From the year 1774 to 1777, I journeyed through England and France.
I was intimate with Dr. Franklin, the American Minister, and with the Counts St. Germain and de Vergennes, who made me proposals to go to America; but I was prevented by my affection for my wife and children.
My friend the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, who had been Governor of Magdeburg during my imprisonment, offered me a commission among the troops going to America, but I answered--"Gracious prince, my heart beats in the cause of freedom only; I will never assist in enslaving men. Were I at the head of your brave grenadiers. I should revolt to the Americans."During 1775 I continued at Aix-la-Chapelle my essays, entitled, "The Friend of Men." My writings had made some impression; the people began to read; the monks were ridiculed, but my partisans increased, and their leader got himself cudgelled.
They did not now mention my name publicly, but catechised their penitents at confession. During this year people came to me from Cologne, Bonn, and Dusseldorf, to speak with me privately. When Iinquired their business, they told me their clergy had informed them I was propagating a new religion, in which every man must sign himself to the devil, who then would supply them with money. They were willing to become converts to my faith, would Beelzebub but give them money, and revenge them on their priests. "My good friends," answered I, "your teachers have deceived you; I know of no devils but themselves. Were it true that I was founding a new religion, the converts to whom the devil would supply money, your priests, would be the first of my apostles, and the most catholic.
I am an honest, moral man, as a Christian ought to be. Go home, in God's name, and do your duty."I forgot to mention that the recorder of the sheriff's court at Aix-la-Chapelle, who is called Baron Geyer, had associated himself in 1778 with a Jew convert, and that this noble company swindled a Dutch merchant out of eighty thousand florins, by assuming the arms of Elector Palatine, and producing forged receipts and contracts.
Geyer was taken in Amsterdam, and would have been hanged, but, by the aid of a servant, he escaped. He returned to Aix-la-Chapelle, where he enjoys his office. Three years ago he robbed the town-chamber. His wife was, at that time, generis communis, and procured him friends at court. The assertions of this gentleman found greater credit at Vienna than those of the injured Trenck! Oh, shame! Oh, world! world!
My wine trade was so successful that I had correspondents and stores in London, Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, and the Hague, and had gained forty thousand florins. One unfortunate day destroyed all my hopes in the success of this traffic.
In London I was defrauded of eighteen hundred guineas by a swindler.
The fault was my brother-in-law's, who parted with the wine before he had received the money. When I had been wronged, and asked my friends' assistance, I was only laughed at, as if they were happy that an Englishman had the wit to cheat a German.
Finding myself defrauded, I hastened to Sir John Fielding. He told me he knew I had been swindled, and that his friendship would make him active in my behalf; that he also knew the houses where my wine was deposited, and that a party of his runners should go with me, sufficiently strong for its recovery. I was little aware that he had, at that time, two hundred bottles of my best Tokay in his cellar. His pretended kindness was a snare; he was in partnership with robbers, only the stupid among whom he hanged, and preserved the most adroit for the promotion of trade.
He sent a constable and six of his runners with me, commanding them to act under my orders. By good fortune I had a violent headache, and sent my brother-in-law, who spoke better English than I. Him they brought to the house of a Jew, and told him, "Your wine, sir, is here concealed." Though it was broad day, the door was locked, that he might be induced to act illegally. The constable desired him to break the door open, which he did; the Jews came running, and asked--"What do you want, gentlemen?"--"I want my wine," answered my brother.--"Take what is your own," replied a Jew; "but beware of touching my property. I have bought the wine."My brother attended the constable and runners into a cellar, and found a great part of my wine. He wrote to Sir John Fielding that he had found the wine, and desired to know how to act. Fielding answered: "It must be taken by the owner." My brother accordingly sent me the wine.
Next day came a constable with a warrant, saying, "He wanted to speak with my brother, and that he was to go to Sir John Fielding."When he was in the street, he told him--"Sir, you are my prisoner."I went to Sir John Fielding, and asked him what it meant. This justice answered that my brother had been accused of felony. The Jews and swindlers had sworn the wine was a legal purchase. If Ihad not been paid, or was ignorant of the English laws, that was my fault. Six swindlers had sworn the wine was paid for, which circumstance he had not known, or he should not have granted me a warrant. My brother had also broken open the doors, and forcibly taken away wine which was not his own. They made oath of this, and he was charged with burglary and robbery.
He desired me to give bail in a thousand guineas for my brother for his appearance in the Court of King's Bench; otherwise his trial would immediately come on, and in a few days he would be hanged.
I hastened to a lawyer, who confirmed what had been told me, advised me to give bail, and he would then defend my cause. I applied to Lord Mansfield, and received the same answer. I told my story to all my friends, who laughed at me for attempting to trade in London without understanding the laws. My friend Lord Grosvenor said, "Send more wine to London, and we will pay you so well that you will soon recover your loss."I went to my wine-merchants, who had a stock of mine worth upwards of a thousand guineas. They gave bail for my brother, and he was released.
