the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第13节

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The　next　day　a　formal　examination　was　taken；　at　which　the　sub…　governor　Reichmann　presided。　　I　was　accused　as　a　traitor　to　my　country；　but　I　obstinately　denied　my　handwriting。　　Proofs　or　witnesses　there　were　none；　and　in　answer　to　the　principal　charge；　I　said；　〃I　was　no　criminal；　but　a　man　calumniated；　illegally　imprisoned；　and　loaded　with　irons；　that　the　King；　in　the　year　1746；　had　cashiered　me；　and　confiscated　my　parental　inheritance；　that　therefore　the　laws　of　nature　enforced　me　to　seek　honour　and　bread　in　a　foreign　service；　and　that；　finding　these　in　Austria；　I　became　an　officer　and　a　faithful　subject　of　the　Empress…Queen；　that　I　had　been　a　second　time　unoffendingly　imprisoned；　that　here　I　was　treated　as　the　worst　of　malefactors；　and　my　only　resource　was　to　seek　my　liberty　by　such　means　as　I　could；　were　I　therefore　in　this　attempt　to　destroy　Magdeburg；　and　occasion　the　loss　of　a　thousand　lives；　I　should　still　be　guiltless。　　Had　I　been　heard　and　legally　sentenced；　previous　to　my　imprisonment　at　Glatz；　I　should　have　been；　and　still　continued；　a　criminal；　but　not　having　been　guilty　of　any　small；　much　less　of　any　great　crime；　equal　to　my　punishment；　if　such　crime　could　be；　I　was　therefore　not　accountable　for　consequences；　I　owed　neither　fidelity　nor　duty　to　the　King　of　Prussia；　for　by　the　word　of　his　power　he　had　deprived　me　of　bread；　honour；　country；　and　freedom。〃

Here　the　examination　ended；　without　further　discovery；　the　officers；　however；　falling　under　suspicion；　were　all　removed；　and　thus　I　lost　my　best　friends；　yet　it　was　not　long　before　I　had　gained　two　others；　which　was　no　difficult　matter；　as　I　knew　the　national　character；　and　that　none　but　poor　men　were　made　militia　officers。　　Thus　was　the　governor's　precaution　fruitless；　and　almost　everybody　secretly　wished　I　might　obtain　my　freedom。

I　shall　never　forget　the　noble　manner　in　which　I　was　treated　on　this　occasion　by　the　Landgrave。　　This　I　personally　acknowledged；　some　years　afterwards；　in　the　city　of　Cassel；　when　I　heard　many　things　which　confirmed　all　my　surmises　concerning　Vienna。　　The　Landgrave　received　me　with　all　grace；　favour；　and　distinction。　　I　revere　his　memory；　and　seek　to　honour　his　name。　　He　was　the　friend　of　misfortune。　　When　I　not　long　afterwards　fell　ill；　he　sent　me　his　own　physician；　and　meat　from　his　table；　nor　would　he　suffer　me；　during　two　months；　to　be　wakened　by　the　sentinels。　　He　likewise　removed　the　dreadful　collar　from　my　neck；　for　which　he　was　severely　reprimanded　by　the　King；　as　he　himself　has　since　assured　me。

I　might　fill　a　volume　with　incidents　attending　two　other　efforts　to　escape；　but　I　will　not　weary　the　reader's　patience　with　too　much　repetition。　　I　shall　merely　give　an　abstract　of　both。

When　I　had　once　more　gained　the　officers；　I　made　a　new　attempt　at　mining　my　way　out。　　Not　wanting　for　implements；　my　chains　and　the　flooring　were　soon　cut　through；　and　all　was　so　carefully　replaced　that　I　was　under　no　fear　of　examination。　　I　here　found　my　concealed　money；　pistols；　and　other　necessaries；　but　till　I　had　rid　myself　of　some　hundredweight　of　sand；　it　was　impossible　to　proceed。　　For　this　purpose　I　made　two　different　openings　in　the　floor：　　out　of　the　real　hole　I　threw　a　great　quantity　of　sand　into　my　prison；　after　which　I　closed　it　with　all　possible　care。　　I　then　worked　at　the　second　with　so　much　noise；　that　I　was　certain　they　must　hear　me　without。　　About　midnight　the　doors　began　to　thunder；　and　in　they　came；　detecting　me；　as　I　intended　they　should。　　None　of　them　could　conceive　why　I　should　wish　to　break　out　under　the　door；　where　there　was　a　triple　guard　to　pass。　　The　sentinels　remained；　and　in　the　morning　prisoners　were　sent　to　wheel　away　the　sand。　　The　hole　was　walled　up　and　boarded；　and　my　fetters　were　renewed。　　They　laughed　at　the　ridiculousness　of　my　undertaking；　but　punished　me　by　depriving　me　of　my　light　and　bed；　which；　however；　in　a　fortnight　were　both　restored。　　Of　the　other　hole；　out　of　which　most　of　the　earth　had　been　thrown；　no　one　was　aware。　　The　major　and　lieutenant　were　too　much　my　friends　to　remark　that　they　had　removed　thrice　the　quantity　of　sand　the　false　opening　could　contain。　　They　supposed　this　strange　attempt　having　failed；　it　would　be　my　last；　and　Bruckhausen　grew　negligent。

The　governor　and　sub…governor　both　visited　me　after　some　weeks；　but　far　from　imitating　the　brutality　of　Borck；　the　Landgrave　spoke　to　me　with　mildness；　promised　me　his　interest　to　regain　my　freedom；　when　peace　should　be　concluded；　told　me　I　had　more　friends　than　I　supposed；　and　assured　me　I　had　not　been　forgotten　by　the　Court　at　Vienna。

He　promised　me　every　alleviation；　and　I　gave　him　my　word　I　would　no　more　attempt　to　escape　while　he　remained　governor。　　My　manner　enforced　conviction　and　he　ordered　my　neck…collar　to　be　taken　off；　my　window　to　be　unclosed；　my　doors　to　be　left　open　two　hours　every　day；　a　stove　to　be　put　in　my　dungeon；　finer　linen　for　my　shirts；　and　paper　to　amuse　myself　by　writing　my　thoughts。　　The　sheets　were　to　be　numbered　when　given；　and　then　returned；　by　the　town…major；　that　I　might　not　abuse　this　liberty。

Ink　was　not　allowed　me；　I　therefore　pricked　my　fingers；　suffered　the　blood　to　trickle　into　a　pot；　by　these　means　I　procured　a　substitute　for　ink；　both　to　write　and　draw。

I　now　engraved　my　cups；　and　versified。　　I　had　opportunity　to　display　my　abilities　to　awaken　compassion。　　My　emulation　was　increased　by　knowing　that　my　works　were　seen　at　Courts；　that　the　Princess　Amelia　and　the　Queen　herself　testified　their　satisfaction。　　I　had　subjects　to　engrave　from　sent　me；　and　the　wretch　whom　the　King　intended　to　bury　alive；　whose　name　no　man　was　to　mention；　never　was　more　famous　than　while　he　vented　his　groans　in　his　dungeon。　　My　writings　produced　their　effect；　and　really　regained　my　freedom。　　To　my　cultivation　of　the　sciences　and　presence　of　mind　I　am　indebted　for　all；　these　all　the　power　of　Frederic　could　not　deprive　me　of。　　Yes！　This　liberty　I　procured；　though　he　answered　all　petitions　in　my　behalf〃He　is　a　dangerous　man：　　and　so　long　as　I　live　he　shall　never　see　the　light！〃　　Yet　have　I　seen　it　during　his　life：　　after　his　death　I　have　seen　it　without　revenging　myself；　otherwise　than　by　proving　my　virtue　to　a　monarch　who　oppressed　because　he　knew　me　not；　because　be　would　not　recall　the　hasty　sentence　of　anger；　or　own　he　might　be　mistaken。　　He　died　convinced　of　my　integrity；　yet　without　affording　me　retribution！　　Man　is　formed　by　misfortune；　virtue　is　active　in　adversity。　　It　is　indifferent　to　me　that　the　companions　of　my　youth　have　their　ears　gratified；　delighted　with　the　titles　of　General！　　Field…Marshal　I　have　learned　to　live　without　such　additions；　I　am　known　in　my　works。

I　returned　to　my　dungeon。　　Here；　after　my　last　conference　with　the　Landgrave；　I　waited　my　fate　with　a　mind　more　at　ease　than　that　of　a　prince　in　a　palace。　　The　newspapers　they　brought　me　bespoke　approaching　peace；　on　which　my　dependence　was　placed；　and　I　passed　eighteen　months　calmly；　and　without　further　attempt　to　escape。

The　father　of　the　Landgrave　died；　and　Magdeburg　now　lost　its　governor。　　The　worthy　Reichmann；　however；　testified　for　me　all　compassion　and　esteem；　I　had　books；　and　my　time　was　employed。　Imprisonment　and　chains　to　me　were　become　habitual；　and　freedom　in　hope　approached。

About　this　time　I　wrote　the　poems；　〃The　Macedonian　Hero；〃　〃The　Dream　Realised；〃　and　some　fables。　　The　best　of　my　poems　are　now　lost　to　me。　　The　mind's　sensibility　when　the　body　is　imprisoned　is　strongly　roused；　nor　can　all　the　aids　of　the　library　equal　this　advantage。　Perhaps　I　may　recover　some　in　Berlin；　if　so；　the　world　may　learn　what　my　thoughts　then　were。　　When　I　was　at　liberty；　I　had　none　but　such　as　I　remembered；　and　these　I　committed　to　writing。　　On　my　first　visit　to　the　Landgrave　of　Hesse…Cassel　I　received　a　volume　of　them　written　in　my　own　blood；　but　there　were　eight　of　these　which　I　shall　never　regain。

The　death　of　Elizabeth；　the　deposing　of　Peter　III。；　and　the　accession　of　Catherine　II。　produced　peace。　　On　the　receipt　of　this　intelligence　I　tried　to　provide　for　all　contingencies。　　The　worthy　Captain　K…　had　opened　me　a　correspondence　with　Vienna：　　I　was　assured　of　support；　but　was　assured　the　administrators　and　those　who　possessed　my　estates　would　throw　every　impediment　in　the　way　of　freedom。　　I　tried　to　persuade　another　officer　to　aid　my　escape；　but　in　vain。

I　therefore　opened　my　old　hole；　and　my　friends　assisted　me　to　disembarrass　myself　of　sand。　　My　money　melted　away；　but　they　provided　me　with　tools；　gunpowder；　and　a　good　sword。　　I　had　remained　so　long　quiet　that　my　flooring　was　not　examined。

My　intent　was　to　wait　the　peace；　and　should　I　continue　in　chains；　then　would　I　have　my　subterranean　passage　to　the　rampart　ready　for　escape。　　For　my　further　security；　an　old　lieutenant　had　purchased　a　house　in　the　suburbs；　where　I　might　lie　concealed。　　Gummern；　in　Saxony；　is　two　miles　from　Magdeburg；　here　a　friend；　with　two　good　horses；　was　to　wait　a　year；　to　ride　on　the　glacis　of　Klosterbergen　on　the　first　and　fifteenth　of　each　month；　and　at　a　given　signal　to　hasten　to　my　assistance。

My　passage　had　to　be　ready　in　case　of　emergency；　I　removed　the　upper　planking；　broke　up　the　two　beds；　cut　the　boards　into　chips；　and　burnt　them　in　my　stove。　　By　this　I