specially, and strong post, to cannonade the Bridge at Pirna, should
the Saxons think of trying there. It is now the one Saxon or even
Half-Saxon Bridge; Sonnenstein and Pirna command the Saxon end of it,
a strong battery the Prussian end: a Bridge lying mainly idle, like the
general Highway to Toplitz at this time. Beyond the Konigstein, again,
at a place called Wendisch-Fahre (WENDS'-FERRY), the Prussians have,
by means of boats swinging wide at anchor on the swift current, what is
called a Flying-bridge, with which the north side can communicate with
the south. They have a post at Nieder-Raden (OBER Raden, railway station
in our time, is on the south side): Nether Raden is an interesting
little Hamlet, mostly invisible to mankind (built in the THROAT of the
stone chasms there), from which you begin mounting to the BASTEI far
aloft. A Raden to be noted, by the Tourist and us."

Little, or even nothing, of fighting there is: why should there be?
The military operations are a dead-lock, and require no word. Thirty
thousand, half of the Prussian Force, lie, vigilant as lynxes,
blockading here; other half, 32,000, under Marshal Keith, have marched
forward to Aussig, to Nollendorf on the Bohemian frontier, to clear the
ways, and look into any Austrian motion thereabouts,--with whom, with
some Pandour detachment of whom, Duke Ferdinand, leading the vanguard,
has had a little brush among the Hills; smiting them home again, in his
usual creditable way (September 13th); and taking Camp at Peterswalde,
he and others of the Force, that night. [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ iv. 85;
ANONYMOUS OF HAMBURG, i. 19.] It is with this Keith Army, with this if
with any, that adventures are to be looked for at present.

Polish Majesty's Head-quarters are at Struppen, well in the centre
of the Saxon lines; "goes always to the Konigstein to sleep." Polish
Majesty's own table is, by Friedrich's permission for that special
object, supplied AD LIBITUM: but the common men were at once put
on short allowance, which grows always the shorter. Polish Majesty
corresponds with Friedrich, as we saw; and above all, sends burning
Messages to Austria, to France, to every European Court, charged with
mere shrieks: "Help me; a robber has me!" In which sense, Excellencies
of all kinds, especially one Lord Stormont, the English Excellency,
daily running out from Dresden to Gross-Sedlitz, are passionately
industrious with Friedrich; who is eager enough to comply, wer