s that the King seems to be coming this way, Lacy gathers himself
on the instant; quits Godau, by one in the morning; and retreats bodily,
at his fastest step, to Bischofswerda again; nor by any means stops
there." [Tempelhof, iv. 61-63.]

For the third time! "Three is lucky," Friedrich may have thought:
and there has no precaution, of drum-music, of secrecy or persuasive
finesse, been neglected on Lacy. But Lacy has ears that hear the grass
grow: our elaborately accurate triple-pincers, closing simultaneously
on Bischofswerda, after eighteen miles of sweep, find Lacy flown again;
nothing to be caught of him but some 80 hussars. All this day and
all next night Lacy is scouring through the western parts at an
extraordinary rate; halting for a camp, twice over, at different
places,--Durre Fuchs (THIRSTY FOX), Durre Buhle (THIRSTY SWEETHEART), or
wherever it was; then again taking wing, on sound of Prussian parties to
rear; in short, hurrying towards Dresden and the Reichsfolk, as if for
life.

Lacy's retreat, I hear, was ingeniously done, with a minimum of disorder
in the circumstances: but certainly it was with a velocity as if his
head had been on fire; and, indeed, they say he escaped annihilation by
being off in time. He put up finally, not at Thirsty Sweetheart, still
less at Thirsty Fox, successive Hamlets and Public Houses in the sandy
Wilderness which lies to north of Elbe, and is called DRESDEN HEATH;
but farther on, in the same Tract, at Weisse Hirsch (WHITE HART); which
looks close over upon Dresden, within two miles or so; and is a kind
of Height, and military post of advantage. Next morning, July 10th,
he crosses Dresden Bridge, comes streaming through the City; and takes
shelter with the Reichsfolk near there:--towards Plauen Chasm; the
strongest ground in the world; hardly strong enough, it appears, in the
present emergency.

Friedrich's first string, therefore, has snapt in two; but, on the
instant, he has a second fitted on:--may that prove luckier!

Chapter II.

FRIEDRICH BESIEGES DRESDEN.

From and after the Evening of Wednesday, July 9th, it is upon a Siege of
Dresden that Friedrich goes;--turning the whole war-theatre topsy-turvy;
throwing Daun, Loudon, Lacy, everybody OUT, in this strange and sudden
manner. One of the finest military feats ever done, thinks Tempelhof.
Undoubtedly a notable result so far, and notably done; as the impartial
reader (if Tempelhof be a little inconsistent) se