the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第33部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

litzsch。　　Loewenwalde's　court…martial　had　already　signed　a　sentence　of　death；　and　every　preparation　for　the　erection　of　a　scaffold　was　made。　　His　intention　was　then　to　go　to　the　Empress　and　induce　her　to　sign　the　sentence；　under　a　pretence　that　there　was　some　imminent　peril　at　hand；　if　a　man　so　dangerous　to　the　state　was　not　immediately　put　out　of　the　way；　and　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　execute　the　sentence　of　death　before　the　Emperor　could　return。　　He　well　knew　the　Emperor　was　better　acquainted　with　Trenck；　and　had　ever　been　his　protector。

Had　this　succeeded；　Trenck　would　have　died　like　a　traitor；　Miss　Schwerin　would　have　espoused　the　aide…de…camp　of　Loewenwalde；　with　fifty　thousand　florins；　taken　from　the　funds　of　Trenck；　and　his　property　would　have　been　divided　between　his　judges　and　his　accusers。　　As　it　happened；　however；　the　valet…de…chambre　of　Count　Loewenwalde；　who　was　an　honest　man；　and　who　had　an　intimacy　with　a　former　mistress　of　Trenck；　confided　the　whole　secret　to　her。　　She　immediately　flew　to　Colonel　Baron　Lopresti；　who　was　the　sincere　friend　of　my　kinsman；　and；　being　then　powerful　at　Court；　was　his　deliverer。　　The　Emperor　and　Prince　Charles　were　informed　of　what　was　in　agitation；　but　they　thought　proper　to　keep　it　secret。　　The　hunting　at　Holitzsch　took　place　on　the　appointed　day。　　Count　Loewenwalde　made　his　appearance　before　the　Empress；　and　solicited　her　to　sign　the　sentence。　　She；　however；　had　been　pre…informed；　the　Emperor　having　returned　on　the　same　day；　and　their　abominable　project　proved　abortive。　　Miss　Schwerin　was　imprisoned；　Loewenwalde　was　deprived　of　his　power；　as　well　as　of　the　sequestration　of　the　effects　of　Trenck；　a　total　revision　of　the　proceedings　of　the　court…　martial；　and　of　the　prosecution　of　my　cousin；　was　ordered；　which　was　an　event；　that；　till　then；　was　unexampled　at　Vienna。

Trenck　was　freed　from　his　fetters；　removed　to　the　arsenal；　an　officer　guarded　him；　and　he　had　every　convenience　he　could　wish。　　He　was　also　permitted　the　use　of　a　counsellor　to　defend　his　cause。　　I　obtained　by　the　influence　of　the　Emperor　leave　to　visit　him　and　to　aid　him　in　all　things。　　It　was　at　this　epoch　that　I　arrived　at　Vienna；　and；　at　this　very　instant；　when　the　revision　of　the　prosecution　was　commanded　and　determined　on。　　Count　Loewenwalde；　supposing　me　a　needy；　thoughtless　youth；　endeavoured　to　bribe　me；　and　prevail　on　me　to　betray　my　kinsman。　　Prince　Charles　of　Lorraine　then　desired　me　seriously　to　represent　to　Trenck　that　his　avarice　had　been　the　cause　of　all　these　troubles；　for　he　hind　refused　to　pay　the　paltry　sum　of　12；000　florins；　by　which　he　might　have　silenced　all　his　accusers；　but　that；　as　at　present；　affairs　had　become　so　serious；　he　ought　himself　to　secure　his　judges　for　the　revision　of　the　suit；　to　spare　no　money；　and　then　he　might　be　certain　of　every　protection　the　prince　could　afford。

The　respectable　Field…marshal　Konigseck；　governor　of　Vienna；　was　appointed　president；　but；　being　an　old　man；　he　was　unable　to　preside　at　any　one　sitting　of　the　court。　　Count　S…　was　the　vice…president；　a　subtle；　insatiable　judge；　who　never　thought　he　had　money　enough。　　I　took　3；000　ducats；　which　Baron　Lopresti　gave　me；　to　this　most　worthy　counsellor。　　The　two　counsellors；　Komerkansquy　and　Zetto；　each　received　4；000　rix…dollars；　with　a　promise　of　double　the　sum　if　Trenck　were　acquitted；　there　was　a　formal　contract　drawn　up；　which　a　certain　noble　lord　secretly　signed。　　Trenck　was　defended　by　the　advocate　Gerhauer　and　by　Berger。　　They　began　with　the　self…created　daughter　of　Marshal　Schwerin；　and；　to　conceal　the　iniquitous　proceedings　of　the　late　court…martial；　it　was　thought　proper　that　she　should　appear　insane；　and　return　incoherent　answers　to　the　questions　put　by　the　examiners。　　Trenck　insisted　that　a　more　severe　inquiry　should　be　instituted；　but　they　affirmed　that　she　had　been　conducted　out　of　the　Austrian　territories。

Trenck　was　accused　of　having　ordered　a　certain　pandour；　named　Paul　Diack；　to　suffer　the　bastinado　of　1；000　blows；　and　that　he　had　died　under　the　punishment。　　This　was　sworn　to　by　two　officers；　now　great　men　in　the　army；　who　said　they　were　eye…witnesses　of　the　fact。　　When　the　revision　of　the　suit　began；　Trenck　sent　me　into　Sclavonia；　where　I　found　the　dead　Paul　Diack　alive；　and　brought　him　to　Vienna。　　He　was　examined　by　the　court；　where　it　appeared　that　the　two　officers；　who　had　sworn　they　were　present　when　he　expired；　and　had　seen　him　buried；　were　at　that　time　160　miles　from　the　regiment；　and　recruiting　in　Sclavonia。　　Paul　Diack　had　engaged　in　plots；　and　had　mutinied　three　times。　　Trenck　had　pardoned　him；　but　afterwards　mutinying　once　more；　with　forty　others；　he　was　condemned　to　death。　At　the　place　of　execution　he　called　to　his　colonel：　　〃Father；　if　I　receive　a　thousand　blows；　will　you　pardon　me？〃　　Trenck　replied　in　the　affirmative。　　He　received　the　punishment；　was　taken　to　the　hospital；　and　cured。

I　brought　fourteen　more　witnesses　from　Sclavonia；　who　attested　the　falsity　of　other　articles　of　accusation　which　were　not　worthy　of　attention。　　The　cause　wore　a　new　aspect；　and　the　wickedness　of　those　who　were　so　desirous　to　have　seen　Trenck　executed　became　apparent。

One　of　the　chief　articles　in　the　prosecution；　which　for　ever　deprived　him　of　favour　from　his　virtuous　and　apostolic　mistress；　and　for　which　alone　he　was　condemned　to　the　Spielberg；　was；　that　he　had　ravished　the　daughter　of　a　miller　in　Silesia。　　This　was　made　oath　of；　and　he　was　not　entirely　cleared　of　the　charge　in　the　revision；　because　his　accusers　had　excluded　all　means　of　justification。　　Two　years　after　his　death；　I　discovered　the　truth　of　this　affair。　Mainstein　accused　him　of　this　crime　that　he　might　prevent　his　return　to　the　regiment；　his　motive　was；　because　he；　in　conjunction　with　Frederici；　had　appropriated　to　their　own　purposes　8；000　florins　of　regimental　money。

This　miller's　daughter　was　the　mistress　of　Mainstein；　before　she　had　been　seen　by　Trenck。　　Maria　Theresa；　however；　would　never　forgive　him；　and；　to　satisfy　the　honour　of　this　damsel；　he　was　condemned　to　pay　8；000　florins　to　her；　and　15；000　to　the　chest　of　the　invalids；　and　to　suffer　perpetual　imprisonment。　　Sixty…three　civil　suits　had　I　to　defend；　and　all　the　appeals　of　his　accusers　to　terminate　after　his　death。　　I　gained　them　all　and　his　accusers　were　condemned　in　costs；　also　to　refund　the　so　much　per　day　which　had　been　paid　them　by　General　Loewenwalde；　but　they　were　all　poor；　and　I　might　seek　the　money　where　I　could。　　In　justice；　Loewenwalde　ought　to　have　reimbursed　me。　　The　total　of　the　sum　they　received　was　15；000　florins。

Most　of　the　other　articles　of　accusation　consisted　in　Trenck's　having　beheaded　some　mutinous　pandours；　and　broken　his　officers　without　a　court…martial；　that　he　had　bought　of　his　soldiers；　and　melted　down　the　holy　vessels　of　the　church；　chalices；　and　rosaries；　had　bastinadoed　some　priests；　had　not　heard　mass　every　Sunday；　and　had　dragged　malefactors　from　convents；　in　which　they　had　taken　refuge。　　When　the　officers　were　no　longer　protected　by　Loewenwalde；　or　Weber；　they　decamped；　but　did　not　cease　to　labour　to　gain　their　purpose；　which　they　attained　by　the　aid　of　the　Court…confessor。　This　monk　found　means　to　render　Maria　Theresa　insensible　of　pity　towards　a　man　who　had　been　so　prodigal　of　his　blood　in　her　defence。　Loewenwalde　knew　how　to　profit　by　the　opportunity。　　Gerhauer　discovered　the　secret　proceedings；　and　Loewenwalde；　now　deeply　interested　in　the　ruin　of　Trenck；　went　to　the　Empress；　related　the　manner　in　which　the　judges　had　been　bribed；　and　threatened　that　should　he；　through　the　protection　of　the　Emperor　and　Prince　Charles；　be　declared　innocent；　he　would　publicly　vindicate　the　honour　of　the　court…martial。

Had　my　cousin　followed　my　advice　and　plan　of　flight　he　would　not　have　died　in　prison　nor　should　I　have　lain　in　the　dungeon　of　Magdeburg。　　With　respect　to　individuals　whom　he　robbed；　innocent　men　whom　he　massacred；　and　many　other　worthy　people　whom　he　made　miserable；　with　respect　to　his　father；　aged　eighty…four；　and　his　virtuous　wife；　whom　he　treated　with　barbarity；　with　respect　to　myself；　to　the　duties　of　consanguinity　and　of　man；　he　merited　punishment；　the　pursuit　of　the　avenging　arm　of　justice；　and　to　be　extirpated　from　all　human　society。



EPILOGUE。



Thomas　Carlyle's　opinion　of　the　author　of　this　History　is　expressed　in　the　following　passages　from　his　History　of　Friedrich　II。　of　Prussia：　　〃'Frederick　Baron　Trenck；'　loud　sounding　phantasm；　once　famous　in　the　world；　now　gone　to　the　nurseries　as　mythical；　was　of　this　carnival　（1742…3。）　。　。　。　A　tall　actuality　in　that　time；　swaggering　about　in　sumptuous　Life　Guard　uniform　in　his　mess…rooms　and　assembly…rooms；　much　in　love　with　himself；　the　fool！　　And　I　rather　think；　in　spite　of　his　dog　insinuations；　neither　Princess　had　heard　of　him　till　twenty　years　hence；　in　a　very　different　phasis　of　his　life！　　The　empty；　noisy；　quasi…tragic　fellow；　sounds　throughout　quasi…tragical；　like　an　empty　barrel；　well…built；　longing　to　be　filled。〃Book　xiv。；　ch。　3。





End　of　Volume　2