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5th Oct. 30th Nov. 1761.

"At Schönbrunn, in the short hours, Kappel finds Frau Kappel in a state of unappeasable curiosity: "What can it 'be? Curatus Schmidt was here all afternoon; much in haste 'to see Master; had to go at last,-for the Church-service, this 'St. Andrew's Eve. And only think, though he sat with My 'Lady hours and hours, he left this Letter with me: 'Give it to 'your Husband, for my Lord, the instant they come; and say I must have an Answer tomorrow morning at 7.' Left it with me, not with My Lady;-My Lady not to know of it!" "Tush, 'woman!" But Frau Kappel has been, herself, unappeasably 'running about, ever since she got this Letter; has applied to 'two fellow-servants, one after the other, who can read writing, "Break it up, will you!" But they would not. Practical Kap'pel takes the Letter up to Master's room; delivers it, with the "Message. "What, Curatus Schmidt!" interrupts My Lady, who 'was sitting there: "Herr Good-man, what is that?" "That is a 'Letter to me," answers the Good-man: "What have you to do 'with it?" Upon which My Lady flounces out in a huff, and the 'Herr Baron sets about writing his Answer, whatever it may be.

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'Kappel and Frau are gone to bed, Frau still eloquent upon 'the mystery of Curatus Schmidt, when his Lordship taps at their 'door; enters in the dark: "This is for the Curatus, at 7 o'clock tomorrow; I leave it on the table here: be in time, like a good 'Kappel!" Kappel promises his Unappeasable that he will ac'tually open this Piece before delivery of it; upon which she ' appeases herself, and they both fall asleep. Kappel is on foot 'betimes next morning. Kappel quietly pockets his Letter; still 6 more quietly, from a neighbouring room, pockets his Master's 'big Seal (Petschaft), with a view to resealing: he then steps out; giving his Bursch' (Apprentice or Under-Groom) 'order to be ready in so many minutes, "You and these two horses" (specific for speed); and, in the interim, walks over, with Letter and Petschaft, to the Reverend Herr Gerlach's, for some preliminary business. Kappel is Catholic; Warkotsch, Protestant; 'Herr Gerlach is Protestant preacher in the Village of Schön‘ brunn,—much hated by Warkotsch, whose standing order is: "Don't go near that insolent fellow;" but known by Kappel to ‘be a just man, faithful in difficulties of the weak against the

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5th Oct. 30th Nov. 1761.

strong. Gerlach, not yet out of bed, listens to the awful story: 'reads the horrid missive; Warkotsch to Colonel Wallis: "You can seize the King, living or dead, this night!"-hesitates about 'copying it (as Kappel wishes, for a good purpose); but is encouraged by his Wife, and soon writes a Copy. This Copy Kappel 'sticks into the old cover, seals as usual; and, with the Original 'safe in his own pocket, returns to the stables now. His Bursch and he mount; after a little, he orders his Bursch: "Bursch, ' ride you to Siebenhuben and Curatus Schmidt, with this sealed 'Letter; you, and say nothing. I was to have gone myself, but 'cannot; be speedy, be discreet!" And the Bursch dashes off 'for Siebenhuben with the sealed Copy, for Schmidt, Warkotsch, 'Wallis and Company's behoof; Kappel riding, at a still better pace, to Strehlen with the Original, for behoof of the King's 'Majesty.

6

'At Strehlen, King's Majesty not yet visible, Kappel has great difficulties in the anteroom among the sentry people. But he persists, insists: "Read my Letter, then!" which they 'dare not do; which only Colonel Krusemark, the Adjutant, 'perhaps dare. They take him to Krusemark. Krusemark 'reads, all aghast; locks up Kappel; runs to the King; returns, 'muffles Kappel in soldier's cloak and cap, and leads him in. "The King, looking into Kappel's face, into Kappel's clear story and the Warkotsch handwriting, needed only a few questions; and the fit orders, as to Warkotsch and Company, were soon 'given: dangerous engineers now fallen harmless, blown up by 'their own petard. One of the King's first questions was: "But 'how have I offended Warkotsch?" Kappel does not know; 'Master is of strict wilful turn;-Master would grumble and 'growl sometimes about the peasant people, and how a noble'man has now no power over them, in comparison." "Are 'you a Protestant?" "No, your Majesty, Catholic." "See, ihr 'Herren," said the King to those about him; "Warkotsch is a 'Protestant; his Curatus Schmidt is a Catholic; and this man 'is a Catholic: there are villains and honest people in every 'creed!"

'At noon, that day, Warkotsch had sat down to dinner, com'fortably in his dressing-gown, nobody but the good Baroness

5th Oct. 30th Nov. 1761.

there; when Rittmeister Rabenau suddenly descended on the 'Schloss and dining-room with dragoons: "In arrest, Herr 'Baron; I am sorry you must go with me to Brieg!" War'kotsch, a strategic fellow, kept countenance to Wife and Ritt'meister, in this sudden fall of the thunderbolt: "Yes, Herr 'Rittmeister; it is that mass of Corn I was to furnish" (show'ing him an actual order of that kind), " and I am behind my 'time with it! Nobody can help his luck. Take a bit of dinner 'with us, any way!" Rittmeister refused; but the Baroness too 6 pressed him; he at length sat down. Warkotsch went "to 'dress;" first of all, to give orders about his best horse; but was 'shocked to find that the dragoons were a hundred, and that every outgate was beset. Returning half-dressed, with an air ' of baffled hospitality: "Herr Rittmeister, our Schloss must not 'be disgraced; here are your brave fellows waiting, and nothing ' of refreshment ready for them. I have given order at the Tavern in the Village; send them down; there they shall 'drink better luck to me, and have a bit of bread and cheese."

Stupid Rabenau again consents:—and in few minutes more, 'Warkotsch is in the Woods, galloping like Epsom, towards 'Wallis; and Rabenau can only arrest Madam (who knows nothing), and return in a baffled state.

'Schmidt too got away. The party sent after Schmidt found 'him in the little Town of Nimptsch, half way home again from 'his Wallis errand; comfortably dining with some innocent hos'pitable people there. Schmidt could not conceal his confusion; 'but pleading piteously a necessity of nature, was with difficulty 'admitted to the-to the Abtritt so-called; and there, by some long pole or rake-handle, vanished wholly through a never'imagined aperture, and was no more heard of in the upper world. 'The Prussian soldiery does not seem expert in thief-taking.

'Warkotsch came back about midnight that same Tuesday, 500 Wallis Hussars escorting him; and took away his ready moneys, near 5,000l. in gold, reports Frau Kappel, who wit'nessed the ghastly operation (Hussars in great terror, in haste, ' and unconscionably greedy as to sharing);-after which our 'next news of him, the last of any clear authenticity, is this Note 'to his poor Wife, which was read in the Law Procedures on

5th Oct. 30th Nov. 1761.

❝ him six months hence: "My Child (Mein Kind),—The accursed "thought I took up against my King has overwhelmed me in "boundless misery. From the top of the highest hill I cannot "see the limits of it. Farewell; I am in the farthest border of "Turkey.-WARKOTSCH."'4

Schmidt and he, after patient trial, were both of them beheaded and quartered,-in pasteboard effigy,in the Salt Ring (Great Square) of Breslau, May 1762: -in pasteboard, Friedrich liked it better than the other way. Meinetwegen," wrote he, sanctioning the execution, "For aught I care; the Portraits will likely be as worthless as the Originals." Rittmeister Rabenau had got off with a few days' arrest, and the remark, “Er ist ein dummer Teufel (You are a stupid devil)!" Warkotsch's Estates, all and sundry, deducting the Baroness's jointure, which was punctually paid her, were confiscated to the King, and by him were made over to the Schools of Breslau and Glogau, which, I doubt not, enjoy them to this day. Reverend Gerlach in Schönbrunn, Kappel and Kappel's Bursch, were all attended to, and properly rewarded, though there are rumours to the contrary. Hussar-Colonel Wallis got no public promotion, though it is not doubted the Head People had been well cognisant of his ingenious intentions. Official Vienna, like mankind in general, shuddered to own him; the great Counts Wallis at Vienna published in the Newspapers, " Our House has no connexion with that gentleman;"—and, in fact, he was of Irish breed, it seems, the name of him Wallisch (or Walsh), if one cared. Warkotsch died at Raab (this side the farthest corner of Turkey), in 1769: his poor Baroness had vanished from Silesia five years before, probably to join him. He had some pension or aliment

• Küster, Lebens-Rettungen, p. 88: Küster, pp. 65-188 (for the general Narrative); Tempelhof, v. 346, &c. &c.

9th-16th Dec. 1761.

from the Austrian Court; small or not so small is a disputed point.

And this is, more minutely than need have been, in authentic form only too diffuse, the once world-famous Warkotsch Tragedy or Wellnigh-Tragic Melodrama; which is still interesting and a matter of study, of pathos and minute controversy, to the patriot and antiquary in Prussian Countries, though here we might have been briefer about it. It would, indeed, have “finished the War at once;" and on terms delightful to Austria and its Generals near by. But so would any unit of the million balls and bullets which have whistled round that same Royal Head, and have, every unit of them, missed like Warkotsch! Particular Heads, royal and other, meant for use in the scheme of things, are not to be hit on any terms till the use is had.

Friedrich settled in Breslau for the Winter, December 9th. From Colberg bad news meet him in Breslau; bad and ever worse: Colberg, not Warkotsch, is the interesting matter there, for a fortnight coming,-till Colberg end, it also irremediable. The Russian hope on Colberg is, long since, limited to that of famine. We said the conveyance of Supplies, across such a Hundred Miles of wilderness, from Stettin thither, with Russians and the Winter gainsaying, was the difficulty. Our short Note continues:

'In fact, it is the impossibility: trial after trial goes on, in a 6 strenuous manner, but without success. October 13th, Green 'Kleist tries; October 22d, Knobloch and even Platen try. For 'the next two months, there is trial on trial made (Hussar Kleist, 'Knobloch, Thadden, Platen), not without furious fencing, struggling; but with no success. There are, in wait at the proper places, 15,000 Russians waylaying. Winter comes early, and 'unusually severe: such marchings, such endeavourings and en