te. "Absolute surrender," answers Daun: "prisoners of
war, and you shall keep your private baggage. General Wunsch with the
Cavalry, he too must turn back and surrender!" Finck pleaded hard, on
this last score: "General Wunsch, as head of the Cavalry, is not under
me; is himself chief in that department." But it was of no use: Wunsch
had to return (not quite got through Daun's Lines, after such a night),
and to surrender, like everybody else. Like Eight other Generals; like
Wolfersdorf of Torgau, and many a brave Officer and man. Wednesday
morning, 21st November, 1769: it is Finck's fourth day on Maxen; his
last in the Prussian Service.

That same Wednesday Afternoon there were ranked in the GROSSE GARTEN at
Dresden, of dejected Prussian Prisoners from Maxen, what exact number
was never known: the Austrians said 15,000; but nobody well believed
them; their last certain instalment being only, in correct numbers,
2,836. Besides the killed, wounded and already captured, many had
deserted, many had glided clear off. It is judged that Friedrich
lost, by all these causes, about 12,000 men. Gone wholly,--with their
equipments and appurtenances wholly, which are not worth counting
in comparison. Finck and the other Generals, 8 of them, and 529
Officers,--Finck, Wunsch, Wolfersdorf, Mosel (of the Olmutz Convoy),
not to mention others of known worth, this is itself a sore loss to
Friedrich, and in present circumstances an irreparable. [Seyfarth, ii.
576; in _Helden-Geschichte,_ (v. 1115), the Vienna Account.]

The outburst and paroxysm of Gazetteer rumor, which arose in Europe
over this, must be left to the imagination; still more the whirlwind of
astonishment, grief, remorse and indignation that raged in the heart of
Friedrich on first hearing of it. "The Caudine Forks;" "Scene of Pirna
over again, in reverse form;" "Is not your King at last over with it?"
said and sang multifariously the Gazetteers. As counter-chorus to which,
in a certain Royal Heart: "That miserable purblind Finck, unequal to his
task;--that overhasty I, who drove him upon it! This disgrace, loss nigh
ruinous; in fine, this infernal Campaign (CETTE CAMPAGNE INFEMALE)!"
The Anecdote-Books abound in details of Friedrich's behavior at Wilsdruf
that day; mythical all, or in good part, but symbolizing a case that is
conceivable to everybody. Or would readers care to glance into the very
fact with their own eyes? As happens to be possible.

1. BEFORE MAXEN: FRI