THELIFE AND ADVENTURESOFBARON TRENCK

TRANSLATED BYTHOMAS HOLCROFT. 

VOL. I. 

CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED:_LONDON_, _PARIS & MELBOURNE_. 1892. 

INTRODUCTION. 

There were two cousins Von der Trenck, who were barons descended from anancient house in East Prussia, and were adventurous soldiers, to whom, asto the adventurous, there were adventures that lost nothing in thetelling, for they were told by the authors' most admiringfriends--themselves. Franz, the elder, was born in 1711, the son of anAustrian general; and Frederick, whose adventures are here told, was theson of a Prussian major-general. Franz, at the age of seventeen, foughtduels, and cut off the head of a man who refused to lend him money. Hestood six feet three inches in his shoes, knocked down his commandingofficer, was put under arrest, offered to pay for his release by bringingin three Turks' heads within an hour, was released on that condition, andactually brought in four Turks' heads. When afterwards cashiered, hesettled on his estates in Croatia, and drilled a thousand of his tenantryto act as "Pandours" against the banditti. In 1740, he served with hisPandours under Maria Theresa, and behaved himself as one of the morebrutal sort of banditti. He offered to capture Frederick of Prussia, anddid capture his tent. Many more of his adventures are vaingloriouslyrecounted by himself in the _Memoires du Baron Franz de Trenck_, published at Paris in 1787. This Trenck took poison when imprisoned atGratz, and died in October, 1747, at the age of thirty-six. 

His cousin Frederick is the Trenck who here tells a story of himself thatabounds in lively illustration of the days of Frederick the Great. Heprofesses that Frederick the King owed him a grudge, because Frederickthe Trenck had, when eighteen years old, fascinated the Princess Amalieat a ball. But as Frederick the Greater was in correspondence with hiscousin Franz at the time when that redoubtable personage was planning theseizure of Frederick the Great, there may have been better ground for theTrenck's arrest than he allows us to imagine. Mr. Carlyle shows thatFrederick von der Trenck had been three months in prison, and was stillin prison, at the time of the battle of the Sohr, in which he professesto have been engaged. Frederick von der Trenck, after his release fromimprisonment in 1763, married a burgomaster's daughter, and went intobusiness as a wine merchant. Then he became adventurous again. Hisadventures, published in German in 1786-7, and in his own French versionin 1788, formed one of the most popular books of its time. Seven playswere founded on them, and ladies in Paris wore their bonnets a la Trenck. But the French finally guillotined the author, when within a year ofthreescore and ten, on the 26th of July, 1794. He had gone to Paris in1792, and joined there in the strife of parties. At the guillotine hestruggled with the executioner. 

H. M. 

CHAPTER I. 

I was born at Konigsberg in Prussia, February 16, 1726, of one of themost ancient families of the country. My father, who was lord of GreatScharlach, Schakulack, and Meichen, and major-general of cavalry, died in1740, after receiving eighteen wounds in the Prussian service. My motherwas daughter of the president of the high court at Konigsberg. After myfather's death she married Count Lostange, lieutenant-colonel in the Kiowregiment of cuirassiers, with whom she went and resided at Breslau. Ihad two brothers and a sister; my youngest brother was taken by my motherinto 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. 

My ancestors are famous in the Chronicles of the North, among the ancientTeutonic knights, who conquered Courland, Prussia, and Livonia. 

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 emulativespirit, and a thirst for fame, which disposition it was my father's careto cherish. A too great consciousness of innate worth gave me a toogreat degree of pride, but the endeavours of my instructor to inspirehumility were not all lost; and habitual reading, well-timed praise, andthe pleasures flowing from science, made the labours of study at lengthmy recreation. 

My memory became remarkable; I am well read in the Scriptures, theclassics, and ancient history; was acquainted with geography; could draw;learnt fencing, riding, and other necessary exercises. 

My religion was Lutheran; but morality was taught me by my father, and bythe worthy man to whose care he committed the forming of my heart, whosememory I shall ever hold in veneration. While a boy, I was enterprisingin all the tricks of boys, and exercised my wit in crafty excuses; thewarmth of my passions gave a satiric, biting cast to my writings, whenceit has been imagined, by those who knew but little of me, I was adangerous man; though, I am conscious, this was a false judgment. 

A soldier himself, my father would have all his sons the same; thus, whenwe quarrelled, we terminated our disputes with wooden sabres, and, brandishing these, contested by blows for victory, while our father satlaughing, pleased at our valour and address. This practice, and thepraises he bestowed, encouraged a disposition which ought to have beencounteracted. 

Accustomed to obtain the prize, and be the hero of scholasticcontentions, I acquired the bad habit of disputation, and of imaginingmyself a sage when little more than a boy. I became stubborn inargument; hasty to correct others, instead of patiently attentive: and, by presumption, continually liable to incite enmity. Gentle to myinferiors, but impatient of contradiction, and proud of resisting power, I may hence date, the origin of all my evils. 

How might a man, imbued with the heroic principles of liberty, hope foradvancement and happiness, under the despotic and iron Government ofFrederic? I was taught neither to know nor to avoid, but to despise thewhip of slavery. Had I learnt hypocrisy, craft, and meanness, I had longsince become field-marshal, had been in possession of my Hungarianestates, and had not passed the best years of my life in the dungeons ofMagdeburg. I was addicted to no vice: I laboured in the cause ofscience, honour, and virtue; kept no vicious company; was never in thewhole of my life intoxicated; was no gamester, no consumer of time inidleness nor brutal pleasures; but devoted many hundred laborious nightsto studies that might make me useful to my country; yet was I punishedwith a severity too cruel even for the most worthless, or most villanous. 

I mean, in my narrative, to make candour and veracity my guides, and notto conceal my failings; I wish my work may remain a moral lesson to theworld. Yet it is an innate satisfaction that I am conscious of neverhaving acted with dishonour, even to the last act of this distressfultragedy. 

I shall say little of the first years of my life, except that my fathertook especial care of my education, and sent me, at the age of thirteen, to the University of Konigsberg, where, under the tuition of Kowalewsky, my progress was rapid. There were fourteen other noblemen in the samehouse, and under the same master. 

In the year following, 1740, I quarrelled with one young Wallenrodt, afellow-student, much stronger than myself, and who, despising myweakness, thought proper to give me a blow. I demanded satisfaction. Hecame not to the appointed place, but treated my demand with contempt; andI, forgetting all further respect, procured a second, and attacked him inopen day. We fought, and I had the fortune to wound him twice; the firsttime in the arm, the second in the hand. 

This affair incited inquiry:--Doctor Kowalewsky, our tutor, laidcomplaints before the University, and I was condemned to three hours'confinement; but my grandfather and guardian, President Derschau, was sopleased with my courage, that he took me from this house and placed meunder Professor Christiani. 

Here I first began to enjoy full liberty, and from this worthy man Ilearnt all I know of experimental philosophy and science. He loved me ashis own son, and continued instructing me till midnight. Under hisauspices, in 1742, I maintained, with great success, two public theses, although I was then but sixteen; an effort and an honour till thenunknown. 

Three days after my last public exordium, a contemptible fellow sought aquarrel with me, and obliged me to draw in my own defence, whom, on thisoccasion, I wounded in the groin. 

This success inflated my valour, and from that time I began to assume theair and appearance of a Hector. 

Scarcely had a fortnight elapsed before I had another with a lieutenantof the garrison, whom I had insulted, who received two wounds in thecontest. 

I ought to remark, that at this time, the University of Konigsberg wasstill highly privileged. To send a challenge was held honourable; andthis was not only permitted, but would have been difficult to prevent, considering the great number of proud, hot-headed, and turbulent nobilityfrom Livonia, Courland, Sweden, Denmark, and Poland, who came thither tostudy, and of whom there were more than five hundred. This brought theUniversity into disrepute, and endeavours have been made to remedy theabuse. Men have acquired a greater extent of true knowledge, and havebegun 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. 

In November, 1742, the King sent his adjutant-general, Baron Lottum, whowas related to my mother, to Konigsberg, with whom I dined at mygrandfather's. He conversed much with me, and, after putting variousquestions, purposely, to discover what my talents and inclinations were, he demanded, as if in joke, whether I had any inclination to go with himto Berlin, and serve my country, as my ancestors had ever done: addingthat, in the army, I should find much better opportunities of sendingchallenges than at the University. Inflamed with the desire ofdistinguishing myself, I listened with rapture to the proposition, and ina few days we departed for Potzdam. 

On the morrow after my arrival, I was presented to the King, as indeed Ihad before been in the year 1740, with the character of being, then, oneof the most hopeful youths of the University. My reception was mostflattering; the justness of my replies to the questions he asked, myheight, figure, and confidence, pleased him; and I soon obtainedpermission to enter as a cadet in his body guards, with a promise ofquick preferment. 

The body guards formed, at this time, a model and school for the Prussiancavalry; they consisted of one single squadron of men selected from thewhole army, and their uniform was the most splendid in all Europe. Twothousand rix-dollars were necessary to equip an officer: the cuirass waswholly plated with silver; and the horse, furniture, and accoutrementsalone cost four hundred rix-dollars. 

This squadron only contained six officers and a hundred and forty-fourmen; but there were always fifty or sixty supernumeraries, and as manyhorses, for the King incorporated all the most handsome men he found inthe guards. The officers were the best taught of any the army contained;the King himself was their tutor, and he afterwards sent them to instructthe cavalry in the manoeuvres they had learnt. Their rise was rapid ifthey behaved well; but they were broken for the least fault, and punishedby being sent to garrison regiments. It was likewise necessary theyshould be tolerably rich, as well as possess such talents as might besuccessfully employed, both at court and in the army. 

There are no soldiers in the world who undergo so much as this bodyguard; and during the time I was in the service of Frederic, I often hadnot eight hours' sleep in eight days. Exercise began at four in themorning, and experiments were made of all the alterations the King meantto introduce in his cavalry. Ditches of three, four, five, six feet, andstill wider, were leaped, till that someone broke his neck; hedges, inlike manner, were freed, and the horses ran careers, meeting each otherfull speed in a kind of lists of more than half a league in length. Wehad often, in these our exercises, several men and horses killed orwounded. 

It happened more frequently than otherwise that the same experiments wererepeated after dinner with fresh horses; and it was not uncommon, atPotzdam, to hear the alarm sounded twice in a night. The horses stood inthe King's stables; and whoever had not dressed, armed himself, saddledhis horse, mounted, and appeared before the palace in eight minutes, wasput under arrest for fourteen days. 

Scarcely were the eyes closed before the trumpet again sounded, toaccustom youth to vigilance. I lost, in one year, three horses, whichhad either broken their legs, in leaping ditches, or died of fatigue. 

I cannot give a stronger picture of this service than by saying that thebody guard lost more men and horses in one year's peace than they did, during the following year, in two battles. 

We had, at this time, three stations; our service, in the winter, was atBerlin, where we attended the opera, and all public festivals: in thespring we were exercised at Charlottenberg; and at Potzdam, or whereverthe King went, during the summer. The six officers of the guard dinedwith the King, and, on gala days, with the Queen. It may be presumedthere was not at that time on earth a better school to form an officerand a man of the world than was the court of Berlin. 

I had scarcely been six weeks a cadet before the King took me aside, oneday, after the parade, and having examined me near half an hour, onvarious subjects, commanded me to come and speak to him on the morrow. 

His intention was to find whether the accounts that had been given him ofmy memory had not been exaggerated; and that he might be convinced, hefirst gave me the names of fifty soldiers to learn by rote, which I didin five minutes. He next repeated the subjects of two letters, which Iimmediately composed in French and Latin; the one I wrote, the other Idictated. He afterwards ordered me to trace, with promptitude, alandscape from nature, which I executed with equal success; and he thengave me a cornet's commission in his body guards. 

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 mywhole life to the service of my King and country. He spoke to me as aSovereign should speak, like a father, like one who knew well how toestimate the gifts bestowed on me by nature; and perceiving, or ratherfeeling, how much he might expect from me, became at once my instructorand my friend. 

Thus did I remain a cadet only six weeks, and few Prussians can vaunt, under the reign of Frederic, of equal good fortune. 

The King not only presented me with a commission, but equipped mesplendidly for the service. Thus did I suddenly find myself a courtier, and an officer in the finest, bravest, and best disciplined corps inEurope. My good fortune seemed unlimited, when, in the month of August, 1743, the King selected me to go and instruct the Silesian cavalry in thenew manoeuvres: an honour never before granted to a youth of eighteen. 

I have already said we were garrisoned at Berlin during winter, where theofficers' table was at court: and, as my reputation had preceded me, noperson whatever could be better received there, or live more pleasantly. 

Frederic commanded me to visit the literati, whom he had invited to hiscourt: Maupertuis, Jordan, La Mettrie, and Pollnitz, were all myacquaintance. My days were employed in the duties of an officer, and mynights in acquiring knowledge. Pollnitz was my guide, and the friend ofmy heart. My happiness was well worthy of being envied. In 1743, I wasfive feet eleven inches in height, and Nature had endowed me with everyrequisite to please. I lived, as I vainly imagined, without incitingenmity or malice, and my mind was wholly occupied by the desire ofearning well-founded fame. 

I had hitherto remained ignorant of love, and had been terrified fromillicit commerce by beholding the dreadful objects of the hospital atPotzdam. During the winter of 1743, the nuptials of his Majesty's sisterwere celebrated, who was married to the King of Sweden, where she is atpresent Queen Dowager, mother of the reigning Gustavus. I, as officer ofmy 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 myhistory, I shall have frequent occasion to speak. The object of my lovewas one whom I can only remember at present with reverence; and, as Iwrite not romance, but facts, I shall here briefly say, ours weremutually the first-fruits of affection, and that to this hour I regret nomisfortune, no misery, with which, from a stock so noble, my destiny wasovershadowed. 

Amid the tumult inseparable to occasions like these, on which it was myduty to maintain order, a thief had the address to steal my watch, andcut away part of the gold fringe which hung from the waistcoat of myuniform, and afterwards to escape unperceived. This accident brought onme the raillery of my comrades; and the lady alluded to thence tookoccasion to console me, by saying it should be her care that I should beno loser. Her words were accompanied by a look I could notmisunderstand, and a few days after I thought myself the happiest ofmortals. The name, however, of this high-born lady is a secret, whichmust descend with me to the grave; and, though my silence concerning thisincident heaves a void in my life, and indeed throws obscurity over apart of it, which might else be clear, I would much rather incur thisreproach than become ungrateful towards my best friend and benefactress. To her conversation, to her prudence, to the power by which she fixed myaffections wholly on herself, am I indebted for the improvement andpolishing of my bodily and mental qualities. She never despised, betrayed, or abandoned me, even in the deepest of my distress; and mychildren alone, on my death-bed, shall be taught the name of her to whomthey owe the preservation of their father, and consequently their ownexistence. 

I lived at this time perfectly happy at Berlin, and highly esteemed. TheKing took every opportunity to testify his approbation; my mistresssupplied me with more money than I could expend; and I was presently thebest equipped, and made the greatest figure, of any officer in the wholecorps. The style in which I lived was remarked, for I had only receivedfrom my father's heritage the estate of Great Scharlach; the rent ofwhich was eight hundred dollars a year, which was far from sufficient tosupply my then expenses. My amour, in the meantime, remained a secretfrom my best and most intimate friends. Twice was my absence fromPotzdam and Charlottenberg discovered, and I was put under arrest; butthe King seemed satisfied with the excuse I made, under the pretext ofhaving been hunting, and smiled as he granted my pardon. 

Never did the days of youth glide away with more apparent success andpleasure than during these my first years at Berlin. This good fortunewas, alas, of short duration. Many are the incidents I might relate, butwhich I shall omit. My other adventures are sufficiently numerous, without mingling such as may any way seem foreign to the subject. Inthis 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 fataldestiny has deprived my children of an immense fortune; and, though Iwant a hundred thousand men to enforce and ensure my rights, I will leavedemonstration to my heirs that they are incontestable. 

CHAPTER II. 

In the beginning of September, 1744, war again broke out between theHouses of Austria and Prussia. We marched with all speed towards Prague, traversing Saxony without opposition. I will not relate in this placewhat the great Frederic said to us, with evident emotion, when surroundedby all his officers, on the morning of our departure from Potzdam. 

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 toall but myself, and which never must appear under my own name. 

All monarchs going to war have reason on their side; and the churches ofboth parties resound with prayers, and appeals to Divine Justice, for thesuccess of their arms. Frederic, on this occasion, had recourse to themwith regret, of which I was a witness. 

If I am not mistaken, the King's army came before Prague on the 14th ofSeptember, and that of General Schwerin, which had passed throughSilesia, arrived the next day on the other side of the Moldau. In thisposition we were obliged to wait some days for pontoons, without which wecould not establish a communication between the two armies. 

The height called Zischka, which overlooks the city, being guarded onlyby a few Croats, was instantly seized, without opposition, by somegrenadiers, and the batteries, erected at the foot of that mountain, being ready on the fifth day, played with such success on the old townwith bombs and red-hot balls that it was set on fire. The King madeevery effort to take the city before Prince Charles could bring his armyfrom the Rhine to its relief. 

General Harsh thought proper to capitulate, after a siege of twelve days, during which not more than five hundred men of the garrison, at theutmost, were killed and wounded, though eighteen thousand men were madeprisoners. 

Thus far we had met with no impediment. The Imperial army, however, under the command of Prince Charles of Lorraine, having quitted the banksof the Rhine, was advancing to save Bohemia. 

During this campaign we saw the enemy only at a distance; but theAustrian light troops being thrice as numerous as ours, prevented us fromall foraging. Winter was approaching, dearth and hunger made Fredericdetermine to retreat, without the least hope from the countries in ourrear, which we had entirely laid waste as we had advanced. The severityof the season, in the month of November, rendered the soldiersexcessively impatient of their hardships; and, accustomed to conquer, thePrussians were ashamed of and repined at retreat: the enemy's lighttroops facilitated desertion, and we lost, in a few weeks, above thirtythousand men. The pandours of my kinsman, the Austrian Trenck, wereincessantly at our heels, gave us frequent alarms, did us great injury, and, by their alertness, we never could make any impression upon themwith our cannon. Trenck at length passed the Elbe, and went and burntand destroyed our magazines at Pardubitz: it was therefore resolvedwholly to evacuate Bohemia. 

The King hoped to have brought Prince Charles to the battle betweenBenneschan and Kannupitz, but in vain: the Saxons, during the night, hadentered a battery of three-and-twenty cannon on a mound which separatedtwo ponds: this was the precise road by which the King meant to make theattack. 

Thus were we obliged to abandon Bohemia. The dearth, both for man andhorse, began to grow extreme. The weather was bad; the roads and rutswere deep; marches were continual, and alarms and attacks from theenemy's light troops became incessant. The discontent all these inspiredwas universal, and this occasioned the great loss of the army. 

Under such circumstances, had Prince Charles continued to harass us, bypersuading us into Silesia, had he made a winter campaign, instead ofremaining indolently at ease in Bohemia, we certainly should not havevanquished him, the year following, at Strigau; but he only followed at adistance, as far as the Bohemian frontiers. This gave Frederic time torecover, and the more effectually because the Austrians had theimprudence to permit the return of deserters. 

This was a repetition of what had happened to Charles XII. When hesuffered his Russian prisoners to return home, who afterwards soeffectually punished his contempt of them at the battle of Pultawa. 

Prague was obliged to be abandoned, with considerable loss; and Trenckseized on Tabor, Budweis, and Frauenberg, where he took prisoners theregiments of Walrabe Kreutz. 

No one would have been better able to give a faithful history of thiscampaign than myself, had I room in this place, and had I at that timebeen more attentive to things of moment; since I not only performed theoffice of adjutant to the King, when he went to reconnoitre, or choose aplace of encampment, but it was, moreover, my duty to provide forage forthe headquarters. The King having only permitted me to take sixvolunteers from the body guard, to execute this latter duty, I wasobliged to add to them horse chasseurs, and hussars, with whom I wascontinually in motion. I was peculiarly fortunate on two occasions, byhappening to come after the enemy when they had left loaded waggons andforage bundles. 

I seldom passed the night in my tent during this campaign, and myindefatigable activity obtained the favour and entire confidence ofFrederic. Nothing so much contributed to inspire me with emulation asthe public praises I received, and my enthusiasm wished to performwonders. The campaign, however, but ill supplied me with opportunitiesto display my youthful ardour. 

At length no one durst leave the camp, notwithstanding the extremity ofthe dearth, because of the innumerable clouds of pandours and hussarsthat hovered everywhere around. 

No sooner were we arrived in Silesia, than the King's body guard weresent to Berlin, there to remain in winter quarters. 

I should not here have mentioned the Bohemian war, but that, whilewriting time history of my life, I ought not to omit accidents by whichmy future destiny was influenced. 

One day, while at Bennaschen, I was commanded out, with a detachment ofthirty hussars and twenty chasseurs, on a foraging party. I had postedmy hussars in a convent, and gone myself, with the chasseurs, to amansion-house, to seize the carts necessary for the conveyance of the hayand straw from a neighbouring farm. An Austrian lieutenant of hussars, concealed with thirty-six horsemen in a wood, having remarked theweakness of my escort, taking advantage of the moment when my people wereall employed in loading the carts, first seized our sentinel, and thenfell 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 themansion-house, and was a spectator of the whole transaction through thewindow. 

I was ashamed of and in despair at my negligence. The kind lady wishedto 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 apeasant that there was an Austrian detachment in the wood: they had seenus at a distance enter the farmyard, hastily marched to our aid, and wehad not been taken more than two minutes before they arrived. I cannotexpress the pleasure with which I put myself at their head. Some of theenemy's party escaped through a back door, but we made two-and-twentyprisoners, with a lieutenant of the regiment of Kalnockichen. They hadtwo men killed, and one wounded; and two also of my chasseurs were hewndown by the sabre, in the hay-loft, where they were at work. 

We continued our forage with more caution after this accident: the horseswe had taken served, in part, to draw the carts; and, after raising acontribution of one hundred and fifty ducats on the convent, which Idistributed among the soldiers to engage them to silence, we returned tothe army, from which we were distant about two leagues. 

We heard firing as we marched, and the foragers on all sides wereskirmishing with the enemy. A lieutenant and forty horse joined me; yet, with this reinforcement, I durst not return to the camp, because Ilearned we were in danger from more than eight hundred pandours andhussars, who were in the plain. I therefore determined to take a long, winding, but secret route, and had the good fortune to come safe toquarters with my prisoners and five-and-twenty loaded carts. The Kingwas at dinner when I entered his tent. Having been absent all night, itwas imagined I had been taken, that accident having happened the same dayto many others. 

The instant I entered, the King demanded if I returned singly. "No, please your Majesty, " answered I; "I have brought five-and-twenty loadsof forage, and two-and-twenty prisoners, with their officer and horses. "

The King then commanded me to sit down, and turning himself towards theEnglish ambassador, who was near him, said, laying his hand on myshoulder, "_C'est un Matador de ma jeunesse_. "

A reconnoitring party was, at the same moment, in waiting before histent: he consequently asked me few questions, and to those he did ask, Ireplied trembling. In a few minutes he rose from the table, gave aglance at the prisoners, hung the Order of Merit round my neck, commandedme to go and take repose, and set off with his party. 

It is easy to conceive the embarrassment of my situation; my unpardonablenegligence deserved that I should have been broken, instead of which Iwas rewarded; an instance, this, of the great influence of chance on theaffairs of the world. How many generals have gained victories by theirvery errors, which have been afterwards attributed to their genius! It isevident the sergeant of hussars, who retook me and my men by bringing uphis party, was much better entitled than myself to the recompense Ireceived. On many occasions have I since met with disgrace andpunishment when I deserved reward. My inquietude lest the truth shouldbe discovered, was extreme, especially recollecting how many people werein the secret: and my apprehensions were incessant. 

As I did not want money, I gave the sergeants twenty ducats each, and thesoldiers one, in order to insure their silence, which, being a favouritewith them, they readily promised. I, however, was determined to declarethe truth the very first opportunity, and this happened a few days after. 

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 tellhim exactly how the affair I had so lately been engaged in happened. 

The question at first made me mistrust I was betrayed, but remarking theKing had a mildness in his manner, I presently recovered myself, andrelated the exact truth. I saw the astonishment of his countenance, butI at the same time saw he was pleased with my sincerity. He spoke to mefor half an hour, not as a King, but as a father, praised my candour, andended with the following words, which, while life remains, I shall neverforget: "Confide in the advice I give you; depend wholly upon me, and Iwill make you a man. " Whoever can feel, may imagine how infinitely mygratitude towards the King was increased, by this his great goodness;from that moment I had no other desire than to live and die for hisservice. 

I soon perceived the confidence the King had in me after thisexplanation, of which I received very frequent marks, the followingwinter, at Berlin. He permitted me to be present at his conversationswith the literati of his court, and my state was truly enviable. 

I received this same winter more than five hundred ducats as presents. Somuch happiness could not but excite jealousy, and this began to bemanifest on every side. I had too little disguise for a courtier, and myheart was much too open and frank. 

Before I proceed, I will here relate an incident which happened duringthe last campaign, and which will, no doubt, be read in the history ofFrederic. 

On the rout while retreating through Bohemia, the King came to Kollin, with his horse-guards, the cavalry piquets of the head-quarters, and thesecond 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 enteredpell-mell: the enemy's light troops swarmed over the country, and mycommanding officer sent me immediately to receive the King's orders. After much search, I found him at the top of a steeple, with a telescopein his hand. Never did I see him so disturbed or undecided as on thisoccasion. Orders were immediately given that we should retreat throughthe city, into the opposite suburb, where we were to halt, but notunsaddle. 

We had not been here long before a most heavy rain fell, and the nightbecame exceedingly dark. My cousin Trenck made his approach about ninein the evening, with his pandour and janissary music, and set fire toseveral houses. They found we were in the suburb, and began to fire uponus from the city windows. The tumult became extreme: the city was toofull for us to re-enter: the gate was shut, and they fired from above atus with our field-pieces. Trenck had let in the waters upon us, and wewere up to the girths by midnight, and almost in despair. We lost sevenmen, and my horse was wounded in the neck. 

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, andthe 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 cousinhad nearly played us a malicious prank last night, but the deserters sayhe is killed. " He then asked what our relationship was, and there ourconversation ended. 

CHAPTER III. 

It was about the middle of December when we came to Berlin, where I wasreceived with open arms. I became less cautious than formerly, and, perhaps, more narrowly observed. A lieutenant of the foot guards, whowas a public Ganymede, and against whom I had that natural antipathy andabhorrence I have for all such wretches, having indulged himself in somevery impertinent jokes on the secret of my amour, I bestowed on him theepithet he deserved: we drew our swords, and he was wounded. On theSunday following I presented myself to pay my respects to his Majesty onthe parade, who said to me as he passed, "The storm and the thunder shallrend your heart; beware!" {1} He added nothing more. 

Some little time after I was a few minutes too late on the parade; theKing remarked it, and sent me, under arrest, to the foot-guard atPotzdam. When I had been here a fortnight, Colonel Wartensleben came, and advised me to petition for pardon. I was then too much a novice inthe modes of the court to follow his counsel, nor did I even remark theperson who gave it me was himself a most subtle courtier. I complainedbitterly that I had so long been deprived of liberty, for a fault whichwas usually punished by three, or, at most, six days' arrest. Hereaccordingly I remained. 

Eight days after, the King being come to Potzdam, I was sent by GeneralBourke to Berlin, to carry some letters, but without having seen theKing. On my return I presented myself to him on the parade; and as oursquadron was garrisoned at Berlin, I asked, "Does it please your Majestythat I should go and join my corps?" "Whence came you?" answered he. "From Berlin. " "And where were you before you went to Berlin?" "Underarrest. " "Then under arrest you must remain!"

I did not recover my liberty till three days before our departure forSilesia, towards which we marched, with the utmost speed, in thebeginning of May, to commence our second campaign. 

Here I must recount an event which happened that winter, which became thesource of all my misfortunes, and to which I must entreat my readers willpay the utmost attention; since this error, if innocence can be error, was the cause that the most faithful and the best of subjects becamebewildered in scenes of wretchedness, and was the victim of misery, fromhis nineteenth to the sixtieth year of his age. I dare presume that thistrue narrative, supported by testimonies the most authentic, will fullyvindicate my present honour and my future memory. 

Francis, Baron of Trenck, was the son of my father's brother, consequently my cousin german. I shall speak, hereafter, of the singularevents of his life. Being a commander of pandours in the Austrianservice, and grievously wounded at Bavaria, in the year 1743, he wrote tomy mother, informing her he intended me, her eldest son, for hisuniversal legatee. This letter, to which I returned no answer, was sentto me at Potzdam. I was so satisfied with my situation, and had suchnumerous reasons so to be, considering the kindness with which the Kingtreated me, that I would not have exchanged my good fortune for all thetreasures of the Great Mogul. 

On the 12th of February, 1744, being at Berlin, I was in company withCaptain Jaschinsky, commander of the body guard, the captain of whichranks as colonel in the army, together with Lieutenant Studnitz, andCornet Wagnitz. The latter was my field comrade, and is at presentcommander-general of the cavalry of Hesse Cassel. The Austrian Trenckbecame the subject of conversation, and Jaschinsky asked if I were hiskinsman. I answered, yes, and immediately mentioned his having made mehis universal heir. "And what answer have you returned?" saidJaschinsky. --"None at all. "

The whole company then observed that, in a case like the present, I wasmuch to blame not to answer; that the least I could do would be to thankhim for his good wishes, and entreat a continuance of them. Jaschinskyfurther added, "Desire him to send you some of his fine Hungarian horsesfor your own use, and give me the letter; I will convey it to him, bymeans of Mr. Bossart, legation counsellor of the Saxon embassy; but oncondition that you will give me one of the horses. This correspondenceis a family, and not a state affair; I will make myself responsible forthe consequences. "

I immediately took my commander's advice, and began to write; and hadthose who suspected me thought proper to make the least inquiry intothese circumstances, the four witnesses who read what I wrote could haveattested my innocence, and rendered it indubitable. I gave my letteropen to Jaschinsky, who sealed and sent it himself. 

I must omit none of the incidents concerning this letter, it being thesole cause of all my sufferings. I shall therefore here relate an eventwhich was the first occasion of the unjust suspicions entertained againstme. 

One of my grooms, with two led horses, was, among many others, taken bythe pandours of Trenck. When I returned to the camp, I was to accompanythe King on a reconnoitring party. My horse was too tired, and I had noother: I informed him of my embarrassment, and his Majesty immediatelymade me a present of a fine English courser. 

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:--

"The Austrian Trenck is not at war with the Prussian Trenck, but, on thecontrary, is happy to have recovered his horses from his hussars, and toreturn them to whom they first belonged, " &c. 

I went the same day to pay my respects to the King, who, receiving mewith great coldness, said, "Since your cousin has returned your ownhorses, you have no more need of mine. "

There were too many who envied me to suppose these words would escaperepetition. The return of the horses seems infinitely to have increasedthat suspicion Frederic entertained against me, and therefore became oneof the principal causes of my misfortunes: it is for this reason that Idwell upon this and suchlike small incidents, they being necessary for myown justification, and, were it possible, for that of the King. Myinnocence is, indeed, at present universally acknowledged by the court, the army, and the whole nation; who all mention the injustice I sufferedwith pity, and the fortitude with which it was endured with surprise. 

We marched for Silesia, to enter on our second campaign: which, to thePrussians, was as bloody and murderous as it was glorious. 

The King's head-quarters were fixed at the convent of Kamentz, where werested fourteen days, and the army remained in cantonments. PrinceCharles, instead of following us into Bohemia, had the imprudence tooccupy the plain of Strigau, and we already concluded his army wasbeaten. Whoever is well acquainted with tactics, and the Prussianmanoeuvres, will easily judge, without the aid of calculation orwitchcraft, whether a well or ill-disciplined army, in an open plain, ought to be victorious. 

The army hastily left its cantonments, and in twenty-four hours was inorder of battle; and on the 14th of June, eighteen thousand bodies laystretched on the plain of Strigau. The allied armies of Austria andSaxony were totally defeated. 

The body guard was on the right; and previous to the attack, the Kingsaid to our squadron, "Prove today, my children, that you are my bodyguard, and give no Saxon quarter. "

We made three attacks on the cavalry, and two on the infantry. Nothingcould withstand a squadron like this, which for men, horses, courage, andexperience, was assuredly the first in the world. Our corps alone tookseven standards and five pairs of colours, and in less than an hour theaffair was over. 

I received a pistol shot in my right hand, my horse was desperatelywounded, and I was obliged to change him on the third charge. The dayafter 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 armysurgeons, many of whom had not their wounds dressed till the third day. 

I was near three months before I recovered the use of my hand: Inevertheless rejoined my corps, continued to perform my duty, and asusual accompanied the King when he went to reconnoitre. For some timepast he had placed confidence in me, and his kindness towards mecontinually increased, which raised my gratitude even to enthusiasm. 

I also performed the service of adjutant during this campaign, acircumstantial account of which no person is better enabled to write thanmyself, I having been present at all that passed. I was the scholar ofthe greatest master the art of war ever knew, and who believed me worthyto receive his instructions; but the volume I am writing would beinsufficient to contain all that personally relates to myself. 

I must here mention an adventure that happened at this time, and whichwill show the art of the great Frederic in forming youth for his service, and devotedly attaching them to his person. 

I was exceedingly fond of hunting, in which, notwithstanding it wasseverely forbidden, I indulged myself. I one day returned, laden withpheasants; but judge my astonishment and fears when I saw the army haddecamped, and that it was with difficulty that I could overtake the rear-guard. 

In this my distress, I applied to an officer of hussars, who instantlylent me his horse, by the aid of which I rejoined my corps, which alwaysmarched as the vanguard. Mounting my own horse, I tremblingly rode tothe 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 mysuperior officer, who, for some time past, had become my enemy. 

Just as the army halted to encamp, the King rode towards me, and made asignal for me to approach, and, seeing my fears in my countenance, said, "What, are you just returned from hunting?" "Yes, your Majesty. Ihope--" Here interrupting me, he added, "Well, well, for this time, Ishall take no further notice, remembering Potzdam; but, however, let mefind you more attentive to your duty. "

So ended this affair, for which I deserved to have been broken. I mustremind my readers that the King meant by the words remembering Potzdam, he remembered I had been punished too severely the winter before, andthat my present pardon was intended as a compensation. 

This was indeed to think and act greatly; this was indeed the true art offorming great men: an art much more effectual than that of ferociousgenerals, who threaten subalterns with imprisonment and chains on everyslight 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 hemechanically punished, according to the very letter of the laws of war. 

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 wouldridicule people who were too often at the chase, or who were so cholericthat they took occasion to quarrel for the least trifle. 

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 thevanguard; we were therefore obliged to begin our march two hours soonerthan the remainder of the army, that we might be in our place. We alsoaccompanied the King whenever he went to reconnoitre, traced the lines ofencampment, led the horse to water, inspected the head-quarters, andregulated the march and encampment, according to the King's orders; theperformance of all which robbed us of much rest, we being but sixofficers to execute so many different functions. 

Still further, we often executed the office of couriers, to bear theroyal commands to detachments. The King was particularly careful thatthe officers of his guards, whom he intended should become excellent inthe art of tactics, should not be idle in his school. It was necessaryto do much in order that much might be learnt. Labour, vigilance, activity, the love of glory and the love of his country, animated all hisgenerals; into whom, it may be said, he infused his spirit. 

In this school I gained instruction, and here already was I selected asone designed to instruct others; yet, in my fortieth year, a greatgeneral at Vienna told me, "My dear Trenck, our discipline would be toodifficult for you to learn; for which, indeed, you are too far advancedin life. " Agreeable to this wise decision was I made an Austrianinvalid, and an invalid have always remained; a judgment like this wouldhave been laughed at, most certainly, at Berlin. 

If I mistake not, the famous battle of Soor, or Sorau, was fought on the14th day of September. The King had sent so many detachments intoSaxony, Bohemia, and Silesia, that the main army did not consist of morethan twenty-five thousand men. Neglecting advice, and obstinate injudging his enemy by numbers, and not according to the excellence ofdiscipline, and other accidents, Prince Charles, blind to the realstrength of the Prussian armies, had enclosed this small number ofPomeranian and Brandenburg regiments, with more than eighty-six thousandmen, intending to take them all prisoners. 

It will soon be seen from my narrative with what kind of secrecy his planwas laid and executed. 

The King came into my tent about midnight; as he also did into that ofall the officers, to awaken them; his orders were, "Secretly to saddle, leave the baggage in the rear, and that the men should stand ready tomount at the word of command. "

Lieutenant Studnitz and myself attended the King, who went in person, andgave directions through the whole army; meantime, break of day wasexpected with anxiety. 

Opposite the defile through which the enemy was to march to the attackeight field-pieces were concealed behind a hill. The King mustnecessarily have been informed of the whole plan of the Austrian general, for he had called in the advanced posts from the heights, that he mightlull him into security, and make him imagine we should be surprised inthe midst of sleep. 

Scarcely did break of day appear before the Austrian artillery, situatedupon the heights, began to play upon our camp, and their cavalry to marchthrough the defile to the attack. 

As suddenly were we in battle array; for in less than ten minutes weourselves began the attack, notwithstanding the smallness of our number, the whole army only containing five regiments of cavalry. We fell withsuch fury upon the enemy (who at this time were wholly employed informing their men at the mouth of the defile, and that slowly, littleexpecting so sudden and violent a charge), that we drove them back intothe defile, where they pressed upon each other in crowds; the Kinghimself stood ready to unmask his eight field-pieces, and a dreadful andbloody slaughter ensued in this narrow place; from which the enemy hadnot the power to retreat. This single incident gained the battle, anddeceived all time hopes of Prince Charles. 

Nadasti, Trenck, and the light troops, sent to attack our rear, wereemployed in pillaging the camp. The ferocious Croats met no opposition, while this their error made our victory more secure. It deserves to benoticed that, when advice was brought to the King that the enemy hadfallen upon and were plundering the camp, his answer was, "So much thebetter; they have found themselves employment, and will be no impedimentto our main design. "

Our victory was complete, but all our baggage was lost; the headquarters, utterly undefended, were totally stripped; and Trenck had, for his partof the booty, the King's tent and his service of plate. 

I have mentioned this circumstance here, because that, in the year 1740, my cousin Trenck, having fallen into the power of his enemies, who hadinstituted a legal, process against him, was accused, by some villanouswretches, of having surprised the King in bed at the battle of Sorau, andof having afterwards released him for a bribe. 

What was still worse, they hired a common woman, a native of Brunn, whopretended she was the daughter of Marshal Schwerin, to give in evidencethat she herself was with the King when Trenck entered his tent, whom heimmediately made prisoner, and as immediately released. 

To this part of the prosecution I myself, an eye-witness, can answer: thething 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 thenecessary preparations to receive the enemy; and the action began atfive. Trenck could not take the King in bed, for the battle was almostgained when he and his pandours entered the camp and plundered the head-quarters. 

As for the tale of Miss Schwerin, it is only fit to be told byschoolboys, or examined by the Inquisition, and was very unworthy ofmaking part of a legal prosecution against an innocent man at Vienna. 

This incident, however, is so remarkable that I shall give in this work afarther account of my kinsman, and what was called his criminal process, at reading which the world will be astonished. My own history is soconnected with his that this is necessary, and the more so because thereare many ignorant or wicked people at Vienna, who believe, or affirm, Trenck had actually taken the King of Prussia prisoner. 

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 theEmpress-Queen as the Prussian Trenck did Frederic, his King. MariaTheresa, speaking to me of him some time after his death, and the snaresthat had been laid for him, said, "Your kinsman has made a better endthan will be the fate of his accusers and judges. "

Of this more hereafter: I approach that epoch when my misfortunes began, and when the sufferings of martyrdom attended me from youth onward tillmy hairs grew grey. 

CHAPTER IV. 

A few days after the battle of Sorau, the usual camp postman brought me aletter from my cousin Trenck, the colonel of pandours, antedated at Effekfour months, of which the following is a copy:--

"Your letter, of the 12th of February, from Berlin, informs me you desireto have some Hungarian horses. On these you would come and attack me andmy pandours. I saw with pleasure, during the last campaign, that thePrussian Trenck was a good soldier; and that I might give you some proofsof 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 likemanner from me in the field of battle: or, should you so think fit, comeand join one who will receive you with open arms, like his friend andson, and who will procure you every advantage you can desire, " &c. 

At first I was terrified at reading this letter, yet could not helpsmiling. Cornet Wagenitz, now general in chief of the Hesse Casselforces, and Lieutenant Grotthausen, both now alive, and then present, were my camp comrades. I gave them the letter to read, and they laughedat its contents. It was determined to show it to our superior officer, Jaschinsky, on a promise of secrecy, and it was accordingly shown himwithin an hour after it was received. 

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 sameyear, at Berlin, prevailed on me to write to the Austrian Trenck, mycousin; that he received the letter open, and undertook to send itaccording to its address; also that, in this letter, I in jest had askedhim to send me some Hungarian horses, and, should they come, had promisedone to Jaschinsky. He read the letter with an air of some surprise; welaughed, and, it being whispered through the army that, in consequence ofour late victory, detached corps would be sent into Hungary, Jaschinskysaid, "We shall now go and take Hungarian horses for ourselves. " Herethe conversation ended, and I, little suspecting future consequences, returned to my tent. 

I must here remark the following observations:--

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, thecolonel did not fail to remark. 

2ndly. The probability is that this was a net, spread for me by thisfalse and wicked man. The return of my horses, during the precedingcampaign, had been the subject of much conversation. It is possible hehad the King's orders to watch me; but more probably he only prevailed onme to write that he might entrap me by a fictitious answer. Certain itis, my cousin Trenck, at Vienna, affirmed to his death he never receivedany letter from me, consequently never could send any answer. I musttherefore conclude this letter was forged. 

Jaschinsky was at this time one of the King's favourites; his spy overthe army; a tale-bearer; an inventor of wicked lies and calumnies. Someyears after the event of which I am now speaking, the King was obliged tobreak and banish him the country. 

He was then also the paramour of the beauteous Madame Brossart, wife ofthe Saxon resident at Berlin, and there can be little doubt but that thisfalse letter was, by her means, conveyed to some Saxon or Austrian post-office, and thence, according to its address, sent to me. He had dailyopportunities of infusing suspicions into the King's mind concerning me;and, unknown to me, of pursuing his diabolical plan. 

I must likewise add he was four hundred ducats indebted to me. At thattime I had always a plentiful supply of money. This booty became his ownwhen I, unexamined, was arrested, and thrown into prison. In like mannerhe seized on the greatest part of my camp equipage. 

Further, we had quarrelled during our first campaign, because he hadbeaten 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 thatday, I have reason to believe he sought my destruction. 

God only knows what were the means he took to excite the King'ssuspicious; for it is incredible that Frederic, considering his _well-known professions_ of public justice, should treat me in the manner hedid, without a hearing, without examination, and without a court-martial. This to me has ever remained a mystery, which the King alone was able toexplain; he afterwards was convinced I was innocent: but my sufferingshad been too cruel, and the miseries he had inflicted too horrible, forme ever to hope for compensation. 

In an affair of this nature, which will soon he known to all Europe, asit long has been in Prussia, the weakest is always guilty. I have beenmade a terrible example to this our age, how true that maxim is indespotic States. 

A man of my rank, having once unjustly suffered, and not having the powerof making his sufferings known, must ever be highly rewarded or stillmore unjustly punished. My name and injuries will ever stain the annalsof Frederic _the Great_; even those who read this book will perhapssuppose that I, from political motives of hope or fear, have sometimesconcealed truth by endeavouring to palliate his conduct. 

It must ever remain incomprehensible that a monarch so clear-sighted, himself the daily witness of my demeanour, one well acquainted withmankind, and conscious I wanted neither money, honour, nor hope of futurepreferment; I say it is incomprehensible that he should really suppose meguilty. I take God to witness, and all those who knew me in prosperityand misfortune, I never harboured a thought of betraying my country. Howwas it possible to suspect me? I was neither madman nor idiot. In myeighteenth year I was a cornet of the body guard, adjutant to the King, and possessed his favour and confidence in the highest degree. Hispresents to me, in one year, amounted to fifteen hundred dollars. I keptseven horses, four men in livery; I was valued, distinguished, andbeloved by the mistress of my soul. My relations held high offices, bothcivil and military; I was even fanatically devoted to my King andcountry, and had nothing to wish. 

That I should become thus wretched, in consequence of this unfortunateletter, is equally wonderful: it came by the public post. Had there beenany criminal correspondence, my kinsman certainly would not have chosenthis mode of conveyance; since, it is well known, all such letters areopened; nor could I act more openly. My colonel read the letter I wrote;and also that which I received, immediately after it was brought. 

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, byfifty hussars, and imprisoned in the fortress of Glatz. I was allowed totake three horses, and my servants, but my whole equipage was leftbehind, which I never saw more, and which became the booty of Jaschinsky. My commission was given to Cornet Schatzel, and I cashiered withoutknowing why. There were no legal inquiries made: all was done by theKing's command. 

Unhappy people! where power is superior to law, and where the innocentand the virtuous meet punishment instead of reward. Unhappy land! wherethe omnipotent "SUCH IS OUR WILL" supersedes all legal sentence, and robsthe subject of property, life, and honour. 

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 theofficer of the guard; was allowed my servants to wait on me, andpermitted to walk on the ramparts. 

I did not want money, and there was only a detachment from the garrisonregiment in the citadel of Glatz, the officers of which were all poor. Isoon had both friends and freedom, and the rich prisoner every day keptopen table. 

He only who had known me in this the ardour of my youth, who hadwitnessed how high I aspired, and the fortune that attended me at Berlin, can imagine what my feelings were at finding myself thus suddenly castfrom my high hopes. 

I wrote submissively to the King, requesting to be tried by acourt-martial, and not desiring any favour should I be found guilty. Thishaughty tone, in a youth, was displeasing, and I received no answer, which threw me into despair, and induced me to use every possible meansto obtain my liberty. 

My first care was to establish, by the intervention of an officer, acertain correspondence with the object of my heart. She answered, shewas far from supposing I had ever entertained the least thoughttreacherous to my country; that she knew, too well, I was perfectlyincapable, of dissimulation. She blamed the precipitate anger and unjustsuspicions of the King; promised me speedy aid, and sent me a thousandducats. 

Had I, at this critical moment, possessed a prudent and intelligentfriend, who could have calmed my impatience, nothing perhaps might havebeen more easy than to have obtained pardon from the King, by proving myinnocence; or, it may be, than to have induced him to punish my enemies. 

But the officers who then were at Glatz fed the flame of discontent. Theysupposed the money I so freely distributed came all from Hungary, furnished by the pandour chest; and advised me not to suffer my freedomto depend upon the will of the King, but to enjoy it in his despite. 

It was not more easy to give this advice than to persuade a man to takeit, who, till then, had never encountered anything but good fortune, andwho consequently supported the reverse with impatience. I was not yet, however, determined; because I could not yet resolve to abandon mycountry, and especially Berlin. 

Five months soon passed away in prison: peace was concluded; the King wasreturned to his capital; my commission in the guards was bestowed onanother, when Lieutenant Piaschky, of the regiment of Fouquet, and EnsignReitz, who often mounted guard over me, proposed that they and I shouldescape together. I yielded; our plan was fixed, and every preparatorystep taken. 

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; hehad been broken, and condemned by a court-martial to ten years'imprisonment, with an allowance of only four rix-dollars per month. 

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 mydesign, and made the proposal, which was accepted by him, and measureswere taken; yet were we betrayed by this vile man, who thus purchasedpardon and liberty. 

Piaschky, who had been informed that Reitz was arrested, saved himself bydeserting. I denied the fact in presence of Manget, with whom I wasconfronted, and bribed the Auditor with a hundred ducats. By this meansReitz only suffered a year's imprisonment, and the loss of hiscommission. I was afterwards closely confined in a chamber, for havingendeavoured to corrupt the King's officers, and was guarded with greatercaution. 

Here I will interrupt my narrative, for a moment, to relate an adventurewhich happened between me and this Captain Manget, three years after hehad thus betrayed me--that is to say, in 1749, at Warsaw. 

I there met him by chance, and it is not difficult to imagine what wasthe salutation he received. I caned him; he took this ill, andchallenged me to fight with pistols. Captain Heucking, of the Polishguards, was my second. We both fired together; I shot him through theneck at the first shot, and he fell dead on the field. 

He alone, of all my enemies, ever died by my own hand; and he wellmerited his end, for his cowardly treachery towards the two brave fellowsof whom I have spoken; and still more so with respect to myself, who hadbeen his benefactor. I own, I have never reproached myself for thisduel, by which I sent a rascal out of the world. 

I return to my tale. My destiny at Glatz was now become more untowardand severe. The King's suspicions were increased, as likewise was hisanger, by this my late attempt to escape. 

Left to myself, I considered my situation in the worst point of view, anddetermined either on flight or death. The length and closeness of myconfinement became insupportable to my impatient temper. 

I had always had the garrison on my side, nor was it possible to preventmy making friends among them. They knew I had money, and, in a poorgarrison regiment, the officers of which are all dissatisfied, havingmost of them been drafted from other corps, and sent thither as apunishment, there was nothing that might not be undertaken. 

My scheme was as follows:--My window looked towards the city, and wasninety feet from the ground in the tower of the citadel, out of which Icould not get, without having found a place of refuge in the city. 

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, andsawed through three iron bars; but this mode was too tedious, it beingnecessary to file away eight bars from my window, before I could passthrough; another officer therefore procured me a file, which I wasobliged to use with caution, lest I should be overheard by the sentinels. 

Having ended this labour, I cut my leather portmanteau into thongs, sewedthem end to end, added the sheets of my bed, and descended safely fromthis astonishing height. 

It rained, the night was dark, and all seemed fortunate, but I had towade through moats full of mud, before I could enter the city, acircumstance I had never once considered. I sank up to the knees, andafter long struggling, and incredible efforts to extricate myself, I wasobliged to call the sentinel, and desire him to go and tell the governor, Trenck was stuck fast in the moat. 

My misfortune was the greater on this occasion, because that GeneralFouquet 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 hadtaken his baggage in 1744, and had also laid the country of Glatz undercontribution. He was, therefore, an enemy to the very name of Trenck;nor did he lose any opportunity of giving proofs of his enmity, andespecially on the present occasion, when he left me standing in the miretill 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 towash me. No one can imagine how I looked, exhausted and dirty, my longhair having fallen into the mud, with which, by my struggling, it wasloaded. 

I remained in this condition till the next day, when two fellow-prisonerswere sent to assist and clean me. 

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 intoanother dungeon, and these afterwards did me good service. 

The passions soon all assailed me at once, and impetuous, boiling, youthful blood overpowered reason; hope disappeared; I thought myself themost unfortunate of men, and my King an irreconcileable judge, morewrathful and more fortified in suspicion by my own rashness. My nightswere sleepless, my days miserable; my soul was tortured by the desire offame; a consciousness of innocence was a continued stimulus inciting meto 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 hadtaught me to despise death, and these opinions had been confirmed by myfriend La Mettrie, author of the famous work, "L'Homme Machine, " or "Mana Machine. "

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, whenfame and affection called me to Berlin, and my baulked hopes painted thewretchedness of my situation; when I remembered that my loved country, judging by appearances, could not but pronounce me a traitor; then was Ihourly impelled to rush on the naked bayonets of my guards, by whom, tome, the road of freedom was barred. 

Big with such-like thoughts, eight days had not elapsed since my lastfruitless attempt to escape, when an event happened which would appearincredible, were I, the principal actor in the scene, not alive to attestits truth, and might not all Glatz and the Prussian garrison be producedas eye and ear witnesses. This incident will prove that adventurous, andeven rash, daring will render the most improbable undertakings possible, and that desperate attempts may often make a general more fortunate andfamous than the wisest and best concerted plans. 

Major Doo {2} came to visit me, accompanied by an officer of the guard, and an adjutant. After examining every corner of my chamber, headdressed me, taxing me with a second crime in endeavouring to obtain myliberty; adding this must certainly increase the anger of the King. 

My blood boiled at the word crime; he talked of patience; I asked him howlong the King had condemned me to imprisonment; he answered, a traitor tohis country, who has correspondence with the enemy, cannot be condemnedfor a certain time, but must depend for grace and pardon on the King. 

At that instant I snatched his sword from his side, on which my eyes hadsome time been fixed, sprang out of the door, tumbled the sentinel fromthe top to the bottom of the stairs, passed the men who happened to bedrawn up before the prison door to relieve the guard, attacked them swordin hand, threw them suddenly into surprise by the manner in which I laidabout me, wounded four of them, made way through the rest, sprang overthe breastwork of the ramparts, and, with my sword drawn in my hand, immediately leaped this astonishing height without receiving the leastinjury. I leaped the second wall with equal safety and good fortune. None of their pieces were loaded; no one durst leap after me, and inorder to pursue, they must go round through the town and gate of thecitadel; so that I had the start full half an hour. 

A sentinel, however, in a narrow passage, endeavoured to oppose myflight, but I parried his fixed bayonet, and wounded him in the face. Asecond sentinel, meantime, ran from the outworks, to seize me behind, andI, to avoid him, made a spring at the palisadoes; there I was unluckilycaught by the foot, and received a bayonet wound in the upper lip; thusentangled, they beat me with the butt-end of their muskets, and draggedme back to prison, while I struggled and defended myself like a man growndesperate. 

Certain it is, had I more carefully jumped the palisadoes, and despatchedthe sentinel who opposed me, I might have escaped, and gained themountains. Thus might I have fled to Bohemia, after having, at noonday, broken from the fortress of Glatz, sprung past all its sentinels, overall its walls, and passed with impunity, in despite of the guard, whowere under arms, ready to oppose me. I should not, having a sword, havefeared any single opponent, and was able to contend with the swiftestrunners. 

That good fortune which had so far attended me forsook me at thepalisadoes, where hope was at an end. The severities of imprisonmentwere increased; two sentinels and an under officer were locked in withme, and were themselves guarded by sentinels without; I was beaten andwounded by the butt-ends of their muskets, my right foot was sprained, Ispat blood, and my wounds were not cured in less than a month. 

CHAPTER V. 

I was now first informed that the King had only condemned me to a year'simprisonment, in order to learn whether his suspicions were well founded. My mother had petitioned for me, and was answered, "Your son must remaina year imprisoned, as a punishment for his rash correspondence. "

Of this I was ignorant, and it was reported in Glatz that my imprisonmentwas for life. I had only three weeks longer to repine for the loss ofliberty, when I made this rash attempt. What must the King think? Washe not obliged to act with this severity? How could prudence excuse myimpatience, thus to risk a confiscation, when I was certain of receivingfreedom, justification, and honour, in three weeks? But, such was myadverse fate, circumstances all tended to injure and persecute me, tillat length I gave reason to suppose I was a traitor, notwithstanding thepurity of my intentions. 

Once more, then, was I in a dungeon, and no sooner was I there than Iformed new projects of flight. I first gained the intimacy of my guards. I had money, and this, with the compassion I had inspired, might effectanything among discontented Prussian soldiers. Soon had I gained thirty-two men, who were ready to execute, on the first signal, whatever Ishould command. Two or three excepted, they were unacquainted with eachother; they consequently could not all be betrayed at a time: had chosenthe sub-officer Nicholai to head them. 

The garrison consisted only of one hundred and twenty men from thegarrison regiment, the rest being dispersed in the county of Glatz, andfour officers, their commanders, three of whom were in my interest. Everything was prepared; swords and pistols were concealed in the ovenwhich was in my prison. We intended to give liberty to all theprisoners, and retire with drums beating into Bohemia. 

Unfortunately, an Austrian deserter, to whom Nicholai had imparted ourdesign, went and discovered our conspiracy. The governor instantly senthis adjutant to the citadel, with orders that the officer on guard shouldarrest Nicholai, and, with his men, take possession of the casement. 

Nicholai was on the guard, and the lieutenant was my friend, and being inthe secret, gave the signal that all was discovered. Nicholai only knewall the conspirators, several of whom that day were on guard. Heinstantly 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 todeliver me from prison; but the iron door was too strong, and the timetoo short for that to be demolished. Nicholai, calling to me, bid me aidthem, but in vain: and perceiving nothing more could be done for me, thisbrave man, heading nineteen others, marched to the gate of the citadel, where there was a sub-officer and ten soldiers, obliged these toaccompany him, and thus arrived safely at Braunau, in Bohemia; for, before the news was spread through the city, and men were collected forthe pursuit, they were nearly half-way on their journey. 

Two years after I met with this extraordinary man at Ofenbourg, where huewas a writer: he entered immediately into my service, and became myfriend, but died some months after of a burning fever, at my quarters inHungary, at which I was deeply grieved, for his memory will be ever dearto me. 

Now was I exposed to all the storms of ill-fortune: a prosecution wasentered against me as a conspirator, who wanted to corrupt the officersand soldiers of the King. They commanded me to name the remainingconspirators; but to these questions I made no answer, except bysteadfastly declaring I was an innocent prisoner, an officer unjustlybroken; unjustly, because I had never been brought to trial; thatconsequently I was released from all my engagements; nor could it bethought extraordinary that I should avail myself of that law of naturewhich gives every man a right to defend his honour defamed, and seek byevery possible means to regain his liberty: that such had been my solepurpose in every enterprise I had formed, and such should still continueto be, for I was determined to persist, till I should either be crownedwith success, or lose my life in the attempt. 

Things thus remained: every precaution was taken except that I was notput in irons; it being a law in Prussia that no gentleman or officer canbe loaded with chains, unless he has first for some crime been deliveredover to the executioner; and certainly this had not been my case. 

The soldiers were withdrawn from my chamber; but the greatest ill was Ihad expended all my money, and my kind mistress, at Berlin, with whom Ihad always corresponded, and which my persecutors could not prevent, atlast wrote--

 "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. "

This letter was a thunderbolt:--my comfort, however, still was that theofficers were not suspected, and that it was their duty to visit mychamber several times a day, and examine what passed: from whichcircumstance I felt my hopes somewhat revive. Hence an adventurehappened which is almost unexampled in tales of knight-errantry. 

A lieutenant, whose name was Bach, a Dane by nation, mounted guard everyfourth day, and was the terror of the whole garrison; for, being aperfect master of arms, he was incessantly involved in quarrels, andgenerally left his marks behind him. He had served in two regiments, neither of which would associate with him for this reason, and he hadbeen sent to the garrison regiment at Glatz as punishment. 

Bach one day, sitting beside me, related how, the evening before, he hadwounded a lieutenant, of the name of Schell, in the arm. I replied, laughing, "Had I my liberty, I believe you would find some trouble inwounding me, for I have some skill in the sword. " The blood instantlyflew 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 thebreast. 

His rage became ungovernable, and he left the prison. What was myastonishment 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. " Iendeavoured to pacify him, by representing the danger, but ineffectually. He attacked me with the utmost fury, and I wounded him in the arm. 

Throwing his sword down, he fell upon my neck, kissed me, and wept. Atlength, after some convulsive emotions of pleasure, he said, "Friend, thou art my master; and thou must, thou shalt, by my aid, obtain thyliberty, as certainly as my name is Bach. " We bound up his arm as wellas we could. He left me, and secretly went to a surgeon, to have itproperly dressed, and at night returned. 

He now remarked, that it was humanly impossible I should escape, unlessthe officer on guard should desert with me;--that he wished nothing moreardently than to sacrifice his life in my behalf, but that he could notresolve so far to forget his honour and duty to desert, himself, while onguard: he notwithstanding gave me his word of honour he would find mesuch a person in a few days; and that, in the meantime, he would prepareeverything for my flight. 

He returned the same evening, bringing with him Lieutenant Schell, and ashe entered said, "Here is your man. " Schell embraced me, gave his wordof honour, and thus was the affair settled, and as it proved, my libertyascertained. 

We soon began to deliberate on the means necessary to obtain our purpose. Schell was just come from garrison at Habelchwert to the citadel ofGlatz, and in two days was to mount guard over me, till when our attemptwas suspended. I have before said, I received no more supplies from mybeloved mistress, and my purse at that time only contained some sixpistoles. It was therefore resolved that Bach should go to Schweidnitz, and obtain money of a sure friend of mine in that city. 

Here must I inform the reader that at this period the officers and I allunderstood each other, Captain Roder alone excepted, who was exact, rigid, and gave trouble on all occasions. 

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 muchincreased. The four lieutenants who successively mounted guard over mewere Bach, Schroeder, Lunitz, and Schell. The first was the grandprojector, and made all preparations; Schell was to desert with me; andSchroeder and Lunitz three days after were to follow. 

No one ought to be surprised that officers of garrison regiments shouldbe so ready to desert. They are, in general, either men of violentpassions, quarrelsome, overwhelmed with debts, or unfit for service. Theyare usually sent to the garrison as a punishment, and are called therefuse of the army. Dissatisfied with their situation, their pay muchreduced, and despised by the troops, such men, expecting advantage, maybe brought to engage in the most desperate undertaking. None of them canhope for their discharge, and they live in the utmost poverty. They allhoped by my means to better their fortune, I always having had moneyenough; and, with money, nothing is more easy than to find friends, inplaces where each individual is desirous of escaping from slavery. 

The talents of Schell were of a superior order; he spoke and wrote sixlanguages, and was well acquainted with all the fine arts. He had servedin the regiment of Fouquet, had been injured by his colonel, who was aPomeranian; and Fouquet, who was no friend to well-informed officers, hadsent him to a garrison regiment. He had twice demanded his dismissal, but the King sent him to this species of imprisonment; he then determinedto avenge himself by deserting, and was ready to aid me in recovering myfreedom, that he might, by that means, spite Fouquet. 

I shall speak more hereafter of this extraordinary man, that I must notin this place interrupt my story. We determined everything should beprepared against the first time Schell mounted guard, and that ourproject should be executed on our next. Thus, as he mounted guard everyfour days, the eighth was to be that of our flight. 

The governor meantime had been informed how familiar I was become withthe officers, at which taking offence, he sent orders that my door shouldno more be opened, but that I should receive my food through a smallwindow that had been made for the purpose. The care of the prison wascommitted to the major, and he was forbidden to eat with me, under painof being broken. 

His precautions were ineffectual; the officers procured a false key, andremained with me half the day and night. 

Captain Damnitz was imprisoned in an apartment by the side of mine. Thisman had deserted from the Prussian service, with the money belonging tohis company, to Austria, where he obtained a commission in his cousin'sregiment, who having prevailed on him to serve as a spy, during thecampaign of 1744, he was taken in the Prussian territories, known, andcondemned to be hanged. 

Some Swedish volunteers, who were then in the army, interested themselvesin his behalf, and his sentence was changed to perpetual imprisonment, with a sentence of infamy. 

This wretch, who two years after, by the aid of his protectors, not onlyobtained his liberty but a lieutenant-colonel's commission, was thesecret spy of the major over the prisoners; and he remarked that, notwithstanding the express prohibition laid on the officers, they stillpassed the greater part of their time in my company. 

The 24th of December came, and Schell mounted guard. He entered myprison immediately, where he continued a long time, and we made ourarrangements for flight when he next should mount guard. 

Lieutenant Schroeder that day dined with the governor, and heard ordersgiven to the adjutant that Schell should be taken from the guard, and putunder arrest. 

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 Schellwas then in my chamber. 

Schroeder, full of terror, came running to the citadel, and said toSchell, "Save thyself, friend; all is discovered, and thou wilt instantlybe put under arrest. "

Schell might easily have provided for his own safety, by flying singly, Schroeder having prepared horses, on one of which he himself offered toaccompany him into Bohemia. How did this worthy man, in a moment sodangerous, act toward his friend?

Running suddenly into my prison, he drew a corporal's sabre from underhis coat, and said, "Friend, we are betrayed; follow me, only do notsuffer me to fall alive into the hands of my enemies. "

I would have spoken: but interrupting me, and taking me by the hand, headded, "Follow me; we have not a moment to lose. " I therefore slipped onmy coat and boots, without having time to take the little money I hadleft; and, as we went out of the prison, Schell said to the sentinel, "Iam taking the prisoner into the officer's apartment; stand where youare. "

Into this room we really went, but passed out at the other door. Thedesign of Schell was to go under the arsenal, which was not far off, togain the covered way, leap the palisadoes, and afterwards escape afterthe best manner we might. 

We had scarcely gone a hundred paces before we met the adjutant and MajorQuaadt. 

Schell started back, sprang upon the rampart, and leaped from the wall, which was there not very high. I followed, and alighted unhurt, excepthaving grazed my shoulder. My poor friend was not so fortunate; havingput 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 himover the palisadoes, afterwards got him on my back, and began to run, without very well knowing which way I went. 

CHAPTER VI. 

It may not be unnecessary to remark those fortunate circumstances thatfavoured our enterprise. 

The sun had just set as we took to flight; the hoar frost fell. No onewould run the risk that we had done, by making so dangerous a leap. Weheard a terrible noise behind us. Everybody knew us; but before theycould go round the citadel, and through the town, in order to pursue us, we had got a full half league. 

The alarm guns were fired before we were a hundred paces distant; atwhich my friend was very much terrified, knowing that in such cases itwas generally impossible to escape from Glatz, unless the fugitives hadgot the start full two hours before the alarm guns were heard; the passesbeing immediately all stopped by the peasants and hussars, who areexceedingly vigilant. No sooner is a prisoner missed than the gunnerruns from the guard-house, and fires the cannon on the three sides of thefortress, which are kept loaded day and night for that purpose. 

We were not five hundred paces from the walls, when all before us andbehind us were in motion. It was daylight when we leaped, yet was ourattempt as fortunate as it was wonderful: this I attributed to mypresence of mind, and the reputation I had already acquired, which madeit thought a service of danger for two or three men to attack me. 

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 oldcorporal's sabre. 

Among the officers commanded to pursue us was Lieutenant Bart, myintimate friend. Captain Zerbst, of the regiment of Fouquet, who hadalways testified the kindness of a brother towards me, met us on theBohemian frontiers, and called to me, "Make to time left, brother, andyou will see some lone houses, which are on the Bohemian confines: thehussars have ridden straight forward. " He then passed on as if he hadnot seen us. 

We had nothing to fear from the officers; for the intimacy between thePrussian officers was at that time so great, and the word of honour sosacred, 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 hecame to make his visit. Hence may be conjectured how great was theconfidence 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 thevery confines of Bohemia. This, too, shows the governor was deceived, indespite of his watchfulness and order, and that a man of honour, withmoney, and a good head and heart, will never want friends. 

These my memoirs will be the picture of what the national character thenwas; and will prove that, with officers who lived like brothers, and heldtheir words so sacred, the great Frederick well might vanquish hisenemies. 

Arbitrary power has now introduced the whip of slavery, and mechanicsubordination has eradicated those noble and rational incitements toconcord and honour. Instead of which, mistrust and slavish fear havingarisen, the enthusiastic spirit of the Brandenburg warrior declines, andinto this error have most of the other European States fallen. 

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 seeneither town nor citadel; consequently, we ourselves could not be seen. 

My presence of mind did not forsake me: death or freedom was mydetermination. "Where are we, Schell?" said I to my friend. "Where doesBohemia lie? on which side is the river Neiss?" The worthy man couldmake no answer: his mind was all confusion, and he despaired of ourescape: he still, however, entreated I would not let him be taken alive, and affirmed my labour was all in vain. 

After having promised, by all that was sacred, I would save him from aninfamous 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 citygates. I asked him, "Where is the Neiss?" He pointed sideways--"AllGlatz has seen us fly towards the Bohemian mountains; it is impossible weshould avoid the hussars, the passes being all guarded, and we beset withenemies. " So saying, I took him on my shoulders, and carried him to theNeiss; here we distinctly heard the alarm sounded in the villages, andthe peasants, who likewise were to form the line of desertion, wereeverywhere in motion, and spreading the alarm. As it may not be known toall my readers in what manner they proceed on these occasions in Prussia, I will here give a short account of it. 

Officers are daily named on the parade whose duty it is to followfugitives as soon as the alarm-guns are fired. 

The peasants in the villages, likewise, are daily appointed to rim to theguard of certain posts. The officers immediately fly to these posts tosee 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 hebe, at the very least, an hour on the road before the alarm-guns arefired. 

I now return to my story. 

I came to the Neiss, which was a little frozen, entered it with myfriend, and carried him as long as I could wade, and when I could notfeel the bottom, which did not continue for more than a space of eighteenfeet, he clung round me, and thus we got safely to the other shore. 

My father taught all his sons to swim, for which I have often had tothank him; since by means of this art, which is easily learnt inchildhood, I had on various occasions preserved my life, and was morebold in danger. Princes who wish to make their subjects soldiers, shouldhave them educated so as to fear neither fire nor water. How great wouldbe 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 timewill not permit to prepare bridges!

The reader will easily suppose swimming in the midst of December, andremaining afterwards eighteen hours in the open air, was a severehardship. About seven o'clock the hoar-fog was succeeded by frost andmoonlight. The carrying of my friend kept me warm, it is true, but Ibegan to be tired, while he suffered everything that frost, the pain of adislocated foot (which I in vain endeavoured to reset), and the danger ofdeath from a thousand hands, could inflict. 

We were somewhat more tranquil, however, having reached the oppositeshore 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 oncepassed the first villages that formed the line of desertion, with whichSchell was perfectly acquainted, we in a lucky moment found a fisherman'sboat moored to the shore; into this we leaped, crossed the river again, and soon gained the mountains. 

Here being come, we sat ourselves down awhile on the snow; hope revivedin our hearts, and we held council concerning how it was best to act. Icut a stick to assist Schell in hopping forward as well as he could whenI was tired of carrying him; and thus we continued our route, thedifficulties of which were increased by the mountain snows. 

Thus passed the night; during which, up to the middle in snow, we madebut little way. There were no paths to be traced in the mountains, andthey were in many places impassable. Day at length appeared: we thoughtourselves near the frontiers, which are twenty English miles from Glatz, when we suddenly, to our great terror, heard the city clock strike. 

Overwhelmed, as we were, by hunger, cold, fatigue, and pain, it wasimpossible 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 themountain, on the side of which, about three hundred paces from us, weperceived two separate houses, which inspired us with a stratagem thatwas successful. 

We lost our hats in leaping the ramparts; but Schell had preserved hisscarf and gorget, which would give him authority among the peasants. 

I then cut my finger, rubbed the blood over my face, my shirt, and mycoat, and bound up my head, to give myself the appearance of a mandangerously wounded. 

In this condition I carried Schell to the end of the wood not far fromthese houses; here he tied my hands behind my back, but so that I couldeasily disengage them in ease of need: and hobbled after me, by aid ofhis staff, calling for help. 

Two old peasants appeared, and Schell commanded them to run to thevillage, and tell a magistrate to come immediately with a cart. "I haveseized this knave, " added he, "who has killed my horse, and in thestruggle 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. "

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 girlseemed to take great pity on me, and gave me some bread and milk: but howgreat was our astonishment when the aged peasant called Schell by hisname, and told him he well knew we were deserters, having the nightbefore been at a neighbouring alehouse where the officer in pursuit of uscame, named and described us, and related the whole history of ourflight. The peasant knew Schell, because his son served in his company, and had often spoken of him when he was quartered at Habelschwert. 

Presence of mind and resolution were all that were now left. I instantlyran 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 ourselvesamong the mountains, where we had wandered many miles. The daughterfollowed me: I found three horses in the stable, but no bridles. Iconjured her, in the most passionate manner, to assist me: she wasaffected, seemed half willing to follow me, and gave me two bridles. Iled the horses to the door, called Schell, and helped him, with his lameleg, on horseback. The old peasant then began to weep, and beg I wouldnot take his horses; but he luckily wanted courage, and perhaps the willto impede us; for with nothing more than a dung-fork, in our then feeblecondition, he might have stopped us long enough to have called inassistance from the village. 

And now behold us on horseback, without hats or saddles; Schell with hisuniform scarf and gorget, and I in my red regimental coat. Still we werein danger of seeing all our hopes vanish, for my horse would not stirfrom 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 weperceived the peasants coming in crowds from the village. 

As kind fortune would have it, the people were all at church, it being afestival: the peasants Schell had sent were obliged to call aid out ofchurch. It was but nine in the morning; and had the peasants been athome, we had been lost past redemption. 

We were obliged to take the road to Wunshelburg, and pass through thetown where Schell had been quartered a month before, and in which he wasknown by everybody. Our dress, without hats or saddles, sufficientlyproclaimed we were deserters: our horses, however, continued to gotolerably well, and we had the good luck to get through the town, although there was a garrison of one hundred and eighty infantry, andtwelve horse, purposely to arrest deserters. Schell knew the road toBrummem, where we arrived at eleven o'clock, after having met, as Ibefore mentioned, Captain Zerbst. 

He who has been in the same situation only can imagine, though he nevercan describe, all the joy we felt. An innocent man, languishing in adungeon, who by his own endeavours, has broken his chains, and regainedhis liberty, in despite of all the arbitrary power of princes, who vainlywould oppose him, conceives in moments like these such an abhorrence ofdespotism, that I could not well comprehend how I ever could resolve tolive under governments where wealth, content, honour, liberty, and lifeall depend upon a master's will, and who, were his intentions the mostpure, could not be able, singly, to do justice to a whole nation. 

Never did I, during life, feel pleasure more exquisite than at thismoment. My friend for me had risked a shameful death, and now, afterhaving carried him at least twelve hours on my shoulders, I had savedboth him and myself. We certainly should not have suffered any man tobring us, alive, back to Glatz. Yet this was but the first act of thetragedy of which I was doomed the hero, and the mournful incidents ofwhich all arose out of, and depended on, each other. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Could I have read the book of fate, and have seen the forty years'fearful afflictions that were to follow, I certainly should not haverejoiced at this my escape from Glatz. One year's patience might haveappeased the irritated monarch, and, taking a retrospect of all that haspassed, I now find it would have been a fortunate circumstance, had thegood and faithful Schell and I never met, since he also fell into a trainof misfortunes, which I shall hereafter relate, and from which he couldnever extricate himself, but by death. The sufferings which I have sinceundergone will be read with astonishment. 

It is my consolation that both the laws of honour and nature justify theaction. I may serve as an example of the fortitude with which dangerought to be encountered, and show monarchs that in Germany, as well as inRome, there are men who refuse to crouch beneath the yoke of despotism, and that philosophy and resolution are stronger than even those lords ofslaves, with all their threats, whips, tortures, and instruments ofdeath. 

In Prussia, where my sufferings might have made me supposed the worst oftraitors, is my innocence universally acknowledged; and instead ofcontempt, there have I gained the love of the whole nation, which is thebest compensation for all the ills I have suffered, and for havingpersevered in the virtuous principles taught me in my youth, persecutedas I have been by envy and malicious power. I have not time further tomoralise; the numerous incidents of my life would otherwise swell thisvolume to too great an extent. 

Thus in freedom at Braunau, on the Bohemian frontiers, I sent the twohorses, with the corporal's sword, back to General Fouquet, at Glatz. Theletter accompanying them was so pleasing to him that all the sentinelsbefore my prison door, as well as the guard under arms, and all those wepassed, were obliged to run the gauntlet, although the very day before hehad 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. 

And now for the first time did I quit my country, and fly like Josephfrom the pit into which his false brethren had cast him; and in this thepresent moment of joy for my escape, the loss even of friends and countryappeared to me the excess of good fortune. 

The estates which had been purchased by the blood of my forefathers wereconfiscated; and thus was a youth, of one of the noblest families in theland, 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 byhis unjust and misled King, and treated like the worst of miscreants, malefactors, and traitors. 

I wrote to the King, and sent him a true state of my case; sentindubitable proofs of my innocence, and supplicated justice, but receivedno answer. 

In this the monarch may be justified, at least in my apprehension. Awicked man had maliciously and falsely accused me; Colonel Jaschinsky hadmade him suspect me for a traitor, and it was impossible he should readmy heart. The first act of injustice had been hastily committed; I hadbeen condemned unheard, unjudged; and the injustice that had been done mewas known too late; Frederic the Great found he was not infallible. Pardon I would not ask, for I had committed no offence; and the Kingwould not probably own, by a reverse of conduct, he had been guilty ofinjustice. My resolution increased his obstinacy: but, in the discussionof the cause, our power was very unequal. 

The monarch once really loved me; he meant my punishment should only betemporary, and as a trial of my fidelity. That I had been condemned tono more than a year's imprisonment had never been told me, and was a factI did not learn till long after. 

Major Doo, who, as I have said, was the creature of Fouquet, a mean andcovetous man, knowing I had money, had always acted the part of aprotector as he pretended to me, and continually told me I was condemnedfor life. He perpetually turned the conversation on the great credit ofhis general with the King, and his own great credit with the general. Forthe present of a horse, on which I rode to Glatz, he gave me freedom ofwalking about the fortress; and for another, worth a hundred ducats, Irescued Ensign Reitz from death, who had been betrayed when endeavouringto effect our escape. I have been assured that on that very day on whichI snatched his sword from his side, desperately passed through thegarrison, and leaped the walls of the rampart, he was expressly come totell me, after some prefatory threats, that by his general'sintercession, my punishment was only to be a year's imprisonment, andthat consequently I should be released in a few days. 

How vile were means like these to wrest money from the unfortunate! TheKing, after this my mad flight, certainly was never informed of themajor's base cunning; he could only be told that, rather than wait a fewdays, I had chosen, in this desperate manner, to make my escape, and goover to the enemy. 

Thus deceived and strengthened in his suspicion, must he not imagine mydesire to forsake my country, and desert to the enemy, was unbounded? Howcould he do otherwise than imprison a subject who thus endeavoured toinjure him and aid his foes? Thus, by the calumnies of wicked men, didmy cruel destiny daily become more severe; and at length render thedeceived monarch irreconcilable and cruel. 

Yet how could it be supposed that I would not willingly have remainedthree weeks longer in prison, to have been honourably restored toliberty, to have prevented the confiscation of my estate, and to haveonce more returned to my beloved mistress at Berlin. 

And now was I in Bohemia, a fugitive stranger without money, protector, or friend, and only twenty years of age. 

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 frombeing plundered. The worthy man received us with joy and gratitude. Ihad lived in this same house but two years before as absolute master ofhim and his fate. I had then nine horses and five servants, with thehighest 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. 

I had but a single louis-d'or in my purse, and Schell forty kreutzers, orsome three shillings; with this small sum, in a strange country, we hadto cure his sprain, and provide for all our wants. 

I was determined not to go to my cousin Trenck at Vienna, fearful thisshould seem a justification of all my imputed treasons; I rather wishedto embark for the East Indies, than to have recourse to this expedient. The greater my delicacy was the greater became my distress. I wrote tomy mistress at Berlin, but received no answer; possibly because I couldnot indicate any certain mode of conveyance. My mother believed meguilty, and abandoned me; my brothers were still minors, and my friend atSchweidnitz could not aid me, being gone to Konigsberg. 

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, tosupply our necessities, and had only four florins remaining. 

From the public papers I learned my cousin, the Austrian Trenck, was atthis time closely confined, and under criminal prosecution. It willeasily be imagined what effect this news had upon me. 

Never till now had I felt any inconvenience from poverty; my wants hadall been amply supplied, and I had ever lived among, and been highlyloved and esteemed by, the first people of the land. I was destitute, without aid, and undetermined how to seek employment, or obtain fame. 

At length I determined to travel on foot to Prussia to my mother, andobtain money from her, and afterwards enter into the Russian service. Schell, whose destiny was linked to mine, would not forsake me. Weassumed false names: I called myself Knert, and Schell, Lesch; then, obtaining passports, like common deserters, we left Braunau on the 21stof January, in the evening, unseen of any person, and proceeded towardsBielitz in Poland. A friend I had at Neurode gave me a pair of pocketpistols, a musket, and three ducats; the money was spent at Braunau. Herelet me take occasion to remark I had lent this friend, in urgentnecessity, a hundred ducats, which he still owed me; and when I sent torequest payment, he returned me three, as if I had asked charity. 

Though a circumstantial description of our travels alone would fill avolume, I shall only relate the most singular accidents which happened tous; I shall also insert the journal of our route, which Schell hadpreserved, and gave me in 1776, when he came to see me atAix-la-Chapelle, after an absence of thirty years. 

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 Ihave escaped death full thirty times when the chances were a hundred toone against me; certain it is I undertook many things in which I seemedto have owed my preservation to the very rashness of the action, and inwhich others equally brave would have found death. 

JOURNAL OF TRAVELS ON FOOT. 

From Braunau, in Bohemia, through Bielitz, in Poland, to Meseritsch, andfrom Meseritsch, by Thorn, to Ebling; in the whole 169 miles, {3}performed without begging or stealing. 

January 18th, 1747. --From Braunau, by Politz, to Nachod, three miles, wehaving three florins forty-five kreutzers in our purse. 

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 hencewe went to Reichenau; in all, three miles. 

Jan. 20. --We went to Leitomischl, five miles. Here I bought a loaf hotout of the oven, which eating greedily, had nearly caused my death. Thisobliged us to rest a day, and the extravagant charge of the landlordalmost emptied our purse. 

Jan. 22. --From Trubau, to Zwittau, in Moravia, four miles. 

Jan. 23. --To Sternberg, six miles. This day's journey excessivelyfatigued poor Schell, his sprained ankle being still extremely weak. 

Jan. 24. --To Leipnik, four miles, in a deep snow, and with emptystomachs. Here I sold my stock-buckle for four florins. 

Jan. 25. --To Freiberg, by Weiskirch, to Drahotusch, five miles. Early inthe morning we found a violin and case on the road; the innkeeper inWeiskirch gave us two florins for it, on condition that he should returnit to the owner on proving his right, it being worth at least twenty. 

Jan. 26. --To Friedek, in Upper Silesia, two miles. 

Jan. 27. --To a village, four miles and a half. 

Jan. 28. --Through Skotschau, to Bielitz, three miles. This was the lastAustrian town on the frontiers of Poland, and Captain Capi, of theregiment of Marischall, who commanded the garrison, demanded ourpassports. We had false names, and called ourselves common Prussiandeserters; but a drummer, who had deserted from Glatz, knew us, andbetrayed us to the captain, who immediately arrested us very rudely, andsent us on foot to Teschin (refusing us a hearing), four miles distant. 

Here we found Lieut. -Colonel Baron Schwarzer, a perfectly worthy man, whowas highly interested in our behalf, and who blamed the irregulararbitrary conduct of Captain Capi. I frankly related my adventures, andhe used every possible argument to persuade me, instead of continuing myjourney through Poland to go to Vienna, but in vain; my good genius, thistime, preserved me--would to God it ever had! How many miseries had Ithen avoided, and how easily might I have escaped the snares spread forme by the powerful, who have seized on my property, and in order tosecure it, have hitherto rendered me useless to the state by depriving meof all post or preferment. 

I returned, therefore, a second time to Beilitz, travelling these fourmiles once more. Schwarzer lent us his own horse and four ducats, whichI have since repaid, but which I shall never forget, as they were ofsignal service to me, and procured me a pair of new boots. 

Irritated against Captain Capi, we passed through Beilitz withoutstopping, went immediately to Biala, the first town in Poland, and fromthence sent Capi a challenge to fight me, with sword or pistol, butreceived no answer; and his non-appearance has ever confirmed him in myopinion a rascal. 

And here suffer me to take a retrospective view of what was my thensituation. By the orders of Capi I was sent prisoner as a contemptiblecommon deserter, and was unable to call him to account. In Poland, indeed, I had that power, but was despised as a vagabond because of mypoverty. What, alas! are the advantages which the love of honour, science, courage, or desire of fame can bestow, wanting the means thatshould introduce us to, and bid us walk erect in the presence of ourequals? Youth depressed by poverty, is robbed of the society of thosewho best can afford example and instruction. I had lived familiar withthe great, men of genius had formed and enlightened me; I had beenenumerated among the favourites of a court; and now was I a stranger, unknown, unesteemed, nay, condemned, obliged to endure the extremes ofcold, hunger, and thirst; to wander many a weary mile, suffering both inbody and mind, while every step led me farther from her whom most Iloved, and dearest; yet had I no fixed plan, no certain knowledge in whatthese my labours and sufferings should end. 

I was too proud to discover myself; and, indeed, to whom could I discovermyself in a strange land? My name might have availed me in Austria, butin Austria, where this name was known, would I not remain; rather thanseek my fortune there, I was determined to shun whatever might tend torender me suspicious in the eyes of my country. How liable was a temperso ardent as mine, in the midst of difficulties, fatigues, anddisappointments, hard to endure, to betray me into all those errors ofwhich rash youth, unaccustomed to hardship, impatient of contrariety, areso often guilty! But I had taken my resolution, and my faithful Schell, to whom hunger or ease, contempt or fame, for my sake, were becomeindifferent, did whatever I desired. 

Once more to my journal. 

Feb. 1. --We proceeded four miles from Biala to Oswintzen, I havingdetermined to ask aid from my sister, who had married Waldow, and livedmuch at her case on a fine estate at Hanmer, in Brandenburg, betweenLansberg, on the Warta and Meseritsch, a frontier town of Poland. Forthis reason we continued our route all along the Silesian confines toMeseritsch. 

Feb. 2. --To Bobrek and Elkusch, five miles. We suffered much this daybecause of the snow, and that the lightness of our dress was ill suitedto such severe weather. Schell, negligently, lost our purse, in whichwere nine florins. I had still, however, nineteen grosch in my pocket(about half-a-crown). 

Feb. 3. --To Crumelew, three miles; and

Feb. 4. --To Wladowiegud Joreck, three miles more; and from thence, on. 

Feb. 5. --To Czenstochowa, where there is a magnificent convent, concerning which, had I room, I might write many remarkable things, muchto the disgrace of its inhabitants. 

We slept at an inn kept by a very worthy man, whose name was Lazar. Hehad been a lieutenant in the Austrian service, where he had sufferedmuch, and was now become a poor innkeeper in Poland. We had not a pennyin our purse, and requested a bit of bread. The generous man hadcompassion on us, and desired us to sit down and eat with himself. Ithen told him who we were, and trusted him with the motives of ourjourney. Scarcely had we supped, before a carriage arrived with threepeople. They had their own horses, a servant and a coachman. 

This is a remarkable incident, and I must relate it circumstantially, though as briefly as possible. 

We had before met this carriage at Elkusch, and one of these people hadasked Schell where we were going; he had replied, to Czenstochowa; wetherefore had not the least suspicion of them, notwithstanding the dangerwe ran. 

They lay at the inn, saluted us, but with indifference, not seeming tonotice us, and spoke little. We had not been long in bed, before ourhost came to awaken us, and told us with surprise, these pretendedmerchants were sent to arrest us from Prussia; that they had offered, first, fifty, afterwards, a hundred ducats, if he would permit them totake us in his house, and carry us into Silesia: that he had firmlyrejected the proposal, though they had increased their promises: and thatat last they had given him six ducats to engage his silence. 

We clearly saw these were an officer and under-officers sent by GeneralFouquet, to recover us. We conjectured by what means they had discoveredour route, and imagined the information they had received could only comefrom one Lieutenant Molinie, of the garrison of Habelschwert, who hadcome to visit Schell, as a friend, during our stay at Braunau. He hadremained with us two days, and had asked many questions concerning theroad we should take, and he was the only one who knew it. He wasprobably the spy of Fouquet, and the cause of what happened afterwards, which, however, ended in the defeat of our enemies. 

The moment I heard of this infamous treachery, I was for entering with mypistols primed, into the enemy's chamber, but was prevented by Schell andLazar: the latter entreated me, in the strongest manner, to remain at hishouse till I should receive a supply from my mother, that I might beenabled to continue my journey with more ease and less danger: but hisentreaties were ineffectual; I was determined to see her, uncertain as Iwas of what effect my letter had produced. Lazar assured me, we should, most infallibly, be attacked on the road. "So much the better, " retortedI; "that will give me an opportunity of despatching them, sending them tothe other world, and shooting them as I would highwayman. " They departedat break of day, and took the road to Warsaw. 

We would have been gone, likewise, but Lazar, in some sort, forciblydetained us, and gave us the six ducats he had received from thePrussians, with which we bought us each a shirt, another pair of pocketpistols, and other urgent necessaries; then took an affectionate leave ofour host, who directed us on our way, and we testified our gratitude forthe great services done us. 

Feb. 6. --From Czenstochowa to Dankow, two miles. Here we expected anattack. Lazar had told us our enemies had one musket: I also had amusket, and an excellent sabre, and each of us was provided with a pairof pistols. They knew not we were so well armed, which perhaps was thecause of their panic, when they came to engage. 

Feb. 7. --We took the road to Parsemechi: we had not been an hour on theroad, before we saw a carriage; as we drew near, we knew it to be that ofour 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 havefallen upon me, and we should easily have been carried off, for theywanted to take us alive. 

We left the causeway about thirty paces, answering--"we had not time togive them help;" at which they all ran to their carriage, drew out theirpistols, and returning full speed after us, called, "Stop, rascals!" Webegan to run, but I suddenly turning round, presented my piece, and shotthe nearest dead on the spot. Schell fired his pistols; our oppressorsdid 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 hewas defending himself with his sword, perceiving he bled, and made afeeble resistance, pressed upon him, and gave him a stroke that broughthim down. I instantly returned to Schell, whom I found in the power oftwo others that were dragging him towards the carriage, but when they sawme at their heels, they fled over the fields. The coachman, perceivingwhich way the battle went, leaped on his box, and drove off full speed. 

Schell, though delivered, was wounded with a ball in the neck, and by acut in the right hand, which had made him drop his sword, though heaffirmed he had run one of his adversaries through. 

I took a silver watch from the man I had killed, and was going to makefree with his purse, when Schell called, and showed me a coach and sixcoming down a hill. To stay would have exposed us to have beenimprisoned as highwaymen; for the two fugitives who had escaped us wouldcertainly have borne witness against us. Safety could only be found inflight. 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 wasround about, and it was night before we reached Parsemechi. 

Schell was besmeared with blood; I had bound up his wound the best Icould; but in Polish villages no surgeons are to be found: and heperformed 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 madethemselves acquainted with me. I found them intelligent, and entrustedthem with our secret, told them who we were, related the battle we hadthat day had with our pursuers, and I had not reason to repent of myconfidence in them. Schell had his wounds dressed, and we remained sevendays with these good Saxons, who faithfully kept us company. 

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 officerwho undertook this vile business was Gersdorf; he had a hundred and fiftyducats in his pocket when found dead. How great would our good fortunehave been, had not that cursed coach and six, by its appearance, made ustake to flight; since the booty would have been most just! Fortune, thistime, did not favour the innocent; and though treacherously attacked, Iwas obliged to escape like a guilty wretch. We sold the watch to a Jewfor four ducats, the hat for three florins and a half, and the musket fora ducat, Schell being unable to carry it farther. We left most of thismoney behind us at Parsemechi. A Jew surgeon sold us some dearplaisters, which we took with us and departed. 

Feb. 15. --From Parsemechi, through Vielum, to Biala, four miles. 

Feb. 16. --Through Jerischow to Misorcen, four miles and a half. 

Feb. 17. --To Osterkow and Schwarzwald, three miles. 

Feb. 18. --To Sdune, four miles. 

Feb. 19. --To Goblin two miles. 

Here we arrived wholly destitute of money. I sold my coat to a Jew, whogave me four florins and a coarse waggoner's frock, in exchange, which Idid not think I should long need, as we now drew nearer to where mysister lived, and where I hoped I should be better equipped. Schell, however, grew weaker and weaker; his wounds healed slowly, and wereexpensive; the cold was also injurious to him, and, as he was not bynature cleanly in his person, his body soon became the harbour of everyspecies of vermin to be picked up in Poland. We often arrived wet andweary, to our smoky, reeking stove-room. Often were we obliged to lie onstraw, or bare boards; and the various hardships we suffered are almostincredible. Wandering as we did, in the midst of winter, through Poland, where humanity, hospitality, and gentle pity, are scarcely so much asknown by name; where merciless Jews deny the poor traveller a bed, andwhere we disconsolately strayed, without bread, and almost naked: thesewere sufferings, the full extent of which he only can conceive by whomthey have been felt. My musket now and then procured us an occasionalmeal 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. Wemet with Saxon and Prussian recruiters at various places; all of whom, onaccount of my youth and stature, were eager to inveigle me. I was highlydiverted to hear them enumerate all the possibilities of futuregreatness, and how liable I was hereafter to become a corporal: nor was Iless merry with their mead, ale, and brandy, given with an intent to makeme drunk. Thus we had many artifices to guard against; but thus had welikewise, very luckily for us, many a good meal gratis. 

Feb. 21. --We went from Goblin to Pugnitz, three miles and a half. 

Feb. 22. --Through Storchnest to Schmiegel, four miles. 

Here happened a singular adventure. The peasants at this place weredancing to a vile scraper on the violin: I took the instrument myself, and played while they continued their hilarity. They were much pleasedwith my playing: but when I was tired, and desired to have done, theyobliged me, first by importunities, and afterwards by threats, to play onall night. I was so fatigued, I thought I should have fainted; at lengththey quarrelled among themselves. Schell was sleeping on a bench, andsome of them fell upon his wounded hand: he rose furious: I seized ourarms, began to lay about me, and while all was in confusion, we escaped, without further ill-treatment. 

What ample subject of meditation on the various turns of fate did thisnight afford! But two years before I danced at Berlin with the daughtersand sisters of kings: and here was I, in a Polish hut, a ragged, almostnaked musician, playing for the sport of ignorant rustics, whom I was atlast obliged to fight. 

I was myself the cause of the trifling misfortune that befell me on thisoccasion. Had not my vanity led me to show these poor peasants I was amusician, I might have slept in peace and safety. The same vain desireof proving I knew more than other men, made me through life the continuedvictim of envy and slander. Had nature, too, bestowed on me a weaker ora deformed body, I had been less observed, less courted, less sought, andmy adventures and mishaps had been fewer. Thus the merits of the manoften become his miseries; and thus the bear, having learned to dance, must live and die in chains. 

This ardour, this vanity, or, if you please, this emulation, has, however, taught me to vanquish a thousand difficulties, under whichothers of cooler passions and more temperate desires would have sunk. Maymy example remain a warning; and thus may my sufferings become somewhatprofitable to the world, cruel as they have been to myself! Cruel theywere, and cruel they must continue; for the wounds I have received arenot, will not, cannot be healed. 

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 shirtand Schell's waistcoat for eighteen grosch, or nine schostacks. I hadshot a pullet the day before, which necessity obliged us to eat raw. Ialso killed a crow, which I devoured alone, Schell refusing to taste. Youth and hard travelling created a voracious appetite, and our eighteengrosch were soon expended. 

Feb. 24. --We came through Benzen to Lettel, four miles. Here we halted aday, 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 livedat Lettel, and belonged to Kolschen, where she was born a vassal of mysister's husband. I told her who I was, and she became our guide. 

Feb. 26. --To Kurschen and Falkenwalde. 

Feb. 27. --Through Neuendorf and Oost, and afterwards through a pathlesswood, five miles and a half to Hammer, and here I knocked at my sister'sdoor at nine o'clock in the evening. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

A maidservant came to the door, whom I knew; her name was Mary, and shehad been born and brought up in my father's house. She was terrified atseeing a sturdy fellow in a beggar's dress; which perceiving, I asked, "Molly, do not you know me?" She answered, "No;" and I then discoveredmyself to her. I asked whether my brother-in-law was at home. Maryreplied, "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 presentlycame. 

She was alarmed at seeing me, not knowing that I had escaped from Glatz, and ran to inform her husband, but did not return. 

A quarter of an hour after the good Mary came weeping, and told us hermaster commanded us to quit the premises instantly, or he should beobliged to have us arrested, and delivered up as prisoners. My sister'shusband forcibly detained her, and I saw her no more. 

What my feelings must be, at such a moment, let the reader imagine. Iwas too proud, too enraged, to ask money; I furiously left the house, uttering a thousand menaces against its inhabitants, while thekind-hearted Mary, still weeping, slipped three ducats into my hand, which I accepted. 

And, now behold us once more in the wood, which was not above a hundredpaces from the house, half dead with hunger and fatigue, not daring toenter any habitation, while in the states of Brandenburg, and draggingour weary steps all night through snow and rain, until our guide atlength brought us back, at daybreak, once again to the town of Lettel. 

She herself wept in pity at our fate, and I could only give her twoducats 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 careof her. She was about fifty years of age, and died my servant inHungary, some weeks before my unfortunate journey to Dantzic, where Ifell into my enemies' hands, and remained ten years a prisoner atMagdeburg. 

We had scarcely reached the wood, before, in the anguish of my heart, Iexclaimed to Schell, "Does not such a sister, my friend, deserve I shouldfire her house over her head?" The wisdom of moderation, and calmforbearance, was in Schell a virtue of the highest order; he was mycontinual mentor; my guide, whenever my choleric temperament was disposedto violence. I therefore honour his ashes; he deserved a better fate. 

"Friend, " said he, on this occasion, "reflect that your sister may beinnocent, may be withheld by her husband; besides, should the Kingdiscover we had entered her doors, and she had not delivered us againinto his power, she might become as miserable as we were. Be more nobleminded, and think that even should your sister be wrong, the time maycome when her children may stand in need of your assistance, and you mayhave the indescribable pleasure of returning good for evil. "

I never shall forget this excellent advice, which in reality was aprophecy. My rich brother-in-law died, and, during the Russian war, hislands and houses were laid desolate and in ruins; and, nineteen yearsafterwards, when released from my imprisonment at Magdeburg, I had anopportunity of serving the children of my sister. Such are the turns offate; and thus do improbabilities become facts. 

My sister justified her conduct; Schell had conjectured the truth; forten years after I was thus expelled her house, she showed, during myimprisonment, she was really a sister. She was shamefully betrayed byWeingarten, secretary to the Austrian ambassador at Berlin; lost a partof her property, and at length her life fell an innocent sacrifice to herbrother. 

This event, which is interwoven with my tragical history, will be relatedhereafter: my heart bleeds, my very soul shudders, when I recollect thisdreadful scene. 

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 heexist, the earth should not hide him from my sword. 

I shall now continue my journal: deceived in the aid I expected, I wasobliged to change my plan, and go to my mother, who lived in Prussia, nine miles beyond Konigsberg. 

Feb. 28. --We continued, tired, anxious, and distressed, at Lettel. 

March 1. --We went three miles to Pleese, and on the 2nd, a mile and ahalf farther to Meseritz. 

March 3. --Through Wersebaum to Birnbaum, three miles. 

March 4. --Through Zircke, Wruneck, Obestchow, to Stubnitz, seven miles, in one day, three of which we had the good fortune to ride. 

March 5. --Three miles to Rogosen, where we arrived without so much as aheller 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 hadstrayed two miles out of the road. 

We entered a peasant's cottage, where an old woman was drawing bread hotout 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, tosatisfy the intolerable cravings of hunger. Shuddering, with tormentinexpressible, at the thought, I hastened out of the door, and we walkedon two miles more to Wongrofze. 

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 travelledten miles in sleet and snow. 

March 6. --We rested, and came, on the 7th, through Genin, to a village inthe forest, four miles. 

Here we fell in with a gang of gipsies (or rather banditti) amounting tofour hundred men, who dragged me to their camp. They were mostly Frenchand Prussian deserters, and thinking me their equal, would force me tobecome one of their hand. But, venturing to tell my story to theirleader, he presented me with a crown, gave us a small provision of breadand meat, and suffered us to depart in peace, after having been four andtwenty hours in their company. 

March 9. --We proceeded to Lapuschin, three miles and a half; and the 10thto Thorn, four miles. 

A new incident here happened, which showed I was destined, by fortune, toa variety of adventures, and continually to struggle with newdifficulties. 

There was a fair held at Thorn on the day of our arrival. Suspicionsmight 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 pistolsin his girdle, accompanied by another as poorly apparelled as himself, with his hand and neck bound up, and armed likewise with pistols, so thataltogether he more resembled a spectre than a man. 

We went to an inn, but were refused entertainment: I then asked for theJesuits' college, where I inquired for the father rector. They supposedat first I was a thief, come to seek an asylum. After long waiting andmuch entreaty his jesuitical highness at length made his appearance, andreceived me as the Grand Mogul would his slave. My case certainly waspitiable: I related all the events of my life, and the purport of myjourney; conjured him to save Schell, who was unable to proceed further, and whose wounds grew daily worse; and prayed him to entertain him at theconvent till I should have been to my mother, have obtained money, andreturned to Thorn, when I would certainly repay him whatever expense hemight have been at, with thanks and gratitude. 

Never shall I forget the haughty insolence of this priest. Scarcelywould he listen to my humble request; thou'd and interrupted mecontinually, to tell me, "Be brief, I have more pressing affairs thanthine. " In fine, I was turned away without obtaining the least aid; andhere I was first taught jesuitical pride; God help the poor and honestman who shall need the assistance of Jesuits! They, like all othermonks, are seared to every sentiment of human pity, and commiserate thedistressed by taunts and irony. 

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 erasingthem from the face of the earth. 

They succour rascals and murderers, that their power may be idolised bythe ignorant, and ostentatiously exert itself to impede the course of lawand justice; but in vain do the poor and needy virtuous apply to them forhelp. 

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 allmy great Hungarian estates. Father Kampmuller, the bosom friend of theCount Grashalkowitz, was confessor to the court of Vienna, and there wasno possible kind of persecution I did not suffer from priestcraft. Farfrom being useful members of society, they take advantage of theprejudices of superstition, exist for themselves alone, and sacrificeevery duty to the support of their own hierarchy, and found a power, onerror and ignorance, which is destructive of all moral virtue. 

Let us proceed. Mournful and angry, I left the college, and went to mylodging-house, where I found a Prussian recruiting-officer waiting forme, who used all his arts to engage me to enlist; offering me fivehundred dollars, and to make me a corporal, if I could write. Ipretended I was a Livonian, who had deserted from the Austrians, toreturn home, and claim an inheritance left me by my father. After muchpersuasion, he at length told me in confidence, it was very well known inthe town that I was a robber; that I should soon be taken before amagistrate, but that if I would enlist he would ensure my safety. 

This language was new to me; my passion rose instantaneously; Iremembered my name was Trenck, I struck him, and drew my sword; but, instead of defending himself, he sprang out of the chamber, charging thehost not to let me quit the house. I knew the town of Thorn had agreedwith the King of Prussia, secretly, to deliver up deserters, and began tofear the consequences. Looking through the window, I presently saw twounder Prussian officers enter the house. Schell and I instantly flew toour arms, and met the Prussians at the chamber door. "Make way, " criedI, presenting my pistols. The Prussian soldiers drew their swords, butretired with fear. Going out of the house, I saw a Prussian lieutenant, in the street, with the town-guard. These I overawed, likewise, by thesame means, and no one durst oppose me, though every one cried, "Stopthief!" I came safely, however, to the Jesuits' convent; but poor Schellwas taken, and dragged to prison like a malefactor. 

Half mad at not being able to rescue him, I imagined he must soon bedelivered up to the Prussians. My reception was much better at theconvent than it had been before, for they no longer doubted but I wasreally a thief, who sought an asylum. I addressed myself to one of thefathers, who appeared to be a good kind of a man, relating briefly whathad happened, and entreated he would endeavour to discover why theysought to molest us. 

He went out, and returning in an hour after, told me, "Nobody knows you:a considerable theft was yesterday committed at the fair: all suspiciouspersons are seized; you entered the town accoutred like banditti. Theman where you put up is employed as a Prussian enlister, and hasannounced you as suspicious people. The Prussian lieutenant thereforelaid complaint against you, and it was thought necessary to secure yourpersons. "

My joy, at hearing this, was great. Our Moravian passport, and thejournal of our route, which I had in my pocket, were full proofs of ourinnocence. I requested they would send and inquire at the town where welay the night before. I soon convinced the Jesuit I spoke truth; hewent, and presently returned with one of the syndics, to whom I gave amore full account of myself. The syndic examined Schell, and found hisstory and mine agreed; besides which, our papers that they had seized, declared who we were. I passed the night in the convent without closingmy eyes, revolving in my mind all the rigours of my fate. I was stillmore disturbed for Schell, who knew not where I was, but remained firmlypersuaded we should be conducted to Berlin; and, if so, determined to puta period to his life. 

My doubts were all ended at ten in the morning when my good Jesuitarrived, and was followed by my friend Schell. The judges, he said, hadfound 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 thePrussian enlisters; that the lieutenant had hoped, by having us committedas thieves, to oblige me to enter, and that he would account for all thathad happened. 

I gave Schell a most affectionate welcome, who had been very ill-usedwhen led to prison, because he endeavoured to defend himself with hisleft hand, and follow me. The people had thrown mud at him, and calledhim a rascal that would soon be hanged. Schell was little able to travelfarther. The father-rector sent us a ducat, but did not see us; and thechief magistrate gave each of us a crown, by way of indemnification forfalse imprisonment. Thus sent away, we returned to our lodging, took ourbundles, and immediately prepared to leave Thorn. 

As we went, I reflected that, on the road to Elbing, we must pass throughseveral Prussian villages, and inquired for a shop where we mightpurchase a map. We were directed to an old woman who sat at the dooracross the way, and were told she had a good assortment, for that her sonwas a scholar. I addressed myself to her, and my question pleased her, Ihaving added we were unfortunate travellers, who wished to find, by themap, the road to Russia. She showed us into a chamber, laid an atlas onthe table, and placed herself opposite me, while I examined the map, andendeavoured to hide a bit of a ragged ruffle that had made itsappearance. After steadfastly looking at me, she at length exclaimed, with a sad and mournful tone--"Good God! who knows what is now become ofmy poor son! I can see, sir, you too are of a good family. My son wouldgo and seek his fortune, and for these eight years have I had no tidingsof him. He must now be in the Austrian cavalry. " I asked in whatregiment. "The regiment of Hohenhem; you are his very picture. " "Is henot of my height?" "Yes, nearly. " "Has he not light hair?" "Yes, likeyours, sir. " "What is his name?" "His name is William. " "No, my dearmother, " cried I, "William is not dead; he was my best friend when I waswith the regiment. " Here the poor woman could not contain her joy. Shethrew herself round my neck, called me her good angel who brought herhappy tidings: asked me a thousand questions which I easily contrived tomake her answer herself, and thus, forced by imperious necessity, bereftof all other means, did I act the deceiver. 

The story I made was nearly as follows:--I told her I was a soldier inthe 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, andundertake 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 befor ever and infinitely obliged to her, if she would suffer my comrade, meantime, to live at her house, he being wounded by the Prussianrecruiters, and unable to pursue his journey; that I would send him moneyto come to me, or would myself come back and fetch him, thankfully payingevery expense. She joyfully consented, told me her second husband, father-in-law to her dear William, had driven him from home, that hemight give what substance they had to the younger son; and that theeldest had gone to Magdeburg. She determined Schell should live at thehouse 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 mea new shirt, stockings, sufficient provisions for three days, and sixLunenburg florins. I left Thorn, and my faithful Schell, the same night, with the consolation that he was well taken care of; and having partedfrom him with regret, went on the 13th two miles further to Burglow. 

I cannot describe what my sensations were, or the despondence of my mind, when I thus saw myself wandering alone, and leaving, forsaking, as itwere, the dearest of friends. These may certainly be numbered among thebitterest moments of my life. Often was I ready to return, and drag himalong with me, though at last reason conquered sensibility. I drew nearthe end of my journey, and was impelled forward by hope. 

March 14. --I went to Schwetz, and

March 15. --To Neuburg and Mowe. In these two days I travelled thirteenmiles. 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 moneyI had left, even to my last penny. The gentlemen, however, were allgone. 

What could I do? The innkeeper perhaps was privy to the theft. Myreckoning amounted to eighteen Polish grosch. The surly landlordpretended to believe I had no money when I entered his house, and I wasobliged 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 departwithout a single holler. 

March 16. --I set off for Marienburg, but it was impossible I should reachthis place, and not fall into the hands of the Prussians, if I did notcross the Vistula, and, unfortunately, I had no money to pay the ferry, which would cost two Polish schellings. 

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 otherside; when there, I took the oars from these timid people, jumped out ofthe boat, pushed it off the shore, and left it to drive with the stream. 

To what dangers does not poverty expose man! These two Polish schellingswere not worth more than half a kreutzer, or some halfpenny, yet was Idriven by necessity to commit violence on two poor men, who, had theybeen 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 thedegrees of guilt ought to be strictly and minutely inquired into, and thedegree of punishment proportioned. Had I hewn them down with my sabre, Ishould surely have been a murderer; but I should likewise surely havebeen one of the most innocent of murderers. Thus we see the value ofmoney is not to be estimated by any specific sum, small or great, butaccording to its necessity and use. How little did I imagine when atBerlin, 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 soapparently despicable, of committing a violence which might have hadconsequences so dreadful, and have led to the commission of an act soatrocious!

I found Saxon and Prussian recruiters at Marion-burgh, with whom, havingno money, I ate, drank, listened to their proposals, gave them hopes forthe morrow, and departed by daybreak. 

March 17. --To Elbing, four miles. 

Here I met with my former worthy tutor, Brodowsky, who was become acaptain and auditor in the Polish regiment of Golz. He met me just as Ientered the town. I followed triumphantly to his quarters; and here atlength ended the painful, long, and adventurous journey I had beenobliged to perform. 

This good and kind gentleman, after providing me with immediatenecessaries, wrote so affectionately to my mother, that she came toElbing in a week, and gave me every aid of which I stood in need. 

The pleasure I had in meeting once more this tender mother, whosequalities of heart and mind were equally excellent, was inexpressible. She found a certain mode of conveying a letter to my dear mistress atBerlin, who a short time after sent me a bill of exchange for fourhundred ducats upon Dantzic. To this my mother added a thousandrix-dollars, and a diamond cross worth nearly half as much, remained afortnight with me, and persisted, in spite of all remonstrance, inadvising me to go to Vienna. My determination had been fixed forPetersburg; all my fears and apprehensions being awakened at the thoughtof Vienna, and which indeed afterwards became the source of all my cruelsufferings and sorrows. She would not yield in opinion, and promised herfuture assistance only in case of my obedience; it was my duty not tocontinue 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 wasa happiness for this affectionate mother that she did not hive to be awitness of my afflictions in the year 1754. 

An adventure, resembling that of Joseph in Egypt, happened to me inElbing. The wife of the worthy Brodowsky, a woman of infinite personalattraction, grew partial to me; but I durst not act ungratefully by mybenefactor. Never to see me more was too painful to her, and she evenproposed to follow me, secretly, to Vienna. I felt the danger of mysituation, and doubted whether Potiphar's wife offered temptations sostrong as Madame Brodowsky. I owned I had an affection for this lady, but my passions were overawed. She preferred me to her husband, who wasin years, and very ordinary in person. Had I yielded to the slightestdegree of guilt, that of the present enjoyment, a few days of pleasuremust have been followed by years of bitter repentance. 

Having once more assumed my proper name and character, and made presentsof acknowledgment to the worthy tutor of my youth, I became eager toreturn to Thorn. 

How great was my joy at again meeting my honest Schell! The kind oldwoman had treated him like a mother. She was surprised, and halfterrified, at seeing me enter in an officer's uniform, and accompanied bytwo servants. I gratefully and rapturously kissed her hand, repaid, withthankfulness, every expense (for Schell had been nurtured with trulymaternal kindness), told her who I was, acknowledged the deceit I had putupon her concerning her son, but faithfully promised to give a true, andnot fictitious account of him, immediately on my arrival at Vienna. Schell was ready in three days, and we left Thorn, came to Warsaw, andpassed thence, through Crakow, to Vienna. 

I inquired for Captain Capi, at Bilitz, who had before given me so kind areception, and refused me satisfaction; but he was gone, and I did notmeet with him till some years after, when the cunning Italian made me themost humble apologies for his conduct. So goes the world. 

My journey from Dantzic to Vienna would not furnish me with aninteresting page, though my travels on foot thither would have affordedthrice as much as I have written, had I not been fearful of trifling withthe reader's patience. 

In poverty one misfortune follows another. The foot-passenger sees theworld, becomes acquainted with it, converses with men of every class. Thelord luxuriously lolls and slumbers in his carriage, while his servantspay innkeepers and postillions, and passes rapidly over a kingdom, inwhich he sees some dozen houses, called inns; and this he callstravelling. I met with more adventures in this my journey of 169 miles, than afterwards in almost as many thousand, when travelling at ease, in acarriage. 

Here, then, ends my journal, in which, from the hardships thereinrelated, and numerous others omitted, I seem a kind of second RobinsonCrusoe, and to have been prepared, by a gradual increase and repetitionof sufferings, to endure the load of affliction which I was afterwardsdestined to bear. 

Arrived at Vienna in the month of April, 1747. 

And now another act of the tragedy is going to begin. 

CHAPTER IX. 

After having defrayed the expenses of travelling for me and my friendSchell, for whose remarkable history I will endeavour to find a few pagesin due course, I divided the three hundred ducats which remained withhim, and, having stayed a month at Vienna, he went to join the regimentof Pallavicini, in which he had obtained a lieutenant-colonel'scommission, and which was then in Italy. 

Here I found my cousin, Baron Francis Trenck, the famous partisan andcolonel of pandours, imprisoned at the arsenal, and involved in a mostperplexing prosecution. 

This Trenck was my father's brother's son. His father had been a coloneland governor of Leitschau, and had possessed considerable lordships inSclavonia, those of Pleternitz, Prestowacz, and Pakratz. After the siegeof Vienna, in 1683, he had left the Prussian service for that of Austria, in which he remained sixty years. 

That I may not here interrupt my story, I shall give some account of thelife 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 envyand avarice, and received the reward of all his great and faithfulservices in the prison of the Spielberg. 

The vindication of the family of the Trencks requires I should speak ofhim; nor will I, in this, suffer restraint from the fear of any man, however powerful. Those indeed who sacrificed a man most ardent in hiscountry's service to their own private and selfish views, are now intheir graves. 

I shall insert no more of his history here than what is interwoven withmy own, and relate the rest in its proper place. 

A revision of his suit was at this time instituted. Scarcely was Iarrived in Vienna before his confidential agent, M. Leber, presented meto Prince Charles and the Emperor; both knew the services of Trenck, andthe malice of his enemies; therefore, permission for me to visit him inhis prison, and procure him such assistance as he might need, was readilygranted. On my second audience, the Emperor spoke so much in mypersecuted cousin's favour that I became highly interested; he commandedme to have recourse to him on all occasions; and, moreover, owned thepresident of the council of war was a man of a very wicked character, anda declared enemy of Trenck. This president was the Count of Lowenwalde, who, with his associates, had been purposely selected as men proper tooppress the best of subjects. 

The suit soon took another face; the good Empress Queen, who had beendeceived, was soon better informed, and Trenck's innocence appeared, onthe revision of the process most evidently. The trial, which had costthem twenty-seven thousand florins, and the sentence which followed, wereproved to have been partial and unjust; and that sixteen of Trenck'sofficers, who most of them had been broken for different offences, hadperjured themselves to insure his destruction. 

It is a most remarkable circumstance that public notice was given, in the_Vienna Gazette_, to the following purport. 

"All those who have any complaints to make against Trenck, let themappear, and they shall receive a ducat per day, so long as theprosecution continues. "

It will readily be imagined how fast his accusers would increase, andwhat kind of people they were. The pay of these witnesses alone amountedto fifteen thousand florins. I now began the labour in concurrence withDoctor Gerhauer, and the cause soon took another turn; but such was thestate of things, it would have been necessary to have broken all themembers of the council of war, as well as counsellor Weber, a man ofgreat power. Thus, unfortunately, politics began to interfere with thecourse of justice. 

The Empress Queen gave Trenck to understand she required he should askher pardon; and on that condition all proceedings should be stopped, andhe immediately set at liberty. Prince Charles, who knew the court ofVienna, advised me also to persuade my cousin to comply; but nothingcould shake his resolution. Feeling his right and innocence, he demandedstrict justice; and this made ruin more swift. 

I soon learned Trenck must fall a sacrifice--he was rich--his enemiesalready had divided among them more than eighty thousand florins of hisproperty, which was all sequestered, and in their hands. They hadtreated him too cruelly, and knew him too well, not to dread hisvengeance the moment he should recover his freedom. 

I was moved to the soul at his sufferings, and as he had vented publicthreats, at the prospect of approaching victory over his enemies, theygained over the Court Confessor: and, dreading him as they did, put everywily art in practice to insure his destruction. I therefore, in thefulness 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, andwhich he seemed perfectly decided to follow. 

Some days after, I was ordered to wait on field-marshal Count Konigseck, governor of Vienna. This respectable old gentleman, whose memory I shallever 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 hadbetrayed me by having revealed my proposed plan of escape, willing tosacrifice me to his ambition in order to justify the purity of hisintentions to the court, and show that, instead of wishing to escape, heonly desired justice. 

Confounded at the cowardly action of one for whom I would willingly havesacrificed my life, and whom I only sought to deliver, I resolved toleave him to his fate, and thought myself exceedingly happy that theworthy field-marshal would, after a fatherly admonition, smother allfarther inquiry into this affair. 

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 Iknew what had passed, and still to render him every service in my power. 

Before I proceed I will here give the reader a per-'trait of this Trenck. 

He was a man of superior talents and unbounded ambition; devoted, evenfanatically, to his sovereign; his boldness approached temerity; he wasartful of mind, wicked of heart, vindictive and unfeeling. His cupidityequalled the utmost excess of avarice, even in his thirty-third year, inwhich he died. He was too proud to receive favours or obligations fromany man, and was capable of ridding himself of his best friend if hethought he had any claims on his gratitude or could get possession of hisfortune. 

He knew I had rendered him very important services, supposed his causealready won, having bribed the judges, who were to revise the sentence, with thirty thousand florins, which money I received from his friendBaron Lopresti, and conveyed to these honest counsellors. I knew all hissecrets, and nothing more was necessary to prompt his suspicious and badheart to seek my destruction. 

Scarcely had a fortnight elapsed, after his having first betrayed me, before the following remarkable event happened. 

I left him one evening to return home, taking under my coat a bag withpapers and documents relating to the prosecution, which I had beenexamining for him, and transcribing. There were at this time about five-and-twenty officers in Vienna who had laid complaints against him, andwho considered me as their greatest enemy because I had labouredearnestly in his defence. I was therefore obliged, on all occasions, tobe upon my guard. A report had been propagated through Vienna that I wassecretly sent by the King of Prussia to free my cousin from imprisonment;he, however, constantly denied, to the hour of his death, his ever havingwritten to me at Berlin; hence also it will follow the letter I receivedhad been forged by Jaschinsky. 

Leaving the Arsenal, I crossed the court, and perceived I was closelyfollowed by two men in grey roquelaures, who, pressing upon my heels, held loud and insolent conversation concerning the runaway PrussianTrenck. I found they sought a quarrel, which was a thing of no greatdifficulty at that moment, for a man is never more disposed to duellingthan when he has nothing to lose, and is discontented with his condition. I supposed they were two of the accusing officers broken by Trenck, andendeavoured to avoid them, and gain the Jew's place. 

Scarcely had I turned down the street that leads thither before theyquickened their pace. I turned round, and in a moment received a thrustwith a sword in the left side, where I had put my bag of papers, whichaccident alone saved my life; the sword pierced through the papers andslightly grazed the skin. I instantly drew, and the heroes ran. Ipursued, 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 hisuniform, was released, and I was taken to prison. The Town Major camethe next day, and told me I had intentionally sought a quarrel with twoofficers, Lieutenants F---g and K---n. These kind gentlemen did notreveal their humane intention of sending me to the other world. 

I was alone, could produce no witness, they were two. I must necessarilybe in the wrong, and I remained six days in prison. No sooner was Ireleased, than these my good friends sent to demand satisfaction for thesaid pretended insult. The proposal was accepted, and I promised to beat the Scotch gate, the place appointed by them, within an hour. Havingheard their names, I presently knew them to be two famous swaggerers, whowere daily exercising themselves in fencing at the Arsenal, and wherethey often visited Trenck. I went to my cousin to ask his assistance, related what had happened, and, as the consequences of this duel might bevery serious, desired him to give me a hundred ducats, that I might beable to fly if either of them should fall. 

Hitherto I had expended my own money on his account, and had asked noreimbursement; but what was my astonishment when this wicked man said tome, with a sneer, "Since, good cousin, you have got into a quarrelwithout consulting me, you will also get out of it without my aid!" As Ileft him, he called me back to tell me, "I will take care and pay yourundertaker;" for he certainly believed I should never return alive. 

I ran now, half-despairing, to Baron Lopresti, who gave me fifty ducatsand a pair of pistols, provided with which I cheerfully repaired to thefield of battle. 

Here I found half a dozen officers of the garrison. As I had fewacquaintances in Vienna, I had no second, except an old Spanish invalidcaptain, named Pereyra, who met me going in all haste, and, havinglearned whither, would not leave me. 

Lieutenant K---n was the first with whom I fought, and who receivedsatisfaction by a deep wound in the right arm. Hereupon I desired thespectators to prevent farther mischief; for my own part I had nothingmore 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 beenyour man, you would have found a very different reception. " My oldSpaniard of eighty proudly and immediately advanced, with his longwhiskers and tottering frame, and cried--"Hold! Trenck has provedhimself a brave fellow, and if any man thinks proper to assault himfurther, he must first take a breathing with me. " Everybody laughed atthis bravado from a man who scarcely could stand or hold a sword. Ireplied--"Friend, I am safe, unhurt, and want not aid; should I bedisabled, you then, if you think proper, may take my place; but, as longas I can hold a sword, I shall take pleasure in satisfying all thesegentlemen one after another. " I would have rested myself a moment, butthe haughty M-f, enraged at the defeat of his friend, would not give metime, but furiously attacked me, and, having been wounded twice, once inthe hand and again in the groin, he wanted to close and sink me to thegrave with himself, but I disarmed and threw him. 

None of the others had any desire to renew the contest. My three enemieswere sent bleeding to town; and, as M---f appeared to be mortallywounded, and the Jesuits and Capuchins of Vienna refused me an asylum, Ifled to the convent of Keltenberg. 

I wrote from the convent to Colonel Baron Lopresti, who came to me. Itold him all that had passed, and by his good offices had liberty, in aweek, to appear once more at Vienna. 

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 toentreat I would visit him, and, when I went, having first requested Iwould pardon him, gave me to understand I ought to beware of my cousin. Iafterwards learned the traitorous Trenck had promised Lieutenant F---g acompany and a thousand ducats if he would find means to quarrel with meand rid the world of me. He was deeply in debt, and sought theassistance of Lieutenant K-n; and had not the papers luckily preservedme, I had undoubtedly been despatched by his first lunge. To clearthemselves of the infamy of such an act, these two worthy gentlemen hadpretended I had assaulted them in the streets. 

I could no more resolve to see my ungrateful and dangerous kinsman, whowished to have me murdered because I knew all his secrets, and thought heshould be able to gain his cause without obligation to me or myassistance. Notwithstanding all his great qualities, his markedcharacteristic certainly was that of sacrificing everything to hisprivate views, and especially to his covetousness, which was so greatthat, even at his time of life, though his fortune amounted to a millionand a half, he did not spend per day more than thirty kreutzers. 

No sooner was it known that I had forsaken Trenck than General CountLowenwalde, his most ardent enemy, and president of the first council ofwar, by which he had been condemned, desired to speak to me, promisedevery sort of good fortune and protection, if I would discover what meanshad secretly been employed in the revision of the process; and went sofar as to offer me four thousand florins if I would aid the prosecutionagainst my cousin. Here I learned the influence of villains in power, and the injustice of judges at Vienna. The proposal I rejected withdisdain, and rather determined to seek my fortune in the East Indies thancontinue in a country where, under the best of Queens, the most loyal ofsubjects, and first of soldiers, might be rendered miserable byinterested, angry, and corrupt courtiers. Certain it is, as I now canprove, though the bitterest of my enemies, and whose conduct towards memerited my whole resentment, he was the best soldier in the Austrianarmy, had been liberal of his blood and fortune in the Imperial service, and would still so have continued had not his wealth, and his contemptfor Weber and Lowenwalde put him in the power of those wretches who werethe avowed enemies of courage and patriotism, and who only could maintaintheir authority, and sate their thirst of gain, by the base and wickedarts of courts. Had my cousin shared the plunder of the war among thesemen, he had not fallen the martyr of their intrigues, and died in theSpielberg. His accusers were, generally, unprincipled men of ruinedfortunes, and so insufficient were their accusations that a useful memberof society ought not, for any or all of them, to have suffered an hour'simprisonment. Being fully informed, both of all the circumstances of theprosecution and the inmost secrets of his heart, justice requires Ishould thus publicly declare this truth and vindicate his memory. Whileliving he was my bitterest enemy, and even though dead, was the cause ofall my future sufferings; therefore the account I shall give of him willcertainly be the less liable to suspicion, where I shall show that he, aswell as myself, deserved better of Austria. 

I was resolved forever to forsake Vienna. The friends of Trenck allbecame distrustful of him because of his ingratitude to me. PrinceCharles still endeavoured to persuade me to a reconciliation, and gave mea letter of recommendation to General Brown, who then commanded theImperial army in Italy. But more anxious of going to India, I leftVienna in August, 1748, desirous of owing no obligation to that city orits inhabitants, and went for Holland. Meantime, the enemies of Trenckfound no one to oppose their iniquitous proceedings, and obtained asentence of imprisonment, in the Spielberg, where he too late repentedhaving betrayed his faithful adviser, and prudent friend. I pitied him, and his judges certainly deserved the punishment they inflicted: yet tohis last moments he showed his hatred towards me was rooted, and, even inthe grave, strove by his will to involve me in misfortune, as willhereafter be seen. 

I fled from Vienna, would to God it had been for ever; but fate bystrange ways, and unknown means, brought me back where Providence thoughtproper I should become a vessel of wrath and persecution: I was to enactmy part in Europe, and not in Asia. At Nuremberg I met with a body ofRussians, commanded by General Lieuwen, my mother's relation, who weremarching to the Netherlands, and were the peace-makers of Europe. MajorBuschkow, whom I had known when Russian resident at Vienna, prevailed onme to visit him, and presented me to the General. I pleased him, and maysay, with truth, he behaved to me like a friend and a father. He advisedme 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, butemploy myself in his cabinet: and his confidence and esteem for me wereunbounded. 

Peace followed; the army returned to Moravia, without firing a musket, and the head-quarters were fixed at Prosnitz. 

In this town a public entertainment was given, by General Lieuwen, on thecoronation day of the Empress Elizabeth; and here an adventure happenedto me, which I shall ever remember, as a warning to myself, and insert asa memento to others. 

The army physician, on this day, kept a Faro bank for the entertainmentof 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 regainthem, 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 theirworkmanship, General Woyekow had offered me twenty ducats. These I took, intending by their aid to attempt to retrieve my loss. Firing of gunsand pistols was heard throughout the town, because of the festival, andI, in imitation of the rest, went to the window and fired mine. After afew discharges, one of my pistols burst, and endangered my own hand, andwounded my servant. I felt a momentary despondency, stronger than I everremember 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 receivedfrom 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, andso extraordinary was my run of luck, I won at every venture. Havingrecovered my principal, I played on upon my winnings, till at last I hadabsolutely broke the Doctor's bank: a new bank was set up, and I won thegreatest part of this likewise, so that I brought home about six hundredducats. 

Rejoiced at my good fortune, but recollecting my danger, I had theprudence to make a solemn resolution never more to play at any game ofchance, to which I have ever strictly adhered. 

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 andvirtuous, miserable; the honest, knaves; and the sincere, deceivers andliars. Officers, having first lost all their own money, being entrustedwith the soldiers' pay, have next lost that also; and thus beencashiered, and eternally disgraced. I might, at Prosnitz, have beenequally rash and culpable. The first venture, whether the gamester winsor loses, ensures a second; and, with that, too often destruction. Mygood fortune was almost miraculous, and my subsequent resolution veryuncommon; and I entreat and conjure my children, when I shall no longerbe living to advise and watch for their welfare, most determinedly toavoid play. I seemed preserved by Providence from this evil but toendure much greater. 

General Lieuwen, my kind patron, sent me, from Crakow, to conduct ahundred and forty sick men down the Vistula to Dantzic, where there wereRussian vessels to receive and transport them to Riga. 

I requested permission of the General to proceed forward and visit mymother 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 withthem in a frontier village. 

Here an incident happened that had nearly cost me my life. ThePrussians, some days before, had carried off a peasant's son from thisvillage, as a recruit. The people were all in commotion. I woreleathern breeches, and the blue uniform of the Russian cavalry. Theytook me for a Prussian, at the door, and fell upon me with every kind ofweapon. A chasseur, who happened to be there, and the landlord, came tomy assistance, while I, battling with the peasants, had thrown two ofthem down. I was delivered, but not till I had received two violentbruises, one on the left arm, and another which broke the bridge of mynose. The landlord advised me to escape as fast as possible, or that thevillage would rise and certainly murder me; my servant, therefore, whohad retired for defence, with a pair of pistols, into the oven, got readythe horses and we rode off. 

I had my bruises dressed at the next village; my hand and eyes wereexceedingly swelled, but I was obliged to ride two miles farther, to thetown of Ressel, before I could find an able surgeon, and here I so farrecovered in a week, that I was able to return to Dantzic. My brothervisited me while at Ressel, but my good mother had the misfortune, as shewas coming to me, to be thrown out of her carriage, by which her arm wasbroken, so that she and my sister were obliged to return, and I never sawher more. 

I was now at Dantzic, with my sick convoy, where another most remarkableevent happened, which I, with good reason, shall ever remember. 

I became acquainted with a Prussian officer, whose name I shall concealout of respect to his very worthy family; he visited me daily, and weoften rode out together in the neighbourhood of Dantzic. 

My faithful servant became acquainted with his, and my astonishment wasindeed great when he one day said to me, with anxiety, "Beware, sir, of asnare laid for you by Lieutenant N-; he means to entice you out of townand deliver you up to the Prussians. " I asked him where he learned this. "From the lieutenant's servant, " answered he, "who is my friend, andwishes to save me from misfortune. "

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 thelieutenant, that the latter should entice me into the suburb of Langfuhr, where there was an inn on the Prussian territories. Here eightrecruiting under-officers were to wait concealed, and seize me the momentI entered the house, hurry me into a carriage, and drive away forLauenberg in Pomerania. Two under-officers were to escort me, onhorseback, as far as the frontiers, and the remainder to hold and preventme from calling for help, so long as we should remain on the territoriesof Dantzic. 

I farther learned my enemies were only to be armed with sabres, and thatthey were to wait behind the door. The two officers on horseback were tosecure my servant, and prevent him from riding off and raising an alarm. 

These preparations might easily have been rendered fruitless, by myrefusing to accept the proposal of the lieutenant, but vanity gave meother advice, and resentment made me desirous of avenging myself for suchdetestable treachery. 

Lieutenant N--- came, about noon, to dine with me as usual, was morepensive and serious than I had ever observed him before, and left me atfour in the afternoon, after having made a promise to ride early next daywith him as far as Langfuhr. I observed my consent gave him greatpleasure, and my heart then pronounced sentence on the traitor. Themoment he had left me I went to the Russian resident, M. Scheerer, anhonest Swiss, related the whole conspiracy, and asked whether I might nottake six of the men under my command for my own personal defence. I toldhim my plan, which he at first opposed; but seeing me obstinate, heanswered at last, "Do as you please; I must know nothing of the matter, nor will I make myself responsible. "

I immediately joined my soldiers, selected six men, and took them, whileit was dark, opposite the Prussian inn, hid them in the corn, with anorder to run to my help with their firelocks loaded the first dischargethey should hear, to seize all who should fall into their power, and onlyto fire in case of resistance. I provided them with fire-arms, byconcealing them in the carriage which brought them to their hiding-place. 

Notwithstanding all these precautions, I still thought it necessary toprevent surprise, by informing myself what were the proceedings of myenemies, lest my intelligence should have been false; and I learned frommy spies that, at four in the morning, the Prussian resident, Reimer, hadleft the city with post horses. 

I loaded mine and my servant's horse and pocket pistols, prepared myTurkish sabre, and, in gratitude to the lieutenant's man, promised totake him into my service, being convinced of his honesty. 

The lieutenant cheerfully entered about six in the morning, expatiated onthe fineness of the weather, and jocosely told me I should be very kindlyreceived by the handsome landlady of Langfuhr. 

I was soon ready; we mounted, and left the town, attended by ourservants. Some three hundred paces from the inn, my worthy friendproposed that we should alight and let our servants lead the horses, thatwe might enjoy the beauty of the morning. I consented, and havingdismounted, observed his treacherous eyes sparkle with pleasure. 

The resident, Reimer, was at the window of the inn, and called out, assoon as he saw me, "Good-morrow, captain, good-morrow; come, come in, your breakfast is waiting. " I, sneering, smiled, and told him I had nottime at present. So saying, I continued my walk, but my companion wouldabsolutely force me to enter, took me by the arm, and partly struggledwith me, on which, losing all patience, I gave him a blow which almostknocked him down, and ran to my horses as if I meant to fly. 

The Prussians instantly rushed from behind their door, with clamour, toattack me. I fired at the first; my Russians sprang from their hiding-place, presented their pieces, and called, _Stuy_, _stuy_, _yebionnamat_. 

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 toseize the resident, but he had escaped out of the back door, with theloss only of his white periwig. The Russians had taken four prisoners, and I commanded them to bestow fifty strokes upon each of them in theopen street. An ensign, named Casseburg, having told me his name, andthat he had been my brother's schoolfellow, begged remission, and excusedhimself on the necessity which he was under to obey his superiors. Iadmitted his excuses and suffered him to go. I then drew my sword andbade the lieutenant defend himself; but he was so confused, that, afterdrawing his sword, he asked my pardon, laid the whole blame upon theresident, and had not the power to put himself on his guard. I twicejerked his sword out of his hand, and, at last, taking the Russiancorporal's cane, I exhausted my strength with beating him, without hisoffering the least resistance. Such is the meanness of detectedtreachery. I left him kneeling, saying to him, "Go, rascal, now, andtell your comrades the manner in which Trenck punishes robbers on thehighway. "

The people had assembled round us during the action, to whom I relatedthe affair, and the attack having happened on the territories of Dantzic, the Prussians were in danger of being stoned by the populace. I and myRussians marched off victorious, proceeded to the harbour, embarked, andthree or four days after, set sail for Riga. 

It is remarkable that none of the public papers took any notice of thisaffair; no satisfaction was required. The Prussians, no doubt, wereashamed of being defeated in an attempt so perfidious. 

I since have learnt that Frederic, no doubt by the false representationsof Reimer, was highly irritated, and what afterwards happened proves hisanger pursued me through every corner of the earth, till at last I fellinto his power at Dantzic, and suffered a martyrdom most unmerited andunexampled. 

The Prussian envoy, Goltz, indeed, made complaints to Count Bestuchef, concerning this Dantzic skirmish, but received no satisfaction. Myconduct was justified in Russia, I having defended myself againstassassins, as a Russian captain ought. 

Some dispassionate readers may blame me for not having avoided thisrencontre, and demanded personal satisfaction of Lieutenant N---. But Ihave through life rather sought than avoided danger. My vanity andrevenge were both roused. I was everywhere persecuted by the Prussians, and I was therefore determined to show that, far from fearing, I was ableto defend myself. 

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 myten years' imprisonment, I found him poor, and again took him into myservice, in which he died, at Zwerbach, in 1779. 

CHAPTER X. 

And now behold me at sea, on my voyage to Riga. I had eaten heartilybefore I went on board; a storm came on; I worked half the night, to aidthe crew, but at length became sea-sick, and went to lie down. Scarcelyhad I closed my eyes before the master came with the joyful tidings, ashe thought, that we were running for the port of Pillau. Far frompleasing, this, to me, was dreadful intelligence. I ran on deck, saw theharbour right before me, and a pilot coming off. The sea must now beeither kept in a storm, or I fall into the hands of the Prussians; for Iwas known to the whole garrison of Pillau. 

I desired the captain to tack about and keep the sea, but he would notlisten to me. Perceiving this, I flew to my cabin, snatched my pistols, returned, seized the helm, and threatened the captain with instant deathif he did not obey. My Russians began to murmur; they were averse toencountering the dangers of the storm, but luckily they were still moreaverse to meet my anger, overawed, as they were, by my pistols, and mytwo servants, who stood by me faithfully. 

Half an hour after, the storm began to subside, and we fortunatelyarrived the next day in the harbour of Riga. The captain, however, couldnot be appeased, but accused me before the old and honourable MarshalLacy, then governor of Riga. I was obliged to appear, and reply to thecharge by relating the truth. The governor answered, my obstinacy mighthave 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 fallinginto the hands of my God than into the hands of my enemies. My dangerwas so great that I forgot the danger of others; besides, sir, I knew mycomrades were soldiers, and feared death as little as I do. " My answerpleased the fine grey-headed general, and he gave me a recommendation tothe chancellor Bestuchef at Moscow. 

General Lieuwen had marched from Moravia, for Russia, with the army, andwas 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 acompany in the regiment of cuirassiers, the captains of which then rankedas majors, and he advised me to throw up my commission in the Siberianregiment of Tobolski dragoons. Peace be to the names and the memory ofthis worthy man! May God reward this benevolence! From Riga I departed, in company with M. Oettinger, lieutenant-colonel of engineers, andLieutenant Weismann, for Moscow. This is the same Weismann who renderedso many important services to Russia, during the last war with the Turks. 

On my arrival, after delivering in my letters of recommendation, I wasparticularly well received by Count Bestuchef. Oettinger, whosefriendship I had gained, was exceedingly intimate with the chancellor, and my interest was thereby promoted. 

I had not been long at Moscow before I met Count Hamilton, my formerfriend during my abode at Vienna. He was a captain of cavalry, in theregiment of General Bernes, who had been sent as imperial ambassador toRussia. 

Bernes had been ambassador at Berlin in 1743, where he had consequentlyknown 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 gainhis friendship, that, after a few visits, he endeavoured to detach mefrom the Russian service, offering me the strongest recommendations toVienna, 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. 

Bernes invited me to dine with him in company with his bosom friend, LordHyndford, the English ambassador. How great was the pleasure I that dayreceived! This eminent statesman had known me at Berlin, and was presentwhen Frederic had honoured me with saying, _C'est un matador de majeunesse_. He was well read in men, conceived a good opinion of myabilities, and became a friend and father to me. He seated me by hisside at table, and asked me, "Why came you here, Trenck?" "In search ofbread and honour, my lord, " answered I, "having unmeritedly lost themboth in my own country. " He further inquired the state of my finances; Itold him my whole store might be some thirty ducats. 

"Take my counsel, " said he; "you have the necessary qualifications tosucceed in Russia, but the people here despise poverty, judge from theexterior only, and do not include services or talents in the estimate;you must have the appearance of being wealthy. I and Bernes willintroduce you into the best families, and will supply you with thenecessary means of support. Splendid liveries, led horses, diamondrings, deep play, a bold front, undaunted freedom with statesmen, andgallantry among the ladies, are the means by which foreigners must maketheir way in this country. Avail yourself of them, and leave the rest tous. " This lesson lasted some time. Bernes entered in the interim, andthey determined mutually to contribute towards my promotion. 

Few of the young men who seek their fortune in foreign countries meetincidents so favourable. Fortune for a moment seemed willing torecompense my past sufferings, and again to raise me to the height fromwhich I had fallen. These ambassadors, here again by accident met, hadbefore been witnesses of my prosperity when at Berlin. The talents Ipossessed, and the favour I then enjoyed, attracted the notice of allforeign ministers. They were bosom friends, equally well read in thehuman heart, and equally benevolent and noble-minded; theirrecommendation at court was decisive; the nations they represented werein alliance with Russia, and the confidence Bestuchef placed in them wasunbounded. 

I was now introduced into all companies, not as a foreigner who came toentreat employment, but as the heir of the house of Trenck, and its richHungarian possessions, and as the former favourite of the Prussianmonarch. 

I was also admitted to the society of the first literati, and wrote apoem on the anniversary of the coronation of the Empress Elizabeth. Hyndford took care she should see it, and, in conjunction with thechancellor, presented me to the sovereign. My reception was mostgracious. She herself recommended me to the chancellor, and presented mewith a gold-hilted sword, worth a thousand roubles. This raised mehighly in the esteem of all the houses of the Bestuchef party. 

Manners were at that time so rude in Russia, that every foreigner whogave 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. Factiongoverned everything; and wherever Bestuchef was, no friend of Woranzowdurst appear. I was the intimate of the Austrian and Englishambassadors; consequently, was caressed and esteemed in all companies. Isoon became the favourite of the chancellor's lady, as I shall hereafternotice; and nothing more was wanting to obtain all I could wish. 

I was well acquainted with architectural design, had free access to thehouse and cabinet of the chancellor, where I drew in company with ColonelOettinger, who was then the head architect of Russia, and made theperspective view of the new palace, which the chancellor intended tobuild at Moscow, by which I acquired universal honour. I had gained moreacquaintance in, and knowledge of, Russia in one month, than others, wanting my means, have done in twelve. 

As I was one day relating my progress to Lord Hyndford, he, like afriend, grown grey in courts, kindly took the trouble to advise me. Fromhim I obtained a perfect knowledge of Russia; he was acquainted with allthe intrigues of European courts, their families, party cabals, thefoibles of the monarchs, the principles of their government, the plots ofthe great Peter, and had also made the peace of Breslau. Thus, havingbeen the confidential friend of Frederic, he was intimately acquaintedwith his heart, as well as the sources of his power. Hyndford waspenetrating, noble-minded, had the greatness of the Briton, without hishaughtiness; and the principles, by which he combined the past, thepresent, and the future, were so clear, that I, his scholar, by adheringto them, have been enabled to foretell all the most remarkablerevolutions that have happened, during the space of six-and-thirty years, in Europe. By these I knew, when any minister was disgraced, who shouldbe his successor. I daily passed some hours improving by his kindconversation; and to him I am indebted for most of that knowledge of theworld I happen to possess. 

He took various opportunities of cautioning me against the effects of anardent, sanguine temper; and my hatred of arbitrary power warned me tobeware of the determined persecution of Frederic, of his irreconcilableanger, his intrigues and influence in the various courts of Europe, whichhe would certainly exert to prevent my promotion, lest I should impedehis own projects, and lamented my future sufferings, which he plainlyforesaw. "Despots, " said he, "always are suspicious, and abhor those whohave a consciousness of their own worth, of the rights of mankind, andhold the lash in detestation. The enlightened are by them called therestless spirits, turbulent and dangerous; and virtue there, where virtueis unnecessary for the humbling and trampling upon the suffering subject, is accounted a crime, of all others the most to be dreaded. "

Hyndford taught me to know, and highly to value freedom: to despisetyrants, to endure the worst of miseries, to emulate true greatness ofmind, to despise danger, and to honour only those whose elevation of soulhad taught them equally to oppose bigotry and despotism. 

Bernes was a philosopher; but with the penetration of an Italian, morecautious than Hyndford, yet equally honest and worthy. His friendshipfor me was unbounded, and the time passed in their company was esteemedby me most precious. The liberality of my sentiments, thirst afterknowledge and scientific acquirements gained their favour; our topics ofconversation were inexhaustible, and I acquired more real information atMoscow than at Berlin, under the tuition of La Metri, Maupertuis, andVoltaire. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Scarcely had I been six weeks in this city before I had an adventurewhich I shall here relate; for, myself excepted, all the personsconcerned in it are now dead. Intrigues properly belong to novels. Thisbook is intended for a more serious purpose, and they are therefore hereusually suppressed. It cannot be supposed I was a woman-hater. Most ofthe good or bad fortune I experienced originated in love. I was not bynature inconstant, and was incapable of deceit even in amours. In thevery ardour of youth I always shunned mere sensual pleasures. I lovedfor more exalted reasons, and for such sought to be beloved again. Loveand friendship were with me always united; and these I was capable ofinciting, maintaining, and deserving. The most difficult of access, thenoblest, and the fairest, were ever my choice: and my veneration forthese always deterred me from grosser gratifications. By woman I wasformed; by the faith of woman supported under misfortunes; in the companyof woman enjoyed the few hours of delight my life of sorrows hasexperienced. Woman, beautiful and well instructed, even now, lightensthe burden of age, the world's tediousness and its woes; and, when theseare ended, I would rather wish mine eyes might be closed by fair andvirgin hands, than, when expiring, fixed on a hypocritical priest. 

My adventures with women would amply furnish a romance: but enough ofthis, I should not relate the present, were it not necessary to my story. 

Dining one public day with Lord Hyndford, I was seated beside a charmingyoung lady of one of the best families in Russia, who had been promisedin marriage, though only seventeen, to an old invalid minister. Her eyessoon told me she thought me preferable to her intended bridegroom. Iunderstood them, lamented her hard fate, and was surprised to hear herexclaim, "Oh, heavens! that it were possible you could deliver me from mymisfortune: I would engage to do whatever you would direct. "

The impression such an appeal must make on a man of four and twenty, of atemperament like mine, may easily be supposed. The lady was ravishinglybeautiful; 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. Apublic table was no place for long explanations. Our hearts were alreadyone. I requested an interview, and the next day was appointed, the placethe Trotzer garden, where I passed three rapturous hours in her company:thanks to her woman, who was a Georgian. 

To escape, however, from Moscow, was impossible. The distance thence toany foreign country was too great. The court was not to remove toPetersburg till the next spring, and her marriage was fixed for the firstof August. The misfortune was not to be remedied, and nothing was leftus but patience perforce. We could only resolve to fly from Petersburgwhen there, the soonest possible, and to take refuge in some corner ofthe earth, where we might remain unknown of all. The marriage, therefore, was celebrated with pomp, though I, in despite of forms, wasthe true husband of the princess. Such was the state of the husbandimposed upon her, that to describe it, and not give disgust, wereimpossible. 

The princess gave me her jewels, and several thousand roubles, which shehad received as a nuptial present, that I might purchase every thingnecessary for flight; my evil destiny, however, had otherwise determined. I was playing at ombre with her, one night, at the house of the Countessof Bestuchef, when she complained of a violent headache, appointed me tomeet her on the morrow, in the Trotzer gardens, clasped my hand withinexpressible emotion, and departed. Alas! I never beheld her more, till stretched upon the bier!

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 meto deliver her from her tyrant. Thus, in the flower of her age, perishedone of the most lovely women I ever knew, and with her fled all I heldmost dear. 

All my plans were now to be newly arranged. Lord Hyndford alone was inthe secret, for I hid no secrets from him: he strengthened me in my firstresolution, and owned that he himself, for such a mistress, might perhapshave been weak enough to have acted as I had done. Almost as much movedas myself, he sympathised with me as a friend, and his advice deterred mefrom ending my miseries, and descending with her, whom I have loved andlost, to the grave. This was the severest trial I had ever felt. Ouraffection was unbounded, and such only as noble hearts can feel. Shebeing gone, the whole world became a desert. There is not a man onearth, whose life affords more various turns of fate than mine. Swiftlyraised to the highest pinnacle of hope, as suddenly was I cast headlongdown, and so remarkable were these revolutions that he who has read myhistory will at last find it difficult to say whether he envies or pitiesme most. And yet these were, in reality, but preparatory to the evilsthat hovered over my devoted head. Had not the remembrance of past joyssoothed and supported me under my sufferings, I certainly should not haveendured the ten years' torture of the Magdeburg dungeon, with a fortitudethat might have been worthy even of Socrates. 

Enough of this. My blood again courses swifter through my veins as Iwrite! Rest, gentle maiden, noble and lovely as thou wert! For theeought Heaven to have united a form so fair, animated as it was, by a soulso pure, to ever-blooming youth and immortality. 

My love for this lady became well-known in Moscow; yet her corpulentovergrown husband had not understanding enough to suppose there was anymeaning in her rhapsodies during her delirium. 

Her gifts to me amounted in value to about seven thousand ducats. LordHyndford and Count Bernes both adjudged them legally mine, and well am Iassured her heart had bequeathed me much more. 

To this event succeeded another, by which my fortune was greatlyinfluenced. The Countess of Bestuchef was then the most amiable andwitty woman at Court. Her husband, cunning, selfish, and shallow, hadthe name of minister, while she, in reality, governed with a genius, atonce daring and comprehensive. The too pliant Elizabeth carelessly leftthe most important things to the direction of others. Thus the Countesswas the first person of the Empire, and on whom the attention of theforeign ministers was fixed. 

Haughty and majestic in her demeanour, she was supposed to be the onlywoman at court who continued faithful to her husband; which suppositionprobably originated in her art and education, she being a German born:for I afterwards found her virtue was only pride, and a knowledge of thenational character. The Russian lover rules despotic over his mistress:requires money, submission, and should he meet opposition, threatens herwith blows, and the discovery of her secret. 

During Elizabeth's reign foreigners could neither appear at court, nor inthe best company, without the introduction of Bestuchef. I and Sievers, gentlemen of the chamber, were at that time the only Germans who had freeegress and regress in all houses of fashion; my being protected by theEnglish and Austrian ambassadors gave me very peculiar advantages, andmade my company everywhere courted. 

Bestuchef had been resident, during the late reign, at Hamburg, in whichinferior station he married the countess, at that time, though young andhandsome, only the widow of the merchant Boettger. Under Elizabeth, Bestuchef rose to the summit of rank and power, and the widow Boettgerbecame the first lady of the empire. When I knew her she was eight andthirty, consequently no beauty, though a woman highly endowed in mind andmanners, of keen discernment, disliking the Russians, protecting thePrussians, and at whose aversions all trembled. 

Her carriage towards the Russians was, what it must be in her situation, lofty, cautious, and ironical, rather than kind. To me she showed theutmost esteem on all occasions, welcomed me at her table, and oftenadmitted me to drink coffee in company with herself alone and ColonelOettinger. The countess never failed giving me to understand she hadperceived my love for the princess N---; and, though I constantly deniedthe fact, she related circumstances which she could have known, as Ithought, only from my mistress herself; my silence pleased her; for theRussians, when a lady had a partiality for them, never fail to vaunt oftheir good fortune. She wished to persuade me she had observed us incompany, had read the language of our eyes, and had long penetrated oursecret. 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. 

About a week after the death of the princess, the countess invited me totake coffee with her, in her chamber; lamented my loss, and the violenceof that passion which had deprived me of all my customary vivacity, andaltered my very appearance. She seemed so interested in my behalf, andexpressed so many wishes, and so ardent to better my fate, that I couldno longer doubt. Another opportunity soon happened, which confirmedthese my suspicions: her mouth confessed her sentiments. Discretion, secrecy, and fidelity, were the laws she imposed, and never did Iexperience a more ardent passion from woman. Such was her understandingand penetration, she knew how to rivet my affections. 

Caution was the thing most necessary. She contrived, however, to makeopportunity. The chancellor valued, confided in me, and employed me inhis cabinet; so that I remained whole days in his house. My captainshipof cavalry was now no longer thought of: I was destined to politicalemployment. My first was to be gentleman of the chamber, which in Russiais an office of importance, and the prospect of futurity became to memost resplendent. Lord Hyndford, ever the repository of my secrets, counselled me, formed plans for my conduct, rejoiced at my success, andrefused to be reimbursed the expense he had been at, though now mycircumstances were prosperous. 

The degree of credit I enjoyed was soon noticed: foreign ministers beganto pay their court to me: Goltz, the Prussian minister, made every effortto win me, but found me incorruptible. 

The Russian alliance was at this time highly courted by foreign powers;the humbling of Prussia was the thing generally wished and planned: andnobody was better informed than myself of ministerial and family factionsat this court. 

My mistress, a year after my acquaintance with her, fell into herenemies' power, and with her husband, was delivered over to theexecutioner. Chancellor Bestuchef, in the year 1756, was forced toconfession 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 acertain Lieutenant Berger, with three others of the first ladies of thecourt, knouted, branded, and had their tongues cut out. This happened inthe year 1741, when Elizabeth ascended the throne. Her husband, however, faithfully served: I knew him as Russian envoy, at Vienna, 1751. Thismay indeed be called the love of our country, and thus does it happen tothe first men of the state: what then can a foreigner hope for, ifpersecuted, and in the power of those in authority?

No man, in so short a space of time, had greater opportunities than I, todiscover the secrets of state; especially when guided by Hyndford andBernes, 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 andambitious wife, and which wife loved me, a stranger, an acquaintance ofonly a few months, so passionately that to this passion she would havesacrificed every other object. She might, in fact, be considered asEmpress of Russia, disposing of peace or war, and had I been more prudentor less sincere, I might in such a situation, have amassed treasures, anddeposited them in full security. Her generosity was boundless; and, though obliged to pay above a hundred thousand roubles, in one year, todischarge her son's debts, yet might I have saved a still larger sum; buthalf of the gifts she obliged me to receive, I lent to this son, andlost. So far was I from selfish, and so negligent of wealth, that bysupplying the wants of others, I often, on a reverse of fortune, sufferedwant myself. 

This my splendid success in Russia displeased the great Frederic, whosepersecution everywhere attended me, and who supposed his interest injuredby my success in Russia. The incident I am going to relate was, at thetime it happened, well known to, and caused much agitation among all theforeign ambassadors. 

Lord Hyndford desired I would make him a fair copy of a plan ofCronstadt, for which he furnished the materials, with three additionaldrawings of the various ships in the harbour, and their names. There wasneither danger nor suspicion attending this; the plan of Cronstadt beingno secret, but publicly sold in the shops of Petersburg. England waslikewise then in the closest alliance with Russia. Hyndford showed thedrawing to Funk, the Saxon envoy, his intimate friend, who asked hispermission to copy it himself. Hyndford gave him the plan signed with myname; and after Funk had been some days employed copying it, the Prussianminister, Goltz, who lived in his neighbourhood, came in, as hefrequently paid him friendly visits. Funk, unsuspectingly, showed him mydrawing, 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 hisown; and Funk, one of the worthiest, most honest, and least suspicious ofmen, who loved me like a brother, accordingly lent the plan. 

No sooner was Goltz in possession of it than he hurried to thechancellor, with whose weakness he was well acquainted, told him hisintent in coming was to prove that a man, who had once been unfaithful tohis king and country, where he had been loaded with favours, wouldcertainly betray, for his own private interest, every state where he wastrusted. He continued his preface, by speaking of the rapid progress Ihad made in Russia, and the free entrance I had found in the chancellor'shouse, where I was received as a son, and initiated in the secrets of thecabinet. 

The chancellor defended me: Goltz then endeavoured to incite hisjealousy, and told him my private interviews with his wife, especially inthe palace-garden, were publicly spoken of. This he had learned from hisspies, he having endeavoured, by the snares he laid, to make mydestruction certain. 

He likewise led Bestuchef to suspect his secretary, S-n, was a party inthe intrigue; till at last the chancellor became very angry; Goltz thentook my plan of Cronstadt from his pocket, and added, "Your excellency isnourishing a serpent in your bosom. This drawing have I received fromTrenck, copied from your cabinet designs, for two hundred ducats. " Heknew I was employed there sometimes with Oettinger, whose office it wasto inspect the buildings and repairs of the Russian fortifications. Bestuchef was astonished; his anger became violent, and Goltz added fuelto the flame, by insinuating, I should not be so powerfully protected byBernes, the Austrian ambassador, were it not to favour the views of hisown court. Bestuchef mentioned prosecution and the knout; Goltz repliedmy friends were too powerful, my pardon would be procured, and the evilthis way increased. They therefore determined to have me secretlysecured, and privately conveyed to Siberia. 

Thus, while I unsuspectingly dreamed of nothing but happiness, thegathering storm threatened destruction, which only was averted byaccident, or God's good providence. 

Goltz had scarcely left the place triumphant, when the chancellorentered, with bitterness and rancour in his heart, into his lady'sapartment, reproached her with my conduct, and while she endeavoured tosoothe him, related all that had passed. Her penetration was much deeperthan her husband's: she perceived there was a plot against me: she indeedknew my heart better than any other, and particularly that I was not inwant of a poor two hundred ducats. She could not, however, appease him, and my arrest was determined. She therefore instantly wrote me a line tothe following purport. 

"You are threatened, dear friend, by a very imminent danger. Do notsleep to-night at home, but secure yourself at Lord Hyndford's till youhear farther from me. "

Secretary S-n, her confidant (the same who, not long since, was Russianenvoy at Ratisbon) was sent with the note. He found me, after dinner, atthe English ambassador's, and called me aside. I read the billet, wasastonished at its contents, and showed it Lord Hyndford. My consciencewas void of reproach, except that we suspected my secret with thecountess had been betrayed to the chancellor, and fearing his jealousy, Hyndford commanded me to remain in his house till we should make furtherdiscovery. 

We placed spies round the house where I lived; I was inquired for aftermidnight, and the lieutenant of the police came himself and searched thehouse. 

Lord Hyndford went, about ten in the morning, to visit the chancellor, that he might obtain some intelligence, who immediately reproached himfor having granted an asylum to a traitor. "What has this traitor done?"said Hyndford. "Faithlessly copied a plan of Cronstadt, from my cabinetdrawings, " said the chancellor; "which he has sold to the Prussianminister for two hundred ducats. "

Hyndford was astonished; he knew me well, and also knew that he had thenin money and jewels, more than eight thousand ducats of mine in his ownhands: nor was he less ignorant of the value I set on money, or of thesources whence I could obtain it, when I pleased. "Has your excellencyactually seen this drawing of Trenck's?"--"Yes, I have been shown it byGoltz. "--"I wish I might likewise be permitted to see it; I know Trenck'sdrawing, and make myself responsible that he is no traitor. Here is somemystery; be so kind as to desire M. Goltz will come and bring his plan ofCronstadt. Trenck is at my house, shall be forthcoming instantly, and Iwill not protect him if he proves guilty. "

The Chancellor wrote to Goltz; but he, artful as he was, had no doubttaken care to be informed that the lieutenant of the police had missedhis prey. He therefore sent an excuse, and did not appear. In themeantime I entered; Hyndford then addressed me, with the openness of anEnglishman, and asked, "Are you a traitor, Trenck? If so, you do notmerit my protection, but stand here as a state prisoner. Have you sold aplan of Cronstadt to M. Goltz?" My answer may easily be supposed. Hyndford rehearsed what the chancellor had told him; I was desired toleave the room, and Funk was sent for. The moment he came in, Hyndfordsaid, "Sir, where is that plan of Cronstadt which Trenck copied?" Funk, hesitating, replied, "I will go for it. " "Have you it, " continuedHyndford, "at home? Speak, upon your honour. "--"No, my Lord, I have lentit, for a few days, to M. Goltz, that he may take a copy. "

Hyndford immediately then saw the whole affair, told the chancellor thehistory of this plan, which belonged to him, and which he had lent toFunk, and requested a trusty person might be sent with him to make aproper search. Bestuchef named his first secretary, and to him wereadded Funk and the Dutch envoy, Schwart, who happened then to enter. Allwent together to the house of Goltz. Funk demanded his plan ofCronstadt; Goltz gave it him, and Funk returned it to Lord Hyndford. 

The secretary and Hyndford both then desired he would produce the plan ofCronstadt which he had bought of Trenck for two hundred ducats. Hisconfusion now was great, and Hyndford firmly insisted this plan should beforthcoming, to vindicate the honour of Trenck, whom he held to be anhonest man. On this, Goltz answered, "I have received my king's commandsto prevent the preferment of Trenck in Russia, and I have only fulfilledthe duty of a minister. "

Hyndford spat on the ground, and said more than I choose to repeat; afterwhich the four gentlemen returned to the chancellor, and I was againcalled. Everybody complimented me, related to me what had passed, andthe chancellor promised I should be recompensed; strictly, however, forbidding me to take any revenge on the Prussian ambassador, I havingsworn, in the first transports of anger, to punish him wherever I shouldfind him, even were it at the altar's foot. 

The chancellor soothed me, kept me to dine with him, and endeavoured toassuage my boiling passions. The countess affected indifference, andasked me if suchlike actions characterised the Prussian nation. Funk andSchwart were at table. All present congratulated me on my victory, butnone knew to whom I was indebted for my deliverance from the hasty andunjust condemnation of the chancellor, although my protectress was one ofthe company. I received a present of two thousand roubles the next dayfrom the chancellor, with orders to thank the Empress for this mark ofher bounty, and accept it as a sign of her special favour. I paid thesemy thanks some days after. The money I disregarded, but the amiableEmpress, by her enchanting benevolence, made me forget the past. Thestory became public, and Goltz appeared neither in public, nor at court. The manner in which the countess personally reproached him, I shall outof respect pass over. Bernes, the crafty Piedmontese, assured me ofrevenge, without my troubling myself in the matter, and--what happenedafter I know not; Goltz appeared but little in company, fell ill when Ihad left Russia, and died soon after of a consumption. 

This vile man was, no doubt, the cause of all the calamities which fellupon me. I should have become one of the first men in Russia: themisfortune that befel Bestuchef and his family some years afterward mighthave been averted: I should never have returned to Vienna, a city sofatal to the name of Trenck: by the mediation of the Russian Court, Ishould have recovered my great Sclavonian estates; my days of persecutionat Vienna would have passed in peace and pleasure: nor should I haveentered the dungeon of Magdeburg. 

CHAPTER XII. 

How little did the Great Frederic know my heart. Without havingoffended, he had rendered me miserable, had condemned me to imprisonmentat Glatz on mere suspicion, and on my flying thence, naked and destitute, had confiscated my paternal inheritance. Not contented with inflictingall these calamities, he would not suffer me peaceably to seek my fortunein a foreign land. 

Few are the youths who, in so short a time, being expelled their nativecountry with disgrace, by their own efforts, merits, and talents, haveobtained honour and favour so great, acquired such powerful friends, orbeen entrusted with confidence equally unlimited in transactions soimportant. Enraged as I was at the treachery of Goltz, had opportunityoffered, I might have been tempted even to turn my native country into adesert; nor do I deny that I afterwards promoted the views of theAustrian envoy, who knew well how to cherish the flame that had beenkindled, and turn it to his own use. Till this moment I never felt theleast enmity either to my country or king, nor did I suffer myself, onany occasion, to be made the agent of their disadvantage. 

No sooner was I entrusted more intimately with cabinet secrets, than Idiscovered the state of factions, and that Bestuchef and Apraxin wereeven then in Prussian pay; that a counterpoise, by their means, might beformed to the prevalence of the Austrian party. 

Hence we may date the change of Russian politics in the year 1762. Herealso we may find a clue to the contradictory orders, artifices, positions, retreats and disappointments of the Russian army, in the sevenyears' war, beginning in 1756. The countess, who was obliged to act withgreater caution, foresaw the consequence of the various intrigues inwhich her husband was engaged: her love for me naturally drew her fromher former party; she confided every secret to me, and ever remained tillher fall, which happened in 1758, during my imprisonment, my best friendand correspondent. Hence was I so well informed of all the plans againstPrussia, to the years 1754 and 1756; much more so than many ministers ofthe interested courts, who imagined they alone were in the secret. Howmany after events could I then have foretold! Such was the perversenessof my destiny, that where I should most have been sought for, and bestknown, there was I least valued. 

No man, in my youth, would have believed I should live to my sixtiethyear, untitled and obscure. In Berlin, Petersburg, London, and Paris, have I been esteemed by the greatest statesmen, and now am I reduced tothe invalid list. How strange are the caprices of fortune! I oughtnever to have left Russia: this was my great error, which I still live torepent. 

I have never been accustomed to sleep more than four or five hours, sothat through life I have allowed time for paying visits and receivingcompany. I have still had sufficient for study and improvement. Hyndfordwas my instructor in politics; Boerhaave, then physician to the court, mybosom friend, my tutor in physic and literary subjects. Women formed mefor court intrigues, though these, as a philosopher, I despised. 

The chancellor had greatly changed his carriage towards me since theincident of the plan. He observed my looks, showed he was distrustful, and desirous of revenge. His lady, as well as myself, remarked this, andnew measures became necessary. I was obliged to act an artful, but, atthe same time, a very dangerous part. 

My cousin, Baron Trenck, died in the Spielberg, October 4, 1749, and leftme his heir, on condition I should only serve the house of Austria. InMarch, 1750, Count Bernes received the citation sent me to enter on thisinheritance. I would hear nothing of Vienna; the abominable treatment ofmy cousin terrified me. I well knew the origin of his prosecution, theservices he had rendered his country, and had been an eye-witness of theinjustice by which he was repaid. Bernes represented to me that theproperty left me was worth much above a million: that the empress wouldsupport me in pursuit of justice, and that I had no personal enemy atVienna, that a million of certain property in Hungary was much superiorto the highest expectations in Russia, where I myself had beheld so manychanges of fortune, and the effects of family cabals. Russia he paintedas dangerous, Vienna as secure, and promised me himself effectualassistance, as his embassy would end within the year. Were I once rich, I might reside in what country I pleased; nor could the persecutions ofFrederic anywhere pursue me so ineffectually as in Austria. Snares wouldbe laid for me everywhere else, as I had experienced in Russia. "What, "said he, "would have been the consequence, had not the countess warnedyou of the impending danger? You, like many other honest and innocentmen, would have been sent to Siberia. Your innocence must have remaineduntested, and yourself, in the universal opinion, a villain and atraitor. "

Hyndford spoke to me in the same tone, assured me of his eternalprotection, and described London as a certain asylum, should I not findhappiness 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 asI knew it to be, and asked me what were my expectations, even were Ifortunate enough to become general or minister in such a country. 

These reasonings at length determined me; but having plenty of money, Ithought proper to take Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Holland in my way, andBarnes was in the meantime to prepare me a favourable reception atVienna. He desired, also, I would give him authority to get possessionof the estates to which I was heir. My mistress strongly endeavoured todetain me, but yielded at length to the force of reason. I tore myselfaway, and promised, on my honour, to return as soon as I had arranged myaffairs at Vienna. She made the proposition of investing me within someforeign embassy, by which I might render the most effectual services tothe court at Vienna. In this hope we parted with heavy hearts: shepresented me with her portrait, and a snuffbox set with diamonds; thefirst of these, three years after was torn from my bosom by the officersin my first dungeon at Magdeburg, as I shall hereafter relate. Thechancellor embraced me, at parting, with friendship. Apraxin wept, andclasped me in his arms, prophesying at the same time, I should never beso happy as in Russia. I myself foreboded misfortune, and quitted Russiawith regret, but still followed the advice of Hyndford and Bernes. 

From Moscow I travelled to Petersburg, where I found a letter, at thehouse of Baron Wolf, the banker, from the countess, which rent my veryheart, and almost determined me to return. She endeavoured to terrify mefrom 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 onfortune. 

My effects, in money and jewels, amounted to about thirty-six thousandflorins; I therefore returned the draft, intreated her eternalremembrance, and that she would reserve her favour and support to timesin which they might become needful. After remaining a few days atPetersburg, I journeyed, by land, to Stockholm; taking with me letters ofrecommendation from all the foreign envoys. 

I forgot to mention that Funk was inconsolable for my departure; hisimprudence had nearly plunged me into misery, and destroyed all my hopesin Russia. Twenty-two years after this I met the worthy man, once morein Dresden. He, there, considered himself as the cause of all the evilsinflicted on me, and assured me the recital of my sufferings had been somany bitter reproaches to his soul. Our recapitulation of former timesgave us endless pleasure, and it was the sweetest of joys to meet andrenew my friendship with such a man, after having weathered so manystorms of fate. 

At Stockholm I wanted for no recommendation; the Queen, sister to thegreat Frederic, had known me at Berlin, when I had the honour, as anofficer of the body guard, of accompanying her to Stettin. I related mywhole history to her without reserve. She, from political motives, advised me not to make any stay at Stockholm, and to me continued tilldeath, an ever-gracious lady. I proceeded to Copenhagen, where I hadbusiness to transact for M. Chaise, the Danish envoy at Moscow: from whomalso I had letters of recommendation. Here I had the pleasure of meetingmy old friend, Lieutenant Bach, who had aided me in my escape from myimprisonment at Glatz. He was poor and in debt, and I procured himprotection, by relating the noble manner in which he behaved I alsopresented him with five hundred ducats, by the aid of which he pushed hisfortune. 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. 

I remained in Copenhagen but a fortnight, and then sailed in a Dutchship, from Elsineur to Amsterdam. Scarcely had we put to sea, before astorm arose, by which we lost a mast and bowsprit, had our sailsshattered, and were obliged to cast anchor among the rocks of Gottenburg, where our deliverance was singularly fortunate. 

Here we lay nine days before we could make the open sea, and here I founda very pleasant amusement, by going daily in the ship's boat from rock torock, attended by two of my servants, to shoot wild ducks, and catchshell-fish; whence I every evening returned with provisions, and sheep'smilk, bought of the poor inhabitants, for the ship's crew. 

There was a dearth among these poor people. Our vessel was laden withcorn; some of this I purchased, to the amount of some hundreds of Dutchflorins, and distributed wherever I went. I also gave one of theirministers a hundred florins for his poor congregation, who was himself inwant of bread, and whose annual stipend amounted to one hundred and fiftyflorins. 

Here in the sweet pleasure of doing good, I left behind me much of thatmoney I had so easily acquired in Russia; and perhaps had we stayed muchlonger should myself have left the place in poverty. A thousandblessings followed me, and the storm-driven Trenck was long rememberedand talked of at Gottenburg. 

In this worthy employment, however, I had nearly lost my life. Returningfrom carrying corn, the wind rose, and drove the boat to sea. I notunderstanding the management of the helm, and the servants awkwardlyhandling the sails, the boat in tacking was overset. The benefit oflearning to swim, I again experienced, and my faithful servant, who hadgained the rock, aided me when almost spent. The good people who hadseen the shallop overset, came off in their boats to my assistance. Anhonest Calmuc, whom I had brought from Russia, and another of my servantsperished. I saw the first sink after I had reached the shore. 

The kind Swedes brought me on board, and also righted and returned withthe shallop. For some days I was sea-sick. We weighed anchor, andsailed for the Texel, the mouth of which we saw, and the pilots comingoff, when another storm arose, and drove us to the port of Bahus, inNorway, into which we ran, without farther damage. In some few days weagain set sail, with a fair wind, and at length reached Amsterdam. 

Here I made no long stay; for the day after my arrival, an extraordinaryadventure happened, in which I was engaged chiefly by my own rashness. 

I was a spectator while the harpooners belonging to the whale fisherywere exercising themselves in darting their harpoons, most of whom weredrunk. One of them, Herman Rogaar by name, a hero among these people, for his dexterity with his snickasnee, came up, and passed some of hiscoarse 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 hissnickasnee, challenged me, called me monkey-tail, and asked whether Ichose a straight, a circular, or a cross cut. 

Thus here was I, in this excellent company, with no choice but that ofeither fighting or running away. The robust, Herculean fellow grew moreinsolent, and I, turning round to the bystanders, asked them to lend me asnickasnee. "No, no, " said the challenger, "draw your great knife fromyour side, and, long as it is, I will lay you a dozen ducats you get agash 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. 

I now expected the people would, indubitably, tear me to pieces; but myfear was changed into astonishment at hearing a universal shoutapplauding the vanquisher of the redoubted Herman Rogaar who, so latelyfeared for his strength and dexterity, became the object of theirridicule. A Jew spectator conducted me out of the crowd, and the peopleclamorously followed me to my inn. This kind of duel, by which I gainedhonour, would anywhere else have brought me to the highest disgrace. Aman who knew the use of the sabre, in a single day, might certainly havedisabled a hundred Herman Rogaars. This story may instruct and warnothers. He that is quarrelsome shall never want an enemy. My temerityoften engaged me in disputes which, by timely compliance and calmness, might easily have been avoided; but my evil genius always impelled meinto the paths of perplexity, and I seldom saw danger till it wasinevitable

I left Amsterdam for the Hague, where I had been recommended to LordHolderness, the English ambassador, by Lord Hyndford; to Baron Reisbach, by Bernes; to the Grand Pensionary Fagel, by Schwart; and from thechancellor 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 hadthe good fortune to have avoided Vienna, and gone to India, where mytalents would have insured me wealth, how many tears of affliction had Ibeen spared! My ill fortune, however, had brought me letters from CountBernes, assuring me that heaven was at Vienna, and including a citationfrom the high court, requiring me to give in my claim of inheritance. Bernes further informed me the Austrian court had assured him I shouldmeet with all justice and protection, and advised me to hasten myjourney, as the executorship of the estates of Trenck was conducted butlittle to my advantage. 

This advice I took, proceeded to Vienna, and from that moment all myhappiness had an end. I became bewildered in lawsuits, and the arts ofwicked men, and all possible calamities assaulted me at once, the recitalof which would itself afford subject matter for a history. They began bythe following incidents:--

One M. Schenck sought my acquaintance at the Hague. I met with him at myhotel, where he intreated I would take him to Nuremberg, whence he was toproceed to Saxony. I complied, and bore his expenses; but at Hanau, waking in the morning, I found my watch, set with diamonds, a ring worthtwo 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, atany time, I yet was grieved for my snuff-box. The rascal, however, hadescaped, and it was fortunate that the remainder of my ready money, withmy bills of exchange, were safely locked up. 

I now pursued my journey without company, and arrived in Vienna. Icannot exactly recollect in what month, but I had been absent about twoyears; 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 mypledged fidelity required discretion will be easily supposed, as likewisewill the concealment of court intrigues, and artifices, the publicationof which might even yet subject me to more persecutions. All writers arenot permitted to speak truth of monarchs and ministers. I am the fatherof eight children, and parental love and duty vanquish the inclination ofthe author; and this duty, this affection, have made me particularlycautious in relating what happened to me at Vienna, that I might, thereby, serve them more effectually than by indulging the pride of thewriter, or the vengeance of the man. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Since accounts so various, contradictory, and dishonourable to the nameof Trenck, have been circulated in Vienna, concerning facts whichhappened thirty-seven years ago, I will here give a short abstract ofthem, and such as may he verified by the records of the court. I pledgemy honour to the truth of the statement, and were I so allowed, wouldprove it, to the conviction of any unprejudiced court of justice: butthis I cannot hope, as princes are much more disposed to bestow unmeritedfavours than to make retribution to those whom they have unjustlypunished. 

Francis Baron Trenck died in the Spielberg, October 4th, 1749. It hasbeen erroneously believed in Vienna that his estates were confiscated bythe sentence which condemned him to the Spielberg. He had committed nooffence against the state, was accused of none, much less convicted. Thecourt sentence was that the administration of his estate should becommitted to Counsellor Kempf and Baron Peyaczewitz, who were selected byhimself, and the accounts of his stewards and farmers were to be sent himyearly. He continued, till his death, to have the free and entiredisposal of his property. 

Although, before his death, he sent for his advocate, Doctor Berger, andby him petitioned the Empress she would issue the necessary orders to theGovernor of the Spielberg, to permit the entrance of witnesses, and allthings necessary to make a legal will, it by no means follows that hepetitioned her for permission to make this will. The case is too clearto admit of doubt. The royal commands were given, that he should enjoyall freedom of making his will. Permission was also given that, duringhis sickness, he might be removed to the capuchin convent, which wasequal to liberty, but this he refused to accept. 

Neither was his ability to make a will questioned. The advocate was onlyto request the Queen's permission to supply some formalities, which hadbeen 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 estateand effects of Trenck, and this mandate runs thus: "Let the last will ofTrenck be duly executed: let dispatch be used, and the heir protected inall his rights. " Confiscation, therefore, had never been thought of, norhis power to make a will questioned. 

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 defraylegacies he had left; and when this narrative is read, it will no longerbe affirmed at Vienna, that by the favours of the court I inheritedseventy-six thousand florins, or the lordship of Zwerbach from Trenck, Ishall proceed to my proofs. 

The father of Baron Trenck, who died in the year 1743, governor ofLeitschau, in Hungary, named me in his will the successor of his son, should he die without heirs male. 

This will was sent to be proved, according to form, at Vienna, afterhaving been authenticated in the most legal manner in Hungary. The courtcalled Hofkriegsrath, at Vienna, neglected to provide a curator for thesecurity of the next heir; yet this could not annul my right ofsuccession. When Trenck succeeded his father, he entered no protest tothis, his father's will; therefore, dying without children, in the year1749, my claim was indisputable. I was heir had he made no will: andeven in case of confiscation, my title to his father's estates stillremained valid. 

Trenck knew this but too well: he, as I have before related, was my worstenemy, and even attempted my life. I will therefore proceed to show thereal intent of this his crafty testament. 

Determined no longer to live in confinement, or to ask forgiveness, bywhich, it is well known, he might have obtained his freedom, having lostall hopes of reimbursing his losses, his avarice was reduced to despair. His desire of fame was unbounded, and this could no way be gratified butby having himself canonized for a saint, after spending his life incommitting all the ravages of a pandour. Hence originated the followingfacts:--

He knew I was the legal claimant to his father's estates. His father hadbought with the family money, remitted from Prussia, the lordships ofPrestowacz and Pleternitz, in Sclavonia, and he himself, during hisfather's life, and with his father's money, had purchased the lordship ofPakratz, for forty thousand florins: this must therefore descend also tome, he having no more power to will this from me, than he had theremainder of his paternal inheritance. The property he himself hadgained was consigned to administrators, but a hundred thousand florinshad been expended in lawsuits, and sixty-three suits continued actuallypending against him in court; the legacies he bequeathed amounted toeighty thousand florins. These, he saw, could not be paid, should Iclaim nothing more than the paternal inheritance; he, therefore, torender me unfortunate after his death, craftily named me his universalheir, without mentioning his father's will, but endeavoured, by hismysterious death, and the following conditions, to enforce the executionof his own will. 

First, --I was to become a Catholic. 

Secondly, --I was to serve only the house of Austria; and, Lastly, --He made his whole estate, without excepting the paternalinheritance, a _Fidei commissum_. 

Hence arose all my misfortunes, as indeed was his intention; for, but ashort 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. "

His death, believed in Vienna to be miraculous, happened after thefollowing manner; and by this he had induced many weak people, who reallybelieved him a saint, to further his views. 

Three days before his death, while in perfect health, he desired thegovernor of the Spielberg would send for his confessor, for that St. Francis had revealed to him he should be removed into life everlasting onhis birth-day at twelve o'clock. The capuchin was sent for, but theprediction laughed at. 

The day, however, after the departure of his confessor, he said, "Praisebe to God, my end approaches; my confessor is dead, and has appeared tome. " Strange as it may seem; it was actually found to be true that thepriest was dead. He now had all the officers of the garrison of Brunnassembled, tonsured his head like a capuchin, took the habit of theorder, publicly confessed himself in a sermon of an hour's length, exhorted them all to holiness, acted the part of a most exemplarypenitent, embraced all present, spoke with a smile of the insignificanceof all earthly possessions, took his leave, knelt down to prayers, sleptcalmly, rose, prayed again, and about eleven in the forenoon, October4th, taking his watch in his hand, said, "Thanks be to my God, my lasthour approaches. " All laughed at such a farce from a man of such acharacter; yet they remarked that the left side of his face grew pale. Hethen leaned his arm on the table, prayed, and remained motionless, withhis eyes closed. The clock struck twelve--no signs of life or motioncould be discovered; they spoke to him, and found he was really dead. 

The word miracle was echoed through the whole country, and thetransmigration of the Pandour Trenck, from earth to heaven, by St. Francis, proclaimed. The clue to this labyrinth of miracles, known onlyto me, is truly as follows:--He possessed the secret of what is calledthe _aqua tofana_, and had determined on death. His confessor had beenentrusted with all his secrets, and with promissory notes, which hewished to invalidate. I am perfectly certain that he had returned apromissory note of a great prince, given for two hundred thousandflorins, which has never been brought to account. The confessor, therefore, was to be provided for, that Trenck might not be betrayed, anda dose of poison was given him before he set off for Vienna: his deathwas the consequence. He took similar means with himself, and thus knewthe hour of his exit; finding he could not become the first on earth, hewished to be adored as a saint in heaven. He knew he should workmiracles when dead, because he ordered a chapel to be built, willed aperpetual mass, and bequeathed the capuchins sixty thousand florins. 

Thus died this most extraordinary man, in the thirty-fourth year of hisage, to whom nature had denied none of her gifts; who had been thescourge of Bavaria; the terror of France; and who had, with his supposedcontemptible pandours, taken above six thousand Prussian prisoners. Helived a tyrant and enemy of men, and died a sanctified impostor. 

Such was the state of affairs, as willed by Trenck, when I came toVienna, in 1759, where I arrived with money and jewels to the amount oftwenty thousand florins. 

Instead of profiting by the wealth Trenck had acquired, I expended ahundred and twenty thousand florins of my own money, including whatdevolved to me from my uncle, his father, in the prosecution of hissuits. Trenck had paid two hundred ducats to the tribunal of Vienna, inthe year 1743, to procure its very reprehensible silence concerning acurator, to which I was sacrificed, as the new judges of this courtrefused to correct the error of their predecessors. Such are theproceedings of courts of justice in Vienna!

On my first audience, no one could be received more kindly than I was, bythe Empress Queen. She spoke of my deceased cousin with much emotion andesteem, promised me all grace and favour, and informed me of theparticular recommendations she had received, on my behalf, from CountBernes. Finding sixty-three cases hang over my head, in consequence ofthe inheritance of Trenck, to obtain justice in any one of which inVienna, would have employed the whole life of an honest man, I determinedto renounce this inheritance, and claim only under the will and as theheir of my uncle. 

With this view I applied for and obtained a copy of that will, with whichI personally appeared, and declared to the court that I renounced theinheritance of Francis Trenck, would undertake none of his suits, nor beresponsible for his legacies, and required only his father's estates, according to the legal will, which I produced; that is to say, the threelordships of Pakratz, Prestowacz, and Pleneritz, without chattels orpersonal effects. Nothing could be more just or incontrovertible thanthis claim. What was my astonishment, to be told, in open court, thatHer Majesty had declared I must either wholly perform the articles of thewill of Trenck, or be excluded the entire inheritance, and have nothingfurther to hope. What could be done? I ventured to remonstrate, but thewill of the court was determined and absolute: I must become a RomanCatholic. 

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 timereturned from his embassy, and I related to him the lamentable state inwhich I found my affairs. He spoke to the Empress in my behalf, and shepromised everything. He advised me to have patience, to perform all thatwas required of me, and to make myself responsible for the dependingsuits. Some family concerns obliged him, as he informed me, to make ajourney to Turin, but his return would be speedy: he would then take themanagement of my affairs upon himself, and insure my good fortune inAustria. Bernes loved me as his son, and I had reason to hope, from hisassurance, I should be largely remembered in his will, which was the moreprobable, as he had neither child nor relations. He parted from me, likea father, with tears in his eyes; but he had scarcely been absent sixweeks before the news arrived of his death, which, if report may becredited, was effected by poison, administered by _a friend_. Ever thesport of fortune, thus were my supporters snatched from me at the verymoment they became most necessary. 

The same year was I, likewise, deprived by death of my friend andprotector, Field-marshal Konigseck, Governor of Vienna, when he haddetermined to interest himself in my behalf. I have been beloved by thegreatest men Austria ever produced, but unfortunately have beenpersecuted by the chicanery of pettifoggers, fools, fanatics, andpriests, who have deprived me of the favour of my Empress, guiltless as Iwas of crime or deceit, and left my old age in poverty. 

My ills were increased by a new accident. Soon after the departure ofBernes, the Prussian minister, taking me aside, in the house of thePalatine envoy, M. Becker, proposed my return to Berlin, assured me theKing had forgotten all that was past, was convinced of my innocence, thatmy good fortune would there be certain, and be pledged his honour torecover the inheritance of Trenck. I answered, the favour came too late;I had suffered injustice too flagrant, in my own country, and that Iwould trust no prince on earth whose will might annihilate all the rightsof men. My good faith to the King had been too ill repaid; my talentsmight gain me bread in any part of the world, and I would not againsubject myself to the danger of unmerited imprisonment. 

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; youwill lose all by the suits in which you are involved, and will bepersecuted because you do not carry a rosary. "

How often have I repented I did not then return to Berlin! I should haveescaped ten years' imprisonment; should have recovered the estates ofTrenck: should not have wasted the prime of life in the litigation ofsuits, and the writing of memorials; and should have certainly beenranked among the first men in my native country. Vienna was no place fora man who could not fawn and flatter: yet here was I destined to remainsix-and-thirty years, unrewarded, unemployed; and through youth and age, to continue on the list of invalid majors. 

Having rejected the proposition of the Prussian envoy, all my hopes inVienna were ruined; for Frederic, by his residents and emissaries, knewhow to effect whatever he pleased in foreign courts, and determined thatthe Trenck who would no longer serve or confide in him should at leastfind no opportunity of serving against him: I soon became painted to theEmpress as an arch heretic who never would be faithful to the house ofAustria, and only endeavoured to obtain the inheritance of Trenck that hemight devote himself to Prussia. This I shall hereafter prove; anddisplay a scene that shall be the disgrace of many, by whom the Empresswas induced to harbour unjust suspicions of an able and honest man. Ihere stand erect and confident before the world; publish the truth, andtake everlasting shame to myself, if any man on earth can prove me guiltyof one treacherous thought. I owe no thanks; but so far from havingreceived favours, I have six and thirty years remained unable to obtainjustice, though I have all the while been desirous of shedding my bloodin defence of the monarchy where I have thus been treated. Till the year1746, I was equally zealous and faithful to Prussia; yet my estatesthere, though confiscated, were liable to recovery: in Hungary, on thecontrary, the sentence of confiscation is irrevocable. This is aremarkable proof in favour of my honour, and my children's claims. 

Surely no reader will be offended at these digressions; my mind isagitated, my feelings roused, remembering that my age and grey hairsdeprive me of the sweet hope of at length vanquishing opposition, eitherby patience, or forcing justice, by eminent services, or noble efforts. 

This my history will never reach a monarch's eye, consequently nomonarch, by perceiving, will be induced to protect truth. It may, indeed, be criticised by literati; it will certainly be decried by mypersecutors, who, through life, have been my false accusers, and willprobably, therefore, be prohibited by the priests. All Germany, however, will read, and posterity perhaps may pity, should my book escape themisfortune of being classed among improbable romances; to which it is themore liable, because that the biographers of Frederic and Maria Theresa, for manifest reasons, have never so much as mentioned the name of Trenck. 

Once more to my story: I was now obliged to declare myself heir, butalways _cum reservatione juris mei_, not as simply claiming under thewill of Francis Trenck I was obliged to take upon myself the managementof the sixty-three suits, and the expenses attending any one of these arewell known in Vienna. My situation may be imagined, when I inform thereader I only received, from the whole estate of Trenck, 3, 600 florins inthree years, which were scarcely sufficient to defray the expenses of newyear's gifts to the solicitors and masters in chancery. How did I labourin stating and transcribing proofs for the court! The money I possessedsoon vanished. My Prussian relations supported me, and the CountessBestuchef sent me the four thousand roubles I had refused at Petersburg. I had also remittances from my faithful mistress in Prussia; and, inaddition, was obliged to borrow money at the usurious rate of sixty percent. Bewildered as I was among lawyers and knaves, my ambition stillprompted me to proceed, and all things are possible to labour andperseverance; but my property was expended: and, at length, I could onlyobtain that the contested estates should be made a _Fidei commissum_, orput under trust; whereby, though they were protected from being thefurther prey of others, I did not inherit them as mine. In this pursuitwas my prime of life wasted, which might have been profitably andhonourably spent. 

In three years, however, I brought my sixty-three suits to a kind ofconclusion; the probabilities were this could not have been effected infifty. Exclusive of my assiduity, the means I took must not be told; itis sufficient that I here learnt what judges were, and thus am enabled todescribe them to others. 

For a few ducats, the president's servant used to admit me into a closetwhere I could see everything as perfectly as if I had myself been one ofthe council. This often was useful, and taught me to prevent evil; andoften was I scarcely able to refrain bursting in upon this court. 

Their appointed hour of meeting was nine in the morning, but they seldomassembled before eleven. The president then told his beads, and mutteredhis prayers. Someone got up and harangued, while the remainder, inpairs, amused themselves with talking instead of listening, after whichthe news of the day became the common topic of conversation, and thecouncil broke up, the court being first adjourned some three weeks, without coming to any determination. This was called _judicium delegatumin causis Trenkiansis_; and when at last they came to a conclusion, thesentence was such as I shall ever shudder at and abhor. 

The real estates of Trenck consisted in the great Sclavonian manors, called the lordships of Pakratz, Prestowatz, and Pleternitz, which he hadinherited from his father, and were the family property, together withVelika and Nustak, which he himself had purchased: the annual income ofthese was 60, 000 florins, and they contained more than two hundredvillages and hamlets. The laws of Hungary require--

1st. That those who purchase estates shall obtain the _consensus regius_(royal consent). 

2nd. That the seller shall possess, and make over the right of property, together with that of transferring or alienating, and

3dly. That the purchaser shall be a native born, or have bought hisnaturalisation. 

In default of all, or any of these, the Fiscus, on the death of thepurchaser, takes possession, repaying the _summa emptitia_, or purchase-money, together within what can be shown to have been laid out inimprovements, or the _summa inscriptitia_, the sum at which it standsrated in the fiscal register. 

Without form or notice, the Hungarian Fiscal President, CountGrassalkowitz, took possession of all the Trenck estates on his decease, in the name of the Fiscus. The prize was great, not so much because ofthe estates themselves, as of the personal property upon them. Trenckhad sent loads of merchandise to his estates, of linen, ingots of goldand silver from Bavaria, Alsatia, and Silesia. He had a vast storehouseof arms, and of saddles; also the great silver service of the EmperorCharles VII. , which he had brought from Munich, with the service of plateof the King of Prussia; and the personal property on these estates wasaffirmed considerably to exceed in value the estates themselves. 

I was not long since informed by one of the first generals, whose honouris undoubted, that several waggons were laden with these rich effects andsent to Mihalefze. His testimony was indubitable; he knew the twopandours, who were the confidants of Trenck, and the keepers of histreasures; and these, during the general plunder, each seized a bag ofpearls, and fled to Turkey, where they became wealthy merchants. Hisrich 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 thousandflorins, in chests from Dunnhausen and Cersdorf, in the county of Glatz, to his estates. The pillage was general; and when orders came to sendall the property of Trenck and deliver it to his universal heir, nothingremained that any person would accept. I have myself seen, in a certainHungarian nobleman's house, some valuable arms, which I knew I had beenrobbed of! and I bought at Esseck some silver plates on which were thearms of Prussia, that had been sold by Counsellor D-n, who had beenempowered to take possession of these estates, and had thus renderedhimself rich. Of this I procured an attestation, and proved the theft: Icomplained aloud at Vienna, but received an order from the court to besilent, 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 myhaving dared to make inquiries concerning the personal, not one guinea ofwhich was ever brought to account. I then proved my right to the familyestates, left by my uncle, beyond all dispute, and also of thosepurchased by my cousin. The commissions appointed to inquire into theserights even confirmed them; yet after they had been thus established, Ireceived the following order from the court, in the hand of the Empressherself:--"The president, Count Grassalkowitz, takes it upon hisconscience that the Sclavonian estates do not descend to Trenck, _innatura_; he must therefore receive the _summa emptitia et inscriptitia_, together with the money he can show to have been expended inimprovements. "

CHAPTER XIV. 

And herewith ended my pleadings and my hopes. I had sacrificed myproperty, laboured through sixty-three inferior suits, and lost thisgreat cause without a trial. I could have remained satisfied with theloss of the personal property: the booty of a soldier, like the wealthamassed by a minister, appears to me little better than a public robbery;but the acquirements of my ancestors, my birth-right by descent, of theseI could not be deprived without excessive cruelty. Oh patience!patience!--Yet shall my children never become the footmen, nor grooms, ofthose who have robbed them of their inheritance; and to them I bequeathedmy rights in all their power: nor shall any man prevent my crying aloud, so long as justice shall not be done. 

The president, it is true, did not immediately possess himself of theestates, but he took good care his friends should have them at such ratesthat 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. 

The summa _inscriptitia et emptitia_ for all these great estates onlyamounted to 149, 000 florins, and this was to be paid by the chamber, butthe president thought proper to deduct 10, 000 on pretence the cattle hadbeen driven off the estate of Pakratz; and, further, 36, 000 more, underthe shameful pretence that Trenck, to recruit his pandours, had drainedthe 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 vassalreckoned at ten florins per head. Thus was I obliged, from the propertyof my family, to pay for 3, 600 men who had gloriously died in war, indefence of the contested rights of the great Maria Theresa; who hadraised so many millions of contributions for her in the countries of herenemies; who, sword in hand, had stormed and taken so many towns, anddispersed, or taken prisoners, so many thousands of her foes. Would thisbe believed by listening nations?

All deductions made for legacies, fees, and formalities, there remainedto 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, whenthe sums are enumerated which I expended on the suits of Trenck, receivedfrom 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 ofthe immensely rich Trenck. With regret I write these truths in supportof my children's claims, that they may not, in my grave, reproach me forhaving neglected the duty of a father. 

I will mere add a few particulars which may afford the reader matter formeditation, cause him to commiserate my fate, and give a picture of themanner in which the prosecution was carried on against Trenck. 

One Schygrai, a silly kind of beggarly baron, who was treated as abuffoon, was invited in the year 1743 to dine with Baron Pejaczewitz, when Trenck happened to be present. The conversation happened to turn ona kind of brandy made in this country, and Trenck jocularly said heannually distilled this sort of brandy from cow-dung to the value ofthirty thousand florins. Schygrai supposed him serious, and wished tolearn the art, which Trenck promised to teach him Pejaczewitz told him hecould give him thirty thousand load of dung. 

"But where shall I get the wood?" said Schygrai. "I will give you thirtythousand klafters, " answered Trenck. The credulous baron, thinkinghimself very fortunate, desired written promises, which they gave him;and that of Trenck ran thus:

 "I hereby permit and empower Baron Schygrai to sell gratis, in the forest of Tscherra Horra, thirty thousand klafters of wood. 

"Witness my hand, "TRENCK. "

Trenck was no sooner dead than the Baron brought his note, and madeapplication to the court. His attorney was the noted Bussy, and thecourt decreed the estates of Trenck should pay at the rate of one formthirty kreutzers per klafter, or forty-five thousand florins, with allcosts, and an order was given to the administrators to pay the money. 

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. Ihastened to the Empress, and obtained an order to delay payment. Aninquiry was instituted, and this forest of Tscherra Horra was found to besituated in Turkey. The absurdity and injustice were flagrant, and itwas revoked. I cannot say how much of these forty-five thousand florinsthe Baron had promised to the noble judge and the attorney. I only knowthat neither of them was punished. Had not some holidays luckilyintervened, or had the attorney expected my arrival, the money would havebeen paid, and an ineffectual attempt to obtain retribution would havebeen the consequence, as happened in many similar instances. 

I have before mentioned the advertisement inviting all who had anydemands or complaints against Trenck to appear, with the promise of aducat a day; and it is mere proper to add that the sum of fifteenthousand florins was brought to account, and paid out of the estates ofTrenck. For this shameful purpose some thousand of florins were paidbesides to this species of claimants and though, after examination, theirpretensions all proved to be futile, and themselves were cast in damages, yet was none of this money ever refunded, or the false claimantspunished. Among these the pretended daughter of General Schwerinreceived two thousand florins, notorious as was her character. Again, Trenck was accused of having appropriated the money to his own use, andtreated as if convicted. After his death a considerable demand wasaccordingly made. I happening, however, to meet with Ruckhardt, hisquarter-master, he with asseverations declared that, instead of beingindebted to the regiment, the regiment was more than a hundred thousandflorins indebted to him, advised me to get attestations from thecaptains, and assured me he himself would give in a clear statement ofthe regiment's accounts. 

I followed his advice, hastened to the regiment, and obtained so manyproofs, that the quarter-master of the regiment, who, with the major, hadin reality pocketed the money, was imprisoned and put in irons. Whatbecame of the thief or the false witness afterward I know not; I onlyknow that nothing was refunded, that the quarter-master found protectors, detained the money, and, some years after this vile action, purchased acommission. One instance more. 

Trenck, to the corps of infantry he commanded, added a corps of hussars, which he raised and provided with horses and accoutrements sold byauction. My demand on this account was upwards of sixty thousandflorins, to which I received neither money nor reply. He had alsoexpended a hundred thousand florins for the raising and equipping histhree thousand pandours; in consequence of which a signed agreement hadbeen given by the Government that these hundred thousand florins shouldbe repaid to his heir, or he, the heir, should receive the command of theregiment. The regiment, however, at his decease, was given to GeneralSimschen; and as for the agreement, care was taken it should never comeinto my hands. Thus these hundred thousand florins were lost. 

Yet it has been wickedly affirmed he was imprisoned in the Spielberg forhaving embezzled the regiment's money; whereas, I would to God I only wasin possession of the sums he expended on this regiment; for he consideredthe regiment as his own; and great as was his avarice, still greater washis desire of fame, and greater still his love for his Empress, for whomhe would gladly have yielded both property and life. 

Within respect to the money that was to have been repaid for improvementof the estates, I must add, these estates were bought at a time when thecountry had been left desolate by the Turks, and the reinstalment of suchplaces as had fallen into their hands, and the erecting of farmhouses, mills, stocking them with horses, cattle, and seed corn, according to mypoor estimate, could not amount to less than eighty thousand florins; butI was forbidden to go into Sclavonia, and the president offered, as anindemnification, four thousand florins. Everybody was astonished, buthe, within the utmost coolness, told me I must either accept this ornothing. The hearers of this sentence cast their eyes up to heaven andpitied me. I remonstrated, and thereby only made the matter worse. Griefand anxiety occasioned me to take a journey into Italy, passing throughVenice, Rome, and Florence. 

On my return to Vienna, I, by a friendly interference in behalf of awoman whose fears rather than guilt had brought her into danger, becamesuspected myself; and the very officious officers of the police had meimprisoned as a coiner without the least grounds for any such accusationexcept their own surmises. I was detained unheard nine days, and when, having been heard, I had entirely justified myself, was again restored toliberty; public declaration was then made in the Gazette that theofficers of the police had acted too precipitately. 

This was the satisfaction granted, but this did not content me. Ithreatened the counsellor by whom my character had been so aspersed, andthe Empress, condescending to mediate, bestowed on me a captainship ofcavalry in the Cordova cuirassiers. 

Such was the recompense I received for wounds so deep, and such theneglect into which I was thrown at Vienna. Discontent led me to join myregiment in Hungary. 

Here I gained the applause of my colonel, Count Bettoni, who himself toldthe Empress I, more than any other, had contributed to the forming of theregiment. It may well be imagined how a man like me, accustomed, as Ihad been, to the first company of the first courts, must pass my timeamong the Carpathian mountains, where neither society nor good books wereto be found, nor knowledge, of which I was enamoured, improved. Theconversation of Count Bettoni, and the chase, together with the love ofthe general of the regiment, old Field-marshal Cordova, were my onlyresources; the persecutions, neglect, and even contempt, I received atVienna, were still the same. 

In the year 1754, in the month of March, my mother died in Prussia, and Irequested the permission of the court that held the inheritance ofTrenck, as a _fidei commissum_, to make a journey to Dantzic to settlesome family affairs with my brothers and sister, my estates beingconfiscated. This permission was granted, and thither I went in May, where I once more fell into the hands of the Prussians; which forms thesecond great and still more gloomy epoch in my life. All who read whatfollows will shudder, will commiserate him who, feeling himself innocent, relates afflictions he has miserably encountered and gloriously overcome. 

I left Hungary, where I was in garrison, for Dantzic, where I had desiredmy brothers and sister to meet me that we might settle our affairs. Myprincipal intent, however, was a journey to Petersburg, there to seek theadvice and aid of my friends, for law and persecution were not yet endedat Vienna; and my captain's pay and small income scarcely sufficed todefray charges of attorneys and counsellors. 

It is here most worthy of remark that I was told by Prince Ferdinand ofBrunswick, governor of Magdeburg, he had received orders to prepare myprison at Magdeburg before I set out from Hungary. 

Nay, more; it had been written from Vienna to Berlin that the King mustbeware of Trenck, for that he would be at Dantzic at the time when theKing was to visit his camp in Prussia. 

What thing more vile, what contrivance more abominable, could thewickedest wretch on earth find to banish a man his country, that he mightsecurely enjoy the property of which the other had been robbed? Thatthis was done I have living witnesses in his highness Prince Ferdinand ofBrunswick and the Berlin ministry, from whose mouths I learned thisartifice of villainy. It is the more necessary to establish this truth, because no one can comprehend why the _Great Frederic_ should haveproceeded against me in a manner so cruel that, when it comes to berelated, must raise the indignation of the just, and move hearts of ironto commiserate. 

Men so vile, so wicked, as I have described them, in conjunction with oneWeingarten, secretary to Count Puebla, then Austrian minister at Berlin, have brought on me these my misfortunes. 

This was the Weingarten who, as is now well known, betrayed all thesecrets of the Austrian court to Frederic, who at length was discoveredin the year 1756, and who, when the war broke out, remained in theservice of Prussia. This same Weingarten, also, not only caused mywretchedness, but my sister's ruin and death, as he likewise did thepunishment and death of three innocent men, which will hereafter beshown. 

It is an incontrovertible truth that I was betrayed and sold by men inVienna whose interest it was that I should be eternally silenced. 

I was immediately visited by my brothers and sister on my arrival atDantzic, where we lived happy in each other's company during a fortnight, and an amicable partition was made of my mother's effects; my sisterperfectly justified herself concerning the manner in which I was obligedto fly from her house an the year 1746: our parting was kind, and asbrother and sister ought to part. 

Our only acquaintance in Dantzic was the Austrian resident, M. Abramson, to whom I brought letters of recommendation from Vicuna, and whosereception of us was polite even to extravagance. 

This Abramson was a Prussian born, and had never seen Vienna, butobtained 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. 

Scarcely had my brothers and sister departed before I determined to makea voyage by sea to Russia. Abramson contrived a thousand artifices, bywhich he detained me a week longer in Dantzic, that, he in conjunctionwith Reimer, might make the necessary preparations. 

The King of Prussia had demanded that the magistrates of Dantzic shoulddeliver me up; but this could not be done without offending the Imperialcourt, I being a commissioned officer in that service, with properpassports; it was therefore probable that this negotiation requiredletters should pass and repass; and for this reason Abramson was employedto detain me some days longer, till, by the last letters from Berlin, themagistrates of Dantzic were induced to violate public safety and the lawsof nations. Abramson, I considered as my best friend, and my person asin perfect security; he had therefore no difficulty in persuading me tostay. 

The day of supposed departure on board a Swedish ship for Rigaapproached, and the deceitful Abramson promised me to send one of hisservants to the port to know the hour. At four in the afternoon he toldme he had himself spoken to the captain, who said he would not sail tillthe next day; adding that he, Abramson, would expect me to breakfast, andwould then accompany me to the vessel. I felt a secret inquietude whichmade me desirous of leaving Dantzic, and immediately to send all myluggage, and to sleep on board. Abramson prevented me, dragging mealmost forcibly along with him, telling me he had much company, and thatI must absolutely dine and sup at his house; accordingly I did not returnto my inn till eleven at night. 

I was but just in bed when I heard a tremendous knocking at my chamberdoor, which was not shut, and two of the city magistrates with twentygrenadiers entered my chamber, and surrounded my bed so suddenly that Ihad not time to take to my arms and defend myself. My three servants hadbeen secured and I was told that the most worthy magistracy of Dantzicwas obliged to deliver me up as a delinquent to his majesty the King ofPrussia. 

What were my feelings at seeing myself thus betrayed! They silentlyconducted me to the city prison, where I remained twenty-four hours. About noon Abramson came to visit me, affected to be infinitely concernedand enraged, and affirmed he had strongly protested against theillegality of this proceeding to the magistracy, as I was actually in theAustrian service; but that they had answered him the court of Vienna hadafforded them a precedent, for that, in 1742, they had done the same bythe two sons of the burgomaster Rutenberg, of Dantzic, and that, therefore, they were justified in making reprisal; and likewise, theydurst not refuse the most earnest request accompanied with threats, ofthe King of Prussia. 

Their plea of retaliation originated as follows:--There was a kind ofclub at Vienna, the members of which were seized for having committed theutmost extravagance and debauchery, two of whom were the sons of theburgomaster Rutenberg, and who were sentenced to the pillory. Great sumswere offered by the father to avoid this public disgrace, butineffectually--they were punished, their punishment was legal, and had nosimilarity whatever to my case, nor could it any way justly give pretenceof reprisal. 

Abramson, who had in reality entered no protest whatever, but ratherexcited the magistracy, and acted in concert with Reimer, advised me toput my writings and other valuable effects into his hands, otherwise theywould be seized. He knew I had received letters of exchange from mybrothers 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 beneglected to effect my immediate deliverance; that even he would raisethe populace for that purpose; that I could not be given up to thePrussians in less than a week, the magistracy being still undetermined inan affair so serious, and he left me, shedding abundance of crocodiletears, like the most affectionate of friends. 

The next night two magistrates, with their posse, came to my prison, attended by resident Reimer, a Prussian officer and under officers, andinto their hands I was delivered. The pillage instantly began; Reimertore off my ring, seized my watch, snuff-box, and all I had, not so muchas sending me a coat or shirt from my effects; after which, they put meinto a close coach with three Prussians. The Dantzic guard accompaniedthe carriage to the city gate, that was opened to let me pass; afterwhich the Dantzic dragoons escorted me as far as Lauenburg in Pomerania. 

I have forgotten the date of this miserable day; but to the best of mymemory, it must have been in the beginning of June. Thirty Prussianhussars, commanded by a lieutenant, relieved the dragoons at Lauenburg, and thus was I escorted from garrison to garrison, till I arrived atBerlin. 

Hence it was evidently falsely affirmed, by the magistracy of Dantzic, and the conspirator Abramson, who wrote in his own excuse to Vienna, thatmy seizure must be attributed wholly to my own imprudence, and that I hadexposed myself to this arrest by going without the city gates, where Iwas taken and carried off; nor was it less astonishing that the court ofVienna should not have demanded satisfaction for the treachery of theDantzickers toward an Austrian officer. I have incontrovertibly provedthis treachery, after I had regained my liberty Abramson indeed theycould not punish, for during my imprisonment he had quitted the Austrianfor the Prussian service, where he gradually became so contemptible, thatin the year 1764, when I was released from my imprisonment, he washimself imprisoned in the house of correction; and his wife, lately sorich, was obliged to beg her bread. Thus have I generally lived to seethe fall of my betrayers; and thus have I found that, without indulgingpersonal revenge, virtue and fortitude must at length triumph over thecalumniator and the despot. 

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 mypresence, their wicked deeds now being known to the world Nay, monarchsmay yet punish their perfidy:--Yet not so!--May they rather die inpossession of wealth they have torn from me! I only wish the pity andrespect of the virtuous and the wise. 

But, though Austria has never resented the affront commenced on theperson of an officer in its service, still have I a claim on the city ofDantzic, where I was thus treacherously delivered up, for the effects Ithere was robbed of, the amount of which is between eleven and twelvethousand florins. This is a case too clear to require argument, and thepublication of this history will make it known to the world. This claimalso, among others, I leave to the children of an unfortunate father. 

Enough of digression; let us attend to the remarkable events whichhappened on the dismal journey to Berlin. I was escorted from garrisonto garrison, which were distant from each other two, three, or at mostfive miles; wherever I came, I found compassion and respect. Thedetachment of hussars only attended me two days; it consisted of twelvemen and an officer, who rode with me in the carriage. 

The fourth day I arrived at ---, where the Duke of Wirtemberg, father ofthe present Grand Duchess of Russia, was commander, and where hisregiment 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 treatedas a prisoner. I so far gained his esteem that I was allowed to remainthere the next day; the chief persons of the place were assembled, andthe Duchess, whom he had lately married, testified every mark of pity andconsideration. I dined with him also on the third day, after which Ideparted in an open carriage, without escort, attended only by alieutenant of his regiment. 

I must relate this, event circumstantially for it not only proves thejust and noble character of the Duke, but likewise that there are momentsin which the brave may appear cowards, the clear-sighted blind, and thewise foolish; nay, one might almost be led to conclude, from this, thatmy 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 strangeinsensibility now in the very crisis of my fate? I afterwards wasconvinced it was the intention of the noble-minded Duke that I shouldescape, and that he must have given particular orders to the successiveofficers. He would probably have willingly subjected himself to thereprimands of Frederic if I would have taken to fight. The journeythrough the places where his regiment was stationed continued five days, and I everywhere passed the evenings in the company of the officers, thekindness of whom was unbounded I slept in their quarters withoutsentinel, and travelled in their carriages, without other guard than asingle officer in the carriage. In various places the high road was notmore than two, and sometimes one mile from the frontier road; thereforenothing could have been easier than to have escaped; yet did the sameTrenck, who in Glatz had cut his way through thirty men to obtain hisfreedom, that Trenck, who had never been acquainted with fear, now remainfour days bewildered, and unable to come to any determination. 

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. Afterdinner he rode at the head of his squadron to water the horse, unsaddled. I remained alone in the house, entered the stable, saw three remaininghorses, with saddles and bridles; in my chamber was my sword and a pairof pistols. I had but to mount one of the horses and fly to the oppositegate. I meditated on the project, and almost resolved to put it inexecution, but presently became undetermined by some secret impulse. Thecaptain returned some time after, and appeared surprised to find me stillthere. The next day he accompanied me alone in his carriage; we came toa forest, he saw some champignons, stopped, asked me to alight, and helphim to gather them; he strayed more than a hundred paces from me, andgave me entire liberty to fly; yet notwithstanding all this, Ivoluntarily returned, suffering myself to be led like a sheep to theslaughter. 

I was treated so well, during my stay at this place, and escorted with somuch negligence, that I fell into a gross error. Perceiving theyconveyed me straight to Berlin, I imagined the King wished to question meconcerning the plan formed for the war, which was then on the point ofbreaking out. This plan I perfectly knew, the secret correspondence ofBestuchef having all passed through my hands, which circumstance was muchbetter known at Berlin than at Vienna. Confirmed in this opinion, andfar from imagining the fate that awaited me, I remained irresolute, insensible, and blind to danger. Alas, how short was this hope! Howquickly was it succeeded by despair! when, after four days' march, Iquitted the district under the command of the Duke of Wirtemberg, and wasdelivered up to the first garrison of infantry at Coslin! The last ofthe Wirtemberg officers, when taking leave of me, appeared to be greatlyaffected; and from this moment till I came to Berlin, I was under astrong escort, and the given orders were rigorously observed. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Arrived here, I was lodged over the grand guardhouse, with two sentinelsin my chamber, and one at the door. The King was at Potzdam, and here Iremained three days; on the third, some staff-officers made theirappearance, seated themselves at a table, and put the following questionsto me:--

First. What was my business at Dantzic?

Secondly. Whether I was acquainted with M. Goltz, Prussian ambassador toRussia?

Thirdly. Who was concerned with me in the conspiracy at Dantzic?

When I perceived their intention, by these interrogations, I absolutelyrefused to reply, only saying I had been imprisoned in the fortress ofGlatz, without hearing, or trial by court-martial; that, availing myselfof the laws of nature, I had by my own exertions procured my liberty, andthat I was now a captain of cavalry in the imperial service; that Idemanded a legal trial for my first unknown offence, after which Iengaged to answer all interrogatories, and prove my innocence; but thatat present, being accused of new crimes, without a hearing concerning myformer punishment, the procedure was illegal. I was told they had noorders concerning this, and I remained dumb to all further questions. 

They wrote some two hours, God knows what; a carriage came up; I wasstrictly searched, to find whether I had any weapons; thirteen orfourteen ducats, which I had concealed, were taken from me, and I wasconducted under a strong escort, through Spandau to Magdeburg. Theofficer here delivered me to the captain of the guard at the citadel; thetown major came, and brought me to the dungeon, expressly prepared forme; 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 doorwas shut, and here was I left. 

My dungeon was in a casemate, the fore part of which, six feet wide andten feet long, was divided by a party wall. In the inner wall were twodoors, and a third at the entrance of the casemate itself. The window inthe seven-feet-thick wall was so situated that, though I had light, Icould see neither heaven nor earth; I could only see the roof of themagazine; within and without this window were iron bars, and in the spacebetween an iron grating, so close and so situated, by the rising of thewalls, 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 fromconveying anything to me. I had a mattress, and a bedstead, but whichwas immovably ironed to the floor, so that it was impossible I shoulddrag it, and stand up to the window; beside the door was a small ironstove and a night table, in like manner fixed to the floor. I was notyet put in irons, and my allowance was a pound and a half per day ofammunition bread, and a jug of water. 

From my youth I had always had a good appetite, and my bread was somouldy I could scarcely at first eat the half of it. This was theconsequence of Major Reiding's avarice, who endeavoured to profit even bythis, so great was the number of unfortunate prisoners; therefore, it isimpossible I should describe to my readers the excess of tortures that, during eleven months, I felt from ravenous hunger. I could easily everyday have devoured six pounds of bread; and every twenty-four hours afterhaving received and swallowed my small portion, I continued as hungry asbefore 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 thousandducats, on my property at Vienna, only to have satiated my hunger on drybread! For, so extreme was it, that scarcely had I dropt into a sweetsleep. Therefore I dreamed I was feasting at some table luxuriouslyloaded, where, eating like a glutton, the whole company were astonishedto see me, while my imagination was heated by the sensation of famine. Awakened by the pains of hunger, the dishes vanished, and nothingremained but the reality of my distress; the cravings of nature were butinflamed, my tortures prevented sleep, and, looking into futurity, thecruelty of my fate suffered, if possible, increase, from imagining thatthe prolongation of pangs like these was insupportable. God preserveevery honest man from sufferings like mine! They were not to be enduredby the villain most obdurate. Many have fasted three days, many havesuffered want for a week, or more; but certainly no one, beside myself, ever endured it in the same excess for eleven months. Some have supposedthat to eat little might become habitual, but I have experienced thecontrary. My hunger increased every day; and of all the trials offortitude my whole life has afforded, this, of eleven months, was themost bitter. 

Petitions, remonstrances, were of no avail; the answer was--"We must giveno more, such is the King's command. " The Governor, General Borck, bornthe enemy of man, replied, when I entreated, at least, to have my fill ofbread, "You have feasted often enough out of the service of plate takenfrom the King, by Trenck, at the battle of Sorau; you must now eatammunition bread in your dirty kennel. Your Empress makes no allowancefor your maintenance, and you are unworthy of the bread you eat, or thetrouble 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 thesetorments. 

My three doors were kept ever shut, and I was left to such meditations assuch feelings and such hopes might inspire. Daily, about noon, once intwenty-four hours, my pittance of bread and water was brought. The keysof all the doors were kept by the governor; the inner door was notopened, but my bread and water were delivered through an aperture. Theprison doors were opened only once a week, on a Wednesday, when thegovernor and town major, my hole having been first cleaned, paid theirvisit. 

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 Iwas convinced. 

Where the night-table and stove stood, the floor was bricked, and thispaving extended to the wall that separated my casemate from the adjoiningone, in which was no prisoner. My window was only guarded by a singlesentinel; I therefore soon found, among those who successively relievedguard, two kind-hearted fellows, who described to me the situation of myprison; hence I perceived I might effect my escape, could I but penetrateinto the adjoining casemate, the door of which was not shut. Provided Ihad a friend and a boat waiting for me at the Elbe, or could I swimacross that river, the confines of Saxony were but a mile distant. 

To describe my plan at length would lead to prolixity, yet I mustenumerate some of its circumstances, as it was remarkably intricate andof gigantic labour. 

I worked through the iron, eighteen inches long, by which the night-tablewas fastened, and broke off the clinchings of the nails, but preservedtheir heads, that I might put them again in their places, and all mightappear secure to my weekly visitors. This procured me tools to raise upthe brick floor, under which I found earth. My first attempt was to worka hole through the wall, seven feet thick behind, and concealed by thenight-table. The first layer was of brick. I afterwards came to largehewn stones. I endeavoured accurately to number and remember the bricks, both of the flooring and the wall, so that I might replace them and allmight appear safe. This having accomplished, I proceeded. 

The day preceding visitation all was carefully replaced, and theintervening mortar as carefully preserved; the whole had, probably, beenwhitewashed a hundred times; and, that I might fill up all remaininginterstices, I pounded the white stuff this afforded, wetted it, made abrush of my hair, then applied this plaster, washed it over, that thecolour might be uniform, and afterwards stripped myself, and sat with mynaked body against the place, by the heat of which it was dried. 

While labouring, I placed the stones and bricks upon my bedstead, and hadthey taken the precaution to come at any other time in the week, thestated Wednesday excepted, I had inevitably been discovered; but, as nosuch ill accident befell me, in six months my Herculean labours gave me aprospect of success. 

Means were to be found to remove the rubbish from my prison; all ofwhich, in a wall so thick, it was impossible to replace; mortar and stonecould not be removed. I therefore took the earth, scattered it about mychamber, and ground it under my feet the whole day, till I had reduced itto dust; this dust I strewed in the aperture of my window, making use ofthe loosened night-table to stand upon, I tied splinters from my bedsteadtogether, with the ravelled yarn of an old stocking, and to this Iaffixed a tuft of my hair. I worked a large hole under the middlegrating, which could not be seen when standing on the ground, and throughthis 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 Ibrushed it away, it was blown off, and no appearance remained on theoutside. By this simple expedient I rid myself of at least three hundredweight of earth, and thus made room to continue my labours; yet, thisbeing still insufficient, I had recourse to another artifice, which wasto knead up the earth in the form of sausages, to resemble the humanfaeces: these I dried, and when the prisoner came to clean my dungeon, hastily tossed them into the night-table, and thus disencumbered myselfof 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, outof the window. Into the empty space I put my mortar and stones, andworked on successfully. 

I cannot, however, describe my difficulties after having penetrated abouttwo feet into the hewn stone. My tools were the irons I had dug out, which fastened may bedstead and night-table. A compassionate soldieralso gave me an old iron ramrod and a soldier's sheath knife, which didme excellent service, more especially the latter, as I shall presentlymore fully show. With these two I cut splinters from my bedstead, whichaided me to pick the mortar from the interstices of the stone; yet thelabour of penetrating through this seven-feet wall was incredible; thebuilding was ancient, and the mortar occasionally quite petrified, sothat the whole stone was obliged to be reduced to dust. After continuingmy work unremittingly for six months, I at length approached theaccomplishment of my hopes, as I knew by coming to the facing of brick, which now was only between me and the adjoining casemate. 

Meantime I found opportunity to speak to some of the sentinels, amongwhom was an old grenadier called Gelfhardt, whom I here name because hedisplayed qualities of the greatest and most noble kind. From him Ilearned the precise situation of my prison, and every circumstance thatmight best conduce to my escape. 

Nothing was wanting but money to buy a boat, and crossing the Elbe withGelfhardt, to take refuge in Saxony. By Gelfhardt's means I becameacquainted 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 twoother grenadiers, who gave her an opportunity of speaking to me everytime they stood sentinel. By tying my splinters together, I made a sticklong enough to reach beyond the palisades that were before my window, andthus obtained paper, another knife, and a file. 

I now wrote to my sister, the wife of the before-mentioned only son ofGeneral Waldow; described my awful situation, and entreated her to remitthree hundred rix-dollars to the Jewess, hoping, by this means, I mightescape from my prison. I then wrote another affecting letter to CountPuebla, the Austrian ambassador at Berlin, in which was enclosed a draftfor a thousand florins on my effects at Vienna, desiring him to remitthese to the Jewess, having promised her that sum as a reward for herfidelity. She was to bring the three hundred rix-dollars my sistershould send to me, and take measures with the grenadiers to facilitate myflight, which nothing seemed able to prevent, I having the power eitherto break into the casemate or, aided by the grenadiers and the Jewess' tocut the locks from the doors and that way escape from my dungeon. Theletters were open, I being obliged to roll them round the stick to conveythem to Esther. 

The faithful girl diligently proceeded to Berlin, where she arrived safe, and immediately spoke to Count Puebla. The Count gave her the kindestreception, received the letter, with the letter of exchange, and bade hergo and speak to Weingarten, the secretary of the embassy, and actentirely as he should direct. She was received by Weingarten in the mostfriendly manner, who, by his questions, drew from her the whole secret, and our intended plan of flight, aided by the two grenadiers, and alsothat she had a letter for my sister, which she must carry to Hammer, nearCustrin. He asked to see this letter; read it, told her to proceed onher Journey, gave her two ducats to bear her expenses, ordered her tocome to him on her return, said that during this interval he wouldendeavour to obtain her the thousand florins for my draft, and would thengive her further instructions. 

Esther cheerfully departed for Hammer, where my sister, then a widow, andno longer, as in 1746, in dread of her husband, joyful to hear I wasstill living, immediately gave her three hundred rix-dollars, exhortingher to exert every possible means to obtain my deliverance. Estherhastened back with the letter from my sister to Berlin, and told all thatpassed to Weingarten, who read the letter, and inquired the names of thetwo grenadiers. He told her the thousand florins from Vienna were notyet 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 wouldpay her the thousand florins. Esther came to Magdeburg, went immediatelyto 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 inirons the day before. Esther had quickness of perception, and suspectedwe had been betrayed; she therefore instantly again began her travels, and happily came safe to Dessau. 

Here I must interrupt my narrative, that I may explain this infernalenigma to my readers, an account of which I received after I had obtainedmy freedom, and still possess, in the handwriting of this Jewess. Weingarten, as was afterwards discovered, was a traitor, and too muchtrusted by Count Puebla, he being a spy in the pay of Prussia, and onewho had revealed, in the court of Berlin, not only the secrets of theImperial embassy, but also the whole plan of the projected war. For thisreason he afterwards, when war broke out, remained at Berlin in thePrussian service. His reason for betraying me was that he might securethe thousand florins which I had drawn for on Vienna; for the receipt ofthe 24th of May, 1755, attests that the sum was paid, by theadministrators of my effects, to Count Puebla, and has since been broughtto account; nor can I believe that Weingarten did not appropriate thissum to himself, since I cannot be persuaded the ambassador would commitsuch an action, although the receipt is in his handwriting, as may easilybe demonstrated, it being now in my possession. Thus did Weingarten, that he might detain a thousand florins with impunity, bring new evilsupon me and upon my sister, which occasioned her premature death; causedone grenadier to run the gauntlet three successive days, and another tobe hung. 

Esther alone escaped, and since gave me an elucidation of the wholeaffair. The report at Magdeburg was, that a Jewess had obtained moneyfrom my sister and bribed two grenadiers, and that one of these hadtrusted and been betrayed by his comrade. Indeed, what other story couldbe told at Magdeburg, or how could it be known I had been betrayed to thePrussian ministry by the Imperial secretary? The truth, however, is as Ihave stated: my account-book exists, and the Jewess is still alive. 

Her poor imprisoned father was punished with more than a hundred blows tomake him declare whether his daughter had entrusted him with the plot, orif he knew whither she was fled, and miserably died in fetters. Such wasthe mischief occasioned by a rascal! And who might be blamed but theimprudent Count Puebla?

In the year 1766, this said Jewess demanded of me a thousand florins; andI wrote to Count Puebla, that, having his receipt for the sum, whichnever had been repaid, I begged it might be restored. He received myagent with rudeness, returned no answer, and seemed to trouble himselflittle 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 worldto determine. Thrice have I been betrayed at Vienna and sold to Berlin, like Joseph to the Egyptians. My history proves the origin of mypersuasion that residents, envoys, and ambassadors must be men of knownworth and honesty, and not the vilest of rascals and miscreants. But, alas! the effects and money they have robbed me of have never beenrestored; and for the miseries they have brought upon me, they could notbe recompensed by the wealth of any or all the monarchs on earth. Estatesthey may, but truth they cannot confiscate; and of the villainy ofAbramson and Weingarten I have documents and proofs that no court ofjustice could disannul. Stop, reader, if thou hast a heart, and in thatheart compassion for the unfortunate! Stop and imagine what mysensations are while I remember and recount a part only of the injusticethat has been done me, a part only of the tyranny I have endured! Bythis last act of treachery of Weingarten was I held in chains, the mosthorrible, for nine succeeding years! By him was an innocent man broughtto the gallows! By him, too, my sister, my beloved, my unfortunatesister, was obliged to build a dungeon at her own expense! besides beingamerced in a fine, the extent of which I never could learn. Her goodswere plundered, her estates made a desert, her children fell into extremepoverty, and she herself expired in her thirty-third year, the victim ofcruelty, persecution, her brother's misfortunes, and the treachery of theImperial embassy!

Footnotes:

{1} A common expression with Frederic when he was angry, and which hassince become proverbial among the Prussian and other German officers. SeeCritical _Review_, _April_, 1755. 

{2} 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, andbanished him with contempt. In 1764 he came to Vienna, where I gave himalms. He was, by birth, an Italian, a selfish, wicked man; and, whilemajor under the government of Fouquet, at Glatz, brought many people tomisery. 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 illfortune. He wanted knowledge to defend a fortress against the enemy, andhis covetousness rendered him easy to corrupt. 

{3} The German mile contains from four to seven English miles, and thisvariation appears to depend on the ignorance of the people and on theroads being in some places but little frequented. It seems probable theBaron and his friend might travel about 809 English miles. --TRANSLATOR.