the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第23节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　my　failing；　acknowledge　it　unblushingly；　nay；　glory　in　the　pride　of　a　noble　nature。

For　myself；　I　ask　nothing　of　those　who　have　read　my　history；　to　them　do　I　commit　my　wife　and　children。　　My　eldest　son　is　a　lieutenant　in　the　Tuscan　regiment　of　cavalry；　under　General　Lasey；　and　does　honour　to　his　father's　principles。　　The　second　serves　his　present　Prussian　Majesty；　as　ensign　in　the　Posadowsky　dragoons；　with　equal　promise。　The　third　is　still　a　child。　　My　daughters　will　make　worthy　men　happy；　for　they　have　imbibed　virtue　and　gentleness　with　their　mother's　milk。　　Monarchs　may　hereafter　remember　what　I　have　suffered；　what　I　have　lost；　and　what　is　due　to　my　ashes。

Here　do　I　declareI　will　seek　no　other　revenge　against　my　enemies　than　that　of　despising　their　evil　deeds。　　It　is　my　wish；　and　shall　be　my　endeavour；　to　forget　the　past；　and　having　committed　no　offence；　neither　will　I　solicit　monarchs　for　posts　of　honour；　as　I　have　ever　lived　a　free　man；　a　free　man　will　I　die。

I　conclude　this　part　of　my　history　on　the　evening　preceding　my　journey　to　Berlin。　　God　grant　I　may　encounter　no　new　afflictions；　to　be　inserted　in　the　remainder　of　this　history。

This　journey　I　prepared　to　undertake；　but　my　ever…envious　fate　threw　me　on　the　bed　of　sickness；　insomuch　that　small　hope　remained　that　I　ever　should　again　behold　the　country　of　my　forefathers。　　I　seemed　following　the　Great　Frederic　to　the　mansions　of　the　dead；　then　should　I　never　have　concluded　the　history　of　my　life；　or　obtained　the　victory　by　which　I　am　now　crowned。

A　variety　of　obstacles　being　overcome；　I　found　it　necessary　to　make　a　journey　into　Hungary；　which　was　one　of　the　most　pleasant　of　my　whole　life。

I　have　no　words　to　express　my　ardent　wishes　for　the　welfare　of　a　nation　where　I　met　with　so　many　proofs　of　friendship。　　Wherever　I　appeared　I　was　welcomed　with　that　love　and　enthusiasm　which　only　await　the　fathers　of　their　country。　　The　valour　of　my　cousin　Trenck；　who　died　ingloriously　in　the　Spielberg；　the　loss　of　my　great　Hungarian　estates；　the　fame　of　my　writings；　and　the　cruelty　of　my　sufferings；　had　gone　before　me。　　The　officers　of　the　army；　the　nobles　of　the　land；　alike　testified　the　warmth　of　their　esteem。

Such　is　the　reward　of　the　upright；　such　too　are　the　proofs　that　this　nation　knows　the　just　value　of　fortitude　and　virtue。　　Have　I　not　reason　to　publish　my　gratitude；　and　to　recommend　my　children　to　those　who；　when　I　am　no　more；　shall　dare　uprightly　to　determine　concerning　the　rights　which　have　unjustly　been　snatched　from　me　in　Hungary？

Not　a　man　in　Hungary　but　will　proclaim　I　have　been　unjustly　dealt　by；　yet　I　have　good　reason　to　suspect　I　never　shall　find　redress。　Sentence　had　been　already　given；　judges；　more　honest；　cannot；　without　difficulty；　reverse　old　decrees；　and　the　present　possessors　of　my　estates　are　too　powerful；　too　intimate　with　the　governors　of　the　earth；　for　me　to　hope　I　shall　hereafter　be　more　happy。　　God　knows　my　heart；　I　wish　the　present　possessors　may　render　services　to　the　state　equal　to　those　rendered　by　the　family　of　the　Trencks。

There　is　little　probability　I　shall　ever　behold　my　noble　friends　in　Hungary　more。　　Here　I　bid　them　adieu；　promising　them　to　pass　the　remainder　of　any　life　so　as　still　to　merit　the　approbation　of　a　people　with　whose　ashes　I　would　most　willingly　have　mingled　my　own。　May　the　God　of　heaven　preserve　every　Hungarian　from　a　fate　similar　to　mine！

The　Croats　have　ever　been　reckoned　uncultivated；　yet；　among　this　uncultivated　people　I　found　more　subscribers　to　my　writings　than　among　all　the　learned　men　of　Vienna；　and　in　Hungary；　more　than　in　all　the　Austrian　dominions。

The　Hungarians；　the　unlettered　Croats；　seek　information。　　The　people　of　Vienna　ask　their　confessors'　permission　to　read　instructive　books。　　Various　subscribers；　having　read　the　first　volume　of　my　work；　brought　it　back；　and　re…demanded　their　money；　because　some　monk　had　told　them　it　was　a　book　dangerous　to　be　read。　　The　judges　of　their　courts　have　re…sold　them　to　the　booksellers　for　a　few　pence　or　given　them　to　those　who　had　the　care　of　their　consciences　to　burn。

In　Vienna　alone　was　my　life　described　as　a　romance；　in　Hungary　I　found　the　compassion　of　men；　their　friendship；　and　effectual　aid。　Had　my　book　been　the　production　of　an　Englishman；　good　wishes　would　not　have　been　his　only　reward。

We　German　writers　have　interested　critics　to　encounter　if　we　would　unmask　injustice；　and　if　a　book　finds　a　rapid　sale；　dishonest　printers　issue　spurious　editions；　defrauding　the　author　of　his　labours。

The　encouragement　of　the　learned　produces　able　teachers；　and　from　their　seminaries　men　of　genius　occasionally　come　forth。　　The　world　is　inundated　with　books　and　pamphlets；　the　undiscerning　reader　knows　not　which　to　select；　the　more　intelligent　are　disgusted；　or　do　not　read　at　all；　and　thus　a　work　of　merit　becomes　as　little　profitable　to　the　author　as　to　the　state。

I　left　Vienna　on　the　5th　of　January；　and　came　to　Prague。　　Here　I　found　nearly　the　same　reception　as　in　Hungary；　my　writings　were　read。　　Citizens；　noblemen；　and　ladies　treated　me　with　like　favour。　May　the　monarch　know　how　to　value　men　of　generous　feelings　and　enlarged　understandings！

I　bade　adieu　to　Prague；　and　continued　my　journey　to　Berlin。　　In　Bohemia；　I　took　leave　of　my　son；　who　saw　his　father　and　his　two　brothers；　destined　for　the　Prussian　service；　depart。　　He　felt　the　weight　of　this　separation；　I　reminded　him　of　his　duty　to　the　state　he　served；　I　spoke　of　the　fearful　fate　of　his　uncle　and　father　in　Austria；　and　of　the　possessors　of　our　vast　estates　in　Hungary。　　He　shrank　backa　look　from　his　father　pierced　him　to　the　soultears　stood　in　his　eyeshis　youthful　blood　flowed　quick；　and　the　following　expression　burst　suddenly　from　his　lips：…　〃I　call　God　to　witness　that　I　will　prove　myself　worthy　of　my　father's　name；　and　that；　while　I　live；　his　enemies　shall　be　mine！〃

At　Peterswald；　on　the　road　to　Dresden；　my　carriage　broke　down：　　my　life　was　endangered；　and　my　son　received　a　contusion　in　the　arm。　The　erysipelas　broke　out　on　him　at　Berlin；　and　I　could　not　present　him　to　the　King　for　a　month　after。

I　had　been　but　a　short　time　at　Berlin　before　the　well…known　minister；　Count　Hertzberg；　received　me　with　kindness。　　Every　man　to　whom　his　private　worth　is　known　will　congratulate　the　state　that　has　the　wisdom　to　bestow　on　him　so　high　an　office。　　His　scholastic　and　practical　learning；　his　knowledge　of　languages；　his　acquaintance　with　sciences；　are　indeed　wonderful。　　His　zeal　for　his　country　is　ardent；　his　love　of　his　king　unprejudiced；　his　industry　admirable；　his　firmness　that　of　a　man。　　He　is　the　most　experienced　man　in　the　Prussian　states。　　The　enemies　of　his　country　may　rely　on　his　word。　The　artful　he　can　encounter　with　art；　those　who　menace；　with　fortitude；　and　with　wise　foresight　can　avert　the　rising　storm。　　He　seeks　not　splendour　in　sumptuous　and　ostentatious　retinue；　but　if　he　can　only　enrich　the　state；　and　behold　the　poor　happy；　he　is　himself　willing　to　remain　poor。　　His　estate；　Briess；　near　Berlin；　is　no　Chanteloup；　but　a　model　to　those　patriots　who　would　study　economy。　Here　he；　every　Wednesday；　enjoys　recreation。　　The　services　he　renders　the　kingdom　cost　it　only　five　thousand　rix…dollars　yearly；　he；　therefore；　lives　without　ostentation；　yet　becoming　his　state；　and　with　splendour　when　splendour　is　necessary。　　He　does　not　plunder　the　public　treasury　that　he　may　preserve　his　own　private　property。

This　man　will　live　in　the　annals　of　Prussia：　　who　was　employed　under　the　Great　Frederic；　had　so　much　influence　in　the　cabinets　of　Europe；　and　was　a　witness　of　the　last　actions；　the　last　sensations；　of　his　dying　king；　yet　who　never　asked；　nor　ever　received；　the　least　gratuity。　　This　is　the　minister　whose　conversation　I　had　the　happiness　to　partake　at　Aix…la…Chapelle　and　Spa；　whose　welfare　is　the　wish　of　my　heart；　and　whose　memory　I　shall　ever　revere。

I　was　received　with　distinction　at　his　table；　and　became　acquainted　with　those　whose　science　had　benefited　the　Prussian　states；　nor　was　anything　more　flattering　to　my　self…love　than　that　men　like　these　should　think　me　worthy　their　friendship。

Not　many　days　after　I　was　presented　to　the　court　by　the　Prussian　chamberlain；　Prince　Sacken；　as　it　is　not　customary　at　Berlin　for　a　foreign　subject　to　be　presented　by　the　minister　of　his　own　court。　Though　a　Prussian　subject；　I　wore　the　Imperial　uniform。

The　King　received　me　with　condescension；　all　eyes　were　directed　towards　me；　each　welcomed　me　to　my　country。　　This　moved　me　the　more　as　it　was　remarked　by　the　foreign　ministers；　who　asked　who　that　Austrian　officer　could　be　who　was　received　with　so　much　affection　and　such　evident　joy　in　Berlin。　　The　gracious　monarch　himself　gave　tokens　of　pleasure　at　beholding　me　thus　surrounded。　　Among　the　rest　came　the　worthy　General　Prittwitz；　who　said　aloud　…

〃This　is　the　gentleman　who　might　have　ruined　me　to　effect　his　own　deliverance。〃

Confused　at　so　public　a　declaration；　I　desired　him　to　expound　this　riddle；　and　he　added　…

〃I　was　obliged　to　be　one　of　your　guards　on　your　unfortunate　journey　from　Dantzic　to　Magdeburg；　in　1754；　when　I　was　a　lieutenant。　　On　the　road　I　continued　alone　with　you　in　an　open　carriage。　　This　gave　you　an　opportunity　to　escape；　but　you　forbore。