the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第31章

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e　incident　I　am　about　to　relate；　at　Magdeburg；　and　reminded　me　of　the　affair。　　It　was　my　last　attempt　but　one　at　flight。

The　circumstances　were　these：…

As　I　found　myself　unable　to　get　rid　of　more　sand；　after　having　again　cut　through　the　planking；　and　mined　the　foundation；　I　made　a　hole　towards　the　ditch；　in　which　three　sentinels　were　stationed。　　This　I　executed　one　night；　it　being　easy；　from　the　lightness　of　the　sand；　to　perform　the　work　in　two　hours。

No　sooner　had　I　broken　through；　than　I　threw　one　of　my　slippers　beside　the　palisades；　that　it　might　be　supposed　I　had　lost　it　when　climbing　over　them。　　These　palisades；　twelve　feet　in　length；　were　situated　in　the　front　of　the　principal　fosse；　and　my　sentinels　stood　within。　　There　was　no　sentry…box　at　the　place　where　I　had　broken　through。

This　done；　I　returned　into　my　prison；　made　another　hole　under　the　planking；　where　I　could　hide　myself；　and　stopped　up　the　passage　behind　me；　so　that　it　was　not　probable　I　could　be　seen　or　found。

When　daylight　came；　the　sentinel　saw　the　hole　and　gave　the　alarm；　the　slipper　was　found；　and　it　was　concluded　that　Trenck　had　escaped　over　the　palisades；　and　was　no　longer　in　prison。

Immediately　the　sub…governor　came　from　Magdeburg；　the　guns　were　fired；　the　horse　scoured　the　country；　and　the　subterranean　passages　were　all　visited：　　no　tidings　came；　no　discovery　was　made；　and　the　conclusion　was　I　had　escaped。　　That　I　should　fly　without　the　knowledge　of　the　sentinels；　was　deemed　impossible；　the　officer；　and　all　the　guard；　were　put　under　arrest；　and　everybody　was　surprised。

I；　in　the　meantime；　sat　quiet　in　my　hole；　where　I　heard　their　searches；　and　suppositions　that　I　was　gone。

My　heart　bounded　with　joy；　and　I　held　escape　to　be　indubitable。　They　would　not　place　sentinels　over　the　prison　the　following　night；　and　I　should　then　really　have　left　my　place　of　concealment；　and；　most　probably　have　safely　arrived　in　Saxony。　　My　destiny；　however；　robbed　me　of　all　hope　at　the　very　moment　when　I　supposed　the　greatest　of　my　difficulties　were　conquered。

Everything　seemed　to　happen　as　I　could　wish。　　The　whole　garrison　came；　and　visited　the　casemates；　and　all　stood　astonished　at　the　miracle　they　beheld。　　In　this　state　things　remained　till　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　At　length；　an　ensign　of　the　militia　came；　a　boy　of　about　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　of　age；　who　had　more　wit　than　any　or　all　of　them。　　He　approached　the　hole；　examined　the　aperture　next　the　fosse；　thought　it　appeared　small；　tried　to　enter　it　himself；　found　he　could　not；　therefore　concluded　it　was　impossible　a　man　of　my　size　could　have　passed　through；　and　accordingly　called　for　a　light。

This　was　an　accident　I　had　not　foreseen。　　Half　stifled　in　my　hole；　I　had　opened　the　canal　under　the　planking。　　No　sooner　had　the　youth　procured　a　light；　than　he　perceived　my　shirt；　examined　nearer；　felt　about；　and　laid　hold　of　me　by　the　arm。　　The　fox　was　caught；　and　the　laugh　was　universal。　　My　confusion　may　easily　be　imagined。　　They　all　came　round　me；　paid　me　their　compliments；　and　finding　nothing　better　was　to　be　done；　I　laughed　in　company　with　them；　and；　thus　laughing　was　led　back　with　an　aching　heart　to　be　sorrowfully　enchained　in　my　dungeon。

I　continued　my　journey；　and　arrived；　on　the　fourth　of　April；　at　Konigsberg；　where　my　brother　expected　my　arrival。　　We　embraced　as　brothers　must；　after　the　absence　of　two…and…forty　years。　　Of　all　the　brothers　and　sisters　I　had　left　in　this　city；　he　only　remained。　　He　lived　a　retired　and　peaceable　life　on　his　own　estates。　　He　had　no　children　living。　　I　continued　a　fortnight　within　him　and　his　wife。

Here；　for　the　first　time；　I　learned　what　had　happened　to　my　relations；　during　their　absence。　　The　wrath　of　the　Great　Frederic　extended　itself　to　all　my　family。　　My　second　brother　was　an　ensign　in　the　regiment　of　cuirassiers　at　Kiow；　in　1746；　when　I　first　incurred　disgrace　from　the　King。　　Six　years　he　served；　fought　at　three　battles；　but；　because　his　name　was　Trenck；　never　was　promoted。　Weary　of　expectation　he　quitted　the　army；　married；　and　lived　on　his　estates　at　Meicken；　where　he　died　about　three　years　ago；　and　left　two　sons；　who　are　an　honour　to　the　family　of　the　Trencks。

Fame　spoke　him　a　person　capable　of　rendering　the　state　essential　service；　as　a　military　man；　but　he　was　my　brother；　and　the　King　would　never　suffer　his　name　to　be　mentioned。

My　youngest　brother　applied　himself　to　the　sciences；　it　was　proposed　that　he　should　receive　some　civil　employment；　as　he　was　an　intelligent　and　well…informed　man；　but　the　King　answered　in　the　margin　of　the　petition；


〃No　Trenck　is　good　for　anything。〃


Thus　have　all　my　family　suffered；　because　of　my　unjust　condemnation。　My　last…mentioned　brother　chose　the　life　of　a　private　man；　and　lived　at　his　ease；　in　independence；　among　the　first　people　of　the　kingdom。　The　hatred　of　the　monarch　extended　itself　to　my　sister；　who　had　married　the　son　of　General　Waldow；　and　lived　in　widowhood；　from　the　year　1749；　to　her　second　marriage。　　The　misfortunes　of　this　woman；　in　consequence　of　the　treachery　of　Weingarten；　and　the　aid　she　sent　to　me　in　my　prison　at　Magdeburg；　I　have　before　related。　　She　was　possessed　of　the　fine　estate　of　Hammer；　near　Landsberg　on　the　Warta。　The　Russian　army　changed　the　whole　face　of　the　country；　and　laid　it　desert。　　She　fled　to　Custrin；　where　everything　was　destroyed　during　the　siege。　　The　Prussian　army　also　demolished　the　fine　forests。

After　the　war；　the　King　assisted　all　the　ruined　families　of　Brandenburg；　she　alone　obtained　nothing；　because　she　was　my　sister。　She　petitioned　the　King；　who　repined　she　must　seek　for　redress　from　her　dear　brother。　　She　died；　in　the　flower　of　her　age；　a　short　time　after　she　had　married　her　second　husband；　the　present　Colonel　Pape：　her　son；　also；　died　last　year。　　He　was　captain　in　the　regiment　of　the　Gotz　dragoons。　　Thus　were　all　my　brothers　and　sisters　punished　because　they　were　mine。　　Could　it　be　believed　that　the　great　Frederic　would　revenge　himself　on　the　children　and　the　children's　children？　　Was　it　not　sufficient　that　he　should　wreak　his　wrath　on　my　head　alone？　　Why　has　the　name　of　Trenck　been　hateful　to　him；　to　the　very　hour　of　his　death？

One　Derschau；　captain　of　horse；　and　brother　of　my　mother；　addressed　himself　to　the　King；　in　1753；　alleging　he　was　my　nearest　relation　and　feudal　heir；　and　petitioned　that　he　would　bestow　on　him　my　confiscated　estates　of　Great　Sharlack。　　The　King　demanded　that　the　necessary　proofs　should　be　sent　from　the　chamber　at　Konigsberg。　　He　was　uninformed　that　I　had　two　brothers　living；　that　Great　Sharlack　was　an　ancient　family　inheritance；　and　that　it　appertained　to　my　brothers；　and　not　to　Derschau。　　My　brothers　then　announced　themselves　as　the　successors　to　this　fief；　and　the　King　bestowed　on　them　the　estate　of　Great　Sharlack　conformable　to　the　feudal　laws。　That　it　might　be　properly　divided；　it　was　put　up　to　auction；　and　bought　by　the　youngest　of　my　brothers；　who　paid　surplus　to　the　other；　and　to　my　sister。　　He　likewise　paid　debts　charged　upon　it；　according　to　the　express　orders　of　the　court。　　The　persons　who　called　themselves　my　creditors　were　impostors；　for　I　had　no　creditors；　I　was　but　nineteen　when　my　estates　were　confiscated；　consequently　was　not　of　age。　　By　what　right　therefore；　could　such　debts　be　demanded　or　paid？　　Let　them　explain　this　who　can。

The　same　thing　happened　when　an　account　was　given　in　to　the　Fiscus　of　the　guardianship；　although　I　acknowledge　my　guardians　were　men　of　probity。　　One　of　them　was　eight　years　in　possession；　and　when　he　gave　it　up　to　my　brothers　he　did　not　account　with　them　for　a　single　shilling。　　At　present；　therefore；　the　affair　stands　thus：…　Frederic　William　has　taken　off　the　sentence　of　confiscation；　and　ordered　me　to　be　put　in　possession　of　my　estates；　by　a　gracious　rescript：　empowered　by　this　I　come　and　demand　restitution；　my　brother　answers；　〃I　have　bought　and　paid　for　the　estate；　am　the　legal　possessor；　have　improved　it　so　much　that　Great　Sharlack；　at　present；　is　worth　three　or　four　times　the　sum　it　was　at　the　time　of　confiscation。　　Let　the　Fiscus　pay　me　its　actual　value；　and　then　let　them　bestow　it　on　whom　they　please。　　If　the　reigning　king　gives　what　his　predecessor　sold　to　me；　I　ought　not　ther