zow　Junior；　a　rational；　sincere；　but　rather　pipe…clayed　man；　who　is　wholly　to　be　trusted　on　this　Conference；　with　his　Father　for　authority；　has　some　touches　of　commentary　on　it；　which　indicate　（date　being　1802）　that　till　the　end　of　his　life；　or　of　Prince　Henri　his　Patron's；　there　remained　always　in　some　heads　a　doubt　as　to　Friedrich's　wisdom　in　regard　to　starting　the　Seven…Years　War；　and　to　Schwerin's　entire　sincerity　in　that　inspired　speech。　And　still　more　curious；　that　there　was　always；　at　Potsdam　as　elsewhere；　a　Majesty's　Opposition　Party；　privately　intent　to　look　at　the　wrong　side；　and　doing　it　diligently；though　with　lips　strictly　closed　for　most　part；　without　words；　except　well…weighed　and　to　the　wise：　which　is　an　excellent　arrangement；　for　a　Majesty　and　Majesty's　Opposition；　where　feasible　in　the　world！
  From　Retzow　I　learn　farther；　that　Winterfeld；　directly　on　the　back　of　this　Conference；　took　a　Tour　to　the　Bohemian　Baths；　〃To　Karlsbad；　or　Toplitz；　for　one's　health；〃　and　wandered　about　a　good　deal　in　those　Frontier　Mountains　of　Bohemia；　taking　notes；　taking　sketches　（not　with　a　picturesque　view）；　and　returned　by　the　Saxon　Pirna　Country；　a　strange　stony　labyrinth；　which　he　guessed　might　possibly　be　interesting　soon。　The　Saxon　Commandant　of　the　Konigstein；　lofty　Fortress　of　those　parts；　strongest　in　Saxony；　was　of　Winterfeld's　acquaintance：　Winterfeld　called　on　this　Commandant；　found　his　Konigstein　too　high　for　cannonading　those　neighborhoods；　but　that　there　was　at　the　base　of　it　a　new　Work　going　on；　and　that　the　Saxons　were；　though　languidly；　endeavoring　to　bestir　themselves　in　matters　military。　Their　entire　Army　at　present　is　under　20；000；　but；　in　the　course　of　next　Winter；　they　expect　to　have　it　40；000。　Shall　be　of　that　force；　against　Season　1757。　No　doubt　Winterfeld's　gatherings　and　communications　had　their　uses　at　Potsdam；　on　his　getting　home　from　this　Tour　to　Toplitz。
  Meanwhile；　Klinggraf　has　had　his　Audience　at　Vienna；　and　has　sped　as　ill　as　could　have　been　expected。　The　Answer　given　was　of　supercilious　brevity；　evasive；　in　effect　null；　and　as　good　as　answering；　That　there　is　no　answer。　Two　Accounts　we　have；　as　Friedrich　successively　had　them；　of　this　famed　passage：　FIRST；　Klinggraf's　own；　which　is　clear；　rapid；　and　stands　by　the　essential；　SECOND；　an　account　from　the　other　side　of　the　scenes；　furnished　by　Menzel　of　Dresden；　for　Friedrich's　behoof　and　ours；　which　curiously　illustrates　the　foregoing；　and　confirms　the　interpretation　Friedrich　at　once　made　of　it。　This　is　Menzel's　account；　in　other　words；　the　Saxon　Envoy　at　Vienna's；　stolen　by　Menzel。
  July　26th；　it　appears；　Klinggrafhaving　applied　to　Kaunitz　the　day　before；　who　noticed　a　certain　flurry　in　him；　and　had　answered　carelessly；　〃Audience？　Yes；　of　course；　nay　I　am　this　moment　going　to　the　Empress：　only　you　must　tell　me　about　what？〃was　admitted　to　the　Imperial　Presence；　he　first　of　many　that　were　waiting。　Imperial　Presence　held　in　its　hand　a　snip　of　Paper；　carefully　composed　by　Kaunitz　from　the　data；　and　read　these　words：　〃DIE　BEDENKLICHEN　UMSTANDE；　The　questionable　circumstances　of　the　Time　have　moved　me　to　consider　as　indispensably　necessary　those　measures　which；　for　my　own　security　and　for　defence　of　my　Allies；　I　am　taking；　and　which　otherwise　do　not　tend　the　least　towards　injury　of　anybody　whatsoever；〃and　adding　no　syllable　more；　gave　a　sign　with　her　hand；　intimating　to　Klinggraf　that　the　Interview　was　done。　Klinggraf　strode　through　the　Antechamber；　〃visibly　astonished；〃　say　on…lookers；　at　such　an　Answer　had。　Answer；　in　fact；　〃That　there　is　no　answer；〃　and　the　door　flung　in　your　face！　＇　Helden…　Geschichte；　　iii。　772。　In　Valori；　ii。　128；　Friedrich's　little　Paper　of　INSTRUCTIONS　to　Klinggraf；　this　Vienna　ANSWER　to　it；　ib。　138：see　ib。　138；　162；　and　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten；　　ii。　214…221。＇
  Friedrich；　on　arrival　of　report　from　Klinggraf；　and　without　waiting　for　the　Menzel　side　of　the　scenes；　sees　that　the　thing　is　settled。　Writes　again；　however　（August　2d；　probably　the　day　after；　or　the　same　day；　Klinggraf's　Despatch　reached　him）；　instructing　Klinggraf　To　request　〃a　less　oracular　response；〃　and　specially；　〃If　her　Imperial　Majesty　（Austria　and　Russia　being；　as　is　understood；　in　active　League　against；　him）　will　say；　That　Austria　will　not　attack　him　this　year　or　the　next？〃　Draw　up　memorial　of　that；　Monsieur　Klinggraf；　and　send　us　the　supercilious　No…Answer：　till　which　arrive　we　do　not　cross　the　Frontier；but　are　already　everywhere　on　march　to　it；　in　an　industrious；　cunningly　devised；　evident　and　yet　impenetrably　mysterious　manner。
  Excellency　Valori　never　saw　such　activity　of　military　preparation：　such　Artillery；　〃2；000　big　pieces　in　the　Park　here；〃　Regiments；　Wagon…trains；　getting　under　way　everywhere；　no　man　can　guess　whitherward；　〃drawn　up　in　the　Square　here；　they　know　not　by　what　Gate　they　are　to　march。〃　By　three　different　Gates；　I　should　think；　mysteriously；　in　Three　Directions；　known　only　to　King　Friedrich　and　his　Adjutant…General；　all　these　Regiments　in　Berlin　and　elsewhere　are　on　march。　Towards　Halle　（Leipzig　way）；　towards　Brietzen　（Wittenberg　and　Torgau　way）；　towards　Bautzen　neighborhood；towards　Three　settled　Points　of　the　Saxon　Frontier；　will　step　across　the　instant　the　supercilious　No…Answer　comes　to　hand。　Are　to　converge　about　Dresden　and　the　Saxon　Switzerland；　about　65；000　strong；　equipped　as　no　Army　before　or　since　has　been；　and　take　what　luck　there　may　be。
  Bruhl　and　Polish　Majesty's　Army；　still　only　about　18；000；　have　their　apprehensions　of　such　visit：　but　what　can　they　do？　The　Saxon　Army　draws　out　into　Camp；　at　sight　of　this　mysterious　marching；　strong　Camp　〃in　the　angle　of　Elbe　and　Mulde　Rivers；〃then　draws　in　again；　being　too　weak　for　use。　And　is　thinking；　Menzel　informs　us；　to　take　post　in　the　stony　labyrinthic　Pirna　Country：　such　the　advice　an　Excellency　Broglio　has　given；French　Excellency；　now　in　Dresden；　Marechal　de　Broglio's　Son；　and　of　little　less　explosive　nature　than　his　Father　was。　Bruhl　and　Polish　Majesty；　guessing　that　the　hour　is　come；　are　infinitely　interested。　Interested；　not　flurried。　〃Austrian…Russian　Anti…Prussian　Covenant！〃　say　Bruhl　and　Majesty；　rather　comfortably　to　themselves：　〃We　never　signed　it。　WE　never　would　sign　anything；　what　have　we　to　do　with　it？　Courage；　steady；　To　Pirna；　if　they　come！　Are　not　Excellency　Broglio；　and　France；　and　Austria；　and　the　whole　world　at　our　back？〃
  It　was　full　three　weeks　before　Klinggraf's　Message　of　Answer　could　arrive　at　Berlin。　Of　Friedrich　in　the　interim；　launching　such　a　world…adventure；　himself　silent；　in　the　midst　of　a　buzzing　Berlin；　take　these　indications；　which　are　luminous　enough。　Duke　Ferdinand　of　Brunswick　is　to　head　one　of　the　Three　〃Columns。〃　Duke　Ferdinand；　Governor　of　Magdeburg；　is　now　collecting　his　Column　in　that　neighborhood；　chiefly　at　Halle；　whitherward；　or　on　what　errand；　is　profoundly　unknown。　Unknown　even　to　Ferdinand；　except　that　it　is　for　actual　Service　in　the　Field。　Here　are　two　Friedrich　Letters　（ruggedly　Official；　the　first　of　them；　and　not　quite　peculiar　to　Ferdinand）；　which　are　worth　reading：
  THE　KING　TO　DUKE　FERDINAND　OF　BRUNSWICK。
  〃POTSDAM；　15th　August；　1756。
  〃For　time　of　Field…Service　I　have　made　the　arrangement；　That　for　the　Subaltern　Officers　of　your　regiment；　over　and　above　their　ordinary　Equipage…moneys；　there　shall；　to　each　Subaltern　Officer；　and　once　for　all；　be　Eight　Thalers　＇twenty…four　shillings　sterling＇　advanced。　That　sum　＇eight　thalers　per　subaltern＇　shall　be　paid　to　the　Captain　of　every　Company；　and　besides　this　there　shall；　monthly；　Two　Thalers　be　deducted　from　the　Subaltern's　Pay；　and　be　likewise　paid　over　to　the　Captain：in　return　for　which；　He　is　to　furnish　Free　Table　for　the　Subalterns　throughout　the　Campaign；　and　so　long　as　the　regiment　is　in　the　field。
  〃Of　the　Two　Baggage…carts　per　Company；　the　regiment　shall　take　only　One；　and　leave　the　other　at　home。　No　Officer；　let　him　be　who　or　of　what　title　he　will；　Generals　not　excepted；　shall　take　with　him　the　least　of　Silver　Plate；　not　even　a　silver　spoon。　Whoever　wants；　therefore；　to　keep　table；　great　or　small　（TAFEL　ODER　TISCH）；　must　manage　the　same　with　tin　utensils；without　exception；　be　he　who　he　will。
  〃Each　Captain　shall　take　with　him　a　little　Cask　of　Vinegar；　of　which；　as　soon　as　the　regiments　get　to　Camp；　he　must　give　me　reckoning；　and　I　will　then　have　him　repaid。　This　Vinegar　shall　solely　and　exclusively　be　employed　for　this　purpose；　That　in　places　where　the　water　is　bad；　there　be　poured　into　it；　for　the　soldiers；　a　few　drops　of　the　vinegar；　to　correct　the　water；　and　thereby　preserve　them　from　illnesses。
  〃So　soon　as　the　regiment　gets　on　march；　the　Women　who　have　permission　to　follow　are　put　under　command　of　the　Profoss；　that　thereby　all　plunderings　and　disorders　may　the　more　be　guarded　against。　If　the　Captains　and　Officers　take　Grooms　（JAGER）　or　the　like　Domestics；　there　can　muskets　be　given　to　these；　that　use　may　be　had　of　them；　in　case　of　an　attack　in　quarters；　or　on　march；　when　a　WAGENBURG　（wagon…fortress）　is　to　be　formed。　。。。　　　　FRIEDRICH。〃　＇Preuss；　ii。　6；　7。＇
  SAME　TO　SAME　（Confidential；　this　one）。
  〃POTSDAH；　24th　August。
  。。。　〃Make　as　if　you　were　meaning　to　go　into　Camp　at　Halle。　The　reason　why　I　stop　you　is；　that　the