wenwalde,
had sworn his downfall, which they effected. Trenck despised their
attacks. While things remained thus, they instructed one of the
Empress's attendants to profit by every opportunity to deprive him of her
confidence. It was affirmed, Trenck is an atheist! who never prayed to
the holy Virgin! The officers, whom he had broken, whispered it in
coffee-houses, that Trenck had taken and set free the King of Prussia!
This raised the cry among the fanatical mob of Vienna. Teased by their
complaints, and at the requisition of Trenck himself, the Empress
commanded that examination should be undertaken of these accusations.
Field-marshal Cordova was chosen to preside over this inquiry. He spoke
the truth, and drew up a statement of the case; it was presented to the
Court, and which I shall here insert.

"The complaints brought against him did not require a court-martial.
Trenck had broken some officers by his own authority; their demands ought
to be satisfied by the payment of 12,000 florins. The remaining
accusations were all the attempts of revenge and calumny, and were
insufficient to detain at Vienna, entangled in law-suits, a man so
necessary to the army. Moreover, it would be prudent not to inquire into
trifles, in consideration of his important services."

Trenck, dissatisfied by this sentence, and animated by avarice and pride,
refused to pay a single florin, and returned to Sclavonia. His presence
was necessary at Vienna, to obtain other advantages against his enemies.
They gave the Empress to understand, that being a man excessively
dangerous, whenever he supposed himself injured, Trenck had spread
pernicious views in Sclavonia, where all men were dependent on him. He
raised six hundred more men, with whom he made a campaign in the
Netherlands, and in October, 1746, returned to Vienna. After the peace
of Dresden, his regiment was incorporated among the regulars, and served
against France.

Scarcely had he arrived at Vienna, before an order came from the Empress
that he must remain under arrest in his chamber. Here he rendered
himself guilty by the most imprudent action of his whole life. He
ordered his carriage and horses, despising the imperial mandate, went to
the theatre, when the Empress was present. In one of the boxes he saw
Count Gossau, in company with a comrade of his own, whom he had
cashiered: these persons were among the foremost of his accusers.
Inflamed with the desire of revenge,