the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第7章

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rprise；　and　worked　him　quite　into　gentleness　and　obedience　with　the　best　display　of　horsemanship　I　was　master　of。　Fully　to　show　this　to　the　ladies；　and　save　them　unnecessary　trouble；　I　forced　him　to　leap　in　at　one　of　the　open　windows　of　the　tea…room；　walked　round　several　times；　pace；　trot；　and　gallop；　and　at　last　made　him　mount　the　tea…table；　there　to　repeat　his　lessons　in　a　pretty　style　of　miniature　which　was　exceedingly　pleasing　to　the　ladies；　for　he　performed　them　amazingly　well；　and　did　not　break　either　cup　or　saucer。　It　placed　me　so　high　in　their　opinion；　and　so　well　in　that　of　the　noble　lord；　that；　with　his　usual　politeness；　he　begged　I　would　accept　of　this　young　horse；　and　ride　him　full　career　to　conquest　and　honour　in　the　campaign　against　the　Turks；　which　was　soon　to　be　opened；　under　the　command　of　Count　Munich。

I　could　not　indeed　have　received　a　more　agreeable　present；　nor　a　more　ominous　one　at　the　opening　of　that　campaign；　in　which　I　made　my　apprenticeship　as　a　soldier。　A　horse　so　gentle；　so　spirited；　and　so　fierceat　once　a　lamb　and　a　Bucephalus；　put　me　always　in　mind　of　the　soldier's　and　the　gentleman's　duty！　of　young　Alexander；　and　of　the　astonishing　things　he　performed　in　the　field。

We　took　the　field；　among　several　other　reasons；　it　seems；　with　an　intention　to　retrieve　the　character　of　the　Russian　arms；　which　had　been　blemished　a　little　by　Czar　Peter's　last　campaign　on　the　Pruth；　and　this　we　fully　accomplished　by　several　very　fatiguing　and　glorious　campaigns　under　the　command　of　that　great　general　I　mentioned　before。

Modesty　forbids　individuals　to　arrogate　to　themselves　great　successes　or　victories；　the　glory　of　which　is　generally　engrossed　by　the　commandernay；　which　is　rather　awkward；　by　kings　and　queens　who　never　smelt　gunpowder　but　at　the　field…days　and　reviews　of　their　troops；　never　saw　a　field　of　battle；　or　an　enemy　in　battle　array。

Nor　do　I　claim　any　particular　share　of　glory　in　the　great　engagements　with　the　enemy。　We　all　did　our　duty；　which；　in　the　patriot's；　soldier's；　and　gentleman's　language；　is　a　very　comprehensive　word；　of　great　honour；　meaning；　and　import；　and　of　which　the　generality　of　idle　quidnuncs　and　coffee…house　politicians　can　hardly　form　any　but　a　very　mean　and　contemptible　idea。　However；　having　had　the　command　of　a　body　of　hussars；　I　went　upon　several　expeditions；　with　discretionary　powers；　and　the　success　I　then　met　with　is；　I　think；　fairly　and　only　to　be　placed　to　my　account；　and　to　that　of　the　brave　fellows　whom　I　led　on　to　conquest　and　to　victory。　We　had　very　hot　work　once　in　the　van　of　the　army；　when　we　drove　the　Turks　into　Oczakow。　My　spirited　Lithuanian　had　almost　brought　me　into　a　scrape：　I　had　an　advanced　fore…post；　and　saw　the　enemy　coming　against　me　in　a　cloud　of　dust；　which　left　me　rather　uncertain　about　their　actual　numbers　and　real　intentions：　to　wrap　myself　up　in　a　similar　cloud　was　common　prudence；　but　would　not　have　much　advanced　my　knowledge；　or　answered　the　end　for　which　I　had　been　sent　out；　therefore　I　let　my　flankers　on　both　wings　spread　to　the　right　and　left　and　make　what　dust　they　could；　and　I　myself　led　on　straight　upon　the　enemy；　to　have　nearer　sight　of　them：　in　this　I　was　gratified；　for　they　stood　and　fought；　till；　for　fear　of　my　flankers；　they　began　to　move　off　rather　disorderly。　This　was　the　moment　to　fall　upon　them　with　spirit；　we　broke　them　entirelymade　a　terrible　havoc　amongst　them；　and　drove　them　not　only　back　to　a　walled　town　in　their　rear；　but　even　through　it；　contrary　to　our　most　sanguine　expectation。

The　swiftness　of　my　Lithuanian　enabled　me　to　be　foremost　in　the　pursuit；　and　seeing　the　enemy　fairly　flying　through　the　opposite　gate；　I　thought　it　would　be　prudent　to　stop　in　the　market…place；　to　order　the　men　to　rendezvous。　I　stopped；　gentlemen；　but　judge　of　my　astonishment　when　in　this　market…place　I　saw　not　one　of　my　hussars　about　me！　Are　they　scouring　the　other　streets？　or　what　is　become　of　them？　They　could　not　be　far　off；　and　must；　at　all　events；　soon　join　me。　In　that　expectation　I　walked　my　panting　Lithuanian　to　a　spring　in　this　market…place；　and　let　him　drink。　He　drank　uncommonly；　with　an　eagerness　not　to　be　satisfied；　but　natural　enough；　for　when　I　looked　round　for　my　men；　what　should　I　see；　gentlemen！　the　hind　part　of　the　poor　creaturecroup　and　legs　were　missing；　as　if　he　had　been　cut　in　two；　and　the　water　ran　out　as　it　came　in；　without　refreshing　or　doing　him　any　good！　How　it　could　have　happened　was　quite　a　mystery　to　me；　till　I　returned　with　him　to　the　town…gate。　There　I　saw；　that　when　I　rushed　in　pell…mell　with　the　flying　enemy；　they　had　dropped　the　portcullis　（a　heavy　falling　door；　with　sharp　spikes　at　the　bottom；　let　down　suddenly　to　prevent　the　entrance　of　an　enemy　into　a　fortified　town）　unperceived　by　me；　which　had　totally　cut　off　his　hind　part；　that　still　lay　quivering　on　the　outside　of　the　gate。　It　would　have　been　an　irreparable　loss；　had　not　our　farrier　contrived　to　bring　both　parts　together　while　hot。　He　sewed　them　up　with　sprigs　and　young　shoots　of　laurels　that　were　at　hand；　the　wound　healed；　and；　what　could　not　have　happened　but　to　so　glorious　a　horse；　the　sprigs　took　root　in　his　body；　grew　up；　and　formed　a　bower　over　me；　so　that　afterwards　I　could　go　upon　many　other　expeditions　in　the　shade　of　my　own　and　my　horse's　laurels。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VI

　　/The　Baron　is　made　a　prisoner　of　war；　and　sold　for　a　slaveKeeps　　　the　Sultan's　bees；　which　are　attacked　by　two　bearsLoses　one　of　　　his　bees；　a　silver　hatchet；　which　he　throws　at　the　bears；　rebounds　　　and　flies　up　to　the　moon；　brings　it　back　by　an　ingenious　　　invention；　falls　to　the　earth　on　his　return；　and　helps　himself　out　　　of　a　pitExtricates　himself　from　a　carriage　which　meets　his　in　a　　　narrow　road；　in　a　manner　never　before　attempted　nor　practised　　　sinceThe　wonderful　effects　of　the　frost　upon　his　servant's　　　French　horn。/

I　was　not　always　successful。　I　had　the　misfortune　to　be　overpowered　by　numbers；　to　be　made　prisoner　of　war；　and；　what　is　worse；　but　always　usual　among　the　Turks；　to　be　sold　for　a　slave。　＇The　Baron　was　afterwards　in　great　favour　with　the　Grand　Seignior；　as　will　appear　hereafter。＇　In　that　state　of　humiliation　my　daily　task　was　not　very　hard　and　laborious；　but　rather　singular　and　irksome。　It　was　to　drive　the　Sultan's　bees　every　morning　to　their　pasture…grounds；　to　attend　them　all　the　day　long；　and　against　night　to　drive　them　back　to　their　hives。　One　evening　I　missed　a　bee；　and　soon　observed　that　two　bears　had　fallen　upon　her　to　tear　her　to　pieces　for　the　honey　she　carried。　I　had　nothing　like　an　offensive　weapon　in　my　hands　but　the　silver　hatchet；　which　is　the　badge　of　the　Sultan's　gardeners　and　farmers。　I　threw　it　at　the　robbers；　with　an　intention　to　frighten　them　away；　and　set　the　poor　bee　at　liberty；　but；　by　an　unlucky　turn　of　my　arm；　it　flew　upwards；　and　continued　rising　till　it　reached　the　moon。　How　should　I　recover　it？　how　fetch　it　down　again？　I　recollected　that　Turkey…beans　grow　very　quick；　and　run　up　to　an　astonishing　height。　I　planted　one　immediately；　it　grew；　and　actually　fastened　itself　to　one　of　the　moon's　horns。　I　had　no　more　to　do　now　but　to　climb　up　by　it　into　the　moon；　where　I　safely　arrived；　and　had　a　troublesome　piece　of　business　before　I　could　find　my　silver　hatchet；　in　a　place　where　everything　has　the　brightness　of　silver；　at　last；　however；　I　found　it　in　a　heap　of　chaff　and　chopped　straw。　I　was　now　for　returning：　but；　alas！　the　heat　of　the　sun　had　dried　up　my　bean；　it　was　totally　useless　for　my　descent：　so　I　fell　to　work；　and　twisted　me　a　rope　of　that　chopped　straw；　as　long　and　as　well　as　I　could　make　it。　This　I　fastened　to　one　of　the　moon's　horns；　and　slid　down　to　the　end　of　it。　Here　I　held　myself　fast　with　the　left　hand；　and　with　the　hatchet　in　my　right；　I　cut　the　long；　now　useless　end　of　the　upper　part；　which；　when　tied　to　the　lower　end；　brought　me　a　good　deal　lower：　this　repeated　splicing　and　tying　of　the　rope　did　not　improve　its　quality；　or　bring　me　down　to　the　Sultan's　farm。　I　was　four　or　five　miles　from　the　earth　at　least　when　it　broke；　I　fell　to　the　ground　with　such　amazing　violence；　that　I　found　myself　stunned；　and　in　a　hole　nine　fathoms　deep　at　least；　made　by　the　weight　of　my　body　falling　from　so　great　a　height：　I　recovered；　but　knew　not　how　to　get　out　again；　however；　I　dug　slopes　or　steps　with　my　finger…nails　＇the　Baron's　nails　were　then　of　forty　years'　growth＇；　and　easily　accomplished　it。

Peace　was　soon　after　concluded　with　the　Turks；　and　gaining　my　liberty；　I　left　St。　Petersburg　at　the　time　of　that　singular　revolution；　when　the　emperor　in　his　cradle；　his　mother；　the　Duke　of　Brunswick；　her　father；　Field…Marshal　Munich；　and　many　others　were　sent　to　Siberia。　The　winter　was　then　so　uncommonly　severe　all　over　Europe；　that　ever　since　the　sun　seems　to　be　frost…bitten。　At　my　return　to　this　place；　I　felt　on　the　road　greater　inconveniences　than　those　I　had　experienced　on　my　setting　out。

I　travelled　post；　and　finding　myself　in　a　narrow　lane；　bid　the　postillion　give　a　signal　with　his　horn；　that　other　travellers　might　not　meet　us　in　the　narrow　passage。　He　blew　with　all　his　might；　but　his　endeavours　were　in　vain；　he　could　not　make　the　horn　sound；　which　was　unaccountable；　and　rather　unfortunate；　for　soon　after　we　found　ourselves　in　the　presence　of　another　coach　coming　the　other　way：　there　was　no　proceeding；　however；　I　got　out　of　my　carriage；　and　being　pretty　strong；　placed　it；　wheels　and　all；　upon　my　head：　I　then　jumped　over　a　hedge　about　nine　feet　high　（which；　considering　the　weight　of　the　coach；　was　rather　difficult）　into　a　field；　and　came　out　again　by　another　jump　into　the　road　beyond　the　other　carriage：　I　then　went　back　for　the　horses；　and　placing　one　upon　my　head；　and　the　other　under　my　left　arm；　by　the　same　means　brought　them　to　my　coach；　put　to；　and　proceeded　to　an　inn　at　the　end　of　our　stage。　I　should　have　told　you　that　the　horse　under　my　arm　was　very　spirited；　and　not　above　four　years　old；　in　making　my　second　spring　over　the　hedge；　he　expressed　great　dislike　to　that　violent　kind　of　motion　by　kicking　and　snorting；　however；　I　confined　his　hind　legs　by　putting　them　into　my　coat…pocket。　After　we　arrived　at　the　inn　my　postillion　and　I　refreshed　ourselves：　he　hung　his　horn　on　a　peg　near　the　kitchen　fire；　I　sat　on　the　other　side。

Suddenly　we　heard　a　/tereng！　tereng！　teng！　teng！/　We　looked　round；　and　now　found　the　reason　why　the　postillion　had　not　been　able　to　sound　his　horn；　his　tunes　were　frozen　up　in　the　horn；　and　came　out　now　by　thawing；　plain　enough；　and　much　to　the　credit　of　the　driver；　so　that　the　honest　fellow　entertained　us　for　some　time　with　a　variety　of　tunes；　without　putting　his　mouth　to　the　horn〃The　King　of　Prussia's　March；〃　〃Over　the　Hill　and　over　the　Dale；〃　with　many　other　favourite　tunes；　at　length　the　thawing　entertainment　concluded；　as　I　shall　this　short　account　of　my　Russian　travels。

/Some　travellers　are　apt　to　advance　more　than　is　perhaps　strictly　true；　if　any　of　the　company　entertain　a　doubt　of　my　veracity；　I　shall　only　say　to　such；　I　pity　their　want　of　faith；　and　must　request　they　will　take　leave　before　I　begin　the　second　part　of　my　adventures；　which　are　as　strictly　founded　in　fact　as　those　I　have　already　related。/



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VII

　　/The　Baron　relates　his　advent