That　was　the　scheme　fallen　upon；　now　getting　executed　while　Friedrich　is　at　Zorndorf　well　away。　And　that；　if　readers　fix　it　intelligently　in　their　memory；　will　suffice　to　introduce　to　them　the　few　words　more　that　can　be　allowed　us　here　upon　it。　A　very　few　words；　compressed　to　the　utmost；merely　as　preface　to　Hochkirch；　whither　we　must　hasten；　Hochkirch　being　the　one　incident　which；　except　to　studious　soldiers；　has　now　and　here　any　interest；　out　of　the　very　many　incidents　which；　then　and　there；　were　so　intensely　interesting　to　all　mankind。　To　readers　who　are　curious；　and　will　take　with　them　any　poorest　authentic　Outline　of　the　Localities　concerned；　the　following　condensed　Note　will　not　be　unintelligible。
  DAUN　AND　THE　REICHS　ARMY　INVADE　SAXONY；　IN　FRIEDRICH'S　ABSENCE。
  〃Daun；　pushing　out　with　his　best　speed；　along　the　Bohemian…Silesian　border；　had　got　to　Zittau　AUGUST　17th；　which　poor　City　is　to　be　his　basis　and　storehouse；　the　greatest　activity　and　wagoning　now　visible　there；〃among　the　burnt　walls　getting　rebuilt。　And　in　the　same　days；　Zweibruck　and　his　Reichs　Army　are　vigorously　afoot；　Zweibruck　pushing　across　the　Metal　Mountains；　the　fastest　he　can；　intending　to　plant　himself　in　Pirna　Country。　Not　to　mention　General　Dombale；　Zweibruck's　Austrian　Second；　who　has　the　Austrian　15；000　with　him；　and；　by　way　of　preface；　has　emerged　to　westward；　in　Zwickau…Tschopau　Country；　calculating　that　Prince　Henri　will　not　be　able　to　attend　to　him　just　now。　And　in　effect　Prince　Henri；　intent　upon　Zweibruck　and　the　Pirna　Country；　takes　position　in　the　old　Prussian　ground　there　（'head…quarter　Gross　Seidlitz；'　as　in　1756）；　and　can　only　leave　a　Detachment　in　Tschopau　Country　to　wait　upon　Dombale；　who　does　at　least　shoot　out　Croat　parties；　'quite　across　Saxony；　to　Halle　all　the　way；'　and　entertain　the　Gazetteers；　if　he　can　do　little　real　mischief。
  〃AUGUST　19th；　from　Zittau；　Daun；　after　short　pause；　again　pushes　forward；nothing　but　Ziethen　attending　him　in　the　distance；　till　we　see　whitherward；Margraf　Karl　waiting　impatient；　at　Grussau；　till　Ziethen　see。　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　258；　260　et　seq。＇　Daun；　soon　after　Zittau；　shoots　out　Loudon；　Brandenburg　way；　as　if　magnanimously　intending　'co…operation　with　the　Russians；'　which　would　give　Daun　pleasure；　could　it　be　done　without　cost。　Loudon　does　despatch　a　500　hussars　to　Frankfurt　＇Friedrich　now　gone　for　Custrin＇；　who；　I　think；　carry　a　Letter　for　Fermor　there；　but　lose　it　by　the　way；〃for　the　benefit　of　readers；　if　they　will　wait。　〃Loudon　captures　a　poor　little　place　in　Brandenburg　itself；　bullies　it　into　surrender；　after　a　day　（the　very　day　of　Zorndorf　Battle；　'August　25th'）：place　called　Peitz；　garrisoned　by　forty…　five　invalids；　who　go　on　'free　withdrawal；'　poor　old　souls；　and　leave　their　exiguous　stock　of　salt…victual　and　military　furnitures　to　Loudon。　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　229…232；　the　〃Capitulation〃　IN　EXTENSO。＇　Upon　which　Loudon　whirls　back　out　of　those　Countries；　finding　his　skirts　trodden　on　by　Ziethen；who　now　sees　what　Daun　and　he　are　at；　and　warns　Margraf　Karl　＇properly　Keith；　who　has　now　joined　again；　as　real　president　or　chief＇　That　HITHER　is　the　way。　Margraf　Karl；　on　the　slip　for　some　time　past；　starts　from　Grussau　instantly　（I　should　guess；　not　above　25；000　of　all　arms）；　leaving　Fouquet　with　perhaps　10；000　to　do　his　utmost；　when　Generals　Harsch　and　Deville　with　their　20　or　30；000　come　upon　Silesia　and　him；as　indeed　they　are　already　doing；　already　blockading　Neisse；　more　or　less；　with　an　eye　to　besieging　it　so　soon　as　possible。
  〃Meanwhile；　Serene　Highness　of　Zweibruck；　the　Reichsfolk　and　some　Austrians　with　him；　prefaced　by　Dombale　more　to　westward；　is　wending　into　Pirna　Country；　and；　in　spite　of　what　Prince　Henri　can　do　（Mayor　and　the　Free　Corps　shining　diligent；　and　Henri　one　of　the　watchfulest　of　men）；　Zweibruck　does　get　in；　sets　Maguire　with　Austrians　upon　besieging　Pirna；　that　is　to　say；　the　Sonnenstein　of　Pirna；　3d…5th　SEPTEMBER；　gets　the　Sonnenstein；　a　thought　sooner　than　was　counted　on；　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　223…228；　account　of　this　poor　Siege；　and　of　the　movements　before　and　after。＇　and　roots　himself　there；'head…quarters　in　Struppen'　again；　'bridge　at　Ober…Raden'　again；　all　as　in　1756；　which；　if　nothing　else　can　well　do　it；　may　give　his　Highness　a　momentary　interest　with　some　readers　here。　Prince　Henri　is　at　Gross　Seidlitz；　alive　every　fibre　of　him：　but　with　Daun　circling　round　to　northward　on　his　left；　intending　evidently　to　take　him　in　flank　or　rear；　with　Dombale　already　to　rear；　in　the　above　circumstances；　on　his　right；　and　Zweibruck　himself　lying　here　in　front　free　to　act；　and　impregnable　if　acted　upon：　what　is　Prince　Henri　to　do？　It　is　for　Henri's　rear；　not　his　flank；　that　Daun　aims：　AUGUST　26th；　Daun；　who　had　got　to　Gorlitz；　a　march　or　two　from　Zittau；　started　again　at　his　best　step　by　the　Bautzen　Highway　towards　Meissen　Bridge；　a　70　or　80　miles　down　the　Elbe：　there　Daun　intends　to　cross；　and　to　double　back　upon　Dresden　and　Prince　Henri；　who　will　thus　find　himself　enclosed　between　THREE　fires；if　two　were　not　enough；　or　even　if　one　（the　Daun　one　itself；　or　the　Zweibruck　itself；　not　to　count　the　Dombale）；　in　such　strength　as　Prince　Henri　has！
  〃A　lost　Prince　Henri；if　there　be　not　shift　in　him；　if　there　be　not　help　coming　to　him！　Prince　Henri；　seeing　how　it　was；　drew　back　from　Gross　Seidlitz；　with　beautiful　suddenness；　one　night；　unmolested：　in　the　morning；　Zweibruch's　hussars　find　him　posted　　　^　（sic）　？k
  inexpugnable　on　the　Heights　of　Gahmig；which　is　nearer　Dresden　a　good　step；　nearer　Dombale；　and　not　so　ready　to　be　enclosed　by　Daun；　without　enclosure　of　Dresden　too。　Prince　Henri's　manoeuvring；　in　this　difficult　situation；　is　the　admiration　of　military　men：　how　he　stuck　by　Gahmig；　but　threw　out；　in　the　vital　points；　little　camps；　'camp　of　Kesselsdorf'　（a　place　memorable）；　on　the　west　of　Dresden；　and　on　the　east；　in　the　north　suburb　of　Dresden　itself　across　the　River　（should　we　have　to　go　across　the　River　for　Daun's　sake）；　a　'strong　abatis；'　and　neglected　nothing；　self　and　everybody　under　him；　lively　as　eagles　to　make　themselves　dangerous；　Mayer　in　particular　distinguishing　himself　much。　Prince　Henri　would　have　been　a　hard　morsel　for　Daun。　But　beyond　that；　there　is　help　on　the　road。〃
  FRIEDRICH　INTERVENING；　DAUN　DRAWS　BACK；　INTRENCHES　HIMSELF　IN　NEIGHBORHOOD　TO　DRESDEN　AND　PIRNA；　FRIEDRICH　FOLLOWING　HIM。　FOUR　ARMIES　STANDING　THERE；　IN　DEAD…LOCK；　FOR　A　MONTH；　WITH　ISSUE；　A　FLANK…MARCH　ON　THE　PART　OF　FRIEDRICH'S　ARMY；　WHICH　HALTS　AT　HOCHKIRCH　（September　12th…October　10th；　1758）。
  Daun；　since　August　26th；　is　striding　towards　Meissen　Bridge；　without　rest；　day　after　day；　at　the　very　top　of　his　speed；which　I　find　is　〃nine　miles　a　day；〃　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　261。＇　Bos　being　heavy　of　foot；　at　his　best。　September　1st；　Daun　has　got　within　ten　miles　of　Meissen　Bridge；　whenHere　is　news；　my　friends；　King　of　Prussia　has　beaten　our　poor　Russians；　will　soon　be　in　full　march　this　way！　King　of　Prussia　and　Margraf　Karl　both　bending　hitherward；　at　the　rate；　say；　of　〃nineteen　miles　a　day；〃　instead　of　nine：Meissen　Bridge　is　not　the　thing　we　shall　want！　Daun　instantly　calls　halt；　at　this　news；　waits；　intrenches；　and；　in　a　day　or　two；　finding　the　news　true；　hurries　to　rearward　all　he　can。　From　the　Russian　side　too；　Daun　has　heard　of　Zorndorf；　and　the　grand　〃Victory〃　of　Fermor　there；　but　knows　well；　by　this　sudden　re…emergence　of　the　Anti…　Fermor；　what　kind　of　Victory　it　is。
  Was　it　here　while　waiting　about　Meissen；　or　where　was　it；　that　Daun　got　his　Letter　to　Fermor　answered　in　that　singular　way？　The　Letter　of　two　weeks　ago；carried　by　Loudon's　Hussars；　or　by　whomsoever；　for　certain；　it　was　retorted　or　returned　upon　Daun；　not　as　if　from　the　Dead…Letter　Office；　but　with　an　Answer　he　little　expected！　Here　is　what　record　I　have；　very　vague　for　a　well…known　little　fact　of　sparkling　nature：
  〃A　curious　Letter　fell　into　Friedrich's　hands　＇Bearer；　I　always　guess；　the　Loudon　Hussar…Captain　with　his　500；　pretending　to　form　junction　with　Fermor＇；　Prussian　Hussars　picking　it　up　somewhere；　date；　place；　circumstances；　blurred　into　oblivion　in　those　poor　Books；　Letter　itself　indisputable　enough；　and　Answer　following　on　it；　Letter　and　Answer　substantially　to　this　effect：
  〃DAUN　TO　FERMOR　＇Probably　from　Zittau；　by　Loudon's　Hussars＇。
  〃Your　Excellenz　does　not　know　that　wily　Enemy　as　I　do。　By　no　means　get　into　battle　with　such　a　one。　Cautiously　manoeuvre　about；　detain　him　there；　till　I　have　got　my　stroke　in　Saxony　done：　don't　try　fighting　him。　　　　　　　　　　　DAUN。〃
  〃ANSWER　AS　FROM　FERMOR　（Zorndorf　once　done；　Daun　by　the　first　　　　　　　opportunity　got　his　Answer；　duly　signed　'Fermor；'　but　　　　　　　　　　　　evidently　in　a　certain　King's　handwriting）：
  〃Your　Excellenz　was　in　the　right　to　warn　me　against　a　cunning　Enemy；　whom　you　knew　better　than　I。　Here　have　I　tried　fighting　him；　and　got　beaten。　Your　unfortunate　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃FERMOR。〃　　＇Muller；　　Kurzgefasste　Beschreibung　der　drei　Schlesischen　Kriege　　（Berlin；　1755）；　in　whom；　alone　of　all　the　reporters；　is　the　story　given　in　an　intelligible　form。　This　Muller's　Book　is　a　meritoriously　brief　Summary；　incorrect　in　no　essential　particular；　and　with　all　the　Battle…Plans　on　one　copperplate：　LIEUTE