the life and adventures of baron trenck-2- 第1部分

The　Life　and　Adventures　of　Baron　Trenck　…　Volume　2

by　Baron　Trenck

Translator：　　Thomas　Holcroft




INTRODUCTION。



Thomas　Holcroft；　the　translator　of　these　Memoirs　of　Baron　Trenck；　was　the　author　of　about　thirty　plays；　among　which　one；　The　Road　to　Ruin；　produced　in　1792；　has　kept　its　place　upon　the　stage。　　He　was　born　in　December；　1745；　the　son　of　a　shoemaker　who　did　also　a　little　business　in　horse…dealing。　　After　early　struggles；　during　which　he　contrived　to　learn　French；　German；　and　Italian；　Holcroft　contributed　to　a　newspaper；　turned　actor；　and　wrote　plays；　which　appeared　between　the　years　1791　and　1806。　　He　produced　also　four　novels；　the　first　in　1780；　the　last　in　1807。　　He　was　three　times　married；　and　lost　his　first　wife　in　1790。　　In　1794；　his　sympathy　with　ideals　of　the　French　revolutionists　caused　him　to　be　involved　with　Hardy；　Horne　Tooke；　and　Thelwall；　in　a　charge　of　high　treason；　but　when　these　were　acquitted；　Holcroft　and　eight　others　were　discharged　without　trial。

Holcroft　earned　also　by　translation。　　He　translated；　besides　these　Memoirs　of　Baron　Trenck；　Mirabeau's　Secret　History　of　the　Court　of　Berlin；　Les　Veillees　du　Chateau　of　Madame　de　Genlis；　and　the　posthumous　works　of　Frederick　II。；　King　of　Prussia；　in　thirteen　volumes。

The　Memoirs　of　Baron　Trenck　were　first　published　at　Berlin　as　his　Merkwurdige　Lebensbeschreibung；　in　three　volumes　octavo；　in　1786　and　1787。　　They　were　first　translated　into　French　by　Baron　Bock　（Metz；　1787）；　more　fully　by　Letourneur　（Paris；　1788）；　and　again　by　himself　（Strasbourg；　1788）；　with　considerable　additions。　　Holcroft　translated　from　the　French　versions。

H。M。



THE　LIFE　OF　BARON　TRENCK。



CHAPTER　I。



Blessed　shade　of　a　beloved　sister！　　The　sacrifice　of　my　adverse　and　dreadful　fate！　　Thee　could　I　never　avenge！　　Thee　could　the　blood　of　Weingarten　never　appease！　　No　asylum；　however　sacred；　should　have　secured　him；　had　he　not　sought　that　last　of　asylums　for　human　wickedness　and　human　woesthe　grave！　　To　thee　do　I　dedicate　these　few　pages；　a　tribute　of　thankfulness；　and；　if　future　rewards　there　are；　may　the　brightest　of　these　rewards　be　thine。　　For　us；　and　not　for　ours；　may　rewards　be　expected　from　monarchs　who；　in　apathy；　have　beheld　our　mortal　sufferings。　　Rest；　noble　soul；　murdered　though　thou　wert　by　the　enemies　of　thy　brother。　　Again　my　blood　boils；　again　my　tears　roll　down　my　cheeks；　when　I　remember　thee；　thy　sufferings　in　my　cause；　and　thy　untimely　end！　　I　knew　it　not；　I　sought　to　thank　thee；　I　found　thee　in　the　grave；　I　would　have　made　retribution　to　thy　children；　but　unjust；　iron…hearted　princes　had　deprived　me　of　the　power。　　Can　the　virtuous　heart　conceive　affliction　more　cruel？　　My　own　ills　I　would　have　endured　with　magnanimity；　but　thine　are　wrongs　I　have　neither　the　power　to　forget　nor　heal。

Enough　of　this。　…

The　worthy　Emperor；　Francis　I。；　shed　tears　when　I　afterwards　had　the　honour　of　relating　to　him　in　person　my　past　miseries；　I　beheld　them　flow；　and　gratitude　threw　me　at　his　feet。　　His　emotion　was　so　great　that　he　tore　himself　away。　　I　left　the　palace　with　all　the　enthusiasm　of　soul　which　such　a　scene　must　inspire。

He　probably　would　have　done　more　than　pitied　me；　but　his　death　soon　followed。　　I　relate　this　incident　to　convince　posterity　that　Francis　I。　possessed　a　heart　worthy　an　emperor；　worthy　a　man。　　In　the　knowledge　I　have　had　of　monarchs　he　stands　alone。　　Frederic　and　Theresa　both　died　without　doing　me　justice；　I　am　now　too　old；　too　proud；　have　too　much　apathy；　to　expect　it　from　their　successors。　Petition　I　will　not；　knowing　my　rights；　and　justice　from　courts　of　law；　however　evident　my　claims；　were　in　these　courts　vain　indeed　to　expect。　　Lawyers　and　advocates　I　know　but　too　well；　and　an　army　to　support　my　rights　I　have　not。

What　heart　that　can　feel　but　will　pardon　me　these　digressions！　　At　the　exact　and　simple　recital　of　facts　like　these；　the　whole　man　must　be　roused；　and　the　philosopher　himself　shudder。

Once　more：…　I　heard　nothing　of　what　had　happened　for　some　days；　at　length；　however；　it　was　the　honest　Gelfhardt's　turn　to　mount　guard；　but　the　ports　being　doubled；　and　two　additional　grenadiers　placed　before　my　door；　explanation　was　exceedingly　difficult。　　He；　however；　in　spite　of　precaution；　found　means　to　inform　me　of　what　had　happened　to　his　two　unfortunate　comrades。

The　King　came　to　a　review　at　Magdeburg；　when　he　visited　Star…Fort；　and　commanded　a　new　cell　to　be　immediately　made；　prescribing　himself　the　kind　of　irons　by　which　I　was　to　be　secured。　　The　honest　Gelfhardt　heard　the　officer　say　this　cell　was　meant　for　me；　and　gave　me　notice　of　it；　but　assured　me　it　could　not　be　ready　in　less　than　a　month。　　I　therefore　determined；　as　soon　as　possible；　to　complete　my　breach　in　the　wall；　and　escape　without　the　aid　of　any　one。　　The　thing　was　possible；　for　I　had　twisted　the　hair　of　my　mattress　into　a　rope；　which　I　meant　to　tie　to　a　cannon；　and　descend　the　rampart；　after　which　I　might　endeavour　to　swim　across　the　Elbe；　gain　the　Saxon　frontiers；　and　thus　safely　escape。

On　the　26th　of　May　I　had　determined　to　break　into　the　next　casemate；　but　when　I　came　to　work　at　the　bricks；　I　found　them　so　hard　and　strongly　cemented　that　I　was　obliged　to　defer　the　labour　till　the　following　day。　　I　left　off；　weary　and　spent；　at　daybreak；　and　should　any　one　enter　my　dungeon；　they　must　infallibly　discover　the　breach。　How　dreadful　is　the　destiny　by　which；　through　life；　I　have　been　persecuted；　and　which　has　continually　plunged　me　headlong　into　calamity；　when　I　imagined　happiness　was　at　hand！

The　27th　of　May　was　a　cruel　day　in　the　history　of　my　life。　　My　cell　in　the　Star…Fort　had　been　finished　sooner　than　Gelfhardt　had　supposed；　and　at　night；　when　I　was　preparing　to　fly；　I　heard　a　carriage　stop　before　my　prison。　　O　God！　what　was　my　terror；　what　were　the　horrors　of　this　moment　of　despair！　　The　locks　and　bolts　resounded；　the　doors　flew　open；　and　the　last　of　my　poor　remaining　resources　was　to　conceal　my　knife。　　The　town…major；　the　major　of　the　day；　and　a　captain　entered；　I　saw　them　by　the　light　of　their　two　lanterns。　　The　only　words　they　spoke　were；　〃Dress　yourself；〃　which　was　immediately　done。　　I　still　wore　the　uniform　of　the　regiment　of　Cordova。　　Irons　were　given　me；　which　I　was　obliged　myself　to　fasten　on　my　wrists　and　ankles；　the　town…major　tied　a　bandage　over　my　eyes；　and；　taking　me　under　the　arm；　they　thus　conducted　me　to　the　carriage。　　It　was　necessary　to　pass　through　the　city　to　arrive　at　the　Star…Fort；　all　was　silent；　except　the　noise　of　the　escort；　but　when　we　entered　Magdeburg　I　heard　the　people　running；　who　were　crowding　together　to　obtain　a　sight　of　me。　　Their　curiosity　was　raised　by　the　report　that　I　was　going　to　be　beheaded。　　That　I　was　executed　on　this　occasion　in　the　Star…Fort；　after　having　been　conducted　blindfold　through　the　city；　has　since　been　both　affirmed　and　written；　and　the　officers　had　then　orders　to　propagate　this　error　that　the　world　might　remain　in　utter　ignorance　concerning　me。　I；　indeed；　knew　otherwise；　though　I　affected　not　to　have　this　knowledge；　and；　as　I　was　not　gagged；　I　behaved　as　if　I　expected　death；　reproached　my　conductors　in　language　that　even　made　them　shudder；　and　painted　their　King　in　his　true　colours；　as　one　who；　unheard；　had　condemned　an　innocent　subject　by　a　despotic　exertion　of　power。

My　fortitude　was　admired；　at　the　moment　when　it　was　supposed　I　thought　myself　leading　to　execution。　　No　one　replied；　but　their　sighs　intimated　their　compassion；　certain　it　is；　few　Prussians　willingly　execute　such　commands。　　The　carriage　at　length　stopped；　and　I　was　brought　into　my　new　cell。　　The　bandage　was　taken　from　my　eyes。　　The　dungeon　was　lighted　by　a　few　torches。　　God　of　heaven！　what　were　my　feelings　when　I　beheld　the　whole　floor　covered　with　chains；　a　fire…pan；　and　two　grim　men　standing　with　their　smiths'　hammers！

*　*　*　*　*　*

To　work　went　these　engines　of　despotism！　　Enormous　chains　were　fixed　to　my　ankle　at　one　end；　and　at　the　other　to　a　ring　which　was　incorporated　in　the　wall。　　This　ring　was　three　feet　from　the　ground；　and　only　allowed　me　to　move　about　two　or　three　feet　to　the　right　and　left。　　They　next　riveted　another　huge　iron　ring；　of　a　hand's　breadth；　round　my　naked　body；　to　which　hung　a　chain；　fixed　into　an　iron　bar　as　thick　as　a　man's　arm。　　This　bar　was　two　feet　in　length；　and　at　each　end　of　it　was　a　handcuff。　　The　iron　collar　round　my　neck　was　not　added　till　the　year　1756。

*　*　*　*　*　*

No　soul　bade　me　good　night。　　All　retired　in　dreadful　silence；　and　I　heard　the　horrible　grating　of　four　doors；　that　were　successively　locked　and　bolted　upon　me！

Thus　does　man　act　by　his　fellow；　knowing　him　to　be　innocent；　having　received　the　commands　of　another　man　so　to　act。

O　God！　　Thou　alone　knowest　how　my　heart；　void　as　it　was　of　guilt；　beat　at　this　moment。　　There　sat　I；　destitute；　alone；　in　thick　darkness；　upon　the　bare　earth；　with　a　weight　of　fetters　insupportable　to　nature；　thanking　Thee　that　these　cruel　men　had　not　discovered　my　knife；　by　which　my　miseries　might　yet　find　an　end。　Death　is　a　last　certain　refuge　that　can　indeed　bid　defiance　to　the　rage　of　tyranny。　　What　shall　I　say？　　How　shall　I　make　the　reader　feel　as　I　then　felt？　　How　describe　my　despondency；　and　yet　account　for　that　latent　im