ceived your note. The money was paid me by M. Frauenberger, to whom I
agreed to send a present of Tokay, for Madam Huttner."
This was the manner in which my curators took care of my property! Many
instances I could produce, but I am too much agitated by the
recollection. I must speak a word concerning who and what my curators
were.
The Court Counsellor, Kempf, was my administrator, and Counsellor Huttner
my referendary. The substitute of Kempf was Frauenberger, who, being
obliged to act as a clerk at Prague during the war, appointed one Krebs
as a sub-substitute; whether M. Krebs had also a sub-substitute is more
than I am able to say.
Dr. Bertracker was _fidei commiss-curator_, though there was no _fidei
commissum_ existing. Dr. Berger, as Fidei Commiss-Advocate, was
superintendent, and to them all salaries were to be paid.
Let us see what was the business this company had to transact. I had
seventy-six thousand florins in the Hungarian Chamber, the interest of
which was to be yearly received, and added to the capital: this was their
employment, and was certainly so trifling that any man would have
performed it gratis. The war made money scarce, and the discounting of
bills with my ducats was a profitable trade to my curators. Had it been
honestly employed, I should have found my capital increased, after my
imprisonment, full sixty thousand florins. Instead of these I received
three thousand florins at Prague, and found my capital diminished seven
thousand florins.
Frauenberger and Berger died rich; and I must be confined as a madman,
lest this deputy should have been proved a rogue. This is the clue to
the acquittal I was obliged to sign:--Madam K--- was a lady of the
bedchamber at court; she could approach the throne: her chamber
employments, indeed, procured her the keys of doors that to me were
eternally locked.
Not satisfied with this, Kempf applied to the Empress, informed her they
were acquitted, not recompensed, and that Frauenberger required four
thousand florins for remuneration. The Empress laid an interdict on the
half of my income and pension. Thus was I obliged to live in poverty;
banished the Austrian dominions, where my seventy-six thousand florins
were reduced to sixty-three, the interest of which I could only receive;
and that burthened by the above interdict, the _fidei commissum_, and
administratorship.
The Empress during my sickness ordered that my captain's pay, during m
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