f did come in sight; and the overpowering
Reichs Detachment made its best speed else-whither. [Tempelhof, &c.;
"Letter from a Prussian Officer," in _Helden-Geschichte_, v. 286.] The
other Sieges remained things of theory; the other Reichs Detachments
hurried home, I think, without summoning anybody.

Meanwhile, Daun, with the proper Artilleries at last ready, comes
flowing forward (NOVEMBER 8th-9th); and takes post in the Great Garden,
or south side of Dresden; minatory to Schmettau and that City. The
walls, or works, are weak; outside there is nothing but Mayer and the
Free Corps to resist, who indeed has surpassed himself this season, and
been extraordinarily diligent upon that lazy Reichs Army. Commandant
Schmettau signifies to Daun, the day Daun came in sight, "If your
Excellenz advance farther on me, the grim Rules of War in besieged
places will order That I burn the Suburbs, which are your defences
in attacking me,"--and actually fills the fine houses on the Southern
Suburb with combustible matter, making due announcements, to Court and
population, as well as to Dann. "Burn the Suburbs?" answers Daun: "In
the name of civilized humanity, you will never think of such thing!"
"That will I, your Excellenz, of a surety, and do it!" answers
Schmettau. So that Dresden is full of pity, terror and speculation. The
common rumor is, says Excellency Mitchell, who is sojourning there for
the present, "That Bruhl [nefarious Bruhl, born to be the death of
us!] has persuaded Polish Majesty to sanction this enterprise of
Daun's,"--very careless, Bruhl, what become of Dresden or us, so the
King of Prussia be well hurt or spited!

Certain enough, NOVEMBER 9th, Daun does come on, regardless of
Schmettau's assurances; so that, "about midnight:" Mayer, who "can hear
the enemy busily building four big batteries" withal, has to report
himself driven to the edge of those high Houses (which are filled with
combustibles), and that some Croats are got into the upper windows.
"Burn them, then!" answers Schmettasu (such the dire necessity of sieged
places): and, "at 3 A.M." (three hours' notice to the poor inmates),
Mayer does so; hideous flames bursting out, punctually at the stroke of
3: "whole Suburb seemed on blaze [about a sixth part of it actually
so], nay you would have said the whole Town was environed in flames."
Excellency Mitchell climbed a steeple: "will not describe to your
Lordship the horror, the terror and confusion of this ni