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The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck … Volume 2

by Baron Trenck

Translator:  Thomas Holcroft




INTRODUCTION。



Thomas Holcroft; the translator of these Memoirs of Baron Trenck; was the author of about thirty plays; among which one; The Road to Ruin; produced in 1792; has kept its place upon the stage。  He was born in December; 1745; the son of a shoemaker who did also a little business in horse…dealing。  After early struggles; during which he contrived to learn French; German; and Italian; Holcroft contributed to a newspaper; turned actor; and wrote plays; which appeared between the years 1791 and 1806。  He produced also four novels; the first in 1780; the last in 1807。  He was three times married; and lost his first wife in 1790。  In 1794; his sympathy with ideals of the French revolutionists caused him to be involved with Hardy; Horne Tooke; and Thelwall; in a charge of high treason; but when these were acquitted; Holcroft and eight others were discharged without trial。

Holcroft earned also by translation。  He translated; besides these Memoirs of Baron Trenck; Mirabeau's Secret History of the Court of Berlin; Les Veillees du Chateau of Madame de Genlis; and the posthumous works of Frederick II。; King of Prussia; in thirteen volumes。

The Memoirs of Baron Trenck were first published at Berlin as his Merkwurdige Lebensbeschreibung; in three volumes octavo; in 1786 and 1787。  They were first translated into French by Baron Bock (Metz; 1787); more fully by Letourneur (Paris; 1788); and again by himself (Strasbourg; 1788); with considerable additions。  Holcroft translated from the French versions。

H。M。



THE LIFE OF BARON TRENCK。



CHAPTER I。



Blessed shade of a beloved sister!  The sacrifice of my adverse and dreadful fate!  Thee could I never avenge!  Thee could the blood of Weingarten never appease!  No asylum; however sacred; should have secured him; had he not sought that last of asylums for human wickedness and human woesthe grave!  To thee do I dedicate these few pages; a tribute of thankfulness; and; if future rewards there are; may the brightest of these rewards be thine。  For us; and not for ours; may rewards be expected from monarchs who; in apathy; have beheld our mortal sufferings。  Rest; noble soul; murdered though thou wert by the enemies of thy brother。  Again my blood boils; again my tears roll down my cheeks; when I remember thee; thy sufferings in my cause; and thy untimely end!  I knew it not; I sought to thank thee; I found thee in the grave; I would have made retribution to thy children; but unjust; iron…hearted princes had deprived me of the power。  Can the virtuous heart conceive affliction more cruel?  My own ills I would have endured with magnanimity; but thine are wrongs I have neither the power to forget nor heal。

Enough of this。 …

The worthy Emperor; Francis I。; shed tears when I afterwards had the honour of relating to him in person my past miseries; I beheld them flow; and gratitude threw me at his feet。  His emotion was so great that he tore himself away。  I left the palace with all the enthusiasm of soul which such a scene must inspire。

He probably would have done more than pitied me; but his death soon followed。  I relate this incident to convince posterity that Francis I。 possessed a heart worthy an emperor; worthy a man。  In the knowledge I have had of monarchs he stands alone。  Frederic and Theresa both died without doing me justice; I am now too old; too proud; have too much apathy; to expect it from their successors。 Petition I will not; knowing my rights; and justice from courts of law; however evident my claims; were in these courts vain indeed to expect。  Lawyers and advocates I know but too well; and an army to support my rights I have not。

What heart that can feel but will pardon me these digressions!  At the exact and simple recital of facts like these; the whole man must be roused; and the philosopher himself shudder。

Once more:… I heard nothing of what had happened for some days; at length; however; it was the honest Gelfhardt's turn to mount guard; but the ports being doubled; and two additional grenadiers placed before my door; explanation was exceedingly difficult。  He; however; in spite of precaution; found means to inform me of what had happened to his two unfortunate comrades。

The King came to a review at Magdeburg; when he visited Star…Fort; and commanded a new cell to be immediately made; prescribing himself the kind of irons by which I was to be secured。  The honest Gelfhardt heard the officer say this cell was meant for me; and gave me notice of it; but assured me it could not be ready in less than a month。  I therefore determined; as soon as possible; to complete my breach in the wall; and escape without the aid of any one。  The thing was possible; for I had twisted the hair of my mattress into a rope; which I meant to tie to a cannon; and descend the rampart; after which I might endeavour to swim across the Elbe; gain the Saxon frontiers; and thus safely escape。

On the 26th of May I had determined to break into the next casemate; but when I came to work at the bricks; I found them so hard and strongly cemented that I was obliged to defer the labour till the following day。  I left off; weary and spent; at daybreak; and should any one enter my dungeon; they must infallibly discover the breach。 How dreadful is the destiny by which; through life; I have been persecuted; and which has continually plunged me headlong into calamity; when I imagined happiness was at hand!

The 27th of May was a cruel day in the history of my life。  My cell in the Star…Fort had been finished sooner than Gelfhardt had supposed; and at night; when I was preparing to fly; I heard a carriage stop before my prison。  O God! what was my terror; what were the horrors of this moment of despair!  The locks and bolts resounded; the doors flew open; and the last of my poor remaining resources was to conceal my knife。  The town…major; the major of the day; and a captain entered; I saw them by the light of their two lanterns。  The only words they spoke were; 〃Dress yourself;〃 which was immediately done。  I still wore the uniform of the regiment of Cordova。  Irons were given me; which I was obliged myself to fasten on my wrists and ankles; the town…major tied a bandage over my eyes; and; taking me under the arm; they thus conducted me to the carriage。  It was necessary to pass through the city to arrive at the Star…Fort; all was silent; except the noise of the escort; but when we entered Magdeburg I heard the people running; who were crowding together to obtain a sight of me。  Their curiosity was raised by the report that I was going to be beheaded。  That I was executed on this occasion in the Star…Fort; after having been conducted blindfold through the city; has since been both affirmed and written; and the officers had then orders to propagate this error that the world might remain in utter ignorance concerning me。 I; indeed; knew otherwise; though I affected not to have this knowledge; and; as I was not gagged; I behaved as if I expected death; reproached my conductors in language that even made them shudder; and painted their King in his true colours; as one who; unheard; had condemned an innocent subject by a despotic exertion of power。

My fortitude was admired; at the moment when it was supposed I thought myself leading to execution。  No one replied; but their sighs intimated their compassion; certain it is; few Prussians willingly execute such commands。  The carriage at length stopped; and I was brought into my new cell。  The bandage was taken from my eyes。  The dungeon was lighted by a few torches。  God of heaven! what were my feelings when I beheld the whole floor covered with chains; a fire…pan; and two grim men standing with their smiths' hammers!

* * * * * *

To work went these engines of despotism!  Enormous chains were fixed to my ankle at one end; and at the other to a ring which was incorporated in the wall。  This ring was three feet from the ground; and only allowed me to move about two or three feet to the right and left。  They next riveted another huge iron ring; of a hand's breadth; round my naked body; to which hung a chain; fixed into an iron bar as thick as a man's arm。  This bar was two feet in length; and at each end of it was a handcuff。  The iron collar round my neck was not added till the year 1756。

* * * * * *

No soul bade me good night。  All retired in dreadful silence; and I heard the horrible grating of four doors; that were successively locked and bolted upon me!

Thus does man act by his fellow; knowing him to be innocent; having received the commands of another man so to act。

O God!  Thou alone knowest how my heart; void as it was of guilt; beat at this moment。  There sat I; destitute; alone; in thick darkness; upon the bare earth; with a weight of fetters insupportable to nature; thanking Thee that these cruel men had not discovered my knife; by which my miseries might yet find an end。 Death is a last certain refuge that can indeed bid defiance to the rage of tyranny。  What shall I say?  How shall I make the reader feel as I then felt?  How describe my despondency; and yet account for that latent im

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