going to America, but I answered--"Gracious prince, my heart beats
in the cause of freedom only; I will never assist in enslaving men. Were
I at the head of your brave grenadiers. I should revolt to the
Americans."

During 1775 I continued at Aix-la-Chapelle my essays, entitled, "The
Friend of Men." My writings had made some impression; the people began
to read; the monks were ridiculed, but my partisans increased, and their
leader got himself cudgelled.

They did not now mention my name publicly, but catechised their penitents
at confession. During this year people came to me from Cologne, Bonn,
and Dusseldorf, to speak with me privately. When I inquired their
business, they told me their clergy had informed them I was propagating a
new religion, in which every man must sign himself to the devil, who then
would supply them with money. They were willing to become converts to my
faith, would Beelzebub but give them money, and revenge them on their
priests. "My good friends," answered I, "your teachers have deceived
you; I know of no devils but themselves. Were it true that I was
founding a new religion, the converts to whom the devil would supply
money, your priests, would be the first of my apostles, and the most
catholic. I am an honest, moral man, as a Christian ought to be. Go
home, in God's name, and do your duty."

I forgot to mention that the recorder of the sheriff's court at Aix-la-
Chapelle, who is called Baron Geyer, had associated himself in 1778 with
a Jew convert, and that this noble company swindled a Dutch merchant out
of eighty thousand florins, by assuming the arms of Elector Palatine, and
producing forged receipts and contracts. Geyer was taken in Amsterdam,
and would have been hanged, but, by the aid of a servant, he escaped. He
returned to Aix-la-Chapelle, where he enjoys his office. Three years ago
he robbed the town-chamber. His wife was, at that time, _generis
communis_, and procured him friends at court. The assertions of this
gentleman found greater credit at Vienna than those of the injured
Trenck! Oh, shame! Oh, world! world!

My wine trade was so successful that I had correspondents and stores in
London, Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, and the Hague, and had gained forty
thousand florins. One unfortunate day destroyed all my hopes in the
success of this traffic.

In London I was defrauded of eighteen hundred guineas by a swindler. The
fault was my brother-in-law's, who part