tered it about my chamber, and ground it under my feet the whole day, till I had reduced it to dust, this dust I strewed in the aperture of my window, || making use of the loosened night table to stand upon, I tied splinters from my bedstead together, with the ravelled yarn of an old stocking, and to this affixed a tuft of my hair. I worked a large hole under the middle grating, which could not be seen when standing on the ground, and through this I pushed my dust with the tool I had prepared to the outer window, then waiting till the wind should happen to rise, during the night I brushed it away, it was blown off, and no appearance remained on the outside. By this single expedient I rid myself of at least three hundred weight of earth, and thus made room to continue my labours: yet this being still insufficient, I had recourse to another artifice, which was to knead up the earth in the form of sausages, to resemble the human faces; these I dried, and when the prisoner came to clean my dungeon, hastily tossed them into the night table, and thus disencumbered myself of a pound or two more of earth each week. I further made little balls, and when the centinel was walking, blew them through a paper tube, out of the window. Into the empty space I put my mortar and stones, and worked on successively.

I cannot describe my difficulties, after having penetrated about two feet in the hewn stone. My tools were the irons I had dug out, which fastened my bedstead and night table. A compassionate soldier also gave me an old iron ramrod, and a soldier's sheath-knife, which did me excellent service, more especially the latter, as I shall presently more fully show. With these two I cut splinters

from my bedstead, which aided me to pick the mortar from the interstices of the stone; yet the labour of penetrating through this seven feet wall was incredible: the building was ancient, and the mortar,occasionally quite petrified,so that the whole stone was obliged to be reduced to dust, After continuing my work for six months, I approached the accomplishment of my hopes, as I knew, by coming to the facing of brick, which now was only between me and the adjoining casement.

Mean time I found opportunity to speak to some of the centinels among whom was an old grenadier, called Gefhardt, whom I here name, because he displayed qualities of the greatest and most noble kind. From him I learned the precise situation of my prison, and every circumstance that might best conduce to my escape.

Nothing was wanting but money to buy a boat, and crossing the Elbe with Gefhardt to take refuge in Saxony. By Gefhardt's means I became acquainted with a kind-hearted girl, a Jewess, and a native of Dessau, Esther Heymannin by name, and whose father had been ten years in prison.This good, compassionate maiden, whom I had never seen, won her two other grenadiers, who gave her an opportunity of speaking to me every time they stood centinel. By tying my splinters together, I made a stick long enough to reach beyond the pallisadoes that were before my window, and thus obtained paper, another knife, and a file.

I now wrote to my sister, the wife of the beforementioned only son of general Waldow, described my situation, and entreated her to remit three hundred rix dollars to the Jewess, hoping by this means I might escape from my prison.

F.

Esther cheerfully departed for Hammer, where my sister, then a widow, and no longer, as in 1746, in dread of her husband, joyful to hear I was still living, immediately gave her the three hundred rix dollars, exhorting her to exert every possible means to obtain my deliverance. Esther hastened back, with the letter from my sister to me, to Berlin, and told all that had passed.

The king came to a review at Magdeburg, when he visited the Star Fort, and commanded a new cell to be immediately made, prescribing himself the kind of irons by which I was to be secured.The honest Gefhardt heard the officer say this cell was meant for me; gave me notice of it, but assured me it could not be ready in less than a month. I therefore determined, as soon as possible, to complete my breach in the wall and escape, without the aid of any one. The thing was pos sible; for I had twisted the hair of my matrass into a rope, which I meant to tie to a cannon and descend the rampart, after which I might swim across the Elbe, gain the Saxon frontiers, and thus safely escape.

On the 26th of May I had determined to break into the next casement; but when I came to work at the bricks, I found them so hard that I was obliged to defer the labour to the following day.

The 27th of May was a cruel day in the history of my life. My cell in the Star Fort had been finished sooner than Gefhardt had supposed, and at night, when I was preparing to fly, I heard a carriage stop before my prison. Oh, God! what was my terror, what were the horrors of this moment of despair! The locks and bolts resounded, the doors flew open, and the last of my poor remaining

resources was to conceal my knife. The townmajor, the major of the day, and a captain entered; I saw them by the light of their two lanterns. The only words they spoke were, "dress yourself:" which was immediately done; I still wore the uniform of the regiment of Cordova. Irons were given me, which I was obliged myself to fasten on my wrists and ancles: the town-major tied a bandage over my eyes, and taking me under the arm, they thus conducted me to the carriage. It was necessary to pass through the city to arrive at Star Fort: all was silent, except the noise of the escort; but when we entered Magdeburg I heard the people running, who were crowding together, to obtain a sight of me. Their curiosity was raisel by the report that I was going to be beheaded. That I was executed on this occasion, in the Star Fort, after having been conducted blindfolded thro' the city, has since been both affirmed and written, and the officers had been ordered to propagate this error, that the world might remain in utter ignorance concerning me. I indeed knew otherwise, though I affected not to have this knowledge: and as I was not gagged, I behaved as if I expected death reproached my conductors in language that even made them shudder, and painted their king in his true colours, as one who, unheard, had condemned an innocent subject by a despotic exertion of power.

:

My fortitude was admired, at the moment when it was supposed I thought myself leading to execution. No one replied, but their signs intimated their compassion; certain it is, few Prussians willingly execute such commands. The carriage at Jength stopped, and I was brought into my new

God

cell. The bandage was taken from my eyes.The dungeon was lighted by a few torches. of heaven!-what were my feelings when I beheld the whole floor covered with chains, a fire pan, and two grim men standing with their smith hammers!

To work went these engines of despotism?Enormous chains were fixed to my ancle at one end, and at the other to a ring, which was incorporated in the wall. This ring was three feet from the ground, and only allowed me to move about two or three feet to the right or left. They next rivited another huge iron ring, of a hand's breadth, round my naked body, to which hung & chain, fixed into an iron bar, as thick as a man's arm. This bar was two feet in length, and at each end of it was a handcuff. The iron collar round my neck was not added till the year 1756.

No sout bade me good night.-All retired in dreadful silence; and I heard the horrible grating of four doors that were successively locked and bolted upon me.

Thus does man act by his fellow, knowing him to be innocent, having received the commands of another man so to act.

Sad experience had I of Vienna, and well I knew those who had despoiled me of my property, most anxiously would endeavour to prevent my return. Such were my meditations! Such my night thoughts! Day at length returned-But where was its splendour? fled-I beheld it notyet was its glimmering obscurity sufficient to shew me what was my dungeon.

In breadth it was about eight feet, in length ten. Near me once more stood a night table, in a corner was a seat, four bricks broad, on which I