, to pay for 3,600 men who had gloriously died in war, in
defence of the contested rights of the great Maria Theresa; who had
raised so many millions of contributions for her in the countries of her
enemies; who, sword in hand, had stormed and taken so many towns, and
dispersed, or taken prisoners, so many thousands of her foes. Would this
be believed by listening nations?

All deductions made for legacies, fees, and formalities, there remained
to me 63,000 florins, with which I purchased the lordship of Zwerbach,
and I was obliged to pay 6,000 florins for my naturalisation. Thus, when
the sums are enumerated which I expended on the suits of Trenck, received
from my friends at Berlin and Petersburg, it will be found that I cannot,
at least, have been a gainer by having been made the universal heir of
the immensely rich Trenck. With regret I write these truths in support
of my children's claims, that they may not, in my grave, reproach me for
having neglected the duty of a father.

I will mere add a few particulars which may afford the reader matter for
meditation, cause him to commiserate my fate, and give a picture of the
manner in which the prosecution was carried on against Trenck.

One Schygrai, a silly kind of beggarly baron, who was treated as a
buffoon, was invited in the year 1743 to dine with Baron Pejaczewitz,
when Trenck happened to be present. The conversation happened to turn on
a kind of brandy made in this country, and Trenck jocularly said he
annually distilled this sort of brandy from cow-dung to the value of
thirty thousand florins. Schygrai supposed him serious, and wished to
learn the art, which Trenck promised to teach him Pejaczewitz told him he
could give him thirty thousand load of dung.

"But where shall I get the wood?" said Schygrai. "I will give you thirty
thousand klafters," answered Trenck. The credulous baron, thinking
himself very fortunate, desired written promises, which they gave him;
and that of Trenck ran thus:

"I hereby permit and empower Baron Schygrai to sell gratis, in the
forest of Tscherra Horra, thirty thousand klafters of wood.

"Witness my hand,
"TRENCK."

Trenck was no sooner dead than the Baron brought his note, and made
application to the court. His attorney was the noted Bussy, and the
court decreed the estates of Trenck should pay at the rate of one form
thirty kreutzers per klafter, or forty-five thousand florins, with all
costs, and an order was