.

Before this unhappy army reached Zittau, Duke Charles of Lothringen was
in advance of them. With wanton cruelty he reduced the industrious, open
city to ashes, destroyed the Prussian magazines, and, with his army,
trampled upon the ruins and the corpses of this unfortified town. The
Prussians had now lost their last hope. They encamped by Lodau, and
after a short rest, advanced to Bautzen, which city the king had
appointed for the reunion of the two army corps. And now, one day after
the arrival of this miserable remnant of an army, the king entered the
camp of Bautzen.

The unhappy moment was at hand; they must now meet the stern eye of
the king. These were bold, heroic generals--the Prince of Prussia, Von
Bevern, Von Wurtemberg, Von Dessau, Winterfeldt, Goltz, Ziethen, Krokow,
and Schmettau. Bravely, triumphantly had they fought in all previous
battles, but now, amidst defeat and disaster, they must meet the eye of
the king. This was more dangerous to them than the most deadly battle,
and they shrank appalled before this fearful encounter.

Silently, and frowning darkly, the generals mounted their horses, and
rode down the highway--the Prince of Prussia in advance, and by his side
the Duke of Wurtemberg. And now, in front of them, in an open space,
they saw the king. He was on his horse, and looked sternly toward them.
The Prince of Prussia trembled, and, involuntarily checking his horse,
he stooped with a weary smile toward the duke.

"I have a feeling," said he, in low tones, "as if my fate was advancing
threateningly, in the form of my brother. It glowers upon me with a
glance which announces that I am condemned to death. Look, duke! my
sentence is written in the raging eye of the king."

"The king's wrath will not fall upon you alone," whispered the duke,
"but upon us all. This is a wild tempest, which threatens us all in the
same moment with destruction."

"A tempest? yes! the thunder rolls over all, but the stroke of lightning
falls only upon me; and I--I am the one," said the prince, solemnly; "I
am the sacrificial offering chosen by the king, with which he will seek
to propitiate the frowning gods of destiny."

"God forbid!" said the duke, sadly. "The king will be just! He will see
that these frightful misfortunes were unavoidable; that we are innocent.
He will listen to our explanations; he--"

"I tell you," said Augustus William, "he will demand a subject for his
scorn. I shall be this sacrifice!