If it had not been for the Revolution my letter would never have seen the light.  When the Bastille was destroyed, my letter was found and printed with other curious compositions, which were afterwards translated into German and English.  The ignorant fools that abound in the land where my fate wills that I should write down the chief events of my long and troublous life—­these fools, I say, who are naturally my sworn foes (for the ass lies not down with the horse), make this letter an article of accusation against me, and think they can stop my mouth by telling me that the letter has been translated into German, and remains to my eternal shame.  The ignorant Bohemians are astonished when I tell them that I regard the letter as redounding to my glory, and that if their ears were not quite so long their blame would be turned into praise.

I do not know whether my letter has been correctly translated, but since it has become public property I shall set it down here in homage to truth, the only god I adore.  I have before me an exact copy of the original written in Augsburg in the year 1767, and we are now in the year 1798.

It runs as follows: 

“My lord,—­I hope your highness will either burn this letter after reading it, or else preserve it with the greatest care.  It will be better, however, to make a copy in cypher, and to burn the original.  My attachment to you is not my only motive in writing; I confess my interest is equally concerned.  Allow me to say that I do not wish your highness to esteem me alone for any qualities you may have observed in me; I wish you to become my debtor by the inestimable secret I am going to confide to you.  This secret relates to the making of gold, the only thing of which your highness stands in need.  If you had been miserly by nature you would be rich now; but you are generous, and will be poor all your days if you do not make use of my secret.

“Your highness told me at Riga that you would like me to give you the secret by which I transmuted iron into copper; I never did so, but now I shall teach you how to make a much more marvellous transmutation.  I should point out to you, however, that you are not at present in a suitable place for the operation, although all the materials are easily procurable.  The operation necessitates my presence for the construction of a furnace, and for the great care necessary, far the least mistake will spoil all.  The transmutation of Mars is an easy and merely mechanical process, but that of gold is philosophical in the highest degree.  The gold produced will be equal to that used in the Venetian sequins.  You must reflect, my lord, that I am giving you information which will permit you to dispense with me, and you must also reflect that I am confiding to you my life and my liberty.