old pride and
effulgence, after this, says Retzow. Had been so meek, so humbled,
and even condescended to ask advice or opinion from some about him.
Especially "from two Captains," says the Opposition Retzow, whose heads
were nearly turned by this sunburst from on high. Captain Marquart and
another,--I believe, he did employ them about Routes and marking of
Camps, which Retzow calls consulting: a King fallen tragically scarce of
persons to consult; all his Winterfelds, Schwerins, Keiths and Council
of Peers now vanished, and nothing but some intelligent-looking Captain
Marquart, or the like, to consult:--of which Retzow, in his splenetic
Opposition humor, does not see the tragedy, but rather the comedy: how
the poor Captains found their favor to be temporary, conditional, and
had to collapse again. One of them wrote an "ESSAY on the COUP-D'OEIL
MILITAIRE," over which Retzow pretends to weep. This was Friedrich's
marginal Note upon the MS., when submitted to his gracious perusal: "You
(ER) will do better to acquire the Art of marking Camps than to write
upon the Military Stroke of Eye." Beautifully written too, says Retzow;
but what, in the eyes of this King, is beautiful writing, to knowing
your business well? No friend he to writing, unless you have got
something really special, and urgent to be written.

Friedrich crassed the Oder twice. Took Soltikof on both sides of the
Oder, cut him out of this fond expectation, then of that; led him,
we perceive, a bad life. Latterly the scene was on the right bank;
Sophienthal, Koben, Herrnstadt and other poor places,--on that big
eastern elbow, where Oder takes his final bend, or farewell of Poland.
Ground, naturally, of some interest to Friedrich: ground to us unknown;
but known to Friedrich as the ground where Karl XII. gave Schulenburg
his beating, ["Near Guhrau" (while chasing August the Strong and him out
of Poland), "12th October, 1704:" vague account of it, dateless, and as
good as placeless, in Voltaire (_Charles Douse,_ liv. iii.), _OEuvres,_
xxx. 142-145.] which produced the "beautiful retreat" of Schulenburg.
The old Feldmarschall Schulenburg whom we used to hear of once,--whose
Nephew, a pipeclayed little gentleman, was well known to Friedrich and
us.

For the rest, I do not think he feels this out-manoeuvring of the
Russians very hard work. Already, from Zobelwitz Country, 25th
September, day of Henri at Hoyerswerda, Friedrich had written to
Fouquet: "With 21,000