es its long-eared
eulogies into contumeliously horrid shrieks of condemnation; in which
one is still farther from joining. 'That crossing of the Rhine,' says
Friedrich, 'was a BELLE CHOSE; but flatterers blew him into dangerous
self-conceit; besides, he was ill-obeyed, as others of us have been.'
["Prince de Ligne, _Memoires sur Frederic_ (Berlin, 1789), p. 38"
(Preuss, ii. 112).] Adieu to him, poor red-faced soul;--and good liquor
to him,--at least if he can take it in moderation!"

The astonishment of all men, wise and simple, at this sudden oversetting
of the scene of things, and turning of the gazetteer-diplomatic theatre
bottom uppermost, was naturally extreme, especially in gazetteer
and diplomatic circles; and the admiration, willing or unwilling, of
Friedrich, in some most essential points of him, rose to a high pitch.
Better soldier, it is clear, has not been heard of in the modern ages.
Heroic constancy, courage superior to fate: several clear features of a
hero;--pity he were such a liar withal, and ignorant of common honesty;
thought the simple sort, in a bewildered manner, endeavoring to forget
the latter features, or think them not irreconcilable. Military judges
of most various quality, down to this day, pronounce Leuthen to be
essentially the finest Battle of the century; and indeed one of the
prettiest feats ever done by man in his Fighting Capacity. Napoleon,
for instance, who had run over these Battles of Friedrich (apparently
somewhat in haste, but always with a word upon them which is worth
gathering from such a source), speaks thus of Leuthen: "This Battle is
a masterpiece of movements, of manoeuvres, and of resolution; enough
to immortalize Friedrich, and rank him among the greatest Generals.
Manifests, in the highest degree, both his moral qualities and his
military." [Montholon, _ Memoires &c., de Napoleon,_ vii. 211. This
Napoleon SUMMARY OF FRIEDRICH'S CAMPAIGNS, and these brief Bits of
Criticism, are pleasant reading, though the fruit evidently of slight
study, and do credit to Napoleon perhaps still more than to Friedrich.]

How the English Walpoles, in Parliament and out of it; how the Prussian
Sulzers, D'Argenses, the Gazetteer and vague public, may have spoken
and written at that time, when the matter was fresh and on everybody's
tongue,--judge still by two small symptoms which we have to show:--

1. A LETTER OF FRIEDRICH'S TO D'ARGENS (Durgoy, near Breslau, 19th
December, 1757).--"Your