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
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!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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