him the first time he and I should have three or four hours to
ourselves.

"A storm such as there never was, a deluge compared with which that of
Deucalion was a summer shower, covered our Hills with water [cannot say
WHICH day of the four], and almost drowned our Army while attempting
to manoeuvre. The morrow was a rest-day for that reason. At nine in the
morning, I went to the King, and stayed till one. He spoke to me of
our Generals; I let him say, of his own accord, the things I think of
Marshals Lacy and Loudon; and I hinted that, as to the others, it was
better to speak of the dead than of the living; and that one never can
well judge of a General who has not in his lifetime actually played
high parts in War. He spoke to me of Feldmarschall Daun: I said, 'that
against the French I believed he might have proved a great man; but that
against him [you], he had never quite been all he was; seeing always
his opponent as a Jupiter, thunder-bolt in hand, ready to pulverize his
Army.' That appeared to give the King pleasure: he signified to me a
feeling of esteem for Daun; he spoke favorably of General Brentano [one
of the Maxen gentlemen]. I asked his reason for the praises I knew he
had given to General Beck. 'Why (MAIS), I thought him a man of
merit,' said the King. 'I do not think so, Sire; he didn't do you much
mischief.' 'He sometimes took Magazines from me.' 'And sometimes let
your Generals escape.' (Bevern at REICHENBACH, for instance, do you
reckon that his blame?)--'I have never beaten him,' said the King. 'He
never came near enough for that: and I always thought your Majesty
was only appearing to respect him, in order that we might have more
confidence in him, and that you might give him the better slap some day,
with interest for all arrears.'

KING. "'Do you know who taught me the little I know? It was your old
Marshal Traun: that was a man, that one.--You spoke of the French: do
they make progress?'

EGO. "'They are capable of everything in time of war, Sire: but in
Peace,--their chiefs want them to be what they are not, what they are
not capable of being.'

KING. "'How, then; disciplined? They were so in the time of M. de
Turenne.'

EGO. "'Oh, it isn't that. They were not so in the time of M. de Vendome,
and they went on gaining battles. But it is now wished that they become
your Apes and ours; and that does n't suit them.'

KING. "'Perhaps so: I have said of their busy people (FAISEURS,' St.
Germa