na, and from that moment all my
happiness had an end. I became bewildered in lawsuits, and the arts of
wicked men, and all possible calamities assaulted me at once, the recital
of which would itself afford subject matter for a history. They began by
the following incidents:--

One M. Schenck sought my acquaintance at the Hague. I met with him at my
hotel, where he intreated I would take him to Nuremberg, whence he was to
proceed to Saxony. I complied, and bore his expenses; but at Hanau,
waking in the morning, I found my watch, set with diamonds, a ring worth
two thousand roubles, a diamond snuff-box, with my mistress's picture,
and my purse, containing about eighty ducats, stolen from my bed-side,
and Schenck become invisible. Little affected by the loss of money, at
any time, I yet was grieved for my snuff-box. The rascal, however, had
escaped, and it was fortunate that the remainder of my ready money, with
my bills of exchange, were safely locked up.

I now pursued my journey without company, and arrived in Vienna. I
cannot exactly recollect in what month, but I had been absent about two
years; and the reader will allow that it was barely possible for any man,
in so short a time, to have experienced more various changes of fate,
though many smaller incidents have been suppressed. The places, where my
pledged fidelity required discretion will be easily supposed, as likewise
will the concealment of court intrigues, and artifices, the publication
of which might even yet subject me to more persecutions. All writers are
not permitted to speak truth of monarchs and ministers. I am the father
of eight children, and parental love and duty vanquish the inclination of
the author; and this duty, this affection, have made me particularly
cautious in relating what happened to me at Vienna, that I might,
thereby, serve them more effectually than by indulging the pride of the
writer, or the vengeance of the man.

CHAPTER XIII.

Since accounts so various, contradictory, and dishonourable to the name
of Trenck, have been circulated in Vienna, concerning facts which
happened thirty-seven years ago, I will here give a short abstract of
them, and such as may he verified by the records of the court. I pledge
my honour to the truth of the statement, and were I so allowed, would
prove it, to the conviction of any unprejudiced court of justice: but
this I cannot hope, as princes are much more disposed to bestow unmerit