lesien; Daun and Karl attending him;
nothing left of Daun and Karl in those Saxon Countries,--except, at
Stolpen, out Dresden-wards, some Reserve-Post or Rear-guard of 15,000,
should we chance to hear of that again. And from the end of September
onwards, Bevern's star, once somewhat bright at Reichenberg, shot
rapidly downwards, under the horizon altogether; and there came, post
after post, such news out of Schlesien,--to say nothing of that Stolpen
Party,--as Friedrich had never heard before.

Chapter VII.--FRIEDRICH IN THURINGEN, HIS WORLD OF ENEMIES ALL COME.

The Soubise-Hildburghausen people had got rendezvoused at Erfurt about
August 25th; 50,000 by account, and no enemy within 200 miles of them;
and in the Versailles circles it had been expected they would proceed to
the "Deliverance of Saxony" straightway. What is to hinder?--Friedrich,
haggling with the Austrians at Bernstadt, could muster but a poor
23,000, when he did march towards Erfurt. In those same neighborhoods,
within reach of Soubise, is the Richelieu, late D'Estrees, Army; elated
with Hastenbeck, comfortably pushing Royal Highness of Cumberland,
who makes no resistance, step by step, into the sea; victoriously
plundering, far and wide in those countries, Hanover itself the
Head-quarter. In the Versailles circles, it is farther expected that
Richelieu, "Conqueror of Minorca," will shortly besiege and conquer
Magdeburg, and so crown his glories. Why not; were the "Deliverance of
Saxony" complete?

The whole of which turned out greatly otherwise, and to the sad
disappointment of Versailles. The Conqueror of Minorca is probably aware
that the conquering of Magdeburg, against one whose platforms are not
rotten, and who does not "lie always in his bed," as poor old Blakeney
did, will be a very different matter. And the private truth is, Marrchal
de Richelieu never turned his thoughts upon Magdeburg at all, nor upon
any point of war that had difficulties, but solely upon collecting
plunder for himself in those Countries. One of the most magnificent
marauders on record; in no danger, he, of becoming monitory and a
pendulum, like the 1,000 that already swing in that capacity to rear
of him! And he did manage, in this Campaign, which was the last of his
military services, so as to pay off at Paris "above 50,000 pounds of
debts; and to build for himself a beautiful Garden Mansion there, which
the mocking populations called 'Hanover Pavilion (PAVILION D'