ifarious preparation on
Schmettau's part; and continual pouring in of the hostile force, who are
also preparing at the utmost. Thursday, the Siege, if it can be called a
Siege, begins. Gradually, and as follows:--

"THURSDAY MORNING (August 30th), Schmettau, who is, night and day,
'palisading the River,' and much else,--discloses (that is, Break of
Day discloses on his part) to the Dresden public a huge Gallows, black,
huge, of impressive aspect; labelled 'For Plunderers, Mutineers and
their Helpers.' [ANONYMOUS OF HAMBURG, iii. 373.] The Austrian heavy
guns are not yet in battery; but multitudes of loose Croat people go
swarming about everywhere, and there is plentiful firing from such
artilleries as they have. This same Thursday morning, two or three
battalions of them rush into the Pirna Suburb; attack the Prussian
Guard-parties there. Schmettau instantly despatches Captain Kollas and a
Trumpet:--'Durchlaucht, have the goodness to recall these Croat Parties;
otherwise the Suburb goes into flame! And directly on arrival of this
Messenger, may it please Durchlaucht. For we have computed the time; and
will not wait beyond what is reasonable for his return!' Zweibruck is
mere indignation and astonishment; 'will burn Halle,' burn Quedlinburg,
Berlin itself, and utterly ruin the King of Prussia's Dominion in
general:--the rejoinder to which is, burning of Pirna Suburb, as
predicted; seventy houses of it, this evening, at six o'clock.

"Onward from which time there is on both sides, especially on
Schmettau's, diligent artillery practice; cannonade kept up wherever
Schmettau can see the enemy busy; enemy responding with what artillery
he has:--not much damage done, I should think, though a great deal of
noise; and for one day (Saturday, September 1st), our Diarist notes,
'Not safe to walk the streets this day.' But, in effect, the Siege,
as they call it,--which fell dead on the fifth day, and was never well
alive--consists mainly of menace and counter-menace, in the way of
bargain-making and negotiation;--and, so far as I can gather, that
superb Park of Austrian Artillery, though built into batteries, and
talked about in a bullying manner, was not fired from at all.

"Schmettau affects towards the enemy (and towards himself, I dare say)
an air of iron firmness; but internally has no such feeling,--'Calls a
Council of War,' and the like. Council of War, on sight of that King's
Missive, confirms him with one voice: 'Surely,