Arrived here, I was lodged over the grand guardhouse, with two sentinels
in my chamber, and one at the door. The King was at Potzdam, and here I
remained three days; on the third, some staff-officers made their
appearance, seated themselves at a table, and put the following questions
to me:--
First. What was my business at Dantzic?
Secondly. Whether I was acquainted with M. Goltz, Prussian ambassador to
Russia?
Thirdly. Who was concerned with me in the conspiracy at Dantzic?
When I perceived their intention, by these interrogations, I absolutely
refused to reply, only saying I had been imprisoned in the fortress of
Glatz, without hearing, or trial by court-martial; that, availing myself
of the laws of nature, I had by my own exertions procured my liberty, and
that I was now a captain of cavalry in the imperial service; that I
demanded a legal trial for my first unknown offence, after which I
engaged to answer all interrogatories, and prove my innocence; but that
at present, being accused of new crimes, without a hearing concerning my
former punishment, the procedure was illegal. I was told they had no
orders concerning this, and I remained dumb to all further questions.
They wrote some two hours, God knows what; a carriage came up; I was
strictly searched, to find whether I had any weapons; thirteen or
fourteen ducats, which I had concealed, were taken from me, and I was
conducted under a strong escort, through Spandau to Magdeburg. The
officer here delivered me to the captain of the guard at the citadel; the
town major came, and brought me to the dungeon, expressly prepared for
me; a small picture of the Countess of Bestuchef, set with diamonds,
which I had kept concealed in my bosom, was now taken from me; the door
was shut, and here was I left.
My dungeon was in a casemate, the fore part of which, six feet wide and
ten feet long, was divided by a party wall. In the inner wall were two
doors, and a third at the entrance of the casemate itself. The window in
the seven-feet-thick wall was so situated that, though I had light, I
could see neither heaven nor earth; I could only see the roof of the
magazine; within and without this window were iron bars, and in the space
between an iron grating, so close and so situated, by the rising of the
walls, that it was impossible I should see any parson without the prison,
or that any person should see me. On the outside was a wooden palisade,
six feet from the wall, by which the sentinels were prevented from
conveying anything to me. I had a mattress, and a bedstead, but which
was immovably ironed to the floor, so that it was impossible I should
drag it, and stand up to the window; beside the door was a small iron
stove and a night table, in like manner fixed to the floor. I was not
yet put in irons, and my allowance was a pound and a half per day of
ammunition bread, and a jug of water.
From my youth I had always had a good appetite, and my bread was so
mouldy I could scarcely at first eat the half of it. This was the
consequence of Major Reiding's avarice, who endeavoured to profit even by
this, so great was the number of unfortunate prisoners; therefore, it is
impossible I should describe to my readers the excess of tortures that,
during eleven months, I felt from ravenous hunger. I could easily every
day have devoured six pounds of bread; and every twenty-four hours after
having received and swallowed my small portion, I continued as hungry as
before I began, yet must wait another twenty-four hours for a new morsel.
How willingly would I have signed a bill of exchange for a thousand
ducats, on my property at Vienna, only to have satiated my hunger on dry
bread! For, so extreme was it, that scarcely had I dropt into a sweet
sleep. Therefore I dreamed I was feasting at some table luxuriously
loaded, where, eating like a glutton, the whole company were astonished
to see me, while my imagination was heated by the sensation of famine.
Awakened by the pains of hunger, the dishes vanished, and nothing
remained but the reality of my distress; the cravings of nature were but
inflamed, my tortures prevented sleep, and, looking into futurity, the
cruelty of my fate suffered, if possible, increase, from imagining that
the prolongation of pangs like these was insupportable. God preserve
every honest man from sufferings like mine! They were not to be endured
by the villain most obdurate. Many have fasted three days, many have
suffered want for a week, or more; but certainly no one, beside myself,
ever endured it in the same excess for eleven months. Some have supposed
that to eat little might become habitual, but I have experienced the
contrary. My hunger increased every day; and of all the trials of
fortitude my whole life has afforded, this, of eleven months, was the
most bitter.
Petitions, remonstrances, were of no avail; the answer was--"We must give
no more, such is the King's command." The Governor, General Borck, born
the enemy of man, replied, when I entreated, at least, to have my fill of
bread, "You have feasted often enough out of the service of plate taken
from the King, by Trenck, at the battle of Sorau; you must now eat
ammunition bread in your dirty kennel. Your Empress makes no allowance
for your maintenance, and you are unworthy of the bread you eat, or the
trouble taken about you." Judge, reader, what pangs such insolence,
added to such sufferings must inflict. Judge what were my thoughts,
foreseeing, as I did, an endless duration to this imprisonment and these
torments.
My three doors were kept ever shut, and I was left to such meditations as
such feelings and such hopes might inspire. Daily, about noon, once in
twenty-four hours, my pittance of bread and water was brought. The keys
of all the doors were kept by the governor; the inner door was not
opened, but my bread and water were delivered through an aperture. The
prison doors were opened only once a week, on a Wednesday, when the
governor and town major, my hole having been first cleaned, paid their
visit.
Having remained thus two months, and observed this method was invariable,
I began to execute a project I had formed, of the possibility of which I
was convinced.
Where the night-table and stove stood, the floor was bricked, and this
paving extended to the wall that separated my casemate from the adjoining
one, in which was no prisoner. My window was only guarded by a single
sentinel; I therefore soon found, among those who successively relieved
guard, two kind-hearted fellows, who described to me the situation of my
prison; hence I perceived I might effect my escape, could I but penetrate
into the adjoining casemate, the door of which was not shut. Provided I
had a friend and a boat waiting for me at the Elbe, or could I swim
across that river, the confines of Saxony were but a mile distant.
To describe my plan at length would lead to prolixity, yet I must
enumerate some of its circumstances, as it was remarkably intricate and
of gigantic labour.
I worked through the iron, eighteen inches long, by which the night-table
was fastened, and broke off the clinchings of the nails, but preserved
their heads, that I might put them again in their places, and all might
appear secure to my weekly visitors. This procured me tools to raise up
the brick floor, under which I found earth. My first attempt was to work
a hole through the wall, seven feet thick behind, and concealed by the
night-table. The first layer was of brick. I afterwards came to large
hewn stones. I endeavoured accurately to number and remember the bricks,
both of the flooring and the wall, so that I might replace them and all
might appear safe. This having accomplished, I proceeded.
The day preceding visitation all was carefully replaced, and the
intervening mortar as carefully preserved; the whole had, probably, been
whitewashed a hundred times; and, that I might fill up all remaining
interstices, I pounded the white stuff this afforded, wetted it, made a
brush of my hair, then applied this plaster, washed it over, that the
colour might be uniform, and afterwards stripped myself, and sat with my
naked body against the place, by the heat of which it was dried.
While labouring, I placed the stones and bricks upon my bedstead, and had
they taken the precaution to come at any other time in the week, the
stated Wednesday excepted, I had inevitably been discovered; but, as no
such ill accident befell me, in six months my Herculean labours gave me a
prospect of success.
Means were to be found to remove the rubbish from my prison; all of
which, in a wall so thick, it was impossible to replace; mortar and stone
could not be removed. I therefore took the earth, scattered it about my
chamber, and ground it under my feet the whole day, till I had reduced it
to dust; this dust I strewed in the aperture of my window, making use of
the loosened night-table to stand upon, I tied splinters from my bedstead
together, with the ravelled yarn of an old stocking, and to this I
affixed a tuft of my hair. I worked a large hole under the middle
grating, which could not be seen when standing on the ground, and through
this I pushed my dust with the tool I had prepared in the outer window,
then, waiting till the wind should happen to rise, during the night I
brushed it away, it was blown off, and no appearance remained on the
outside. By this simple expedient I rid myself of at least three hundred
weight of earth, and thus made room to continue my labours; yet, this
being still insufficient, I had recourse to another artifice, which was
to knead up the earth in the form of sausages, to resemble the human
faeces: these I dried, and when the prisoner came to clean my dungeon,
hastily tossed them into the night-table, and thus disencumbered myself
of a pound or two more of earth each week. I further made little balls,
and, when the sentinel was walking, blew them, through a paper tube, out
of the window. Into the empty space I put my mortar and stones, and
worked on successfully.
I cannot, however, describe my difficulties after having penetrated about
two feet into the hewn stone. My tools were the irons I had dug out,
which fastened may bedstead and night-table. A compassionate soldier
also gave me an old iron ramrod and a soldier's sheath knife, which did
me excellent service, more especially the latter, as I shall presently
more fully show. With these two I cut splinters from my bedstead, which
aided me to pick the mortar from the interstices of the stone; yet the
labour of penetrating through this seven-feet wall was incredible; the
building was ancient, and the mortar occasionally quite petrified, so
that the whole stone was obliged to be reduced to dust. After continuing
my work unremittingly for six months, I at length approached the
accomplishment of my hopes, as I knew by coming to the facing of brick,
which now was only between me and the adjoining casemate.
Meantime I found opportunity to speak to some of the sentinels, among
whom was an old grenadier called Gelfhardt, whom I here name because he
displayed qualities of the greatest and most noble kind. From him I
learned the precise situation of my prison, and every circumstance that
might best conduce to my escape.
Nothing was wanting but money to buy a boat, and crossing the Elbe with
Gelfhardt, to take refuge in Saxony. By Gelfhardt's means I became
acquainted with a kind-hearted girl, a Jewess, and a native of Dessau,
Esther Heymannin by name, and whose father had been ten years in prison.
This good, compassionate maiden, whom I had never seen, won over two
other grenadiers, who gave her an opportunity of speaking to me every
time they stood sentinel. By tying my splinters together, I made a stick
long enough to reach beyond the palisades that were before my window, and
thus obtained paper, another knife, and a file.
I now wrote to my sister, the wife of the before-mentioned only son of
General Waldow; described my awful situation, and entreated her to remit
three hundred rix-dollars to the Jewess, hoping, by this means, I might
escape from my prison. I then wrote another affecting letter to Count
Puebla, the Austrian ambassador at Berlin, in which was enclosed a draft
for a thousand florins on my effects at Vienna, desiring him to remit
these to the Jewess, having promised her that sum as a reward for her
fidelity. She was to bring the three hundred rix-dollars my sister
should send to me, and take measures with the grenadiers to facilitate my
flight, which nothing seemed able to prevent, I having the power either
to break into the casemate or, aided by the grenadiers and the Jewess' to
cut the locks from the doors and that way escape from my dungeon. The
letters were open, I being obliged to roll them round the stick to convey
them to Esther.
The faithful girl diligently proceeded to Berlin, where she arrived safe,
and immediately spoke to Count Puebla. The Count gave her the kindest
reception, received the letter, with the letter of exchange, and bade her
go and speak to Weingarten, the secretary of the embassy, and act
entirely as he should direct. She was received by Weingarten in the most
friendly manner, who, by his questions, drew from her the whole secret,
and our intended plan of flight, aided by the two grenadiers, and also
that she had a letter for my sister, which she must carry to Hammer, near
Custrin. He asked to see this letter; read it, told her to proceed on
her Journey, gave her two ducats to bear her expenses, ordered her to
come to him on her return, said that during this interval he would
endeavour to obtain her the thousand florins for my draft, and would then
give her further instructions.
Esther cheerfully departed for Hammer, where my sister, then a widow, and
no longer, as in 1746, in dread of her husband, joyful to hear I was
still living, immediately gave her three hundred rix-dollars, exhorting
her to exert every possible means to obtain my deliverance. Esther
hastened back with the letter from my sister to Berlin, and told all that
passed to Weingarten, who read the letter, and inquired the names of the
two grenadiers. He told her the thousand florins from Vienna were not
yet come, but gave her twelve ducats; bade her hasten back to Magdeburg,
to carry me all this good news, and then return to Berlin, where he would
pay her the thousand florins. Esther came to Magdeburg, went immediately
to the citadel, and, most luckily, met the wife of one of the grenadiers,
who told her that her husband and his comrade had been taken and put in
irons the day before. Esther had quickness of perception, and suspected
we had been betrayed; she therefore instantly again began her travels,
and happily came safe to Dessau.
Here I must interrupt my narrative, that I may explain this infernal
enigma to my readers, an account of which I received after I had obtained
my freedom, and still possess, in the handwriting of this Jewess.
Weingarten, as was afterwards discovered, was a traitor, and too much
trusted by Count Puebla, he being a spy in the pay of Prussia, and one
who had revealed, in the court of Berlin, not only the secrets of the
Imperial embassy, but also the whole plan of the projected war. For this
reason he afterwards, when war broke out, remained at Berlin in the
Prussian service. His reason for betraying me was that he might secure
the thousand florins which I had drawn for on Vienna; for the receipt of
the 24th of May, 1755, attests that the sum was paid, by the
administrators of my effects, to Count Puebla, and has since been brought
to account; nor can I believe that Weingarten did not appropriate this
sum to himself, since I cannot be persuaded the ambassador would commit
such an action, although the receipt is in his handwriting, as may easily
be demonstrated, it being now in my possession. Thus did Weingarten,
that he might detain a thousand florins with impunity, bring new evils
upon me and upon my sister, which occasioned her premature death; caused
one grenadier to run the gauntlet three successive days, and another to
be hung.
Esther alone escaped, and since gave me an elucidation of the whole
affair. The report at Magdeburg was, that a Jewess had obtained money
from my sister and bribed two grenadiers, and that one of these had
trusted and been betrayed by his comrade. Indeed, what other story could
be told at Magdeburg, or how could it be known I had been betrayed to the
Prussian ministry by the Imperial secretary? The truth, however, is as I
have stated: my account-book exists, and the Jewess is still alive.
Her poor imprisoned father was punished with more than a hundred blows to
make him declare whether his daughter had entrusted him with the plot, or
if he knew whither she was fled, and miserably died in fetters. Such was
the mischief occasioned by a rascal! And who might be blamed but the
imprudent Count Puebla?
In the year 1766, this said Jewess demanded of me a thousand florins; and
I wrote to Count Puebla, that, having his receipt for the sum, which
never had been repaid, I begged it might be restored. He received my
agent with rudeness, returned no answer, and seemed to trouble himself
little concerning my loss. Whether the heirs of the Count be, or be not,
indebted to me these thousand florins and the interest, I leave the world
to determine. Thrice have I been betrayed at Vienna and sold to Berlin,
like Joseph to the Egyptians. My history proves the origin of my
persuasion that residents, envoys, and ambassadors must be men of known
worth and honesty, and not the vilest of rascals and miscreants. But,
alas! the effects and money they have robbed me of have never been
restored; and for the miseries they have brought upon me, they could not
be recompensed by the wealth of any or all the monarchs on earth. Estates
they may, but truth they cannot confiscate; and of the villainy of
Abramson and Weingarten I have documents and proofs that no court of
justice could disannul. Stop, reader, if thou hast a heart, and in that
heart compassion for the unfortunate! Stop and imagine what my
sensations are while I remember and recount a part only of the injustice
that has been done me, a part only of the tyranny I have endured! By
this last act of treachery of Weingarten was I held in chains, the most
horrible, for nine succeeding years! By him was an innocent man brought
to the gallows! By him, too, my sister, my beloved, my unfortunate
sister, was obliged to build a dungeon at her own expense! besides being
amerced in a fine, the extent of which I never could learn. Her goods
were plundered, her estates made a desert, her children fell into extreme
poverty, and she herself expired in her thirty-third year, the victim of
cruelty, persecution, her brother's misfortunes, and the treachery of the
Imperial embassy!
Footnotes:
{1} A common expression with Frederic when he was angry, and which has
since become proverbial among the Prussian and other German officers. See
Critical _Review_, _April_, 1755.
{2} The same Doo who was governor of Glatz during the Seven Years' war,
and who, having been surprised by General Laudohu, was made prisoner,
which occasioned the loss of Glatz. The King broke him with infamy, and
banished him with contempt. In 1764 he came to Vienna, where I gave him
alms. He was, by birth, an Italian, a selfish, wicked man; and, while
major under the government of Fouquet, at Glatz, brought many people to
misery. He was the creature of Fouquet, without birth or merit; crafty,
malignant, but handsome, and, having debauched his patron's daughter,
afterwards married her; whence at first his good, and at length his ill
fortune. He wanted knowledge to defend a fortress against the enemy, and
his covetousness rendered him easy to corrupt.
{3} The German mile contains from four to seven English miles, and this
variation appears to depend on the ignorance of the people and on the
roads being in some places but little frequented. It seems probable the
Baron and his friend might travel about 809 English miles.--TRANSLATOR.