was built in the wall in red brick, and under my feet was a tombstone, with the name of TRENCK also cut on it, and carved with a death's - head. The doors to my dungeon were double, of oak two inches thick ; without these was an open space or front cell, in which was a window, and this space was likewise shut in by double doors. The ditch in which this dreadful den was built was enclosed on both sides by palisades twelve feet high, the key of the door of which was entrusted to the officer of the guard, it being the King's intention to prevent all possibility of speech or communication with the sentinels. The only motion I had the power to make was that of jumping upward, or swinging my arms, to procure myself warmth. When more accustomed to these fetters, I was likewise capable of moving from side to side about four feet; but this pained my shin-bones. 'The cell had been finished with lime and plaster but eleven days, and everybody supposed it would be impossible I should exist in these damps above a fortnight. I remained six months continually immersed in water that trickled upon me from the thick arches under which I was, and I can safely affirm that for the first three months I was never dry; yet did I continue in health. I was visited daily at noon, after relieving guard, and the doors were then obliged to be left open for some minutes, otherwise the dampness of the air put out their candles.' About noon, the harsh jarring of the bolts announced the arrival of some of his jailors. They looked as though they pitied him; but they did not speak. A camp bedstead, a mattress, and blankets, were brought in; and a jug of water and a six-pound loaf of ammunition-bread were set down on the floor. The town-major broke the silence by saying, 'That you may not complain of hunger again, you shall have as much bread as you can eat.' Having uttered these welcome words, he and his attendants withdrew, and Trenck was left to his solitude. So intensely had Trenck suffered from want of food, that he was now almost beside himself for joy at the idea of having enough even of this coarse fare. He ate, rested, surveyed the precious morsel, ate again, and absolutely shed tears of pleasure. But he had soon reason to repent this indulgence of appetite. Even his iron frame could not stand the shock which was caused by the sudden change from fasting to repletion. His body swelled, and throughout the night he was racked by cramp, colic, and burning fever. For three days he was unable to touch a morsel, and his mind, weakened by his bodily pains, gave way to despondency. It seemed im I had strength enough so far to bend this hook back, and open it, as to force out the link of the chain. The remaining difficulty was the chain that attached my possible that he could ever rerecover his liberty, or much longer endure rigorous imprisonment and the heavy weight of his fetters, and he therefore determined to resign an exist-foot to the wall. The links of ence which was become an intolerable burden. Either a remnant of hope, or an instinctive clinging to life, induced him, however, to postpone for a week the fulfilment of his deadly purpose. If no prospect of better days should in the meantime open, he decided to terminate his woes on the 4th of July. In the meantime, I revolved in my mind what possible means there were of escape. The next day I observed, as the four doors were opened, that they were only of wood, therefore questioned whether I might not even cut off the locks with the knife that I had so fortunately concealed; and should this and every other means fail, then would be time to die. I like wise determined to make an attempt even to free myself of my chains. I happily forced my right hand through the handcuff, though the blood trickled from my nails. My attempts on the left were long ineffectual; but by rubbing with a brick, which I got from my seat, on the rivet that had been negligently closed, I effected this also. 'The chain was fastened to the rim round my body by a hook, one end of which was not inserted in the rim; therefore, by setting my foot against the wall, this I took, doubled, twisted, and wrenched, till at length,nature having bestowed on me great strength,—I made a desperate effort, sprang forcibly up, and two links at once flew off. 'Fortunate indeed did I think myself: I hastened to the door, groped in the dark to find the clinkings of the nails by which the lock was fastened, and discovered no very large piece of wood need be cut. Immediately I went to work with my knife, and cut through the oak door to find its thickness, which proved to be only one inch; therefore was it possible to open all the four doors in four-and-twenty hours. 'Again hope revived in my heart. To prevent detection, I hastened to put on my chains; but, O God! what difficulties had I to surmount! After much groping about, I at length found the link that had flown off; this I hid. It being my good fortune hitherto to escape examination, as the possibility of ridding myself of such chains was in no wise suspected. The separated iron links I tied together with my hair-ribbon; but when I again endeavoured to force my hand into the ring, it was so swelled that every effort was fruitless. The whole night was employed upon the rivet, but my dungeon was in the ditch all labour was in vain. of the first rampart; before me I beheld the road from the rampart, the guard but fifty paces distant, the high palisades that were in the ditch, and must be scaled before I could reach the rampart. Hope grew stronger; my efforts were redoubled. The first of the next double doors was attacked, which likewise opened inward, and was soon conquered. The sun set before I had ended this, and the fourth was to be cut away as the second had been. My strength failed; both my hands were raw; I rested awhile, began again, and had made a cut of a foot long, when my knife snapped, and the broken blade dropped to the ground!' 'Noon was the hour of visitation; and necessity and danger again obliged me to attempt forcing my hand in, which at length, after excruciating torture, I effected. My visitors came, and everything had the appearance of order. I found it, however, impossible to force out my right hand while it continued swelled. I therefore remained quiet till the day fixed; and on the determined 4th of July, immediately as my visitors had closed the doors upon me, I disencumbered myself of my irons, took my knife, and began my Herculean labour on the door. The first of the double doors that opened inwards was conquered in less than an hour; the other was a very different task. The lock was soon cut round, but it opened outwards; there was therefore no other means left but to cut the whole door away above the bar. Incessant and incredible labour made this possible, though it was the more difficult, as every-peatedly uttered. The speaker thing was to be done by feeling, I being totally in the dark; the sweat dropped, or rather flowed from my body, my fingers were clotted in my own blood, and my lacerated hands were one continued wound. Daylight appeared; I clambered over the door that was half cut away, and got up to the window in the space or cell that was between the double doors as before described. Here I saw Overwhelmed by this calamity, the unhappy man attempted to commit suicide. With his broken knife he gashed through the veins of his left arm and foot. From loss of blood he fainted. How long he remained in that state he knew not; but suddenly he heard his own name re was the kind-hearted Gefhardt, who had ventured upon the rampart that he might converse with him. 'How do you do?' said Gefhardt. 'Weltering in my blood,' answered Trenck; 'to-morrow you will find me dead.' 'Why should you die?' was the reply; it is much easier to escape here than from the citadel. Here is no sentinel, and I shall soon find means to supply you with tools. If you can only break out, leave the rest to me. As often as I am on guard, I will seek opportunities to speak to you. In the whole Star Fort there are but two sentinels, one at the entrance, and the other at the guardhouse. Do not despair; God will succour you. Trust to me.' This good man's kindness and discourse revived the poor prisoner's hopes. He immediately tore his shirt, bound up his wounds, and waited the approach of day. In the few hours that elapsed before the visit of his jailors, Trenck decided upon the conduct that he should pursue towards them. He had no doubt that an attempt to escape would bring additional cruelty upon him, unless he could find the means of averting it. To face them boldly, and declare that he would rather die on the spot than submit to an increase of suffering, was the plan which he adopted. He was weak from excessive loss of blood, his hands were swollen and torn, his wounds smarted, and his legs scarcely supported him; but he rallied his spirits for a vigorous resistance. With the bar that separated my hands I loosened the bricks of my seat, which, being newly laid, was easily done, and heaped them up in the middle of my prison. The inner door was quite open, and with my chains I so barricaded the upper half of the second, as to prevent any one climbing over it. When noon came, and the first of the doors was unlocked, all were astonished to find the second | open. There I stood, besmeared with blood, the picture of horror, with a brick in one hand, and in the other my broken knife, crying as they approached, Keep off, Mr. Major, keep off! Tell the governor I will live no longer in chains, and that here I stand, if so he pleases, to be shot; for so only will I be conquered. Here no man shall enter-I will destroy all that approach; here are my weapons; here will I die in despite of tyranny!" The major was terrified, wanted resolution, and made his report to the governor. I meantime sat down on my bricks, to wait what might happen. My secret intent, however, was not SO desperate as it appeared. I sought only to obtain a favourable capitulation. 'The governor, General Bork, presently came, attended by the town-major and some officers, and entered the outward cell, but sprang back the moment he beheld a figure like me, standing with a brick and uplifted arm. I repeated what I had told the major, and he immediately ordered six grenadiers to force the door. The front cell was scarcely six feet broad, so that no more than two at a time could attack my intrenchment, and when they saw my threatening bricks ready to de scend, they leaped terrified back. dered me some wine; two A short pause ensued, and the sentinels were stationed in the old town-major, with the chap-front cell, and I was thus left lain, advanced towards the door four days in peace, unironed. to soothe me; the conversation Broth also was given me daily; continued some time. Whose and how delicious this was to reasons were most satisfactory, taste, how much it revived and and whose cause was the most strengthened me, is wholly imjust, I leave to the reader. The possible to describe. Two days governor grew angry, and or- I lay in a slumbering kind of dered a fresh attack. The first trance, forced by unquenchable grenadier was knocked down, thirst to drink whenever I and the rest ran back to avoid awoke. My feet and hands my missiles. were swelled; the pains in my back and limbs were excessive. The town-major again began a parley. "For God's sake, my dear Trenck," said he, "in what have I injured you, that you endeavour to effect my ruin? I must answer for your having through my negligence concealed a knife. Be persuaded, I entreat you; be appeased. You are not without hope, not without friends.” 'My answer was, "But will you not load me with heavier irons than before?" 'He went out, spoke with the governor, and gave me his word of honour that the affair should be no further noticed, and that everything should be exactly reinstated as formerly. 'Here ended the capitulation, and my wretched citadel was taken. The condition I was in was viewed with pity; my wounds were examined, a surgeon sent to dress them, another shirt was given me, and the bricks clotted with blood removed. I meantime lay half dead on my mattress; my thirst was excessive; the surgeon or 'On the fifth day the doors were ready; the inner was entirely plated with iron, and I was fettered as before. The principal chain, however, which fastened me to the wall, like that I had before broken, was thicker than the first. Except this, the capitulation was strictly kept. A Gefhardt, my honest grenadier, had infused fresh hope, and my mind now busily began to meditate new plans. sentinel was placed before my door, that I might be more narrowly watched; and the married men of the Prussian states were appointed to this duty, who, as I will hereafter show, were more easy to persuade in aiding my flight than foreign fugitives. The Pomeranian will listen, and is by nature kind, therefore may easily be moved and induced to succour distress. I began to be more accustomed to my irons, which I had before found so insupportable; I could comb out my long hair, and |