prelude of bomb-shells, rushes
on double-quick; cannot be withstood; hurls out the Praguers, and seizes
their battery; a ruinous loss to them.

Their grand Zisca redoubt is gone, then; and two subsidiary small
redoubts behind it withal, which the French had built, and named "the
magpie-nests (NIDS A PIE);" these also are ours. And we overhang, from
our Zisca Hill, the very roofs, as it were; and there is nothing but a
long bare curtain now in this quarter, ready to be battered in breach,
and soon holed, if needful. It is not needful,--not quite. In the course
of three days more, our Bubenetsch battery, of enormous power, has been
so diligent, it has set fire to the Water-mill; burns irretrievably the
Water-mill, and still worse, the wooden Sluice of the Moldau; so that
the river falls to the everywhere wadable pitch. And Governor Harsch
perceives that all this quarter of the Town is open to any comer;--and,
in fact, that he will have to get away, the best he can.

White flag accordingly (Tuesday, 15th): "Free withdrawal, to the
Wischerad; won't you?" "By no manner of means!" answers Friedrich.
Bids Schwerin from his Ziscaberg make a hole or two in that "curtain"
opposite him; and gets ready for storm. Upon which Harsch, next morning,
has to beat the chamade, and surrender Prisoner of War. And thus,
Wednesday, 16th, it is done: a siege of one week, no more,--after
all that thrashing of grain, drilling of militia, and other spirited
preparation. Harsch could not help it; the Prussian cannonading was
so furious. [Orlich, ii. 36-39; _Helden-Geschichte,_ i. 1082, and ii.
1168; _OEuvres de Frederic,_ iii. 56; &c. &c.]

Prag has to swear fealty to the Kaiser; and "pay a ransom of 200,000
pounds." Drilled militia, regulars, Hungarians, about 16,000,--only that
many of the Tolpatches contrived to whisk loose,--are marched prisoners
to Glatz and other strong places. Prag City, with plenty of provision in
it, is ours. A brilliant beginning of a Campaign; the eyes of all Europe
turned again, in very various humor, on this young King. If only the
French do their duty, and hang well on the skirts of Marshal Traun (or
of Prince Karl, the Cloak of Traun), who is hastening hitherward all he
can.

Chapter III.--FRIEDRICH, DILIGENT IN HIS BOHEMIAN CONQUESTS,
UNEXPECTEDLY COMES UPON PRINCE KARL, WITH NO FRENCH ATTENDING HIM.

This electrically sudden operation on Prag was considered by astonished
mankind, whatever else they mi