Correspondence which he still
finds time for. Pretty bits of Letters, in prose and doggerel, from and
to those Moravian Villages; Jordan, "twice a week," bearing the main
weight; Friedrich, oftener than one could hope, flinging some word of
answer,--very intent on Berlin gossip, we can notice. "Vattel is
still here, your Majesty," [_OEuvres,_ xvii. 163, &c.] insinuates
Jordan:--young Vattel, afterwards of the DROIT DES GENS, whom his
Majesty might have kept, but did not.--What more of your D'Argens, then;
anything in your D'Argens? Friedrich will ask. "For certain, D'Argens
is full of ESPRIT," answers Jordan, in a dexterous way; and How the
Effulgent of Wurtemberg" has quarrelled outright with her D'Argens,
and will not eat off silver (D'ARGENT), lest she have to name him by
accident!"--with other gossip, in a fine brief airy form, at which
Jordan excels. Cheering the rare leisure hour, in one's Tent at
Selowitz, Pohrlitz, Irrlitz, far away!--There are also orders about
CICERO and Books. Of Business for most part, or of private feelings,
nothing: Berlin gossip, and Books for one's reading, are the staple. But
to return.

Out from Head-quarters, diligent operations shoot forth, far enough,
along those Taya-Morawa Valleys, where Hungarian "Insurgents" are
beginning to be dangerous. South of Brunn, all round Brunn, are
diligent operations, frequent skirmishings, constant strict levyings of
contributions. The saving operation, Friedrich well sees, would be
to get hold of Brunn: but, unluckily, How? Vigilant Roth scorns all
summoning; sallies continually in a dangerous manner; and at length,
when closer pressed, burns all the Villages round him: "we counted as
many as sixteen villages laid in ashes," says Friedrich. Here is small
comfort of outlook.

And then the Saxons, at Kromau or wherever they may be: no end of
trouble and vexation with these Saxons. Their quarters are not fairly
allotted, they say; we make exchange of quarters, without improvement
noticeable. "One fine day, on some slight alarm, they came rushing
over to us, all in panic; ruined, merely by Pandour noises, had not we
marched them back, and reinstated them." Friedrich sends to Silesia for
reinforcements of his own, which he can depend upon. Sends to Silesia, to
Glatz and the Young Dessauer;--nay to Brandenburg and the Old Dessauer?
ultimately. Finding Roth would not yield, he has sent to Dresden for
Siege-Artillery: Polish Majesty there, titular "King o