2d-8th July 1760. 'not an over-fond Mother, but a sufficiently Spartan one, to her 'Sons. There dropt down, in the march that day, 105 Prussian 'men, who never rose again. And as to intercepting Daun by such velocity,-Daun too is on march; gone to Görlitz, at 'almost a faster pace, if at a far heavier,-like a cart-horse on 'gallop; faring still worse in the heat: "200 of Daun's men "died on the road this day, and 300 more were invalided for "life."

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"15

'Before reaching the Spree, Friedrich, who is in the Van'guard, hears of this Görlitz March, and that the bird is flown. 'For which he has, therefore, to devise straightway a new expe'dient: "Wheel to the right; cross Spree farther down, holding 'towards Bautzen itself," orders Friedrich. And settles within 'two miles of Bautzen; his left being at Doberschütz,—on the strong ground he held after Hochkirch, while Daun, two years ago, sat watching so quiescent. Daun knows what kind of 'march these Prussians, blocked out from relief of Neisse, stole on him then, and saved their Silesia, in spite of his watching and blocking;—and has plunged off, in the manner of a cart'horse scared into galloping, to avoid the like.' What a Sabbathday's journey, on both sides, for those Sons of War! Nothing in the Roman times, though they had less baggage, comes up to such modern marching: nor is this the fastest of Friedrich's, though of Daun's it unspeakably is. Friedrich, having missed 'Daun, is thinking now to whirl round, and go into Lacy,— 'which will certainly bring Daun back, even better.

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'This evening, accordingly, Ziethen occupies Bautzen; sweeps 'out certain Lacy precursors, cavalry in some strength, who are 'there. Lacy has come on as far as Bischofswerda: and his 'Horse-people seem to be wide ahead; provokingly pert upon 'Friedrich's outposts, who determines to chastise them, the first 'thing tomorrow. Tomorrow, as is very needful, is to be a rest'day otherwise. For Friedrich's wearied people, a rest-day; not 'at all for Daun's, who continues his heavy-footed galloping yet another day, and another, till he get across the Queiss, and ' actually reach Silesia.

Tempelhof, iv. 58; Archenholtz, ii. 68; Mitchell, ii. 166.

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7th July 1760. Monday, July 7th. 'Rest-day, accordingly, in Bautzen neigh'bourhood; nothing passing but a curious Skirmish of Horse,in which Friedrich, who had gone westward reconnoitering, seeking Lacy, had the main share, and was notably situated 'for some time. Gödau, a small town or village, six miles west of Bautzen, was the scene of this notable passage: actors in it were Friedrich himself, on the Prussian part; and, on the Austrian, by degrees Lacy's Cavalry almost in whole. Lacy's Cavalry, what Friedrich does not know, are all in those neigh'bourhoods: and no sooner is Gödau swept clear of them, than they return in greater numbers, needing to be again swept; and, in fact, they gradually gather in upon him, in a singular and dangerous manner, after his first successes on them, and 'before his Infantry have time to get up and support.

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'Friedrich was too impatient, in this provoking little haggle, arresting him here. He had ordered on the suitable Battalion with cannon; but hardly considers that the Battalion itself is 'six miles off,-not to speak of the Order, which is galloping on 'horseback, not going by electricity:-the impatient Friedrich had slashed in at once upon Gödau, taken above 100 prisoners; 'but is astonished to see the slashed people return, with Saxon'Dragoon regiments, all manner of regiments, reinforcing them. And has some really dangerous fencing there;-issuing in dangerous and curious pause of both parties; who stand drawn up, scarcely beyond pistol-shot, and gazing into one another, for I 'know not how many minutes; neither of them daring to move off, lest, on the instant of turning, it be charged and overwhelmed. As the impatient Friedrich, at last, almost was,— had not his Infantry just then got in, and given their cannonsalvo. He lost about 200, the Lacy people hardly so many; and is now out of a considerable personal jeopardy, which is 'still celebrated in the Anecdote-Books, perhaps to a mythical "extent. "Two Uhlans" (Saxon-Polish Light-Horse) "with "their truculent pikes, are just plunging in," say the AnecdoteBooks: "Friedrich's Page, who had got unhorsed, sprang to his "feet, bellowed in Polish to them: What are you doing here, "fellows?" "Excellenz' (for the Page is not in Prussian uni"form, or in uniform at all, only well-dressed), 'Excellenz, our

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8th July 1760. "horses ran away with us,' answer the poor fellows; and whirl "back rapidly." The story, says Retzow, is true.16

This is the one event of July 7th,-and of July 8th withal; which day also, on news of Daun that come, Friedrich rests. Up to July 8th, it is clear Friedrich is shooting with what we called the first string of his bow,-intent, namely, on Silesia. Nor, on hearing that Daun is forward again, now hopelessly ahead, does he quit that enterprise; but, on the contrary, tomorrow morning, July 9th, tries it by a new method, as we shall see: method cunningly devised to suit the second string as well. “How lucky that we have a second string, in case of failure!”—

Tuesday, 8th July. 'News that Daun reached Görlitz yester'night; and is due tonight at Lauban, fifty miles ahead of us: -no hope now of reaching Daun. Perhaps a sudden clutch at Lacy, in the opposite direction, might be the method of 'recalling Daun, and reaching him? That is the method fallen

' upon.

Sun being set, the drums in Bautzen sound tattoo,-audible 'to listening Croats in the Environs;-beat tattoo, and, later in 'the night, other passages of drum-music, also for Croat behoof (general-march I think it is); indicating That we have started ' again, in pursuit of Daun. And, in short, every precaution being taken to soothe the mind of Lacy and the Croats, Fried'rich silently issues, with his best speed, in Three columns, by 'Three roads, towards Lacy's quarters, which go from that village of Gödau westward, in a loose way, several miles. In 'three columns, by three routes, all to converge, with punctu 'ality, on Lacy. Of the columns, two are of Infantry, the 'leftmost and the rightmost, on each hand, hidden as much as 'possible; one is of Cavalry in the middle. Coming on in this ‘manner—like a pair of triple-pincers, which are to grip simul'taneously on Lacy, and astonish him, if he keep quiet. But 'Lacy is vigilant, and is cautious almost in excess. Learning by 'his Pandours that the King seems to be coming this way, Lacy 'gathers himself on the instant; quits Gödau, by one in the 'morning; and retreats bodily, at his fastest step, to Bischofs'werda again; nor by any means stops there."17

15 Retzow, ii. 215.

Tempelhof, iv. 61-63.

10th July 1760.

For the third time! "Three is lucky," Friedrich may have thought: and there has no precaution, of drummusic, of secrecy or persuasive finesse, been neglected on Lacy. But Lacy has ears that hear the grass grow: our elaborately accurate triple-pincers, closing simultaneously on Bischofswerda, after eighteen miles of sweep, find Lacy flown again; nothing to be caught of him but some 80 hussars. All this day and all next night, Lacy is scouring through the western parts at an extraor dinary rate; halting for a camp, twice over, at different places,-Dürre Fuchs (Thirsty Fox), Dürre Bühle (Thirsty Sweetheart), or wherever it was; then again taking wing, on sound of Prussian parties to rear; in short, hurrying towards Dresden and the Reichsfolk, as if for life.

Lacy's retreat, I hear, was ingeniously done, with a minimum of disorder in the circumstances: but certainly it was with a velocity as if his head had been on fire; and, indeed, they say he escaped annihilation by being off in time. He put up finally, not at Thirsty Sweetheart, still less at Thirsty Fox, successive Hamlets and Public Houses in the sandy Wilderness which lies to north of Elbe, and is called Dresden Heath; but further on, in the same Tract, at Weisse Hirsch (White Hart); which looks close over upon Dresden, within two miles or so; and is a kind of Height, and military post of advantage. Next morning, July 10th, he crosses Dresden Bridge, comes streaming through the City; and takes shelter with the Reichsfolk near there:-towards Plauen Chasm; the strongest ground in the world; hardly strong enough, it appears, in the present emergency.

Friedrich's first string, therefore, has snapt in two; but, on the instant, he has a second fitted on:-may that prove luckier!

CHAPTER II.

FRIEDRICH BESIEGES DRESDEN.

FROM and after the Evening of Wednesday July 9th, it is upon a Siege of Dresden that Friedrich goes;-turning the whole war-theatre topsy-turvy; throwing Daun, Loudon, Lacy, everybody out, in this strange and sudden manner. One of the finest military feats ever done, thinks Tempelhof. Undoubtedly a notable result so far, and notably done; as the impartial reader (if Tempelhof be a little inconsistent) sees for himself. These truly are a wonderful series of marches, opulent in continual promptitudes, audacities, contrivances;-done with shining talent, certainly; and also with result shining, for the moment. And in a Fabulous Epic I think Dresden would certainly have fallen to Friedrich, and his crowd of enemies been left in a tumbled condition.

But the Epic of Reality cares nothing for such considerations; and the time allowable for capture of Dresden is very brief. Had Daun, on getting warning, been as prompt to return as he was to go, frankly fronting at once the chances of the road, he might have been at Dresden again perhaps within a week,-no Siege possible for Friedrich, hardly the big guns got up from Magdeburg. But Friedrich calculated there would be very considerable fettling and haggling on Daun's part; say a good Fortnight of Siege allowed;-and that, by