30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761.

at some miles distance, a ring, or complete girdle, of Croat-Cossack people; blocking-up every path and road: "Nobody to pass, this day, towards Schweidnitz, much less into it, on any pretext." That ' is the duty of the Croat people. To another active Officer he intrusts 'the task of collecting from the neighbouring Villages (outside the 'Croat girdle) as many ladders, planks and the like, as will be requisite; which also is punctually done. For the Attack itself, 'which is to be Fourfold, our picked Officers are chosen, with the 20 'best Battalions in the Army: Czernichef is apprised; who warmly assents, and offers every help :-"800 of your Grenadiers," answers Loudon ; no more needed." Loudon's arrangements for manage" ment of the ladders, for punctuality about the routes, the times, the simultaneity, are those of a perfect artist; no Friedrich could have 'done better.

'About 4 in the afternoon, all the Captains and Battalions, with 'their ladders and furnitures, everybody with Instruction very pointed ' and complete, are assembled at Kunzendorf: Loudon addresses the Troops in a few fiery words; assures himself of victory by them; promises them 10,000l. in lieu of plunder, which he strictly prohibits. 'Officers had better make themselves acquainted with the Four Routes 'they are to take in the dark: proper also to set all your watches by 'the chief General's, that there be no mistake as to time. At 9, all being now dark, and the Croat girdle having gathered itself closer 'round the place since nightfall, the Four Divisions march to their respective starting-places; will wait there, silent; and about 2 in the 'morning, each at its appointed minute, step forward on their Business. 'With fixed bayonets all of them; no musketry permitted till the 'works are won. Loudon will wait at the Village of Schönbrunn' (not Warkotsch's Schönbrunn, of which by and by, and which also is not far'),'at Schönbrunn, within short distance; give Loudon ' notice when you are within 600 yards;-there shall, if desirable, be ' reinforcements, farther orders. Loudon knows Schweidnitz like his own bedroom. He was personally there, in Leuthen time, improving 'the Works. By nocturnal Croat parties, in the latter part of Bunzel'witz time; and since then, by deserters and otherwise, -he knows 'the condition of the Garrison, of the Commandant, and of every essen'tial point. Has calculated that the Garrison is hardly third part of 'what it ought to be,-3,800 in whole, and many of them loose deserter 'fellows; special artillery-men, instead of about 400, only 191;-most important of all, that Commandant Zastrow is no wizard in his trade; and, on the whole, that the Enterprise is likely to succeed.

'Zastrow has been getting married lately; and has many things to 'think of, besides Schweidnitz. Some accounts say this was his wedding-night, which is not true, but only that he had meant to give a 'Ball this last night of September; and perhaps did give it, dancing

3 In Tempelhof (v. 332-349) and Archenholtz (ii. 272-280) all these details. + See Archenholtz, ii. 287; and correct his mistake of the two places.

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30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761.

over before 2, let us hope! Something of a jolter-head seemingly, though solid and honest. I observe he is a kind of butt, or laughing'stock, of Friedrich's, and has yielded some gleams of momentary fun, 'he and this marriage of his, between Prince Henri and the King, in 'the tragic gloom all round. Nothing so surprises me in Friedrich · as his habitual inattention to the state of his Garrisons. He has the 'best of Commandants and also the worst: Tauentzien in Breslau, · Heyde in Colberg, unsurpassable in the world; in Glatz a D'O, in 'Schweidnitz a Zastrow, both of whom cost him dear. Opposition sneers secretly, "It is as they happen to have come to hand.' Which 'has not much truth, though some. Tauentzien he chose; D'O was Fouquet's choice, not his; Zastrow he did choose; Heyde he had by 'accident; of Heyde he had never heard till the defence of Colberg · began to be a world's wonder. And in regard to his Garrisons, it is indisputable they were often left palpably defective in quantity and quality; and, more than once, fatally gave way at the wrong moment. 'We can only say that Friedrich was bitterly in want of men for the · field; that " a Garrison-Regiment" was always reckoned an inferior and that Friedrich, in the press of his straits, had often had to say: "Well, these" (plainly Helots, not Spartans), "these will 'have to do!" For which he severely suffered : and perhaps repented, '-who knows?

" article;

'Zastrow, in spite of Loudon's precautionary Girdle of Croats, and 'the cares of a coming Ball, had got sufficient inkling of something 'being in the wind. And was much on the Walls all day, he and his 'Officers; scanning with their glasses and their guesses the surround'ing 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 morning, 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 Outworks 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 In one place, a Powder-Magazine blew up with about 400 of 'them,-blown (said rumour, with no certainty) by an indignant Prus› Schöning, ii. sæpius,

' here.

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'sian artillery-man to whom they had refused quarter: in another place, 'the 800 Russian Grenadiers came unexpectedly upon a chasm or bridgeless interstice between two ramparts; and had to halt suddenly, '-till (says rumour again, with still less certainty) their Officers insist'ing with the rearward part, "Forward, forward!" enough of front men were tumbled in to make a roadway! This was the story current; 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 TownWall, 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.

'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 exertion 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, 'nobody'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 'following weeks' (not close following, but poor Küster does not date), 'the King fell ill of gout, saw almost nobody, 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

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6 Archenholtz, ii 275.

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

30th Sept.-1st Oct. 1761.

' in his camp 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 himself, “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 farther 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 Croaten-streich (Croat'strick); and Loudon, like Prince Eugen 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 consoles 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, "-FRIEDRICH." 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 understand the affair, "I forbear to judge of it; for it is altogether extraordinary.— "F."9

And never meddled farther with Zastrow; only left him well alone for the future. "Grant me a Court-Martial, then!" said Zastrow, finding himself fallen so neglected, after the Peace. "No use," answered Friedrich: "I impute nothing of

8 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. 9 Militair-Lexikon, iv. 305, 306 (Letter undated there; date probably, 'GrossNossen, October 3d').

5th Oct.-30th Nov. 1761. "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.

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 Winter-quarters;1 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; most of his Army ahead of him, and the remainder all under way. Friedrich and the rearward part of his Army are filing about, in that new Strehlenward movement of theirs, under cloud of night, in the intricate Hill-and-Dale Country; to post themselves to the best advantage for their double object, of covering Breslau and 1 Tempelhof, v. 349.