r。　These　are　the　two　chief　Towns；　which　do　all　the　trade　of　this　region；　picturesque　places　both：　the　Tourist　remembers　Pirna？　Standing　on　its　sleek　table　or　stair…　step；　by　the　River's　edge；　well　above　floodmark；　green；　shaggy　or　fringy　mountains　looking　down　on　it　to　rearward；　in　front；　beyond　the　River；　nothing　visible　but　mile…long　cream…colored　rock…wall；　with　bushes　at　bottom　and　top；　wall　quarried　by　Elbe；　as　you　can　see。　Pirna　is　near　the　beginning　＇properly　END；　but　we　start　from　Dresden＇　or　western　extremity　of　Saxon　Schweitz。　Schandau；　almost　at　the　opposite　or　eastern　extremity；　is　still　more　picturesque；　standing　on　the　delta　of　a　little　Brook；　with　high　rock…cliffs；　with　garden…shrubberies；　sanded　walks；　tufts　of　forest…umbrage；　a　bright…painted；　almost　OPERATIC…looking　place；with　spa…waters；　if　I　recollect：　〃yes　truly；　and　the　〃Bath　Season〃　making　its　packages　in　great　haste；　breaking　up　prematurely；　this　Year　（1756）！
  Directly　on　arriving　at　Gross…Sedlitz；　Friedrich　takes　ocular　survey　of　this　Country；　which　is　already　not　unknown　to　him。　He　finds　that　the　Saxons　have　secured　themselves　within　the　Mountains；　a　rocky　streamlet；　Brook　of　Gottleube；　which　issues　into　Elbe　just　between　Gross…Sedlitz　and　them；　〃through　a　dell　of　eighty　or　a　hundred　feet　deep；〃　serving　as　their　first　defence；　well　in　front　of　the　mere　rocky　Heights　and　precipices　behind　it；　which　stretch　continuously　along　to　southward；　six　miles　or　more；　from　Pirna　and　the　south　brink　of　Elbe。　At　Langen…Hennersdorf；　which　is　the　southernmost　part；　these　Heights　make　an　elbow　inwards；　by　Leopoldshayn；　towards　the　Konigstein；　which　is　but　four　miles　off；　here　too　the　Saxons　are　defended　by　a　Brook　（running　straight　towards　Konigstein；　this　one）　in　front　of　their　Heights；　and　stand　defensive；　in　this　way；　along　a　rock…bulwark　of　ten　miles　long：　the　passes　all　secured　by　batteries；　by　abatis；　palisades；　mile　after　mile；　as　Friedrich　rides　observant　leftward：　behind　them；　Elbe　rushing　swifter　through　his　rock…walls　yonder；　with　chasms　and　intricate　gorges；　defending　them　inexpugnably　to　rear。　Six　miles　long　of　natural　bulwark　（six　to　Hennersdorf）；　where　the　gross　of　the　Saxons　lie；　then　to　Konigstein　four　other　miles；　sufficiently；　if　more　sparsely；　beset　by　them。　〃No　stronger　position　in　the　world；〃　Friedrich　thinks；　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　83；　84　（not　a　very　distinct　Account；　and　far　from　accurate　in　the　details；which　are　left　without　effectual　correction　even　in　the　best　Editions）。＇and　that　it　is　impossible　to　force　this　place；　without　a　loss　of　life　disproportionate　even　to　its　importance　at　present。　Not　to　say　that　the　Saxons　will　make　terms　all　the　easier；　BEFORE　bloodshed　rise　between　us；and　furthermore　that　Hunger　（for　we　hear　they　have　provision　only　for　two　weeks）　may　itself　soon　do　it。　〃Wedge　them　in；　therefore；　block　every　outgate；　every　entrance；　nothing　to　get　in；　except　gradually　Hunger。　Hunger；　and　on　our　part　rational　Offers；　will　suffice。〃　That　is　Friedrich's　plan；　good　in　itself；though　the　ovine　obstinacy；　and　other　circumstances；　retarded　the　execution　of　it　to　an　unexpected　extent；　lamentable　to　Friedrich　and　to　some　others。
  The　Prussian…Saxon　military　operations　for　the　next　five　weeks　need　not　detain　us。　Their　respective　positions　on　the　Heights　behind　that　Brook　Gottleube；　and　on　the　plainer　Country　in　front　of　it；　How　the　Prussians　lie；　first　Division　of　them；　from　Gross…Sedlitz　to　Zehist；　under　the　King；　then　second　Division　from　Zehist　to　Cotta；　and　onward　by　〃the　Rothschenke〃　（RED…HOUSE　Tavern）；　by　Markersbach；　and　sparsely　as　far　as　Hellendorf　on　the　Prag　Highway；　in　brief；　where　all　the　Divisions　of　them　lie；　and　under　whom；　and　where　the　Prussians；　watching　Elbe　itself；　have　Batteries　and　Posts　on　the　north　side　of　it：　all　this　is　marked　on　the　Map；　to　satisfy　ingenuous　curiosity；　should　it　make　tour　in　those　parts。　To　which　add　only　these　straggles　of　Note；　as　farther　elucidative：
  〃The　Saxons；　between　Elbe　and　their　Lines；　possess　about　thirty　square　miles　of　country。　From　Pirna　or　Sonnenstein　to　Konigstein；　as　the　crow　flies；　may　be　five　miles　east　to　west；　but　by　Langen…　Hennersdorf；　and　the　elbow　there；　it　will　be　ten：　at　Konigstein；　moreover；　Elbe　makes　an　abrupt　turn　northward　for　a　couple　of　miles；　instead　of　westward　as　heretofore；　turning　abruptly　westward　again　after　that：　so　that　the　Saxon　'Camp'　or　Occupancy　here；　is　an　irregular　Trapezium；　with　Pirna　and　Konigstein　for　vertices；　and　with　area　estimable　as　above；ploughable；　a　fair　portion　of　it；　and　not　without　corn　of　its　own。　So　that　the　'two　weeks'　provision'　spun　themselves　out　（short　allowance　aiding）　to　two　months；　before　actual　famine　came。
  。。。　〃The　High…road　from　the　Lausitz　parts　crosses　Elbe　at　Pirna；　falls　into　the　Dresden…Prag　High…road　there；　and　from　Pirna　towards　Toplitz；　for　the　first　few　miles；　this　latter　runs　through　the　Prussian　Posts；　but　we　may　guess　it　is　not　much　travelled　at　present。　North　of　Elbe；　too；　the　Prussians　have　batteries　on　the　fit　points；　detachments　of　due　force；　from　Gross…Sedlitz　Bridge…of…　Pontoons　all　round　to　Schandau；　or　beyond；　could　fire　upon　the　Konigstein；　across　the　River：　they　have　plugged　up　the　Saxon　position　everywhere。　They　have　a　Battery　especially；　and　strong　post；　to　cannonade　the　Bridge　at　Pirna；　should　the　Saxons　think　of　trying　there。　It　is　now　the　one　Saxon　or　even　Half…Saxon　Bridge；　Sonnenstein　and　Pirna　command　the　Saxon　end　of　it；　a　strong　battery　the　Prussian　end：　a　Bridge　lying　mainly　idle；　like　the　general　Highway　to　Toplitz　at　this　time。　Beyond　the　Konigstein；　again；　at　a　place　called　Wendisch…Fahre　（WENDS'…FERRY）；　the　Prussians　have；　by　means　of　boats　swinging　wide　at　anchor　on　the　swift　current；　what　is　called　a　Flying…bridge；　with　which　the　north　side　can　communicate　with　the　south。　They　have　a　post　at　Nieder…Raden　（OBER　Raden；　railway　station　in　our　time；　is　on　the　south　side）：　Nether　Raden　is　an　interesting　little　Hamlet；　mostly　invisible　to　mankind　（built　in　the　THROAT　of　the　stone　chasms　there）；　from　which　you　begin　mounting　to　the　BASTEI　far　aloft。　A　Raden　to　be　noted；　by　the　Tourist　and　us。〃
  Little；　or　even　nothing；　of　fighting　there　is：　why　should　there　be？　The　military　operations　are　a　dead…lock；　and　require　no　word。　Thirty　thousand；　half　of　the　Prussian　Force；　lie；　vigilant　as　lynxes；　blockading　here；　other　half；　32；000；　under　Marshal　Keith；　have　marched　forward　to　Aussig；　to　Nollendorf　on　the　Bohemian　frontier；　to　clear　the　ways；　and　look　into　any　Austrian　motion　thereabouts；with　whom；　with　some　Pandour　detachment　of　whom；　Duke　Ferdinand；　leading　the　vanguard；　has　had　a　little　brush　among　the　Hills；　smiting　them　home　again；　in　his　usual　creditable　way　（September　13th）；　and　taking　Camp　at　Peterswalde；　he　and　others　of　the　Force；　that　night。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　85；　ANONYMOUS　OF　HAMBURG；　i。　19。＇　It　is　with　this　Keith　Army；　with　this　if　with　any；　that　adventures　are　to　be　looked　for　at　present。
  Polish　Majesty's　Head…quarters　are　at　Struppen；　well　in　the　centre　of　the　Saxon　lines；　〃goes　always　to　the　Konigstein　to　sleep。〃　Polish　Majesty's　own　table　is；　by　Friedrich's　permission　for　that　special　object；　supplied　AD　LIBITUM：　but　the　common　men　were　at　once　put　on　short　allowance；　which　grows　always　the　shorter。　Polish　Majesty　corresponds　with　Friedrich；　as　we　saw；　and　above　all；　sends　burning　Messages　to　Austria；　to　France；　to　every　European　Court；　charged　with　mere　shrieks：　〃Help　me；　a　robber　has　me！〃　In　which　sense；　Excellencies　of　all　kinds；　especially　one　Lord　Stormont；　the　English　Excellency；　daily　running　out　from　Dresden　to　Gross…Sedlitz；　are　passionately　industrious　with　Friedrich；　who　is　eager　enough　to　comply；　were　there　any　safe　means　possible。　But　there　are　none。　Unfortunately；　too；　it　appears　the　Austrians　are　astir；　Feldmarschall　Browne　actually　furbishing　himself　at　Prag　yonder　with　an　eye　hitherward；　and　extraordinary　haste　and　spirit　shown：　which　obliges　Friedrich　to　rise　in　his　demands；　ovine　obstinacy；　on　the　other　side；　naturally　increasing　from　the　same　cause。
  〃Polish　Majesty；　we　say；　has　liberty　to　bring　in　proviant　for　self　and　suite；　rigorously　for　no　mortal　more；　and　he　lives　well；　in　the　culinary　sense；surely　for　most　part　'in　his　dressing…gown；'　too；　poor　loose　collapsed　soul！　Bruhl　and　he　have　plenty　of　formal　business：　but　their　one　real　business　is　that　of　crying；　by　estafettes　and　every　conceivable　method；　to　Austria；　'Get　us　out　of　this！'　To　which　Austria　has　answered；　'Yes；　only　patience；　and　be　steady！'Friedrich's　head…quarters　are　at　Sedlitz；　and　the　negotiating　and　responding　which　he　has；　transcends　imagination。　His　first　hope　was；　Polish　Majesty　might　be　persuaded　to　join　with　him；on　the　back　of　that；　certainty；　gradually　coming；　that　Polish　Majesty　never　would；　and　that　the　Austrians　would　endeavor　a　rescue；　were　they　once　ready。　Starvation；　or　the　Austrians；　which　will　be　first　here？　is　the　question；　and　Friedrich　studies　to　think　it　will　be　the　former。　At　all　events；　having　settled　on　the　starvation　method；　and　seen　that　all　his　posts　are　right；　we　perceive　he　does　not　stick　close　by　Sedlitz；　but　runs　now　hither　now　thither；　is　at　Torgau；　where　an　important　establishment；　kind　of　New　Govern