or sparing Friedrich's life on this interesting occasion: How,
being now on the safe side of the River, he Crillon with his staff
taking some refection of breakfast after the furious flurry there had
been; there came to him one of his Artillery Captains, stationed in
an Island in the River, asking, "Shall I shoot the King of Prussia,
Monseigneur? He is down reconnoitring his end of the Bridge: sha'n't I,
then?" To whom Crillon gives a glass of wine and smilingly magnanimous
answer to a negative effect. [_"Memoires militaires de Louis &c. Duc
de Crillon _ (Paris, 1791), p. 166;"--as cited by Preuss, ii. 88.]
Concerning which, one has to remark, Not only, FIRST, that the Artillery
Captain's power of seeing Friedrich (which is itself uncertain) would
indeed mean the power of aiming at him, but differs immensely from that
of hitting him with shot; so that this "Shall I kill the King?" was
mainly thrasonic wind from Captain Bertin. But SECONDLY, that there is
no "Island" in the River thereabouts, for Captain Bertin to fire from!
So that probably the whole story is wind or little more: dreamlike, or
at best some idle thrasonic-theoretic question, on the part of Bertin;
proper answer thereto (consisting mainly in a glass of wine) from
Monseigneur:--all which, on retrospection, Monseigneur feels, or would
fain feel, to have been not theoretic-thrasonic but practical, and of a
rather godlike nature. Zero mainly, as we said; Friedrich thanks you for
zero, Monseigneur.

"The Prussians were billeted in the Town that night," says our Syndic;
"and in many a house there came to be twenty men, and even thirty and
above it, lodged. All was quiet through the night; the French and the
Reichs folk were drawn back upon the higher grounds, about Burgwerben
and on to Tagwerben; and we saw their watch-fires burning." Friedrich's
Bridge meanwhile, unmolested by the enemy, is getting ready.

Keith, looking across to Merseburg on the morrow morning (Tuesday, Nov.
1st), whither he had marched direct with the other Half of the Army,
finds Merseburg Bridge destroyed, or broken; and Soubise with batteries
on the farther side, intending to dispute the passage. Keith despatches
Duke Ferdinand to Halle, another twelve miles down, who finds Halle
Bridge destroyed in like manner, and Broglio intending to dispute;
which, however, on second thoughts, neither of them I did. Friedrich's
new Bridge at Herren-Muhle (LORDSHIPS' MILL) is of course an important