Glatz,
though he now forbore it. Leopold, who has with him some 15,000 horse
and foot, cantons himself judiciously in those ultramontane parts,--"all
the artillery in the Glatz Country;" [_Helden-Geschichte,_ ii. 431;
Orlich, i. 174.]--and we shall hear of him again, by and by, in regard
to other business that rises there.

Neisse is a formidable Fortress, much strengthened since last year; but
here is a Besieger with much better chance! He marked out parallels,
sent summonses, reconnoitred, manoeuvred,--in a way more or less
surprising to the eye of Valori, who is military, and knows about
sieges. Rather singular, remarks Valori; good engineers much wanted
here! But the bombardment did finally begin: night of October 26th-27th,
the Prussiaus opened fire; and, at a terrible rate, cannonaded and
bombarded without intermission. In point of fire and noise it is
tremendous; Valori trusts it may be effective, in spite of faults; goes
to Breslau in hope: "Yes, go to Breslau, MON CHER VALORI; wait for me
there. Neipperg be chased, say you? Shall not he,--if we had got this
place!" And so the fire continues night and day. [_Helden-Geschichte,_
i. 1006.]

Fantastic Bielfeld, in his semi-fabulous style, has a LETTER on this
bombardment, attractive to Lovers of the Picturesque,--(written long
afterwards, and dated &c. WRONG). As Bielfeld is a rapid clever creature
of the coxcomb sort, and doubtless did see Neisse Siege, and entertained
seemingly a blazing incorrect recollection of it, his Pseudo-Neisse
Letter may be worth giving, to represent approximately what kind of
scene it was there at Neisse in the October nights:--

"Marechal Schwerin was lodged in a Village about three-quarters of a
mile from Head-Quarters. One day he did me the honor to invite me to
dinner; and even offered me a horse to ride thither with him. I found
excellent company; a superb repast, and wine of the gods. Host and
guests were in high spirits; and the pleasures of the table were kept up
so late, that it was midnight when we rose. I was obliged to return
to Head-Quarters, having still to wait upon the King, as usual. The
Marechal was kind enough to lend me another horse; but the groom
mischievously gave me the charger which the Marechal rode at the Battle
of Mollwitz; a very powerful animal, and which, from that day, had grown
very skittish.

"I was made aware of this circumstance, before we were fairly out of the
Village; and the night being of th