The Life and Adventures of Baron Trenck Volume 1

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Our victory was complete, but all our baggage was lost; the
headquarters, utterly undefended, were totally stripped; and Trenck
had, for his part of the booty, the King's tent and his service of
plate.

I have mentioned this circumstance here, because that, in the year
1740, my cousin Trenck, having fallen into the power of his enemies,
who had instituted a legal, process against him, was accused, by
some villanous wretches, of having surprised the King in bed at the
battle of Sorau, and of having afterwards released him for a bribe.

What was still worse, they hired a common woman, a native of Brunn,
who pretended she was the daughter of Marshal Schwerin, to give in
evidence that she herself was with the King when Trenck entered his
tent, whom he immediately made prisoner, and as immediately
released.

To this part of the prosecution I myself, an eye-witness, can
answer: the thing was false and impossible. He was informed of the
intended attack. I accompanied the watchful King from midnight till
four in the morning, which time he employed in riding through the
camp, and making the necessary preparations to receive the enemy;
and the action began at five. Trenck could not take the King in
bed, for the battle was almost gained when he and his pandours
entered the camp and plundered the head-quarters.

As for the tale of Miss Schwerin, it is only fit to be told by
schoolboys, or examined by the Inquisition, and was very unworthy of
making part of a legal prosecution against an innocent man at
Vienna.

This incident, however, is so remarkable that I shall give in this
work a farther account of my kinsman, and what was called his
criminal process, at reading which the world will be astonished. My
own history is so connected with his that this is necessary, and the
more so because there are many ignorant or wicked people at Vienna,
who believe, or affirm, Trenck had actually taken the King of
Prussia prisoner.

Never yet was there a traitor of the name of Trenck; and I hope to
prove, in the clearest manner, the Austrian Trenck as faithfully
served the Empress-Queen as the Prussian Trenck did Frederic, his
King. Maria Theresa, speaking to me of him some time after his
death, and the snares that had been laid for him, said, "Your
kinsman has made a better end than will be the fate of his accusers
and judges."

Of this more hereafter: I approach that epoch when my misfortunes
began, and when the sufferings of martyrdom attended me from youth
onward till my hairs grew grey.

CHAPTER IV.

A few days after the battle of Sorau, the usual camp postman brought
me a letter from my cousin Trenck, the colonel of pandours,
antedated at Effek four months, of which the following is a copy:-

"Your letter, of the 12th of February, from Berlin, informs me you
desire to have some Hungarian horses. On these you would come and
attack me and my pandours. I saw with pleasure, during the last
campaign, that the Prussian Trenck was a good soldier; and that I
might give you some proofs of my attachment, I then returned the
horses which my men had taken. If, however, you wish to have
Hungarian horses, you must take mine in like manner from me in the
field of battle: or, should you so think fit, come and join one who
will receive you with open arms, like his friend and son, and who
will procure you every advantage you can desire," &c.

At first I was terrified at reading this letter, yet could not help
smiling. Cornet Wagenitz, now general in chief of the Hesse Cassel
forces, and Lieutenant Grotthausen, both now alive, and then
present, were my camp comrades. I gave them the letter to read, and
they laughed at its contents. It was determined to show it to our
superior officer, Jaschinsky, on a promise of secrecy, and it was
accordingly shown him within an hour after it was received.

The reader will be so kind as to recollect that, as I have before
said, it was this Colonel Jaschinsky who on the 12th of February,
the same year, at Berlin, prevailed on me to write to the Austrian
Trenck, my cousin; that he received the letter open, and undertook
to send it according to its address; also that, in this letter, I in
jest had asked him to send me some Hungarian horses, and, should
they come, had promised one to Jaschinsky. He read the letter with
an air of some surprise; we laughed, and, it being whispered through
the army that, in consequence of our late victory, detached corps
would be sent into Hungary, Jaschinsky said, "We shall now go and
take Hungarian horses for ourselves." Here the conversation ended,
and I, little suspecting future consequences, returned to my tent.

I must here remark the following observations:-

1st. I had not observed the date of the letter brought by the
postman, which, as I have said, was antedated four months: this,
however, the colonel did not fail to remark.

2ndly. The probability is that this was a net, spread for me by
this false and wicked man. The return of my horses, during the
preceding campaign, had been the subject of much conversation. It
is possible he had the King's orders to watch me; but more probably
he only prevailed on me to write that he might entrap me by a
fictitious answer. Certain it is, my cousin Trenck, at Vienna,
affirmed to his death he never received any letter from me,
consequently never could send any answer. I must therefore conclude
this letter was forged.

Jaschinsky was at this time one of the King's favourites; his spy
over the army; a tale-bearer; an inventor of wicked lies and
calumnies. Some years after the event of which I am now speaking,
the King was obliged to break and banish him the country.

He was then also the paramour of the beauteous Madame Brossart, wife
of the Saxon resident at Berlin, and there can be little doubt but
that this false letter was, by her means, conveyed to some Saxon or
Austrian post-office, and thence, according to its address, sent to
me. He had daily opportunities of infusing suspicions into the
King's mind concerning me; and, unknown to me, of pursuing his
diabolical plan.

I must likewise add he was four hundred ducats indebted to me. At
that time I had always a plentiful supply of money. This booty
became his own when I, unexamined, was arrested, and thrown into
prison. In like manner he seized on the greatest part of my camp
equipage.

Further, we had quarrelled during our first campaign, because he had
beaten one of my servants; we even were proceeding to fight with
pistols, had not Colonel Winterfield interfered, and amicably ended
our quarrel. The Lithuanian is, by nature, obstinate and
revengeful; and, from that day, I have reason to believe he sought
my destruction.

God only knows what were the means he took to excite the King's
suspicious; for it is incredible that Frederic, considering his
WELL-KNOWN PROFESSIONS of public justice, should treat me in the
manner he did, without a hearing, without examination, and without a
court-martial. This to me has ever remained a mystery, which the
King alone was able to explain; he afterwards was convinced I was
innocent: but my sufferings had been too cruel, and the miseries he
had inflicted too horrible, for me ever to hope for compensation.

In an affair of this nature, which will soon he known to all Europe,
as it long has been in Prussia, the weakest is always guilty. I
have been made a terrible example to this our age, how true that
maxim is in despotic States.

A man of my rank, having once unjustly suffered, and not having the
power of making his sufferings known, must ever be highly rewarded
or still more unjustly punished. My name and injuries will ever
stain the annals of Frederic THE GREAT; even those who read this
book will perhaps suppose that I, from political motives of hope or
fear, have sometimes concealed truth by endeavouring to palliate his
conduct.

It must ever remain incomprehensible that a monarch so clear-
sighted, himself the daily witness of my demeanour, one well
acquainted with mankind, and conscious I wanted neither money,
honour, nor hope of future preferment; I say it is incomprehensible
that he should really suppose me guilty. I take God to witness, and
all those who knew me in prosperity and misfortune, I never
harboured a thought of betraying my country. How was it possible to
suspect me? I was neither madman nor idiot. In my eighteenth year
I was a cornet of the body guard, adjutant to the King, and
possessed his favour and confidence in the highest degree. His
presents to me, in one year, amounted to fifteen hundred dollars. I
kept seven horses, four men in livery; I was valued, distinguished,
and beloved by the mistress of my soul. My relations held high
offices, both civil and military; I was even fanatically devoted to
my King and country, and had nothing to wish.

That I should become thus wretched, in consequence of this
unfortunate letter, is equally wonderful: it came by the public
post. Had there been any criminal correspondence, my kinsman
certainly would not have chosen this mode of conveyance; since, it
is well known, all such letters are opened; nor could I act more
openly. My colonel read the letter I wrote; and also that which I
received, immediately after it was brought.

The day after the receipt of this letter I was, as I have before
said, unheard, unaccused, unjudged, conducted like a criminal from
the army, by fifty hussars, and imprisoned in the fortress of Glatz.
I was allowed to take three horses, and my servants, but my whole
equipage was left behind, which I never saw more, and which became
the booty of Jaschinsky. My commission was given to Cornet
Schatzel, and I cashiered without knowing why. There were no legal
inquiries made: all was done by the King's command.

Unhappy people! where power is superior to law, and where the
innocent and the virtuous meet punishment instead of reward.
Unhappy land! where the omnipotent "SUCH IS OUR WILL" supersedes all
legal sentence, and robs the subject of property, life, and honour.

I once more repeat I was brought to the citadel of Glatz; I was not,
however, thrown into a dungeon, but imprisoned in a chamber of the
officer of the guard; was allowed my servants to wait on me, and
permitted to walk on the ramparts.

I did not want money, and there was only a detachment from the
garrison regiment in the citadel of Glatz, the officers of which
were all poor. I soon had both friends and freedom, and the rich
prisoner every day kept open table.

He only who had known me in this the ardour of my youth, who had
witnessed how high I aspired, and the fortune that attended me at
Berlin, can imagine what my feelings were at finding myself thus
suddenly cast from my high hopes.

I wrote submissively to the King, requesting to be tried by a court-
martial, and not desiring any favour should I be found guilty. This
haughty tone, in a youth, was displeasing, and I received no answer,
which threw me into despair, and induced me to use every possible
means to obtain my liberty.

My first care was to establish, by the intervention of an officer, a
certain correspondence with the object of my heart. She answered,
she was far from supposing I had ever entertained the least thought
treacherous to my country; that she knew, too well, I was perfectly
incapable, of dissimulation. She blamed the precipitate anger and
unjust suspicions of the King; promised me speedy aid, and sent me a
thousand ducats.

Had I, at this critical moment, possessed a prudent and intelligent
friend, who could have calmed my impatience, nothing perhaps might
have been more easy than to have obtained pardon from the King, by
proving my innocence; or, it may be, than to have induced him to
punish my enemies.

But the officers who then were at Glatz fed the flame of discontent.
They supposed the money I so freely distributed came all from
Hungary, furnished by the pandour chest; and advised me not to
suffer my freedom to depend upon the will of the King, but to enjoy
it in his despite.

It was not more easy to give this advice than to persuade a man to
take it, who, till then, had never encountered anything but good
fortune, and who consequently supported the reverse with impatience.
I was not yet, however, determined; because I could not yet resolve
to abandon my country, and especially Berlin.

Five months soon passed away in prison: peace was concluded; the
King was returned to his capital; my commission in the guards was
bestowed on another, when Lieutenant Piaschky, of the regiment of
Fouquet, and Ensign Reitz, who often mounted guard over me, proposed
that they and I should escape together. I yielded; our plan was
fixed, and every preparatory step taken.

At that time there was another prisoner at Glatz, whose name was
Manget, by birth a Swiss, and captain of cavalry in the Natzmerschen
hussars; he had been broken, and condemned by a court-martial to ten
years' imprisonment, with an allowance of only four rix-dollars per
month.

Having done this man kindness, I was resolved to rescue him from
bondage, at the same time that I obtained freedom for myself. I
communicated my design, and made the proposal, which was accepted by
him, and measures were taken; yet were we betrayed by this vile man,
who thus purchased pardon and liberty.

Piaschky, who had been informed that Reitz was arrested, saved
himself by deserting. I denied the fact in presence of Manget, with
whom I was confronted, and bribed the Auditor with a hundred ducats.
By this means Reitz only suffered a year's imprisonment, and the
loss of his commission. I was afterwards closely confined in a
chamber, for having endeavoured to corrupt the King's officers, and
was guarded with greater caution.

Here I will interrupt my narrative, for a moment, to relate an
adventure which happened between me and this Captain Manget, three
years after he had thus betrayed me--that is to say, in 1749, at
Warsaw.

I there met him by chance, and it is not difficult to imagine what
was the salutation he received. I caned him; he took this ill, and
challenged me to fight with pistols. Captain Heucking, of the
Polish guards, was my second. We both fired together; I shot him
through the neck at the first shot, and he fell dead on the field.

He alone, of all my enemies, ever died by my own hand; and he well
merited his end, for his cowardly treachery towards the two brave
fellows of whom I have spoken; and still more so with respect to
myself, who had been his benefactor. I own, I have never reproached
myself for this duel, by which I sent a rascal out of the world.

I return to my tale. My destiny at Glatz was now become more
untoward and severe. The King's suspicions were increased, as
likewise was his anger, by this my late attempt to escape.

Left to myself, I considered my situation in the worst point of
view, and determined either on flight or death. The length and
closeness of my confinement became insupportable to my impatient
temper.

I had always had the garrison on my side, nor was it possible to
prevent my making friends among them. They knew I had money, and,
in a poor garrison regiment, the officers of which are all
dissatisfied, having most of them been drafted from other corps, and
sent thither as a punishment, there was nothing that might not be
undertaken.

My scheme was as follows:- My window looked towards the city, and
was ninety feet from the ground in the tower of the citadel, out of
which I could not get, without having found a place of refuge in the
city.

This an officer undertook to procure me, and prevailed on an honest
soap-boiler to grant me a hiding place. I then notched my pen-
knife, and sawed through three iron bars; but this mode was too
tedious, it being necessary to file away eight bars from my window,
before I could pass through; another officer therefore procured me a
file, which I was obliged to use with caution, lest I should be
overheard by the sentinels.

Having ended this labour, I cut my leather portmanteau into thongs,
sewed them end to end, added the sheets of my bed, and descended
safely from this astonishing height.

It rained, the night was dark, and all seemed fortunate, but I had
to wade through moats full of mud, before I could enter the city, a
circumstance I had never once considered. I sank up to the knees,
and after long struggling, and incredible efforts to extricate
myself, I was obliged to call the sentinel, and desire him to go and
tell the governor, Trenck was stuck fast in the moat.

My misfortune was the greater on this occasion, because that General
Fouquet was then governor of Glatz. He was one of the cruellest of
men. He had been wounded by my father in a duel; and the Austrian
Trenck had taken his baggage in 1744, and had also laid the country
of Glatz under contribution. He was, therefore, an enemy to the
very name of Trenck; nor did he lose any opportunity of giving
proofs of his enmity, and especially on the present occasion, when
he left me standing in the mire till noon, the sport of the
soldiers. I was then drawn out, half dead, only again to be
imprisoned, and shut up the whole day, without water to wash me. No
one can imagine how I looked, exhausted and dirty, my long hair
having fallen into the mud, with which, by my struggling, it was
loaded.

I remained in this condition till the next day, when two fellow-
prisoners were sent to assist and clean me.

My imprisonment now became more intolerable. I had still eighty
louis-d'ors in my purse, which had not been taken from me at my
removal into another dungeon, and these afterwards did me good
service.

The passions soon all assailed me at once, and impetuous, boiling,
youthful blood overpowered reason; hope disappeared; I thought
myself the most unfortunate of men, and my King an irreconcileable
judge, more wrathful and more fortified in suspicion by my own
rashness. My nights were sleepless, my days miserable; my soul was
tortured by the desire of fame; a consciousness of innocence was a
continued stimulus inciting me to end my misfortunes. Youth,
inexperienced in woe and disastrous fate, beholds every evil
magnified, and desponds on every new disappointment, more especially
after having failed in attempting freedom. Education had taught me
to despise death, and these opinions had been confirmed by my friend
La Mettrie, author of the famous work, "L'Homme Machine," or "Man a
Machine."

I read much during my confinement at Glatz, where books were allowed
me; time was therefore less tedious; but when the love of liberty
awoke, when fame and affection called me to Berlin, and my baulked
hopes painted the wretchedness of my situation; when I remembered
that my loved country, judging by appearances, could not but
pronounce me a traitor; then was I hourly impelled to rush on the
naked bayonets of my guards, by whom, to me, the road of freedom was
barred.

Big with such-like thoughts, eight days had not elapsed since my
last fruitless attempt to escape, when an event happened which would
appear incredible, were I, the principal actor in the scene, not
alive to attest its truth, and might not all Glatz and the Prussian
garrison be produced as eye and ear witnesses. This incident will
prove that adventurous, and even rash, daring will render the most
improbable undertakings possible, and that desperate attempts may
often make a general more fortunate and famous than the wisest and
best concerted plans.

Major Doo {2} came to visit me, accompanied by an officer of the
guard, and an adjutant. After examining every corner of my chamber,
he addressed me, taxing me with a second crime in endeavouring to
obtain my liberty; adding this must certainly increase the anger of
the King.

My blood boiled at the word crime; he talked of patience; I asked
him how long the King had condemned me to imprisonment; he answered,
a traitor to his country, who has correspondence with the enemy,
cannot be condemned for a certain time, but must depend for grace
and pardon on the King.

At that instant I snatched his sword from his side, on which my eyes
had some time been fixed, sprang out of the door, tumbled the
sentinel from the top to the bottom of the stairs, passed the men
who happened to be drawn up before the prison door to relieve the
guard, attacked them sword in hand, threw them suddenly into
surprise by the manner in which I laid about me, wounded four of
them, made way through the rest, sprang over the breastwork of the
ramparts, and, with my sword drawn in my hand, immediately leaped
this astonishing height without receiving the least injury. I
leaped the second wall with equal safety and good fortune. None of
their pieces were loaded; no one durst leap after me, and in order
to pursue, they must go round through the town and gate of the
citadel; so that I had the start full half an hour.

A sentinel, however, in a narrow passage, endeavoured to oppose my
flight, but I parried his fixed bayonet, and wounded him in the
face. A second sentinel, meantime, ran from the outworks, to seize
me behind, and I, to avoid him, made a spring at the palisadoes;
there I was unluckily caught by the foot, and received a bayonet
wound in the upper lip; thus entangled, they beat me with the butt-
end of their muskets, and dragged me back to prison, while I
struggled and defended myself like a man grown desperate.

Certain it is, had I more carefully jumped the palisadoes, and
despatched the sentinel who opposed me, I might have escaped, and
gained the mountains. Thus might I have fled to Bohemia, after
having, at noonday, broken from the fortress of Glatz, sprung past
all its sentinels, over all its walls, and passed with impunity, in
despite of the guard, who were under arms, ready to oppose me. I
should not, having a sword, have feared any single opponent, and was
able to contend with the swiftest runners.

That good fortune which had so far attended me forsook me at the
palisadoes, where hope was at an end. The severities of
imprisonment were increased; two sentinels and an under officer were
locked in with me, and were themselves guarded by sentinels without;
I was beaten and wounded by the butt-ends of their muskets, my right
foot was sprained, I spat blood, and my wounds were not cured in
less than a month.

CHAPTER V.

I was now first informed that the King had only condemned me to a
year's imprisonment, in order to learn whether his suspicions were
well founded. My mother had petitioned for me, and was answered,
"Your son must remain a year imprisoned, as a punishment for his
rash correspondence."

Of this I was ignorant, and it was reported in Glatz that my
imprisonment was for life. I had only three weeks longer to repine
for the loss of liberty, when I made this rash attempt. What must
the King think? Was he not obliged to act with this severity? How
could prudence excuse my impatience, thus to risk a confiscation,
when I was certain of receiving freedom, justification, and honour,
in three weeks? But, such was my adverse fate, circumstances all
tended to injure and persecute me, till at length I gave reason to
suppose I was a traitor, notwithstanding the purity of my
intentions.

Once more, then, was I in a dungeon, and no sooner was I there than
I formed new projects of flight. I first gained the intimacy of my
guards. I had money, and this, with the compassion I had inspired,
might effect anything among discontented Prussian soldiers. Soon
had I gained thirty-two men, who were ready to execute, on the first
signal, whatever I should command. Two or three excepted, they were
unacquainted with each other; they consequently could not all be
betrayed at a time: had chosen the sub-officer Nicholai to head
them.

The garrison consisted only of one hundred and twenty men from the
garrison regiment, the rest being dispersed in the county of Glatz,
and four officers, their commanders, three of whom were in my
interest. Everything was prepared; swords and pistols were
concealed in the oven which was in my prison. We intended to give
liberty to all the prisoners, and retire with drums beating into
Bohemia.

Unfortunately, an Austrian deserter, to whom Nicholai had imparted
our design, went and discovered our conspiracy. The governor
instantly sent his adjutant to the citadel, with orders that the
officer on guard should arrest Nicholai, and, with his men, take
possession of the casement.

Nicholai was on the guard, and the lieutenant was my friend, and
being in the secret, gave the signal that all was discovered.
Nicholai only knew all the conspirators, several of whom that day
were on guard. He instantly formed his resolution, leaped into the
casement, crying, "Comrades, to arms, we are betrayed!" All
followed to the guard-house, where they seized on the cartridges,
the officer having only eight men, and threatening to fire on
whoever should offer resistance, came to deliver me from prison; but
the iron door was too strong, and the time too short for that to be
demolished. Nicholai, calling to me, bid me aid them, but in vain:
and perceiving nothing more could be done for me, this brave man,
heading nineteen others, marched to the gate of the citadel, where
there was a sub-officer and ten soldiers, obliged these to accompany
him, and thus arrived safely at Braunau, in Bohemia; for, before the
news was spread through the city, and men were collected for the
pursuit, they were nearly half-way on their journey.

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