her husband. He also sent a pass to Countess Ogliva,
compelling this bigoted woman to leave her mistress.

And when the queen again raised her cry of woe, to call her allies to
her aid, the King of Prussia answered her with the victorious thunder
of the battle of Losovitz, the first battle fought in this war, and in
which the Prussians, led by their king, performed wonders of bravery,
and defeated for the third time the tremendous Austrian army, under the
command of General Brown.

"Never," says Frederick, "since I have had the honor to command the
Prussian troops, have they performed such deeds of daring as to-day."

The Austrians, in viewing these deeds, cried out:

"We have found again the old Prussians!"

And still they fought so bravely, that the Prussians remarked in
amazement: "These cannot be the same Austrians!"

This was the first act of that great drama enacted by the European
nations, and of which King Frederick II. was the hero.

BOOK III.

CHAPTER I. THE MAIDEN OF BRUNEN.

The sun was just setting, throwing its crimson glow upon the waters
of the Rhine, which appeared to flow like a river of blood between the
green meadows on either side of it.

From the little village of Brunen, whose red chimneys were visible above
a group of oak and beech trees, the sound of the evening bell was heard,
reminding the pious peasants, engaged in cutting and garnering their
golden corn, of the hour for devotion.

With the sweet sounds of the bell mingled the joyous mountain yodel of
the cowherd, who had just descended the little hill yonder, with his
herd straying here and there, in picturesque confusion. Upon the green
meadow in the foreground, the flocks of the village were pasturing,
strictly guarded by a large white dog, whose stern, martial glance not
the slightest movement among his army contrary to discipline, escaped.
As soon as one of the sheep committed to his care left the fold and
approached the field where the reapers were mowing the corn, which was
bound at once in sheaves by busy maidens, the stern Phylax barking,
growling, and snarling, rushed after the audacious wanderer who sought
to appease the anger of his inexorable overseer by a speedy return.

The old shepherd, sitting not far off upon a little wooden stool,
with his long, silver hair falling about him, was engaged in weaving
a graceful basket of some meadow roots; at every bark of his Phylax he
looked up and smiled his appr