ipperg who was sent
instead, there might have been a considerably different account to give
of the sequel. But Neipperg was Tutor (War-Tutor) to the Grand-Duke;
Browne is still of young standing (age only thirty-five), with a touch
of veiled sarcasm; and things must go their course.

In Schlesien, Schwerin is now to command in chief; the King going off to
Berlin for a little, naturally with plenty of errand there. The Prussian
Troops go into Winter-quarters; spread themselves wide; beset the good
points, especially the Passes of the Hills,--from Jagerndorf, eastward
to the Jablunka leading towards Hungary;--nay they can, and before long
do, spread into the Moravian Territories, on the other side; and levy
contributions, the Queen proving unreasonable.

It was Monday, 23d, when the Siege of Neisse was abandoned: on
Wednesday, Friedrich himself turns homeward; looks into Schweidnitz,
looks into Liegnitz; and arrives at Berlin as the week ends,--much
acclamation greeting him from the multitude. Except those three masked
Fortresses, capable of no defence to speak of, were Winter over, Silesia
is now all Friedrich's,--has fallen wholly to him in the space of about
Seven Weeks. The seizure has been easy; but the retaining of it, perhaps
he himself begins to see more clearly, will have difficulties! From this
point, the talk about GLOIRE nearly ceases in his Correspondence. In
those seven weeks he has, with GLOIRE or otherwise, cut out for himself
such a life of labor as no man of his Century had.

Chapter VII. -- AT VERSAILLES, THE MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY CHANGES HIS
SHIRT, AND BELLEISLE IS SEEN WITH PAPERS.

While Friedrich was so busy in Silesia, the world was not asleep around
him; the world never is, though it often seems to be, round a man and
what action he does in it. That Sunday morning, First Day of the Year
1741, in those same hours while Friedrich, with energy, with caution,
was edging himself into Breslau, there went on in the Court of
Versailles an interior Phenomenon; of which, having by chance got access
to it face to face, we propose to make the reader participant before
going farther.

Readers are languidly aware that phenomena do go on round their
Friedrich; that their busy Friedrich, with his few Voltaires and
renowned persons, are not the only population of their Century, by
any means. Everybody is aware of that fact; yet, in practice, almost
everybody is as good as not aware; and the World all r