moreover, owned the
president of the council of war was a man of a very wicked character, and
a declared enemy of Trenck. This president was the Count of Lowenwalde,
who, with his associates, had been purposely selected as men proper to
oppress the best of subjects.

The suit soon took another face; the good Empress Queen, who had been
deceived, was soon better informed, and Trenck's innocence appeared, on
the revision of the process most evidently. The trial, which had cost
them twenty-seven thousand florins, and the sentence which followed, were
proved to have been partial and unjust; and that sixteen of Trenck's
officers, who most of them had been broken for different offences, had
perjured themselves to insure his destruction.

It is a most remarkable circumstance that public notice was given, in the
_Vienna Gazette_, to the following purport.

"All those who have any complaints to make against Trenck, let them
appear, and they shall receive a ducat per day, so long as the
prosecution continues."

It will readily be imagined how fast his accusers would increase, and
what kind of people they were. The pay of these witnesses alone amounted
to fifteen thousand florins. I now began the labour in concurrence with
Doctor Gerhauer, and the cause soon took another turn; but such was the
state of things, it would have been necessary to have broken all the
members of the council of war, as well as counsellor Weber, a man of
great power. Thus, unfortunately, politics began to interfere with the
course of justice.

The Empress Queen gave Trenck to understand she required he should ask
her pardon; and on that condition all proceedings should be stopped, and
he immediately set at liberty. Prince Charles, who knew the court of
Vienna, advised me also to persuade my cousin to comply; but nothing
could shake his resolution. Feeling his right and innocence, he demanded
strict justice; and this made ruin more swift.

I soon learned Trenck must fall a sacrifice--he was rich--his enemies
already had divided among them more than eighty thousand florins of his
property, which was all sequestered, and in their hands. They had
treated him too cruelly, and knew him too well, not to dread his
vengeance the moment he should recover his freedom.

I was moved to the soul at his sufferings, and as he had vented public
threats, at the prospect of approaching victory over his enemies, they
gained over the Court Confessor: and, dread