20th Oct. 3d Nov. 1760. "eloquence, shall ever induce me to sign my dishonour. "Either I will bury myself under the ruins of my "Country, or if that consolation appears too sweet to "the Destiny that persecutes me, I shall know how to put an end to my misfortunes when it is impossible "to bear them any longer. I have acted, and continue "to act, according to that interior voice of conscience "and of honour which directs all my steps: my conduct “shall be, in every time, conformable to those principles. "After having sacrificed my youth to my Father, my ripe years to my Country, I think I have acquired the right to dispose of my old age. I have told you, and "I repeat it, Never shall my hand sign a humiliating "Peace. Finish this Campaign I certainly will, resolved "to dare all, and to try the most desperate things either "to succeed or to find a glorious end (fin glorieuse)."3 Friedrich had marched from Lübben, after threedays settling of affairs, October 20th; arrived at Jessen, on the Elbe, within wind of Wittenberg, in two days more. 'He formed a small magazine at Düben,' says Archenholtz; and was of a velocity, a sharpness,'-like lightning, in a manner! Friedrich is uncommonly dangerous when crushed into a córner, in this way; and Daun knows that he is. Friedrich's maneuverings upon Daun-all readers can anticipate the general type of them. The studious military reader, if England boasts any such, will find punctual detail of them in Tempelhof and the German Books. For our poor objects, here is a Summary which may suffice: From Lübben, having winded up these bad businesses,-and reinforced Goltz, at Glogau, to a 20,000 for Silesia's sake, to look towards Kosel and Loudon's attempts there,-Friedrich gathered Euvres de Frédéric, xix. 202 ('Kemberg, 28th October 1760,' a week and a day before Torgau). 26th Oct. 1760. himself into proper concentration; and with all the strength now left to him, pushed forward (20th October) towards Wittenberg, and recovery of those lost Saxon Countries. To Wittenberg from Lübben is some 60 miles ;-can be done, nearly, in a couple of days. With the King, after Goltz is furnished, there are about 30,000; Eugen and Hülsen, not idle for their own part, wait in those far Western or Ultra-Wittenberg regions (in and beyond Dessau Country), to join him with their 14,000, when they get signal. Joined with these, he will be 44,000; he will then cross Elbe somewhere, probably not where Daun and the Reich imagine, and be in contact with his Problem; with what a pitch of willingness nobody need be told! Daun, in Torgau Country, has one of the best positions; nor is Daun a man for getting flurried. The poor Reichs Army, though it once flattered itself with intending to dispute Friedrich's passage of the Elbe, and did make some detachings and manoeuverings that way, on his approach to Wittenberg (October 22d-23d),—took a safer view, on his actual arrival there, on his re-seizure of that ruined place, and dangerous attitude on the right bank below and above. Safer view, on salutary second thoughts;—and fell back Leipzig-way, southward to Düben, 30 or 40 miles. Whence rapidly to Leipzig itself, 30 or 40 more, on his actually putting down his bridges over Elbe. Friedrich's crossing-place was Schanzhaus, in Dessau Country, between Roslau and Klikau, 12 or 15 miles below Wittenberg; about midway between Wittenberg and the inflow of the Mulda into Elbe.* He crossed, October 26th, no enemy within wind at all; Daun at Torgau in his inexpugnable Camp, Reichsfolk at Düben, making towards Leipzig at their best pace. And is now wholly between Elbe and Mulda; nothing but Mulda and the Anhalt Countries and the Halle Country now to rear of him. At Jonitz, next march southward, he finds the Eugen-Hülsen people ready. We said they had not been idle while waiting signal of which here is one pretty instance. Eugen's Brother, supreme Reigning Duke of Würtemberg,-whom we parted with at Fulda, last Winter, on sore terms; but who again, zealous * Map at p. 130 a. 29th Oct. 1760. creature, heads his own little Army in French-Austrian service, in still more eclipsed circumstances ("No subsidy at all, this Year, say your august Majesties? Well, I must do without: a volunteer; and shall need only what I can make by forced contributions!" which of course he is diligent to levy wherever possible), has latterly taken Halle Country in hand, very busy raising contributions there: and Eugen hears, not without interest, that certain regiments or detachments of his, pushed out, are lying here, there, superintending that salutary work,—within clutch, perhaps, of Kleist the Hussar! Eugen despatches Kleist upon him; who pounces with his usual fierce felicity upon these people. To such alarm of his poor Serenity and poor Army, that Serenity flies off homeward at once, and out of these Wars altogether; where he never had other than the reverse of business to be, and where he has played such a farce-tragedy for four years back. Eugen has been heard to speak,—theoretically, and in excited moments,-of "running such a fellow through the body, were one near him :" but it is actually Eugen in person that sends him home from these Wars: which may be counted a not unfraternal or unpatriotic procedure; being of indisputable benefit to the poor Sovereign man himself, and to everybody concerned with him. Hearing that Friedrich was across, Daun came westward that same day (October 26th), and planted himself at Eilenburg; concluding that the Reichsfolk would now be in jeopardy first of all. Which was partly the fact; and indeed this Daun movement rather accelerated the completion of it. Without this the Reichs Army might have lived another day. It had quitted Düben (which is well ahead of Eilenburg), and gone for Leipzig, at 1 in the morning, so soon as news could reach it, at the gallop, That Friedrich was across. And now Friedrich, seeing Daun out in this manner, judged that a junction was contemplated; and that one could not be too swift in preventing it. October 29th, with one diligent march, Friedrich posted himself at Düben; there, between Daun and the Reichsfolk, detached Hülsen with a considerable force to visit these latter in Leipzig itself; and began with all diligence forming a small Magazine in Düben,' Magdeburg and the current of the Elbe being hitherto 2d Nov. 1760. his only resource in that kind. By the time of Hülsen's return, this little operation will be well forward, and Daun will have declared himself a little. Hülsen, evening of October 30th, found Leipzig in considerable emotion, the Reichsfolk taking refuge in it: not the least inclined to stand a push, when Hülsen presented himself. Night of 30th-31st, there was summoning and menacing; Reich endeavouring to answer in firm style; but all the while industriously packing up to go. By 5 in the morning, things had come to extremity ;-morning, happily for some of us, was dark mist. But about 5 o'clock, Hülsen (or Hülsen's Second) coming on with menace of fire and sword upon these poor Reichspeople, found the Reichspeople wholly vanished in the mist. Gone bodily; in full march for the spurs of the Metal-Mountain Range again;-concluding, for the fourth time, an extremely contemptible Campaign. Daun, with the King ahead of him, made not the least attempt to help them in their Leipzig difficulty; but retired to his strong Camp at Torgau; feels his work to lie there,—as Friedrich perceives of him, with some interest. Hülsen left a little garrison in Leipzig (friend Quintus a part of it); and returned to the King; whose small Magazine at Düben, and other small affairs there, Magdeburg with boats, and the King with wagons, having been so diligent in carrying grain thither, are now about completed. From Daun's returning to Torgau, Friedrich infers that the cautious man has got Order from Court to maintain Torgau at all costs, to risk a battle rather than go. "Good: he shall have one!" thinks Friedrich. And, November 2d, in four columns, marches towards Torgau; to Schilda, that night, which is some seven miles on the southward side of Torgau. The King, himself in the vanguard as usual, has watched with eager questioning eye the courses of Daun's advanced parties, and by what routes --- 4 Tempelhof, iv. 290. 2d Nov. 1760. they retreat; discerns for certain that Daun has no views upon Düben or our little Magazine; and that the tug of wrestle for Torgau, which is to crown this Campaign into conquest of Saxony, or shatter it into zero like its foregoers on the Austrian part, and will be of deathor-life nature on the Prussian part, ought to ensue tomorrow. Forward, then! This Camp of Torgau is not a new place to Daun. It was Prince Henri's Camp, last Autumn; where Daun tried all his efforts to no purpose; and though hugely outnumbering the Prince, could make absolutely nothing of it. Nothing, or less; and was flowing back to Dresden and the Bohemian Frontier, uncheered by anything, till that comfortable Maxen Incident turned up. Daun well knows the strength of this position. Torgau and the Block of Hill to West, called Hill of Siptitz:Hülsen, too, stood here this Summer; not to mention Finck and Wunsch, and their beating the Reichspeople here. A Hill and Post of great strength; not unfamiliar to many Prussians, nor to Friedrich's studious considerations, though his knowledge of it was not personal on all points ;-as Tomorrow taught him, somewhat to his cost. 6 Tourists, from Weimar and the Thüringian Countries,' says a Notebook, sometimes useful to us, 'have most likely omitted 'Rossbach, in their screaming railway flight eastward; and 'done little in Leipzig but endeavour to eat dinner, and, still more vainly, to snatch a little sleep in the inhuman dormi'tories of the Country. Next morning, screaming Dresden'ward, they might, especially if military, pause at Oschatz, a stage or two before Meissen, where again are objects of inte6 rest. You can look at Hubertsburg, if given that way,-a 'Royal Schloss, memorable on several grounds;-at Huberts |