general in the warmest terms,
that he would ruin himself, and destroy the honour of the Prussian arms;
and that, finally, Yorck, moved by his representations, allowed Kleist
to put himself in movement. His approach was quite sufficient. But on
this occasion, although there was a regular battle, there were scarcely
four hundred men put _hors du combat_ on both sides. As soon as this
petty warfare was over, each army tranquilly resumed its former
quarters.

CHAP. VII.

On the receipt of this intelligence, Macdonald became uneasy, and very
much incensed; he hurried from his right wing, where perhaps he had
remained too long at a distance from the Prussians. The surprise of
Mittau, the danger which his park of artillery had run of being
captured, Yorck's obstinacy in refusing to pursue the enemy, and the
secret details which reached him from the interior of Yorck's
head-quarters, were all sufficiently alarming. But the more ground there
was of suspicion, the more it was necessary to dissemble; for as the
Prussian army was entirely guiltless of the designs of its leader, and
had fought readily, and as the enemy had given way, appearances had been
preserved, and it would have been wise policy in Macdonald if he had
appeared satisfied.

He did quite the contrary. His quick disposition, or his loyalty, were
unable to dissemble; he burst out into reproaches against the Prussian
general, at the very moment when his troops, satisfied with their
victory, were only looking for praise and rewards. Yorck artfully
contrived to make his soldiers, whose expectations had been frustrated,
participators in the disgust of a humiliation which had been reserved
solely for himself.

We find in Macdonald's letters the real causes of his dissatisfaction.
He wrote to Yorck, "that it was shameful that his posts were continually
attacked, and that in return he had never once harassed the enemy; that
ever since he had been in sight of them, he had done no more than repel
attacks, and in no one instance had ever acted on the offensive,
although his officers and troops were filled with the best
dispositions." This last remark was very true, for in general it was
remarkable to see the ardour of all these Germans for a cause completely
foreign to them, and which might to them even appear hostile.

They all rivalled each other in eagerness to rush into the midst of
danger, in order to acquire the esteem of the grand army, and an
eulogium fr