ith a thousand revilings
on the Empress-Queen, her whole army, and myself. In words, however, I
was little in his debt, and he was enraged even to madness.

What my situation was under this additional load of tyranny, and the
command of a man so void of human pity, the reader may imagine. My
greatest good fortune consisted in the ability I still had to disencumber
myself of all the irons that were connected with the ankle-rims, and the
provision I had of light, paper, and implements; and though it was
apparently impossible I should break out undiscovered by both sentinels,
yet had I the remaining hope of gaining some officer, by money, who, as
in Glatz, should assist my escape.

Had the commands of the King been literally obeyed escape would have been
wholly impossible; for, by this, all communication would have been
totally cut off with the sentinels. To this effect the four keys of the
four doors were each to be kept by different persons; one with the
governor, another with the town-major, the third with the major of the
day, and the fourth with the lieutenant of the guard. I never could have
found opportunity to have spoken with any one of them singly. These
commands at first were rigidly observed, with this exception, that the
governor made his appearance only every week. Magdeburg became so full
of prisoners that the town-major was obliged to deliver up his key to the
major of the day, and the governor's visitations wholly subsided, the
citadel being an English mile and a half distant from the Star Fort.

General Walrabe, who had been a prisoner ever since the year 1746, was
also at the Star Fort, but he had apartments, and three thousand
rix-dollars a year. The major of the day and officer of the guard dined
with him daily, and generally stayed till evening. Either from
compassion, or a concurrence of fortunate circumstances, these gentlemen
entrusted the keys to the lieutenant on guard, by which means I could
speak with each of them alone when they made their visits, and they
themselves at length sought these opportunities. My consequent
undertakings I shall relate, with all the arts and inventions of a
wretched prisoner endeavouring to escape.

Borck had selected three majors and four lieutenants for this service as
those he could best trust. My situation was truly deplorable. The
enormous iron round my neck pained me, and prevented motion; and I durst
not attempt to disengage myself from the penda