ed to be.

Prince Karl--Daun there as second, but Karl now the dominant hand--was
on the heels of Bevern, march after march. Prince Karl cut athwart him
by one cunning march, in Liegnitz Country; barring him from Schweidnitz,
the chief stronghold of Silesia, and to appearance from Breslau, the
chief city, too. Bevern, who did not want for soldiership, when reduced
to his shifts, now made a beautiful manoeuvre, say the critics; struck
out leftwards, namely, and crossed the Oder, as if making for Glogau,
quite beyond Prince Karl's sphere of possibility,--but turned to right,
not to left, when across, and got in upon Breslau from the other or
east side of the River. Cunning manoeuvre, if you will, and followed by
cunning manoeuvres: but the result is, Prince Karl has got Schweidnitz
to rear, stands between Breslau and it; can besiege Schweidnitz when
he likes, and no relief to it possible that will not cost a battle. A
battle, thinks Friedrich, is what Bevern ought to have tried at first; a
well-fought battle might have settled everything, and there was no
other good likelihood in such an expedition: but now, by detaching
reinforcements to this garrison and that, he has weakened himself
beyond right power of fighting. [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ iv. 141,
159.] Schweidnitz is liable to siege; Breslau, with its poor walls
and multitudinous population, can stand no siege worth mentioning; the
Silesian strong places, not to speak of meal-magazines, are like to go
a bad road. Quite dominant, this Prince Karl; placarding and
proclaiming in all places, according to the new "Imperial Patent," [In _
Helden-Geschichte,_ (iv. 832, 833), Copy of it: "Absolved from all prior
Treaties by Prussian Majesty's attack on us, We" &c. &c. ("21st Sept.
1757").] That Silesia is her Imperial Majesty's again! Which seems to be
fast becoming the fact;--unless contradicted better. Quick!

Bevern has now, October 1st, no manoeuvre left but to draw out of
Breslau; post himself on the southern side of it, in a safe angle there,
marshy Lohe in front, broad Oder to rear, Breslau at his right-hand with
bread; and there intrenching himself by the best methods, wait slowly,
in a sitting posture, events which are extensively on the gallop at
present. One fancies, Had Winterfeld been still there! It is as brave an
Army, 30,000, or more, as ever wore steel. Surely something could have
been done with it;--something better than sit watching the events on
full gallo