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15th Aug. 1760.

and heart of this poor Regiment. Which I have often thought of; hearing mutinous blockheads, "glorious Sons of Freedom" to their own thinking, ask their natural commanding Officer, "Are not we as good as thou? Are not all men equal?" Not a whit of it, you mutinous blockheads; very far from it indeed!

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This was the breaking of Friedrich's imprisonment in the deadly rock-labyrinths; this success at Liegnitz delivered him into free field once more. For twenty-four hours more, indeed, the chance was still full of anxiety to him; for twentyfour hours Daun, could he have been rapid, still had the possibilities in hand ;-but only Daun's Antagonist was usually rapid. About 9 in the morning, all road-ready, this latter Gentleman 'gave three Salvoes, as Joy-fire, on the field of Liegnitz;' and, in the above succinct shape,—leaving Ziethen to come on, with the prisoners, the sick-wagons and captured cannon,' in the afternoon,-marched rapidly away. For Parchwitz, with our best speed: Parchwitz is the road to Breslau, also to Glogau,—to Breslau, if it be humanly possible! Friedrich has but two-days bread left: on the Breslau road, at Auras, there is Czernichef with 24,000; there are, or there may be, the Loudon Remnants rallied again, the Lacy Corps untouched, all Daun's Force, had Daun made any dispatch at all. Which Daun seldom did. A man slow to resolve, and seeking his luck in leisure.

All judges say, Daun ought now to have marched, on this enterprise of still intercepting Friedrich, without loss of a moment. But he calculated Friedrich would probably spend the day in Te-deum-ing on the Field (as is the manner of some); and that, by tomorrow, things would be clearer to one's own mind. Daun was in no haste; gave no orders,did not so much as send Czernichef a Letter. Czernichef got one, however. Friedrich sent him one; that is to say, sent him one to intercept. Friedrich, namely, writes a Note addressed to his Brother Henri : "Austrians totally beaten this day; now for the Russians, dear Brother; and swift, do "what we have agreed on !"19 Friedrich hands this to a Peasant, with instructions to let himself be taken by the Russians, and give it up to save his life. Czernichef, it is thought, got

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19 Euvres de Frédéric, v. 67.

17th Aug. 1760.

this Letter; and perhaps rumour itself, and the delays of Daun, would, at any rate, have sent him across. Across he at once went, with his 24,000, and burnt his Bridge. A vanished Czernichef;-though Friedrich is not yet sure of it: and as for the wandering Austrian Divisions, the Loudons, Lacys, all is dark to him.

So that, at Parchwitz, next morning (August 16th), the question, "To Glogau? To Breslau ?" must have been a kind of sphinx-enigma to Friedrich; dark as that, and, in case of error, fatal. After some brief paroxysm of consideration, Friedrich's reading was, "To Breslau, then!" And, for hours, as the march went on, he was noticed riding much about,' his anxieties visibly great. Till at Neumarkt (not far from the Field of Leuthen), getting on the Heights there,—towards noon, I will guess,—what a sight! Before this, he had come upon Austrian Out-parties, Beck's or somebody's, who did not wait his attack: he saw, at one point, 'the whole Austrian Army ' on march (the tops of its columns visible among the knolls, 'three miles off, impossible to say whitherward);' and fared on all the faster, I suppose, such a bet depending ;—and, in fine, galloped to the Heights of Neumarkt for a view: "Dare we believe it? Not an Austrian there!" And might be, for the moment, the gladdest of Kings. Secure now of Breslau, of junction with Henri: fairly winner of the bet;-and can at last pause, and take breath, very needful to his poor Army, if not to himself, after such a mortal spasm of sixteen days! Daun had taken the Liegnitz accident without remark; usually a stoical man, especially in other people's misfortunes; but could not conceal his painful astonishment on this new occasion,―astonishment at unjust fortune, or at his own sluggardly cunctations, is not said.

Next day (August 17th), Friedrich encamps at Hermannsdorf, headquarter the Schloss of Hermannsdorf, within seven miles of Breslau; continues a fortnight there, resting his wearied people, himself not resting much, watching the dismal miscellany of entanglements that yet remain, how these will settle into groups, especially what Daun and his Soltikof will decide on. In about a fortnight, Daun's decision did become visible; Soltikof's not in a fortnight, nor ever clearly at all. Unless it were To keep a whole skin, and gradually edge home to his

17th-27th Aug. 1760.

victuals. As essentially it was, and continued to be; creating endless negotiations, and futile overtures and messagings from Daun to his barbarous Friend, endless suasions and troubles from poor Montalembert, of which it would weary every reader to hear mention, except of the result only.

Friedrich, for his own part, is little elated with these bits of successes at Liegnitz or since; and does not deceive himself as to the difficulties, almost the impossibilities, that still lie ahead. In answer to D'Argens, who has written ('at midnight,' starting out of bed 'the instant the news came'), in zealous congratulation on Liegnitz, here is a Letter of Friedrich's: well worth reading,-though it has been oftener read than almost any other of his. A Letter which D'Argens never saw in the original form; which was captured by the Austrians or Cossacks;20 which got copied everywhere, soon stole into print, and is ever since extensively known.

Friedrich to Marquis d'Argens (at Berlin).

"Hermannsdorf, near Breslau, 27th August 1760. "In other times, my dear Marquis, the Affair of the 15th would "have settled the Campaign; at present it is but a scratch. There "will be needed a great Battle to decide our fate: such, by all appear"ance, we shall soon have; and then you may rejoice, if the event is "favourable to us. Thank you, meanwhile, for all your sympathy. "It has cost a deal of scheming, striving and much address to bring "matters to this point. Don't speak to me of dangers; the last Action costs me only a Coat" (torn, useless, only one skirt left, by some rebounding cannon-ball?) " and a Horse" (shot under me): "that is not "paying dear for a victory.

"In my life, I was never in so bad a posture as in this Campaign. "Believe me, miracles are still needed if I am to overcome 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 for"saking me, my weaknesses increasing, and, to speak candidly, even "hope, the one comfort of the unhappy, begins to be wanting.

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are not enough acquainted 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.

20 See Euvres de Frédéric, xix. 198 (D'Argens himself, 19th October' following), and ib. 191 n.; Rödenbeck, ii. 31, 36;-mention of it in Voltaire, Montalembert, &c.

17th-27th Aug. 1760.

"I live here" (Schloss of Hermannsdorf, a seven miles west of Breslau) "like a Military Monk of La Trappe: endless businesses, 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 solitude, 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 Bom"bardment" (Loudon's, three weeks ago). "Our enemies grudge 66 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.

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66

"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 Pondichery, 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 you.-F."

"' embrace

"121

Two Events, of opposite complexion, a Russian and a Saxon, Friedrich had heard of while at Hermannsdorf, before writing as above. The Saxon Event is the pleasant one, and comes first:

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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 extensive 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 66 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,

21 Euvres de Frédéric, xix. 191.

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

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

30th Aug.-18th Sept. 1760.

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, 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 came by ship), with end'less artillery; and near 40 Russian and 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 ad'justed, -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. '24

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CHAPTER IV.

DAUN IN WRESTLE WITH FRIEDRICH IN THE SILESIAN HILLS.

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 hopeful to cut-off his bread, and drive him quite through the Hills, and home again,—are not permitted us. No human intellect in our day could busy itself with understanding these thousandfold marchings, manœuvrings, assaults, surprisals, sudden facings-about (retreat changed to advance); nor could the powerfulest human memory, not exclusively devoted to study the Art Military under Friedrich, remember them when understood. For soldiers, desirous not to be shamsoldiers, 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

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

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