Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN
 
 DRIC BATCOX TKERCK 
 
 >unds AVeiolit oi'ii-ons m 
 <>t' Magdcbiiror
 
 LIFE 
 
 AND 
 
 SURPRISING ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 Frederick Baron Trenck. 
 
 CAREFULLY 
 COLLECTED AND ABRIDGED 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 r EDITION o, HI. OWNMEMO.RS. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED, 
 
 A SHORT SUPPLEMENT; 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 FOR . 
 
 ONLY ONE SHILLING,]
 
 THE 
 
 LIFE fcf ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 BARON TRENCK. 
 
 I WAS born 1726, at Koenigfberg, in Pruflia. My 
 father, deicended from an ancient family, was General 
 of Cavalry: he died in 1740, after having received 
 eighteen wounds in the fervice of Pruflia. My mother 
 wa daughter of the Prefident of the Supreme Court of 
 Koenigibevg : one of her brothers was Miniiter -of 
 State, and the two others Generals of Infantry. After 
 my father's death, flie married Count Loftange, Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel of the regiment of Cuirafnars of Kiow. 
 I had two brothers and a filter: one of my brothers 
 remained with my mother ; the other was Cornet in 
 the regiment of Kiow ; ar.d my filter married. the only 
 fon of old ..General Waldo w, and fettled " in ? ;4igaden- 
 burg. 
 
 My father fent me, at the age of tliivtecn, to the 
 univcrllty of Kocnigfberg, where I made a rapid pro- 
 greis in my education. At the end of 1740, I had a 
 difpute with a gentleman named \Vallenrod, .who 
 boarded in the fame iioufe : he \vas much taller and 
 ilronger than me j and defpifing my weaknefs, thought 
 proper to ftrike me : I demanded fatisfa6tion, which he 
 refufing conlemptuoufly, I took a fecond, and attacked 
 him in the open ftreet. We fought j and I had the 
 good fortune to wound him in the hand and arm. 
 
 B This
 
 S LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 This affair was much talked of; and Doftor Kov\- 
 alewlki; our Prof'. ffor, ranking a complaint to the uni- 
 A^erfity, 1 was fentenced to -three hours confinement. 
 But M. Warfchaw, my grandfather, pleafed with my 
 fpirit, took me out of the houfe, and placed me, as a 
 boarder, with Profeffor Chrifiiani. There, for the firft 
 time, I began to enjoy entire liberty : I owe to that wor- 
 thy man my little knowledge of natural Philofophy, and 
 other fciences. Under his aufplces 1 fupported two pub- 
 lic Thefes, in 1742, with great fucceis j being then only 
 ,about fixteen years old. 
 
 Three days after the firft of them, a profefled bully 
 forced me, in a manner to fight : I wounded him in the 
 hip. 
 
 Thefe fucceffes fo puffed me up, that I appeared in 
 public with a fword of enormous length, and all the ap- 
 pendages of a. prize-fighter. 
 
 I fhould certainly have become a duellift, if the good- 
 r.efs of my heart, and my misfortunes, had not foon after 
 brought me to reafon. A fortnight had fcarcely flapf: d 
 from my laft quarrel,, before 1 had another with one 
 of my friends a Lieutenant of the garrifon, whom 
 I infulted. We fought, and I wounded him in two 
 places. 
 
 Duelling, among the ftudents, was not punifhed at 
 this period j it was looked upon as an honour to fend 
 a challenge. 
 
 In November 1742, Baron Lottum, the King's Ad- 
 jutant General, a relation of- my mother, was fent by his 
 jVlajefty to Koenigfoerg. He dined at my grandfather's, 
 chatted a good deal with me, and, after having founded 
 me by a vaiiety of queftions, aflied me if I ihoul.l not 
 be tempted to ferve my country, as ,my ancefiors had 
 always done ; adding that in the army I fhould find 
 more convenient opportunities of giving challenges, than 
 at the univerfity. I accepted this propofal without he- 
 iltation ; and a few day's after we fet off for Potz- 
 darn. 
 
 I was preferred to the King, to whom I was known 
 ncc the year 1740, as <Hie of the beft fcholars in the 
 
 univerSty,
 
 OF BARON TRENCK.- 3 
 
 untvcviity. He was now much pleafed with the perti- 
 nence of my anfvvers j my flature, for I was tall ; and 
 my manly aflurancc. 1 obtained permilfion to enter 
 into the Life Guards, in quality of Cadet, with promrfes 
 of fpcedy promotion. 
 
 The life Guards were at- that time the pattern and 
 fchool of all the Pruflian Cavalry. They confifled 
 only of one Squadron of men, chofen from the whole ar- 
 my. Their uniform was the moil brilliant in Europe j the 
 drefs and accoutrements of an officer coiling two thoufand 
 crowns. The cuirafs, which was covered with filver, its 
 appendages, and the horfe's furniture, amounted alone to 
 feven hundred. 
 
 This fquadron confined only of fix officers, and art 
 hundred and forty-four men , but we had always fifty 
 or fixty fupernumeraries, and as many fpare horfes ; for 
 the King took all the handfome men he met with into 
 his guards. The officers were the beft in the army. 
 The King inftrufted them himfelf, and afterwards em- 
 ployed them to drill the reft of the Cavalry. 
 
 The duty of no other foldier in the world is fo hard; 
 as was that of a Life Guard man: at the time 1 was- in 
 th's fervice, I had net eight hours reft in eight days. 
 The exercife ufed to begin at four o'clock in the morn- 
 ing ; when we tried all the new evolutions the King- 
 was defirous of introducing : we leaped ditches of three, 
 four, five, and fix feet wide, and even more, till fome- 
 body or other broke his neck. Sometimes, in a morn- 
 ing's exercife, we had feveral men and horfes killed or 
 wounded. The horfes were kept in the King's ftables j 
 and he who could not drefs, arm himfelf, (addle his 
 horfe, mount, and (fall into his rank in eight minutes, 
 was put under arreft for a fortnight. 
 
 The trumpet frequently founded before we had 
 fcarcely got into bed, by way of giving the young men 
 a habit of vigilance. The Life Guards loll more men 
 and horfes in a time of profound peace, than they 
 would have done in two battles. 
 
 I had been fcarcely three weeks Cadet, when one 
 
 day, after the parade, the King took me afide, examined 
 
 B -2 me
 
 LIFE AND AEVENTU.XES 
 
 me for near half an hour, on a variety of fubje&s, and 
 ordered me to wait on him to-morrow. He was de- 
 firous of feeing whether the favourable accounts' he had 
 heard of me were well founded ; and, to afcertain their 
 truth, gare me the names of fifty foldiers to learn by 
 heart, which I did in five minutes. He then gave me 
 the fubp'fl of two letters, and I compofed them imme- 
 di-tely in French and Latin, writing one'nnd dilating 
 the other. He afterwards defired me to draw the plan 
 of a piece of ground, by the eye, and with all the dif- 
 patch poffible ; which I did, with the fame faccefs. He 
 then appointed me Cornet in the Life Guards. He 
 fpoke to me like a King, and a father ; and from that 
 moment became my tutor, and my friend. 
 
 I was a Cadet only three weeks. When thus made 
 an officer, the King gave me two horfes from his own 
 flables, and a thoufand crowns to affift in purchafing my 
 arms, uniform, &.c. I was highly fatisfied to find my- 
 lelf a courtier, and an officer in the handfomeft, bravtrt, 
 and befl difciplined corps in Europe, My military for- 
 tune feemed to have no bounds. 
 
 We paffed the winter in garrifon at Berlin, where 
 the officers of our regiment lived with the Court, and 
 as my reputation had preceded me thither, nobojy 
 patted the time in a more agreeable manner than my- 
 felf. 
 
 The King ordered me to vifit the learned men, whom 
 lie had invited to the Court j and I counted Voltaire, 
 Maupertuis, Jordan, La MtUrie, and Pollaitz in the 
 number of my friends. The latter was my guide, and 
 my bofom friend. 
 
 In -1743, I was five feet eleven inches * high ; till 
 then I was a ftrnnger to love ; the Chocking fpcctacle of 
 the hofpital ?.t Potzdam. made me dre-.d its illufions. 
 In 1743, the King's fiiler was married to the King of 
 Sweden, vvhofe widow me now is. Ou this occaiion I 
 mounted the guard of honour, in quality of Officer of 
 the Guards, and was ordered to efcort her as far as 
 
 Stettin, 
 
 * Near fix feet three incbe Er.glifh mcafurc.
 
 OF BARON TRESCK. 5 
 
 Stettin. In the tumult inevitable in a crowd, I loft 
 my watch, and a {harper was alfo dexterous enough to 
 cutoff part of the gold fringe from my waiftcoat. My 
 lofs was the fubjeft of much pleafantry among the 
 other officers, and a great lady took occafion to fay, 
 that (he would make it her bufinefs to confole me. 
 Thefe words were accompanied by a look, of which I 
 felt all the meaning, and in a few days 1 was the hap- 
 pieft man in Berlin. It was on both fides the firft tri- 
 bute paid to Love. Her affeHon for me was without 
 bounds , and while I exift I fliall never forget her kind- 
 nefs :'but the fecret of our intimacy is one of thofe that 
 I will carry with me to the grave. She is ftill alive, 
 and an abfence of forty three years Has not been capa- 
 ble of making any change in her fentiments. My chil- 
 dren alone fliall know the name of the perlon to whom 
 they are indebted for their father's prefervation. 
 
 I lived happy and refpecled at .Berlin. The King- 
 on every occafion gave me marks of favour j my fair 
 millrefs fuppiied me with more money than I could 
 fpend, and my appearance was foon more brilliant than 
 that of any officer of the corps. My expt- nces attracted 
 notice, for I had only inherited from my father the 
 eftate of Scharlack, which produced about a thoufand 
 crowns a year j and I fometiraes fpent more than that 
 fum in a month. 
 
 la the beginning of September 1744, war was de- 
 clared between Pruiiia and the Houl'e of Auftria. We 
 marched haflily towards Prague, and paffed through all 
 Saxony, without meeting wjjfc the fmalleft oppoiition. 
 1 dare not relate here -what the Great Frederick faid 
 iorrow;ully to us the very morning of our departure 
 from Potzd.im, when all the officers were afTembled 
 about his perion. This time, Frederick took the field 
 with regret, as I was witnefs. 
 
 If 1 do not mitfake, the King's army inverted Prague 
 on the 1 4th of September: that of General Schwerin, 
 wno had maiched through Silefia, came a day later 
 from the other fide of the Mulda, and we were obliged 
 to wait eight days longer for pontoons, to open a com* 
 municatiou Detween the two armies. 
 
 B 3 . General
 
 O LIFK AND ADV2NTUB.ES 
 
 General Harfch was obliged to capitulate, after 
 twelve days refiflance. Eighteen thoufand men were 
 mnde prifor.er? of war j the number of the garrifon 
 killed and wounded during the fiege not exceeding five 
 hundred. 
 
 So far we met with no obftacle : however, the Im'- 
 perial army, under the command of Prince Charles, 
 who had left the banks of the Rhine, advanced to> fave 
 Bohemia. His light-armed troops, being three times 
 as numerous ts our's, prevented our foraging. Famine 
 and want therefore obliged us to retreat, having no 
 relief to hope for, from the country behind us, which 
 we had laid entirely wafte on our march. The feverity 
 of the feafon in November, made the foldiers very im- 
 patient, and in fix weeks we loit forty-two thoufand 
 men, either by ficknefs or defertion. In fhort, \ve 
 were obliged to abandon Bohemia. All the Cavalry 
 was difmounted for want of forage : the feverity of the 
 weather, the broken roads, continual marching, and 
 repeated alarms, diffufed.a general fpirit of difcontent, 
 and a third of the army dtferted. 
 
 Prince Charles followed us as far as the frontiers of 
 Behemia, and halted there, to put his troops into 
 winter quarters. This gave the King time to recruit 
 his army, efpecially by the return of his deferters, 
 whom the Auftrians were imprudent enough to dif- 
 mifs. 
 
 In tr.is campaign I paffed few nights in my tent ; 
 and my indefatigable activity procured me the favour 
 and entire confidence of the King. Nothing contriba- 
 ted fo much to keep up my emulation, as. the public 
 praifts I received, when I returned to head quarters 
 from foraging, with fixty or eighty waggons loaded, 
 vhile others came back empty. 
 
 I was fent one day from Bennefchen, on a foraging 
 pTrty, with a detachment of thirty Huflars and twenty 
 Rangers. I pofied my huflars in a convent, and went 
 with the Rangers to a gentleman's feat, to procure a 
 fufficient number of waggons to bring off hay and ilraw 
 from an adjacent farm. But a Lieutenant of Aulh-ian 
 
 Huffars, 

 
 OF BARON TRENCK. , ^ 
 
 Hufiars, who lay concealed in a wood with thirty-fix 
 horfe, having remarked the weaknefs of my efcort, 
 took advantage of the moment, when my people welt 
 employed in loading the waggons, and furprifing my 
 centinel, fell fuddenly upon them, and took the whole 
 party prifoners in the farm-yard, i was fitting quietly 
 in the gentleman's feat, with the miflrefs of the houfe, 
 and faw from the window what had happened, 
 
 I was afflifted beyond meafure, and the good lady 
 was propofing to hide me, when I heard a firing at the 
 farm. The HuflTars, ported at the convent, had been 
 told by a peafant, that there was an Auftrian detach- 
 ment in the wood : they faw us go into the farm-houfe, 
 hnftened to ouivaffiftance, and came up a few minutes 
 after the furprife. It is impcfiible to exprefs the 
 pleafure with which I joined them. Some of ihe 
 enemy's Huflars efcaped by the back door j however, 
 we made twenty-two prifoners, among whom was a 
 Lieutenant of the regiment of Kalnockichen. They 
 had two men killed, and one wounded, and I loft on. 
 my fide two Rangers, who were killed in the hay-loft 
 where they were at work. After this rencounter, we 
 continued to forage with greater precaution ; the horfes 
 we had taken ferved in part to draw the waggons ; and 
 having laid the convent under contribution to the 
 nmount of a hundred and fifty ducats, which I diftri- 
 buted among my foldicrs to purchafe their filence, we 
 fet off to rejoin the army. The King was at table, 
 when I came into his tent. As 1 had been abient the 
 whole night, every body had fuppofed me taken, which 
 had that day been the fate of many others. The inftant 
 I came in, the King afked me if I returned alone : 
 " No, Sire-," aniv\ered I, "I bring %vith me five and 
 twenty waggons, loaded with forage, and twenty-two 
 prifoners,^ with their ofhceis and horfes." The King 
 immediately maJe me fit down -, and, turning to the 
 Englilh Ambaffador, who was fitting befide him, tapped 
 me on the lhau!d?r, an 1 faid j " This is one of my 
 youthful Matadors !" The horfe intended to recon- 
 noitre the enemy was already waiting before his tent j 
 
 he
 
 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 he confequently afked me few queftions, and to thofe fetf 
 1 could not anfwer without trembling. Some minutes 
 after he rofe from table, caft his eyes on the prifoners, 
 and putting the Order of Merit round my neck, order- 
 ed me to go and reft myfclf. 
 
 It is eafy to conceive that my fituation was very em- 
 barraffing. I deferved to be broke for my unpardonable 
 negligence, and notwithftanding received a reward. 
 How many Generals have been indebted to a fault for 
 the victories which they have gained, and which have 
 been afterwards attributed to their abilities ! The non- 
 conimillioned officers, who gave a favourable turn to 
 the bufinefs, certainly deferved the reward better than 
 me. I was much afraid left the truth ftiould be difco- 
 vered, efpecially when I confidered the number of peo- 
 ple who were in the fecret. Thefe apprehenfions kept 
 me in continual alarm. 
 
 As I was not without money, I gave each non-corn- 
 miflioned officer twenty ducats, and each private foldier 
 a ducat, to induce their filence. I determined, how- 
 ever, to embrace the firft opportunity of making the 
 King acquainted with the truth, and ^>und a convenient 
 one two days after. We were on a march, and, in 
 quality of Cornet, I was at the head of the troop. The 
 King rode on before the kettle-drums, beckoning to 
 me to come to him, and addreffed me in thefe words : 
 " Now, Trenck, tell me the particulars of your late 
 " fuccefs." When I heard this queftion, Idid not doubt 
 my being betrayed j but the King afked it with fuch 
 apparent good humour, that I related the matter exact- 
 ly as it had paflfed. I obferved marks of aflonifhment 
 in his countenance , but 1 faw, at the fame time, that 
 he was not difp.leafed with my fincerity. He talked 
 with me half an hour, more like a father than a King, 
 praifed my candour, and concluded with thefe words, 
 which 1 ihall never forget : *' Depend upon me, and 
 *' follow my advice, and I will make a man of you." Jt 
 was not long before I perceived the confidence the 
 King placed in me after this explanation : I received 
 many marks of it in the courfe of the following winter, 
 which we paSed at Berlin. 
 
 In
 
 OF BAKON TRENCK. 9 
 
 In our retrer.t from Bohemia, the King entered 
 Kollin with his Horfe Guards, the piquets of Horfe 
 belonging to head quarter?, and the fecond and third 
 battalions of Guards : we had but four pieces of canndn, 
 an'd our fquadron was ported in the fuburbs. Towards 
 the evening, our advanced guards were driven in ; the 
 Hufiars entered with them pell-mell into the fuburbs, 
 and the enemies light troops fwarmed in all the en- 
 virons. Our commandant fent me immediately to 
 receive the King's orders. After having fought him a 
 great while, I found him at Jail on the top of a fteeple, 
 with a perfpeftive gla.s in his hand. I never faw him 
 fo uneafy and undetermined as on that day. We were 
 ordered to retreat immediately, and to retire through the 
 town to the oppoiite fuburbs, where we were directed 
 to halt, without taking the bridles or faddles off our 
 hories. 
 
 We were fcarcely there when a dark night came on, 
 accompanied by a deluge of rain. About nine o'clock, 
 Trenck (an Auftrian commander, and a. relation of 
 mine) appeared with his Turjufh mufic, and fet fire to 
 feveral houfes. As foon as we perceived it, 'we began 
 to Cre mufketry out of the windows. The tumult was 
 terrible 1 . The town was fo full of people, that we could 
 not force an entrance ; the gate was {hut, and our field- 
 pieces kept firing from above. Trenck flopped the 
 parVage of the water j by midnight it was as high as our 
 norfcrs bellies, and we were almoft entirely abandoned. 
 We loft fix men, and ny horfe was wounded in the 
 neck. It is certain tha. t'ne King, as well as the reft of 
 us, would have been made prifoners, if my coufin could 
 have continued the attack. But receiving a wound in 
 the foot with a cannon-ball,, he was obliged to be carried 
 off. and the Pandours retired. The day following 
 NafTau's corps came to our afliftance. We left Kollin, 
 and while on. the march the King faid to me, " Your 
 night have played us a very unlucky trick that 
 :jut, according to the report of the deferters, he 
 was killed." 
 
 About the middle cf December we arrived at Berlin, 
 where 1 was received with open arms. I was lefs pru- 
 dent
 
 IO LIFE AND ADVENTURES- 
 
 dent than in the former years, and perhaps more db- 
 ferved. A Lieutenant of the Foot Guards jetting inde- 
 cently on the fecret of my amours, I drew upon him, 
 and wounded him in the face. The Sunday after I 
 went to pay my court to the King : " Sir," faid he, 
 " the thunder roars ; and, if you do not take care, may 
 fall upon your head." 
 
 Some time after I came a few minutes too late to the 
 parade j the King remarked it, and fent me under arreft 
 to Potzdam, where I remained upwards of three weeks, 
 owing to the artifices of Colonel Warteflaben. 
 
 I did not recover my liberty till three days before our 
 departure for Silefia ; towards which we marched early 
 in May, to begin our fecond campaign. I will here re- 
 late an incident that happened to me this winter, which 
 became the fource of all my misfortunes. 
 
 Francis Baron Trenck *, who commanded the Pan- 
 dours in the fervice of Auftria, having been danger- 
 oufly wounded in Bavaria in the year 1743, wrote to my- 
 mother to tell her it was his intention to make me his 
 heir. This letter, to which I made no anfwer, was fent 
 to me at Potzdam. 
 
 The i2th of February 1744* I was at Berlin, and 
 went to pay a vifit to Captain lafchinzki,- commandant 
 of the Life Guards, in company with Lieutenant Stud- 
 nitz, and Cornet Wagnitz, who lived with me in the 
 fame apartment. The converfation turned on the 
 Auftrian Trenck, and lafchinzki afked me if I was 
 related to him. I anfwered yes, and faid that he had 
 made me his heir. He afked me, what anfwer I had 
 made. I told him None. On this the whole company 
 obferved, that in fuch circumstances, I ftiould be much 
 in the wrong if I did not anfwer his letter. " Write to 
 him," added our commandant, " and defire him to fend 
 you fome handfotne Hungarian horfes for chargers. 
 Give me your letter, and 1 will have it delivered by M 
 de Boffart, Secretary of Legation to the Saxon Ambaf. 
 fador, on condition that you give me one of the hovfes, 
 
 This 
 
 * Thi* Trenck was fon of my father's brother, a od conftcraently 
 Hijr firlt co u tin.
 
 OF BARON TREVCK.. II 
 
 This correfpondenee is a. family concern, and not an 
 affair of ftate : befules, I will take the whole upon me, 
 Sec." I fat down to write imrnrdiately, in compliance 
 with the advice of my commanding officer. I gave my 
 letter open to lafchinzki j he fealed it himfelf, and fcnt 
 it away. 
 
 This letter, with the following incident, was the folc 
 caufe of all my misfortunes. 
 
 In the campaign of 1744, one of my grooms with 
 two faddle horfes was taken, as well as feveral others, 
 by Trenck's Light Troops. On my return to camp, I 
 was ordered to accompany the King, who was going to 
 reconnoitre. My horfe being fatigued, his Majefty 
 immediately made me a prefent of a .beautiful Engliih 
 race-horfe. 
 
 A few days after, I was aftonimed to fee my groom 
 come back with my two horfes, and a trumpet from 
 the enemy j who brought a note, in nearly thefe 
 terms: 
 
 THE Auftrian Trenck is not at war with the Pruflian Trcnck, 
 Iiis coufin. On the contrary, he is very happy to have it in his 
 power to fend him back hit horfes, which he has recovered from 
 tlie hands ff his Huffars. 
 
 That day I waited on the King, and was very coolly 
 received. " Since your counn," faid he, " has fent 
 you back your horfes, you have no longer any occafion 
 for mine." 
 
 The number of people envious of my good fortune 
 v.-as too great to let thefe words of his Majefty pafs un- 
 noticed : a thoufand ill-natured things were faid of me ; 
 and I could find no better means to put a itop to thefe 
 
 calumnies than by obliging Lieutenant P s, one of 
 
 my moft inveterate enemies, to fight me. I wounded 
 him dangeroully. However, the fending back of my 
 horfes became a principal caufe of my misfortune. 
 
 We marched into Silefia to begin the fecond cam- 
 paign, which was to us as deftruclive as glorious. Prince 
 Charles inftead of waiting for us in Bohemia, impru- 
 dently advanced and pofted himfelf in the Plain of 
 .Strigau. 
 
 Our
 
 '2 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Our armv w;s drawn in hafte from its cantonments 
 in 'the prtghbourhbod of K^Tienz, and in twenty-four 
 hours was in order of battle. The 14th of June eighteen 
 thousand dead bodies covered the Plain of Strigau j and 
 the Irjrerial array, and that of Saxony, its ally, were 
 totally defeated. 
 
 The Life Guards were on the right : before the at- 
 tack, the King faid to our fquadron, " Now, my friends,' 
 prove that you are my Guards, and 'fpare no Saxon !" 
 Three time? we cha-ged t-he Cavalrv, and' the Infantry 
 tvice. We alone took feven frundards, and five colours, 
 and in lefs than an hour all was over. 
 
 I received a piftol-ihot in the right-hand ; my horfe 
 was badly wounded, and at .the third charge I was 
 obliged to mount another. The following day all the 
 officers received the order of Merit ; for my part, I 
 remained near a month in the hofpital at Schweidnhz. 
 More than fixteen thoufand wounded men were dreffed 
 there ; fome of whom could get no affiftance till the 
 third day. 
 
 I was r ear three months before I recovered the ufe 
 of my hand : but 1 rejoined" my corps, and accompanied 
 the King as ufual, when he went to reconnoitre. He 
 had re'dored me his confidence, which increaied every 
 day, and my gratitude fell nothing ihort of enthu- 
 iiafm. 
 
 I was very fond of (hooting, and though it was 
 ftriclly forbid, full continued to follow the fport. -I 
 came back one day loaded with pheafants j but great 
 was my difirefs,- when I perceived the army had de- 
 camped, and that I mould fcarcely be able to reach the 
 rear-guard. 
 
 An officer of Huffars lent me a horfe, which enabled 
 me to rtjoin my corps. I advanced, trembling, to the 
 head of my divifion. The King had remarked my ab- 
 fence , the commandant of the guards, who was my 
 enemy, had made him obferve it. 
 
 When we were going to encamp, the King beckoned 
 to me to come to him. Perceiving my embarraffment, 
 he (aid to me with a fmile, " Have you been (hooting 
 
 again'
 
 OF BAS.ON TRE.NC1C. 1J 
 
 a-rain ?"_ Yes, your Majefty, I humbly beg you.'-- 
 lie did not let me proceed : " 1 pardon you, for this 
 t!n;e," added he, " on account of your recent affair at 
 Potzdam j but take care, and do your duty better in 
 future." Thus ended an affair, for which I deferred 
 to have been broke. 
 
 I did not perceive that his kindnefs tome was at all 
 diminiihed by this occurrence , I only remarked, when 
 I dined at his table, thnt he fometimes joked about peo- 
 ple who were too fond of ihooting, or who were' hot- 
 : , and quarrelled about trifles. 
 
 The campaign pafled in marching and counter- 
 marching : we were the inoft fatigued, becaufe the 
 Guards encamped round the King's tent, which, placed 
 in the middle of the camp, always formed the van- 
 guard. The King took particular care that the officers 
 of his Guards, whom he whhed to make proficients in 
 tactics, mould not be id!e. In his fchool, to make a 
 great progrels, it was ncceflary to be laborious. A 
 fpirit of induitry, vigilance, activity, and emulation, 
 joined to patriouim and a defire of glory, -animated all 
 his Generals, whom he ieenv..'d to have iafpired with his 
 own genius. 
 
 Such was the fchool in which I was brought up ; and 
 I was already counted in the number of thofe deitined 
 to inltrucT: others. Yet the following are the very words 
 a celebrated General made ufe of, in {peaking to me at 
 Vienna, in my fortieth year. ' My dear Trenck, you 
 would find cur n.w exeicile difficult ; you are already" 
 too old for that !" It was in confequence of this ridi- 
 culous judgment, that 1 was cbffed in Auftria among- 
 the invalids. But this wife decifion would have been 
 ridiculed at Berlin. 
 
 J he famous battle of Sorau was fought on Septem- 
 ber i4th. The King had fent fuch large detachments into 
 Saxony, Sileiia, and Bohemia, that 'the grand army 
 confuted at molt of twenty-fix thoufand men. Prince 
 Charles, who obitinately pel-fitted in judging of his 
 t:icmy by the number of men, had furrounded the 
 iruali number of Brandenburgk and Pomeranian 
 C troops
 
 14 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 troops with more than eighty-fix thoufand men, and was 
 in hopes of taking them all prifoners. 
 
 About midnight the King came into my tent, and 
 went likewife into thofe of the other officers, to wake 
 them: he ordered the horles to be'faddled without 
 noife, the baggage to be left behind, and the whole ar- 
 my to hold themfelves in readinefs for action. 
 
 Eight field-pieces were placed behind a riling ground 
 eppofite the defile through which the King meant to 
 pafs, and where it was intended to begin the action. 
 He muft have received information of all the defigns of 
 the Auftrian General, for he haJ called in all the ad- 
 vanced pofts on the heights, to infpire him with greater 
 confidence. 
 
 At the dawn of day, the Auftrian artillery, planted on 
 the heights, cannonaded our camp, and the cavalry, ad- 
 vancing to attack us, entered the defile. 
 
 We immediately drew up in order of battle, and in 
 lefs than ten minutes began the attack, notwithstanding 
 our frnall number of men, (there were only five regi- 
 ments of cavalry with our army) and fell \yith the 
 greateft rapidity on the enemy, at .that moment em- 
 ployed in (lowly forming their fquadrons in the front of 
 the defile. We drove then b?.ck into the defile, which 
 was crouded full of men. The King immediately or- 
 dered the eight field-pieces to be unmalked, and ti.ey 
 made terrible havoc. 
 
 Nadafte, Trenck, and the light troops, that were to 
 have attacked us in the rear, flopped to pillage our 
 camp : it is worthy of remark, that, when news was 
 brought to the King, that the Croats were pillaging the 
 c.amp, he anfwered ; " So much the better, they will 
 have fomething to do, and will not prevent our carrying 
 the principal point." We were completely victorious j 
 but loll all our baggage. The head quarters, It ft with- 
 out defence, were entirely pillaged : and Trenck had, 
 for his jhare of the plunder, the King's tent, and all his 
 lilver plate. 
 
 In the year 1/46, my eoufm Trenck having fallen 
 icto the power of his enemies, who had fet on foot a 
 
 criminal
 
 OF BAR.CN TREN'CK. IJ 
 
 criminal profecution againfl him, was accufed of having- 
 furprifed the King of Pruffia in bed at the battle of 
 Sorau, and of having afterwards releafed him for a 
 bribe. On this occafion the evidence of a woman of 
 the town was taken, a native of Bruna, who gave her- 
 felf out for a daughter of Marihal Schwerin : fhe decla- 
 red that (he was in bed with the King when Trenck 
 came into his tent j and that he made the King prifoner, 
 and afterwards releafed him. 
 
 I can bear witnefs, that it was impoflible the King 
 could be furprifed, becaufe he knew that the enemy 
 meant to attack him. 1 did not leave him myfelf from mid- 
 night till four o'clock in the morning, the fpace of time 
 he employed in riding through the camp, to make pre- 
 parations for receiving the enemy, and at five o'clock 
 the a&ion began. It was therefore impoflible that 
 Trenek could find the King in his bed. 
 
 A few days after the battle of Sorau, the poftman 
 brought me the following letter from my coulin Trenck, 
 dated from Effek, and written four months before. 
 
 I find by your letter from Berlin, of Feb. l^. that you defire me 
 to fend you feme Hungarian horlcs, that you may employ them 
 againft my Huffars and Pandours. I perceived with pleafure, in 
 the lail campaign, that the Pruifian Trenck was a good ioldier. 
 As a proof of my attachment, I lent you back your horfes which 
 my people had taken. But if you want Hungarian horfes, try 
 next campaign to carry off mine by open force ; or eife come am! 
 join your coufin, who will receive you with open arms, will treat 
 you like his fon, and his friend, aod will procure you all the advan- 
 tages you can ilefire, &c. 
 
 Cornet Wagnitz, and Lieutenant Gratthaufon, who 
 are both alive, were piefent : I gave them the letter, we 
 laughed at its contents j and it was refolved that we 
 fhould fliew it to Colonel Infchinzki, commandant of 
 the corpj, on condition that he Ihould not fpeak of it. 
 An hour after we did as we had agreed. When he had 
 read my letter whii an appearance of aftoniuhment, we 
 :'il bvgan to laugh ; and as there was a report, that a 
 body of troops would be fent to Hungary, lafchinzki 
 faid, " We wiil go ourfelves, and take Hungariaa 
 horfes." Here the cunverfation dropped. 1 cannot 
 bilp rnuhiiig ihe following obfervations on the fubiefl.
 
 1 6 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ill. I had not obferved, that the date of the letter 
 was four months anterior to its receipt : this my Colo- 
 nel did not fail to do. 
 
 2d. It was probably a fnare laid by lafchinzki. 
 The fending back of my horfes, in the preceding cam- 
 paign, had made a noife. Perhaps I had been perfuaded 
 to write, that I might be entrapped by a forged an- 
 fwer j for it is certain, that my coufin maintained, till 
 his death, that he had never received a letter from me, 
 and that confequemly he had fent no anfwer. I there- 
 fore Hill think (and fliall always continue in the fame 
 mind,) that the letter was forged. 
 
 lafchinzki was at this time one of the King's favour- 
 ites, his fpy in the army, and, in faft, a malicious cha- 
 racler j for, rathet than have nothing to relate, he fre- 
 quently devifed the moft abominable calumnies : this 
 obliged the King fome years after this event, to cafhier 
 and banifh him his dominions. 
 
 He owed me four hundred ducats, which fum he con- 
 verted to his own ufe when I was taken into cuftody, 
 and put in prifon. He likewife took pofleffion of the 
 greateft part of my baggage. It was his interefl, there- 
 fore, to forge fuch a letter ; and he had the means of 
 putting it into a Saxon, or Auftrinn poft-ofFice. 
 
 We had quarrelled in the firft campaign, on account 
 of. one of my fervants, whom he had ilruck : we were 
 even on the point of fighting with piftols, when Colo- 
 nel Winterfield cnme up, and reconciled us. But from 
 that day he meditated my ruin. 
 
 Without the liberty of making any defence, or of 
 being tried by a court-martial, 1 was confined as a 
 criminal, in the citadel of Glatz j I was not in a dun- 
 geon, but in the officer's guard-room j I was permitted 
 to walk upon the ramparts, and was waited on by my 
 own fervants. 
 
 1 wrote to the King, and demanded a court martial, 
 offering to fubmit to any punilhment whatever, if found 
 guilty. So determined a tfyle, in fo yeung a man, did 
 not pleafe him, and I received no anfwer. 
 
 From my female friend at Berlin, 1 received -fome 
 confolation, and a thoufand ducats.
 
 OF BA3.ON TK.ENCK. 1J 
 
 If, in thefe ci'rcumftances, I had allayed the heat of 
 impatience, nothing would have been eafier than to 
 have obtained a pardon from the King ; and to have 
 punifhed my enemies, by proving my innocence. But 
 the officers of the garrifon of Glatz were far from, 
 giving fuch moderate counfels j on the contrary, they 
 faid every thing to exafperate me. They thought that 
 the money I lavifhed fo generoufly among them, came 
 from Hungary, furnilhed by the military cheft of the 
 Pandours ; they perfuaded me, in confl-quence, not to 
 let my liberty depend upon the will of the King, but to 
 break my fetters. 
 
 I had been five months in prifon j the peace was con- 
 cluded : the King had returned to his capital, and 
 my commiffion in the Guards had been given away, 
 when a Lieutenant of the regiment of Fouquet, of the 
 name of Piafchky, and Eniign Reitz, both of whora 
 often mounted gu-ird over me, propofed to me to make 
 my efcape in company with them. My fituation grew 
 every day more dilagreeable, and I confented. There 
 was then at Glatz another prifoner, named Manget, by 
 birth a Swift, and Captain in the regiment of Huflars 
 of Natzmerifch. He had been broke, and condemned 
 by a court-martial to- remain ten years in prifon, 
 vrhere he had ojly four crowns per month for his /up- 
 port. 
 
 I had been very ferviceable to this man, and deter- 
 mined to deliver him with myfelf : he accepted the pro- 
 pofal, and every thing was prepared. But, to my great 
 aftonilhment, the fcuundrel difcovered all, and obtained, 
 as a reward, both pardon and liberry. One of the offi- 
 cers efcaped, but the other was punifhed. 
 
 I was clofcly confined to my room, and guarded with 
 greater vigilance than before. 
 
 1 \\J11 here break, off my narrative, to mention an ad- 
 venture 1 had with this Captain Manget, at Warfaw, in 
 1749 three years after his ti.ac'.ery. 
 
 i met him in company ny accident. It is eafy to 
 imagine the co.npliment 1 paid him, which I accom- 
 panied with a caning. He lolt his temper, and chal- 
 C 3 lcngd
 
 l8 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 lenged me to fight him with piftols. We fired together, 
 and my firft (hot killed him on the fpot j and I cannot 
 fav that his death ever fat heavy on my confcience. 
 
 To return. My fituation at Glatz was become much 
 more difagreea'ole ', the King's fufpicions ftrengthened, 
 aid he was additionally irritated at my attempt to efcape. 
 Thus left to myfelf, I looked on my deftiny in the 
 iv) -lO o-'oomy point of view, and all my thoughts were 
 dirtied towards death or deliverance. 
 
 The firft attempt I made was this. 
 
 I was confined in a tower which overlooked the 
 city, and my window was about thirty yards from the 
 ground. It was therefore impoffible to efcape without 
 jMnfiuig through the town, and it was neceflary to have a 
 momentary place of refuge for that pur;:ofe. One of 
 t! c oMic^rs, induced by my liberality, perfuaded an 
 honefl waflierman to receive me. I cut through three 
 ir.onftrc-iS iron bars with a pen-knife, which I had 
 converted into a faw ; but as it was neceffary to remove 
 eight bars from the window before I could pafs,- ano- 
 ther officer furnithed me with a file. I was obliged to 
 take great care not to be overheard by the fentinels. 
 When this bufinefs was completed, I cut ray leathern 
 portmanteau into thongs, fewed them together, and, 
 with the addition of my flieets, got fafe to ground. It 
 rained, the night was dark, and every thing went well. 
 But 1 was obliged to pals through the ditch, which was 
 full of mud, in my way to the town. This I had not 
 forefeen. 1 funk up to the knees in the mire, and after 
 taving ftruggled a long while, and made the greateft 
 efforts to get out, I found myfelf grow weak, and was 
 obliged to call to the fentinel, and defire him to ac- 
 quaint the commandant with my fituation. 
 
 General Fouq was then our Governor ; a me ft 
 
 'inhuman being, with whom my father had fought a 
 duel, and whofe baggage the Auftrian Trenck had ta- 
 ken in 1744, after having laid the county of Gl.;tz un- 
 der contribution. He, in confequence, neglected .no op- 
 portunity to give me proofs of his hatred, tfpecially on 
 this occafion ; he left me in the mud till noon, that I 
 might ferve as a laughing ftock to the foidiery. 
 
 Wkea
 
 Oy BAR.ON TRENCK. 1C? 
 
 When I was taken out, I was carried back to con- 
 finement, and for a whole day was refufed water to walh 
 myfelf. I was in a dreadful Hate"; worn out with fa- 
 tigue, and covered with rcud. It was not till the fol- 
 lowing day that two prifoners were permitted to ailut 
 me in cleaning myfelf. The rigour of my imprifonment 
 grew infinitely more fevere ; but I had fortunately fa- 
 ved eighty Louis d'ors, which I afterwards found of ef- 
 fential fervice. 
 
 Eight days had fcarcely elapfed after this unfuccefsful 
 attempt, when Major Doo, fome years afterwards ciii- 
 mifled the fervice with infamy, came to fee me, with an 
 Adjutant, and the officer of the guard. After having 
 examined my room, he beftowed the appellation of 
 treafon on the efforts I had made to recover my liberty j 
 adding, that my attempt would certainly increafe the 
 anger of the King. He was proceeding to talk to m^ 
 of patience; but I interrupted him, to aik how long my 
 imprifonment was to latt. He anfvvered that the con- 
 finement of a traitor, who had kept up a treafonable 
 correfpondence with the enemy, depended entirely oil 
 the King's pleafure. At that inilaat 1 fnatched his 
 fword, on which my eyes had long been fixed, darted 
 out of the door, and threw the fentinel from the top to 
 the bottom of the ftairs. I then paffed before the guard- 
 houle, where the foldiers' were under arms to itop me ; 
 ruihed upon them fword in hand, dillributed my blows 
 to the right and left, to open a pailage. and wounded 
 four men. The relt were afraid, and gave way. At 
 length I reached the rampart, and jumped \virhout heii- 
 tation into the diti:a. Luckily 1 did not receive the 
 kail hurt, and fail kept the fword in rcy hand. 
 
 In the mean time a fsntincl in a narrow paffage 
 advanced to oppofe my efcape j but though he had his 
 bayonet fixed, i fooa difarmed and wounded him in the 
 face. Another came up at the fame moment, and at- 
 tempted to attack me behind ; but I perceived his in- 
 tention, and leaped over the paliifades, to which, unfor- 
 tunately 1 hung by one of my feet. I then received a 
 wound '.vith a bayonet, in my upper lip, and the fen- 
 tinel
 
 20 LIFE AND ADVEN7URBS 
 
 tinel held me by the feet till forae foldiers came to his 
 affiftance-. As I made a defperate defence, I was exceed- 
 ingly ill treated, and carried back to prifon half dead. 
 
 The bold, though ra(h defign I had formed for my 
 ffcape not having fucceeded, I was now more clofely 
 confined than ever ; a non-commifiioned officer and two 
 privates were flmt up with me in my apartment, and 
 themfelves were guarded bv fentinels without. I was 
 terribly brulfed with the blows I had received j my right 
 foot was fprained, and I fpit bloo'd. It was more than a 
 month before my wounds were healed *. 
 
 Notwithftanding what had occurred, I foon meditated 
 new projects to efcape, and began by making acquaint- 
 ance with my guards. I had money, and with this 
 powerful agent, and the pity I found means to infpire, 
 nothing was impoflible with wretched Pruflian foldiers. 
 In a fhort time 1 perfuaded thirty-two men to execute, 
 at the firft word, whatever I might think proper to 
 command. They did not know one another, except 
 indeed two or three, fo that they could not all be 
 betrayed together. I chofe a non commitiionfd officer, 
 of the name of Nicolai, to command them. The gar- 
 rilon of the citadel cotifiited only of a hundred and 
 twenty men, detached from a garrifon battalion, the reft 
 of which were difptrfed through the county of Glatz, 
 and of four officeis, tiiree or" v\hom were in the plot. 
 All was ready, and my companions armed with piftols 
 and fwords, lay concealed in an oven in my priibn. 
 Our defign was to fet all the prisoners at lk>erty, and to 
 retire with drums beating to Bohemia. Unfortunately^ 
 an Auftrian dcfcrter, in the fecret, discovered our plot ; 
 the Governor immediately lent orders to the officer of 
 
 the 
 
 * On tbis oco.fion I learned for the firft time, that the King 
 had only condemned me to a year' impulonmcnt. My mother 
 lolkited my pardon. " Your lim," anlweretl the K;I^, " niufl 
 remain a year in prilon, to pur.ifh him lor his criminal ccrrJpon- 
 dence " I \vas unfortunately ignorant of this, aod at G stz u wa 
 reported th^t I was conhncd for .ife.- I had eujftqucntij uiiljr 
 three weeks longer to wait to obtain my liberty with togi-our, whui 
 I made tins dtlpcratc attempt.
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. 21 
 
 the guard, to take Nicolai into cuftody, and to have an 
 eye to the cafemates. But Nicolai vv_ : s himfelf on 
 guard, and the Lieutenant, who was my friend, told 
 him that we were betrayed. Nicolai therefore inilantly 
 leaped into the cafemates," and cried out : " Fellow 
 foidiers, to arms ! we are betrayed !" They all followed 
 him to the guard-houfe, where they fcized the arms, 
 and the officer was deferted by all except eight noen. 
 The confpirators, loading their pieces with bail, came 
 back to deliver me , but the prifon door, of iron, was 
 too folid, and the time too ihort, to force it open. 
 Nicolai called me to affiit them j but all my efforts were , 
 ineffectual. This brave man, feeing^ that nothing 
 could be done for me, placed himlelf at the head of 
 nineteen others, and fafely retreated to Braunaw i;i 
 Bohemia. 
 
 Every kind of precaution was ufed to prevent my 
 efcape, except putting me in irons j and the foidiers 
 were removed from my room : but the greateft mif- 
 fortune was my having fpent all my money : and my 
 female friend at Berlin wrote to me at length in theie 
 words : 
 
 I weep for you ; your misfortune h without remedy ; this is 
 the laft letter 1 dare to rifle ; make your efcape if you can ; you 
 will find me the fame at ail times, when it is in my power to ferve 
 you. Farewel, unfortunate friend ; you delerve a Letter fate ! 
 
 Soon after this, an adventure happened to me, which 
 had fcarcely its fellow. A Lieutenant, named Bach, a 
 Dane, mounted guard every fourth da} 7 , and was the 
 terror of the garrifon. Being an excellent fencer, he 
 frequently quarrelled with the officers, and almort 
 always wounded them. For this failing he had been 
 removed by way of puniihment, from two other 
 regiments, to the garrifon battalion at Glatz. He told 
 me one day, that, the evening before, he had wounded 
 a Lieutenant Schell in the arm. I anfwercd, laughing, 
 " If I were at liberty, you would not find it eafy to 
 ferve me io , for I don't fence amifs." In a moment 
 he took fire ', we made a pair of wretched wooden 
 foils, and, the very firil th;uit, I hit him on the breaft. 
 
 Ha
 
 22 LIFU AND ADVENTURES 
 
 He left the room in great confufion, and a minute 
 after returned with two foldiers' fwords, concealed 
 under his coat. He gave me one : " Now," faid he, 
 " great talker, let us fee what you can do." I en- 
 deavoured to find an excufe j but he ruflied on me like 
 a madman, and I was obliged to wound him in the 
 fword arm. He threw away his fword, embraced me, 
 burft into tears, and, with the ftrongeft emotion, cried 
 out r *' Friend, you are my matter ! you fliall obtain 
 your liberty by means of me, and that as certainly as 
 my name is Bach 1" I bound up his wounds j and he 
 left me, fecretly fent for a furgeon to drefs his arm r 
 and returned the fame evening. He then faid it was 
 impoffible to efcape, unlefs th officer of the guard ac- 
 companied my flight : that he would lofe his life to 
 ferve me with pleafure , but that he 'could not do a 
 thing fo very oppofite to his duty, as deferting while on 
 guard. The fame evening he came again, and bring-- 
 ing Lieutenant Sc'hell with him, faid, " Here is your 
 man." Schell, embracing me, gave me his word of 
 honour. 
 
 As money was requifite to procure fome neceflary 
 favours from the officers on duty, who were eafily to be 
 corrupted, I requeued Bach to go to Schweidnitz, to 
 obtain fome from a trufty friend 1 had there. Several 
 fucceeding days were fpent in confutations and con- 
 trivances : but in the next room to mine was a Captain 
 Damnitz, confined, inllead of being hanged as a fpy i 
 this fellow, difcerning that the officers did not itricily 
 obey their orders with refpeft to me, gave information 
 of it, which led to a difcovery of our fchemes. But 
 Schell getting a moment's previous notice of the affair, 
 and difdaimng t fly alone," came hattily into my prifon, 
 and taking a Corijorai's iabre from under his coat, 
 " My friend," faid he, " we are betrayed. Follow me, 
 and all 1 beg is, that you will not let me fall alive into 
 the hands of my enemies. We have not a minute to 
 lofe." I waited only to put on a coat, and draw on 
 my boots, not having even time to take the little money 
 1 had left. On going out, Schell kid to the fentinei, 
 
 " The
 
 OF BAR.ON TRF.NCK.. 5 
 
 " The prifoner is going with me to the officer's guard- 
 room : ftay where you are." We entered the guard- 
 room, but a moment after we went out of the oppoiite 
 door. 
 
 We had hardly advanced an hundred yards, when 
 we met Major Quaadt, with the Adjutant. Schell 
 ftarted back, ran up the rampart, and jumped into the 
 ditch, 1 followed him, and came fafe to the ground, 
 with only a few bruifes j but my poor friend diflocated 
 his foot. Immediately he prefented me his fword, and 
 begged me to kill him, and then make my efcape : he 
 was a very weakly, little man. Far from complying 
 with his requeft, I took him round the waift, threw 
 him over the pallifades ; and then, taking him oh my 
 back, ran off, without knowing whither i was going. 
 The fun had juft fet, when we took our flight ; a 
 fhower of fleet was falling, and nobody chofe to hazard 
 the dangerous leap we had taken. We were hardly at 
 a hundred paces off, when we heard the alarm guns five. , 
 This frightened my poor friend much, becaufe he knew 
 that in fuch cafes it was almoft impofiible to efcape from 
 Glatz, without a ftart of at lead two leagues j and the 
 paflages were at that time ftridly guarded. 
 
 All was in motion before and behind us. Schell 
 had taken nothing but his fword, and I a Corporal's 
 fahre. Among the officers ordered to purfue us, was a 
 Lieutenant Bart, my intimate friend, and Captain 
 Zeibft, of Fouq 's regiment, who had always expreiied 
 the kindeft regard for me. They overtook us'on the 
 frontiers of Bohemia, when the latter called out : ''My 
 friend, turn to the left, on the fide where you fee a fevr 
 fcattered houfes ; that is the road to the frontiers of 
 Bohemia : the Huflars are gone the other way." On 
 laying this he went away, as if iie had not feen us. 
 We had nothing to fear from the officers, for the har- 
 mony that then exifted among the military in Pruflia 
 was fo complete, and the word of honour held fo 
 facred, that during my rigorous confinement at Glatz, 
 I was once (hooting thirty-fix hours on the grounds of 
 tbe Baron of Stillenfried. Lieutenant Lunitz flayed in 
 
 my
 
 24 Lir~ AND ADVENTURES 
 
 my place, and fhe Major who vifited the apartments 
 vras not ignorant of my abfence. A judgment may be 
 formed thence of the confidence placed in the word of 
 poor Trenck, fince he was fuffered to leave his dun- 
 geon, an/i hunt on the very confines of Bohemia. 
 
 When I had carried my friend about three hundred 
 faces, I laid him down, and looked round me ; but 
 fuch was the darknefs of the nir;ht, that I could fee 
 ru-itber town nor citadel. " Where are we, Schell ?' 1 
 faid I : " where is .Bohemia ? On > which fide does the 
 NeifTeii run ?" My poor friend had loft his prefen,ce of 
 mind ; and, defpairing to efcape, begged me again not 
 to let him be taken alive. 
 
 I promifed, by every thing facred, to prevent his 
 fufftrriiig an ignominious dearth, fhould it be impoifible 
 to do otherwife , he on this took a little coinage, looked 
 round him, and faw by fome trees, that we were not 
 far from the gate of the town, and mewed me the 
 NeifTc'ii. I took him again on my back, and carried 
 him llraight to the river. We heard the alarm-bells 
 ringing in all the villages, and the pcafants appointed 
 to prevent defertion, running every one to his polt. I 
 reached the NeiiTen, that was then but little frozen; 
 w lli.'d in with my friend on my back, and carried 
 him as lon^ as I found bottom ; when I loll it, which 
 was only for about the diuance of about fix yards, he 
 took hold of my hair, and in this hazardous way we 
 reached the oppofite bank. 
 
 It is eafy to conceive what I muft have fuffered from 
 fwimming, on the 24th of December, and from re- 
 maining eighteen hours after in the open air. About 
 ftven o'clock, a hard froft to ;k place of the hazv 
 weather, an ; the moon began to ilievv herfelf. My 
 friend, whom I carried on my back, warmed me, it is 
 true j but I began to tire. He fullered extremely from 
 the cold, the moil acute pain in his diflocated foot, 
 and the fear of death awaiting us on every fide. 
 
 1 followed the courfe of the river about half an 
 hour : and whun t had pafled the firft villages, where 
 the line intended to prevent defertion begins, 
 
 vvn;c.i 
 
 in 
 
 ?
 
 OF BAR.OX TRENCK.. -) 
 
 which Schell was well acquainted, we found, very op- 
 portunely, a fifhing boat fattened to the more ; we 
 jumped 'into it, croiTed the river, and in a very fliort 
 tune reached the mountains. 
 
 Here our hopes began to revive j we fat down a 
 moment on the fnow. I cut a (tick, to help Schell to 
 drag hirafelf along, whenever I might be too tired to 
 carry him, and we continued our rout. In this manner 
 we paffed the night but advanced very little on our way. 
 At length the day began to dawn, and we fuppofed 
 ourfelves near the frontiers, which are at four leagues 
 diftance from Glatz, when all at once we heard the 
 town clock ftrike. We were equally hard prefled by 
 cold, hunger, and fatigue, and obliged to come to a de 
 determination. After walking half an hour more, we 
 drew near a village, at the foot of the mountain. At 
 fome diftance we perceived two detached houfes, which 
 infpired us with a ftratagem. 
 
 We had loft our hats in jumping from the ram- 
 parts j but Schell had ftill his fafh and gorget on, 
 which, it was poffible, might give him fome authority 
 among the peafants. I cut my finger, and rubbed the 
 blood on my face, fliirt. and coat, by way of giving 
 myfelf the appearance of a man dangeroufly wounded, 
 and tied a handkerchief round my head. 
 
 In this fituation ' 1 carried Schell to the extremity of 
 the wood, which ended at a little diftance from the 
 heufes. There he tied my hands behind me, and fol- 
 lowed me, walking on one leg with help of his flick, 
 and calling out for afiillance. Two old peafants 
 coming up, Schell ordered them to run and tell th 
 Mayor to come direclly with a cart. " 1 have taken 
 up this villain," added he : "he has killed my horfe, 
 and is the caufe of diflocating my foot. I have wounded 1 
 him, and tied his hands. Make hafte with the cart, 
 that I may hang him up before he expire !" I fuffered 
 myfelf to be dragged into a room,. as if I were half dead. 
 An old woman, and a pretty girl, feemed to pity me 
 much, and gave me milk and bread: but how great 
 was our aftonimment, when the old peafant called 
 D
 
 ADVENT BRKS 
 
 26 L1FU 
 
 Schell by his name, and told him ttat he -knew very 
 well that we were the deferters ourfelvts, for that an 
 crfficer, in purfuit of us, had related the hiilory of our 
 flight. 
 
 Hearing this difcourfe, I laid afide all difguife, and 
 ran to the ftable. We were only about a league and 
 a half's diftance from Glatz, having loft our way on the 
 mountains, where we had long wandered to no purpofe. 
 The girl followed me to the flable, in which I found 
 three horfes, but no bridles. 1 fupplicated her, with 
 ,the moft earned entreaties, to affift me 5 me was affec- 
 ted, and immediately gave me what 1 requefted. I led 
 out the horfes, and put Schell on one of them. The 
 old man began to cry, and begged us not to take away 
 his horfes j but fortunately he haJ not the courage to 
 Hop us. 
 
 We rode awsy without fadciles a'nd without hats, 
 Schell in regimentals with his fab and gorget, and I 
 in the fcarlet uniform of the light guards ; but at that 
 very moment all our hopes had nearly vanifhed, for my 
 my horfe was reftive and would not advance j how- 
 ever, as I was a good horfeman, I at laft found means 
 to make him git on. Ere we got a hundred yards on 
 our way, the pedants were coming out of the village in 
 crowds. 
 
 There was no other road than that p( Wunfchelburg ; 
 indto make our efcape, it was neceifary to ride through 
 the town. A month before Schell had been qua'rteree 
 there j every body knew him j and our appcarancs 
 plainly proclaimed us diferters. However, our horfe, 
 were pretty good, and we got clear out of the town 
 although eighty foot and ,tweive buffers were Rationed 
 there to prevent defertion. We arrived at Jiummcrn at 
 eleven in the morning. 
 
 He alone, who has been in fimilar circumfiances. can 
 figure to himfelf, but cannot defcribe, the joy .we no\v 
 felt. 
 
 Arrived at Braunaw, on tli3 frontiers of Bohemia, we 
 tvere at length in fafcty. My firft care was to fend back 
 
 to General Fouq the horfes and. the corporal's fabre 
 
 which we had carried off. 
 
 Frum
 
 F BARON TRENCKf. L"J 
 
 From that moment all my effefts were confifcated, I 
 tfrote, indeed, to the King, to give an account of my 
 condudl ; I adduced proofi of my innocence, and de- 
 manded juflice ; but obtained no anfwer : to gain my 
 caufe, I mould have had occafion for an army. 
 
 Thus did I find myfelf a flranger in Bohemia, tvith- 
 out money, without friends, and only twenty years old. 
 I had been quartered at Braunaw in 1744, and lodged 
 n-t that time at the houfe of a weaver, to whom I had 
 done fume fervice, by faving his houfe from pillage. 
 I went to fee him ; and he received us with marks of 
 gratitude. 
 
 Our fortune confided of a Louis d'or, ,and forty 
 grofhen. I would not go to my coufin Trenck, for 
 fear of juftifying the imputations of treafon brought 
 againft me. I wrote to my female friend at Berlin, 
 but received no anfwer ; my mother was prejudiced, 
 and abandoned me to fate j my brothers were minors, 
 and my friend of Sweidnitz could not fend me any 
 thing. 
 
 After three weeks ftay at Braunaw, my friend reco- 
 Tered the ufe of his leg : but to defray the expences of 
 the cure, we fold my watch, and his falh and gorget ; 
 and, when all was paid, we had only four florins left. 
 
 I refolved to go on foot to my mother, who was in 
 Pruffia, and to endeavour to obtain fome alliftance from. 
 her, to enable me to enter into the Ruffian fervice. 
 Schell refufed to leave me. 
 
 We affumed fictitious names ; and pafipoits were 
 given us as to common deftiters. I took the name o 
 Knert, arid Schell that of Leich. We privately left 
 Braunaw in the evening of Jan. 21, and directed our 
 fteps towards Bilitz in Poland. A friend, whom 1 had 
 at Xeurode, had given us a pair of pocket-piilols, a 
 mufket, and three ducats : this money was alfo fpent at 
 Braunaw. J mull obferve that I had lent this friend, 
 on an urgent occafion, a hundred ducats, which he ft ill 
 owes me, and that when I aflied him for them at this 
 time, he lent me three, as if he were giving roe charity. 
 
 D ' Extracts
 
 2 LIFE AND AVDENTURES 
 
 Extra<5U from the Journal of our Journey on foot from Braanaw, in 
 Bohemia, to Merenirz, by way of Belitz, in Poland, and from 
 Mcrenitz, by way of I horn, to Eiblng, making in all one hun- 
 dred and fixty-nint German miles* ; which diftaace we travelled 
 without begging or robbing. 
 
 ^JAN. 1 8, 1747, from Braunaw to Nacliod, three 
 miles. Our flock confifted of three florins, and forty- five 
 groflien. 
 
 The i Qth, to Newftadt. Here Schell trucked his 
 .uniform-for an old coat. 
 
 The 2Oth we proceeded to Leutomifchel, five miles* 
 There I bought a loaf hot out of the oven, which 1 de- 
 voured with fo much voracity, that it had nearly kill- 
 ed me. 
 
 The 2jth we reached Freyburg, nineteen miles. We 
 found on the road, a violin and cafe. The landlord 
 where we dined; gave us two florins for it, though it was 
 worth at leaft twenty. 
 
 Travelling till the 28th we got to Bilitz, the laft 
 Auftrian town on the frontiers of Poland. We paffed 
 for common Pruflian deferters j but a drummer, who had 
 
 deferted from Glatz, knew us, and told Captain Ca 
 
 of the garrifon who we we:a. He very rudely ordered 
 us to be taken into cuftody, and fent us on foot to Te- 
 fchen, at four miles diftance. 
 
 The commandant of this place \vas Baron Schvart- 
 2er, a man of great honour. He exprefled much con- 
 cern at our fituation, and blamed the irregular coiidudt 
 of Captain Ca . 
 
 He gave us horfes to carry us a fecond time to Belitz, 
 and four ducats ; which enabled me to purchafe a new 
 pair of boots, of which I was in great want. 
 
 We paffed through Bilitz, and went on to Biala, the 
 rft Polifh town, from whence I fent a challenge to 
 
 Ca , offering to fight him with fword or piftol, 
 
 but never received an anfvvtr. 
 
 The ift of February we went from Biala to Ofwiec- 
 zin. I determined to go and tequeit affiftanec from my 
 
 * 'I he Gcrrii-n mile is upwards of feur Englifli. 
 
 fitter.
 
 OF BARON TR.ENCK. 29 
 
 lifter, who had married Mr. Waldow, and refided at 
 Hnmmer, in Brandenburg, a frontier town of Poland, 
 and lived in affluence. In our way we fuffered much, 
 from the fnow, and the thinnefs of our clothing, which 
 was ill-fuited to the feverity of the weather. Schell was 
 alfo carelefs enough to lofe our purfe, containing nine 
 florins. I had, however, nineteen gromen in my poc- 
 ket. 
 
 The jth, we arrived at Ezenftochova, where we 
 paiTed the night at an alehoufe : the landlord had been 
 a Lieutenant in the Auftrian fervice, had met with 
 many misfortunes, and was reduced to the fituation of a 
 poor alehoufe-keeper in Poland. As we had not a fin- 
 gle groih remaining, we afked him for a bit of bread, but 
 the generous man made us fit down to table. 1 then 
 told him who we were. Scarcely had we finiflied our 
 fupper, when a carriage drove to the houfe with three 
 perfons in it, who had the appearance of merchants. 
 They had their own horfes with them, and were attend- 
 ed by a footman and coachman. 
 
 We went to bed ; but fo:m after our good landlord 
 came and told us, with much furprife, that thefe gentle- 
 men were people in difguife, fent from Pruffia to take us; 
 that they had offered him at fir ft fifty, and then a hun- 
 dred ducats, for his permiffion to take us in the houfe, 
 and to fetter and carry us to Silefia : that he had refufed 
 their propofal, although they had offered him a ftill lar- 
 ger funi j and that they had given him fix ducats, to par- 
 chafe his file nee. 
 
 At firft I wanted to take my piftols, and attack my 
 enemies in their chamber j but Lazare and Schell pre- 
 vented me. Thcfe gentlemen let off early in the morn- 
 ing, and took the road to AVarfaw. We wifhed to fet 
 off alfo ; but Lazare kept us two days at his houfe, al- 
 molt by force, and gave us the fix ducats he had recei- 
 ved from the Pruffians. This fum enabled Vis to buy a 
 Ihiit each, a fc-cond pair of pocket piltols, ftockings, and 
 other necefiaries, which we very much wanted. We 
 then took leave of our good landlord, after having em- 
 braced him .iffetlionately, and thanked him for his im- 
 portant fervice.
 
 ^d LU'E AND ADVNTt'MiS 
 
 The 7th, we took the road to Parftmichi; but had 
 fcarcely walked a league, when we perceived a carriage 
 on the road. We difcovered it to be that of our ene- 
 mies, feemintjly interrupted by the fnow. The gen- 
 tlemen were {landing round it , .and when they faw us 
 approach called out for our affirtance. But we retired 
 about thirty paces from the path, and anfwered thst we 
 had not time to affift them. On hearing this, they all 
 jumped into the carriage, took their piflols, and began 
 to drive after us, crying out, " Halt, fcoundrels, ftop !" 
 We at firft, made off; but turning fuddenly round, I 
 fired my mufket at the nearelt, and killed him on the 
 fpot. Schell difcharged his piftols -, our purfuers did 
 the fame, and my friend received a ball in his neck. I 
 then attacked them ; and, taking but my piftols, one 
 of them ran away. I furiouily purfued. and at length 
 overtook him : he attempted to defend himfelf with his 
 fword ; but I preffed hard upon him, and with one 
 blow brought him to the ground. I returned inftantly 
 to Schell, whom the two others were dragging towards 
 the carriage j but when they perceived me, they ran off 
 acrofs the fields. The coachman, feeing the event of 
 the battle, leaped on his box, and galloped away. 
 Schell, whom I had thus delivered, had a {hot in his 
 neck, and a wound in his right hand, which made him 
 drop his fword ; but not, as he affured me, till he had 
 dangeroufly wounded one of his adverfaries. The firll 
 whom. I had killed had a watch, of which I took pol- 
 fcffion. I was going to take his purfe likewife, when 
 Schell {hewed me a coach, drawn by fix horfes coming 
 doftn the hill. I therefore took the hat and mufket of 
 him 1 had firft killed j and both retired to a neighbour- 
 ing wood, made a pretty long circuit, and in the evening 
 arrived at Parfemichi. 
 
 Schell, whofe wounds I had dreffed in the befl way 
 I was able, was covered with blood ; and as no furgeon 
 is to be found in the Polifh villages, it was confequently 
 with difficulty that he reached the place where we 
 flept. 
 
 Of the four men who attacked us, only one returned 
 alive to Glatz, with the coachman. , The name of the 
 
 officer
 
 OF BARON TRENC.t. 3! 
 
 fncer wns Gerfdorft ; and he had about him a hundred 
 and fifty ducats, when his body was carried off. 
 
 We fold the watch to a Jew, for four ducats, the hat 
 for three florins and a half, and the mufket for a ducat, 
 Shell being unable to carry it. We fpent the greatefl 
 part of this money at Parfemichi, the furgeon making 
 us pay dear for his plaiflers. 
 
 After travelling five days, at Goblin we found ur- 
 felves without bread, and withotit money. I therefore 
 fold my coat to a Jew, who gave me in return a coarfe 
 frock and four florins : as we approached my filler's 
 place of refidence, I thought it was as much as we flood 
 in need of. But Schell grew weaker and weaker every 
 dy, his wounds healed flowly, and coft a great deal. 
 The cold was unfavourable to them j and, being care- 
 lefs about his perfon, his body became a receptacle of 
 every kind of Polifh vermin. 
 
 Feb. 23d. we reached Rakonitz, and from thence 
 Karger-Holland, four miles and a half. That we 
 might not perifh with hunger, we there fold a fhirt. 
 and Schell his waiilcoat, for eighteen grofhen. The 
 evening before I had killed a wood-hen, which we ate 
 raw : we found it good j and I afterwards (hot a rook, 
 and devoured it alone, Schell refufing to tafte it. 
 
 The 24th, through Bentzen, to Littel, four miles. 
 We Hopped there a day, to make enquiry about the 
 road that leads to Hammer, in Brandenburg, where my 
 filler relided. The wife of a Pruffian foldier, native of 
 a village belonging to my brother-in-law, was by good 
 fortune there. I made myfelf known to her, and fhe 
 undertook to be our guide. 
 
 The 27th, to Oil, and from thence, through a thick 
 wood, to my filler's houfe, at the door of which I 
 knocked at nine o'clock in the evening. A girl, 
 named Mary, opened it ; and, as fhe had been brought 
 up in the houfe, recollected me. She was much fright- 
 ened at firfl, on feeing a tall, ill-looking man, dreffed 
 like a beggar. My brother-in-law was fick in bed. I 
 therefore begged her to acquaint my fifler that I wifhed 
 to fpeak to her. Shortly my filler came in ha lie to join 
 
 me,
 
 32 LIFB AKD AW El- \ 
 
 me. Her aftontfhment was the greater, as fne did not 
 know I had made my efcape from Glatz. She ran to 
 inform her hufband of my arrival ; and I faw her n<i 
 more. A quarter of an hour after, the kind Mary 
 came weeping, and faid that her mafter ordered us to 
 leave his houfe initantly, or he fhould be obliged to 
 have us taken into cuftody. 
 
 Judge of my feelings at that moment ! Too proud 
 toafk for money, I left the houfe like a madman, call- 
 ing down a thoufand curfes on the heads of its inha- 
 bitants. The good-natured Mary ran after me, and 
 flipped three ducats into my hand. I accepted them, 
 and we returned again to the wood, at a hundred yards 
 diftance from the houfe, dying with hunger, fatigued, 
 and afraid, becaufe we were in the dominions of Bran- 
 denburg. We walked all night in the inovv and rain, 
 and at dawn of day again reached Littel. 
 
 Although our poor guide had run great rifle, I could 
 only give her two ducats. But I promifed her more 
 at my return ; and indeed I fcnt for her to Vienna in 
 1751, and took great care of her there. 
 
 My filler was not concerned in the infamous treat- 
 ment I experienced j her rich and hard-hearted hulband 
 alone was to blame. 
 
 Thus difappointed, I refolved to pay a vifit to my 
 mother, in Prufiia, nine miles on the other fide of 
 Koenigiburg. 
 
 Five days afterwards, we reached Ra^ofen ; but had 
 not a farthing to pay for beds, and were turned out of 
 doors by a Jew who kept the ale-houie : not knowing- 
 what to do, and dying with hunger, we walked all 
 night, and at dawn of day found we had wandered two 
 miles out tf the road. 
 
 . We went into a peafant's houfe, where an old woman 
 was drawing the bread out of the oven. As we had not 
 wherewithal to buy any, I felt at that paoment that it 
 was really poflVble to commit a murder for a blr ofbread. 
 Tormented by this thought, I hafted to leave the h . <uic, 
 and we walked to Wongrofze, where I fold my muiket 
 for a ducat. Then, indeed, we ale our hearts con- 
 tent. 
 
 A few
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. 33 
 
 A few days after this \ve entered Thorn, in the 
 jnidft of a fair : a robbery having been committed a 
 few days before by feme unknown perfons, our mi- 
 ferable appearance threw fufpicion on us j and we fuf- 
 fered infults from the mob, confinement, and a thou- 
 fand indignities : but our dories correfponding, though 
 we were in feparate places, and nothing miichievous 
 being found among our papers, we were at length libe- 
 rated, after receiving a ducat from the Reftor, and a 
 crown each from the Burgo-mafter, as a fort of com- 
 penfation. 
 
 ReflefHng, before we left Thorn, that to go to 
 Elbing, we mould be obliged to pafs through feveral 
 PrufTian villages, I afked a fhopkeeper to inform me 
 where we could meet with any maps. He directed us 
 to an old woman's who was Handing at her door. 
 We addrefled ourfelves to her,, and were kindly re- 
 ceived, becaufe I added that we were unfortunate tra- 
 vellers, who wanted to find out the road to Ruffia. 
 She ccndudled us to . her chamber, put a map on the 
 table, and placed herfelf oppofite to me while I looked 
 over it. After having gazed on me with much atten- 
 tion, fhe cried, " Good heaven, who knows what my 
 poor fon may be doing ! I fee, Sir, that you are alfo 
 of a good family. My boy is gone to feek his fortune j 
 I have not heard from him theie eight years : but I be- 
 lieve he is a Cuirafller in the Auftrian fervice." I 
 aiked her in what regiment. " In Hokenem ; he is 
 exactly like you." " Js he not about my height?" 
 " Yes, thereabout." " Is not his hair fair ?" u Yes 
 like your's Sir." " VvMiat is his name ?" " Wil- 
 
 helm." " My dear old lady," cried I, " Wilhelra 
 
 is not dead , he is ftill alive, and was my moft intimate 
 friend while I belonged to the reigment !" On hearing 
 this the poor woman was no longer miilrcfs of her emo- 
 tion ; (he threw herfelf into my arms, called me her guard- 
 ian angel, and alked me a thouiand quellions, which I 
 eafily anfweied ? for her eagernefs made her give anfwers 
 to herfelf without her perceiving it. For this once I 
 played the part of an impoilor, conihaincd by irrefiftible 
 ucctiTity.
 
 34 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 I faid that I alfo was a private foldier in the regi- 
 ment of Hokenem ; that I had obtained a forlough 10 
 fee my mother, and that I fhould return in .a month, 
 and would take her letters. I even undertook to fend 
 her fon to her, provided (he would buy his difcharge. 
 I begged her to take care of my companion, who could 
 go no further; and that as foon as I fhould arrive at 
 my journey's end, I would fend him money to enable 
 him to join me, or that 1 would come and fetch him 
 myfelf, and pay all the expences (he might beat on his 
 account*. The good woman, not contented with co'mg 
 me fo great a piece of fervicr, made me dine with her, 
 gave me a new fhirt, ftockings, provisions for three days, 
 and fix Lunen'ourg florins. 
 
 In the evening I fet off from Thorn, with the confo- 
 lation of leaving my dear friend Schell in good hands. 
 We parted with regret ; and I walked that day, the 
 1 3th, as far as Burglow, at two miles diftance. It is 
 eafy to conceive my forrow and defpondency, on find- 
 ing myfetf feparated from my beft friend. Tnat mo- 
 ment was the mod diftreflTing I ever pafled in my life ; 
 indeed, I was very near returning to fetch him, and 
 lead him on with me>) b.ut reafon at length got the 
 better. 
 
 Ihe next two days I walked thirteen miles. At Moeva 
 I fiept on ftraw with a number of waggoners : when I 
 waked, I perceived I had been robbed of my piftols, and 
 the little money that remained in my pocket -, and all 
 my fellow lodgers gone. My fcore amounted to eighteen 
 Pol'.fli grufiien, which 1 was under the necefilty of pay- 
 ing, the landlord being info lent. I therefore gave him 
 the only fpare mirt I pofleffed, and a filk handkerchief 
 given me by the old woman at Thorn j and fet off def- 
 titute of even a farthing. 
 
 To reach Marienburg without falling into the barui? 
 of the Pruffians, it was necevTary to crofs the Viftnla j 
 but I had not money to pay the pafiage. Perceiving 
 two men fifhing in a fmall boat by the river fide, 1 ad- 
 vanced towards them, drew my fabre, and forced them 
 to row rne.to the oppofite bank, j which when 1
 
 OF BAR.ON TREttCK. 35 
 
 "I tock the oars from thefe timid people, leaped out of 
 the boat, puflied it from the more, and let them drive at 
 the mercy of th<^ ftreara. Thus, for want of half a grofh, 
 I ran the rilkof lofing my ov;n life, or of committing a 
 murder. 
 
 At Marie nburgh were Saxon and Piuflian recruiting 
 parties. As 1 had no money, I ate and drank with them, j 
 liftened to their proportions, gave them hopes, and fet 
 off before the dawn of day. 
 
 At Elbing, the next town, I met with my old tutor, 
 Brodowfky, who was now Captain and Auditor in the 
 Poliih regiment of Golzifchen. We foon recollefled 
 each other, and he took me to his quarters. Here end- 
 ed my long and perilous journey. This worthy man, 
 after haying furnifhed me with every neceflary, wrot 
 to my mother in fo affecling a manner, that in eight 
 hours time Qie arrived at JLlbing, and gave me all the af- 
 fiftance I could defire. 
 
 The reader will eafily figure to himfelf the pleafure I 
 felt on feeing fo tender a parent. She put me in the 
 way to write to my female fliend at Berlin, who foon 
 after fent roe a bill of exchange on Dantzick, of four 
 hundred ducats. My mother, in addition to ihis, gave 
 me a thoufand Crowns, and a diamond crofs worth half 
 that furn. She flayed a fortnight with me, and prevail- 
 ed on me, fpite of my repugnance, to go and pufli my 
 fortune at Vienna. She then bade .me farewell, and 1 ne- 
 ver faw her more. She died in 1754. 
 
 After I had provided all I was in want of, and had 
 made a handfome prefent to my old tutor, I inftantly took 
 the road to Thorn. 
 
 - How great was my emotion when I faw my worthy 
 Schell? The old woman-had taken the greateil care 
 oi him : and was all amazement, when (he faw me drelTed 
 in uniform, accompanied by two footmen. I recorr- 
 penfed her generouily ; told her who I was, and promifed 
 to fend her mortlyi^pofitive account of her fon. In 
 three days Schell was aole t6 travel, when we fet for- 
 ward to the capital of Auilria. 
 
 I anived at Vienna in* April 1747. Having paid 
 travelling expcnces, and purchafed neceffaries for my- 
 
 felf.
 
 36 LIFE AND AtiVENTURES 
 
 felf and Schell, I found I had three hundred ducats re- 
 maining, which I fliared with him. After flaying at 
 Vienna a month, Schell fet off for Italy, to join the re- 
 giment of Pallavicini, in which he had obtained a Lieu- 
 tenancy. 
 
 At Vienna I found my coufin Trenck in prifon at the 
 arfenal. He was the fon of my uncle, who had been 
 Colonel and Commandant of Leitfchau, and who pofief- 
 fed a confiderable eftate in Sclavonia. 
 
 Envy was the fole caufe of my kinftnan's misfortune : 
 notwithftanding the great and faithful fervices he had 
 done the flate, he was fent to pafs the reft of his days at 
 Spielberg. 
 
 When I alighted at Vienna, his Reward, Mr. Lebnor, 
 had me prefented to the Kmperor and Prince Charles j 
 who knowing Trenck's fervices, and that his enemies 
 were malignant, readily granted me permiflion to vifit 
 him in prifon. 
 
 The Emprefs Queen (after my coufin's trial had been 
 revifed in a favourable manner, by the Counfellors, 
 whom he bribed, by my means, with thirty thoufand 
 florins) had it intimated to h ; m, that (he de'ired he 
 would folicit his pardon ; on which condition he \vas to 
 obtain his liberty immediately. Prince Charles, befides, 
 advifed me to pievail on my coufin to take this Hep. 
 But nothing could move him : confident of his innocence, 
 he perfiHed in demanding juftice ; and to this obftioaey 
 owed his ruin. He was rich ; his enemies had already 
 divided eighty thoufand florins of his property, and the 
 reft was iequeftercd, and in their hands. 
 
 Greatly affected with his fituation, I offered to pro- 
 cure him the means of efcape j which he accepted with 
 much feeming gratitude. However, a few days after, I 
 received orders to wait on Field Marmal Count Koe- 
 nigleck : Governor of Vienna. This refpeftable old 
 man advifed me to abandon Trcnck to his fate ; faying 
 that he had betrayed me, by declaring that I had pro- 
 pofed to him to make his efcape j in mort, that he did 
 not fcruple to facrifice me, by way of (hewing the 
 Court, that he was far from employing fuch a refource, 
 
 and
 
 Gf BARON TRENCK.. 37 
 
 and that he expe&ed every thing from the juftice of his 
 
 Aftonilhed at fuch bafe behaviour, I refolved to leave 
 him to fate ; but going to inform Prince Charles of the 
 ingratitude I had juft experienced, he ordered me to 
 return again to my coufin, to feem to know nothinp- of 
 what had paffed, and to continue to do him all the fer- 
 vice in my power. 
 
 Trenck was a man of great abilities, but of unbounded 
 ambition : his loyalty to his Sovereign bordered on en- 
 thufiafm, and his courage, on temerity : his mind was 
 ilifpofed to artifice, and his heart was hard, malignant. 
 and revengeful. His avar ! ce was fo great, that it could 
 not increafe, though he was only thirty-three years old 
 when he died. 
 
 A fortnight had hardly pafled before I met with a 
 new inflance of his treachery. 
 
 I was returning home from his prifon one evening 1 , 
 carrying under my coat a bag full of papers, at which I 
 had been working for him, when I perceived that I was 
 followed by two men in brown great coats. They trod 
 in a manner, on my heels, and faid the mod infolent 
 things of the Pruflnn Trenck. I turned round, and at 
 the fame inftant received a ftab in the left fide, at the 
 place where I had put the bag of writings, which for- 
 tunately faved my life. The weapon had made its way 
 through the papers, and flightly raifed the Ikin. I ira- 
 rrkuiat,ly drew my fword, on which thefe gentlemen 
 made off: but one of them Humbling, 1 feized him by 
 the collar. The guard came up ; he declared that he 
 was an officer of the regiment of Kollovrat, and {hewed 
 his uniform. On this he was relcafed, and I taken ta 
 pr'fjii j where I remained fix days, Laving no witnefs 
 to prove my innocence. On rny return home, thefe 
 fellows, Lieutenants F -- g and K --- n,fent to demand 
 fatisradion for the fuppofed infult they had received. I 
 accepted the challenge, and p'roraifed, at the expiration 
 ot an hour, to repair to the Scotch gate, which they 
 had named as the place of meeting. When I heard 
 their names, I found that they were two famous bullies, 
 E who
 
 
 $5 S LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 who frequently vifited Trenck at the arfcnaT, and prac- 
 tifed fencing every day. 1 went direflly to rny cpuiin, 
 to folicit a hundred duc'its, that I might be able to efcape, 
 in cafe of neceflity. I had been fpending my money to 
 Jerve him, and had not alked him for any thing. My 
 nftonifliment was confequently gre;it, when he anfwered 
 ine with a fneer, " My dear coufin, fince you have got 
 into a difpute without me, you have nothing to do, but 
 to get out of It without me likewife." Nay, when I was 
 going away, he told me that he would confent to pay 
 the expences of my funeral, as he had no doubt that I 
 ihould be killed. Half mad, I ran to Baron Loprefti ; 
 who lent me fifty ducats, and a pair of piftols, with 
 which I repaired gaily to the field of battle j where I 
 found half a dozen officers of the garrifon. I was 
 obliged to take for my fecond a fuperannuated Spanifh 
 Captain, aged at leaft eighty years. 
 
 Lieut. K n I difabled in an inflant, by giving 
 
 Lira a deep wound in the arm. Lieut. F g, taking 
 
 his place, received a thrud in the belly, which brought 
 
 him to the ground. Lieut. M f, fecond of the firlt 
 
 that had been wounded, then advanced, and to'd me. in 
 an angry tone of voice, that I ihould pay dearer for 
 him. My o'cl Spaniard boldly offered his fcrvice, fay- 
 5ng that I had done enough : bat 1 declined his inter- 
 ference. I was, however, defirous of relting a moment -; 
 
 but Lieut. M f excited by his friend, would not give 
 
 me time. He came furioufly on ; and though 1 gave 
 him two wounds in an inflant, one in the hand, and 
 another in the belly, he flill aimed to run me through 
 the body. As I faw it was not a time to tritle, I dif- 
 armed and threw him to the ground. This left the reft 
 no inclination to take up the quarrel ; and my enemies 
 returned to the city, with their wounds. 
 
 Lieut. F g's blood was in a very bad ftate ', and 
 
 his wound, though not dangerous in itfelf, threatening 
 a gangrene, he lent fcr me to pay him a viut. 1 went j 
 when he made many excufes,and gave me to underftand, 
 that I fhould do well to be upon my guard -.igainil my 
 j who, I learnt, had promiied this man a company,
 
 OF BAR.ON TR.ENCK, 3^ 
 
 and a thoufand ducats, provided he found means to rid 
 him effxdually of me. The Lieutenant, had, in confe- 
 quence, made Lieut. K n his affociate. 
 
 After fueh perfidy, I could no longer think of vifit- 
 kig my ungrateful and dangerous relation, who, think- 
 ing himfelf fure of gaining his caule, and knowing I 
 was acquainted with all his fecrets. wiftied me to be 
 aflafiinated, that he might be free from every kind cf 
 obligation. 
 
 I refolved, after what had happened, to quit Vienna 
 forever. Prince Charles gave me a letter for General 
 Brown, who then commanded near Genfa ; but chafing 
 rather to go to the Eaft-Indies, I fet off for Holland in 
 Auguft 1748. In the mean time, my coufm's enemies 
 procured a fentence, condemning him to pafs the reft of 
 his life at Spielberg. 
 
 Providence, however, did not permit me to follow 
 my firlt intention : at Nuremberg 1 met with a body 
 of Ruffian troops, commanded by General Liewen, a 
 relation of my mother. Major Butfchkow, whom I 
 had known Refident of the Court of Peterfburgh at 
 Vienna, advifed me to pay him a viiit, and undertook 
 to introduce me. The General was pleafed with me $ 
 and wiming me to enter iato the Ruffian fervice, gave 
 me a company of Dragoons in the regiment of ToboHk, 
 but on condition that i (hould not leave him, and that 
 I ihould write in his cabinet; to which I acceded. 
 
 Peace being focn after this concluded, the army 
 returne.l to KuiTia, without having fired a mot. In. 
 palling through Ciacovia, General Liewen ordered me 
 to condud a hundred and forty ikk ; down the Viftula 
 to Dantzick, where we were directed to wait till Ruffian 
 v^fieis came, to carry us to Riga. Saon after my 
 arrival in that city, I made an acquaintance with Lieut. 
 N , a Prutlian officer. He vilited me every day, 
 and we frequently took a ride ia ths fubarbs of the 
 tovva. 
 
 i was much furprifed, one morning, when my fer- 
 vint, who had made an acquaintance with the Lieu- 
 tenant's, told me to be on my gj.ud againit a fnare thac 
 E 2 was
 
 4O tlFE AND ADVENTURES , 
 
 tvas laid for me : " Lieut. N ," faid lie, " wifhes t 
 
 entice you out of the city, that he may deliver you into 
 the hands of the Pruffians." 
 
 A plot of this kind was fhortlf afterwards actually attempted ; 
 which endtd much to ths credit of the Baron, and to the con- 
 fuCon and difgrace of his hypocritical friend. 
 
 Three or four days after this affair, we failed for 
 Riga. There we joined General Liewen, who was 
 already waiting for us. 
 
 On my arrival at Mofcow, 1 was very well received 
 
 by the Chancellor, Count B , for whom I had let. 
 
 ters of recommendation. Oettinger, whofe friendfhip 
 I had acquired, was a favourite of the Minifter j and I 
 remarked that this circumftance did me no harm in the 
 Count's opinion. 
 
 Some days after I met Count Hamilton, with whom 
 I had been intimately acquainted at Vienna. He was 
 then Captain of Cavalry in the regiment of Bernes, and 
 had come to Ruffia with General Bernes, who was fent 
 thither in quality of Ambaflador. I was alfo known to 
 Count Bernes himfelf, who was Ambaflador at Berlin, 
 in 1743, and who had feen me at that time in high 
 favour with Frederick. Count Hamilton introduced 
 me to the Auftrian Minifter, who was pleafed to con- 
 ceive fo good an opinion of me, that after a few minutes 
 converfation, he endeavoured to perfuade me to enter 
 into the Ruffian fcrvice, offered to fend me to Vienna 
 with the ftrongeft recommendations, and wifhtcl me to 
 accept a company in his regiment. But the misfortunes 
 of my coufin had left too deep an impreffion on my 
 mind for me to embrace his offer. He then invited me 
 to dine with his friend Lord Hindford, the Englilh 
 Ambaflador. I feldom experienced greater pleafure 
 than I did that day. This great ftatefman alfo knew 
 me at Berlin, and was at Frederick's table, when that 
 Monarch faid, in fpeaking of me, " This is one of my 
 youthful Matadors." He made me fit belide him, and 
 afked me what I was come to do in Ruffia. I anfwered, 
 To feek bread and honour, bccaufe I had undefervedly 
 loft both in my own country. He enquired whether I 
 
 had
 
 OF BARON TRENCH. 4! 
 
 had much money : I told him No ; that my whole for- 
 tune, at that moment, confifted of thirty ducats. On 
 hearing this he replied, That I had all the qualities 
 neceffary to make my fortune in Ruflia ; but in that 
 country, poverty was defpifed, and outfide {how alone 
 oonfidered, without regard to fervices or talents. You 
 mult therefore appear rich. Bernes and I will intro- 
 duce you to the beft company, and fiirnifh you with 
 every thing requifite to fupport your confequence, fuch 
 as ihowy liveries, faddle-horfes, and jewels. In the 
 different circles you tnufl play hi^h, appear proud, and 
 fpeak boldly to the Miniiters. Nor muft you forget to 
 pay your court to the Ladies, and endeavour to pleafe 
 them. Thefe are the means by which a foreigner may 
 hope to make his fortune in this country. 
 
 I was confequently carried into company, not as an 
 adventurer, but as heir to confiderable eflates belonging 
 to the family of the Trencks, in Hungary, and as a per- 
 fon who had been formerly the favourite of the King of 
 Pruflia. 
 
 I wrote a poem on the anniverfary of the Emprefs 
 Elizabeth's Coronation. Lord Kind ford conveyed it to 
 her hands, and availed hinxfelf of the opportunity to 
 introduce me to her Maietty. I received a thoufand 
 marks of her favour : llie recommended me to her 
 Chancellor, and made me a prefent of a gold-hiked, 
 fvvord, worth a thouiai;d rou'ok-s. 
 
 1 was a pretty good prohcisat in drawing, and had 
 free accefs to the houfe of the Chancellor. In a ftiort 
 time I was employed in his cabinet, where I worked 
 with Lieut. Col. Uettinger, then the firft Architect in 
 liuffia. 1 drew the plan of a new hotel which Count 
 
 .B purpofed build ing at Mofcow, and by thefc 
 
 means, obtained a great.lhare of his confidence. 
 
 I had been fcarcely fix weeks at Mofcow, \\hea I met 
 with an adventure, which I will relate. 
 
 One day, when at dinner at Lord Hindford's, I was 
 feated befide u charming girl,, of one of the bell families 
 in Ivufiia, who, though only feventeen years of age, was 
 deftiaed for the wife of an old military man of fixty.
 
 4'i LIFE AND AVDENTUHES 
 
 Her eyes foon told me that (he would have preferred 
 me to her intended hufband. I was not backward in 
 comprehending their language, ventured to intimate 
 what I thought of the matter, and declared how much 
 1 felt myfelf interefted in her fate. I was, however, 
 much furprifed when flie anfwersd : ' O heaven ! 
 Could you find means to fave me from the misfortune I 
 dread ? If you can, there is nothing in the world that 
 you may not afk of me.' It is eafy to conceive the 
 impreffion fo ftidden a declaration muft make on a 
 young man of four and twenty. The young lady's 
 perfon was as beautiful ?.s her mind was ingenuous, and 
 ihe was a Princefs. But the order for her marriage 
 had already been iffued by the Court, and there remained 
 no other expedient to avoid it than a fpeedy flight, with 
 all its attendant dangers. The place not allowing a 
 longer explanation, I aiked her, though our hearts were 
 perfectly agreed, to give me a meeting. She fixed on 
 the following day, in the garden of Troitz, where I 
 paffed three delightful hours, thanks to her chamber- 
 maid, who was a Georgian, and flood fentinel for us 
 while we were there. 
 
 We vowed eternal love,- and from that day I obtained 
 permiflion to pafs whole nights in her chamber. 
 
 Not having it in our power to delay the day fatal to 
 our lovs, the marriage was celebrated with great mag- 
 nificence, but I ftill remained the real hufband of the 
 Princefs, in fpite of all the formalities of the Greek 
 church. 
 
 We lived happy and contented for three months, 
 preparing the means of our future elopement. The 
 Prijjcefs gave me her jewels, and fome thoufand roubles 
 that fhe had received as a prefent at her marriage, to 
 purchafe whatever was necefiary for our flight ; and it 
 would certainly have taken place, if the death of the 
 lady, foon after, in the fmall-pox had not intervened. 
 In the agitations of her mind, Ihe made our amour pub- 
 lic, by calling on me to deliver her from her hufband. 
 
 This intrigue made a noife, and ferved to procure me 
 another. 
 
 The
 
 CP EARON TR.ENCK. 43 
 
 The Countefs of B was at that time the moft 
 
 amiable and witty woman of the Court. Endowed 
 with a vaft and daring genius, the governed, in the 
 name of her hufband, the whole empire of Ruffia. 
 
 She married him in the preceding reign, when he 
 was no more than Refident at Hamburgh, and (lie, the 
 widow of an inconfiderable merchant of the fame place. 
 
 Count B afterwards became Prime Mimfter, and 
 
 his Lady the firft woman in Ruffia. She was about 
 thirty-eight years old ; and though no beauty, was itill 
 by no means difagreeable. 
 
 I dined with her as often as I thought proper, and' 
 in company with Lieut. Col. Oettinger, often drank 
 coffee in private in her apartment. On thefe occaiions 
 fhe never failed to fpeak to me of my intrigue with the 
 
 Princefs N , and gave me to underftand that fhe had 
 
 perceived our amours. I conftantly denied every thing, 
 although (he mentioned circumftances that I thought 
 fhe could have heard from nobody but my deceafed 
 friend. I did not know that die had taken the Princefs's 
 chambermaid into her fervice. But I foon perceived 
 that my fecrefy had produced a good effect. 
 
 About eight days after the Princefs N ~'s death, 
 
 the Countefs of B invited me to come alone to 
 
 drink coffee in her chamber. I was no fooner there 
 than Hie began to fay fuch obliging things about my 
 fituation r and expreffed fo much concern on the occa- 
 fion, that I could no longer doubt the nature of the 
 fentiments I had excited in her breaft. Indeed, me 
 confcffed them herfelf without difguife. Secrefy and 
 fincerity were the conditions of this new connection. 
 The Countefs, to prevent a difcovery, prevailed on her 
 hufband to employ me in his cabinet ; fo that I paffed 
 whole days in the houfe, and no mention was made of 
 my joining the regiment of Dragoons to which I be- 
 longed. 
 
 It was not long before my credit with the Miuifler 
 attracted notice ; and my good fortune not being agree- 
 able to the great Frederick, who had fpies on my con- 
 duft, he gave me new proofs of his leientment. Mr. 
 
 G .
 
 '4'j LIFE AND AD VENTURES 
 
 G , the Prufiian Minifter, availed himfelf of a plan 
 
 of Croniladt. which 1 had copied for Lord Hindford, 
 to charge me with being a fpy ; and, but for the good 
 offices of the Englifli Minifter and the Countefs, I had 
 cei^iinly fallen inlo a rooil dangerous fnare. It turned, 
 however, to my advantage : for the Emprefs fent me a 
 prefent to confole me for the unjuft imputations whicli 
 my honour had fuftained ; and when I waited on her to 
 return thanks, my reception was fo gracious, that I really 
 forgot the dangers which 1 had efcaced. 
 
 Oft. 4, 1749, my coufin died in his prifon at Spiel- 
 berg. By his will he made me his heir general, on 
 condition that I ihould ferve no other power but the 
 Houfeof Auihia. 
 
 In March 1750, Count Bernes received a copy of the 
 will j and, urged by his folicitations, I fet oi? for 
 Vienna j where I foon fell thto the labyrinth of the 
 law, from which I found it impoflible to extricate my- 
 felf. It was not in Trenck's power to prevent ir,y 
 inheriting his father's fortune, which was entailed .on 
 me j wifliing, however, to give me marks of his hatred 
 after his death, he made a will full of abfurd and con- 
 tradictory claufes, which ferved the withholders of his 
 fortune, as a pretext 10 ftrip me of it. 
 
 Though Trenck was an atheift, nobody had a more 
 ardent de"fire than he to acquire an extraordinary 
 reputation ; he therefore refolved to put an end to his 
 existence, and to make himfelf pafs for a fain* at his 
 death. 
 
 For tii is purpofe, three days before his death, when 
 he was in the bell ftate of health pofiible, he requeileJ 
 the commandant to fend to Vienna for a Confeilor j St. 
 Francis having, as he fai j, declared to him that he wooild 
 die on his birth-day at noon' precifely. Though every 
 bcrdy laughed at his prediction, the Capuchin Friar was 
 fent for. 
 
 The day after Trenck had confeffed himfelf, he 
 exclaimed, " God be praifed ! my end approaches , my 
 Confeffor is juft dead, and has appeared to me." Upon 
 enquiry it was found that the Monk was really de .d.
 
 OF BARN TRENCK. 45 
 
 Trenck then begged all the officers of the garrifon to 
 come to his prifon j took the tonfure, dreffed himfelf in 
 the habit of a Capuchin Friar j made a public con- 
 feffion', and preached an hour, exhorting his audience 
 to think of their falvation. He then took leave of 
 them, knelt down to fay his prayers, fell into a found 
 fleep, rofe, and prayed again. O61. the ath he looked 
 at his watch, at eleven o'clock in the morning,, and cried 
 out, " God be praifed, my laft hour is not far off." 
 Every body prefent was much entertained at feeing a 
 man of his character play fo ridiculous a comedy. 
 However, it was remarked that his face grew pale on 
 the left fide. He then feated himfelf befide a table, leaned 
 his head upon his hand, and, after faying a prayer, con- 
 tinued motionlefs, with his eyes fliut. 
 
 My coufin was acquainted with the fecret poifon 
 called Acqua tqffana: he made his Confeffor the con. 
 fident of all his affairs, and employed him to deliver 
 feveral jewels, and bills of exchange, of which he 'wiihed 
 to make prefents , among others, I know that, at that 
 time, he fcnt back to a great Prince, a bill of exchange 
 for two hundred thoufand florins, due to him from the 
 Prince -, not a florin of which I ever recovered, although 
 1 was Trenck's only hsir. However, as it was necef- 
 fary to put it out of the Confeflor's power to betray 
 him, he gave him a dofe of poifon fufficient to difpatch 
 him, in fome refremments that he made him partake of 
 before his departure j and the Prieil actually died in a 
 very little time after his return. Trenck took the like 
 fort of poifon himfelf, and therefore knew the exaft 
 hour of his death. As he could no longer procure re- 
 fpeft while living, he was relolved to be honoured, and 
 fainted if poflible, after his deceafe. 
 
 The fuperftition of the populace was a fufficient fe- 
 curity to him, that he mould obtain credit for the per- 
 formance of miracles. That he might excite it the 
 more powerfully, he ordered a fmall chapel to be 
 efe&ed to his memory, and endowed it with fix thou- 
 fand florins. Thus died, in his thirty-fourth year, this 
 extraordinary man, to whom Nature had been prodigal 
 
 of
 
 46 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of her gifts, and who had been long a terror to the- 
 enemies of the Mate under which he ferved. He lived 
 like a tyrant, and an enemy to his fellow-creatures ; 
 and died with a reputation of holinefs, that he certainly 
 little deferved. 
 
 In fpite of all my pains and efforts, I found it im- 
 poffible to obtain the enjoyment of my inheritance. 
 Thofe who had the adminiitration of the fortune my 
 coufin had left me, were too powerful for me to make 
 them relinquish their hold. In the mean time, the 
 Emprefs Queen gave me a company of. cavalry in the 
 regiment of Cuirafliers of Cordora. This fmall favour 
 was the only mitigation of all the injuries I had fuf- 
 fered. 
 
 Difcontented with my fituatlon, and curling my fate, 
 I went to join my regiment in Hungary j where I pro- 
 pofed to wait till Fortune was tired of perfecuting me. 
 
 In the month of March 1754, I received news of the 
 death of my mother, and afked the Board of War for fix 
 months leave of abfence to go to Dantzick, in order to 
 concert with my brothers and filler the fteps neceffary 
 to be taken, relative to my poflefiions that had been 
 confiscated in Pruffia. I obtained it ; and, in the month 
 of May t fet off for that city, whae I fell a fecond tiros 
 into the hands of the Pruflians* 
 
 The people of Vienna concerned in my coufin's effefls, 
 by feveral bale fchemes, and falle iufinuations. "endea- 
 voured to get me again into the hands of the Pruflians, 
 that they might quietly enjoy that fortune which was 
 juftly my due. 
 
 My brothers and fitter came to me at Dantzick, in 
 May. We pafled a fortnight together, and fhared my 
 mother's fortune. My lifter cleared hcrfelf of all blame, 
 as to the bad icception Ihe had been compelled to give 
 me in 1746 : and befcre we parted, we vowed unalter- 
 able affection. 
 
 The only acquaintance I made at Dantzick, was 
 with Mr. Abrarufon, the Aufltian Reficient, for wlu.iu. 
 I had letters of recommendation. He was intimately 
 acquainted with the PrufUun Refident j and proved, on 
 
 thif.
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. 47 
 
 this occafi JH, the contriver of my misfortune. Abram- 
 fon found means to detain me eight days longer than I 
 intended, under various pretexts, that he might have 
 time, in conjunction with Reimer. to prepare the fnare, 
 with which he intended to entrap me. The King of 
 Pruffia applied to the magittracy of Dantzick to deliver 
 me up : but an action fo contrary to the laws of all 
 nations \v ;s not thought advifable, without the previous 
 confent of the Court of Vienna ; as I belonged to the 
 Imperial fervice in quality of Captain of Cavalry : I 
 had, befides, a letter of leave, and a paffport from the 
 Board of War. 
 
 The day fixed for my departure at length arrived ; 
 and I intended to take my paflage on board a Swedifh 
 vcffel. 
 
 Abramfon, at four o'clock in the afternoon, told me 
 that the Swedilh Captain had allured him that he fliould 
 not fail till the following day ; that, this being the cafe, 
 he infiftrd, that as he expedled company at his houfe, 
 that I mull absolutely pafs the evening with him. This 
 prevented my returning to my inn till eleven o'clock : I 
 had juft got into bed, and was reading, when I heard a 
 .knock at my door. It was not locked, and in a moment 
 two Commiflaries of the town, and twenty Grenadiers, 
 entered my apartment, a,nd furrounded my bed with fo 
 much promptitude, that I had not time to take my arms 
 in my defence. My three footmen were likewife takeu 
 into cuftcdy, and it was (Ignited to me j " that being 
 accufed of a crime, the worihipful Magiftrate thought 
 himfelf under the necelTity of furrendering me tp his 
 Majefty the King of Pruflia." 
 
 1 was taken in filence to the piifon of Dantzick, 
 where I remained twenty-four hours. The Refident 
 Abramfon came to iee me about noon ; expreffcd much 
 affected concern at my misfortune j and told me that he 
 had juil protefied, in itrong terms, againft the illegality 
 of tliefe proceedings j that he found it was impoflible to 
 refufe attention to the menaces of the King of Fruflia, 
 uho was determined, at all events, to get me into his 
 jpower. He adviled me to put my papers, and any- 
 valuable
 
 4& LIFtf AN'D' ADVEST UR.ES 
 
 valuable effefts I might have, into his hands, as other- 
 wife I mould run the rlik of lofing them. He knevv 
 that I had received from my family, a bill of exchange 
 for feven tboufand florins. I gave it him j but kept my 
 ring, worth 'four thoufand, and 'about fixty Louis d'ors, 
 which I had in my purie. He embraced me, and allured, 
 me that he would 'do 'every thing in his power to pro* 
 ture rriie a fpeedy deliverance. He then left me, meddinj 
 a torrent of crocodile tears. 
 
 The following night, two Coromiflaries of the town 
 came to my prifon, with Reirner the Refident, a Prufliari 
 Officer, and feveral Serjeants and Corporals. They put 
 me into the hands of the non-commiffioned officers, and 
 in a moment, the piliage began. Reimer fnatchtd my 
 ring from my finger, took my watch, my fnuff box, and 
 every other article I had about me. In fhort, they left 
 me nothing but a coat and a ihirt, and then fliut me up in 
 a coach, in the midlt of three Pruffians, with the blinds 
 drawn up. A detachment of Dantzick Militia guarded 
 the carriage to the gate of the town. Here they were 
 relieved by Dragoons of the fame city, who efcorted me 
 to Lavenburg in Pomerania. Thirty Huffars, command- 
 ed ;:-y a Lieutenant, relieved the detachment of Dragoons 
 at Lavenburg ; and in this manner I was carried from 
 garrifon to garrifon, as far as Berlin, travelling two', 
 three, and fom'etimes five German miles a day. The 
 fourth day we arrived at , where the Duke of Wir- 
 temberg, father of the Grand Duchefs ot Ruffia, com- 
 manded, and where his regiment was then quartered. 
 He defued to fee me ; was much affected by my ftory ; 
 and made me flay with him the whole day. He even 
 carried his kindnefs fb far, as to give orders to let me 
 reft the whoie of the next day, which I paffed, likewife, 
 at his houle. The third day 1 let off on my journey in 
 an open carriage, without; any efcovt ; being only accom- 
 panied by a Lieutenant of the Duke's regimen':. Unfor- 
 tunately, 1 was not aware in time of the generous interf- 
 tion of this Nobleman, who evidently fought to give m'e 
 an opp irtunity of making my efcape. His greatnels of 
 foul would perhaps have mads him fupport a reprimand 
 
 from
 
 <T)f BAR.ON TRENCK. 4)5 
 
 "from the King without regret, to have the pleafure of 
 laving an innocent man. In feveral places, the road \ve 
 took was not more than two or three miles from the 
 .frontiers ; and nothing would have been more eafy, than 
 to Irive effected my efcape : but the fame Trenck, who, 
 at Glatz, had dared to attack thirty men, and who was 
 $ever acquainted with fuch a fentiment as fear, was 
 four days without being able to take a refolution on 
 this occafion. In 'eed, for feveral days, I had the fairefl 
 opportunity of elcaping ; and 1 believe my conduS- 
 ors thought me deficient in common fenfe, as they 
 appeared much furpriied at finding me prefent, when I 
 might, with great eafe, have purfued my own courfe. 
 But i was fatallv milled by an idea, that the King meant 
 to queftion me himlelf ; and even to alk my opinion on 
 the war, then about breaking out. But, alas i my hopes 
 were of fliort duration ; anJ were changed to defpair, 
 when, after a journey of four days, 1 quitted the pro- 
 vince comoianded by the Duke of Wirtemberg, and 
 was delivered over, at Boeflin, to the firft garrilbn of 
 Infantry. From that moment, I was conducted to 
 Berlin by a ftrong efcort , and on my arrival, 1 was 
 delivered over to the main guard : I had two fentinels 
 coni>antly in my room, and a third at the door. The 
 King was then at Pctzdam. I remained two days in ' 
 this fituation. On the third, feveral officers of the city 
 made their appearance j fcated themfelves round a 
 table, and alked me feveral queftions, with the tendency 
 of which, I was not then acquainted. lit, What I was 
 -doing at D<u)tzick ? 2d, If I knew Mr. Goltz, the King's 
 'AmbalTador, at Pcterfhurgh ? $d, The names of the 
 perfons who were concerned in the Dantzick plot, &c. 
 &c. But to thefe queiticns, I refufed any anfvver ^ 
 recapitulating, however, my former hardfhips. But all 
 I could urge availed nothing ; and after my vifitors had 
 written two hours, upon what fubjtd, I know not, a 
 carriage diove up to the door. Strict fearch was made 
 to fee whether I had any arms concealed ; thirteen or 
 fourteen ducats, that 1 had ftill in my pcfleflbn, were 
 taken from me, and I was carried under a flrong guard 
 F through
 
 50 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 through Spandaw to Magdeburg j the Town Major of 
 which place cor.clu61ed me immediately to a prepared 
 dungeon. 1 hen, and not till then, a miniature picture 
 of my female friend ^t Petersburg, let round with 
 diamonds, which 1 had hitherto fecreted under my fl.irt, 
 was taken from me. 
 
 The dungeon was built in a cafemate. ten feet long 
 and fix broad. Two doors (hut clofe on each other j 
 and there was a third at the enirance of the cafemate. 
 The light came through a window, at the opening of 
 the arch of the vaulted roof, and went through a wall 
 feven feet thick. Though it gave light enough, it was 
 placed in fuch a manner that I could neither iee heaven 
 nor earth ; I could only preceive the roof of the maga- 
 zine. On the infide and outfide of this window wtre 
 bars of iron, and in the fubftance of the wall between 
 them a grate of wire, worked b clofe together, that it 
 was impoflible to diftinguiih any objefl either within or 
 without. Befides all this, the window was guarded 
 with pallifades on the outfides, to prevent the fentinels 
 from approaching, and giving me any aflirtance. My 
 furniture in this horrible abode, confiiled cf a bedftead, 
 fattened to the floor ; a mattrafs , a fruajl itove j and 
 near the ftove, a box, fixed againft the wall, and intended 
 to ferve rne for a feat. I was not permitted to have 
 any inflrumeat of iron ; and my allowance, for four and 
 twenty hours, was a pound and a half of ammunition 
 bread, and a jug of water. 
 
 J was obliged to throw aw?.y half ncy bread, it was fo 
 exceedingly mouldy : this pic-, ceded from the Major's 
 avrrice, who derived a profit from this article. 
 
 Judge, reader, of what 1 fuffered from hunger, the 
 eleven long months that I lived on this involuntary re- 
 gimen ! for I mould have required, at leaft, fix pounds of 
 bread a day, to fatisfy my appetite. 1 had no fooner 
 received and devoured my allowance, than I felt again 
 the attacks of hunger. 1 was, however, obliged to wait 
 the revolution of the twenty-four hours, before 1 could 
 hope for relief. How willingly would 1 have given a 
 bill of exchange for a thoufand ducats, on my rr.oney 
 
 at
 
 OF BA&ON TR-XCK. j J 
 
 lit Vienna, to fatisfy my appetite for once with dry 
 bread ! Hunger feldora permitted me to fleep ; and, 
 when it did, I inftantly dreamed that I was fitting at a 
 table covered with the mod delicious viands, and that 
 I was devouring them with the greateft voracity. My 
 hunger failed npt constantly to increafe , and the firm- 
 nefs with which I fupported this kind of fortune fo 
 many months, is, in my opinion, the greateit proof of 
 fortitude I ever gave in my life. 
 
 The three doors were ihut, and I was left to myfelf* 
 My bread and water was brought me every day about 
 noon: but, after two months experience, finding that 
 my dungeon was regulaily opened once a week, for the 
 purpofe of infpeclion, I began a work, which I did not 
 find impracticable. A part of the floor was paved with 
 brick, and extended from the lill of the door and the 
 ftove, to the wall that feparated my prifon from the 
 neighbouring cafemate, which fortunately was unin- 
 habited. As there was a fentintl before my window, I 
 foon found two worthy fellows, who, notwithllanding 
 their orders to the contrary, confented to fpeak to me, 
 and made me acquainted with the fituation of my wretch- 
 ed abode. 
 
 I judged from thence that it would not be difficult to 
 efcape, if I could mjkc rny way into the ca&awte, the 
 door of which was open. Nothing would then remain 
 but to puls the Elbe, and make for the frontiers of 
 Saxony, which were only at a mill's ciillance. 
 
 I began by Ibofemng the iron bars that held clown 
 the fill of the door j they were near eighteen inches 
 long, and were nailed to the box with three nails, which 
 1 drew out, and of which I preferved the heads, that I 
 might put them in their places, at the (tated times, when, 
 my prifon was viiited. 
 
 Having thus obtained the means of in. iking a breach, 
 I took up the bricks of the tloor, and found earth 
 underneath. I then determined to penetrate through 
 the wall behind the box, where it was fsven feet thick. 
 The firft lining was brick, but I came afterwards to 
 large hewn flones. I counted the number of bricks I 
 F z had
 
 $2 LIFB AND AD7ENTURSS 
 
 had removed both from the floor and the wall, that I 
 might replace them, fo as to avoid lufpicion , and when 
 1 was lure of fucceeding, continued my work. The 
 evening before the vilit of my prifun, every thing was 
 in its place. 
 
 I had already dercoliiled a. portion of the wall, a foot 
 in height ; but 1 took care to place the bricks as they 
 were before, and to fill the interfaces with the dufl of 
 the mortar, which I wetttd for that purpofe. I fcraped 
 the walls that had peihaps been whitewamed an hundred 
 times ; made a bruih of my hair, and employed it to 
 whiten the bricks I had taken up, drying them with the 
 heat of my body. The iron work was alfo replaced in 
 fuch a manner, that it was impcfiible to perceive the 
 fmallefl alteration. The rubbHh 1 hid under my bed. 
 
 It is difficult to conceive the trouble I met with, 
 when I had once worked two feet into the ftone wall. 
 The iron work that I had taken from the ftep of the 
 door, and from my bedrlead, coinpofed my only tools j 
 except, indeed, an old ramrod, and a little knife with a 
 wooden haft, which were given me by a charitable fen- 
 tinel, and which did me good lervice. It was not till 
 after fix months inccffant labour, that I found means to 
 pierce the wall, and open a paffage to the adjoining 
 cafemate. 'During this time I had opportunities offpeak- 
 ing to fevtral fenlinels ; among whom was an old Gre- 
 nadier of the name cf Gefhard, from whom I learned 
 the exaft fit nation of my^ dungeon, and the noeafures 
 proper to be taken. 
 
 All that I v\ss now in want of, was money to buy a 
 fmall boat, that 1 might be able to crofs the Elbe to 
 Saxony, with Geihard, who offered to be the com- 
 panion of my rlight. For this purpofe, he procured me 
 the afiiftsnce of a Jewefs, whole father had been ten 
 years in prifoti. This vyorthy girl gained over two 
 other Grenadiers, wilh whom, when on duty, I entered 
 into converfation. i made with (havings, tied to one 
 another, a flick long enough, to reach beyond the palli- 
 iades, that furrounded my window, and by this means 
 procured paper, a fecond knife, and a file. 
 
 I then
 
 Of^ BAR.OM TRE.NCS. 53 
 
 I then wrote to my fitter, who lived about fourteen 
 miles 'from Berlin, and begged her to give the Jewefs 
 three hundred crowns, to further my efcape from 
 prifon. I inclofed a letter for Count Puebla, the 
 Auttrian Mirutfer at Berlin, which contained a bill of 
 exchange for a thoufand florins, payable out of the mo- 
 ney I had at Vienna, with my rtqueft to him to give 
 the amount to the Jewefs, having promifed her this fum 
 as a reward for her fidelity. 
 
 As Toon as Either received my packet, (he fet off for 
 Berlin, to the Count, who took my letter, and the bill 
 of exchange that accompanied it, and ordered her to go 
 and fpeak to Mr. Weingarten, Secretary of the Em- 
 ban^. This man giving her a good reception, (he dif- 
 clofed to him the whole of her bufmefs, unfortunately 
 for herfelf and feveral others. He gave her two ducats, 
 and promifed to obtain the amount of the bill by the 
 time (he could return from my fitter. 
 
 Efther arrived at Hammer, and found my fitter, who 
 was then a widow; and being no longer, as in 1746, 
 afraid of incurring her huflictnd's difpleafure, was over- 
 joyed to hear I was aKve ; and immediately produced 
 the three hundred crowns. Ell her returned expedi- 
 tioutty to Berlin, with a letter to rne from my fitter 5 
 but full (hewed the whole to Mr. Weingarten, in the 
 full confidence of his friendship. He read the letter ; 
 aiked the names of the two grenadiers ; told her that 
 the thoufand florins from Vienna were not yet come to 
 hand , gave her twelve ducats, and defired her to hatten 
 to Magdeburg, and carry me the good news (he had to 
 communicate. Ellher accordingly came ftraight to the 
 citadel, but fortunately mc-t at the g;ite the wife of one 
 of the grenadieis in our ferret ; who told her, that her 
 hufband and his comrade had been confined and fetter- 
 ed the evening before : Either immediately conjectured 
 that we had been betrayed j and, turning inftantly back 
 \ver.t to DefYiu. 
 
 Mr. Weingarten was a traitor, in whom Count 
 
 Piubh placed too much confidence. He was in the 
 
 pay of Pruffia, and fervcd that cjurt as a fpy. He 
 
 F 3 betraved
 
 54 1IFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 betrayed me, that he might appropriate to his own ufe 
 the thoufand florins, arifing from the bill of exchange 
 drawn on Vienna ; for it appears, by a receipt bearing 
 date the 24th of May 1755. ^ iat ^ ie a ount was paid 
 out of my effe&s to Count Puebla ; and, fince my de- 
 liverance, it has been charged to my account. 
 
 Thus, Weingarten, to fteal a thoufand florins with 
 impunity, plunged me into an abyfs of misfortunes ; 
 occafiored the premature death of my fifter, and was 
 the caufe -of one of the Grenadiers being hanged, and 
 of the other's running the gauntlet on three fuccefiive 
 days. More than a hundred blows were given with a 
 ilick to the poor father of the Jcwefs, to compel him to 
 reveal what he knew of the plot, as well as the place of 
 his daughter's retreat. He died in the midft of his pu- 
 iiiihment, crying out, in vain, for mercy. My unfortu- 
 nate fifter was forced to build, at her o^n expence, a 
 horrid dungeon in fort Etoile, where 1 was confined nine 
 years like a favage beaft. She was condemned to pay an 
 enormous fine, her fortune : was reduced to njthing, her 
 children were beggared, and flic died, broken hearted, at 
 thirty-three years of age. 
 
 1 was ftveral days without knowing what had hap- 
 pened. Soon a'tcr, however, Geihard mounting guard 
 over my priion, found means to make me acquainted 
 with the fate of his two couirades. 
 
 The king, ihortly alter, ordered a new dungeon to 
 l>e built oil puipofe for me, and prefcribed the form of 
 Uie chains 1 was to wear. The worthy Gefhard in- 
 formed me, however, that it could not be ready be- 
 fore the end of the month : I therefore determined to 
 laake my eicape through the aperture in the wall, with- 
 out waiting for any ?.lTiftance. But my dungt'on at 
 Fort Etoiie w::s f.niihed fooner than had been tx-^ecled ; 
 and at the fail of t're nu;ht. May 27th, in the midft of 
 rry preparations, I heard a carriage Hop before my 
 prifon. My doors and locks were fiddtnly opened, 
 with .much noile ; and 1 had only time to hide my 
 knift, when i faw the town Majur, the Major of .the 
 day, and a captain with two lanthorns, enter my 
 
 wretched
 
 Of BARQN TRENCK. 5J; 
 
 wretched habitation. All they faid was, Drefs your- 
 felf. Fetters were given me, which I was obliged to 
 fatten myfelf on my hands and feet. The Town Ma- 
 jor tied a bandage over ray eyes, took me under the 
 arm, and in this manner conducted me to the carriage. 
 The way from the citadel to Fort Etoile is through the 
 town. When the carriage flopped, 1 was led to my 
 new dungeon : there, by the light of feveral candles, 
 the bandage that covered my eyes was taken off. But 
 good Heaven ! what did I perceive ? Two lockfmiths, 
 \vitii their hammers and anvil, and the whole floor 
 covered with chains. They went immediately to wmk: 
 my feet were fattened with enormous chains to a ring 
 funk in the wall, at about three fedt from the ground, 
 fo that I could only take two or three fleps on each 
 fide. They then girt my naked body with a broad iron 
 girdle, from which defcendtd a chain, fattened at the 
 other extremity to a bar of iron, two feet long. At 
 each end of this bar was a handcuff, that confined my 
 hands ; and a collar was adde~d in 1756. As foon as 
 the work was completed, every body retired in filence , 
 and I heard the dreadful creaking of four doors, which 
 ftiut clofe upon one another. 
 
 Here then did I remain, without confolation, and 
 without affiftance, ftretchtd out, in the dark, upon a 
 damp pavement. My chains Itemed infupportable 
 bef.jtc i \vns ac.ufloaied to them : and 1 thanked Pro- 
 vidence, t'.>ai had prevented the difcovery of my knife, 
 with which I could ia a moment put an end to my fuf- 
 ferings. I cannot give an idea of what I fuffered the 
 firil ni^ht. in the imperfect darknefs that prevailed, I 
 could dtftmguUh he foim of my dungeon. It was ten 
 jett rung, and eight broad j in one corner was a kind 
 of bench of buck, intended for a feat; and oppofite 
 the place where I was chained, was a window of femir 
 circular form, which was opened through a wall, fix 
 feet thick : it was one fuot in height, qnd two feet in 
 breadth. The pafla^e through which the light pene- 
 trated iiito my piih .>, u; k ha ','i't.clion upwards, as 
 far as the middle of the vsalL ana then defcended out- 
 ward
 
 5* i.:**: AND ADVEH PI-RES 
 
 wards towards the earth, forming an angle, with ft'rong 
 iron tais at each extremity. My eyes, after fume time, 
 htcanie fo accuftomed to the darknefs of the hole, that 
 I could fee a moufe run along the floor ; but in the 
 winter, when the fun was not vilible, I might be truly 
 faid to live in eternal night. 
 
 The name of Trenck had been mcrufted on the wall 
 with red bricks j and nnder my feet was a tomb 
 intended for me, on which alfo was my name, and a 
 Death's head. There were two oaken doors to the 
 dungeon ; and in the way to it a kind of lobby, into 
 which a window had been opened, and whit h was like- 
 wife fecured by two dcors of the fanve kind. It was the 
 King's intention thp.t this dungeon (hould be bui)t in 
 fuch a manner, as to put it out of my power to have 
 the leaft communication with the fentinel : it vv?s fur- 
 rounded with pallifades twelve feet high, forming a 
 kind of park ; and the key was depo/ited with the 
 guard officer. 
 
 My prifon having been built of lime and plafter, in 
 the ftiort fpace of eleven days, and I having been com- 
 mitted to it inmr.ed lately after, it was thought that my 
 furYerings could not be of long continuance. During 
 the firii half year, the water dropped inceffantly from 
 the vaulted roof upon my body ; and for the firil three 
 months I was never dry. M-y health, however, did not 
 fuffer much. 
 
 I cannot, to this day, conceive what it was that with- 
 held my hand from completing the tragedy. Twelve 
 o'clock, however, (truck, and my tomb was opened for 
 the firft time. My chair was removed, ai -1 a btdfttad, 
 with a matrafs, and a good blanket, put in its place, 
 A whole ammunition loat was given me, weighing fix 
 pounds, with a jug of water, containing about four 
 quarts j and then the doors were fiiut. 
 
 It would be difficult to defcribe' the excefs of my joy, 
 on thinking that I was about to fatisfy my appetite, 
 after having for eleven months fuffered the torments of 
 hunger. There is no happinefc in the world, that, in 
 the firft inrtant, feemed preferable to mine. I atrr -, I 
 
 devoured j
 
 OP BARON TRENCK. 57 
 
 devoured ', now and then I flopped for a moment, that 
 J might the better favour my pleafure, and then I ate 
 again : I thought my fate lefs hard j I wept for joy ! L 
 {wallowed one bit after another j and, before the even* 
 ing came, the whole loaf was devoured. My pleafure, 
 however, was of fhort duration ; my fiomach was: 
 weakened by long fading, and unable to digeft the 
 bread ; my body, fwelled, and my jug was exhaufted. 
 The cramp and the cholic, followed by infatiablc thirft, 
 and accompanied with acute pain, tormented roe till 
 the following day. I was not yet accuflomed to the 
 enormous weight of my chains, nor had I learnt to fup- 
 jiort them without inconvenience. This was the motl 
 cruel night imaginable. My keepers, the day after, 
 found me in a dreadful fituation : they were furprifed 
 at my appetite, and gave me another loaf, with a frefh 
 fupply of water. Wifhing me happinefs, as my fuffer- 
 inys feemed to be drawing to an end, they (hut the 
 doors, without afldng whether I wanted any other af- 
 ii fiance. 
 
 Three days elapfcd before I found any inclination to 
 eat. Both my body and mind grew weaker, and I re- 
 folved to put an end to my exigence. Indeed, patience 
 feemed a folly, and any longer delay a wan! of courage. 
 Yet, as I wilhed to take my refolution with a manly 
 coolnefs, I determined to wait eight days longer, after 
 having inevocably fixed the 4th of July for the period 
 of my death. But the following day, when the four 
 doors of my prifon were opeaed, obferving they were 
 only of wood, the idea ftruck me, that it might be pof- 
 fible to take off the locks with the knife I had brought 
 from the citadel; and that, at any rate, if my projeft 
 did not fucceed, it would not afterwards be too late to 
 die. I firft tried to get rid of my fetters : I freed my 
 right iiand from, the handcuff without much difficulty, 
 but was at more trouble to extricate the left. The iron 
 hock about my body was only fattened to the chain by 
 a bit of twifted iron: I put my fett againft the wall, 
 and by a fudden jerk, it gave way. Nothing then re- 
 mained but the heavy chain which 1 had about my feet,
 
 58 LIFE ANO ADVENTtfllES 
 
 and which met with the fame fate. I now thought 
 myfelf already at liberty. 1 ran to the door, tried to 
 find, in the dark, the points of the nails that held on the 
 lock, and perceived that 1 had not much to do to remove 
 it from iis place. 1 returned to my chains, full of hope j 
 but it was no eafy matter to put them on again. When I 
 tried to replace the handcuff, 1 met with the gieateil 
 difficulty, on account of a fwelling which my former 
 exertions had occafioned. I fpent all the night in try- 
 ing to open this handcuff; but ray endeavours were 
 ineffectual, till about noon the next day ; when the fear 
 of being deteded, infpired me with more than natural 
 ftrength, and I happily obtained my wifhes. 
 
 July 4, the vifit being over, I threw afide my chains, 
 and began, with my knife, at the firlt door ; which 1 
 forced open in lefs than an hour : but the feccnd, 
 which fhut in a contrary direction, fatigued me to a 
 great degtee. When opened, I faw light through the 
 window of the entry, and found that my dungeon was 
 built in a ditch of the firil rampart. I faw like wile 
 the way that led to it j the guard at fifty paces diftance; 
 and the high pallifades that iurrounded it, which it waj 
 neceffary to efcalade before I could reach the ramparts. 
 The third, dpening inwards l.ke the firlt, by fun-fet I 
 accompli&ed rcy point. 1 attacked the fourth ', bul 
 when half the work was over, the blade of my kniie 
 broke, and part of it fell outfkie of the door. Heavens ! 
 what were my feelings at this cruel moment ! It was a 
 beautiful moonlight night i feil to prayers on my 
 knees ; and then, riling again, feized the remaining 
 part of my knife, opened the veins of my arm, and left 
 foot, and fating down quietly in a corner of my prifon, 
 let my blood ilow. A deep llcep foou took pclfeffiort 
 of my fenfes: but how long I remained in this happy 
 Hate, I know not. On a fudden 1 heard myfelf called 
 by my name j and who Ihould it be but my faithful 
 friend Gefhard, the Grenadier. When I heard hi5 
 name, I anfwered, " I am fwimtuing in ray blood j and 
 to-morrow you will find me dead." '* How !" replied 
 he, " dead 1 It .is rnuch ealier to make your efcape 
 
 ftoox
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. 59 
 
 lYom hence, than from the citadel. There is no fen- 
 tinel near, and I will find means to procure you the 
 neceffaiy inllruments. Only get out of your prifon, 
 and leave the reft to me," Seeing a pofiibility of yet 
 making my efcape, a fecret joy took poffeflion of my 
 mind , I inrtantly tore my thirt to pieces, and bound up 
 my wounds. 
 
 I was exceedingly weak, and my prifon full of blood ; 
 and it is certain, that but little remained in my veins. I 
 fuffered much from my wounds ', my hands were ftiff, 
 and fwelled by the extraordinary labour I had under- 
 gone ', and J had no fliirt left : I was fo overcome with 
 fleep, that I could fcarcely ftand, and yet it was necef- 
 fary to keep myftlf awake, in order to execute my pro- 
 jea. 
 
 I demolifhed the brick feat with the bar of iron that 
 was failened to my chains, and heaped up the ruins in 
 the middle of my prifon. At noon, when the outer door 
 was opened, every body was aftonifhed to fee the others 
 open alfo ; and the Major and his attendants came into 
 the entry with trepidation : from hence they perceived 
 me at the inner door of my prifon, my clothes covered 
 with blood, and looking like a madman. I had a brick 
 in one hand, and the remaining half of my knife in the 
 .other. " Keep back, Major !" cried I, " nobody frail 
 enter here : 1 will kill fifty men, before one (hall force 
 .his way. This knife is my lalt refource j and I fet your 
 power at defiance !" 
 
 The Major, frightened, feat to the Commandant. ID 
 the mean time, 1 tat down on the heap of bricks in the 
 middle of my prifon. My fecret defign wa& 'to'; obtain 
 better treatment. A moment aflfer, Gtneral Borck ar- 
 rived with the Town Major, and feveral other officers : 
 he came into the entry, but retreated when he faw me 
 ready to hurl a brick at him. He inftantly ordered the 
 Grenadiers to force a paffage. The entry was hardly 
 fix feet wide , therefore not more than one or two at 
 moft, could advance a breaft ; and as foon as they faw 
 me lift up my arm to throw nay bricks, they all ftarted 
 back. The Commandant ordered another attack ; but 
 the firft Grenadier that advanced, I inftantly knocked 
 
 down,
 
 6o L!FH AKD ADVJZNTOS.ES 
 
 down, and the others fled. The Major then made hir, 
 appearance a fecond time : " In the name of Gou, my 
 dear Trenckl" faid he, " what have I done, that you 
 fhould wiih to make me unhappy ? I alone (hall be 
 obliged to anfwer for having left' you a knife, when you 
 quitted the citadel." " Shall I not," faid I, " be load- 
 ed with heavier chains, than thofe 1 .had on before ? The 
 Major, after fpeaking to the commandant, gave me his 
 word of honour, that this incident fnoald make no dif- 
 ference in my future treatment. I therefore allowed 
 a free entrance into my prifon j when my fhuation 
 excited compaflion. A lu.gcon was fent for to dreis my 
 wounds ; a fhirt was givea n e, and the blood and bricks 
 were taken away. Diul.ig this time, 1 lay half dead 
 upon my bed, and felt an iufatiable thirft. The furgeon 
 or. : e/-d me forne wine and foup ; two fentincls were 
 planted iit my door, and 1 was left four days without 
 chains. !Eight and forty hours I remained in a kind of 
 lethargy j every time I waked I was obliged to-drink, 
 and yet my thirlt did not di.niniih. My feet and hands 
 fwelled prodigioufly, and I felt violent pains in my back 
 and limbs. 
 
 The new doors were fmiflied on the fifth day, and 
 the inner one was ftiengthened with iron. My chains 
 were fixed as before ; that one faftened to the wall was 
 alone replaced by a heavier. By infenfible degrees I 
 became lo accuilomed to the chains, that I learnt to 
 comb ray hair, and even to tie it. As I was never 
 ihived, my beard gave me a frightful appea:ance j I 
 therefore, v. ith much pain, plucked it out. My limbs 
 vreis prevented from fwe])ing. by frequently jumping 
 in my chains 5 or, when I freed myfc'f from :hern, by 
 the different occupations in w'uc'> I npfTe,! rr.y time. 
 
 About three \vctks after my lait enterprile, the wor- 
 thy Gefhard mounted his firit guard. This afforded 
 us an opportunity of tonverfing freely together. He 
 gave me a faithful defcriptiou of the environs of my 
 prifon. I formed a plan of efcaping under the foun- 
 dations, which he had leen built, and which he affured 
 roe were only two feet thick. 
 
 Money,
 
 6K BARON TS.ENCK. Ol 
 
 Money, above all things, being neceffary, I employed 
 '/he following means to procure feme. Grfhard rolled 
 ;i (licet of paper round a long wire, and conveyed it to 
 me through the window grate ; a bit of wax candle, a 
 pen, and a lighted match, followed next ; and, for ink, 
 I pricked my finger, and ufed blood as a fubftitute. 
 
 i then wrote to Captain Ruckhardt, at Vienna. I 
 communicated my fituation in few words ; fent him an 
 order for three thoufand florins on the income of my 
 fortune, and begged him to apply it to the following 
 ufes. A thoufand florins for his journey to Gummern, 
 a little town in Saxony, two miles from Magdeburg, 
 whither he was to repair on the 15th of Auguft. I 
 begged him, when there, to ihew himfelf the fame day 
 about noon, with a letter in his hand, and to give the 
 other two thoufand florins to a perfon whom he would 
 fee holding a roll of fm6king tobacco, and who would 
 advance to meet him j after which I defired that he "would 
 return to Vienna. 
 
 I gave this letter, and the neceflary inftruftions, to 
 Gefhard, in the fame manner he conveyed the "paper 
 to me : his wife took the packet to Gummern, and put 
 it fafe 1 ^ into the poll. At length, the ijth of Auguft 
 arrived. Some time, however, elapfed before Gef hard 
 was placed fentinel near ray prifon j but how great was 
 my joy, when I heard him fay one day, " Every thing 
 has fucceeded i" 
 
 It was agreed on, that the firft time Gefhard fhould 
 mount guard, he fhould undertake to clean out my durf- 
 geon, and that, while filling my jug with water, he 
 fhould avail hirnftlf of the opportunity to convey the 
 money into it. This he happily accomplished : I was 
 only furprifed to find, inftead of a thoufand florins, 
 having promifed the other thoufand to Gefhard, the 
 entire fum, five piftoles excepted, which was all he 
 would, on any account, confent to take for his trouble. 
 I found means afterwards, however, to prevail on him, 
 to accept the thoufand florins j but he never ufed them ' y 
 and they occafioncd, fome years after, much, trouble .to 
 his filly wife. 
 
 G I began
 
 LIFE ANI> ADVENT-URLS 
 
 I began now to think of executing my firfl prcjefl ; 
 that of efcaping by a fubterrarsecus paffi-ge, excavated 
 under the foundations of riy prifon. To effeft this, it 
 v.as neccffary to get rid of ray chains. Gefhard pivo- 
 cured me two files, with which I managed matters fo 
 veil, that I could put on my fetters at a proper time 
 without rifking a difcovery. I next endeavoured to 
 remove the wire grate, fixed midway between the ex- 
 tremities of my window j and I fucceeded. replacing it 
 every morning. I had now free communication with 
 the fentinels, and obtained all the inftruments of which 
 I ftood in need, even candles, tinder-box, &c. That 
 nobody might perceive I had a light, 1 hung up my 
 blanket before the window j by which means I worked 
 fafely. 
 
 My priion fioor was compofed of flout oaken planks, 
 each three inches thick j of yvhich there were three 
 layers in contrary directions, held together by iron 
 faftenings a foot long. 1 tmployed the bar of nay 
 handcuffs to life up a plank of the firft laying; a part 
 of which 1 cut off by means of the fame bar, which I 
 had converted into a duffel. I afterwards returned the 
 plank into its place, and filled up the interftice vi. 1 ' 
 crumbs of bre;:d, and a little curt. I foon made my wy 
 through the three planks ; when I came to a very fins 
 land, on which Fort Etoile is built. 
 
 I got rid of a canfiderable quantity of find, by the 
 lielp of ftveral yards of linen, procured by my grena- 
 dier, with which I made bags fix feet Jong, and fuffi. 
 ciently narrow to pafs between the bars ; thefe I filled 
 .v.-ith fand, and configned to Gefhard, when on guard. 
 Under the fioor I concealed powder, ball, a pair of 
 j.'ccket-piilols, a kcife, and a bayonet. \Vorking fome 
 cUvs longer, 1 perceived that the foundations of my 
 .dungeon were four feet thick inftead of two, as Gef- 
 hard had told me. I fuffered much this winter for 
 want of a ftove ; Lut Gefhard furnifhing me with pro- 
 vifions, principally falted meat, I kept up my ilrength , 
 .and when rot employed in mining the wall, 1 wrote 
 irttires, Leing abundantly provided with paper, j.- \, 
 
 ink,
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. 6j 
 
 ink, and candles. Thus did my time pafs away, not 
 totally without pleafure, although cloftly confined in a 
 gloomy dungeon. 
 
 My work, however, advanced very fart, and I found 
 it eafy to penetrate underneath the foundations. I 
 wrote a fecond Ittter to my friend at Vienna j fent him 
 another bill of exchange, and begged him to repair to 
 Gummern, and to wait fix fuccelfive nights, with two 
 faddle holies on the glacis of Kloiterberg, at an appoint- 
 ed hour. 
 
 Gefhard fent his wife to Gnmmern with my letter: 
 and me told the poft-mafter, that her hufband having a 
 Jaw-fuit pending at Vienna, begged him to forward the 
 letter j and in order to prevail on his diligence, gave 
 him ten crowns. But this unexpected liberality giving 
 the Saxon polt-raafter reafon to iufpedl the contents of 
 the letter j to aicertain the truth, he opened, read, and 
 carried it to Duke Ferdinand of Brunlwick, then Go- 
 vernor of Magdeburg. 
 
 Entirely ignorant of this tranfacliorT, I was much 
 aftoniihed to fee the Duke at my prifon by three in the 
 afternoon, with {everal attendants. Giving me the In- 
 tercepted letter, he allied mildly who had carried it to 
 Gumroern ? L anfwered, i did not know : on which a 
 Jtric"l examination of my prifon followed j the lock- 
 fmiths, carpenters, and mafons, fcrupuloufly performed 
 their duty j but after an hour's fearch, difcovened no- 
 thing, except that the wire grate, fixed on the wall of the 
 window, had been changed. The Governor, after 
 finding all his (jueftions ineffectual, as to the carrier of 
 my letter, added, with feigned moderation, " Trenck I 
 I give you my word of honour, that you {hall be heard 
 in your defence, and brought to legal trial, provided 
 you will name your meflenger." " Every body knows," 
 I aniwered, " that 1 never defcrved the hard treatment 
 I receive ; my heart is unconlcious of crime. I en- 
 dtavour, it is true, to recover my liberty by every 
 means in my power : but were I cjpable of betraying 
 the compadionate man, whofe pity led him- to aflill mej 
 if 1 were bafe enough to purchafe happinefs at another's 
 G z exence
 
 expence , I ihouid indeed deferve the fetters which 1 
 wear. Do with me what you pleaie ; but remember that 
 my name is Trenck !" 
 
 The Duke went out, faying t o his attendants, as I 
 was afterwards told, '' 1 pity him much, and am aflcniih- 
 cd at his fortitude." 
 
 The foldiers, convinced, from this converfation, that 
 I was incapable of treachery, from that moment placed 
 the inoft implicit confidence in me ; efpecially when 
 they heard 1 had money, and that I had given Ibme to 
 the fentinels. 
 
 An hour after the Duke's departure, a grenadier 
 hung himfelf, with the firing of his hair, to the palli- 
 lades that furrounded my prifon. This event alarmed 
 me the more, as I fuppofed it was honeft Gefhard. 
 Agitated, I knocked at the door, and defired to fpeak 
 with the Officer of the Guard, lie ~s;e to my window, 
 and i requefted him to inform the Governor, that I 
 was determined to intruft him with my fecret, if he 
 would fend me pen, ink, paper, and a light. My 
 defire being complied with, I fat down to write j and 
 was juft going to name poor Gefhard, as I concluded 
 him dead, when all, at once, i felt fo much uneafinefs, 
 that I rofe up, and from the hole in my window, called 
 out, " My God ! has nobody humanity enough to tell 
 me the name of the man who has hung himfelf, that 1 
 may favc the lives of many others !" At the fame time, 
 I threw out five piitoles. wrapped up in paper j and at 
 length, I heard the following anfwer, in a low voice : 
 " His name was Schutz, of Ripps' company. I there- 
 fore inferted Schutz inftcad of Gefhard, though I had 
 never heard the name before : when I had finished, I 
 gave the. letter to the Lieutenant of the Guard ; but the 
 Duke being ftill fufpicious, I obtained no part of what 
 lie had promifed me. 
 
 Soon after the feven years war was declared : the 
 whole garrifon was changed in confequence, and 
 replaced by a militia regiment. Thus I lofl all my 
 acquaintance, and became an old prifoner in a new 
 
 world. 
 
 Four
 
 OF BARON TkENCK. 65 
 
 Four Lieutenants were felected to mount guard by 
 turns at Fort Etoile ; in lefs than a year, however, I 
 gained over three to my intereft : but fcarcely had the 
 different regiments marched to join the'army, when Ge- 
 neral Borck arrived, who was appointed Commandant. 
 This cruel man came immediately to my prifon, but 
 like a hnngman r/jout to take charge of his vicliin. He 
 was accompanied by lockfmiths, carrying a weighty 
 collar ; which tliey put round my neck, and a ftrong 
 chain that was joined to that I had already at my feet : 
 and to thefe were added two additional ones ; fo that I 
 was really chained like a favage beaft. My window was 
 entirely walled up, except a little wicket, which remain - 
 ed to circulate the air. The tyrant took away my be<// 
 refufed me ftraw, and It/ft me, after having abufed, in 
 the groffeft manner, not only my fell', but the Emprefs 
 Queen, in whole fervice I was. But I was not back- 
 ward in returning his compliments. The Pruffian Ge- 
 neral, Walrabe, was alfo prifoner in this fort ; but he 
 had a houfe in the Polygon, and was allowed three thou- 
 f.iud crowns a year. The major of the day, and the Of- 
 ficer of the Guard, always dined, and often ftayed with 
 him till evening. Thefe gentlemen, after fome time, in- 
 terelted themfebes in my favour ; and gave the keys to 
 the Lieutenant of the guard, when the hour of viiiting 
 my piifon came. By their means I afterwards made 
 ftfveral attempts to efcape. 
 
 Three Majors and three Lieutenants compofed my 
 guard. P/Iy iituation was dreadful : my collar, and the 
 enormous chain hanging to it, prevented my ftirring j 
 and 1 did not dare to remove them, till I had for feme 
 months- obferved the condudl of my keepers. The moil 
 infupportable evil, was the lofs of my bed : I was obliged 
 in confequence, to fit on the ground, and lean my head 
 againft the damp wall ; while one of my hands was 
 conflantly employed in Supporting the chain of the col- 
 lar, which galled my neck, and by too ftrong a coin- 
 preiTion of the nerves, gave me the moll infupportable 
 head-ach. Being obliged at the fame time, on ac:count 
 of the b?,r that ieparated my hands, to have one of them 
 G 3 con-
 
 66 _ LIFJS AND ADVENTURES 
 
 continually on my knees, my arms became fo benumb 
 ed, that I could fcarcely move them. In this fituation, 
 I flept but little. 
 
 I at Itngth fell dangeroufly ill. The tyrant Borck 
 . defired my death, that he might be freed from his care. 
 My. illnefs lafted near two months ; and I became fo 
 weak, that I could hardly lift t'ue ju of water to my 
 mouth. I lay ftretched on the rluor of a damp prifon, 
 without a bed, without ftraw, loaded with chains, deni.d 
 proper nourilhment, and without either phyfician to 
 attend me, or a friend to give me confutation : afflic- 
 ted with a burning fever, a head-ach, a fvvelled neck, 
 comprefied by nn iron collar ; and my hands, feet, 
 and whole body galled. A. criminal to be broken on 
 the wheel, feels not the pain I Oadured two long months. 
 At laft came a dreadful day : I lud a violent attack 
 of the fever, and was going to drink, when the jug 
 (til out cf my hand and broke ; and I was obliged to 
 xvait four and twenty hours for a freili fupply cf water. 
 In this terrible fituation I believe I could have quench- 
 ed my third with human blood. 1 wanted to get my 
 piilols, that I migl.t terminate my fuIFerings at o:v:e, 
 but I had not ftren-gth enough to lift up the planks 
 under which they were coi-cealcd. When my priiba 
 was viiited the following day, 1 was found it retched 
 out, r.nd in^nfibltr, with ruy tongue hanging out of 
 my mouth ; but, af er being fiiouk a little, 1 recover- 
 ed my fenfes. and drank Ibuie water with eager avidity. 
 Jn fhort, I e.Tjpt'ed my jag j and it was filled again ; 
 riy keepers wilhed me a f[jeejy death, and Ihut the pri- 
 fon doors. 
 
 From the day on which 1 fatiated my third vrith fo 
 much waler, I btgan to recover my ftvength: and was 
 foon after reiiored to perfect health, to my great alto- 
 aill rrtnt. 
 
 Jjuriug this f^'.inefs, I gained the goodwill of the 
 officers cliar;>ed with the in! 4 )cclion of my prifon. One 
 of the Majors having given the keys of my piifon to 
 Lieut. Sr.nrjtag, he came uue day to fee me, alone, fpoke 
 to me with cojifiutuce, ana laratnttd his inability to 
 
 pay
 
 OP B'ARON TR2NCK. 6% 
 
 pay his debts. I gladly gave him twenty-five Louis d'ors: 
 and we vowed an eternal friendfhip. I formed by 
 degrees a fimilar connexion with the other two officers 
 appointed to guard me : and they ftayed whole hours 
 with me when the before-mentioned Major was charged 
 with the infpeHoft of my prifon : nor wss it long be- 
 fore this man alfo, interesting himfelf in my favour, 
 kept me as faithful company as the Lieutenants. I 
 made him a preient of a bill of exchange of two thou- 
 fand florins ; and indeed fo liberal had I been to all the 
 officers, that I had only about a hundred florins remain- 
 ing, when an opportunity offered of obtaining a f^p- 
 ply. 
 
 The eldefl fon of Captain K having been 
 
 camiercd, was reduced {o the greateft poverty. His 
 father, who did the duty of Major, making me ac- 
 quainted with his embarraffment, I fent him to my fifter j 
 and fhe gave him a hundred ducats *. K re- 
 turned full of joy with this fum ; and then I gave him 
 a letter for my friend the Countefs of B , and ano- 
 ther for the Great Duke Peter. I recommended this 
 young man to their notice, and begged them to afford 
 me forne affiltance. 
 
 Younk K , on his arrival at Peterfburgh, obtain- 
 ed a company, and was ibon after appointed Major. 
 Pie conveyed to me, through his correfpondent at 
 Hamburgh, two thoufand roubles, being a prefent from 
 the Countefs of B . 
 
 When my liberality and honour had been long ex- 
 perienced by my guards, they were lefs rigorous than 
 lu fore. Lieut. Glotin at lalt returned the keys to the 
 Major, without (hutting my prifon doors, and paffed 
 
 * The Captain found my fifter a!nv>fl expiring. She wrote to 
 me in few words, that my misfortune, and the treachery of 
 Weingarten in 1755, had not only occafioned her ruin, l.ut had 
 heen the caufe of her difeafe, v.ifh which (he had been afflidltd for 
 two years ; that fhe earneUiy prayed that the in-.all fum fhe fent 
 rue might contribute to my tkape, and conduced by recommend- 
 ing her children to me. she, however, grew better fome time 
 after, and married a fetond lu.fbund, but died the following year 
 in I? ) 8. 
 
 half
 
 LIFE ANB ADVENTURES 
 
 half the night with me, after having treated the guard: 
 and thus the tyrant Borck was deceived. 
 
 By enjoying 'one degree of liberty, I was anxious to 
 effecl an entire elcape. But there was only one method 
 to he purfued. 
 
 Lieut. S- meafured the diftance between the hole 
 
 I had made and the entrance of the gallery under the 
 firit rampait, which he found to be thirty feven feet. I 
 undertook to mine my way into it j and, when once 
 there, the officers promifed to open the doors frcretly, 
 on the day I might chufe for my efcapc. 1 immediately 
 began this arduous tafk, which lafted fix months, and 
 coll me a world of pains : I very narrowly efcaped 
 being buried alive one day by a large itonc, which fell 
 down behind me, and Oopped up the paffuge. The 
 thicknefs of the air almoft deprived me of breath : but, 
 urged by my diftrefs, I made fuch powerful exertions', 
 that I removed the ftone, and got back to my dungeon, 
 in a moft wretched fituation. Notwithftanding all ob- 
 ftacles, I at length fueceeded in opening a communica- 
 tion between my prifon and the lubterraneous gallery 
 under the rampart j but my mining operations being 
 overheard, I was furprifed, with my prifon full of fand : 
 in confequence of which, the floor was immediately 
 mended, and my chains doubled. But the greatelt mif- 
 fortune was the lofs of my bed, which had been previ- 
 oufly reftored at the earnert felicitation of feveral ladies 
 in the town, who had heard of the cruelty of my treat- 
 ment. Having made fand bags of my mattrafs, occa- 
 fioned this order. Nor was it long before I felt the con- 
 fequences of this privation : I was again taken ill , and 
 ihould certainly have fallen a viftim to difeufe, if my 
 friends, the officers, had not procured me all' the affiit- 
 ance in their power. Major Bruckaufen alone was 
 inexorable, and on the days he vilited my prifon, I was 
 obliged to keep my fetters on ; but as icon as he was 
 gone, I laid them afide without difficulty. 
 
 I received a vifit fome time after, from General 
 Krufemarck, with whom I had been Cornet in the Life 
 Guards. This man infulted me: but" I anfwered him
 
 OT BARON TRENCK.. 6$ 
 
 in {Trains of equal elegance : when he went out, he faid, 
 "'The bird will foon be taught to whittle another tune." 
 He was no falfe prophet j an order was actually iffued 
 to prevent my enjoying any repofe, by waking me every 
 quarter of an hour. This new fpecies of torture appear- 
 ed to me, like that which had preceded, infupportable 
 at firft \ but I became at length fo accuftomed to it, that 
 I anfwered my tormentors when really afleep. This 
 unparalleled ill treatment continued four years j the ge- 
 nerous Landgrave of Heffe Caffel, then Governor of 
 Magdeburg, revoked the fentence a year previous to my 
 enlargement. 
 
 Some time after the above infernal order, General 
 Borck was fucceeded by Colonel Reichmann, one of the 
 belt characters in the world : but as it was not in his 
 power to alter eitablilhed orders, he foftened them by 
 permitting the officers appointed to infpecl: my prifon r 
 to leave the two firft doors open for an hour or two, 
 that I might enjoy a fmall mare of frefh air and day- 
 light. By degrees this permiffioa was extended to the 
 vening. 
 
 Tire day -light I enjoyed, induced me to amufe myfelf 
 by engraving fatires, and little drawings, with the point 
 of my nail, on the tin cup out of which I drank j and I 
 foon brought this art to fo much perfection, that my firft 
 attempt, though imperfect, was sarried to the city. The 
 Commandant ordered another cup to be given me j and 
 in this I fucceeded better than the firft ; in ihort, the dif- 
 ferent Majors, under whofe care I was, requclted each a 
 {"ample of my productions. A year pafled away in this 
 occupation, .with much feeming rapidity j and at length 
 it obtained for me permiffion to have a light. 
 
 As 1 ufed to write, or draw on my cups, in emble- 
 matic figures, fuch of the events of my life as 1 wilhed 
 to make public, an wder was given that all I might 
 engrave fhould be (hewn to the Governor before they 
 were made public : but this order was neglected ; the 
 officers who mounted guard over me, making a traffic 
 of my productions, which they fold as high at lull it* 
 twelve ducats a-piece j and fince I have recovered my 
 
 liberty.
 
 }O LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 liberty, their value is become fo great, that they are 
 coniidered as cuiiofities. 
 
 One of thefe cups fell by chance into the hands of 
 Prince Auguftus Lobkovvitz, who was then prifoner of 
 war at Magdeburg. At his return to Vienna, he made 
 a prefent of it to the late Emperor Francis. On it I had 
 engraved the reprefentation of a vineyard, with feveral 
 hufbandmen at work, and writttn underneath ; 
 
 My vineyard flourifli'd by my toil and care, 
 I hop'd, as a reward, the iruits to fharc. 
 Says Jezabcl, " That Tineyard (hall be mine. 1 ' 
 Naboth was flain : another drank his wine. 
 
 The auguft Maria Therefa was fo ftruck with the affi- 
 nity (he remarked between the paffage I had copied 
 from the Bible, and my unworthy treatment at Vienna, 
 that fhe immediately ordered her minister to employ all 
 his influence at the Court of Berlin, to obtain my en- 
 largement. On the fame cup another drawing repre- 
 fented a bird in a cage, held in a Turk's hand, with this 
 iufcription : 
 
 No haplefs fparrow dwells 
 
 Within this narrow cage, 
 No, 'tis the bird which lings 
 
 Arr.idft the tenipeft's rage. 
 
 Tricnds to the good and wife, 
 
 Ah ! break his galling chain ; 
 He'll thank you in his groves, 
 
 With many a grateful ftrain. 
 
 My misfortune at length infpired the Landgrave of 
 Hefle Caffel wjth fo much pity, th.it he \r.id a ftove fixed 
 in the entry to my miferable abode. He likeuife or- 
 dered the window of my dungeon to be again opened, 
 the collar to be taken off my neck, and pens and paper 
 to be given me. After this, I vwrote down the different 
 pieces I had compoicd by heart j and as I had no ink, 
 1 fupplied the want of it with my blood, which I drew 
 out occasionally. 
 
 Copies of my works were multiplied and read with 
 the greattit avidity at Court, and in the City. They 
 
 procured
 
 GF BAR.ON TRENCK. fl 
 
 procured me a great number of friends, and at laft my 
 liberty j though the King for a long while continued to 
 anfvver thole who fpoke in ray favour, " He is a dan- 
 gerous man, and while I live {hall never be enlarged." 
 1 had tamed a moufe fo perfectly, that the little ani- 
 mal was continually playing with me, and uled to cat 
 out of ray mouth. One night it flapped about fo much, 
 that the fentinels hearing a noife, made their repoit 
 to the Officer of the Guard. The Town Mnjor arriv- 
 ed early in the morning, accompanied by lockfmiths 
 and mafons. The floor, the walls, my chains, and my 
 body, were ftriftly examined : but finding all in order, 
 they alked me the caufe of lift evening's buftle. Hav- 
 ing heard the rnoufe myfelf, I frankly told them by 
 what it had been occafioned ; on which they defired me 
 to call my little favourite ; I whittled, and the moufe 
 immediately leaped upon ray fhoulder. I folicited its 
 pardon, but the Officer of the Guard took it into his 
 poffeffton, prornifing, however, to give it to a. lady for 
 whofe care he would anfwer. Turning it afterwards 
 l->ofe in his chamber, the moufc foon difappeared, and 
 hid in a hole. But at the ufual hour of vifiting my pri- 
 "ibn, when the officers were juft going away, the poor 
 little animal darted in, climbed up my legs, feated itfelf 
 on my ftioulder, and played a thoufand tricks, to exprefs 
 its joy. Every one was aftoniihed at this ftriking inftance 
 of animal fenfibility. The Major carried the moufe a- 
 way, and gave it to his wife, who had a light cage made 
 for it j but the little animal refufing to ea", was a few- 
 days after found dead. 
 
 I had now fo completely fiaiflied my fabterraneous 
 pailtge, that I could eicape whenever I pieafed. 1 knew 
 the Imperial Ambafl'ador was employing his influence 
 to procure my deliverance j and a Lieutenant of the 
 gavrifon, whom 1 had gained over to ray intereft, pro- 
 iniied to deiert with me publicly, as Schell had done. 
 But, in Head of availing myfelf in good earneft of my 
 advantages, I refolved to put the Great Frederick's 
 genercfity to the tell j referving the refource of the 
 .Lieutenant, in cafe my experiment with L.s mailer 
 
 mould
 
 j2 LIFE AND 
 
 ihould not fucceed. As foon as tlie Major came in, I 
 addreffed him thus : " I kuow Major, that Duke Fer- 
 uin >.nd of Brunfwick, Governor of'the Town, is now at 
 Magdeburg j be kind enough to tell him, from me, that 
 he may have my prifon examined, double the fenlinels, 
 and then appoint what hour he pleafes to fee me with- 
 out the works of Fort Etoile in open -day, and on the 
 glacis of Klofterbcrg st foil liberty ! that if I make good 
 what I promife, I dare hope he will not/refufe to grant 
 me his protection, and that he will deign to inform the 
 King of the fle^s 1 have taken, that they may ferve to 
 juftify me in his opinion, and prove the fincerity that has 
 always been the rule of my conducl." 
 
 The Major thinking me ftark mad, looked ftedfaftly 
 at the Lieutenant, as if for his opinion : but as 1 per- 
 fifted in begging him to carry my nufiage, he went, and 
 foon after returned, accompanied by the Commandant, 
 the Town Major, and an Infpecting Major. His an- 
 fwer was ; That if I could execute what I propofed, 
 the Duke would give me his protection, obtain my 
 pardon from the King, and of courfe free me from my 
 chains. 
 
 I then afked him ferioufly to appoint the hour ; but 
 he laughed at my queftion, and told me, that it would 
 be fufficicnt if 1 explained the nature of the means I 
 intended to employ, without carrying my project into 
 execution j that if I refufed to give this explanation, 
 the door of my prifon would be taken up, and t\vo fen- 
 tinels placed there night and day , that the Governor, 
 in b word, withed only to afcertain the poffibiiity of the 
 undertaking, without making the matter public. 
 
 H.'vinc capitulated a long while, and-obtaincd the 
 faireft p omifts, 1 Suddenly threw my chains *t their 
 feet, opened my hole, End gave them my arms, my in- 
 fhuuients. tnd the two keys of the pofbi-as, that led ouc 
 of the fubterraneous paflages of th'. lo I then cieQred 
 them to go down into the gallery >.: thirty-feven feet, 
 that communicated with thefe paffages, and to make the 
 neceflary opening into them with their Iwords, which 
 was only the work of a few minutes. I told them there 
 
 had
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. 73 
 
 had been horfes watting for me a long time on the glacis 
 of Klofterberg, to carry me off when I chofe. 
 
 Nothing could equal their furprife at finding my 
 bold affertions not devoid of truth , they went oat, 
 examined every fide, returned, and a(ked me a thoufand 
 queftions j to all which I anfwered as well as if I had 
 been the engineer who fuperintended the building of 
 Fort Etoile. At the officer's guard room, the Major 
 gave us that evening an excellent fupper j and allured 
 me that my affair had taken a favourable turn, the 
 Duke having written immediately to Berlin in my 
 behalf. But thefe fair promifes were illufory , on the 
 following day, the guard was reinforced ; two Grena- 
 diers placed fentinels in the room where 1 now was ; 
 the mulkets of the whole detachment loaded with ball 
 in my prefence., and the bridge drawn up. I perceived 
 a number of malons at work in my dungeon, and wag- 
 gons loaded with large blocks of hewn flone, to replace 
 the flooring of plank. This bufinef? continued, five 
 days, .in the courfe of which, I had a final converfatiort 
 with my friend the Lieutenant, who told me, to my 
 utter aftoniihment, that the Duke was entirely ignorant 
 of all that had paffed. 
 
 My priiun being foon repaired, I was conducted 
 thither. Only one of my feet was chained to the wall, 
 nnd the reft of my fetters were taken away. The new 
 floor was of hewn ftone, and my dungeon therefore im- 
 penetrable. 
 
 To preferve the innocent from reproach, it may not 
 be amifs in this place to obferve, that, after my enlarge- 
 ment, I went to Brunfwick, and learned, from the Duke' 
 own mouth, that the Major appointed to gu.ird me, had 
 impofed on him, by reporting, that he had furprifed 
 me at work, and preparing to eicape, and that, but for 
 his vigilance, I lliould certainly have fucceeded > that 
 the truth had come' to his knowledge fame time after j 
 that he had communicated it to the King ; and from 
 .that moment the Monarch only waited for a fit oppor- 
 tunity to let me at liberty. 
 
 As to the Lieutenant who had promifed to be the 
 
 <';Tinanion of ray flight, having paid his debts, my pre- 
 
 H fenc
 
 74 -tlFE .AND ABVENTtTKE-S 
 
 fence was become fo odious to him, that he exchanged 
 with another officer. 
 
 Peace had taken place nine months; when, on the 24th 
 of December, at the very moment when I considered 
 myfelf as ruined beyond redemption, the joyful, heart- 
 cheering news ot" my deliverance arrived. It was 
 brought by Count Scblieben, Lieutenant in the Guards, 
 who came to Magdeburg at the hour of the parade. 
 The King's order imported that I mould be fee at 
 liberty immediately. This news diftufed umverfal joy 
 throughout the city j for there was no one in whojfe 
 breaft I had not awakened the fentiraents. of friendfhip 
 or compaffipn. 
 
 The Commandant, not knowing my fortitude, was 
 afraid to announce this interefting event all at once. 
 Soon, v . however, my prifon doors were opened, and I 
 faw him enter, accompanied by a crowd of people, who 
 all eagerly gazed on roe. The Commandant breaking 
 filence, " My dear Trenck," faid he, " for once I have 
 the pleafure of bringing you good news ; Duke Ferdi- 
 nand has prevailed on the Kin^ to order your chains 
 to be taken off." The lockfmith immediately approached 
 to execute his office. "You will likewife," continued 
 he, " have a better apartment." " I fufpect," faid I, 
 interrupting him, " that I have obtained my liberty, 
 and that you break it to me by degrees, for fear of 
 making too great an imprefllon on my fpirits. If thart 
 be tht cafe, tell it frankly j 1 (hall ,know how to reftrain 
 tny joy within bounds." " Yes," anfwered he, " you 
 are at liberty !" and inftantly fprang forward to embrace 
 ane : his example was followed by every body prefent. 
 
 I was aiked, at length, what drefs I preferred j I 
 anfwered my uniform. The taylor being already pre- 
 fent, took meafure, and promifed to be ready, the fol- 
 lowing morning. 
 
 When the lockfmith had executed his bufinefs, I wa: 
 conducted to the officer's apartment in the guard-houfe. 
 Here every body paid their compliments of congratu- 
 lation, and the Town Major read to me the ufual oath 
 udminiftered to ft ate prifoners. 
 
 -Court
 
 OF BARON TR.SNCK?. 75 
 
 Count Schlieben next delivered me a letter from Ge- 
 neral Riedt, Imperial Minilter at Berlin, in which he 
 told me that he was overjoyed to have found an oppor- 
 tunity of obtaining my enlargement from 'the King ; that 
 1 ought to perform, with a good grace, whatever might 
 be required from me ; and that the Count was charged 
 to accompany me to Prague. 
 
 Before I departed, 1 treated the guard generoufly, 
 giving every man a ducat : to the fentinels who were on 
 duty when I received the news of my deliverance, three : 
 and ten I ordered among the foldiers who had that day 
 been previoufly relieved. As to the officer, I fent him 
 a prefent from Prague, and gave the reft of my money 
 to the wife of honeit Gefhard. He, poor fellow ! was 
 dead. I gave, in the latt place, thirty ducats to die 
 widow of the foldier who hung himielf near my prifon 
 in 1756. 
 
 On the following day I received a vifit from all the 
 field officers of the garrifon. By noon I was completely 
 equipped from head to foot, and Was overwhelmed with 
 a variety of compliments. 
 
 What enjoyment could equal this fudden and unex* 
 pefted change of fortune ! I was the felf-lame man, who 
 but twenty-four hours before, was lying in a dungeon j 
 aud yet what a difference in the behaviour, and attention, 
 of thofe, who, but a little while previous to my libera- 
 tion, treated me with rigour ! 
 
 The night came, Count Schlieben made his appear- 
 ance, with a coach drawn by four poft-horfes, and we 
 fet off. 
 
 My confinement at Magdeburg lafted nine years, five 
 months, and fome days : if to this fpace of time, the 
 feventeen months I was confined at Glatz be added, it 
 will be found that I pafled eleven years of my youth in 
 prifon j and thoi'e too, the molt valuable part of my' 
 life. 
 
 After the Baron had cfcaped federal fnares at Vienna, where he 
 was contiiied a (hurt ti.ne, at che inftig-ition of thofe who enjoyed 
 hi* property, under a faife charge tf madaefs, he found hiaifelf 
 necefluated to withdraw his pecuniary cUiiru; and, after thefc 
 loffcs, only received the brevet ruok ef M;jor in the Auflrian 
 fervke 
 
 H 2 Field
 
 ^ LIFE- AND ADVENTtfRKS 
 
 Field Marflial Laudohn fet off for Aix la Chapefie, 
 to drink the waters. I accompanied him, and during 
 my flay in that city, fell in love with the youngeft daugh- 
 ter of Mr. Brce du Deipenbendt, one of the Burgo- 
 mafters, and married her, contrary to the intentions of 
 the Emprefs Queen ; for (he wifhed me to marry a rich 
 widow, whofe fortune amounted to fifty thoufand florins 
 a year. The bad temper of the lady, her avarice, and 
 her age, ((he was fixty-three years old) gave me an in- 
 vincible averfion to the match j and my want of fub- 
 miffion to the Emprefs, completely ruined me in her 
 Majefty's fervice. 
 
 Mifs Broe was beautiful in her perfon, young, vir- 
 tuous, and of a charming difpofition. She made me 
 the father of eleven children, eight of whom are ftill 
 alive. 
 
 I fettled at Aix la Chapelle, and it was not long before 
 my houfe became the rendezvous of all the people of 
 confideration who came to drink the waters. 1 lived 
 there fixteen years: but fome difagreeable circumfiances 
 I met with latterly, determined me to employ the re- 
 mains of my fortune, which amounted to frxty thoufand 
 florins, in the purchafe of a fmall eftate, c?.lled Zwerbach., 
 in Auftria, where I fettled with my wife and family, 
 after the death of my mother-in-law, which happened in- 
 September 1780. 
 
 Here I lived in tranquillity, working v^th my hands 
 and my pen, till on the 22d of Auguft 1786, when I 
 heard of the death of the Great Frederick, and that his 
 fucceffor, one of the witneffes of my misfortunes, had 
 granted roe a paflport to return to Berlin > with the 
 promife of rcftoring my confifcated eftates. I was fur- 
 ther informed, that a rich brother I had in Pruflia, had 
 chofcn my children for his heirs. This determined me 
 to undertake a journey to Berlin, where, however, I 
 met with frefh difappointments. The rmmttry con- 
 ceived that the reftoration of my confifcated property, 
 would ftigmatize the memory of Frederick the Great, 
 with an ail of public injuftice ; and as fuch, advifed his 
 T-refent Pruflian Maieity, King William, rather to 
 
 he.ft.qvfe
 
 Or BARON TRENCK. 77 
 
 beftow a penfion upon me, without annulling or con- 
 firming the fentence of the Court of Glatz. Finding, 
 therefore, all my hopes of recovering my confitcated 
 eftate of Great Scharlock abortive, I left Berlin in Auguft 
 1787, after the King had graciouily conferred upon me 
 an annual pennon of twelve hundred dollars*; which, by 
 the bye, does not amount to the intereft of the principal 
 fum which 1 had loft, and which amounted to two hundred 
 and thirty th.oufand Pruffian florins. 
 
 I now hailened to Vienna j had an audience of the 
 Emperor 5 fpoke to him as on fucb occafions, I am 
 accultomed to fpeak ; but Jofeph had then no doubt, 
 but with his three hundred thouCind invincible warriors, 
 he mould find Berlin an eafy conqueft. I fhrugged my 
 Shoulders when he told me fo ; and my plain dealing 
 immediately rendered me obnoxious to that weak and 
 ambitious Monarch. 
 
 I enjoyed, however} in Vienna that triumph, which 
 rn honeft man never fails to obtain over thofe who can 
 ftoop to bafe actions. I could carry my head ereft, 
 v/hilft my enemies were aihamed to ihew their faces j 
 being convinced, from the whole hiftory of my life, 
 that they had little reafon to Hatter themfelves with the 
 hopes of being fpared by me j as they knew I wanted 
 neither courage nor opportunity to llrip off the mafk 
 from every enemy to Virtue, and to hold him up to 
 public fcorn. 1 was ftyled, indeed, a reftlefs mortal, 
 and a fingular being: yet that reillefs mortal was every 
 where received with honour; and cheerfully will I fub- 
 mit to be deemed fingular by thole who eftimate a man's 
 worth only by the weight of his purfe, or the degree of 
 favour in which he (lands at Court. 
 
 From Vienna I haftened to Zvverbach, and till No- 
 vember 1788, remained at reft in the bofom of my 
 family. At reft I remained, but not in idlenefs j for 
 the father of eight children, who educates them himfelf, 
 and has fons in the army, unable to fupport the cha- 
 racl;r of officers, on their bare pny, can never want 
 futilcient employment ; efpeciaily if he have to fill up 
 * About . 230. 
 
 H 3 old
 
 7 . LIP* AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Id gaps made by Agents, Attornies, Coonfellors, and 
 ether Gentlemen of the Long Robe. 
 
 In November I undertook a new journey to Berlin, 
 in order to try once more whether any thing, and what 
 could be done in my behalf. Here I perceived in the 
 fpace of a Cngle year fo many changes and viciffitudes ; 
 fo many cabals contefting together,, and fo many claufes 
 militating againll my proipedts of fuccefs. that I deferred 
 my defign till fome more favourable opportunity. His 
 Majefty, however, I found difpofed to ferve me ; and in- 
 deed he granted me every thing, that, as affairs were cir- 
 cumftanced, I could reafonably demand. 
 
 On leaving Berlin I went to Schildberg near Soldin> 
 to my niece, Madame Waldow, took my youngeft fon, 
 whom I had left there the preceding year to profeciite' 
 his.ftudies with her children, and carried him to Deffau, 
 where I placed him in the Philanthropeia, as it is called. 
 
 From Deffau I fet off for Drefden. There the Prime 
 Minifler, Count Marcolini, (hewed me a fignal mark of 
 diftinclion, ar.d a degree of civility exceeding rare in 
 Saxony , coming to meet me himfelf at the inn, from, 
 whence he conducted me to Court, arid prefented me to 
 the Electoral Fan.iiy : and, indeed, I mull con-fefs, that 
 in general, every poflible honour was paid me at Drtfden. 
 The market-place where I dwelt, wasconftantly crowded 
 like a fair, and wherever I went y the people followed me 
 with loud acclamations. 
 
 I paid my refpefts likewife to Charles of Saxony, 
 Duke of Ccurland, at Elileiwerde. Here alfo I was 
 gracioufly received , as wett as by the reigning Prince of 
 Deffau, whofe little territory is perhaps one of the happi- 
 eft in Europe. 
 
 Hence I repaired to Konigftein, to vifit the com- 
 mandant, Count Solmes. That werthy old General- 
 was advifed of my coming, ind, feeble as he was, 
 qame, notwithftanding it rained violently, down to the 
 foot of the ftupendous rock to meet me. He gave me 
 the rnoft hearty embrace, together with a look which at 
 firft fight, eternally rivets two noble minds. We fpent 
 only a fiagle day together : that d^y ; however, was well
 
 OF BARON TRENCK. ft) 
 
 nlkd" up with converfation. At parting, die tears fell 
 copioufly from our eyes, and each of us exclaimed : " Ah ! 
 *' were we not fo near the grave !" 
 
 Konigftein is not a fortrefs which an enemy muft 
 f-ubdue before he can conquer Saxony, but a valt enor- 
 mous rock. It contains but a fmall garrifon, incapable 
 of making a fally j and referves chierly to fecurc tl:s 
 records of the country, and prifoners of ftatc. Koaig- 
 ftein is, in fa ft-, the Baftille of Saxony \ in which many 
 a brave and worthy man has groaned under the lafli o 
 arbitrary power. Whilft 1 was there, large parts of the 
 lock were blown up to form cafemate's. In the courfe 
 of this operation, a dungeon was difcovered, bored in 
 the (olid itone, to the depth of fixty fathoms. At the 
 bottom of this dungeon, appeared a beditead, on which 
 die fkeleton of a man it ill repofed, and by its fide, the 
 remains- of a dead dog. Mournful fight for a heart pof- 
 feffed of the fmalleil feelings of humanity. How favage 
 inutt the tyrant be that can invent fuch tortures for his 
 fellow-creatures, and yet lie down upon his pillow, with- 
 out feeling any remorfe for the vidlirn of his wrath j 
 who, in a hole like this, is flowly confuming the lamp of- 
 life, without even the (lender confolation of pity ! Even 
 row the walls of this prifon confine three perfons not un- 
 wo; thy of notice. 
 
 One of thefe was formerly Private Secretary to the 
 Court of Saxony $ but betrayed, in the year 1756 the 
 fecrets of the Drefden Archives to the King of Pruffia. 
 He was taken in Poland ; and has now been confined four 
 and thirty years in a difmal dungeon : he ftill lives 
 but his appearance refembles more that df a wild beaft, 
 than of a man. 
 
 The fecond is one Colonel Afton. Thofe who are 
 acquainted with the fecret hiilory of Drefden, will re- 
 member the horrid poifon fcheme, which was dete&ed,. 
 but was thought proper to be kept fecret. A6lon was 
 the chief in this confpiracy. He was an Italian by birth; 
 pofleffed a true Calabrian heart ; was bold and handfomej 
 and the favourite of the Dowager Eledrefs. '1 his is a 
 fufficient key, to his hiitory for thofe who arc delkous of 
 knowing what is become of A&an. 
 
 The
 
 8b" LlfE A*D ADVENTURES 
 
 The third is a fine young Swede. Six years ago, TT.5 
 was arrefted at Leipfic, at the private requeil of the Ring 
 of Sweden, and brought to Kbnigftein in a raafk. When 
 he was taken he defended himfclf like a lion, claiming 
 his right to be protected by the laws of nations. This 
 man is excluded from the light of day. No one fees 
 him ; no one fpeaks to him. And en pain of death no 
 one muft know what his name is. From what I could 
 learn, he is no criminal ; has had no trial ; but fome 
 ilate or love intrigue at the Swediih Court has brought 
 on him this fate. Pity him, reader 1 he has no deliver- 
 ance to hope but death : for the Eleftor has promiftd 
 the King of Sweden, that he fliall never more behold 
 the beams of tHe fun. He is now under thirty years of 
 age, and the- worthy Governor cannot fpeak of him, 
 without the tear of companion in his eye : he fhrugs 
 his moulders, looks up to heaven, and fays It is the 
 Eleclor's ora'er, and I muft obey. God help him. Yet 
 let not this unhappy captive defpair. Let him learn 
 from my fufferings, to cherifh hope, and look forward 
 for better days. Wh'en 1 lay in the Baftille of Ma^de- 
 isurg. the mighty Frederick the Great faid " Whilft 
 my name is Frederick, Trenck mall never fee day." 
 Yet circumftances fo fell out, that he himfelf fet me 
 free ; after which he lived three and twenty years, and 
 ftill bore the name of Frederick. Every prifon has an 
 entrance ; and who can tell but this Swede may find an 
 exit alfo. Not long before the definition of the 
 Baftille, a man was liberated, who had daily bedewed 
 its ftones with his tears for nearly 40 years, for having 
 written, in the thcughtltffnefs of youth, a fatire on a , 
 Court fl rum pet, Madame Pompadour. It is a horrible 
 reflection, that any one may intercede for a robber or 
 muidererj but fur a prifcner of ilnte, no one dare 
 fpeak, no one muft endeavour to mitigate his doom. 
 Dreadful refle&icn for every honeft citizen, who, 
 when he hears fuch a ftory, cannot help thinking 
 " to-day it is tfiy turn ; to-morrow perhaps mir.c, if 
 foiie mi'iifterial cabal be formed again'.i me, or my 
 gracious Sovereign be perfuaded to an unaae itielch of 
 authority !" 
 
 r lerc
 
 CF BAR.ON TR.ENCK. 8f 
 
 Here I muft draw the curtain. Pity the humane 
 Governor, who dares not, in the Itaft degree, alleviate 
 the fuffcrings of the victim committed to his charge. 
 My blood curdled when, at departing, I caft an eye back 
 on the grave of a living being : and when 1 recolledled, 
 that I loo was in Korngftein, I looked forwards with 
 terror, leit the door fliould be (hut on me likewife. 
 
 My defign was to return immediately to Vienna*, but 
 I fuddenly changed my intentions, and determined upon 
 a journey to France. I had already heard at Berlin, 
 that I was almoft idolized in Paris : that every man in 
 France had read my hiitory : that all the new fafhions 
 there were a la Trenck : that almoft every night, I was 
 exhibited on the Parifian Theatre, to crowded houfes^ 
 as a martyr of arbitrary power: and laftly, that a 
 frightful figure of me, as large as life, was publicly 
 fliewn for money. All this was confirmed to me by a 
 friend at Drefdcn, who perfuaded me to go to France, 
 to gather my laurels, which I accordingly refolved 
 upon. 
 
 At Frankfort, through which I had many times in 
 my life pafied unnoticed, I was now looked upon in a 
 very different manner,, and received in triumph; as my 
 fufferings had rendered me noted, fmce the hilloiy o 
 my life had been read. Balls and entertainments were 
 given in honour of me.. The whole town Itemed in 
 motion ; and fo much love and eileem were ihewn me, 
 that I never fhall forget the plealure 1 enjoyed there,, 
 and cannot refrain from here offering the kind inhabitants 
 my heartiest thanks. 
 
 I now repaired to .Straflmrg, and in every town upon 
 the road I met with the fame honours. 
 
 In Strafburg I immediately perceived that I was- 
 fallen amongil a people endued with fcnfibility. The 
 concourfe to fee me was incredible. I was overwhelmed 
 with civilities. Balls at:d feafts were given in honour 
 of me. All the beauties of the town appeared in full 
 luftre : they furrounded me j and every dancer turned 
 me with his partner. In ihort, no man upon earth 
 was ever better welcomed, more kindly treated; or more 
 coucteoufly received. 
 
 Count
 
 J 2 LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Count Flaxhnd, the Governor, invited me to accom- 
 pany him to the play. The piece announced for per- 
 formance was Baron Trenck; but the police countermand- 
 ed it, at my requeft, to prevent tumult ; as the people 
 had already crowded me airfoil to death. 
 
 We entered the French Theatre with' fbrne of the 
 firft ladies of the place. Scarcely had I taken my feat 
 in the box, when the urcheltra welcomed me with 
 drums and trumpets, and the pit with clapping and 
 (hooting, u Vive la Baron Trenck .' Long live .Baron 
 Trenck !" I was now obliged to come forward, and 
 thank the audience. 
 
 From thence we adjourned to the German Theatre ; 
 where I experienced the fame honours. 
 
 The evening clofed with a ball and fupper, at which 
 foogs made in honour of me were fung. I can fay 
 with truth, that my fortune was indeed enviable j nor 
 could I repent my ten years imprisonment at Magde- 
 burg, as it in reality led the way to my prefent enjoy- 
 ments. I actually fancied myfelf in the paradife of Mo- 
 hammed, fo many divine beauties fmiling on me front 
 every quarter, with melting eyes, and exprefling with 
 every look how ardently they wifhed the renovation of 
 my youth. 
 
 I left Strafburg with regret, and pofted on to Pari. 
 Jn Nanci, a thoufand people had expe&ed me for Uvo 
 days, and the receivers of the tolls at the turnpikes had 
 taken a conGdernble fum of money by way of prefcnts, 
 that they might make my arrival known. I flipped 
 through, however, in the dufk, when nobody expected 
 me, and thvs eluded their curiofity. 
 
 I arrived at Paris in the middle of February j where, 
 at different periods of my life, I had already been five 
 times, wholly unnoticed. Eut now the cafe was totally 
 altered, and Trenck was the fashionable fubjeft of 
 gublic curiofuy and conversation. The whole city had 
 feen, pitied, and admired me at Curtkis's j who had 
 exhibited me as large as life, in my chains, together 
 with Frederick the Great, at the Palais Royal. Two 
 pJays had bten> written under the title of Baron Trenck, 
 
 thar
 
 OF -BARON TREN6K. 8 j 
 
 that for tli re e months had been performed almoft daily. 
 One of them was particularly calculated to promote a 
 general fpirit of revolt egainft unlimited monarchical 
 power, as it tended to excite in the audience, firil com- 
 pallion., and thence led them to a defire of vengeance. It 
 was performed too in a manner that could not fail of 
 awakening in the heart thofe emotions, which, at that 
 critical period, the people were wished to feel. 
 
 Thus was all Paris prepoffeffed-in my favour; and, 
 by means of my hiftory and of the ftage, the name of 
 Trenck was unlverf.illy known. The wifli to be con- 
 vinced by ocular demonftration that this Trenck was 
 actually alive, and not the raere hero of romance, was 
 fc prevalent, when i pei'fbnally vilited Paris, that no 
 one but an eye witnefs can conceive the eagernefs of all 
 ranks and ordeis of people to behold and converle with 
 me. And this was not the effect of novelty alone, 
 which is coramonly fatiated in three days j for I re- 
 mained fix months in Paris, and to the very moment of 
 :ny departure I experienced the fame unbounded love 
 and elteem as at my fir ft arrival. 
 
 The day aiter my arrival, curiofity prompted me to 
 vifit incogtufu the Palais Royal, where Mr. Curtius was 
 exhibiting me in wax to the gaping multitude. I went 
 up to him, and faid,- Sir, 1 faw Baron Trenck him- 
 felf a few years ago, and I perceive this figure no more 
 reiembles him than it does the .Great Mogul." He 
 looked at me with a mixture of furprife and contempt ,j 
 .and allured me, .on his honour, that he v,-as perfon- 
 . slly acquainted with Baron Trenck, and had model- 
 lid the face-of his figure frum the Barpn himfelf at 
 Frankfort. 
 
 I faid nothing before the company., but taking him 
 afide into another room, difcovered myfelf. The poor 
 follow was confounded 5 and, by way of apology, 
 ^Hedged the cuitomary artifices of people of his pro* 
 feilion to gratify the curiofity of the public j alluring 
 me, that he had gained a great deal of money by me, 
 and had fent a fimilar figure to London with the fame 
 4'ewgn. Hereupon he begged me to favour him with 
 
 half
 
 84 L*FE AND ADVENTORLS 
 
 half an hour's fitting, that he might copy my real fea- 
 tures. This requtfl, however, for fufficient reafons, I 
 did not think proper to grant. The original being now 
 at Paris, the figure would no longer anfwer the purpofe 
 of Mr. Curtius in that city j it was therefore tranfport- 
 ed to Madrid, to induce the Dons to draw their purfe- 
 ft rings as freely as the Parifians had done. 
 
 I had fcarcely been three days in Paris, before the 
 whole city was apprized of it, and I received vifits 
 from all the people of difHn&ion in it. Ladies came 
 among the reft, excited by curiofity to fee me. I had 
 no refource but to follow the dream, and to fyend the 
 whole day till midnight in company. Wherever I 
 dined, or flipped, all the friends and relatives of the 
 family were invited, that they might have a fight of me j 
 and after meals the company eagerly crowded round me 
 with the fame view. Thus in fix days I was generally 
 known; and for the whole fix months I was aclually 
 perfecuted, having engagements on my hands for a 
 month to come. Every dinner was a fcaft. In many 
 houfes the defert was enriched, in honour of me, with 
 allufions to my imprisonment and adventures, with 
 triumphal arches, and laurel crowns. The ladies like- 
 wife lung airs cornpofed in honour of roe, and preL-nted 
 me with laurel wreuths. Sometimes the fcene was lo 
 aftecling, that the whole company could not refrain 
 from fhedding tears. I myfelf wept at the firit fen- 
 fations of joy and gratitude. The conclufion was a 
 general embrace, expreffive of the big emotions of the 
 heart. 
 
 Thus pafled my days amid ft the tumultuous noife of 
 t'le great world, and with iuch maiks of honour and 
 friendfliip, as certainly no foreigner, like me, ever 
 before received in France. No martyr to the perfe- 
 cutions of fortune ever furvived its rage, and enjoyed 
 greater rewards than I. To obtain the univerfariove 
 and unbounded confidence of a people, and the laftinjj 
 friendship of a nation always deemed volatile and 
 capricious, is a fingular phenomenon in' my cale. and 
 wouid render me vain, could I entertain fo ridiculous a 
 
 paffica
 
 OF BARON TRENCH. Sj| 
 
 p&iVion as vanity. In 'all companies the chief place was 
 ceded to me. And as in France the ladies ftamp a 
 man's current value ; as my natural cheerfulnefs was 
 wonderfully pleafmg to thofe who expe6ted to find in me 
 a fuperamuiated, morofe old fellow, a mifanthropill four- 
 ed by repented misfortune , as I ftill mewed myfelf a 
 pleafant companion, and was not incapable ofVendering 
 my (elf agreeable to the fair-fex, my reception was the 
 more favourable and more general. 
 
 Count Olivadez, who lived at Paris under the name 
 of Count Pilo, was one of the -firft at whcfe houfe I din- 
 ed. This worthy old gentleman came himfelf to fetch. 
 me, end carried me -in triumph to his palace, where I 
 was received with drums and trumpets, and with vocal 
 ami inilrurnental mafic. 
 
 The Count was a Grandee of Spain, one of the firfi; 
 men in that kingdom, where he formerly poffefied eltates 
 to the amount of three millions a year, and is well knowa 
 in modern hiftory. He procured from Germany, at 
 vaft expence, fcvernl families, whom he fettled comfort- 
 ably in Spain, with a view to augment the induftry and 
 population of that country. Among It thefe, however, 
 fome were Prottltants. The Count was wealthy, 
 powerful, and a friend to mankind. This was enough, 
 for the Inquifition. His houfe was fearched, and 
 Voltaire's works being found in his library, he was 
 dragged before the Holy Tribunal as a delinquent ; 
 was condemned, tortured, and his property confiscated. 
 Four years, he lay in a wretched prifon, treated like, 
 the vileft malefactor, without the lea ft hope of ever re~ 
 covering his liberty. At the expiration of this term, 
 the Count found means to eicape out of the execrable 
 talons of the Inquiiition, aml'iled to Paris, with the lofs 
 of a pix'-perty of tixty millions. -Fortunately, fome years 
 before his difaftsr, he had placed in the French funds 
 a confulera'ole capital, the intereft of which brings him 
 about eighty thoufand livres a year : thus he has enough 
 left, being childlefs, to maintain him in Paris, as a phi- 
 lofopher, in. a Rate of quiet and reip. Stability, under the 
 name of Count Pilo. 
 
 I When
 
 86 L.l'i ANl> ADVENTURES 
 
 \Vhen ;t inan who has himfelf groaned under the Lfa 
 of mbioitune reads the hiftory of another equally un- 
 fortunate, there aiifcs in his niiud a certain fjKQpatbetk 
 defire to know him perfonally, and reciprocally to 
 compare their fate, their evils, their efcapes, and tlic 
 grounds of their coufolation. 1 his Olivadez felt for 
 me : on this account he fought nor, and folemnized the 
 day of our meeting, which gave us both reafon highly to 
 value each other, and to elteera ourlelves as raifcd fon.e- 
 vvhat above the common level of mankind. He was the 
 innocent victim of the Holy Inqut/ition, an infamous, ae- 
 curft Tribunal, affuming the mafk of religion ; as I was 
 to the State Inquyition cf a Monarch, as unmerciful as a 
 Father Inqui/itor. \Ve were both remarkable for having 
 found means of rendering impoflibilities poflible. We 
 have both rifen victorious over our powerful enemies ; 
 we both are free ; and, thank God, we have loit no- 
 thing but our poffelilons. 
 
 Olivadez was my friend in Paris ; to his death I 
 honoured him ; and ever {hall I remain the avowed ene- 
 my or all thole beaded and becuwled rafcals, who could 
 perftcute fuch a worthy citizen. He died lull year, biU 
 not before he had fhewn me the tears ofthofe wound* 
 which had been iuilitled on him by implements of tor- 
 ture i.i the infernal dungeons of the In'juifition. Gra- 
 cious God 1 what is a Monk, where his power can ra^e 
 uncontrolled! how little dots the world know, evea 
 now, of thofe unfeeling raonilers i 
 
 I fliall now relate another ad venture, .that does 
 honour to the national character, i dined with the 
 imperial -AmbaiTador, Count Mercy. 'I he company 
 was large. Next me fat a worthy old General, of the 
 corps of Engineers, who without knowing my name. 
 had converfed \\iih me a ccnfiderable time. After 
 dinner he alked who I was. Scarcely had lie been told 
 my name, when he ran to me, and embraced nic with 
 j^nthufiafm : hi> hear't was fo full, that, overpoweied 
 by his feelings, he funk motionlefs in my arms. The 
 fceue .was truly aiTcc'ting to every byftandcr. All prc- 
 llm thouirlit v;e h:id been friends in our voutli, whp 
 
 hajj.
 
 o;" BARON Tr,~\cr. 87 
 
 hud acciJentally met in our old age. I myfelf was 
 aiionilhed and delighted. The old General, on coming 
 to himftrlf, wept for joy, at having obtained in this 
 world, the fight of a man, of whom, from reading his 
 hiitory, he had entertained (b high an idea. He took 
 me by the band, and I was obliged f> accompany hifri 
 home. 
 
 I was now ftrongly importuned to viiit the Theatre, 
 to fee myfelf reprtlented on the itage. Greatly as I 
 dcfired it, ftill prudence forbade me. I was well aware, 
 that I flrould meet with the fame reception here as at 
 Strafburg. In the piece that bore my name, the Great 
 Frederick gathered no laurels ; and as I was, in general, 
 flriflly watched, 1 would not give my ermies an oppor- 
 tunity of charging me with e.xcefs of pride : as it might 
 have been imagined, that I had gone for the avowed pur- 
 pofe of courting public appkiufe. 
 
 Twice had the Manager announced in his bl!'^ 
 that I (hould be at the Theatre on a certain day. So 
 great was the concourfe, that double prices were paid 
 for places in the pit. I did net make r.w appear- 
 ance, and this had nearly occafioned a riot. At length, 
 after I had refided five months in P.iris, I fuffered my- 
 felf to be prevailed on, by a large party, whom I 
 accompanied to the play. The clapping was inceffant. 
 From every quarter refounded, " five Is Baron Trench I" 1 " 1 
 11 Long live Baron Trenck !" I was obliged, at the end 
 t f each aft, to ftep forward, and thank the people for 
 the reception they gave me. At going out, we were fo 
 crowded, that I could fcarcely get to my coach j and 
 when it drove off, I was faluted with loud and repeated 
 huzzas. 
 
 I was accuftomed to fperd many hours in the Palais 
 Royal, where the foundations of the fubfequent revo- 
 Iniion were then hying. Pofleflcd of the confidence of 
 the whole nation, it was an eafy tnatter for me to 
 'earn every tiling I wiihed to know. I particularly 
 irequented the club, or meeting of the Dutch and Bra- 
 bantine patriots. Thefe held their private meetings, 
 and every two months difpatched confidential deputies 
 i 2 to
 
 18 o_:s AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to Brufiels mil Amfterdam : ?. nd as they were grtacry 
 interefted in the revolution then fecretly fermenting at 
 Paris, and fpartd no money to be minutely informed of 
 what was guing forward at Veifailles, their fociety 
 afforded me the fine ft opportunity of gratifying my 
 curiofity. 
 
 Sometimes I fpent 3 few days at Verfailles, where 1 
 paffed my time very agreeably. I was prefented at 
 Court by the Imperial Ambaflador, Count Mercy. 
 Thofe who are "unacquainted with the etiquette of the 
 French Court, will find the following, account of my 
 reception fomewhat fingular. The King muft not fpeak 
 a fingle woid to any foreigner, who is preftnted to him 
 by an Ambaflador, through his Mioifter. At the fame 
 time it is next to an impofiibility to procure a private 
 audience of him. This is moil probably an old minifte- 
 rial artifice, to prevent the King from hearing what they 
 do not with-bioi to- know. Now Trenck- had been a 
 common topic of converfation for fome months j and I 
 had been credibly affured, that the King, who never m 
 his life read a printed bock, had ordered my hiftory to 
 be read to him, which moved him fo much in my favour, 
 'that he wiftied perfonally to fee me. Accordingly when 
 I was prefenttd, he, flood Piill for at lead two minutes 
 before me, furveycd me with the greateft attention from 
 head to foot, fmiled gracioufly upon me, wer.t to the 
 door, then retrarned again, came up quite clofe to me, 
 furveycd me again as before, fmiled again, gave me a 
 . token of his favour by a flight inclination of his head, 
 and thereupon wen; away, after looking back at me 
 when he came to the door. 
 
 I was immediately furrounded as by a fwarm of bees, 
 eveny one tellifying. their joy at feeing me at court. I 
 was next prefented to the Queen and Royal Family, and 
 afterwards dined, with all the foreign Minillers at 
 Count Mo n t mo r in's, whofe amiable lady infilled on 
 giving me the fitil place at her fide, as a matk of par- 
 ticular dillinclion. As both the imperial and Pruflian 
 "Minillers behaved to rae with great familiarity on this 
 occ&fion, it added not a little to my confequencc with 
 
 thole ,
 
 Off BARON tRENCn:. 8^ 
 
 t':oie who had read my hiftory, in which I had depicted 
 the condu6l of their refpeclive Court? towards me in no 
 favourable colours. This, to my credit, fealed likewifc 
 the truth of my account, and added greatly to the 
 cfteem (hewn my perfon. 
 
 Spurious editions and perverted trnnflations of my 
 life, having appeared in great numbers, I was impor- 
 tuned by feveral of the firtl diflinction in Frnnce, to 
 publilh a genuine edition on my own account ; every 
 body affuring me, that I could not fail of felling ten 
 thoufand copies in France. Thus I undertook an 
 Herculean taik, living in the manner as I did, the 
 whole day and Ivtlf the night fpent in the tumult of the 
 great world. Notwithstanding, it was refolvcd on ; 
 UK! within two months, I was re.idy with three oftavo 
 volumes. To embelliih this edition, I procured ten 
 defcriptive copper-plates to be engraven by the bell 
 matters, and the expence of the work amounted in the 
 whole, to near fixteen thoufnnd livres. A confiderable 
 profit was, no doubt, to be evjefted i but unfortunately 
 I could not get it ready till three days before the revo- 
 lution : and now, every one was fully occupied in read- 
 ing the prodigious number of pamphlets, which daily 
 iJued from the prefs, to excite the people to revolt. 
 Delay abated the ardour of th.t curiofity which had 
 been raifed on my account, and the great change in 
 the ftate, caufcd men to find more important employ- 
 ments for their time. 
 
 Soon after my arrival at Paris, appeared that deteftable 
 work of Count Mirabsau, entitled, Corre/pvm/encc fecrette 
 d" 1 vn Voyageur Franc. its, in which the Pruflian Monarch, 
 Prince Henry, and the whole of the Pruflian Miniftry, 
 were molt grofsly -abulVd. It is true, the book was 
 publicly burnt by the hands of the common hangman, 
 at the command of the Parliament ; yet, though the 
 author, printer, and publisher, all of whom then refided 
 ;-t Paris, were avowedly known, not the leail inquiry 
 after them was made, nor a fingle individual puniihcd 
 and the book Hill continued to be fold in every (hop, 
 without obllruclion. 
 
 13 As
 
 AND ADVENTURES 
 
 As I had continual opportunities of witnefling tbe 
 bad impreflion which this deteftable book made upon 
 a foreign nation ; where the affairs of Berlin were judged 
 only from hearfay j and was ' frequently confidentially 
 queftioned refpecling the fu'oftance of Mirabeau's work, 
 I conceived it my duty, as indeed it is the duty of every 
 liOiieft man, to defend the cattfe of calumniated Virtue, 
 and accordingly wrote a pamphlet in refutation of 
 JYI'rabeau's malicious libel. By this (lep I laid myftlf 
 open to the vindictive jealoufy of that dangerous man, 
 who knows how to employ either digger or poifbr, 
 At the time of my writing againll him in. Paris, when 
 I publiclv announced him as a villain, he was actually 
 a Deputy to the States General, and had great fway 
 with the- people. Courage fuflicient he did not pofis.fs 
 to call me into the field ; but his p!ot was to get me 
 feized by a ir.o'.j, and tifd up to a lantern poll. This- 
 was eafily practicable in the tumults which then prevail- 
 ed. My party, however, was too great, and I appeared 
 daily, without fear, in the midil of the multitude, but 
 well guarded againft treachery. 
 
 At Verfailles, in the midttofthe afiembly. I paficd 
 publicly under his very nofe with a haughty and threat- 
 ening air. Every body cxpf cled an immediate quarrel ) 
 but the contemptible fellow (hur.iK'd my prefcnce. 
 
 "When my work apninll him WHS advertiiad, as the 
 revolution was then j.urt break-ing out, and he was th-e 
 lavourite of the people, he gave my publilher to 
 andcrftand, t'.:at liis ho.ife- iliculd b: rafcd, and himfelf 
 hanged, if he dar-^d to fell a fingle copy. This fright- 
 ened the hontft bookfeller fo much, that he declined 
 'having any thing to do with it. What advantage did 
 'the covetous Mirabsau reap from this ? He fecretly 
 pirated my work, and his edition was fold, before my 
 'oublifUer came forward. Thus were my profits lolt, 
 and a fcoundrel reaped the fruits of my labour- I was 
 .informed, likewife, that he had bribed my bookftller, 
 p.:/F.tely, to let l.im have the meets : thefe he caufed to 
 ' Le reprinted fit Ltipfic, and at the fame time had a 
 ' German, tranilation publiiiied in the empire: thus my 
 
 edition
 
 Of BAlON TftENCK-.' 9-J 
 
 edition was fuperfeded. By thefe means he fought at 
 once to gratify his revenge, and at the fame time indulg- 
 ed his tuling paflion of avarice, by filching from me whrit 
 ought to have been the jirft reward of ray labour, ray 
 rifque, and my vexation. 
 
 Nor did his artifices flop here. In his furreptitlovjs 
 edition he malicioufly inferted many words, that per- 
 verted the fenfe of the original, and threw odium en 
 thofe whom I was defending : tcx this it was probably 
 owing, that the Pruflian Minifter, Count Hertzberg, 
 once my great protector, was incenfed and exafperatetl 
 again ft me. 
 
 Thus is the world deceived , and thus do villains find 
 opportunities of playing their dirty tricks on worthy meQ. 
 The fame villainy has been pracYifed with the hiilory of 
 rny life, in malicious reimpreffions, where, by the infer- 
 tion or omiffion of a few words, the fenfe of the whole 
 p-jges has been twitted to my prejudice ; my facts btiag 
 altered to bare-faced lies, that wounded the reputation I 
 had acquired of a (hit lover of truth, and flumped dif- 
 credit on my writings. . 
 
 To - re fume,, however, the thread of my hiftory, I was 
 ifivited to fpend my laft days in France, where I was 
 offered the port of Camp-Marfhal, with a penfion of eight 
 thoufand livres*, and 1 might there, have well provided 
 for all rcy children. Such an offer was never made me 
 by the country for which 1 had laboured two and forty 
 years. But my circumftances allowed me not to accept 
 of offers fo highly advantageous. 
 
 Having feen every thing I wifhed in Paris, and my 
 domeflic affairs calling me home, I went to the Hotel dt 
 Ville to Mr. de la Fa>ette,and Mr. iiailly, the Mayor, 
 the only perfons~who had then the power to., grant paff- 
 ports j the privileges of foreign Ambaffadors being 
 neither regarded nor allowed in the general ferment. 
 Both the leaders of the armed citizens were my friends, 
 and earnestly intreated me to defer my journey, as they 
 could not anfwer for my not being troubled and da- 
 jC.333.6j.8i 
 
 tamed
 
 LITE AND ADVENTURES 
 
 tained fifty times on the road, by the armed citizens and 
 peafants , as at this period the ariilocrates and the chiefs 
 of the vanquiihed party were endeavouring fecretly to 
 make their efcape out of the kingdom. 1 continued, 
 however, firm in my requeft, and the paffport was ac- 
 cordingly granted me. 
 
 On my arrival at the barrier I was flopped by a num- 
 ber of armed citizens, who demanded my paffport ^but 
 on obferving rny face, one of them exclaimed, " This is 
 our old friend Trenck : purfue your journey, in God'i 
 name, and take our belt wifhes with you ; you need no 
 pafifport in Fiance !"' 
 
 Thus did it fare with me throughout every part of the 
 country. My bare name was a fufF.cient paflport for me : 
 and even in the villages the armed peafants recognised 
 me I paffed through Metz when the people were raging 
 in full fury, and burning the barriers. My equipage 
 \vas German and fufpicious ; but as foon as they law n>y 
 paffport with my name, they let me pafs on fecurcly 
 through the collected crowd. 
 
 About a mile from Verdun I fell in with a regiment 
 of Huffnrs, commanded by Colonel Count Peltalozzi, 
 on their return from Sablons. The officers knew ITU-, 
 and received me in their ruidft with great ple^fare. I 
 was proceeding with the regiment, when I was met by 
 a coach full of ladies. Thefe, on their arrival in Paris, 
 related, that they had fallen in with me on the road, as 
 a prifoner, attended by a party of Huffars. The account 
 was in no. wife improbable, and therefore greatly alarm- 
 ed my friends. 
 
 From Verdun I proceeded to Deux Fonts, where I 
 had promifed the Duke a vifit. Here 1 ilaid four days, 
 and received every poffible honour. 
 
 Being now on German ground, I laid afiae my French 
 national cockade. The revolution had defeated my hopes 
 of feeing my daughters handfomely provided for in fome 
 convent, which my friends in France had promifed to 
 take care of; but with the downfal of the Court party, 
 this profpeft was rendered fruhlefs. 
 
 I mult
 
 OK BARON TR.ENCK. j 
 
 I'muft here relate another circumftance, which (hews 
 the malice of ray fate. A lady of Normandy, who had 
 an only daughter fifteen years old, with a paternal 
 eitate of eighty thoufand livres * a-year, was fo much 
 pvepofieffed in my favour, that ihe offered me this 
 daughter for my eldeft fon, and gave me her word for 
 the performance. I wrote immediately to him. at Vi- 
 enna, defiring him to come to me as quickly as pof- 
 fi'blc. He returned me for anfvver That it was im- 
 pofTible for him to comply with my wifties j as he was 
 fuisfied with his fituation in Auftria, was beloved in 
 his regiment, and would remain a zealous and faithful 
 fervnnt of the Emperor. Hereupon 1 made the pre- 
 pcfal to my fecond fon, who was in the Pruflian fer- 
 vice. His anfwer was That all his ambition was to 
 be a good Pruffian officer ; and that he wiihed no other 
 fortune. 
 
 On my return to Vienna, every one's curiofity was 
 on the flretch, to hear my account, of the French revo- 
 lution. But I cautioully avoided declaring my ienti- 
 ments, though I neglected not to inform the Emperor 
 of the Brabantine revolution j as in Paris I had been 
 enabled to invefligate the whole tranfaclkm. I demon- 
 ftrated to him that Brabant was irrecoverably loft. But 
 the Emperor paid no attention to- what i laid, thinking 
 the whole affair a mere trifle of no importance. Wheji 
 I perceived this, 1 retired to my country feat, and fent 
 him an account of every thing in. \vri:ing ; concluding 
 with this ftrong expreflion : " If your majefty do not 
 lofe Brabant within- three months, I will forfeit my 
 head from my moulders." 
 
 But alas 1 no anfwer followe<L Upon his death-bod 
 he was a(ked whether he had received and read my 
 paper. His anfwer was : " Yes : Trenck was in the 
 right, but 1 could not believe it, and it is now too 
 late." 
 
 Forty-three years have I laboured and fuffered in 
 the, Auiiiiau dominions, neglecting every opportunity 
 * 3333 = 6,: 8. 
 
 of
 
 94 LIFE AND ADVEN'TCRE* 
 
 of aggrandizement, that my memory might never be 
 branded with the reproach of inconfiftency : and I am 
 rewarded at laft with ingratitude. Long ago, indeed, I 
 ought to have been fenlible, that I was aflirg unwiftly 
 in letting flip an occafion, on which I might have left 
 with honour, a- country, v>here prieftly vengeance found 
 its full range, to keep men of my flamp out of the field 
 of action. But thefe years are irrecoverably lied ; and 
 repentance comes too late. Suffice it, that 1 have aft- 
 ed my part with repute, with honour, and general ap- 
 probation. 
 
 God grant, that my hitherto frotrny snd unquiet 
 courfe of life may at length end in peace ; of which how- 
 ever, I have no great hopes, as fortune feems unwearied 
 in perfecuting me, of which the following inftance af- 
 fords a ftriking proof. 
 
 I had received foine money in Paris for my writings ; 
 and ES no one durft take more than five and twenty 
 guineas in fpecie with him, w nil ft all the ariftocrats 
 were endeavouring to tfcape out of the country, and 
 the people were every where up in arms, T gave my cafh 
 to the banker Pinet, my intimate friend, and received 
 from him in exchange a bill on Vienna. 
 
 At parting he wept bitterly, fqueezed ray hand, and 
 faid, We mail never fee each other again, my friend, 
 I aflured him that I would foon return, as it v.-?s 
 rny intention to fpend the remainder of my days in 
 France. With a forrowful countenance he repeated 
 I {hall never fee you again. 
 
 My defign was to go ilraight to Vienna , there firft 
 to pay all my debts, to let my affairs in order, snd then 
 proceed to Z\verbach to my efiate ; and mix no more in 
 th* bufy fcencs of the world j but to fufter rny lamp to 
 go out gently in the midft of my family. 
 
 When I arrived at the poft-houfe at Remmelbnch, 
 which was but two hours journey from Zwerbach, 1 
 found my wife and two eldeft daughters, who weje 
 come to an auction. What an unfortunate meeting far 
 me ! -J could not poffibly p.void going home with
 
 Of EAR.GN TRENCH. >J 
 
 '.hem. A fecrct inclination to go on to Vienna, render- 
 ed me uneafy : yet I iiaid with them five days. 
 
 On my arrival at Vienna 1 prefentcd the bill of ex- 
 change for eight hundred and fixty pounds. What way 
 my aftoniftiment, when the perfon to whom I presented 
 it laid You come too late : yeilerday we received 
 news, that Pinet has failed for fifty millions of livres, and 
 has fliot hhnfelf through the head ! 
 
 Accuftomed to the llrokcs of misfortune, and fteeled 
 again ft them, I wonder at my own calmnefs, that 1 
 could ftill patiently await what might be yet to come, 
 without exclaiming againft Providence, who had fent 
 my wife to Remmelbach, juft at the moment, to divert, 
 me from my purpoie of proceeding with fpeed to 
 Vienna. It is true that 1 was difquieted in my mind 
 the .vhole five days I fpent at Zwerbach, without 
 knowing why. Perhaps my good genius was prefled to 
 give me warning : but ethereal beings poflefs not the 
 organs of fpeech, and .1 was unable to divine the 
 meaning of my uneafinefs. A prefentiment of ap- 
 proaching misfortune is a vifion, the operation of 
 which, on my mind, J never could explain. Three 
 days earlier I ihould have received my money at 
 Vienna ; but by letting thefe ilip, I loft all, and mull 
 form new plans^" engage in new undertakings, to fupply 
 my neceifities. Surely, a veiTel of wrath have I been 
 appointed from all eternity to unctafing labour and 
 vexation. Rich and happy (hall I never be on this 
 earth. 
 
 The Baron then gives a long and circumflantial de- 
 tail of the chicanes of the Auftrian courts of juftice, in 
 which, it feerns, that he himfelf experienced great in- 
 juftice and opprtifion. This, together with his character 
 ot the late ilmperor, Jofeph, occupies no lefs than an 
 hundred and fixty pages. He concludes with this bold 
 i::d ipnited ailertion : 
 
 '* i will venture to declare, upon my honour, to the 
 " Emperor, and to the whole world) that for fix and- 
 " twenty years I have not enjoyed a fmgle penny of my 
 
 " penfion,
 
 96 LIFE AND ADVENTCR.ES 
 
 " penfion, or of the income of my property : all has 
 " been fwall:wed up by law-fuits, chicane, and injuftice. 
 " This certainly juftifies me in declaring the plain truth 
 ' to the whole world , and I have for this purpofe 
 " chofen an abode, where I can utter it without the 
 " leaft circumlocution or difguife. Forty years and 
 '" upwa ds of my life I have faorificed in Auftria, and 
 " have maintained myfelf and family by the employment 
 44 of my pen, ;,y the exerciu- of my talents. Ingratitude 
 *' has been my fole reward: contempt the fole revenge 
 " I have taken." 
 
 On the acctflion of Leopold, the Baron's profpecls 
 appeared for iome time to brighten. He was honoured 
 with the confidence of that Prince, of whom he had 
 
 rivate audiences two or three times a week. Leopold 
 nowing that Trenck had great influence and many 
 friends in Hungary, propofed to him to go to Breda, 
 againft the approaching affcmbly of the Diet, and there, 
 as a private perfon, to employ his pen and literary talents 
 in his behalf. Trenck acquiefced in the Emperor's pro- 
 pofal, and publiihed feveral fmall treatifes in Hungary to 
 appeafe the minds of the difcontented. 
 
 -It lafted not long, however, before his enemies, and 
 particularly 'the eccleiiaitics, found means to prejudice 
 the Emperor againll him j and, in the end, Trenck 
 received a fummons to appear l .efore the Prefident of 
 the Military Court, Count Tige, where he was com- 
 pelled to lign a curious bond, at the inftance of the 
 Emperor, by which^ he tied himfelf down wholly to 
 renounce every branch of authorfhip, efpeciaily with 
 regard to affairs of tfate ; it being contended, that 
 the profejfion of letters was derogatory to Lit military cha- 
 ruEler ! From this bond he was iniit''.i reK-afed in the 
 lequel j but finding that fuipicion llill fixed upon him, 
 in the eyes of the Emperor, and dl&ouraged by his 
 continual difappointraents, he took his final leave of 
 Vienna, and the Auilrian territories, where, according 
 to his own expreffion, " an bone/1 man has nothing bui 
 *' ingratitude and perfccuilon to fxpcci." 
 
 The
 
 OF BARON TR.ENCK. 97 
 
 The reader has already feen, in the former part of 
 thefe Memoirs, the flattering reception which Trenck 
 met with in France : the greater then mud be his 
 aitonifhment at the tragical fate which the Baron at laft 
 iuffered in that nation. It does not appear what part 
 our hero took in politics , or upon what fpecific charge 
 he was fentenced to the Guillotine, upon the downfall of 
 Robefpierre's party in July laft. To us it remains a 
 myftery, how a man of Trenck's character, who had 
 been the conftant martyr of arbitrary power, could be 
 deemed obnoxious to the caufe of Liberty. Surely the 
 molt ftern and rigid tribunal might have felt fome 
 fymptoms of remorfe in pronouncing fentence of death 
 upon the hoary head, that for fixty-eight years, had 
 ftruggled inceflantly with the wayward perfections of 
 Fate, and had fuffered more than human Nature is, in 
 general, thought capable .of bearing ! For the reft, we 
 make no doubt but Trenck evinced the fame heroic 
 fortitude in his laft moments, which characterized the 
 whole tenor of his life. 
 
 We ftiall finifli the prefent biographical {ketch, with 
 quoting the Baron's addrefs to his readers, with which 
 he concludes the fourth and laft Volume of his Life. It 
 is ftrikingly pathetic, and, we might add, ominous : 
 for it would almoft tempt us to conjecture, that 
 Trenck, at the time of writing this addrefs, had a pre~ 
 fcntiment of the fate that awaited him. He writes as 
 follows : 
 
 " God, who hitherto has enabled me, amidft a 
 " thoufand perils, to acl: the part of an honeft man, 
 " and of a real martyr to the caufe of Truth, will, I 
 " truft, proteft and ftrengthen me in the laft fcene of 
 " tay tragedy, nor fufier my fortitude to fail me, when I 
 " meet with obftacles infurmountable ! 
 
 " Meanwhile, to you, ye friends of human kind, 
 " who have not read my hiftory without emotion, I 
 *' commend my children, when I mall be ftretched on 
 '' the field, and mouldering in the duft. In the grave 
 ' I (hall be deaf to the voice of Fame j there fhall my 
 K weary
 
 <)8 LIFE, &.C. OF BARON TRENCK. 
 
 " weary limbs at length find reft. My head is already 
 
 " g re y> an ^ I have had reafon to imprecate each rifing 
 
 ' kin, that fheds its beams on fo many tyrants and 
 
 knaves. O! were this the lafl day of my beholding 
 
 ' them ! Long has my inquifitive eye been weary of 
 
 viewing mankind. The haplefs victim, who, like 
 
 me, has been for fixty-eight years expofed to the 
 
 perfecuting fury of relentlefs Fate, mud wifh for 
 
 repofe in the filent fliades of Death!" 
 
 F INI
 
 University of California 
 W REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 SOUTHERN REGK 
 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 
 Return this material to the library 
 from which it was borrowed. 
 
 REC'D LD-URL 
 
 APR 15 1991 
 
 FBBl sW
 
 
 A 000018208 9