iterated by their success at
Kolin; and Frederick's later success over the French and Federal
army was not considered, by them, as a matter affecting themselves,
although several Austrian regiments had been among Soubise's force.
The officers were very scornful over the aggressive march of
Frederick's small army, which they derisively called the Potsdam
Guards' Parade; and many were the jokes cut, at the military
messes, at its expense.

The difference, then, with which the two armies regarded the coming
battle was great, indeed. On the one side there was the easy
confidence of victory, the satisfaction that at length this
troublesome little king had put himself in their power; on the
other a deep determination to conquer or to die, a feeling that,
terrible as the struggle must be, great as were the odds against
them, they might yet, did each man do his duty, come out the
victors in the struggle.

"And what think you of this matter, lad?" Frederick said, laying
his hand familiarly on the young captain's shoulder.

"I know nothing about it, your majesty; but like the rest, I feel
confident that somehow you will pull us through. Of one thing I am
sure, that all that is possible for the men to do, your soldiers
will accomplish."

"Well, we shall see. It is well that I know all the country round
here, for many a review have I held of the garrison of Breslau, on
the very ground where we are about to fight. Their position is a
very strong one, and I am afraid that crafty old fox Daun will
here, as he did at Prague, persuade Prince Karl to hide behind his
batteries. Were it not for that, I should feel confident; whereas I
now but feel hopeful. Still, I doubt not that we shall find our way
in, somehow."

Chapter 11: Leuthen.

At four in the morning on Sunday, December 4th, Frederick marched
from Parchwitz; intending to make Neumarkt, a small town some
fourteen miles off, his quarters. When within two or three miles of
this town he learned, to his deep satisfaction, that the Austrians
had just established a great bakery there, and that a party of
engineers were marking out the site for a camp; also that there
were but a thousand Croats in the town. The news was satisfactory,
indeed, for two reasons: the first being that the bakery would be
of great use for his own troops; the second, that it was clear that
the Austrians intended to advance across the Schweidnitz Water to
give battle. It was evident that they coul