13th-17th May, 1742.

Hyndford (getting Friedrich's permission in the late Chrudim interval) had urged it again.2

Broglio is in boundless flurry; nothing but spectres of attack looming in from Karl, from Khevenhüller, from every body; and Eger hardly yet got.3 Fine re-enforcement, 25,000 under a Duc D'Harcourt; this and other good outlooks there are; but it is the terrible alone that occupy Broglio. And, indeed, the poor man, especially ever since that Moravian Business would not thrive in spite of him, is not to be called well off! Friedrich and he are in correspondence, by no means mutually pleasant, on the Prince-Karl phenomenon. "Evidently intending toward Prag, your Majesty perceives!" thinks Broglio. "If not toward Chrudim first of all, which is 80 miles nearer him, on his road to Prag!" urges Friedrich at this stage: "Help me with a few regiments in this Chrudim Circle, lest I prove too weak here. Is not this the bulwark of your Prag just now?" In vain ; Broglio (who indeed has orders that way) can not spare a man. "Very well," thinks Friedrich; and has girded up his own strength for the Chrudim phenomenon, but does not forget this new illustration of the Joint-Stock Principle and the advantages of Broglio Partnership.

Friedrich's beautiful Encampment at Chrudim lasted only two days. Precursor Tolpatcheries (and, in fact, Prince Karl's Vanguard, if we knew it) come storming about rifer and rifer, attempting the Bridge of Kolin (road to our Magazines); attempting this and that; meaning to get between us and Prag; and, what is worse, to seize the Magazines, Podiebrad, Nimburg, which we have in that quarter. Tuesday, May 15th, accordingly, Friedrich himself gets on march with a strong swift Vanguard, horse and foot (grenadiers, hussars, dragoons), Prag-ward, probably as far as Kuttenberg, a fine high-lying post, which commands those Kolin parts; will march with dispatch, and see how that matter is. The main Army is to follow under Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau to-morrow, Wednesday, "so soon as their loaves have come from Königsgrätz”—for "an Army goes on its belly," says Friedrich often. Loaves do not come, owing to evil 2 Orlich, i., 226. 3 19th April (Guerre de Bohème, ii., 77–81).

13th-17th May, 1742. chance, on this occasion; Leopold's people "take meal instead," but will follow next morning all the same, according to bidding. Readers may as well take their Map,* and accompany in these movements, which issue in a notable conclusive thing.

Tuesday morning, 15th May, Friedrich marches from Chrudim; on which same morning of the 15th, Prince Karl, steadily on the advance he too, is starting, and toward the same point, from a place called Chotieborz, only 15 miles to southeast of Chrudim. In this way, mutually unaware, but Prince Karl getting soonest aware, the Vanguards of the Two Armies (Prince Karl's Vanguard being in many branches, of Tolpatch nature) are cast athwart each other, and make, both to Friedrich and Prince Karl, an enigmatic business of it for the next two days. Tuesday, 15th, Friedrich marching along, vigilantly observant on both hands, some 15 miles space, came that evening to a Village called Podhorzan, with Height near by-Height which he judged unattackable, and on the side of which he pitches his camp accordingly, himself mounting the Height to look for news. News sure enough; there, south of us, on the heights of Ronnow, three or four miles off, are the Enemy, camped or pickeering about, 7 or 8000 as we judge. Lobkowitz-surely not Lobkowitz? He has been gliding about, on the French outskirts, far in the southwest lately; can this be Lobkowitz, about to join Prince Karl in these parts? Truly, your Majesty, this is not Lobkowitz at all; this is Prince Karl's Vanguard, and Prince Karl himself actually in it for the moment, anxiously taking view of your Vanguard; recognizing, and admitting to himself, "Pooh! they will be at Kuttenberg before us; no use in hastening. Head-quarters at Willimow to-night; here at Ronnow to-morrow: that is all we can do!"'5

To-morrow, 16th May, before sunrise at Podhorzan, the supposed Lobkowitz is clean vanished: there is no Enemy visible to Friedrich at Ronnow or elsewhere, leaving Friedrich in considerable uncertainty: clear only that there are Enemies copiously about; that he himself will hold on for Kuttenberg; that Young Leopold must get hitherward, with steady celerity, at the top of his effort, parts of the ground being difficult, especially a * Stille, p. 60, 61. 5 Orlich, i., 233.

* At p. 452.

13th-17th May, 1742. muddy Stream called Dobrowa, which has only one Bridge on it fit for artillery, the Bridge of Sbislau, a mile or two ahead of this. Instructions are sent Leopold to that effect; and, farther, that Leopold must quarter in Czaslau (a substantial little Town, with bogs about it, and military virtues), and, on the whole, keep close to heel of us, the Enemy in force being near; upon which his Majesty pushes on for Kuttenberg, Prince Leopold following with best diligence, according to program. His Majesty passed a little place called Neuhof that afternoon (Wednesday, 16th May), and encamped a short way from Kuttenberg, behind or north of that Town, out of which, on his approach, there fled a considerable cloud of Austrian Irregulars, and "left a large baking of bread"-bread just about ready to their order, and coming hot out of the ovens, which was very welcome to his Majesty that night, and will yield refreshment, partial refreshment, next morning to Prince Leoplod, not too comfortable on his meal-diet just now.

Poor Prince Leopold had his own difficulties this day: rough ground, very difficult to pass; and coming on the Height of Podhorzan, where his Majesty was yesterday, Leopold sees crowds of hussars, needing a cannon-shot or two; sees evident symptoms to southward that the whole Force of the Enemy is advancing upon him: "Speed, then, for Sbislau Bridge yonder; across the Dobrowa with our Artillery-wagons, or we are lost!" Prince Karl, with Hussar-parties all about, is fully aware of Prince Leopold and his movements, and is rolling on Ronnowward all day, to cut him off in his detached state, if possible. Prince Karl might with ease have broken this Dobrowa Bridge, and Leopold and military men recognize it as a capital neglect that he did not.

Leopold, overloaded with such intricacies and anxieties, sends off three messengers, Officers of mark (Schmettau Junior one of them), to apprise the King: the Officers return, unable to get across to his Majesty; Leopold sends proper detachment of horse with them, uncertain still whether they will get through. And night is falling; we shall evidently be too late for getting Czaslau; well if we can occupy Chotusitz and the environs, a small clay Hamlet three miles nearer us. It was 11 at night before

17th May, 1742.

the rear-guard got into Chotusitz; Czaslau, three miles south of us, we can not attend to till to-morrow morning.6, And the three messengers, dispatched with escort, send back no word. Have they ever got to his Majesty? Leopold sends off a fourth. This fourth one does get through; reports to his Majesty that, by all appearance, there will be Battle on the morrow early; that not Czaslau, but only Chotusitz, is ours; and that Instructions are wanted. Deep in the night this fourth messenger returns-a welcome awakening for Prince Leopold, who studies his Majesty's Instructions, and will make his dispositions accordingly.

It is 2 or 3 in the morning in Leopold's Camp-Bivouac rather, with its face to the south, and Chotusitz ahead. Thursday, 17th May, 1742, a furiously important Day about to dawn. High Problem of the 25th February last; Britannic Majesty and his Hyndfords and Robinsons vainly protesting: it had to be tried, Hungarian Majesty having got from Britannic the sinews for trying it; and this is to be the Day.

CHAPTER XIII.

BATTLE OF CHOTUSITZ.

KUTTENBERG, Czaslau, Chotusitz, and all these other places lie in what is called the Valley of the Elbe, but what to the eye has not the least appearance of a hollow, but of an extensive plain rather, dimpled here and there, and, if any thing, rather sloping from the Elbe, were it not that dull bushless brooks, one or two, sauntering to northward, not southward, warn you of the contrary. Conceive a flat tract of this kind, some three or four miles square, with Czaslau on its southern border, Chotusitz on its northern ;* flanked on the west by a straggle of lakelets, ponds, and quagmires (which in our time are drained away, all but a tenth part or so of remainder); flanked on the east by a considerable puddle of a Stream called the Dobrowa, and cut in the middle by a nameless poor Brook ("Brtlinka" some write it, if any body could pronounce), running parallel and independent, which latter, of more concernment to us here, springs beyond • Orlich, p. 236-239. 7 Ib., p. 238. * See Plan at p. 452.

17th May, 1742. Czaslau, and is got to be of some size, and more intricate than usual, with "islands" and the like, as it passes Chotusitz (a little to east of Chotusitz)—this is our Field of Battle: sixty or more miles to eastward of Prag, eight miles or more to southward of Elbe River and the Ford of Elbe-Teinitz (which we shall hear of in years coming)-a scene worth visiting by the curious, though it is by no means of picturesque character.

Uncomfortably bare, like most German plains; mean little hamlets, which are full of litter when you enter them, lie sprinkled about; little church spires (like suffragans to Chotusitz spire, which is near you); a ragged, untrimmed country: beyond the Brook, toward the Dobrowa, two or more miles from Chotusitz, is still noticeable something like a Deer-park, with umbrageous features, bushy clumps, and shadowy vestiges of a Mansion, the one regular edifice within your horizon. Schuschitz is the name of this Mansion and Deer-park; farther on lies Sbislau, where Leopold happily found his Bridge unbroken yesterday.

The general landscape is scrubby, littery-ill tilled, scratched rather than plowed-physiognomic of Czech Populations, who are seldom trim at elbows: any beauty it has is on the farther side of the Dobrowa, which does not concern Prince Leopold, Prince Karl, or us at present. Prince Leopold's camp lies east and west, short way to north of Chotusitz. Schuschitz Hamlet (a good mile northward of Sbislau) covers his left, the chain of Lakelets covers his right, and Chotusitz, one of his outposts, lies centrally in front. Prince Karl is coming on, in four columns, from the Hills and intricacies south of Czaslau; has been on march all night, intending a night attack or camisado if he could, but could not in the least, owing to the intricate roadways, and the discrepancies of pace between his four columns. The sun

was up before any thing of him appeared, drawing out, visibly yonder, by the east side of Czaslau, 30,000 strong, they say. Friedrich's united force, were Friedrich himself on the ground, will be about 28,000.

Friedrich's Orders, which Leopold is studying, were, "Hold by Chotusitz for centre; your left wing, see you lean it on something toward Dobrowa side-on that intricate Brook (Brtlinka)