een engaged in happened.

The question at first made me mistrust I was betrayed, but remarking the
King had a mildness in his manner, I presently recovered myself, and
related the exact truth. I saw the astonishment of his countenance, but
I at the same time saw he was pleased with my sincerity. He spoke to me
for half an hour, not as a King, but as a father, praised my candour, and
ended with the following words, which, while life remains, I shall never
forget: "Confide in the advice I give you; depend wholly upon me, and I
will make you a man." Whoever can feel, may imagine how infinitely my
gratitude towards the King was increased, by this his great goodness;
from that moment I had no other desire than to live and die for his
service.

I soon perceived the confidence the King had in me after this
explanation, of which I received very frequent marks, the following
winter, at Berlin. He permitted me to be present at his conversations
with the literati of his court, and my state was truly enviable.

I received this same winter more than five hundred ducats as presents. So
much happiness could not but excite jealousy, and this began to be
manifest on every side. I had too little disguise for a courtier, and my
heart was much too open and frank.

Before I proceed, I will here relate an incident which happened during
the last campaign, and which will, no doubt, be read in the history of
Frederic.

On the rout while retreating through Bohemia, the King came to Kollin,
with his horse-guards, the cavalry piquets of the head-quarters, and the
second and third battalions of guards. We had only four field pieces,
and our squadron was stationed in one of the suburbs. Our advance posts,
towards evening, were driven back into the town, and the hussars entered
pell-mell: the enemy's light troops swarmed over the country, and my
commanding officer sent me immediately to receive the King's orders.
After much search, I found him at the top of a steeple, with a telescope
in his hand. Never did I see him so disturbed or undecided as on this
occasion. Orders were immediately given that we should retreat through
the city, into the opposite suburb, where we were to halt, but not
unsaddle.

We had not been here long before a most heavy rain fell, and the night
became exceedingly dark. My cousin Trenck made his approach about nine
in the evening, with his pandour and janissary music, and set fire to
several houses. They fou