ith you!'"

This of Pirch and the saddle is an Anecdote in wide circulation; taken
sometimes as a proof of Royal thrift; but is mainly the Royal mode of
rebuking Pirch for his weak behavior in the accident that had befallen.
Pirch, an ingenious handy kind of fellow, famed for his pranks and
trickeries in those Page-days, had many adventures in the world;--was,
for one while, something of a notability among the French; will "teach
you the Prussian mode of drill," and actually got leave to try it "on
the German Regiments in our service:" [Voltaire's wondering Report
of him ("Ferney, 7th December, 1774"), and Friedrich's quiet Answer
("Berlin, 28th Dec. 1774"): in _OEuvres de Frederic,_ xxiii. 297, 301.
Rodenbeck (ii. 198-200) has a slight "BIOGRAPHY" of Pirch.]--died,
finally, as Colonel of one of these, at the Siege of Gibraltar, in 1783.

SEPTEMBER 25th. "Morning and noon, each time two hours, the King was in
his new batteries; and, with great satisfaction, watched the working of
them. This day there dined with him the Prince of Bernburg [General
of Brigade here], Tauentzien, Lefebvre and Dieskau" (head of the
Artillery).

The King is always riding about; has now, virtually, taken charge of the
Siege himself. "In Bogendorf, the first night, he dismissed the Guard
sent for him; would have nothing there but six chasers (JAGER):" an
alarming case! "After a night or two, there came always, without his
knowledge, a dragoon party of 30 horse; took post behind Bogendorf
Church, patrolled towards Kunzendorf, Giesdorf, and had three pickets."

SEPTEMBER 28th. "Gribeauval has sprung a mine last night;" totally blown
up Lefebvre again! "Engineer-Lieutenants Gerhard and Von Kleist were
wounded by our own people; Captain Guyon was shot:" things all going
wrong,--weather, I suspect also, bad. "The King was in dreadful humor
(SEHR UNGNADIG); rated and rebuked to right and left: 'If it should last
till January, the Attack must go on. Nobody seems to be able for his
business; Lefebvre a blockhead (DUMMER TEUFEL), who knows nothing of
mining: the Generals, too, where are they? Every General henceforth
is to take his place in the third parallel, at the head of his
Covering-Party [most exposed place of all], and stay his whole
twenty-four hours there [Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg is Covering-Party
today; I hope, in his post during this thunder!]: Taken the Place can
and must be! We have the misfortune, That a stupid Engineer who knows
not