Freidrich's plan of Campaign is settled long since: Recapture
Schweidnitz; clear Silesia of the enemy; Silesia and all our own
Dominions clear, we can then stand fencible against the Austrian
perseverances. Peace, one day, they must grant us. The general tide
of European things is changed by these occurrences in Petersburg and
London. Peace is evidently near. France and England are again beginning
to negotiate; no Pitt now to be rigorous. The tide of War has been
wavering at its summit for two years past; and now, with this of Russia,
and this of Bute instead of Pitt, there is ebb everywhere, and all
Europe determining for peace. Steady at the helm, as heretofore, a
Friedrich, with the world-current in his favor, may hope to get home
after all.
Austrian Head-quarters had been at Waldenburg, under Loudon or his
Lieutenants, all Winter. Loudon returned thither from Vienna April 7th;
but is not to command in chief, this Year,--Schweidnitz still sticking
in some people's throats: "Dangerous; a man with such rash practices,
rapidities and Pandour tendencies!" Daun is to command in Silesia;
Loudon, under him, obscure to us henceforth, and inoffensive to Official
people. Reichs Army shall take charge of Saxony; nominally a Reichs
Army, though there are 35,000 Austrians in it, as the soul of it, under
some Serbelloni, some Stollberg as Chief--(the fact, I believe, is:
Serbelloni got angrily displaced on that "crossing of the Mulda by
Prince Henri, May 13th;" Prince of Zweibruck had angrily abdicated a
year before; and a Prince von Stollberg is now Generalissimo of
Reich and Allies: but it is no kind of matter),--some Stollberg,
with Serbelloni, Haddick, Maguire and such like in subaltern places.
Cunctator Daun, in spite of his late sleepy ways, is to be Head-man
again: this surely is a cheering circumstance to Friedrich; Loudon, not
Daun, being the only man he ever got much ill of hitherto.
Daun arrives in Waldenburg, May 9th; and to show that he is not
cunctatory, steps out within a week after. May 15th, he has descended
from his Mountains; has swept round by the back and by the front of
Schweidnitz, far and wide, into the Plain Country, and encamped himself
crescent-wise, many miles in length, Head-quarter near the Zobtenberg.
Bent fondly round Schweidnitz; meaning, as is evident, to defend
Schweidnitz against all comers,--his very position symbolically
intimating: "I will fight for it, Prussian Majesty, if you like!"
Prussian Majesty, however, seemed to take no notice of him; and, what
was very surprising, kept his old quarters: "a Cantonment, or Chain of
Posts, ten miles long; Schweidnitz Water on his right flank, Oder on his
left;" perfectly safe, as he perceives, being able to assemble in four
hours, if Daun try anything. [Tempelhof, vi. 66.] And, in fact,
sat there, and did not come into the Field at all for five weeks or
more;--waiting till Czernichef's 20,000 arrive, who are on march from
Thorn since June 2d. Mere small-war goes on in the interim; world
getting all greener and flowerier; the Glatz Highlands, to one's left
yonder (Owl-Mountains, EULENGEBIRGE so called), lying magically blue
and mysterious:--on the Plain in front of them, ten miles from the
final peaks of them, is Schweidnitz Fortress, lying full in view, with
a picked Garrison of 12,000 under a picked Captain, and all else of
defence or impregnability; and Friedrich privately determined to take
it, though by methods of his own choosing, and which cannot commence
till Czernichef come. Daun, with his right wing, has hold of those
Highland Regions, and cautiously guards them; can, when he pleases,
wend back to Waldenburg Country; and at once, with his superior numbers,
block all passages, and sit there impregnable. The methods of dislodging
him are obscure to Friedrich himself; but methods there must be,
dislodged he must be, and sent packing. Without that, all siege of
Schweidnitz is flatly impossible.
June 27th, Friedrich's Head-quarter is Tintz, Czernichef now nigh:
[Tempelhof, vi. 76.] two days ago (June 25th), Czernichef's Cossacks
"crossed the Oder at Auras,"--with how different objects from those they
used to have! JULY 1st, Czernichef himself is here, in full tale and
equipment. Had encamped, a day ago, on the Field of Lissa; where
Majesty reviewed him, inspected and manoeuvred him, with great mutual
satisfaction. "Field of Lissa;" it is where our poor Prussian people
encamped on the night of Leuthen, with their "NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT,"
five years ago, in memorable circumstances: to what various uses are
Earth's Fields liable!
Friedrich, by degrees, has considerably changed his opinion, and bent
towards the late Keith's, about Russian Soldiery: a Soldiery of most
various kinds; from predatory Cossacks and Calmucks to those noble
Grenadiers, whom we saw sit down on the Walls of Schweidnitz when their
work was done. A perfectly steady obedience is in these men; at any and
all times obedient, to the death if needful, and with a silence, with
a steadfastness as of rocks and gravitation. Which is a superlative
quality in soldiers. Good in Nations too, within limits; and much a
distinction in the Russian Nation: rare, or almost unique, in these
unruly Times. The Russians have privately had their admirations
of Friedrich, all this while; and called him by I forget what
unpronounceable vernacular epithet, signifying "Son of Lightning,"
or some such thing. [Buchholz, _Neueste Preussisch-Brandenburgische
Geschichte_ (1775), vol ii. (page irrecoverable).] No doubt they are
proud to have a stroke of service under such a one, since Father Peter
Feodorowitsh graciously orders it: the very Cossacks show an alertness,
a vivacity; and see cheery possibilities ahead, in Countries not yet
plundered out. They stayed with Friedrich only Three Weeks,--Russia
being an uncertain Country. As we have seen above; though Friedrich, who
is vitally concerned, has not yet seen! But their junction with him, and
review by him in the Field of Lissa, had its uses by and by; and may be
counted an epoch in Russian History, if nothing more. The poor Russian
Nation, most pitiable of loyal Nations,--struggling patiently ahead, on
those bad terms, under such CATINS and foul Nightmares,--has it, shall
we say, quite gone without conquest in this mad War? Perhaps, not quite.
It has at least shown Europe that it possesses fighting qualities: a
changed Nation, since Karl XII. beat them easily, at Narva, 8,000 to
80,000, in the snowy morning, long since!--
Czernichef once come, and in his place in the Camp of Tintz, business
instantly begins,--business, and a press of it, in right earnest;--upon
the hitherto idle Daun. July 1st, there is general complex Advance
everywhere on Friedrich's part; general attempt towards the Mountains.
Upon which Daun, well awake, at once rolls universally thitherward
again; takes post in front of the Mountains,--on the Heights of
Kunzendorf, to wit (Loudon's old post in Bunzelwitz time);-and
elaborately spreads himself out in defence there. "Take him
multifariously by the left flank, get between him and his Magazine at
Braunau!" thinks Friedrich. Discovering which, Daun straightway hitches
back into the Mountains altogether, leaving Kunzendorf to Friedrich's
use as main camp. His outmost Austrians, on the edge of the Mountain
Country, and back as far as suitable, Daun elaborately posts;
and intrenches himself behind them in all the commanding
points,--Schweidnitz still well in sight; and Braunau and the roads to
it well capable of being guarded. Daun's Head-quarter is Tannhausen;
Burkersdorf, Ludwigsdorf, if readers can remember them, are frontward
posts:--in his old imperturbable way Daun sits there waiting events.
And for near three weeks there ensues a very multiplex series of rapid
movements, and alarming demonstrations, on Daun's front, on Daun's right
flank; with serious extensive effort (masked in that way) to turn Daun's
left flank, and push round by Landshut Country upon Bohemia and Braunau.
Effort very serious indeed on that Landshut side: conducted at first by
Friedrich in person, with General Wied (called also NEUwied, a man of
mark since Liegnitz time) as second under him; latterly by Wied himself,
as Friedrich found it growing dubious or hopeless. That was Friedrich's
first notion of the Daun problem. There are rapid marches here, there,
round that western or left flank of Daun; sudden spurts of fierce
fighting, oftenest with a stiff climb as preliminary: but not the
least real success on Daun. Daun perfectly comprehends what is on foot;
refuses to take shine for substance; stands massed, or grouped, at his
own skilful judgment, in the proper points for Braunau, still more for
Schweidnitz; and is very vigilant and imperturbable.
Kunzendorf Heights, which are not of the Hills, but in front of them,
with a strip of flat still intervening;--these, we said, Daun had at
once quitted: and these are now Friedrich's;--but yield him a very
complex prospect at present. A line of opposing Heights, Burkersdorf,
Ludwigsdorf, Leuthmannsdorf, bristling with abundant cannon; behind is
the multiplex sea of Hills, rising higher and higher, to the ridge of
the Eulenberg in Glatz Country 10 or 12 miles southward: Daun, with
forces much superior, calmly lord of all that; infinitely needing to be
ousted, could one but say how! Friedrich begins to perceive that Braunau
will not do; that he must contrive some other plan. General Wied he
still leaves to prosecute the Braunau scheme: perhaps there is still
some chance in it; at lowest it will keep Daun's attention thitherward.
And Wied perseveres upon Braunau; and Braunau proving impossible, pushes
past it deeper into Bohemia, Daun loftily regardless of him. Wied's
marches and attempts were of approved quality; though unsuccessful in
the way of stirring Daun. Wied's Light troops went scouring almost as
far as Prag,--especially a 500 Cossacks that were with him, following
their old fashion, in a new Country. To the horror of Austria; who
shrieked loudly, feeling them in her own bowels; though so quiet while
they were in other people's on her score. This of the 500 Cossacks under
Wied, if this were anything, was all of actual work that Friedrich had
from his Czernichef Allies;--nothing more of real or actual while
they stayed, though something of imaginary or ostensible which had its
importance, as we shall see.
Friedrich, in the third week, recalls Wied: "Braunau clearly impossible;
only let us still keep up appearances!" July 18th, Wied is in Kunzendorf
Country again; on an important new enterprise, or method with the Daun
Problem, in which Wied is to bear a principal hand. That is to say, The
discomfiture and overturn of Daun's right wing, if we can,--since
his left has proved impossible. This was the STORMING OF BURKERSDORF
HEIGHTS; Friedrich's new plan. Which did prove successful, and is still
famous in the Annals of War: reckoned by all judges a beautiful plan,
beautifully executed, and once more a wonderful achieving of what seemed
the impossible, when it had become the indispensable. One of Friedrich's
prettiest feats; and the last of his notable performances in this War.
Readers ought not to be left without some shadowy authentic notion of
it; though the real portraiture or image (which is achievable too, after
long study) is for the professional soldier only,--for whom TEMPELHOF,
good maps and plenty of patience are the recipe.
"The scene is the Wall of Heights, running east and west, parallel to
Friedrich's Position at Kunzendorf; which form the Face, or decisive
beginning, of that Mountain Glacis spreading up ten miles farther,
towards Glatz Country. They, these Heights called of Burkersdorf, are in
effect Daun's right wing; vitally precious to Daun, who has taken every
pains about them. Burkersdorf Height (or Heights, for there are two,
divided by the Brook Weistritz; but we shall neglect the eastern or
lower, which is ruled by the other, and stands or falls along with it),
Burkersdorf Height is the principal: a Hill of some magnitude (short way
south of the Village of Burkersdorf, which also is Daun's); Hill falling
rather steep down, on two of its sides, namely on the north side,
which is towards Friedrich and Kunzendorf, and on the east side,
where Weistritz Water, as yet only a Brook, gushes out from the
Mountains,--hastening towards Schweidnitz or Schweidnitz Water; towards
Lissa and Leuthen Country, where we have seen it on an important night.
Weistritz, at this part, has scarped the eastern flank of Burkersdorf
Height; and made for itself a pleasant little Valley there: this is the
one Pass into the Mountains. A Valley of level bottom; where Daun has
a terrific trench and sunk battery level with the ground, capable of
sweeping to destruction whoever enters there without leave.
"East from Burkersdorf Lesser Height (which we neglect for the
present), and a little farther inwards or south, are Two other Heights:
Ludwigsdorf and Leuthmannsdorf; which also need capture, as adjuncts
of Burkersdorf, or second line to Burkersdorf; and are abundantly
difficult, though not so steep as Burkersdorf.
"The Enterprise, therefore, divides itself into two. Wied is to do
the Ludwigsdorf-Leuthmannsdorf part; Mollendorf, the Burkersdorf. The
strength of guns in these places, especially on Burkersdorf,--we know
Daun's habit in that particular; and need say nothing. Man-devouring
batteries, abatis; battalions palisaded to the teeth, 'the pales strong
as masts, and room only for a musket-barrel between;' nay, they are
'furnished with a lath or cross-strap all along, for resting your
gun-barrel on and taking aim:'--so careful is Daun. The ground itself
is intricate, in parts impracticably steep; everywhere full of bushes,
gnarls and impediments. Seldom was there such a problem altogether!
Friedrich's position, as we say, is Kunzendorf Heights, with Schweidnitz
and his old ground of Bunzelwitz to rear, Czernichef and others lying
there, and Wurben and the old Villages and Heights again occupied as
posts:--what a tale of Egyptian bricks has one to bake, your Majesty,
on certain fields of this world; and with such insufficiency of
raw-material sometimes!"
By the 16th of July, Friedrich's plans are complete. Contrived, I must
say, with a veracity and opulent potency of intellect, flashing clear
into the matter, and yet careful of the smallest practical detail.
FRIDAY, 17th, Mollendorf, with men and furnitures complete, circles off
northwestward by Wurben (for the benefit of certain on-lookers), but
will have circled round to Burkersdorf neighborhood two days hence; by
which time also Wied will be quietly in his place thereabouts, with a
view to business on the 20th and 21st. Mollendorf, Wied and everything,
are prosperously under way in this manner,--when, on the afternoon of
that same Friday, 17th, [Compare Tempelhof, vi. 99, and Rodenbeck, ii.
164.] Czernichef steps over, most privately, to head-quarters: with what
a bit of news! "A Revolution in Petersburg [JULY 9th, as we saw above, or
as Herr Busching saw]; Czar Peter,--your Majesty's adorer, is dethroned,
perhaps murdered; your Majesty's enemies, in the name of Czarina
Catharine, order me instantly homeward with my 20,000!" This is true
news, this of Czernichef. A most unexpected, overwhelming Revolution in
those Northern Parts;--not needing to be farther touched upon in this
place.
What here concerns us is, Friedrich's feelings on hearing of it; which
no reader can now imagine. Horror, amazement, pity, very poignant; grief
for one's hapless friend Peter, for one's still more hapless self! "The
Sisyphus stone, which we had got dragged to the top, the chains all
beautifully slack these three months past,--has it leapt away again?
And on the eve of Burkersdorf, and our grand Daun problem!" Truly, the
Destinies have been quite dramatic with this King, and have contrived
the moment of hitting him to the heart. He passionately entreats
Czernichef to be helpful to him,--which Czernichef would fain be, only
how can he? To be helpful; at least to keep the matter absolutely secret
yet for some hours: this the obliging Czernichef will do. And Friedrich
remains, Czernichef having promised this, in the throes of desperate
consideration and uncertainty, hour after hour,--how many hours I do
not know. It is confidently said, [Retzow, ii. 415.] Friedrich had the
thought of forcibly disarming Czernichef and his 20,000:--in which case
he must have given up the Daun Enterprise; for without Czernichef as
a positive quantity, much more with Czernichef as a negative, it is
impossible. But, at any rate, most luckily for himself, he came upon a
milder thought: "Stay with us yet three days, merely in the semblance
of Allies, no service required of you, but keeping the matter a dead
secret;--on the fourth day go, with my eternal thanks!" This is
his milder proposal; urged with his best efforts upon the obliging
Czernichef: who is in huge difficulty, and sees it to be at peril of his
head, but generously consents. It is the same Czernichef who got lodged
in Custrin cellars, on one occasion: know, O King,--the King, before
this, does begin to know,--that Russians too can have something of
heroic, and can recognize a hero when they see him! In this fine way
does Friedrich get the frightful chasm, or sudden gap of the ground
under him, bridged over for the moment; and proceeds upon Burkersdorf
all the same.
Of the Attack itself we propose to say almost nothing. It consists of
Two Parts, Wied and Mollendorf, which are intensely Real; and of a great
many more which are Scenic chiefly,--some of them Scenic to the degree
of Drury-Lane itself, as we perceive;--all cunningly devised, and
beautifully playing into one another, both the real and the scenic.
EVENING OF THE 20th, Friedrich is on his ground, according to Program.
Friedrich--who has now his Mollendorf and Wied beside him again, near
this Village of Burkersdorf; and has his completely scenic Czernichef,
and partly scenic Ziethen and others, all in their places behind
him--quietly crushes Daun's people out of Burkersdorf Village; and
furthermore, so soon as Night has fallen, bursts up, for his own uses,
Burkersdorf old Castle, and its obstinate handful of defenders, which
was a noisier process. Which done, he diligently sets to trenching,
building batteries in that part; will have forty formidable guns,
howitzers a good few of them, ready before sunrise. And so,
WEDNESDAY, 21st JULY, 1762, All Prussians are in motion, far and
wide; especially Mollendorf and Wied (VERSUS O'Kelly and Prince de
Ligne),--which Pair of Prussians may be defined rather as near and
close; these Two being, in fact, the soul of the matter, and all else
garniture and semblance. About 4 in the morning, Friedrich's Battery
of 40 has begun raging; the howitzers diligent upon O'Kelly and his
Burkersdorf Height,--not much hurting O'Kelly or his Height, so high was
it, but making a prodigious noise upon O'Kelly;--others of the cannon
shearing home on those palisades and elaborations, in the Weistritz
Valley in particular, and quite tearing up a Cavalry Regiment which was
drawn out there; so that O'Kelly had instantly to call it home, in a
very wrecked condition. Why O'Kelly ever put it there--except that
he saw no place for it in his rugged localities, or no use for it
anywhere--is still a mystery to the intelligent mind. [Tempelhof,
vi. 107.] The howitzers, their shells bursting mostly in the air, did
O'Kelly little hurt, nor for hours yet was there any real attack
on Burkersdorf or him; but the noise, the horrid death-blaze was
prodigious, and kept O'Kelly, like some others, in an agitated, occupied
condition till their own turn came.
For it had been ordered that Wied and Mollendorf were not to attack
together: not together, but successively,--for the following reasons.
TOGETHER; suppose Mollendorf to prosper on O'Kelly (whom he is to storm,
not by the steep front part as O'Kelly fancies, but to go round by
the western flank and take him in rear); suppose Mollendorf to be near
prospering on Burkersdorf Height,--unless Wied too have prospered,
Ludwigsdorf batteries and forces will have Mollendorf by the right
flank, and between two fires he will be ruined; he and everything! On
the other hand, let Wied try first: if Wied can manage Ludwigsdorf,
well: if Wied cannot, he comes home again with small damage; and the
whole Enterprise is off for the present. That was Friedrich's wise
arrangement, and the reason why he so bombards O'Kelly with thunder,
blank mostly.
And indeed, from 4 this morning and till 4 in the afternoon, there is
such an outburst and blazing series of Scenic Effect, and thunder mostly
blank, going on far and near all over that District of Country: General
This ostentatiously speeding off, as if for attack on some important
place; General That, for attack on some other; all hands busy,--the
20,000 Russians not yet speeding, but seemingly just about to do
it,--and blank thunder so mixed with not blank, and scenic effect with
bitter reality, [Tempelhof, vi. 105-111.]--as was seldom seen before.
And no wisest Daun, not to speak of his O'Kellys and lieutenants, can,
for the life of him, say where the real attack is to be, or on what hand
to turn himself. Daun in person, I believe, is still at Tannhausen,
near the centre of this astonishing scene; five or six miles from any
practical part of it. And does order forward, hither, thither, masses of
force to support the De Ligne, the O'Kelly, among others,--but who can
tell what to support? Daun's lieutenants were alert some of them, others
less: General Guasco, for instance, who is in Schweidnitz, an alert
Commandant, with 12,000 picked men, was drawing out, of his own will,
with certain regiments to try Friedrich's rear: but a check was put on
him (some dangerous shake of the fist from afar), when he had to draw
in again. In general the O'Kelly supports sat gazing dubiously, and did
nothing for O'Kelly but roll back along with him, when the time came.
But let us first attend to Wied, and the Ludwigsdorf-Leuthmannsdorf
part.
Wied, divided into Three, is diligently pushing up on Ludwigsdorf by the
slacker eastern ascents; meets firm enough battalions, potent, dangerous
and resolute in their strong posts; but endeavors firmly to be more
dangerous than they. Dislodges everything, on his right, on his left;
comes in sight of the batteries and ranked masses atop, which seem to
him difficult indeed; flatly impossible, if tried on front; but always
some Colonel Lottum, or quick-eyed man, finds some little valley, little
hollow; gets at the Enemy side-wise and rear-wise; rushes on with fixed
bayonets, double-quick, to co-operate with the front: and, on the whole,
there are the best news from Wied, and we perceive he sees his way
through the affair.
Upon which, Mollendorf gets in motion, upon his specific errand.
Mollendorf has been surveying his ground a little, during the leisure
hour; especially examining what mode of passage there may be, and
looking for some road up those slacker western parts: has found no road,
but a kind of sheep track, which he thinks will do. Mollendorf, with all
energy, surmounting many difficulties, pushes up accordingly; gets into
his sheep-track; finds, in the steeper part of this track, that horses
cannot draw his cannon; sets his men to do it; pulls and pushes, he
and they, with a right will;--sees over his left shoulder, at a certain
point, the ranked Austrians waiting for him behind their cannon (which
must have been an interesting glimpse of scenery for some moments); tugs
along, till he is at a point for planting his cannon; and then, under
help of these, rushes forward,--in two parts, perhaps in three, but with
one impetus in all,--to seize the Austrian fruit set before him.
Surely, if a precious, a very prickly Pomegranate, to clutch hold of
on different sides, after such a climb! The Austrians make stiff fight;
have abatis, multiplex defences; and Mollendorf has a furious wrestle
with this last remnant, holding out wonderfully,--till at length the
abatis itself catches fire, in the musketry, and they have to surrender.
This must be about noon, as I collect: and Feldmarschall Daun himself
now orders everybody to fall back. And the tug of fight is over;--though
Friedrich's scenic effects did not cease; and in particular his big
battery raged till 5 in the afternoon, the more to confirm Daun's
rearward resolutions and quicken his motions. On fall of night, Daun,
everybody having had his orders, and been making his preparations for
six hours past, ebbed totally away; in perfect order, bag and baggage.
Well away to southward; and left Friedrich quit of him. [Tempelhof. vi.
100-115: compare _Bericht von der bey Leutmannsdorf den 21sten Julius
1762 vorgefallenen Action_ (Seyfarth, _Beylagen,_ iii. 302-308);
_Anderweiter Bericht von der &c._ (ib. 308-314); Archenholtz, &c. &c.]
Quit of Daun forevermore, as it turned out. Plainly free, at any rate,
to begin upon Schweidnitz, whenever he sees good. Of the behavior of
Wied, Mollendorf, and their people, indeed of the Prussians one and all,
what can be said, but that it was worthy of their Captain and of the
Plannings he had made? Which is saying a great deal. "We got above 14
big guns," report they; "above 1,000 prisoners, and perhaps twice as
many that deserted to us in the days following." Czernichef was full of
admiration at the day's work: he marched early next morning,--I trust
with lasting gratitude on the part of an obliged Friedrich.
Some three weeks before this of Burkersdorf, Duke Ferdinand, near a
place called Wilhelmsthal, in the neighborhood of Cassel, in woody
broken country of Hill and Dale, favorable for strategic contrivances,
had organized a beautiful movement from many sides, hoping to overwhelm
the too careless or too ignorant French, and gain a signal victory over
them: BATTLE, so called, OF WILHELMSTHAL, JUNE 24th, 1762, being the
result. Mauvillon never can forgive a certain stupid Hanoverian, who
mistook his orders; and on getting to his Hill-top, which was the centre
of all the rest,--formed himself with his BACK to the point of attack;
and began shooting cannon at next to nothing, as if to warn the French,
that they had better instantly make off! Which they instantly set about,
with a will; and mainly succeeded in; nothing all day but mazes
of intricate marching on both sides, with spurts of fight here and
there,--ending in a truly stiff bout between Granby and a Comte de
Stainville, who covered the retreat, and who could not be beaten without
a great deal of trouble. The result a kind of victory to Ferdinand; but
nothing like what he expected. [Mauvillon, ii. 227-236; Tempelhof, vi.
&c. &c.]
Soubise leads the French this final Year; but he has a D'Estrees with
him (our old D'Estrees of HASTENBECK), who much helps the account
current; and though generally on the declining hand (obliged to give
up Gottingen, to edge away farther and farther out of Hessen itself, to
give up the Weser, and see no shift but the farther side of Fulda,
with Frankfurt to rear),--is not often caught napping as here at
Wilhelmsthal. There ensued about the banks of the Fulda, and the
question, Shall we be driven across it sooner or not so soon? a great
deal of fighting and pushing (Battle called of LUTTERNBERG, Battle of
JOHANNISBERG, and others): but all readers will look forward rather
to the CANNONADE OF AMONEBURG, more precisely Cannonade of the
BRUCKEN-MUHLE (September 2lst), which finishes these wearisome
death-wrestlings. Peace is coming; all the world can now count on that!
Bute is ravenous for Peace; has been privately taking the most
unheard-of steps:--wrote to Kaunitz, "Peace at once and we will vote for
your HAVING Silesia;" to which Kaunitz, suspecting trickery in artless
Bute, answered, haughtily sneering, "No help needed from your Lordship
in that matter!" After which repulse, or before it, Bute had applied to
the Czar's Minister in London: "Czarish Majesty to have East Preussen
guaranteed to him, if he will insist that the King of Prussia DISPENSE
with Silesia;" which the indignant Czar rejected with scorn, and at once
made his Royal Friend aware of; with what emotion on the Royal Friend's
part we have transiently seen. "Horrors and perfidies!" ejaculated he,
in our hearing lately; and regarded Bute, from that time, as a knave and
an imbecile both in one; nor ever quite forgave Bute's Nation either,
which was far from being Bute's accomplice in this unheard-of procedure.
"No more Alliances with England!" counted he: "What Alliance can there
be with that ever-fluctuating People? To-day they have a thrice-noble
Pitt; to-morrow a thrice-paltry Bute, and all goes heels-over-head on
the sudden!" [Preuss, ii. 308; Mitchell, ii. 286.]
Bute, at this rate of going, will manage to get hold of Peace before
long. To Friedrich himself, a Siege of Schweidnitz is now free;
Schweidnitz his, the Austrians will have to quit Silesia. "Their cash
is out: except prayer to the Virgin, what but Peace can they attempt
farther? In Saxony things will have gone ill, if there be not enough
left us to offer them in return for Glatz. And Peace and AS-YOU-WERE
must ensue!"
Let us go upon Schweidnitz, therefore; pausing on none of these
subsidiary things; and be brief upon Schweidnitz too.