nd truly there was little regret of the
Ober-Amt, in Breslau; and ever less, to a marked extent, as the years
went on.

On the 5th of January (fourth and last night here), his Majesty gave a
grand Ball. Had hired, or Colonel Posadowsky instead of him had hired,
the Assembly Rooms (REDOUTEN-SAAL), for the purpose: "Invite all the
Nobility high and low;"--expense by estimate is a ducat (half-guinea)
each; do it well, and his Majesty will pay. About 6 in the evening, his
Majesty in person did us the honor to drive over; opened the Ball with
Madam the Countess von Schlegenberg (I should guess, a Dowager Lady),
in whose house he lodges. I am not aware that his Majesty danced much
farther; but he was very condescending, and spoke and smiled up and
down;--till, about 10 P.M., an Officer came in with a Letter. Which
Letter his Majesty having read, and seemingly asked a question or two in
regard to, put silently in his pocket, as if it were a finished thing.
Nevertheless, after a few minutes, his Majesty was found to have
silently withdrawn; and did not return, not even to supper. Perceiving
which, all the Prussian official people gradually withdrew; though
the dancing and supping continued not the less, to a late hour.
[_Helden-Geschichte,_ i. 557.]

"Open the Austrian Mail-bag (FELLEISEN); see a little what they are
saying over there!" Such order had evidently been given, this night. In
consequence of which, people wrote by Dresden, and not the direct way,
in future; wishing to avoid that openable FELLEISEN. Next morning,
January 6th, his Majesty had left for Ohlau,--early, I suppose; though
there proved to be nothing dangerous ahead there, after all.

Chapter V. -- FRIEDRICH PUSHES FORWARD TOWARDS BRIEG AND NEISSE.

Ohlau is a pleasant little Town, two marches southeast of Breslau; with
the Ohlau River on one side, and the Oder on the other; capable of some
defence, were there a garrison. Brieg the important Fortress, still
on the Oder, is some fifteen miles beyond Ohlau; after which, bending
straight south and quitting Oder, Neisse the still more important may be
thirty miles:--from Breslau to Neisse, by this route (which is BOW, not
STRING), sixty-five or seventy miles. One of my Topographers yields this
Note, if readers care for it:--

"Ohlau River, an insignificant drab-colored stream, rises well south of
Breslau, about Strehlen; makes, at first, direct eastward towards the
Oder; and then, when almost close upo