登陆注册
5272000000056

第56章 CHAPTER XV.(1)

Arrived here, I was lodged over the grand guardhouse, with two sentinels in my chamber, and one at the door. The King was at Potzdam, and here I remained three days; on the third, some staff-officers made their appearance, seated themselves at a table, and put the following questions to me:-First. What was my business at Dantzic?

Secondly. Whether I was acquainted with M. Goltz, Prussian ambassador to Russia?

Thirdly. Who was concerned with me in the conspiracy at Dantzic?

When I perceived their intention, by these interrogations, Iabsolutely refused to reply, only saying I had been imprisoned in the fortress of Glatz, without hearing, or trial by court-martial;that, availing myself of the laws of nature, I had by my own exertions procured my liberty, and that I was now a captain of cavalry in the imperial service; that I demanded a legal trial for my first unknown offence, after which I engaged to answer all interrogatories, and prove my innocence; but that at present, being accused of new crimes, without a hearing concerning my former punishment, the procedure was illegal. I was told they had no orders concerning this, and I remained dumb to all further questions.

They wrote some two hours, God knows what; a carriage came up; I was strictly searched, to find whether I had any weapons; thirteen or fourteen ducats, which I had concealed, were taken from me, and Iwas conducted under a strong escort, through Spandau to Magdeburg.

The officer here delivered me to the captain of the guard at the citadel; the town major came, and brought me to the dungeon, expressly prepared for me; a small picture of the Countess of Bestuchef, set with diamonds, which I had kept concealed in my bosom, was now taken from me; the door was shut, and here was Ileft.

My dungeon was in a casemate, the fore part of which, six feet wide and ten feet long, was divided by a party wall. In the inner wall were two doors, and a third at the entrance of the casemate itself.

The window in the seven-feet-thick wall was so situated that, though I had light, I could see neither heaven nor earth; I could only see the roof of the magazine; within and without this window were iron bars, and in the space between an iron grating, so close and so situated, by the rising of the walls, that it was impossible Ishould see any parson without the prison, or that any person should see me. On the outside was a wooden palisade, six feet from the wall, by which the sentinels were prevented from conveying anything to me. I had a mattress, and a bedstead, but which was immovably ironed to the floor, so that it was impossible I should drag it, and stand up to the window; beside the door was a small iron stove and a night table, in like manner fixed to the floor. I was not yet put in irons, and my allowance was a pound and a half per day of ammunition bread, and a jug of water.

From my youth I had always had a good appetite, and my bread was so mouldy I could scarcely at first eat the half of it. This was the consequence of Major Reiding's avarice, who endeavoured to profit even by this, so great was the number of unfortunate prisoners;therefore, it is impossible I should describe to my readers the excess of tortures that, during eleven months, I felt from ravenous hunger. I could easily every day have devoured six pounds of bread;and every twenty-four hours after having received and swallowed my small portion, I continued as hungry as before I began, yet must wait another twenty-four hours for a new morsel. How willingly would I have signed a bill of exchange for a thousand ducats, on my property at Vienna, only to have satiated my hunger on dry bread!

For, so extreme was it, that scarcely had I dropt into a sweet sleep. Therefore I dreamed I was feasting at some table luxuriously loaded, where, eating like a glutton, the whole company were astonished to see me, while my imagination was heated by the sensation of famine. Awakened by the pains of hunger, the dishes vanished, and nothing remained but the reality of my distress; the cravings of nature were but inflamed, my tortures prevented sleep, and, looking into futurity, the cruelty of my fate suffered, if possible, increase, from imagining that the prolongation of pangs like these was insupportable. God preserve every honest man from sufferings like mine! They were not to be endured by the villain most obdurate. Many have fasted three days, many have suffered want for a week, or more; but certainly no one, beside myself, ever endured it in the same excess for eleven months. Some have supposed that to eat little might become habitual, but I have experienced the contrary. My hunger increased every day; and of all the trials of fortitude my whole life has afforded, this, of eleven months, was the most bitter.

Petitions, remonstrances, were of no avail; the answer was--"We must give no more, such is the King's command." The Governor, General Borck, born the enemy of man, replied, when I entreated, at least, to have my fill of bread, "You have feasted often enough out of the service of plate taken from the King, by Trenck, at the battle of Sorau; you must now eat ammunition bread in your dirty kennel. Your Empress makes no allowance for your maintenance, and you are unworthy of the bread you eat, or the trouble taken about you."Judge, reader, what pangs such insolence, added to such sufferings must inflict. Judge what were my thoughts, foreseeing, as I did, an endless duration to this imprisonment and these torments.

My three doors were kept ever shut, and I was left to such meditations as such feelings and such hopes might inspire. Daily, about noon, once in twenty-four hours, my pittance of bread and water was brought. The keys of all the doors were kept by the governor; the inner door was not opened, but my bread and water were delivered through an aperture. The prison doors were opened only once a week, on a Wednesday, when the governor and town major, my hole having been first cleaned, paid their visit.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 独宠娇女:深闺女神养成记

    独宠娇女:深闺女神养成记

    古代贵族少女成长史,即便穿越到古代,依旧读书向上,乐观解决所有问题。肃城侯府的七小姐小时候是个马屁精小肥仔儿,人人都说:真愁人,这孩子以后还嫁的出去吗?谁曾想,女大十八变!肥仔儿成了倾国倾城的大美人。人人都说:真愁人,求亲的人这么多,嫁给谁呀?大美人磨刀霍霍:喵的,我要先给那个见天儿传我小话的混蛋宰了!
  • 凤惊天之逆徒狂妃

    凤惊天之逆徒狂妃

    现代王牌百变女杀手司徒凌妙,在即将完成任务时一朝穿越成为幻斗大陆幻达帝国的将军庶女。废材小姐,无人问津。当她凌驾于众人之上,选择与自己的师父成婚之时,遭到幻斗大陆所有人反对。出嫁当天,她披着红嫁衣,黛眉红唇,傲视着前来反对的人群,冷笑笑着说:“你们不配!”“你永远是我的!”上官弘伟当着如山般的百姓的面,拥她入怀。战乱平定,沧海便桑田,如今,谁又能阻止得了?
  • 饮鸩毒妃

    饮鸩毒妃

    【大婚】大婚当夜,遭人轻薄,那狂情男子却突然血染合欢榻。嫁衣不整、锦被凌乱,血色蜿蜒在榻,她的夫君眸色冰冷:“我从不稀罕失贞的女人。”她一身狼狈,傲然抬眸,浅笑冷艳,字字清晰:“我,也不稀罕把贞洁交给你这样的人!”【陌路】她被强人掳去,他却漠然处之,怀拥佳人离去。撕碎的罗衣飘落,她看着他的背影,笑的绝望。原来,他不认得她,她也不曾认得他。绝情吗,从来无情,何来绝情。【折臂】“不就是一只手,我还她就是。”看着他血红狂怒的眸,她冷笑,举臂。“不要--”那一声惊痛嘶吼,在决绝的断骨之声中淹没。青丝寸舞,骨断心折,路人之后,因谁痛彻。“你到哪里,我就让哪里夷为平地。”“你再向前一步,我便再杀一人!”“沁雪,回来。”城外厮杀,城头相对,相思如花,爱恨如血,为谁而绽。江沁雪,淡漠的外衣下,谁窥见那颗高傲的心,这一方璞玉,待谁为她精雕细琢,于乱世跌宕中绽尽绝代风华。——我就是我,不属于任何人,也不会输给任何人,我一直在等,等一个男子可以容我并肩而立,而不是,让我站在他的身后。秦世子宇文灏:——我一直以为我是秦北高原上的猎鹰,一辈子都可以无拘无束的翱翔下去,现在却不得不做那金丝笼里的囚鸟,陪他们丝竹笙箫、纸醉金迷,可是我发誓,有一天,我会亮出爪喙,摧毁这腐糜朽烂,夺回属于我的一切。漓太子萧琰:——世上最黑暗的地方是皇宫,皇宫里最黑暗的地方是东宫,我生于此间,是我摆脱不掉的宿命,若不能活着走出去,就会被人裂骨而食,化作一堆白骨浓血……我一直相信,我能够走出去,也想把你一起带出去,可是现在,你要走了,我还要继续留在这里……前朝帝裔楚风——以前,我觉得我什么都不缺,锦衣玉食,姣童美婢,可国破家亡之后才知道,所谓荣华不过过眼云烟,弹指一尘,什么都没有了,富贵不由己,生死不由己,所剩下的,唯有这颗心还是自己的。那一年,家毁人亡,她从相门嫡女沦为暖榻的宫奴,夜夜看不同的女子为他将身体旖旎绽放。掠夺之后,他攥住那如玉的下颔,笑的冷绝。--留你一条命,是为你纪家欠朕的,要由你来还。唇角勾笑,眸中爱已寂,泪已涸。那一夜,如水月华中,他亲手将她推入敌手,换来心爱的女子安然无恙。--这个女人,对朕已经没有用了。听着那字字绝情,心如锥,却仍淡笑如烟。信么,你会后悔今天的决定。那一日,崩塌的雪峰顶,一痕白衣无暇,与飘渺的雪共舞崖下。
  • 社交宝典(现代生活百科)

    社交宝典(现代生活百科)

    自古以来,孩子们在游戏场要进行一项竞赛时,都会呼喊这个口令。我可以和你打赌,无论你在何时何地遇上一位难得的竞争好手,他听到这个口令都会不期而然地肃然起敬。所谓“有备无患”就是多一分准备,就多一分成功的机会。准备得当,有备战心理,就掌握了宝贵的成功之钥。
  • 古墓侠影

    古墓侠影

    今日之东,明日之西,青山叠叠,绿水悠悠。走不尽楚峡秦关,填不满心潭欲壑。力合项羽,智合曹操,乌江赤壁空烦恼。忙什么?请君静坐片刻,把寸心想后思前,得安闲处且安闲,莫教春秋佳日过。这条路来,那条路去,风尘仆仆,驿站迢迢。带不去白璧黄金,留不住朱颜皓齿。富若石崇,贵若杨素,绿朱红拂终成梦。恨怎的!劝汝解下数文,沽一壶猜三度四,遇畅饮时须畅饮,最难风雨故人来。
  • 换一个地方

    换一个地方

    乡下女孩于红红来到城里跟着表姐弹棉花,不堪忍受表姐夫的侵犯,在表姐离开后也逃离表姐夫独自一人在大城市中谋生。从卖红辣椒到卖水煮花生和茶叶蛋,于红红切身感受到了大城市中小人物命运的悲欢沉浮,难得在生活的艰辛中始终保持着一颗朴实本心。然而在朱老板和表姐夫的恐怖阴影下,在得知好友蔡小菜赚钱生意的真相和表姐的命运后,于红红也茫然了。
  • 超神的魔终为神

    超神的魔终为神

    当我以恶魔之身超越神话,登临诸天之巅,万界之顶,那么我究竟是魔?还是神?主角去旅游,遇见了个非主流大叔,非说他是天生的恶魔,接着给了他一砖头……………醒来后,发现自己变成了一个叫丹比的恶魔,嗯,这没什么大问题,可为什么恶魔有个女王叫莫甘娜,还叫他去抢东红—49…………这里是超神学院……装逼过头,怎么办,在线等,急……
  • 长袍与牢骚

    长袍与牢骚

    民国是一个充满魅力的时代,也是一个动荡不安的时代。本书聚焦普通教科书上看不到的人与事,被遮蔽与被掩盖的历史真相。本书分三编。上编“社会思想”介绍了林森、张澜、张君劢、胡适等人许多鲜为人知的故事。他们致力于推动现代中国的转型,其情切切,其心拳拳。中编“文化传奇”讲述了成舍我、夏衍、柳亚子、张伯驹等人的风骨铮铮,蕴藉风流。下编“时代变迁”讨论了物理学家饶毓泰、新闻人杨刚、地方绅士牛友兰等人的坎坷命运,发人深省,耐人寻味。
  • 宝刀

    宝刀

    《宝刀》的故事由“我”从民族学院分配到家乡说起。“我”毕业回来,风尘仆仆,一出长途汽车站,就看到了韩月。她和“我”一同毕业于民族学院,也被分配到这个远离世外的小城市,但她的经历很丰富,曾是学院里风云人物刘晋藏的女朋友。刘晋藏,融合汉族和藏族长相优点的混血儿,他的老爸在军分区有相当的职位,所以,他活得相当潇洒,女朋友一大堆,而作为汉族人韩月,则突出重围,成为追逐刘的胜利者。但刘晋藏最后因贩卖文物而没能毕业。我就是和这样的女孩,一同分配在这个被群山包围、汉藏杂居的小城市工作,然后就平平淡淡地在了一起,结了婚,但一直没有孩子。生活就是这样,平淡,单调,如从山野里定时刮来的风。
  • 医品妖后:陛下,挺住!

    医品妖后:陛下,挺住!

    一个身怀绝世医术贪财冷漠的小女子,偶然救了一个长相妖冶,外表温暖。实则内有黑心,出手狠辣,灭一城不眨一眼的阎罗。她喜贪财,那他就打下这天下,将天下财富送到她面前。她招桃花,那他便一把火烧尽世间所有桃花。她要报仇,那他就陪着她一起玩。绿茶婊,圣母婊,伪白莲来一个灭一个。她要和离,某妖孽高挑了长眉,睥睨了眸子。放下了御笔,自御座而起,自带了满面寒霜。众人皆喜,这是陛下终于要反抗了?一秒钟后,青鸾宫,凤仪殿。有期期艾艾哭诉声传出。“卿卿,你可不能丢下我和儿子不管啊……”众人皆晕,陛下,您可要挺住啊!!本文宠文+爽文绝对【1V1】欢迎跳坑