, six feet from the wall, by +which the sentinels were prevented from conveying anything to +me. I had a mattress, and a bedstead, but which was +immovably ironed to the floor, so that it was impossible I should +drag it, and stand up to the window; beside the door was a small +iron stove and a night table, in like manner fixed to the +floor. I was not yet put in irons, and my allowance was a +pound and a half per day of ammunition bread, and a jug of +water.</p> +<p>From my youth I had always had a good appetite, and my bread +was so mouldy I could scarcely at first eat the half of it. +This was the consequence of Major Reiding’s avarice, who +endeavoured to profit even by this, so great was the number of +unfortunate prisoners; therefore, it is impossible I should +describe to my readers the excess of tortures that, during eleven +months, I felt from ravenous hunger. I could easily every +day have devoured six pounds of bread; and every twenty-four +hours after having received and swallowed my small portion, I +continued as hungry as before I began, yet must wait another +twenty-four hours for a new morsel. How willingly would I +have signed a bill of exchange for a thousand ducats, on my +property at Vienna, only to have satiated my hunger on dry +bread! For, so extreme was it, that scarcely had I dropt +into a sweet sleep. Therefore I dreamed I was feasting at +some table luxuriously loaded, where, eating like a glutton, the +whole company were astonished to see me, while my imagination was +heated by the sensation of famine. Awakened by the pains of +hunger, the dishes vanished, and nothing remained but the reality +of my distress; the cravings of nature were but inflamed, my +tortures prevented sleep, and, looking into futurity, the cruelty +of my fate suffered, if possible, increase, from imagining that +the prolongation of pangs like these was insupportable. God +preserve every honest man from sufferings like mine! They +were not to be endured by the villain most obdurate. Many +have fasted three days, many have suffered want for a week, or +more; but certainly no one, beside myself, ever endured it in the +same excess for eleven months. Some have supposed that to +eat little might become habitual, but I have experienced the +contrary. My hunger increased every day; and of all the +trials of fortitude my whole life has afforded, this, of eleven +months, was the most bitter.</p> +<p>Petitions, remonstrances, were of no avail; the answer +was—“We must give no more, such is the King’s +command.” The Governor, General Borck, born the enemy +of man, replied, when I entreated, at least, to have my fill of +bread, “You have feasted often enough out of the service of +plate taken from the King, by Trenck, at the battle of Sorau; you +must now eat ammunition bread in your dirty kennel. Your +Empress makes no allowance for your maintenance, and you are +unworthy of the bread you eat, or the trouble taken about +you.” Judge, reader, what pangs such insolence, added +to such sufferings must inflict. Judge what were my +thoughts, foreseeing, as I did, an endless duration to this +imprisonment and these torments.</p> +<p>My three doors were kept ever shut, and I was left to such +meditations as such feelings and such hopes might inspire. +Daily, about noon, once in twenty-four hours, my pittance of +bread and water was brought. The keys of all the doors were +kept by the governor; the inner door was not opened, but my bread +and water were delivered through an aperture. The prison +doors were opened only once a week, on a Wednesday, when the +governor and town major, my hole having been first cleaned, paid +their visit.</p> +<p>Having remained thus two months, and observed this method was +invariable, I began to execute a project I had formed, of the +possibility of which I was convinced.</p> +<p>Where the night-table and stove stood, the floor was bricked, +and this paving extended to the wall that separated my casemate +from the adjoining one, in which was no prisoner. My window +was only guarded by a single sentinel; I therefore soon found, +among those who successively relieved guard, two kind-hearted +fellows, who described to me the situation of my prison; hence I +perceived I might effect my escape, could I but penetrate into +the adjoining casemate, the door of which was not shut. +Provided I had a friend and a boat waiting for me at the Elbe, or +could I swim across that river, the confines of Saxony were but a +mile distant.</p> +<p>To describe my plan at length would lead to prolixity, yet I +must enumerate some of its circumstances, as it was remarkably +intricate and of gigantic labour.</p> +<p>I worked through the iron, eighteen inches long, by which the +night-table was fastened, and broke off the clinchings of the +nails, but preserved their heads, that I might put them again in +their places, and all might appear secure to my weekly +visitors. This procured me tools to raise up the brick +floor, under which I found earth. My first attempt was to +work a hole through the wall, seven feet thick behind, and +concealed by the night-table. The first layer was of +brick. I afterwards came to large hewn stones. I +endeavoured accurately to number and remember the bricks, both of +the flooring and the wall, so that I might replace them and all +might appear safe. This having accomplished, I +proceeded.</p> +<p>The day preceding visitation all was carefully replaced, and +the intervening mortar as carefully preserved; the whole had, +probably, been whitewashed a hundred times; and, that I might +fill up all remaining interstices, I pounded the white stuff this +afforded, wetted it, made a brush of my hair, then applied this +plaster, washed it over, that the colour might be uniform, and +afterwards stripped myself, and sat with my naked body against +the place, by the heat of which it was dried.</p> +<p>While labouring, I placed the stones and bricks upon my +bedstead, and had they taken the precaution to come at any other +time in the week, the stated Wednesday excepted, I had inevitably +been discovered; but, as no such ill accident befell me, in six +months my Herculean labours gave me a prospect of success.</p> +<p>Means were to be found to remove the rubbish from my prison; +all of which, in a wall so thick, it was impossible to replace; +mortar and stone could not be removed. I therefore took the +earth, scattered it about my chamber, and ground it under my feet +the whole day, till I had reduced it to dust; this dust I strewed +in the aperture of my window, making use of the loosened +night-table to stand upon, I tied splinters from my bedstead +together, with the ravelled yarn of an old stocking, and to this +I affixed a tuft of my hair. I worked a large hole under +the middle grating, which could not be seen when standing on the +ground, and through this I pushed my dust with the tool I had +prepared in the outer window, then, waiting till the wind should +happen to rise, during the night I brushed it away, it was blown +off, and no appearance remained on the outside. By this +simple expedient I rid myself of at least three hundred weight of +earth, and thus made room to continue my labours; yet, this being +still insufficient, I had recourse to another artifice, which was +to knead up the earth in the form of sausages, to resemble the +human fæces: these I dried, and when the prisoner came to +clean my dungeon, hastily tossed them into the night-table, and +thus disencumbered myself of a pound or two more of earth each +week. I further made little balls, and, when the sentinel +was walking, blew them, through a paper tube, out of the +window. Into the empty space I put my mortar and stones, +and worked on successfully.</p> +<p>I cannot, however, describe my difficulties after having +penetrated about two feet into the hewn stone. My tools +were the irons I had dug out, which fastened may bedstead and +night-table. A compassionate soldier also gave me an old +iron ramrod and a soldier’s sheath knife, which did me +excellent service, more especially the latter, as I shall +presently more fully show. With these two I cut splinters +from my bedstead, which aided me to pick the mortar from the +interstices of the stone; yet the labour of penetrating through +this seven-feet wall was incredible; the building was ancient, +and the mortar occasionally quite petrified, so that the whole +stone was obliged to be reduced to dust. After continuing +my work unremittingly for six months, I at length approached the +accomplishment of my hopes, as I knew by coming to the facing of +brick, which now was only between me and the adjoining +casemate.</p> +<p>Meantime I found opportunity to speak to some of the +sentinels, among whom was an old grenadier called Gelfhardt, whom +I here name because he displayed qualities of the greatest and +most noble kind. From him I learned the precise situation +of my prison, and every circumstance that might best conduce to +my escape.</p> +<p>Nothing was wanting but money to buy a boat, and crossing the +Elbe with Gelfhardt, to take refuge in Saxony. By +Gelfhardt’s means I became acquainted with a kind-hearted +girl, a Jewess, and a native of Dessau, Esther Heymannin by name, +and whose father had been ten years in prison. This good, +compassionate maiden, whom I had never seen, won over two other +grenadiers, who gave her an opportunity of speaking to me every +time they stood sentinel. By tying my splinters together, I +made a stick long enough to reach beyond the palisades that were +before my window, and thus obtained paper, another knife, and a +file.</p> +<p>I now wrote to my sister, the wife of the before-mentioned +only son of General Waldow; described my awful situation, and +entreated her to remit three hundred rix-dollars to the Jewess, +hoping, by this means, I might escape from my prison. I +then wrote another affecting letter to Count Puebla, the Austrian +ambassador at Berlin, in which was enclosed a draft for a +thousand florins on my effects at Vienna, desiring him to remit +these to the Jewess, having promised her that sum as a reward for +her fidelity. She was to bring the three hundred +rix-dollars my sister should send to me, and take measures with +the grenadiers to facilitate my flight, which nothing seemed able +to prevent, I having the power either to break into the casemate +or, aided by the grenadiers and the Jewess’ to cut the +locks from the doors and that way escape from my dungeon. +The letters were open, I being obliged to roll them round the +stick to convey them to Esther.</p> +<p>The faithful girl diligently proceeded to Berlin, where she +arrived safe, and immediately spoke to Count Puebla. The +Count gave her the kindest reception, received the letter, with +the letter of exchange, and bade her go and speak to Weingarten, +the secretary of the embassy, and act entirely as he should +direct. She was received by Weingarten in the most friendly +manner, who, by his questions, drew from her the whole secret, +and our intended plan of flight, aided by the two grenadiers, and +also that she had a letter for my sister, which she must carry to +Hammer, near Custrin. He asked to see this letter; read it, +told her to proceed on her Journey, gave her two ducats to bear +her expenses, ordered her to come to him on her return, said that +during this interval he would endeavour to obtain her the +thousand florins for my draft, and would then give her further +instructions.</p> +<p>Esther cheerfully departed for Hammer, where my sister, then a +widow, and no longer, as in 1746, in dread of her husband, joyful +to hear I was still living, immediately gave her three hundred +rix-dollars, exhorting her to exert every possible means to +obtain my deliverance. Esther hastened back with the letter +from my sister to Berlin, and told all that passed to Weingarten, +who read the letter, and inquired the names of the two +grenadiers. He told her the thousand florins from Vienna +were not yet come, but gave her twelve ducats; bade her hasten +back to Magdeburg, to carry me all this good news, and then +return to Berlin, where he would pay her the thousand +florins. Esther came to Magdeburg, went immediately to the +citadel, and, most luckily, met the wife of one of the +grenadiers, who told her that her husband and his comrade had +been taken and put in irons the day before. Esther had +quickness of perception, and suspected we had been betrayed; she +therefore instantly again began her travels, and happily came +safe to Dessau.</p> +<p>Here I must interrupt my narrative, that I may explain this +infernal enigma to my readers, an account of which I received +after I had obtained my freedom, and still possess, in the +handwriting of this Jewess. Weingarten, as was afterwards +discovered, was a traitor, and too much trusted by Count Puebla, +he being a spy in the pay of Prussia, and one who had revealed, +in the court of Berlin, not only the secrets of the Imperial +embassy, but also the whole plan of the projected war. For +this reason he afterwards, when war broke out, remained at Berlin +in the Prussian service. His reason for betraying me was +that he might secure the thousand florins which I had drawn for +on Vienna; for the receipt of the 24th of May, 1755, attests that +the sum was paid, by the administrators of my effects, to Count +Puebla, and has since been brought to account; nor can I believe +that Weingarten did not appropriate this sum to himself, since I +cannot be persuaded the ambassador would commit such an action, +although the receipt is in his handwriting, as may easily be +demonstrated, it being now in my possession. Thus did +Weingarten, that he might detain a thousand florins with +impunity, bring new evils upon me and upon my sister, which +occasioned her premature death; caused one grenadier to run the +gauntlet three successive days, and another to be hung.</p> +<p>Esther alone escaped, and since gave me an elucidation of the +whole affair. The report at Magdeburg was, that a Jewess +had obtained money from my sister and bribed two grenadiers, and +that one of these had trusted and been betrayed by his +comrade. Indeed, what other story could be told at +Magdeburg, or how could it be known I had been betrayed to the +Prussian ministry by the Imperial secretary? The truth, +however, is as I have stated: my account-book exists, and the +Jewess is still alive.</p> +<p>Her poor imprisoned father was punished with more than a +hundred blows to make him declare whether his daughter had +entrusted him with the plot, or if he knew whither she was fled, +and miserably died in fetters. Such was the mischief +occasioned by a rascal! And who might be blamed but the +imprudent Count Puebla?</p> +<p>In the year 1766, this said Jewess demanded of me a thousand +florins; and I wrote to Count Puebla, that, having his receipt +for the sum, which never had been repaid, I begged it might be +restored. He received my agent with rudeness, returned no +answer, and seemed to trouble himself little concerning my +loss. Whether the heirs of the Count be, or be not, +indebted to me these thousand florins and the interest, I leave +the world to determine. Thrice have I been betrayed at +Vienna and sold to Berlin, like Joseph to the Egyptians. My +history proves the origin of my persuasion that residents, +envoys, and ambassadors must be men of known worth and honesty, +and not the vilest of rascals and miscreants. But, alas! +the effects and money they have robbed me of have never been +restored; and for the miseries they have brought upon me, they +could not be recompensed by the wealth of any or all the monarchs +on earth. Estates they may, but truth they cannot +confiscate; and of the villainy of Abramson and Weingarten I have +documents and proofs that no court of justice could +disannul. Stop, reader, if thou hast a heart, and in that +heart compassion for the unfortunate! Stop and imagine what +my sensations are while I remember and recount a part only of the +injustice that has been done me, a part only of the tyranny I +have endured! By this last act of treachery of Weingarten +was I held in chains, the most horrible, for nine succeeding +years! By him was an innocent man brought to the +gallows! By him, too, my sister, my beloved, my unfortunate +sister, was obliged to build a dungeon at her own expense! +besides being amerced in a fine, the extent of which I never +could learn. Her goods were plundered, her estates made a +desert, her children fell into extreme poverty, and she herself +expired in her thirty-third year, the victim of cruelty, +persecution, her brother’s misfortunes, and the treachery +of the Imperial embassy!</p> +<h2>Footnotes:</h2> +<p><a name="footnote1"></a><a href="#citation1" +class="footnote">[1]</a> A common expression with Frederic +when he was angry, and which has since become proverbial among +the Prussian and other German officers. See Critical +<i>Review</i>, <i>April</i>, 1755.</p> +<p><a name="footnote2"></a><a href="#citation2" +class="footnote">[2]</a> The same Doo who was governor of +Glatz during the Seven Years’ war, and who, having been +surprised by General Laudohu, was made prisoner, which occasioned +the loss of Glatz. The King broke him with infamy, and +banished him with contempt. In 1764 he came to Vienna, +where I gave him alms. He was, by birth, an Italian, a +selfish, wicked man; and, while major under the government of +Fouquet, at Glatz, brought many people to misery. He was +the creature of Fouquet, without birth or merit; crafty, +malignant, but handsome, and, having debauched his patron’s +daughter, afterwards married her; whence at first his good, and +at length his ill fortune. He wanted knowledge to defend a +fortress against the enemy, and his covetousness rendered him +easy to corrupt.</p> +<p><a name="footnote3"></a><a href="#citation3" +class="footnote">[3]</a> The German mile contains from four +to seven English miles, and this variation appears to depend on +the ignorance of the people and on the roads being in some places +but little frequented. It seems probable the Baron and his +friend might travel about 809 English miles.—<span +class="smcap">Translator</span>.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF BARON +TRENCK***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 2668-h.htm or 2668-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/6/6/2668 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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