bove two
to one of him. But he could not, though he tried considerably; on the
contrary, he was himself beaten; obliged to make off, leaving
"ten dragoons killed, sixteen prisoners, one standard and two
kettle-drums:"--victory and all this plunder, ye Pandour gentry; but
evidently no King. The Pandour gentry, on the instant, made off too,
alarm being abroad; got into some side-valley, with their prisoners and
drum-and-standard honors, and vanished from view of mankind.

Friedrich had started from dinner; got his escort under way, with the
forty hussars and the fifty foot, and what small force was attainable;
and hurried towards the scene. He did see, by the road, another
strongish party of Pandours; dashed them across the Neisse River out of
sight;--but, getting to Baumgarten, found the field silent, and ten dead
men upon it. "I always told you those Schulenburg Dragoons were good
for nothing!" writes he to the Old Dessauer; but gradually withal,
on comparing notes, finds what a danger he had run, and how rash and
foolish he had been. "An ETOURDERIE (foolish trick)," he calls it,
writing to Jordan; "a black eye;" and will avoid the like. Vienna got
its two kettle-drums and flag; extremely glad to see them; and even sang
TE-DEUM upon them, to general edification. [Orlich, i. 62-64.] This is
the naked primordial substance out of which the above Myth grew to its
present luxuriance in the popular imagination. Place, the little Village
of Baumgarten; day, 27th February, 1741. Of Tobias Stusche or the
Convent of Kamenz, not one authentic word on this occasion. Tobias
did get promotions, favors in coming years: a worthy Abbot, deserving
promotion on general grounds; and master of a Convent very picturesque,
but twelve miles from the present scene of action.

ASPECTS OF BRESLAU.

Friedrich avoided visiting Breslau, probably for the reasons above
given; though there are important interests of his there, especially his
chief Magazine; and issues of moment are silently working forward. Here
are contemporary Excerpts (in abridged form), which are authentic, and
of significance to a lively reader:--

"BRESLAU, MIDDLE OF JANUARY, 1741. The Prussian Envoy, Herr von Gotter,
had appeared here, returning from Vienna; Gotter, and then Borck, who
made no secret in Breslau society, That not the slightest hope of a
peaceable result existed, as society might have flattered itself; but
that war and battle would have to decide this ma