c attitude.
The affrighted burger drew back; but Holtzkammer stopped him, and said,
"Have patience for some quarter of an hour, and you shall see he will
assume quite a different countenance." The burger waited, my mask was
thrown by, and my face appeared whitened with chalk, and made ghastly.
The burger again shrank back; Holtzkammer kept him in conversation, and I
assumed a third farcical form. I tied my hair under my nose, and a
pewter dish to my breast, and when the door a third time opened, I
thundered, "Begone, rascals, or I'll set your necks--awry!" They both
ran: and the silly burger, eased of his fifty dollars, scampered first.

The major, in vain, laid his injunctions on the burger never to reveal
what he had beheld, it being a breach of duty in him to admit any persons
whatever to the sight of me. In a few days, the necromancer Trenck was
the theme of every alehouse in Magdeburg, and the person was named who
had seen me change my form thrice in the space of one hour. Many false
and ridiculous circumstances were added, and at last the story reached
the governor's ears. The citizen was cited, and offered to take his oath
of what himself and the major had seen. Holtzkammer accordingly suffered
a severe reprimand, and was some days under arrest. We frequently
laughed, however, at this adventure, which had rendered me so much the
subject of conversation. Miraculous reports were the more easily
credited, because no one could comprehend how, in despite of the load of
irons I carried, and all the vigilance of my guards, I should be
continually able to make new attempts, while those appointed to examine
my dungeon seemed, as it were, blinded and bewildered. A proof this, how
easy it is to deceive the credulous, and whence have originated
witchcraft, prophecies, and miracles.

CHAPTER IV.

My last undertaking had employed me more than twelve months, and so
weakened me that I appeared little better than a skeleton.
Notwithstanding the greatness of my spirit, I should have sunk into
despondency, at seeing an end like this to all my labours, had I not
still cherished a secret hope of escaping, founded on the friends I had
gained among the officers.

I soon felt the effects of the loss of my bed, and was a second time
attacked by a violent fever, which would this time certainly have
consumed me had not the officers, unknown to the governor, treated me
with all possible compassion. Bruckhausen alone c