the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第26节

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our　memory　justicewhen　we　are　dead！　Fame　plants　her　laurels　over　the　grave；　and　there　they　flourish　best。

〃BARON　TRENCK

〃Schangulach；　near　Konigsberg；　April　30th；　1787。〃

〃P。SI　have　spoken；　worthy　Professor；　the　feelings　of　my　heart；　in　answer　to　your　kind　panegyric。　　You　will　but　do　me　justice；　when　you　believe　I　think　and　act　as　I　write　with　respect　to　my　influence　at　court；　it　is　as　insignificant　at　Berlin　as　at　Vienna　or　at　Constantinople〃


Among　the　various　letters　I　have　received；　as　it　may　answer　a　good　purpose；　I　hope　the　reader　will　not　think　the　insertion　of　the　following　improper。

In　a　letter　from　an　unknown　correspondent；　who　desired　me　to　speak　for　this　person　at　Berlin；　eight　others　were　enclosed。　　They　came　from　the　above　person　in　distress；　to　this　correspondent：　　and　I　was　requested　to　let　them　appear　in　the　Berlin　Journal。　　I　selected　two　of　them；　and　here　present　them　to　the　world；　as　it　can　do　me　injury；　while　they　describe　an　unhappy　victim　of　an　extraordinary　kind：　　and　may　perhaps　obtain　him　some　relief。

Should　this　hope　be　verified；　I　am　acquainted　with　him　who　wishes　to　remain　concealed；　can　introduce　him　to　the　knowledge　of　such　as　might　wish　to　interfere　in　his　behalf。　　Should　they　not；　the　reader　will　still　find　them　well…written　and　affecting　letters；　such　as　may　inspire　compassion。　　The　following　is　the　first　of　those　I　selected。


LETTER　I

〃Neuland；　Feb　12th；　1787。

〃I　thought　I　had　so　satisfactorily　answered　you　by　my　last；　that　you　would　have　left　me　in　peaceful　possession　of　my　sorrows！　but　your　remarks；　entreaties；　and　remonstrances；　succeed　each　other　with　such　rapidity；　that　I　am　induced　to　renew　the　contest。　　Cowardice；　I　believe；　you　are　convinced；　is　not　a　native　in　my　heart；　and　should　I　now　yield；　you　might　suppose　that　age　and　the　miseries　I　have　suffered；　had　weakened　my　powers　of　mind　as　well　as　body；　and　that　I　ought　to　have　been　classed　among　the　unhappy　multitudes　whose　sufferings　have　sunk　them　to　despondency。

〃Baron　Trenck；　that　man　of　many　woes；　once　so　despised；　but　who　now　is　held　in　admiration；　where　he　was　before　so　much　the　object　of　hatred；　who　now　speaks　so　loudly　in　his　own　defence；　where；　formerly；　the　man　who　had　but　whispered　his　name　would　have　lived　suspected；　Baron　Trenck　you　propose　as　an　example　of　salvation　for　me。　　You　are　wrong。　　Have　you　considered　how　dissimilar　our　past　lives　have　been；　how　different；　too；　are　our　circumstances？　　Or；　omitting　these；　have　you　considered　to　whom　you　would　have　me　appeal？

〃In　1767；　I　became　acquainted；　in　Vienna；　with　this　sufferer　of　fortitude；　this　agreeable　companion。　　We　are　taught　that　a　noble　aspect　bespeaks　a　corresponding　mind；　this　I　believe　him　to　possess。　But　what　expectations　can　I　form　from　Baron　Trenck？

〃I　will　briefly　answer　the　questions　you　have　put。　　Baron　Trenck　was　a　man　born　to　inherit　great　estates；　this　and　the　fire　of　his　youth；　fanned　by　flattering　hopes　from　his　famous　kinsman；　rendered　him　too　haughty　to　his　King；　and　this　alone　was　the　origin　of　all　his　future　sufferings。　　I；　on　the　contrary；　though　the　son　of　a　Silesian　nobleman　of　property；　did　not　inherit　so　much　as　the　pay　of　a　common　soldier；　the　family　having　been　robbed　by　the　hand　of　power；　after　being　accused　by　wickedness　under　the　mask　of　virtue。　　You　know　my　father's　fate；　the　esteem　in　which　he　was　held　by　the　Empress　Theresa；　and　that　a　pretended　miracle　was　the　occasion　of　his　fall。　Suddenly　was　he　plunged　from　the　height　to　which　industry；　talents；　and　virtue　had　raised　him；　to　the　depth　of　poverty。　　At　length；　at　the　beginning　of　the　seven　years'　war；　one　of　the　King　of　Prussia's　subjects　represented　him　to　the　Austrian　court　as　a　dangerous　correspondent　of　Marshal　Schwerin's。　　Then　at　sixty　years　of　age；　my　father　was　seized　at　Jagerndorf；　and　imprisoned　in　the　fortress　of　Gratz；　in　Styria。　　He　had　an　allowance　just　sufficient　to　keep　him　alive　in　his　dungeon；　but；　for　the　space　of　seven　years；　never　beheld　the　sun　rise　or　set。　　I　was　a　boy　when　this　happened；　however；　I　was　not　heard。　　I　only　received　some　pecuniary　relief　from　the　Empress；　with　permission　to　shed　my　blood　in　her　defence。　In　this　situation　we　first　vowed　eternal　friendship；　but　from　this　I　soon　was　snatched　by　my　father's　enemies。　　What　the　Empress　had　bestowed；　her　ministers　tore　from　me。　　I　was　seized　at　midnight；　and　was　brought；　in　company　with　two　other　officers；　to　the　fortress　of　Gratz。　　Here　I　remained　immured　six　years。　　My　true　name　was　concealed；　and　another　given　me。

〃Peace　being　restored；　Trenck；　I；　and　my　father　were　released；　but　the　mode　of　our　release　was　very　different。　　The　first　obtained　his　freedom　at　the　intercession　of　Theresa；　she；　too；　afforded　him　a　provision。　　We；　on　the　contrary；　according　to　the　amnesty；　stipulated　in　the　treaty　of　peace；　were　led　from　our　dungeons　as　state　prisoners；　without　inquiry　concerning　the　verity　or　falsehood　of　our　crimes。　　Extreme　poverty；　wretchedness；　and　misery；　were　our　reward　for　the　sufferings　we　had　endured。

〃Not　only　was　my　health　destroyed；　but　my　jawbone　was　lost；　eaten　away　by　the　scurvy。　　I　laid　before　Frederic　the　Great　the　proofs　of　the　calamities　I　had　undergone；　and　the　dismal　state　to　which　I　was　reduced；　by　his　foe；　and　for　his　sake；　entreated　bread　to　preserve　me　and　my　father　from　starving；　but　his　ear　was　deaf　to　my　prayer；　his　heart　insensible　to　my　sighs。

〃Providence；　however；　raised　me　up　a　saviour；Count　Gellhorn　was　the　man。　　After　the　taking　of　Breslau；　he　had　been　also　sent　a　state　prisoner　to　Gratz。　　During　his　imprisonment；　he　had　heard　the　report　of　my　sufferings　and　my　innocence。　　No　sooner　did　he　learn　I　was　released；　than　he　became　my　benefactor；　my　friend；　and　restored　me　to　the　converse　of　men；　to　which　I　had　so　long　been　dead。

〃I　defer　the　continuance　of　my　narrative　to　the　next　post。　　The　remembrance　of　past　woes　inflict　new　ones。　　I　am　eternally。〃


LETTER　II。


〃February　24；　1787。

〃Dear　Friend；After　an　interval　of　silence；　remembering　my　promise；　I　again　continue　my　story。

〃My　personal　sufferings　have　not　been　less　than　those　of　Trenck。　His；　I　am　acquainted　with　only　from　the　inaccurate　relations　I　have　heard：　　my　own　I　have　felt。　　A　colonel　in　the　Prussian　service；　whose　name　was　Hallasch；　was　four　years　my　companion；　he　was　insane；　and　believed　himself　the　Christ　that　was　to　appear　at　the　millennium：　　he　persecuted　me　with　his　reveries；　which　I　was　obliged　to　listen　to；　and　approve；　or　suffer　violence　from　one　stronger　than　myself。

〃The　society　of　men　or　books；　everything　that　could　console　or　amuse；　were　forbidden　me；　and　I　considered　it　as　wonderful　that　I　did　not　myself　grow　mad；　in　the　company　of　this　madman。　　Four　hard　winters　I　existed　without　feeling　the　feeble　emanation　of　a　winter　sun；　much　less　the　warmth　of　fire。　　The　madman　felt　more　pity　than　my　keeper；　and　lent　me　his　cloak　to　cover　my　body；　though　the　other　denied　me　a　truss　of　straw；　notwithstanding　I　had　lost　the　use　of　my　hands　and　feet。　　The　place　where　we　were　confined　was　called　a　chamber；　it　rather　resembled　the　temple　of　Cloacina。　　The　noxious　damps　and　vapours　so　poisoned　my　blood　that　an　unskilful　surgeon；　who　tortured　me　during　nine　months；　with　insult　as　a　Prussian　traitor；　and　state　criminal；　I　lost　the　greatest　part　of　my　jaw。

〃Schottendorf　was　our　governor　and　tyrant；　a　man　who　repaid　the　friendship　he　found　in　the　mansion　of　my　fatherswith　cruelty。　　He　was　ripe　for　the　sickle；　and　Time　cut　him　off。　　Tormentini　and　Galer　were　his　successors　in　office；　by　them　we　were　carefully　watched；　but　we　were　treated　with　commiseration。　　Their　precautions　rendered　imprisonment　less　wretched。　　Ever　shall　I　hold　their　memory　sacred。　Yet；　benevolent　as　they　were；　their　goodness　was　exceeded　by　that　of　Rottensteiner；　the　head　gaoler。　　He　considered　his　prisoners　as　his　children；　and　he　was　their　benefactor。　　Of　this　I　had　experience；　during　two　years　after　the　release　of　Hallasch。

〃Here　I　but　cursorily　describe　misery；　at　which　the　monarch　shall　shudder；　if　the　blood　of　a　tyrant　flow　not　in　his　veins。　　Theresa　could　not　wish　these　things。　　But　she　was　fallible；　and　not　omniscient。

〃From　the　above　narrative；　you　will　perceive　how　opposite　the　effects　must　be　which　the　histories　of　Baron　Trenck　and　of　myself　must　produce。

〃Trenck　left　his　dungeon　shielded　from　contempt；　the　day　of　freedom　was　the　day　of　triumph。　　I；　on　the　contrary；　was　exposed　to　every　calamity。　　The　spirit　of　Trenck　again　raised　itself。　　I　have　laboured　many　a　night　that　I　might　neither　beg　nor　perish　the　following　day：　　working　for　judges　who　neither　knew　law　nor　had　powers　of　mind　to　behold　the　beauty　of　justice：　　settling　accounts　that；　item　after　item；　did　not　prove　that　the　lord　they　were　intended　for；　was　an　imbecile　dupe。

〃Trenck　remembers　his　calamities；　but　the　remembrance　is　advantageous　to　himself　and　his　family；　while　with　me；　the　past　did　but　increase；　did　but　agonise；　the　present　and　the　future。　　He　was　not　like　me；　obliged　to　crouch　in　presence　of　those　vulgar；　those　incapable　minds；　that　do　but　consider　the　bent　back　as　the　footstool　of　pride。　　Every　man　is　too　busy　to　act　in　behalf　of　others；　pity　me　therefore；　but　advise　me　not　to　hope　assistance；　by　pet