the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第19章

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！



At　this　time　I　refused　a　major's　commission；　for　which　I　was　obliged　to　pay　the　fees。　　Being　excluded　from　actual　service；　to　me　the　title　was　of　little　value；　my　rank　in　the　army　had　been　equal　ten　years　before　in　other　service。　　The　following　words；　inserted　in　my　commission；　are　not　unworthy　of　remark：…　〃Her　Majesty；　in　consequence　of　my　fidelity　for　her　service；　demonstrated　during　a　long　imprisonment；　my　endowments　and　virtues；　had　been　graciously　pleased　to　grant　me；　in　the　Imperial　service；　the　rank　of　major。〃　The　rank　of　major！From　this　preamble　who　would　not　have　expected　either　the　rank　of　general；　or　the　restoration　of　my　great　Sclavonian　estates？　　I　had　been　fifteen　years　a　captain　of　cavalry；　and　then　was　I　made　an　invalid　major　three…and…twenty　years　ago；　and　an　invalid　major　I　still　remain！　　Let　all　that　has　been　related　be　called　to　mind；　the　manner　in　which　I　had　been　pillaged　and　betrayed；　let　Vienna；　Dantzic；　and　Magdeburg　he　remembered；　and　be　this　my　promotion　remembered　also！　　Let　it　be　known　that　the　commission　of　major　might　be　bought　for　a　few　thousand　florins！　Thirty　thousand　florins　only　of　the　money　I　had　been　robbed　of　would　have　purchased　a　colonel's　commission。　　I　should　then　have　been　a　companion　for　generals。

During　the　thirty…six　years　that　I　have　been　in　the　service　of　Austria；　I　never　had　any　man　of　rank；　any　great　general；　my　enemy；　except　Count　Grassalkowitz；　and　he　was　only　my　enemy　because　he　had　conceived　a　friendship　for　my　estates。

My　character　was　never　calumniated；　nor　did　any　worthy　man　ever　speak　of　me　but　with　respect。　　Who　were；　who　are；　my　enemies？　Jesuits；　monks；　unprincipled　advocates；　wishing　to　become　my　curators；　referendaries；　who　died　despicable；　or　now　live　in　houses　of　correction。　　Such　as　live；　live　in　dread　of　a　similar　end；　for　the　Emperor　Joseph　is　able　to　discover　the　truth。　　Alas！　the　truth　is　discovered　so　late；　age　has　now　nearly　rendered　me　an　invalid。　Men　with　hearts　so　base　ought；　indeed；　to　become　the　scavengers　of　society；　that；　terrified　by　their　example；　succeeding　judges　may　not　rack　the　heart　of　an　honest　man；　seize　on　the　possessions　of　the　orphan　and　the　widow；　and　expel　virtue　out　of　Austria。

I　attended　the　levee　of　Prince　Kaunitz。　　Not　personally　known　to　him；　he　viewed　in　me　a　crawling　insect。　　I　thought　somewhat　more　proudly；　my　actions　were　upright；　and　so　should　my　body　be。　　I　quitted　the　apartment；　and　was　congratulated　by　the　mercenary　Swiss　porter　on　my　good　fortune　of　having　obtained　an　audience！

I　applied　to　the　field…marshal；　from　whom　I　received　this　answer　〃If　you　cannot　purchase；　my　dear　Trenck；　it　will　be　impossible　to　admit　you　into　service；　besides；　you　are　too　old　to　learn　our　manoeuvres。〃　　I　was　then　thirty…seven。　　I　briefly　replied；　〃Your　excellency　mistakes　my　character。　　I　did　not　come　to　Vienna　to　serve　as　an　invalid　major。　　My　curators　have　taken　good　care　I　should　have　no　money　to　purchase；　but　had　I　millions；　I　would　never　obtain　rank　in　the　army　by　that　mode。〃　　I　quitted　the　room　with　a　shrug。　　The　next　day　I　addressed　a　memorial　to　the　Empress。　　I　did　not　re…demand　my　Sclavonian　estates；　I　only　petitioned。

FirstThat　those　who　had　carried　off　quintals　of　silver　and　gold　from　the　premises；　and　had　rendered　no　account　to　me　or　the　treasury；　should　refund　at　least　a　part。

SecondlyThat　they　should　be　obliged　to　return　the　thirty…six　thousand　florins　taken　from　my　inheritance；　and　applied　to　a　hospital。

ThirdlyThat　the　thirty…six　thousand　florins　might　be　repaid；　which　Count　Grassalkowitz　had　deducted　from　the　allodial　estates；　for　three　thousand　six　hundred　pandours　who　had　fallen　in　the　service　of　the　Empress；　I　not　being　bound　to　pay　for　the　lives　of　men　who　had　died　in　defence　of　the　Empress。

FourthlyI　required　that　fifteen　thousand　florins；　which　had　been　deducted　from　my　capital；　and　applied　to　the　Bohemian　fortifications；　should　likewise　be　restored；　together　with　the　fifteen　thousand　which　had　been　unduly　paid　to　the　regiment　of　Trenck。

FifthlyI　reclaimed　the　twelve　thousand　florins　which　I　had　been　robbed　of　at　Dantzic　by　the　treachery　of　the　Imperial　Resident；　Abramson；　and　public　satisfaction　from　the　magistracy　of　Dantzic；　who　had　delivered　me　up；　so　contrary　to　the　laws　of　nations；　to　the　Prussian　power。

I　likewise　claimed　the　interest　of　six　per　cent；　for　seventy…six　thousand　florins；　detained　by　the　Hungarian　Chamber；　which　amounted　to　twenty　thousand　florins；　I　having　been　allowed　five　per　cent。；　and　at　last　four。

I　insisted　on　the　restoration　of　my　Sclavonian　estates；　and　a　proper　allowance　for　improvements；　which　the　very　sentence　of　the　court　had　granted；　and　which　amounted　to　eighty　thousand　florins。

I　petitioned　for　an　arbitrator；　I　solicited　justice　concerning　rights；　but　received　no　answer　to　this　and　a　hundred　other　petitions！

I　must　here　speak　of　transactions　during　my　imprisonment。　　I　had　bought　a　house　in　Vienna　in　the　year　1750；　the　price　was　sixteen　thousand　florins；　thirteen　thousand　of　which　I　had　paid　by　instalments。　　The　receipts　were　among　my　writings；　these　writings；　with　my　other　effects；　were　taken　from　me　at　Dantzic；　in　the　year　1754；　nor　have　I；　to　this　hour；　been　able　to　learn　more　than　that　my　writings　were　sent　to　the　administrators　of　my　affairs　at　Vienna。　With　respect　to　my　houses　and　property　in　Dantzic；　in　what　manner　these　were　disposed　of　no　one　could　or　would　say。

After　being　released　at　Magdeburg；　I　inquired　concerning　my　house；　but　no　longer　found　it　mine。　　Those　who　had　got　possession　of　my　writings　must　have　restored　the　acquittances　to　the　seller；　consequently　he　could　re…demand　the　whole　sum。　　My　house　was　in　other　hands；　and　I　was　brought　in　debtor　six　thousand　florins　for　interest　and　costs　of　suit。　　Thus　were　house　and　money　gone。　　Whom　can　I　accuse？

Again；　I　had　maintained；　at　my　own　expense　Lieutenant　Schroeder；　who　had　deserted　from　Glatz；　and　for　whom　I　obtained　a　captain's　commission　in　the　guard　of　Prince　Esterhazy；　at　Eisenstadt。　　His　misconduct　caused　him　to　be　cashiered。　　In　my　administrator's　accounts　I　found　the　following

〃To　Captain　Schroeder；　for　capital；　interest；　and　costs　of　suit；　sixteen　hundred　florins。〃

It　was　certain　I　was　not　a　penny　indebted　to　this　person；　I　had　no　redress；　having　been　obliged　to　pass　and　sign　all　their　accounts。

I；　four　years　afterwards；　obtained　information　concerning　this　affair：　　I　met　Schroeder；　knew　him；　and　inquired　whether　he　had　received　these　sixteen　hundred　florins。　　He　answered　in　the　affirmative。　　〃No　one　believed　you　would　ever　more　see　the　light。　　I　knew　you　would　serve　me；　and　that　you　would　relieve　my　necessities。　I　went　and　spoke　to　Dr。　Berger；　he　agreed　we　should　halve　the　sum；　and　his　contrivance　was；　I　should　make　oath　I　had　lent　you　a　thousand　florins；　without　having　received　your　note。　　The　money　was　paid　me　by　M。　Frauenberger；　to　whom　I　agreed　to　send　a　present　of　Tokay；　for　Madam　Huttner。〃

This　was　the　manner　in　which　my　curators　took　care　of　my　property！　Many　instances　I　could　produce；　but　I　am　too　much　agitated　by　the　recollection。　　I　must　speak　a　word　concerning　who　and　what　my　curators　were。

The　Court　Counsellor；　Kempf；　was　my　administrator；　and　Counsellor　Huttner　my　referendary。　　The　substitute　of　Kempf　was　Frauenberger；　who；　being　obliged　to　act　as　a　clerk　at　Prague　during　the　war；　appointed　one　Krebs　as　a　sub…substitute；　whether　M。　Krebs　had　also　a　sub…substitute　is　more　than　I　am　able　to　say。

Dr。　Bertracker　was　fidei　commiss…curator；　though　there　was　no　fidei　commissum　existing。　　Dr。　Berger；　as　Fidei　Commiss…Advocate；　was　superintendent；　and　to　them　all　salaries　were　to　be　paid。

Let　us　see　what　was　the　business　this　company　had　to　transact。　　I　had　seventy…six　thousand　florins　in　the　Hungarian　Chamber；　the　interest　of　which　was　to　be　yearly　received；　and　added　to　the　capital：　　this　was　their　employment；　and　was　certainly　so　trifling　that　any　man　would　have　performed　it　gratis。　　The　war　made　money　scarce；　and　the　discounting　of　bills　with　my　ducats　was　a　profitable　trade　to　my　curators。　　Had　it　been　honestly　employed；　I　should　have　found　my　capital　increased；　after　my　imprisonment；　full　sixty　thousand　florins。　　Instead　of　these　I　received　thr