the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第35章

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ted　the　prosecution　to　which　he　fell　a　victim。　　Scarcely　had　he　entered　Austria　with　his　troops　before　he　found　an　opportunity　of　reaping　laurels。　　The　French　army　was　defeated　at　Lintz。　　Trenck　pursued　them；　treated　his　prisoners　with　barbarity；　and；　never　granting　quarter　in　battle；　the　very　appearance　of　his　pandours　inspired　terror。

Trenck　was　a　great　warrior；　and　knew　how　to　profit　by　the　slightest　advantage。　　From　this　time　he　became　renowned；　gained　the　confidence　of　Prince　Charles；　and　the　esteem　of　the　Field…marshal　Count　Kevenhuller；　who　discovered　the　worth　of　the　man。　　No　partisan　had　ever　before　obtained　so　much　power　as　Trenck；　he　everywhere　pursued　the　enemy　as　far　as　Bavaria；　carrying　fire　and　sword　wherever　he　went。　　As　it　was　known　Trenck　gave　no　quarter；　the　Bavarians　and　the　French　flew　at　the　sight　of　a　red　mantle。　　Pillage　and　murder　attended　the　pandours　wherever　they　went；　and　their　colonel　bought　up　all　the　booty　they　acquired。　　Chamb；　in　particular；　was　a　scene　of　a　dreadful　massacre。　　The　city　was　set　on　fire　and　the　people　perished　in　the　flames；　women　and　children　who　endeavoured　to　fly；　were　obliged　to　pass　over　a　bridge；　where　they　were　first　stripped；　and　afterwards　thrown　into　the　water。　　This　action　was　one　of　the　accusations　brought　against　Trenck　when　he　was　prosecuted；　but　he　alleged　his　justification。

The　banks　of　the　Iser　to　this　day　reverberate　groans　for　the　barbarities　of　Trenck。　　Deckendorf　and　Filtzhofen　felt　all　his　fury。　In　the　first　of　these　towns　600　French　prisoners　capitulated；　although　his　forces　were　four　miles　distant；　but　he　formed　a　kind　of　straw　men；　on　which　he　put　pandour　caps　and　cloaks；　and　set　them　up　as　sentinels；　and　the　garrison；　deceived　by　this　stratagem；　signed　the　capitulation。　　The　services　he　rendered　the　army　during　the　Bavarian　war　are　well　known　in　the　history　of　Maria　Theresa。　　The　good　he　has　done　has　been　passed　over　in　silence；　because　he　died　under　misfortunes；　and　did　not　leave　his　historian　a　legacy。　　He　was　informed　that　either　at　Deckendorf　or　Filtzhofen　there　was　a　barrel　containing　20；000　florins；　concealed　at　the　house　of　an　apothecary。　Impelled　by　the　desire　of　booty；　Trenck　hastened　to　the　place；　with　a　candle　in　his　hand；　searching　everywhere；　and；　in　his　hurry；　dropped　a　spark　into　a　quantity　of　gunpowder；　by　the　explosion　of　which　he　was　dreadfully　scorched。　　They　carried　him　off；　but　the　scars　and　the　gunpowder　with　which　his　skin　was　blackened　rendered　his　countenance　terrific。

The　present　Field…marshal　Laudohn　was　at　that　time　a　lieutenant　in　his　regiment；　and　happened　to　be　at　the　door　when　his　colonel　was　burnt。　　Scarcely　was　Trenck　cured　before　his　spies　informed　him　that　Laudohn　had　plenty　of　money。　　Immediately　he　suspected　that　Laudohn　had　found　the　barrel　of　florins；　and　from　that　moment　he　persecuted　him　by　all　imaginable　arts。　　Wherever　there　was　danger　he　sent　him；　at　the　head　of　30　men；　against　300；　hoping　to　have　him　cut　off；　and　to　make　himself　his　heir。　　This　was　so　often　repeated　that　Laudohn　returned　to　Vienna；　where；　joining　the　crowd　of　the　enemies　of　Trenck；　he　became　instrumental　in　his　destruction。　　Yet　it　is　certain　that；　in　the　beginning；　Trenck　had　shown　a　friendship　for　Laudohn；　had　given　him　a　commission；　and　that　this　great　man　learned；　under　the　command　of　Trenck；　his　military　principles。　General　Tillier　was　likewise　formed　in　this　nursery　of　soldiers；　where　officers　were　taught　activity；　stratagem；　and　enterprise。　　And　who　are　more　capable　of　commanding　a　Hungarian　army　than　Tillier　and　Laudohn？　　I；　one　day　said　to　Trenck；　when　he　was　in　Vienna；　embarrassed　by　his　prosecution；　and　when　he　had　published　a　defamatory　writing　against　all　his　accusers；　excepting　no　man；〃You　have　always　told　me　that　Laudohn　was　one　of　the　most　capable　of　your　officers；　and　that　he　is　a　worthy　man。　　Wherefore　then　do　you　class　him　among　such　wretches？〃　　He　replied；　〃What！　would　you　have　me　praise　a　man　who　labours；　at　the　head　of　my　enemies；　to　rob　me　of　honour；　property；　and　life！〃　　I　have　related　this　incident　to　prove　by　the　testimony　of　so　honourable　a　man；　that　Trenck　was　a　great　soldier；　and　a　zealous　patriot；　and　that　he　never　took　the　King　of　Prussia　prisoner；　as　has　been　falsely　affirmed；　and　as　is　still　believed　by　the　multitude。　　Had　such　a　thing　happened；　Laudohn　must　have　been　present；　and　would　have　supported　this　charge。

Bavaria　was　plundered　by　Trenck；　barges　were　loaded　with　gold；　silver；　and　effects；　which　he　sent　to　his　estates　in　Sclavonia；　Prince　Charles　and　Count　Kevenhuller　countenanced　his　proceedings；　but　when　Field…marshal　Neuperg　was　at　the　head　of　the　army；　he　had　other　principles。　　He　was　connected　with　Baron　Tiebes；　a　counsellor　of　the　Hofkriegsrath　who　was　the　enemy　of　Trenck。　　Persecution　was　at　that　time　instituted　against　him；　and　Trenck　was　imprisoned；　but　he　defended　himself　so　powerfully　that　in　a　month　he　was　set　at　liberty。　　Mentzel；　meanwhile；　had　the　command　of　the　pandours；　and　this　man　appropriated　to　himself　the　fame　that　Trenck　had　acquired　by　the　warriors　he　himself　had　formed。　　Mentzel　never　was　the　equal　of　Trenck。　　Trenck　now　increased　the　number　of　his　Croats　to　4；000；　from　whom；　in　1743；　a　regiment　of　Hungarian　regulars　was　formed；　but　who　still　retained　the　name　of　pandours。　　It　was　a　regiment　of　infantry。　　Trenck　also　had　600　hussars　and　150　chasseurs；　whom　he　equipped　at　his　own　expense。　　Yet；　when　this　corps　was　reduced；　all　was　sold　for　the　profit　of　the　imperial　treasury；　without　bringing　a　shilling　to　account。

With　a　corps　so　numerous；　he　undertook　great　enterprises。　　The　enemy　fled　wherever　he　appeared。　　He　led　the　van；　raised　contributions　which　amounted　to　several　millions；　delivered　unto　the　Empress；　in　five　years；　7；000　prisoners；　French　and　Bavarian；　and　more　than　3；000　Prussians。　　He　never　was　defeated。　　He　gained　confidence　among　his　troops；　and　will　remain　in　history　the　first　man　who　rendered　the　savage　Croats　efficient　soldiers。　　This　it　was　impossible　to　perform　among　a　bloodthirsty　people　without　being　guilty　himself　of　cruel　acts。　　The　necessity　of　the　excesses　he　committed；　when　the　army　was　in　want　of　forage；　was　so　evident　that　he　received　permission　of　Prince　Charles；　though　for　this　he　was　afterwards　prosecuted；　while　the　plunders　of　Brenklau；　Mentzel；　and　the　whole　army；　were　never　once　questioned。　　That　Trenck　advanced　more　than　100；000　florins　to　his　regiment；　I　clearly　proved；　in　1750。　　This　proof　came　too　late。　　He　was　dead。　　The　evidence　I　brought　occasioned　a　quartermaster；　Frederici；　to　be　imprisoned。　　He　confessed　the　embezzlement　of　this　money；　yet　found　so　many　friends　among　the　enemies　of　Trenck　that　he　refunded　nothing；　but　was　released　in　the　year　1754；　when　I　was　thrown　into　the　dungeon　of　Magdeburg。

My　cousin；　who　had　lived　like　a　miser；　did　not；　at　his　death；　leave　half　of　the　property　he　had　inherited　from　his　father；　and　which　legally　descended　to　me；　it　was　torn　from　me　by　violence。

In　1744　he　obliged　the　French　to　retire　beyond　the　Rhine；　seized　on　a　fort　near　Phillipsburg；　swam　across　the　river　with　70　pandours；　attacked　the　fortifications；　slew　the　Marquis　de　Crevecoeur；　with　his　own　hand　manned　the　post；　traversed　the　other　arm　of　the　Rhine；　surprised　two　Bavarian　regiments　of　cavalry；　and　by　this　daring　manoeuvre；　secured　the　passage　of　the　Rhine　to　the　whole　army；　which；　but　for　him；　would　not　have　been　effected。　　Wherever　he　came；　he　laid　the　country　under　contribution；　and；　at　this　moment　of　triumph　for　the　Austrian　arms；　opened　himself　a　passage　to　enter　the　territories　of　France。　　In　September；　1744；　war　having　broken　out　between　Austria　and　Prussia；　the　imperial　army　was　obliged　to　return；　abandon　Alsatia；　and　hasten　to　the　succour　of　the　Austrian　states。　　Trenck　succeeded　in　covering　its　retreat。　　The　history　of　Maria　Theresa　declares　the　damages　he　did　the　enemy；　during　this　campaign。　　He　gave　proof　of　his　capacity　at　Tabor　and　Budweis。　　With　300　men　he　attacked　one　of　these　towns；　which　was　defended　by　the　two　Prussian　regiments　of　Walrabe　and　Kreutz。　　He　found　the　water　in　the　moats　was　deeper　than　his　spies　had　declared；　and　the　scaling　ladders　too　short：　　most　of　those　led　to　the　attack　were　killed；　or　dr