intimate friend. Captain Zerbst, of the regiment of Fouquet, who
had always testified the kindness of a brother towards me, met us on
the Bohemian frontiers, and called to me, "Make to time left,
brother, and you will see some lone houses, which are on the
Bohemian confines: the hussars have ridden straight forward." He
then passed on as if he had not seen us.

We had nothing to fear from the officers; for the intimacy between
the Prussian officers was at that time so great, and the word of
honour so sacred, that during my rigorous detention at Glatz I had
been once six-and-thirty hours hunting at Neurode, at the seat of
Baron Stillfriede; Lunitz had taken my place in the prison, which
the major knew when he came to make his visit. Hence may be
conjectured how great was the confidence in which the word of the
unfortunate Trenck was held at Glatz, since they did not fear
letting him leave his dungeon, and hunt on the very confines of
Bohemia. This, too, shows the governor was deceived, in despite of
his watchfulness and order, and that a man of honour, with money,
and a good head and heart, will never want friends.

These my memoirs will be the picture of what the national character
then was; and will prove that, with officers who lived like
brothers, and held their words so sacred, the great Frederick well
might vanquish his enemies.

Arbitrary power has now introduced the whip of slavery, and mechanic
subordination has eradicated those noble and rational incitements to
concord and honour. Instead of which, mistrust and slavish fear
having arisen, the enthusiastic spirit of the Brandenburg warrior
declines, and into this error have most of the other European States