the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第6章

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e　forth　to　the　world　the　martyr　of　suffering　virtue。

Some　of　my　oppressors　now　rot　in　dishonourable　graves。　　Others；　alas！　in　Vienna；　remain　immured　in　houses　of　correction；　as　Krugel　and　Zeto；　or　beg　their　bread；　like　Gravenitz　and　Doo。　　Nor　are　the　wealthy　possessors　of　my　estates　more　fortunate；　but　look　down　with　shame　wherever　I　and　my　children　appear。　　We　stand　erect；　esteemed；　and　honoured；　while　their　injustice　is　manifest　to　the　whole　world。

Young　man；　be　industrious：　　for　without　industry　can　none　of　the　treasures　I　have　described　be　purchased。　　Thy　labour　will　reward　itself；　then；　when　assaulted　by　misfortune；　or　even　misery；　learn　of　me　and　smile；　or；　shouldst　thou　escape　such　trials；　still　labour　to　acquire　wisdom；　that　in　old　age　thou　mayest　find　content　and　happiness。

The　years　in　my　dungeon　passed　away　as　days；　those　moments　excepted　when；　thinking　on　the　great　world；　and　the　deeds　of　great　men；　my　ambition　was　roused：　　except　when；　contemplating　the　vileness　of　my　chains；　and　the　wretchedness　of　my　situation；　I　laboured　for　liberty；　and　found　my　labours　endless　and　ineffectual；　except　while　I　remembered　the　triumph　of　my　enemies；　and　the　splendour　in　which　those　lived　by　whom　I　had　been　plundered。　　Then；　indeed；　did　I　experience　intervals　that　approached　madness；　despair；　and　horror：　beholding　myself　destitute　of　friend　or　protector；　the　Empress　herself；　for　whose　sake　I　suffered；　deserting　me；　reflecting　on　past　times　and　past　prosperity；　remembering　how　the　good　and　virtuous；　from　the　cruel　nature　of　my　punishment；　must　be　obliged　to　conclude　me　a　wretch　and　a　villain；　and　that　all　means　of　justification　were　cut　off：　　O　God！　　How　did　my　heart　beat！　with　what　violence！　　What　would　I　not　have　undertaken；　in　these　suffering　moments；　to　have　put　my　enemies　to　shame！　　Vengeance　and　rage　then　rose　rebellious　against　patience；　long…suffering　philosophy　vanished；　and　the　poisoned　cup　of　Socrates　would　have　been　the　nectar　of　the　gods。

Man　deprived　of　hope　is　man　destroyed。　　I　found　but　little　probability　in　all　my　plans　and　projects；　yet　did　I　trust　that　some　of　them　should　succeed；　yet　did　I　confide　in　them　and　my　honest　Gelfhardt；　and　that　I　should　still　free　myself　from　my　chains。

The　greatest　of　all　my　incitements　to　patient　endurance　was　love。　　I　had　left　behind　me；　in　Vienna；　a　lady　for　whom　the　world　still　was　dear　to　me；　her　would　I　neither　desert　nor　afflict。　　To　her　and　my　sister　was　my　existence　still　necessary。　　For　their　sakes；　who　had　lost　and　suffered　so　much　for　mine；　would　I　preserve　my　life；　for　them　no　difficulty；　no　suffering　was　too　great；　yet；　alas！　when　long…desired　liberty　was　restored；　I　found　them　both　in　their　graves。　　The　joy；　for　which　I　had　borne　so　much；　was　no　more　to　be　tasted。

About　three　weeks　after　my　attempt　to　escape；　the　good　Gelfhardt　first　came　to　stand　sentinel　over　me；　and　the　sentinel　they　had　so　carefully　set　was　indeed　the　only　hope　I　could　have　of　escape；　for　help　must　be　had　from　without；　or　this　was　impossible。

The　effort　I　had　made　had　excited　too　munch　surprise　and　alarm　for　me　to　pass　without　strict　examination；　since；　on　the　ninth　day　after　I　was　confined；　I　had；　in　eighteen　hours；　so　far　broken　through　a　prison　built　purposely　for　myself；　by　a　combination　of　so　many　projectors；　and　with　such　extreme　precaution；　that　it　had　been　universally　declared　impenetrable。

Gelfhardt　scarcely　had　taken　his　post　before　we　had　free　opportunity　of　conversing　together；　for；　when　I　stood　with　one　foot　on　my　bedstead；　I　could　reach　the　aperture　through　which　light　was　admitted。

Gelfhardt　described　the　situation　of　my　dungeon；　and　our　first　plan　was　to　break　under　the　foundation　which　he　had　seen　laid；　and　which　he　affirmed　to　be　only　two　feet　deep。

Money　was　the　first　thing　necessary。　　Gelfhardt　was　relieved　during　his　guard；　and　returned　bringing　within　him　a　sheet　of　paper　rolled　on　a　wire；　which　he　passed　through　my　grating；　as　he　also　did　a　piece　of　small　wax　candle；　some　burning　amadone　（a　kind　of　tinder）；　a　match；　and　a　pen。　　I　now　had　light；　and　I　pricked　my　finger；　and　wrote　with　my　blood　to　my　faithful　friend；　Captain　Ruckhardt；　at　Vienna；　described　my　situation　in　a　few　words；　sent　him　an　acquittance　for　three　thousand　florins　on　my　revenues；　and　requested　he　would　dispose　of　a　thousand　florins　to　defray　the　expenses　of　his　journey　to　Gummern；　only　two　miles　from　Magdeburg。　　Here　he　was　positively　to　be　on　the　15th　of　August。　　About　noon；　on　this　same　day；　he　was　to　walk　with　a　letter　in　his　hand；　and　a　man　was　there　to　meet　him；　carrying　a　roll　of　smoking　tobacco；　to　whom　he　must　remit　the　two　thousand　florins；　and　return　to　Vienna。

I　returned　the　written　paper　to　Gelfhardt　by　the　same　means　it　had　been　received；　gave　him　my　instructions；　and　he　sent　his　wife　with　it　to　Gummern；　by　whom　it　was　safely　put　in　the　post。

My　hopes　daily　rose；　and　as　often　as　Gelfhardt　mounted　guard；　so　often　did　we　continue　our　projects。　　The　15th　of　August　came；　but　it　was　some　days　before　Gelfhardt　was　again　on　guard；　and　oh！　how　did　my　heart　palpitate　when　he　came　and　exclaimed；　〃All　is　right！　we　have　succeeded。〃　　He　returned　in　the　evening；　and　we　began　to　consider　by　what　means　he　could　convey　the　money　to　me。　　I　could　not；　with　my　hands　chained　to　an　iron　bar；　reach　the　aperture　of　the　window　that　admitted　airbesides　that　it　was　too　small。　　It　was　therefore　agreed　that　Gelfhardt　should；　on　the　next　guard；　perform　the　office　of　cleaning　my　dungeon；　and　that　he　then　should　convey　the　money　to　me　in　the　water…jug。

This　luckily　was　done。　　How　great　was　my　astonishment　when；　instead　of　one；　I　found　two　thousand　florins！　　For　I　had　permitted　him　to　reserve　half　to　himself；　as　a　reward　for　his　fidelity；　he；　however；　had　kept　but　five　pistoles；　which　he　persisted　was　enough。

Worthy　Gelfhardt！　　This　was　the　act　of　a　Pomeranian　grenadier！　　How　rare　are　such　examples！　　Be　thy　name　and　mine　ever　united！　　Live　thou　while　the　memory　of　me　shall　live！　　Never　did　my　acquaintance　with　the　great　bring　to　my　knowledge　a　soul　so　noble；　so　disinterested！

It　is　true；　I　afterwards　prevailed　on　him　to　accept　the　whole　thousand；　but　we　shall　soon　see　he　never　had　them；　and　that　his　foolish　wife；　three　years　after；　suffered　by　their　means；　however；　she　suffered　alone；　for　he　soon　marched　to　the　field；　and　therefore　was　unpunished。

Having　money　to　carry　on　my　designs；　I　began　to　put　my　plan　of　burrowing　under　the　foundation　into　execution。　　The　first　thing　necessary　was　to　free　myself　from　my　fetters。　　To　accomplish　this；　Gelfhardt　supplied　me　with　two　small　files；　and　by　the　aid　of　these；　this　labour；　though　great；　was　effected。

The　cap；　or　staple；　of　the　foot　ring　was　made　so　wide　that　I　could　draw　it　forward　a　quarter　of　an　inch。　　I　filed　the　iron　which　passed　through　it　on　the　inside；　the　more　I　filed　this　away；　the　farther　I　could　draw　the　cap　down；　till　at　last　the　whole　inside　iron；　through　which　the　chains　passed；　was　cut　quite　through！　by　this　means　I　could　slip　off　the　ring；　while　the　cap　on　the　outside　continued　whole；　and　it　was　impossible　to　discover　any　cut；　as　only　the　outside　could　be　examined。　　My　hands；　by　continued　efforts；　I　so　compressed　as　to　be　able　to　draw　them　out　of　the　handcuffs。　　I　then　filed　the　hinge；　and　made　a　screw…driver　of　one　of　the　foot…long　flooring　nails；　by　which　I　could　take　out　the　screw　at　pleasure；　so　that　at　the　time　of　examination　no　proofs　could　appear。　　The　rim　round　my　body　was　but　a　small　impediment；　except　the　chain；　which　passed　from　my　hand…bar：　　and　this　I　removed；　by　filing　an　aperture　in　one　of　the　links；　which；　at　the　necessary　hour；　I　closed　with　bread；　rubbed　over　with　rusty…iron；　first　drying　it　by　the　heat　of　my　body；　and　would　wager　any　sum　that；　without　striking　the　chain　link　by　link；　with　a　hammer；　no　one　not　in　the　secret　would　have　discovered　the　fracture。

The　window　was　never　strictly　examined；　I　therefore　drew　the　two　staples　by　which　the　iron　bars　were　fixed　to　the　wall；　and　which　I　daily　replaced；　carefully　plastering　them　over。　　I　procured　wire　from　Gelfhardt；　and　tried　how　well　I　could　imitate　the　inner　grating：　　finding　I　succeeded　tolerably；　I　cut　the　real　grating　totally　away；　and　substitute