66

17th-27th Aug. 1760.

66 come all the difficulties which I still see ahead. And one is "growing weak withal. 'Herculean' labours to accomplish at "an age when my powers are forsaking me, my weaknesses increasing, and, to speak candidly, even hope, the one comfort of "the unhappy, begins to be wanting. You are not enough ac66 quainted with the posture of things, to know all the dangers "that threaten the State: I know them, and conceal them; I keep "all the fears to myself, and communicate to the Public only the "hopes, and the trifle of good news I may now and then have. "If the stroke I am meditating succeed" (stroke on Daun's Anti-Schweidnitz strategies, of which anon), "then, my dear "Marquis, it will be time to expand one's joy; but till then, let us not flatter ourselves, lest some unexpected bit of bad news depress us too much.

66

"I live here" (Schloss of Hermannsdorf, a 7 miles west of Breslau) "like a Military Monk of La Trappe: endless busi❝nesses, and these done, a little consolation from my Books. I "know not if I shall outlive this War: but should it so happen, "I am firmly resolved to pass the remainder of my life in soli"tude, in the bosom of Philosophy and Friendship. When the "roads are surer, perhaps you will write me oftener. I know "not where our winter-quarters this time are to be! My House "in Breslau is burnt down in the Bombardment" (Loudon's, three weeks ago). "Our enemies grudge us everything, even daylight, and air to breathe: some nook, however, they must "leave us; and if it be a safe one, it will be a true pleasure to "have you again with me.

"Well, my dear Marquis, what has become of the Peace with "France" (English Peace)! "Your Nation, you see, is blinder "than you thought: those fools will lose their Canada and Pon"dichery, to please the Queen of Hungary and the Czarina. "Heaven grant Prince Ferdinand may pay them for their zeal! "And it will be the innocent that suffer, the poor officers and "soldiers, not the Choiseuls and❞— * "But here is business "come on me. Adieu, dear Marquis; I embrace you.-F."21

*

Two Events, of opposite complexion, a Russian and a Saxon, Friedrich had heard of while at Hermannsdorf, 21 Euvres de Frédéric, xix. 191.

17th-27th Aug. 1760.

before writing as above. The Saxon Event is the pleasant one, and comes first:

Hülsen on the Dürrenberg, August 20th. August 20th, at 'Strehla, in that Schlettau-Meissen Country, the Reichsfolk ' and Austrians made attack on Hülsen's Posts, principal Post ' of them the Dürrenberg (Dry-Hill) there,—in a most exten'sive manner; filling the whole region with vague artillery'thunder, and endless charges, here, there, of foot and horse; ' which all issued in zero and minus quantities; Hülsen standing beautifully to his work, and Hussar Kleist especially, at one 'point, cutting in with masterly execution, which proved general 'overthrow to the Reichs Project; and left Hülsen master of 'the field and of his Dürrenberg, plus 1,217 prisoners and one 'Prince among them, and one cannon: a Hülsen who has ' actually given a kind of beating to the Reichsfolk and Austrians, though they were 30,000 to his 10,000, and had counted 'on making a new Maxen of it.'22 Friedrich writes a glad laudatory Letter to Hülsen: "Right, so; give them more of that when they apply next!"23

This is a bit of sunshine to the Royal mind, dark enough otherwise. Had Friedrich got done here, right fast would he fly to the relief of Hülsen, and recovery of Saxony. Hope, in good moments, says, "Hülsen will be able to hold out till then!" Fear answers, "No, he cannot, unless you get done here extremely soon!"-The Russian Event, full of painful anxiety to Friedrich, was a new Siege of Colberg. That is the sad fact; which, since the middle of August, has been becoming visibly certain.

Second Siege of Colberg, August 26th. 'Under siege again, 6 that poor Place; and this time the Russians seem to have made ' a vow that take it they will. Siege by land and by sea; land'troops direct from Petersburg, 15,000 in all (8,000 of them 6 came by ship), with endless artillery; and near 40 Russian and

≈ Archenholtz, ii. 114; Bericht von der am 20 August 1760 bey Strehla vorgefallenen Action (Seyfarth, Beylagen, ii. 703-719).

2 Letter in Schöning, ii. 396, Hermsdorf' (Hermannsdorf), '27th August 1760.'

17th-27th Aug. 1760. Swedish ships-of-war, big and little, blackening the waters of poor Colberg. August 26th' (the day before Friedrich's writing as above), 'they have got all things adjusted,—the land'troops covered by redoubts to rearward, ships moored in their 'battering-places;—and begin such a bombardment and firing of redhot balls, upon Colberg, as was rarely seen. To which, one can only hope old Heyde will set a face of gray-steel character, as usual; and prove a difficult article to deal with, till one get some relief contrived for him."

.6

724

24 Archenholtz, ii. 116: in Helden-Geschichte (vi. 73-83), ' Tagebuch of Siege, 26th August-18th September,' and other details.

CHAPTER IV.

DAUN IN WRESTLE WITH FRIEDRICH IN THE SILESIAN

HILLS.

No

In spite of Friedrich's forebodings, an extraordinary recoil, in all Anti-Friedrich affairs, ensued upon Liegnitz; everything taking the backward course, from which it hardly recovered, or indeed did not recover at all, during the rest of this Campaign. Details on the subsequent Daun-Friedrich movements,-which went all aback for Daun, Daun driven into the Hills again, Friedrich hope•ful to cut off his bread, and drive him quite through the Hills, and home again, are not permitted us. human intellect in our day could busy itself with understanding these thousandfold marchings, manœuverings, assaults, surprisals, sudden facings about (retreat changed to advance); nor could the powerfullest human memory, not exclusively devoted to study the Art Military under Friedrich, remember them when understood. For soldiers, desirous not to be sham-soldiers, they are a recommendable exercise; for them I do advise Tempelhof and the excellent German Narratives and Records. But in regard to others—A sample has been given: multiply that by the ten, by the three-score and ten; let the ingenuous imagination get from it what will suffice. Our first duty here to poor readers, is to elicit from that sea of small things the fractions which are cardinal, or which give human physiognomy and memorability to it; and carefully suppress all the rest.

30th Aug.-18th Sept. 1760. Understand, then, that there is a general goingback on the Austrian and Russian part. Czernichef we already saw at once retire over the Oder. Soltikof bodily, the second day after, deaf to Montalembert, lifts himself to rearward; takes post behind bogs and bushy grounds more and more inaccessible;1 followed by Prince Henri with his best impressiveness for a week longer, till he seem sufficiently remote and peaceablyminded: "Making home for Poland, he," thinks the sanguine King; "leave Goltz with 12,000 to watch him. The rest of the Army over hither!" Which is done, August 27th; General Forcade taking charge, instead of Henri,-who is gone, that day or next, to Breslau, for his health's sake. "Prince Henri really ill," say some; "Not so ill, but in the sulks," say others :-partly true, both theories, it is now thought; impossible to settle in what degree true. Evident it is, Henri sat quiescent in Breslau, following regimen, in more or less pathetic humour, for two or three months to come; went afterwards to Glogau, and had private theatricals; and was no more heard of in this Campaign. Greatly to his Brother's loss and regret; who is often longing for "your recovery" (and return hither), to no purpose.

Soltikof does, in his heart, intend for Poland; but has to see the Siege of Colberg finish first; and, in decency even to the Austrians, would linger a little : "Willing I always, if only you prove feasible!" Which occasions such negotiating, and messaging across the Oder, for the next six weeks, as-as shall be omitted in this place. By intense suasion of Montalembert, Soltikof even consents to undertake some sham movement on Glogau, thereby to alleviate his Austrians across the ''August 18th, to Trebnitz, on the road to Militsch' (Tempelhof, iv. 167).