ABSTRACT
The family, who had been driven thus precipitately from the castle of Rosenheim, had no sooner been safely settled at Coblentz, than the Baroness sent off a messenger to Vienna to acquaint her husband of their being in a place of security, and to ask his future directions. The messenger returned in the due course of time, with a letter from the Baron de Rosenheim, in which he expressed his satisfaction that his family were in safety, after so many perils, and assured them that he would soon be with them. He added, ‘I am almost afraid to enquire whether, under such circumstances of haste and terror, you thought of those papers and deeds that were in a closet in the wall near the chapel, of which Heurthofen ought to have, and I hope has, taken care. He knew they were there, and he knows the infinite consequence they are to me, and still more to my daughter: they are indeed so material, that it would be a less loss to me to have Rosenheim destroyed than to lose them: hers and her childrens succession to a great part of my property, depends on those deeds. I had so little idea of any inroad from the French patriots when I left Rosenheim, that I gave no charge about them; but I sent you the key of the iron-door which secures them, and a charge to you to take care of them, by the messenger who was, I find, robbed on his way back: a circumstance that, together with your not naming them among the effects you carried with you to Coblentz, makes me very apprehensive that these very material deeds may have been forgotten; – but even then, as it could answer no purpose to the banditti, who have perhaps plundered my house, to take or to destroy such things; as the small iron-door is very little observable, and could not but with great difficulty be opened, there is such a chance of my recovering these parchments, that, if they have unfortunately been forgot, I entreat that some of the servants who know the place may be sent back to attempt to regain them. If, as I have reason to believe, there is a French garrison at Rosenheim, I should not hesitate to write to the commander; or even to offer money for leave to take away those papers, which they cannot make the least use of. Not a moment is to be lost in attempting to recover them, should my apprehensions of their having been neglected be well grounded; 150and I entreat you to exert yourself in doing so; and that you will remember how very much depends upon it. It is very distressing, that my private and public duties are at this moment so incompatible, that when you most want me, I cannot be with you.’
