n his place, and
ordered him to bring the army round to Glogau and meet him at
Parchwitz on December 2nd, which Ziethen punctually did.

In spite of the terrible misfortunes that had befallen him,
Frederick was still undaunted. Increased as it was by the arrival
of Ziethen, his force was but a third of the strength of the
Austrians. The latter were flushed with success; while Ziethen's
troops were discouraged by defeat, and his own portion of the force
worn out by their long and rapid marches, and by the failure of the
object for which they had come. Calling his generals together on
the 3rd, he recounted the misfortunes that had befallen them; and
told them that his one trust, in this terrible position, was in
their qualities and valour; and that he intended to engage the
enemy, as soon as he found them, and that they must beat them or
all of them perish in the battle.

Enthusiastically, the generals declared that they would conquer or
die with him; and among the soldiers the spirit was equally strong,
for they had implicit confidence in their king, and a well-justified
trust in their own valour and determination. That evening Frederick,
eager as he was to bring the terrible situation to a final issue,
cannot but have felt that it would have been too desperate an
undertaking to have attacked the enemy; posted as they were with a
river (known as Schweidnitz Water) and many other natural difficulties
covering their front, and having their flanks strengthened, as was the
Austrian custom, with field works and batteries. Fortunately the
Austrians settled the difficulty by moving out from their stronghold.

Daun had counselled their remaining there, but Prince Karl and the
great majority of his military advisers agreed that it would be a
shameful thing that ninety thousand men should shut themselves up,
to avoid an attack by a force of but one-third their own strength;
and that it was in all respects preferable to march out and give
battle, in which case the Prussians would be entirely destroyed;
whereas, if merely repulsed in an attack on a strong position, a
considerable proportion might escape and give trouble in the
future.

The Austrians, indeed, having captured Schweidnitz and Breslau,
defeated Bevern, and in the space of three weeks made themselves
masters of a considerable portion of Silesia, were in no small
degree puffed up, and had fallen anew to despising Frederick. The
blow dealt them at Prague had been obl