ted to be prompt and excellent. Lacy,
with his 20,000,--who lay, while Friedrich's attack was expected from
south, at Loswig, as advanced guard, east side of the GROSSE TEICH
(supreme pond of all, which is a continuation of the Duck-trap,
ENTEFANG, and hangs like a chief goitre on the goitry neck of
Torgau),--Lacy is now to draw himself north and westward, and looking
into the Entefang over his left shoulder (so to speak), be rear-guard
against any Ziethen or Prussian party that may come. Daun's baggage
is all across the Elbe, all in wagons since yesterday; three Bridges
hanging for Daun and it, in case of adverse accident. Daun likewise
brings all or nearly all his cannon to the new front, for Friedrich's
behoof: 200 new pieces hither; Archenholtz says 400 in whole; certainly
such a weight of artillery as never appeared in Battle before. Unless
Friedrich's arrangements prove punctual, and his stroke be emphatic,
Friedrich may happen to fare badly. On the latter point, of emphasis,
there is no dubiety for Friedrich: but on the former,--things
are already past doubt, the wrong way! For the last hour or so of
Friedrich's march there has been continual storm of cannonade and
musketry audible from Ziethen's side:--"Ziethen engaged!" thinks
everybody; and quickens step here, under this marching music from the
distance. Which is but a wrong reading or mistake, nothing more; the
real phenomenon being as follows: Ziethen punctually got to Klitschen
at the due hour; struck into the BUTTER-STRASSE, calculating his paces;
but, on the edge of the Wood found a small Austrian party, like those in
Friedrich's route; and, pushing into it, the Austrian party replied with
cannon before running. Whereupon Ziethen, not knowing how inconsiderable
it was, drew out in battle-order; gave it a salvo or two; drove it back
on Lacy, in the Duck-trap direction,--a long way east of Butter-Street,
and Ziethen's real place;--unlucky that he followed it so far! Ziethen
followed it; and got into some languid dispute with Lacy: dispute quite
distant, languid, on both sides, and consisting mainly of cannon; but
lasting in this way many precious hours. This is the phenomenon which
friends, in the distance read to be, "Ziethen engaged!" Engaged, yes,
and alas with what? What Ziethen's degree of blame was, I do not know.
Friedrich thought it considerable:--"Stupid, stupid, MEIN LIEBER!"
which Ziethen never would admit;--and, beyond question, it was of high
de