point to them; Friedrich's passage now past dispute! "Let us fall back,"
say they, "and rank ourselves a little; we are 50 or 60,000 strong; ill
off for provisions; but well able to retreat; and have permission to
fight on this side of the River."

The combined Army, "Dauphiness," or whatever we are to call it, does on
Wednesday morning (November 2d) gather in its cannon and outskirts, and
give up the Saale question; retire landwards to the higher grounds some
miles; and diligently get itself united, and into order of battle better
or worse, near the Village of Mucheln (which means Kirk MICHAEL, and is
still written "SANCT MICHEL" by some on this occasion). There Dauphiness
takes post, leaning on the heights, not in a very scientific way;
leaving Keith and Ferdinand to rebuild their Bridges unmolested, and all
Prussians to come across at discretion. Which they have diligently done
(2d-3d November), by their respective Bridges; and on Thursday afternoon
are all across, encamped at Bedra, in close neighborhood to Mucheln;
which Friedrich has been out reconnoitring and finds that he can attack
next morning very early.

Next morning, accordingly, "by 2 o'clock, with a bright moon shining,"
Friedrich is on horseback, his Army following. But on examining by
moonlight, the enemy have shifted their position; turned on their axis,
more or less, into new wood-patches, new batteries and bogs; which
has greatly mended their affair. No good attacking them so, thinks
Friedrich; and returns to his Camp; slightly cannonaded, one wing of
him, from some battery of the enemy; and immoderately crowed over by
them: "Dare not, you see! Tried, and was defeated!" cry their newspapers
and they,--for one day. Friedrich lodges again in Bedra this night,
others say in Rossbach; shifts his own Camp a little; left wing of it
now at Rossbach (HOME-BROOK, or BECK, soon to be a world-famous Hamlet):
the effects of hunger on the Dauphiness, so far from her supplies, will,
he calculates, be stronger than on him, and will bring her to better
terms shortly. Dauphiness needs bread; one may have fine clipping at the
skirts of her, if she try retreat. That Dauphiness would play the prank
she did next morning, Friedrich had not ventured to calculate.

CATASTROPHE OF DAUPHINESS (Saturday, 5th November, 1757).

Meandering Saale is on one of his big turns, as he passes Weissenfels;
turning, pretty rapidly here, from southeastward, which he was a dozen
mi