It is also a thrilling period of history with which the author deals, and replete with national as well as individual interest. Of the close of this great and sanguinary war, Macaulay says,—and he was not an admirer of Frederick,—“The proud and revengeful spirit of the Empress-Queen at length gave way; and in February, 1763, the peace of Hubertsburg put an end to the conflict which had during seven years devastated Germany. The king ceded nothing. The whole Continent in arms had proved unable to tear Silesia from that iron grasp. The war was over. Frederick was safe. His glory was beyond the reach of envy. If he had not made conquests as vast as those of Alexander, of Cæsar, and of Napoleon,—if he had not, on field of battle, enjoyed the constant success of Marlborough and Wellington,—he had yet given an example unrivalled in history, of what capacity and resolution can effect against the greatest superiority of power and the utmost spite of fortune.” G. P. U. Chicago, 1905 Contents I The First Battle of the War 13 II The Battle of Prague 18 III Frederick’s Defeat and Seydlitz’s Surprise 24 IV The Brilliant Victory at Rossbach 35 V Frederick at Leuthen and Lissa 39 VI The Siege of Olmütz 48 VII Seydlitz saves the Day at Zorndorf 60 VIII Frederick’s Defeat at Hochkirch 68 IX The Most Dreadful Day in Frederick’s Life 78 X The Battle of Liegnitz 92 XI The Victory at Torgau surprises Frederick 98 XII The Camp at Bunzelwiltz 117 XIII The Dawn of Peace 128 XIV End of the Seven Years’ War 136 Appendix 145 List of Illustrations After the battle at Kollin _Frontispiece_ _Facing page_ “Good-evening, gentlemen, evidently you were not expecting me” 46 “Frederick stood on the bloody field like one dazed” 84 Frederick at the watch fire before the battle of Liegnitz 96 Frederick the Great and the Seven Years’ War Chapter I The First Battle of the War