History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Prince Henri, for all his complaining, did beautifully this Season
again (though to us it must be silent, being small-war merely;--and
in particular, MAY 12th) early in the morning, simultaneously in many
different parts, burst across the Mulda, ten or twenty miles long (or
BROAD rather, from his right hand to his left), sudden as lightning,
upon the supine Serbelloni and his Austrians and Reichsfolk. And hurled
them back, one and all, almost to the Plauen Chasm and their old haunts;
widening his quarters notably. [_Bericht von dem Uebergang uber die
Mulde, den der Prinz Heinrich den 12ten May 1762 glucklich ausgefuhrt_
(in Seyfarth, _Beylagen,_ iii, 280-291).] A really brilliant thing,
testifies everybody, though not to be dwelt on here. Seidlitz was of it
(much fine cutting and careering, from the Seidlitz and others, we
have to omit in these two Saxon Campaigns!)--Seidlitz was of it; he and
another still more special acquaintance of ours, the learned Quintus
Icilius; who also did his best in it, but lost his "AMUSETTE" (small bit
of cannon, "Plaything," so called by Marechal de Saxe, inventor of the
article), and did not shine like Seidlitz.
Henri's quarters being notably widened in this way, and nothing but
torpid Serbellonis and Prince Stollbergs on the opposite part, Henri
"drew himself out thirty-five miles long;" and stood there, almost
looking into Plauen region as formerly. And with his fiery Seidlitzes,
Kleists, made a handsome Summer of it. And beat the Austrians and
Reichsfolk at Freyberg (OCTOBER 29th) a fine Battle, and his sole
one),--on the Horse which afterwards carried Gellert, as is pleasantly
known.
But we are omitting the news from Petersburg,--which came the very day
after that gloomy LETTER TO D'ARGENS; months before the TIFF OF QUARREL
with Henri, and the brilliant better destinies of that Gentleman in his
Campaign.
BRIGHT NEWS FROM PETERSBURG (certain, Jan. 19th); WHICH GROW EVER
BRIGHTER; AND BECOME A STAR-OF-DAY FOR FRIEDRICH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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