30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761. 'their guesses the surrounding phenomena, to little purpose. 'At night he sent out patrols; kept sputtering with musketry ' and an occasional cannon into the vacant darkness (“We are 'alert, you see, Herr Loudon !"). In a word, took what measures 'he could, poor man;-very stupid measures, thinks Tempelhof, ' and almost worse than none, especially this of sputtering with musketry;—and hoped always there would be no Attack, or none to speak of. Till, in fine, between 2 and 3 in the morn'ing, his patrols gallop in, "Austrians on march!" and Zastrow, 'throwing out a rocket or two, descries in momentary illumination 'that the Fact is verily here.

'His defence (four of the Five several Forts attacked at once) was of a confused character; but better than could have 'been expected. Loudon's Columns came on with extraordinary vigour and condensed impetuosity; stormed the Out'works everywhere, and almost at once got into the shelter of 'the Covered-way: but on the Main Wall, or in the scaling 'part of their business, were repulsed, in some places twice or 'thrice; and had a murderous struggle, of very chaotic nature, in the dark element. No picture of it in the least possible or 'needful here. In one place, a Powder-Magazine blew up with about 400 of them,-blown (said rumour, with no certainty) 'by an indignant Prussian artillery-man to whom they had re'fused quarter: in another place, the 800 Russian Grenadiers 'came unexpectedly upon a chasm or bridgeless interstice be'tween two ramparts; and had to halt suddenly, till (says rumour again, with still less certainty) their Officers insisting 'with the rearward part, "Forward, forward!" enough of 'front men were tumbled in to make a roadway! This was 'the story current ;6 greatly exaggerated, I have no doubt. 'What we know is, That these Russians did scramble through, punctually perform their part of the work;-and furthermore 'that, having got upon the Town-Wall, which was finis to everything, they punctually sat down there; and, reflectively leaning ' on their muskets, witnessed with the gravity and dignity of 'antique sages, superior to money or money's worth, the general 'plunder which went on in spite of Loudon's orders.

Archenholtz, ii. 275.

30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761.

For, in fine, between 5 and 6, that is in about three hours and a half, Loudon was everywhere victorious; Zastrow, 'Schweidnitz Fortress, and all that it held, were Loudon's at 'discretion; Loudon's one care now was to stop the pillage of the 'poor Townsfolk, as the most pressing thing. Which was not 'done without difficulty, nor completely till after hours of exer'tion by cavalry regiments sent in. The captors had fought ' valiantly; but it was whispered there had been a preliminary ' of brandy in them; certainly, except those poor Russians, no6 body's behaviour was unexceptionable.'

The capture of Schweidnitz cost Loudon about 1,400 men; he found in Schweidnitz, besides the Garrison all prisoners or killed, some 240 pieces of artillery,-211 'heavy guns, 135 hand-mortars,' say the Austrian Accounts, with stores and munitions' in such quantities; '89,760 musket-cartridges, 1,300,600 flints," for two items:-and all this was a trifle compared to the shock it has brought on Friedrich's Silesian affairs. For, in present circumstances, it amounts to the actual conquest of a large portion of Silesia; and, for the first time, of a real prospect of finishing the remainder next Year. It is judged to have been the hardest stroke Friedrich had in the course of this War. "Our strenuous Campaign, on a sudden rendered wind, and of no worth! The Enemy to winter in Silesia, after all; Silesia to go inevitably, and life along with it!" What Friedrich's black meditations were, nobody knows. In the follow'ing weeks' (not close following, but poor Küster does not date), 'the King fell ill of gout, saw almost no'body, never came out; and, it was whispered, the 'inflexible heart of him was at last breaking; that is 'to say, the very axis of this Prussian world giving way. And for certain, there never was in his camp

เ

' In Helden-Geschichte (vi. 651-665) the Austrian Account, with Lists &c.

เ

30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761.

' and over his dominions such a gloom as in this October 1761; till at length he appeared on horseback again, 'with a cheerful face; and everybody thought to him'self, "Ha, the world will still roll, then!""8

This is what Loudon had done, without any Russians, except Russians to give him eight-and-forty hours colic, and put him on his own shifts. And the way in which the Kriegshofrath, and her Imperial Majesty the Kaiserinn, received it, is perhaps still worth a word. The Kaiser, who had alone known of Loudon's scheme, and for good reason (absolute secrecy being the very soul of it) had whispered nothing of it further to any mortal, was naturally overjoyed. But the Olympian brow of Maria Theresa, when the Kaiser went radiant to her with this news, did not radiate in response; but gloomed indignantly: "No order from Kriegshofrath, or me!" Indignant Kriegshofrath called it a Croatenstreich (Croat's-trick); and Loudon, like Prince Eugene long since, was with difficulty excused this act of disobedience. Great is Authority;-and ought to be divinely rigorous, if (as by no means always happens) it is otherwise of divine quality!

Friedrich's treatment of Zastrow was in strong contrast of style. Here is his Letter to that unlucky Gentleman, who is himself clear that he deserves no blame:

My dear Major-General von Zastrow,-The misfortune "that has befallen me is very grievous; but what con"soles me in it is, to see by your Letter that you have "behaved like a brave Officer, and that neither you nor "the Garrison have brought disgrace or reproach on "yourselves. I am your well-affectioned King,-FRIED

• Küster, Lebens-Rettungen Friedrichs des Zweyten (Berlin, 1797), p. 59 &c. It is the same innocent reliable Küster whom we cited, in Saldern's case, already.

แ

แ

30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761.

RICH." And in Autograph this Postscript: "You may, in this occurrence, say what Francis I., after "the Battle of Pavia, wrote to his Mother: All is lost except honour.' As I do not yet completely under"stand the affair, I forbear to judge of it; for it is "altogether extraordinary.-F."

And never meddled farther with Zastrow; only left him well alone for the future. "Grant me a CourtMartial, then!" said Zastrow, finding himself fallen so neglected, after the Peace. "No use," answered Friedrich: "I impute nothing of crime to you; but after such "a mishap, it would be dangerous to trust you with any post or command;"-and in 1766, granted him, on demand, his demission instead. The poor man then retired to Cassel, where he lived twenty years longer, and was no more heard of. He was half-brother of the General Zastrow who got killed by a Pandour of long range (bullet through both temples, from brushwood, across the Elbe), in the first year of this War.

• Militair-Lexikon, iv. 305, 306 (Letter undated there; date probably, 'Gross-Nossen, October 3d').

CHAPTER IX.

TRAITOR WARKOTSCH.

FRIEDRICH'S Army was to have cantoned itself round Neisse, October 3d: but on the instant of this fatal Schweidnitz news, proceeded (3d-6th October) towards Strehlen instead,-Friedrich personally on the 5th;and took quarters there and in the villages round. General cantonment at Strehlen, in guard of Breslau and of Neisse both; Loudon, still immovable at Kunzendorf, attempting nothing on either of those places, and carefully declining the risk of a Battle, which would have been Friedrich's game: all this continued till the beginning of December, when both parties took Winterquarters; cantoned themselves in the neighbouring localities, Czernichef, with his Russians, in Glatz Country; Friedrich in Breslau as headquarter;—and the Campaign had ended. Ended in this part, without farther event of the least notability;-except the following only, which a poor man of the name of Kappel has recorded for us. Of which, and the astounding Sequel to which, we must now say something.

Kappel is a Gentleman's Groom of those Strehlen parts; and shall, in his own words, bring us face to face with Friedrich in that neighbourhood, directly after Schweidnitz was lost. It is October 5th, day, or rather night of the day, of Friedrich's arrival thereabouts;

Tempelhof, v. 349.