him his winter quarters, brought him no other advantages,
and did not lessen the dangers which threatened him. His enemies stood
round about him--they burned with rage and thirst to destroy utterly
that king who was always ready to tear from them their newly-won
laurels. Only by his complete destruction could they hope to quench the
glowing enthusiasm which the people of all Europe expressed by shouts
and exultation.

The Russians had their winter quarters for the first time in Pomerania.
The Austrians lay in Silesia and Bohemia. The newly-supplied French
army, and the army of the States, were on the Rhine. While the enemies
of Frederick remained thus faithful to each other in their war against
him, he had just lost his only ally.

King George II. of England was dead, and the weak George III. yielded
wholly to the imperious will of his mother and to that of Lord Bute. He
broke off his league with Prussia, and refused to pay the subsidy.

Thus Prussia stood alone--without money, without soldiers, without
friends--surrounded by powerful and eager enemies--alone and seemingly
hopeless, with so many vindictive adversaries.

All this made Prince Henry not only unhappy, but dispirited--palsied
his courage, and made him wish to leave the army and take refuge in
some vast solitude where he could mourn over the misfortunes of his
distracted country. Accordingly he wrote to the king and asked for his
discharge.

The king replied:

"It is not difficult, my brother, in bright and prosperous times, to
find men willing to serve the state. Those only are good citizens who
stand undaunted at the post of danger in times of great crises and
disaster. The true calling of a man consists in this: that he should
intrepidly carry out the most difficult and dangerous enterprises. The
more difficulty, the more danger--the more bright honor and undying
fame. I cannot, therefore, believe that you are in earnest in asking
for your discharge. It is unquestionable that neither you nor I can feel
certain of a happy issue to the circumstances which now surround us.
But when we have done all which lies in our power, our consciences and
public opinion will do us justice. We contend for our fatherland and for
honor. We must make the impossible possible, in order to succeed. The
number of our enemies does not terrify me. The greater their number, the
more glorious will be our fame when we have conquered them." [Footnote:
Preuss, "History of Frederi