the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第21章

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princes；　by　none　of　whom　it　has　been　burnt。　　The　Empress　alone　was　highly　enraged。　　I　had　spoken　as　Nathan　did　to　David；　and　the　Jesuits　now　openly　became　my　enemies。

The　following　trick　was　played　me　in　1768。　　A　friend　in　Brussels　was　commissioned　to　receive　my　pay；　from　whom　I　learnt　an　interdict　had　been　laid　upon　it　by　the　court　called　Hofkriegsrath；　in　Vienna；　in　which　I　was　condemned　to　pay　seven　hundred　florins　to　one　Bussy；　with　fourteen　years'　interest。

Bussy　was　a　known　swindler。　　I　therefore　journeyed；　post…haste；　to　Vienna。　　No　hearing；　no　satisfactory　account　was　to　be　obtained。　The　answer　was；　〃Sentence　is　passed；　therefore　all　attempts　are　too　late。〃

I　applied　to　the　Emperor　Joseph；　pledged　my　head　to　prove　the　falsification　of　this　note；　and　entreated　a　revision　of　the　cause。　My　request　was　granted　and　my　attorney；　Weyhrauch；　was　an　upright　man。　　When　he　requested　a　day　of　revision　to　be　appointed；　he　was　threatened　to　be　committed　by　the　referendary。　　Zetto；　should　he　interfere　and　defend　the　affairs　of　Trenck。　　He　answered　firmly；　〃His　defence　is　my　business：　　I　know　my　cause　to　be　good。〃

Four　months　did　I　continue　in　Vienna　before　the　day　was　appointed　to　revise　this　cause。　　It　now　appeared　there　were　erasures　and　holes　through　the　paper　in　three　places；　all　in　court　were　convinced　the　claim　ought　to　be　annulled；　and　the　claimant　punished。　　Zetto　ordered　the　parties　to　withdraw；　and　then　so　managed　that　the　judges　resolved　that　the　case　must　be　laid　before　the　court　with　formal　and　written　proofs。

This　gave　time　for　new　knavery；　I　was　obliged　to　return　to　Aix…la…　Chapelle；　and　four　years　elapsed　before　this　affair　was　decided。　Two　priests；　in　the　interim；　took　false　oaths　that　they　had　seen　me　receive　money。　　At　length；　however；　I　proved　that　the　note　was　dated　a　year　after　I　had　been　imprisoned　at　Magdeburg。　　Further；　my　attorney　proved　the　writs　of　the　court　had　been　falsified。　　Zetto；　referendary；　and　Bussy；　were　the　forgers；　but　I　happened　to　be　too　active；　and　my　attorney　too　honest；　to　lose　this　case。　　I　was　obliged　to　make　three　very　expensive　journeys　from　Aix…la…Chapelle　to　Vienna；　lest　judgement　should　go　by　default。　　Sentence　at　last　was　pronounced。　　I　gained　my　cause；　and　the　note　was　declared　a　forgery；　but　the　costs；　amounting　to　three　thousand　five　hundred　florins；　I　was　obliged　to　pay；　for　Bussy　could　not：　　nor　was　he　punished；　though　driven　from　Vienna　for　his　villainous　acts。　　Zetto；　however；　still　continued　for　eleven　years　my　persecutor；　till　he　was　deprived　of　his　office；　and　condemned　to　the　House　of　Correction。

My　knowledge　of　the　world　increased　at　Aix…la…Chapelle；　where　men　of　all　characters　met。　　In　the　morning　I　conversed　with　a　lord　in　opposition；　in　the　afternoon　with　an　orator　of　the　King's　party；　and　in　the　evening　with　an　honest　man　of　no　party。　　I　sent　Hungarian　wine　into　England；　France；　Holland；　and　the　Empire。　　This　occasioned　me　to　undertake　long　journeys；　and　as　my　increased　acquaintance　gave　me　opportunities　of　receiving　foreigners　with　politeness　an　my　own　house；　I　was　also　well　received　wherever　I　went。

The　income　I　should　have　had　from　Vienna　was　engulfed　by　law…suits；　attorneys；　and　the　journeys　I　undertook；　having　been　thrice　cited　to　appear；　in　person；　before　the　Hofkriegsrath。　　No　hope　remained。　　I　was　described　as　a　dangerous　malcontent；　who　had　deserted　his　native　land。　　I　nevertheless　remained　an　honest　man；　one　who　could　provide　for　his　necessities　without　the　favour　of　courts；　one　whose　acquaintance　was　esteemed。　　In　Vienna　alone　was　I　unsought；　unemployed；　and　obscure。

One　day　an　accident　happened　which　made　me　renowned　as　a　magician；　as　one　who　had　power　over　fogs　and　clouds。

I　had　a　quarrel　with　the　Palatine　President；　Baron　Blankart；　concerning　a　hunting　district。　　I　wrote　to　him　that　he　should　repair　to　the　spot　in　dispute；　whither　I　would　attend　with　sword　and　pistol；　hoping　he　would　there　give　me　satisfaction　for　the　affront　I　had　received。　　Thither　I　went；　with　two　huntsmen　and　two　friends；　but　instead　of　the　baron　I　found　two　hundred　armed　peasants　assembled。

I　sent　one　of　my　huntsmen　to　the　army　of　the　enemy；　informing　them　that；　if　they　did　not　retreat；　I　should　fire。　　The　day　was　fine；　but　a　thick　and　impenetrable　fog　arose。　　My　huntsman　returned；　with　intelligence　that；　having　delivered　his　message　just　as　the　fog　came　on；　these　heroes　had　all　run　away　with　fright。

I　advanced；　fired　my　piece；　as　did　my　followers；　and　marched　to　the　mansion　of　my　adversary；　where　my　hunting…horn　was　blown　in　triumph　in　his　courtyard。　　The　runaway　peasants　fired；　but　the　fog　prevented　their　taking　aim。

I　returned　home；　where　many　false　reports　had　preceded　me。　　My　wife　expected　I　should　be　brought　home　dead；　however；　not　the　least　mischief　had　happened。

It　soon　was　propagated　through　the　country　that　I　had　raised　a　fog　to　render　myself　invisible；　and　that　the　truth　of　this　could　be　justified　by　two　hundred　witnesses。　　All　the　monks　of　Aix…la…　Chapelle；　Juliers；　and　Cologne；　preached　concerning　me；　reviled　me；　and　warned　the　people　to　beware　of　the　arch…magician　and　Lutheran；　Trenck。

On　a　future　occasion；　this　belief　I　turned　to　merriment。　　I　went　to　hunt　the　wolf　in　the　forests　of　Montjoie；　and　invited　the　townsmen　to　the　chase。　　Towards　evening　I；　and　some　forty　of　my　followers；　retired　to　rest　in　the　charcoal　huts；　provided　with　wine　and　brandy。　〃My　lads；〃　said　I；　〃it　is　necessary　you　should　discharge　your　pieces；　and　load　them　anew；　that　to…morrow　no　wolf　may　escape；　and　that　none　of　you　excuse　yourselves　on　your　pieces　missing　fire。〃　The　guns　were　reloaded；　and　placed　in　a　separate　chamber。　　While　they　were　merry…making；　my　huntsman　drew　the　balls；　and　charged　the　pieces　with　powder；　several　of　which　he　loaded　with　double　charges。　Some　of　their　notched　balls　I　put　into　my　pocket。

In　the　morning　away　went　I　and　my　fellows　to　the　chase。　　Their　conversation　turned　on　my　necromancy；　and　the　manner　in　which　I　could　envelope　myself　in　a　cloud；　or　make　myself　bullet…proof。　〃What　is　that　you　are　talking　about？〃　said　I。〃Some　of　these　unbelieving　folks；〃　answered　my　huntsman；　〃affirm　your　honour　is　unable　to　ward　off　balls。〃〃Well；　then；〃　said　I；　〃fire　away；　and　try。〃　　My　huntsman　fired。　　I　pretended　to　parry　with　my　hand；　and　called；　〃Let　any　man　that　is　so　inclined　fire；　but　only　one　at　a　time。〃　　Accordingly　they　began；　and；　pretending　to　twist　and　turn　about；　I　suffered　them　all　to　discharge　their　pieces。　　My　people　had　carefully　noticed　that　no　man　had　reloaded　his　gun。　　Some　of　them　received　such　blows　from　the　guns　that　were　doubly　charged　that　they　fell；　terrified　at　the　powers　of　magic。　　I　advanced；　holding　in　my　hand　some　of　the　marked　balls。　　〃Let　every　one　choose　his　own；〃　called　I。　　All　stood　motionless；　and　many　of　them　slunk　home　with　their　guns　on　their　shoulders；　some　remained；　and　our　sport　was　excellent。

On　Sunday　the　monks　of　Aix…la…Chapelle　again　began　to　preach。　　My　black　art　became　the　theme　of　the　whole　country；　and　to　this　day　many　of　the　people　make　oath　that　they　fired　upon　me；　and　that；　after　catching　them；　I　returned　the　balls。

My　invulnerable　qualities　were　published　throughout　Juliers；　Aix…la…　Chapelle；　Maestricht；　and　Cologne；　and　perhaps　this　belief　saved　my　life；　the　priests　having　propagated　it　from　their　pulpits；　in　a　country　which　swarms　with　highway　robbers；　and　where；　for　a　single　ducat；　any　man　may　hire　an　assassin。

It　is　no　small　surprise　that　I　should　have　preserved　my　life；　in　a　town　where　there　are　twenty…three　monasteries　and　churches；　and　where　the　monks　are　adored　as　deities。　　The　Catholic　clergy　had　been　enraged　against　me　by　my　poem　of　〃The　Macedonian　Hero；〃　and　in　1772　I　published　a　newspaper　at　Aix…la…Chapelle；　and　another　work　entitled；　〃The　Friend　of　Men；〃　in　which　I　unmasked　hypocrisy。　　A　major　of　the　apostolic　Maria　Theresa；　writing　thus　in　a　town　swarming　with　friars；　and　in　a　tone　so　undaunted；　was　unexampled。

At　present；　now　that　freedom　of　opinion　is　encouraged　by　the　Emperor；　many　essayists　encounter　bigotry　and　deceit　with　ridicule；　or；　wanting　invention　themselves；　publish　extracts　from　writings　of　the　age　of　Luther。　　But　I　have　the　honour　of　having　attacked　the