to advance that way; but lest I might be known, instead of going to the Neighbourhood of Berlin, I repair’d to Leipsic, from whence I wrote to my Agent to know how Things went, and if there were any Hopes of settling my Affairs: He sent me Answer, that there was no Probability of it as long as my Estate remain’d under a Sequestration; that indeed a Loan of Money would enable me to obtain a Replevy by compounding with my Creditors; but that he did not see how it was possible to borrow any Money, unless Madamoiselle de Pollnitz, to whom my Estate was entail’d, would consent to it: He concluded with telling me, that he knew of no other Method to get me out of this Difficulty, than to obtain an Order from the King of Prussia. I knew as well as he, that such an Order was the most expeditious Method to bring me out of Trouble; but how could I obtain it, when I was not permitted so much as to appear at Court? However, I thought it my Duty to leave no Stone unturn’d this Bout for obtaining such Permission, tho’ I had been deny’d it several times. I resolv’d to implore the Protection of the Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, who had always given me Proofs of his Kindness, as had also the Princesses his Sisters.
I went therefore to Dessau, which is but Six Leagues from Leipsick: At that time none were there but the Princesses, for the Prince had been absent several Days, and was not expected till the Night following: I wrote to Madame the Duchess of Radzivil, the Eldest of the Princesses, to desire that she would stand my Friend with the Prince her Brother: This Princess was so good as to send me one of her Officers to assure me
that she would do every thing in her Power to prevail on the Prince to protect me; and she even desir’d me to write a Letter to the Prince, which she promis’d me to deliver to him with her own Hands: I laid hold on the Princess’s kind Offer, sent her the Letter she desired of me, and as soon as the Prince was return’d, she had the Goodness to deliver it to him: I hop’d to carry all my Points after such a Recommendation; yet so far was I from seeing the Effect which I expected, that the Prince desir’d his Sister to engage me to make the best of my way out of Dessau, because if I staid there any longer, he should be oblig’d to put me under an Arrest: The Duchess, when she sent me this Message, was so kind as to sweeten it with one of the civillest Compliments that could be, and made me an Offer of Money, imagining, to be sure, that in the Condition I was in, I might have need of it: I most humbly thank’d her for all the Marks of Kindness with which she was pleas’d to honour me, and desir’d her to be assur’d, that I would that Instant pray Obedience to the Prince’s Orders: And indeed, as I knew that with this Prince Execution follow’d close at the Heels of his Menaces, I speedily made an Enquiry for a Coach to carry me to Barbi, which is the Residence of a Duke of Saxony of the Branch of Weissenfels, where I hop’d to meet with a Friend of mine, who was in that Prince’s Service; but ’twas impossible for me to find either Horse or Coach in all Dessau, for nobody would stir by reason of the Sacredness of the Day, it being the Fourth Sunday in Advent: Mean time, as I still dreaded the Prince’s Anger, I resolv’d to set out on Foot: I made a Man shoulder my Portmanteau, which was then all my Equipage, and went with
him to a little Town in the Duchy of Magdebourg, where I took a Chaise that carry’d me to Barbi.
I there found the Friend that I wanted, who receiv’d me as well as I could wish: This was the late Baron de Chalisac whom you knew; but he did not fail to chide me a little, for letting my Affairs run into such Confusion; and advis’d me to go to my Brother, and concert proper Measures with him for the Advantage of both of us: He also lent me 40 Crowns for my Journey: I spent the Christmas-Holidays with him, during which he heard, that my Brother was return’d to Zell: I was very glad of this News, and next Day after the Holidays I set out to meet him: I found him in a very good Humour with me: He convinc’d me, that I had Reason to suspect my Steward, and advis’d me at the same time to turn him off, and to take his in his Room, whom he knew to be honest: I gave him full Power to examine my Steward’s Accompts, and he made it out as clear as the Sun at Noon-day, that I had been bubbled: My Brother, in order to oblige me thoroughly, help’d me to some Money, and moreover, put my Affairs in such a State, that my Creditors might not only be satisfy’d in a little time, but I had something left over-and-above to subsist me.
My Affairs being thus settled, I had nothing to think of now but which way to steer my Course, to the end it might be said at least, that I had some sort of Business or other: I could have lik’d the Service well enough, but there was no War, nor none like to be very soon: Moreover, I had paid my Court with so little Success to different Sovereigns, that indeed I was under no Temptation to enter the Lists again: I might indeed
have return’d to Spain, where I had obtain’d an Employ, but what signify’d it, where the Salaries are not paid, and the Establishment obliges one to spend high? This Fluctuation of different Ideas puzzled me the more, because which way soever I look’d, I saw nothing but Difficulty, and not the least Glimpse of any other Condition that I could embrace: One Friend advis’d me to take Orders in the Church, which was a Proposition that I thought at first a little extraordinary; yet when I had seriously consider’d the Matter, I judg’d it would not be so wrong a Step as I imagin’d; that sooner or later I should not fail of having some Preferment: In a Word, a Number of temporal Motives gave Birth to a Project in my Mind, which ought only to have been the Effect of a Spiritual Call: I was advis’d first of all to make my Court to the Cardinal of Saxe, who was at Ratisbon: This Prince, who from a Lutheran turn’d Roman-Catholic, was very fond of new Converts.
I went therefore to find out his Eminency at Ratisbon: My Brother accompany’d me as far as Brunswick, where we stay’d some Days, after which he took Leave of me, and return’d to Zell; and I for my Part went to Barbi, to see the Baron de Chalisac to whom I gave an Account of the Settlement I had made with my Brother, and of my Resolution to think now of the main Chance: He was overjoy’d to find me in such a Disposition; and after I had spent a few Days with him, I proceeded to Zeitz, by the way of Leipsick.
You know that Zeitz is a Town which has always been the Appenage of a Branch of the Saxon Family: The last Duke that was in Possession
of it marry’d a Princess of Brandenbourg, Sister of our late King. That Duke chang’d his Religion twice towards the Close of his Life: The first time he turn’d Catholic, in Imitation of his Brother the Cardinal of Saxe; and the second time he return’d to the Lutheran Religion, in which he had been educated: As he left but one Daughter, who was marry’d to Prince William of Hesse-Cassel, his Dominions ought to have fallen to the Cardinal, and to one of his Nephews; but they being both of them Catholics, are disinherited by virtue of an Article of the Treaty of Westphalia: Mean time the King of Poland, who is a Catholic, seiz’d them, and continues Master of them, so that those Dominions are govern’d by a Regency, which receives its Orders from Dresden: The King of Poland made an Accommodation with the Cardinal and the young Prince, by giving each of them a Sum of Money, and engaging moreover to pay the late Duke’s Debts.