e general composure being thus established, and dinner well
done, suddenly drew out about five in the evening, in long strong line,
before these Hamlets of Peilau, on the western side of the Fischerberg;
Beck privately pushing round by woods to take it on the eastern side:
and there ensued abundant cannonading on the part of Lacy and Brentano,
and some idle flourishing about of horse, responded to by Bevern; and,
on the part of Lacy and Brentano, nothing else whatever. More like a
theatre fight than a real one, says Tempelhof. Beck, however, is in
earnest; has a most difficult march through the tangled pathless woods;
does arrive at length, and begin real fighting, very sharp for some
time; which might have been productive, had Lacy given the least help to
it, as he did NOT. [Tempelhof, vi. 146-151.] Beck did his fieriest; but
got repulsed everywhere. Beck tries in various places; finds swamps,
impediments, fierce resistance from the Bevern people;--finds, at
length, that the King is awake, and that reinforcements, horse, foot,
riding-artillery, are coming in at the gallop; and that he, Beck, cannot
too soon get away.

None of the King's Foot people could get in for a stroke, though they
came mostly running (distance five miles); but the Horse-charges were
beautifully impressive on Lacy's theatrical performers, as was the
Horse-Artillery to a still more surprising degree; and produced an
immediate EXEUNT OMNES on the Lacy part. All off; about 7 P.M.,--Sun
just going down in the autumn sky;--and the Battle of Reichenbach a
thing finished. Seeing which, Daun also immediately withdrew, through
the gorges of the Mountains again. And for seven weeks thenceforth
sat contemplative, without the least farther attempt at relief of
Schweidnitz. It was during those seven weeks, some time after this,
that poor Madam Daun, going to a Levee at Schonbrunn one day, had her
carriage half filled with symbolical nightcaps, successively flung
in upon her by the Vienna people;--symbolical; in lieu of Slashing
Articles, and Newspapers the best Instructors, which they as yet have
not.

Next day the Joy-fire of the Prussians taught Guasco what disaster had
happened; and on the fifth day afterwards (August 22d), hearing nothing
farther of Daun, Guasco offered to surrender, on the principle of Free
Withdrawal. "No, never," answered Tauentzien, by the King's order: "As
Prisoners of War it must be!" Upon which Guasco stood to his defences
again;