ll, with bushes at bottom and top, wall quarried by
Elbe, as you can see. Pirna is near the beginning [properly END, but we
start from Dresden] or western extremity of Saxon Schweitz. Schandau,
almost at the opposite or eastern extremity, is still more picturesque;
standing on the delta of a little Brook, with high rock-cliffs, with
garden-shrubberies, sanded walks, tufts of forest-umbrage; a bright-
painted, almost OPERATIC-looking place,--with spa-waters, if I
recollect: "yes truly, and the "Bath Season" making its packages in
great haste, breaking up prematurely, this Year (1756)!--

Directly on arriving at Gross-Sedlitz, Friedrich takes ocular survey
of this Country, which is already not unknown to him. He finds that the
Saxons have secured themselves within the Mountains; a rocky streamlet,
Brook of Gottleube, which issues into Elbe just between Gross-Sedlitz
and them, "through a dell of eighty or a hundred feet deep," serving
as their first defence; well in front of the mere rocky Heights and
precipices behind it, which stretch continuously along to southward,
six miles or more, from Pirna and the south brink of Elbe. At
Langen-Hennersdorf, which is the southernmost part, these Heights make
an elbow inwards, by Leopoldshayn, towards the Konigstein, which is but
four miles off; here too the Saxons are defended by a Brook (running
straight towards Konigstein, this one) in front of their Heights; and
stand defensive, in this way, along a rock-bulwark of ten miles long:
the passes all secured by batteries, by abatis, palisades, mile after
mile, as Friedrich rides observant leftward: behind them, Elbe rushing
swifter through his rock-walls yonder, with chasms and intricate gorges;
defending them inexpugnably to rear. Six miles long of natural bulwark
(six to Hennersdorf), where the gross of the Saxons lie; then to
Konigstein four other miles, sufficiently, if more sparsely, beset by
them. "No stronger position in the world," Friedrich thinks; [_OEuvres
de Frederic,_ iv. 83, 84 (not a very distinct Account; and far from
accurate in the details,--which are left without effectual correction
even in the best Editions).]--and that it is impossible to force this
place, without a loss of life disproportionate even to its importance
at present. Not to say that the Saxons will make terms all the easier,
BEFORE bloodshed rise between us;--and furthermore that Hunger (for
we hear they have provision only for two weeks) may itself