another, worth a hundred ducats, I rescued Ensign Reitz from death,
who had been betrayed when endeavouring to effect our escape. I
have been assured that on that very day on which I snatched his
sword from his side, desperately passed through the garrison, and
leaped the walls of the rampart, he was expressly come to tell me,
after some prefatory threats, that by his general's intercession, my
punishment was only to be a year's imprisonment, and that
consequently I should be released in a few days.

How vile were means like these to wrest money from the unfortunate!
The King, after this my mad flight, certainly was never informed of
the major's base cunning; he could only be told that, rather than
wait a few days, I had chosen, in this desperate manner, to make my
escape, and go over to the enemy.

Thus deceived and strengthened in his suspicion, must he not imagine
my desire to forsake my country, and desert to the enemy, was
unbounded? How could he do otherwise than imprison a subject who
thus endeavoured to injure him and aid his foes? Thus, by the
calumnies of wicked men, did my cruel destiny daily become more
severe; and at length render the deceived monarch irreconcilable and
cruel.

Yet how could it be supposed that I would not willingly have
remained three weeks longer in prison, to have been honourably
restored to liberty, to have prevented the confiscation of my
estate, and to have once more returned to my beloved mistress at
Berlin.

And now was I in Bohemia, a fugitive stranger without money,