ment,
against Jesuits and intolerance. When, a few months after the battle of
Collin, he so entirely beat the French at Rossbach, he became the hero
of Germany, and there was a burst of exultation everywhere. For
two centuries the French had inflicted the greatest injury on the
much-divided country; now the German nature began to oppose itself to
the influence of French culture, and now the King, who had so much
admired Parisian verses, had as wonderfully scared away the Parisian
General. It was such a brilliant victory, the old enemy was so
disgracefully overthrown, that it rejoiced all hearts throughout the
Empire; even where the soldiers of the Sovereigns were in the field
against King Frederic, the citizens and peasants rejoiced secretly at
his German blows. The longer the war lasted, the firmer became
the belief in the King's invincibility, so much the more did the
self-respect of the Germans rise. After long, long years, they had at
last found a hero, of whose warlike fame they could be proud, who would
accomplish what was almost more than human. Numberless anecdotes about
him circulated through the country; every little trait of his
composure, of his good humour and friendliness with the soldiers, or of
the fidelity of his army, flew hundreds of miles; how, when in peril of
death, he played his flute in his tent; how his wounded soldiers
sang chorales after the battle; how, he had taken off his hat to a
regiment--he has since been often imitated in this,--all these stories
were carried to the Neckar and the Rhine, printed and listened to with
glad smiles and tears of emotion. It was natural that the poets should
sing his praises; three of them had been in the Prussian army, Gleim
and Lessing as secretaries to the General in command, and Ewald von
Kleist, the favourite of a young literary circle, as an officer, till
at last he was struck by a ball at Kunnersdorf. But still more touching
to us is the faithful devotion of the Prussian people; the old
provinces, Prussia, Pomerania, the Marches, and Westphalia, had
suffered indescribably from the war, but the proud pleasure of having a
share in the hero of Europe made even the most inconsiderable man
forget his own sufferings. The armed citizens and peasants for years
marched to the field as militia-men. When a number of recruits from
Cleves and the county of Ravensberg, after a lost action, fled
from their banners and returned home, they were denounced by their
count