the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第4章

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as　it　appears。


〃Sweet　are　the　uses　of　adversity；　Which；　like　the　toad；　ugly　and　venomous；　Wears　yet　a　precious　jewel　in　his　head。〃　As　you　LIKE　IT。


Happy　he　who；　like　me；　having　suffered；　can　become　an　example　to　his　suffering　brethren！

YOUTH；　prosperous；　and　imagining　eternal　prosperity；　read　my　history　attentively；　though　I　should　be　in　my　grave！　　Read　feelingly；　and　bless　my　sleeping　dust；　if　it　has　taught　thee　wisdom　or　fortitude！

FATHER；　reading　this；　say　to　thy　children；　I　felt　thus　like　them；　in　blooming　youth；　little　prophesied　of　misfortune；　which　after　fell　so　heavy　on　me；　and　by　which　I　am　even　still　persecuted！　　Say　that　I　had　virtue；　ambition；　was　educated　in　noble　principles；　that　I　laboured　with　all　the　zeal　of　enthusiastic　youth　to　become　wiser；　better；　greater　than　other　men；　that　I　was　guilty　of　no　crimes；　was　the　friend　of　men；　was　no　deceiver　of　man　or　woman；　that　I　first　served　my　own　country　faithfully；　and　after；　every　other　in　which　I　found　bread；　that　I　was　never；　during　life；　once　intoxicated；　was　no　gamester；　no　night　rambler；　no　contemptible　idler；　that　yet；　through　envy　and　arbitrary　power；　I　have　fallen　to　misery　such　as　none　but　the　worst　of　criminals　ought　to　feel。

BROTHER；　fly　those　countries　where　the　lawgiver　himself　knows　no　law；　where　truth　and　virtue　are　punished　as　crimes；　and；　if　fly　you　cannot；　be　it　your　endeavour　to　remain　unknown；　unnoticed；　in　such　countries；　seek　not　favour　or　honourable　employ；　else　will　you　become；　when　your　merits　are　known；　as　I　have　been；　the　victim　of　slander　and　treachery：　　the　behests　of　power　will　persecute　you；　and　innocence　will　not　shield　you　from　the　shafts　of　wicked　men　who　are　envious；　or　who　wish　to　obtain　the　favour　of　princes；　though　by　the　worst　of　means。

SIRE；　imagine　not　that　thou　readest　a　romance。　　My　head　is　grey；　like　thine。　　Read；　yet　despise　not　the　world；　though　it　has　treated　me　thus　unthankfully。　　Good　men　have　I　also　found；　who　have　befriended　me　in　misfortunes；　and　there；　where　I　had　least　claim；　have　I　found　them　most。　　May　my　book　assist　thee　in　noble　thoughts；　mayest　thou　die　as　tranquilly　as　I　shall　render　up　my　soul　to　appear　before　the　Judge　of　me　and　my　persecutors。　　Be　death　but　thought　a　transition　from　motion　to　rest。　　Few　are　the　delights　of　this　world　for　him　who；　like　me；　has　learned　to　know　it。　　Murmur　not；　despair　not　of　Providence。　　Me；　through　storms；　it　has　brought　to　haven；　through　many　griefs　to　self…knowledge；　and　through　prisons　to　philosophy。　　He　only　can　tranquilly　descend　to　annihilation　who　finds　reason　not　to　repent　he　has　once　existed。　　My　rudder　broke　not　amid　the　rocks　and　quicksands；　but　my　bark　was　cast　upon　the　strand　of　knowledge。　　Yet；　even　on　these　clear　shores　are　impenetrable　clouds。　　I　have　seen　more　distinctly　than　it　is　supposed　men　ought　to　see。　　Age　will　decay　the　faculties；　and　mental；　like　bodily　sight；　must　then　decrease。　　I　even　grew　weary　of　science；　and　envied　the　blind…born；　or　those　who；　till　death；　have　been　wilfully　hoodwinked。　　How　often　have　I　been　asked；　〃What　didst　thou　see？〃　And　when　I　answered　with　sincerity　and　truth；　how　often　have　I　been　derided　as　a　liar；　and　been　persecuted　by　those　who　determined　not　to　see　themselves；　as　an　innovator　singular　and　rash！

Sire；　I　further　say　to　thee；　teach　thy　descendants　to　seek　the　golden　mean；　and　say　with　Gellert〃The　boy　Fritz　needs　nothing；　his　stupidity　will　insure　his　success；　Examine　our　wealthy　and　titled　lords；　what　are　their　abilities　and　honours；　then　inquire　how　they　were　attained；　and；　if　thou　canst；　discover　in　what　true　happiness　consists。〃

Once　more　to　my　prison。　　The　failure　of　my　escape；　and　the　recovery　of　life　from　this　state　of　despair；　led　me　to　moralise　deeper　than　I　had　ever　done　before；　and　in　this　depth　of　thought　I　found　unexpected　consolation　and　fortitude；　and　a　firm　persuasion　I　yet　should　accomplish　my　deliverance。

Gelfhardt；　my　honest　grenadier；　had　infused　fresh　hope；　and　my　mind　now　busily　began　to　meditate　new　plans。　　A　sentinel　was　placed　before　my　door；　that　I　might　be　more　narrowly　watched；　and　the　married　men　of　the　Prussian　states　were　appointed　to　this　duty；　who；　as　I　will　hereafter　show；　were　more　easy　to　persuade　in　aiding　my　flight　than　foreign　fugitives。　　The　Pomeranian　will　listen；　and　is　by　nature　kind；　therefore　may　easily　be　moved；　and　induced　to　succour　distress。

I　began　to　be　more　accustomed　to　my　irons；　which　I　had　before　found　so　insupportable；　I　could　comb　out　my　long　hair；　and　could　tie　it　at　last　with　one　hand。　　My　beard；　which　had　so　long　remained　unshaven；　gave　me　a　grim　appearance；　and　I　began　to　pluck　it　up　by　the　roots。　The　pain　at　first　was　considerable；　especially　about　the　lips；　but　this　also　custom　conquered；　and　I　performed　this　operation　in　the　following　years；　once　in　six　weeks；　or　two　months；　as　the　hair　thus　plucked　up　required　that　length　of　time　before　the　nails　could　again　get　hold。　　Vermin　did　not　molest　me；　the　dampness　of　my　den　was　inimical　to　them。　　My　limbs　never　swelled；　because　of　the　exercise　I　gave　myself；　as　before　described。　　The　greatest　pain　I　found　was　in　the　continued　unvivifying　dimness　in　which　I　lived。

I　had　read　much；　had　lived　in；　and　seen　much　of　the　world。　　Vacuity　of　thought；　therefore；　I　was　little　troubled　with；　the　former　transactions　of　my　life；　and　the　remembrance　of　the　persons　I　had　known；　I　revolved　so　often　in　my　mind；　that　they　became　as　familiar　and　connected　as　if　the　events　had　each　been　written　in　the　order　it　occurred。　　Habit　made　this　mental　exercise　so　perfect　to　me；　that　I　could　compose　speeches；　fables；　odes；　satires；　all　of　which　I　repeated　aloud；　and　had　so　stored　my　memory　with　them　that　I　was　enabled；　after　I　had　obtained　my　freedom；　to　commit　to　writing　two　volumes　of　my　prison　labours。　　Accustomed　to　this　exercise；　days　that　would　otherwise　have　been　days　of　misery　appeared　but　as　a　moment。　　The　following　narrative　will　show　how　munch　esteem；　how　many　friends；　these　compositions　procured　me；　even　in　my　dungeon；　insomuch　that　I　obtained　light；　paper；　and　finally　freedom　itself。　For　these　I　have　to　thank　the　industrious　acquirements　of　my　youth；　therefore　do　I　counsel　all　my　readers　so　to　employ　their　time。　Riches；　honours；　the　favours　of　fortune；　may　be　showered　by　monarchs　upon　the　most　worthless；　but　monarchs　can　give　and　take；　say　and　unsay；　raise　and　pull　down。　　Monarchs；　however；　can　neither　give　wisdom　nor　virtue。　　Arbitrary　power　itself；　in　the　presence　of　these；　is　foiled。

How　wisely　has　Providence　ordained　that　the　endowments　of　industry；　learning；　and　science；　given　by　ourselves；　cannot　be　taken　from　us；　while；　on　the　contrary；　what　others　bestow　is　a　fantastical　dream；　from　which　any　accident　may　awaken　us！　　The　wrath　of　Frederic　could　destroy　legions；　and　defeat　armies；　but　it　could　not　take　from　me　the　sense　of　honour；　of　innocence；　and　their　sweet　concomitant；　peace　of　mindcould　not　deprive　me　of　fortitude　and　magnanimity。　　I　defied　his　power；　rested　on　the　justice　of　my　cause；　found　in　myself　expedients　wherewith　to　oppose　him；　was　at　length　crowned　with　conquest；　and　came　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　V