amatic with this King, and have contrived
the moment of hitting him to the heart. He passionately entreats
Czernichef to be helpful to him,--which Czernichef would fain be, only
how can he? To be helpful; at least to keep the matter absolutely secret
yet for some hours: this the obliging Czernichef will do. And Friedrich
remains, Czernichef having promised this, in the throes of desperate
consideration and uncertainty, hour after hour,--how many hours I do
not know. It is confidently said, [Retzow, ii. 415.] Friedrich had the
thought of forcibly disarming Czernichef and his 20,000:--in which case
he must have given up the Daun Enterprise; for without Czernichef as
a positive quantity, much more with Czernichef as a negative, it is
impossible. But, at any rate, most luckily for himself, he came upon a
milder thought: "Stay with us yet three days, merely in the semblance
of Allies, no service required of you, but keeping the matter a dead
secret;--on the fourth day go, with my eternal thanks!" This is
his milder proposal; urged with his best efforts upon the obliging
Czernichef: who is in huge difficulty, and sees it to be at peril of his
head, but generously consents. It is the same Czernichef who got lodged
in Custrin cellars, on one occasion: know, O King,--the King, before
this, does begin to know,--that Russians too can have something of
heroic, and can recognize a hero when they see him! In this fine way
does Friedrich get the frightful chasm, or sudden gap of the ground
under him, bridged over for the moment; and proceeds upon Burkersdorf
all the same.

Of the Attack itself we propose to say almost nothing. It consists of
Two Parts, Wied and Mollendorf, which are intensely Real; and of a great
many more which are Scenic chiefly,--some of them Scenic to the degree
of Drury-Lane itself, as we perceive;--all cunningly devised, and
beautifully playing into one another, both the real and the scenic.
EVENING OF THE 20th, Friedrich is on his ground, according to Program.
Friedrich--who has now his Mollendorf and Wied beside him again, near
this Village of Burkersdorf; and has his completely scenic Czernichef,
and partly scenic Ziethen and others, all in their places behind
him--quietly crushes Daun's people out of Burkersdorf Village; and
furthermore, so soon as Night has fallen, bursts up, for his own uses,
Burkersdorf old Castle, and its obstinate handful of defenders, which
was a noisier process. Which done, he diligen