, by the
Pascopol, by the Elbe passes, for Pirna; and, leaving Moritz of Dessau
with a 10,000 to secure the Passes about Pirna, and Keith to come on
with the Magazines, hastens across for Bautzen, to look into these
advancing triumphant Austrians, these strange Prussian proceedings.
On first hearing of that side-march, his auguries had been bad enough;
[Letter to Wilhelmina "Linay, 22d July" (second day of the march from
Leitmeritz); _OEuvres,_ xxvii. i. 298.] but the event has far surpassed
them. Zittau gone; the Army hurrying home, as if in flight, in that
wrecked condition; the door of Saxony, door of Silesia left wide
open,--Daun has only to choose! Day by day, as Friedrich advanced to
repair that mischief, the news of it have grown worse on him. Days rife
otherwise in mere bad news. The Russians in Memel, Preussen at their
feet; Soubise's French and the Reich's Army pushing on for Erfurt, to
"deliver Saxony," on that western side: and from the French-English
scene of operations--In those same bad days Royal Highness of Cumberland
has been doing a feat worth notice in the above connection! Read this,
from an authentic source:--

"HASTENBECK, 22d-26th JULY, 1757. Royal Highness, hitching back and
back, had got to Hameln, a strong place of his on the safe side of the
Weser; and did at last, Hanover itself being now nigh, call halt; and
resolve to make a stand. July 22d [very day while the Prince of Prussia
came in sight of Zittau, with the Austrians hanging over it], Royal
Highness took post in that favorable vicinity of Hameln; at perfect
leisure to select his ground: and there sat waiting D'Estrees,--swamps
for our right wing, and the Weser not far off; small Hamlet of
Hastenbeck in front, and a woody knoll for our left;--totally inactive
for four days long; attempting nothing upon D'Estrees and his intricate
shufflings, but looking idly noonward to the courses of the sun, till
D'Estrees should come up. Royal Highness is much swollen into obesity,
into flabby torpor; a changed man since Fontenoy times; shockingly
inactive, they say, in this post at Hastenbeck. D'Estrees, too, is
ridiculously cautious, 'has manoeuvred fifteen days in advancing about
as many British miles.' D'Estrees did at last come up (July 25th),
nearly two to one of Royal Highness,--72,000 some count him, but
considerably anarchic in parts, overwhelmed with Court Generals and
Princes of the Blood, for one item;--and decides on attacking, next
mor