gements, as if for Magdeburg and his
Governorship there,--Friedrich hastening off for Silesia the while. Duke
Ferdinand did stay six days in Magdeburg, inspecting or pretending to
inspect; very pleasant with his Sister and the Royalties that, are now
there; but, at midnight of day sixth shot off silently on wider errand.
And, in sum, on Thursday, 24th November, 1757, appeared in Stade, on
horseback at morning parade there; intimating, to what joy of the poor
Brunswick Grenadiers and others, That he was come to take command;
that Kloster-Zeven is abolished; that we are not an "Observation Army,"
rotting here in the parish pound, any longer, but an "Allied Army" (such
now our title), intending to strike for ourselves, and get out of pound
straightway!--

"THURSDAY, 24th NOVEMBER-TUESDAY, 29th. Duke Ferdinand did accordingly
pick up the reins of this distracted Affair; and, in a way wonderful
to see, shot sanity into every fibre of it; and kept it sane and
road-worthy for the Five Years coming. With a silent velocity, an
energy, an imperturbable steadfastness and clear insight into cause and
effect; which were creditable to the school he came from; and were
a very joyful sight to Pitt and others concerned. So that from next
Tuesday, 'November 29th, before daylight,' when Ferdinand's batteries
began playing upon Harburg (French Fortress nearest to Stade), the reign
of the French ceased in those Countries; and an astonished Richelieu and
his French, lying scattered over all the West of Germany, in readiness
for nothing but plunder, had to fall more or less distracted in their
turn; and do a number of astonishing things. To try this and that, of
futile, more or less frantic nature; be driven from post after post; be
driven across the Aller first of all;--Richelieu to go home thereupon,
and be succeeded by one still more incompetent.

"DECEMBER 13th, a fortnight after Ferdinand's appearance, Richelieu had
got to the safe side of the Aller (burning of Zelle Bridge and Zelle
Town there, his last act in Germany); Ferdinand's quarters now wide
enough; and vigorous speed of preparation going on for farther chase,
were the weather mended. FEBRUARY 17th, 1758, Ferdinand was on foot
again; Prince de Clermont, the still more incompetent successor of
Richelieu, gazing wide-eyed upon him, but doing nothing else: and for
the next six weeks there was seen a once triumphant Richelieu-D'Estrees
French Army, much in rags, much in disorder, i