CHAPTER II.
FRIEDRICH BESIEGES DRESDEN.
From and after the Evening of Wednesday, July 9th, it is upon a Siege of Dresden that Friedrich goes;--turning the whole war-theatre topsy-turvy; throwing Daun, Loudon, Lacy, everybody OUT, in this strange and sudden manner.

One of the finest military feats ever done, thinks Tempelhof.
Undoubtedly a notable result so far, and notably done; as the impartial reader (if Tempelhof be a little inconsistent) sees for himself.
These truly are a wonderful series of marches, opulent in continual promptitudes, audacities, contrivances;--done with shining talent, certainly; and also with result shining, for the moment.

And in a Fabulous Epic I think Dresden would certainly have fallen to Friedrich, and his crowd of enemies been left in a tumbled condition.
But the Epic of Reality cares nothing for such considerations; and the time allowable for capture of Dresden is very brief.

Had Daun, on getting warning, been as prompt to return as he was to go, frankly fronting at once the chances of the road, he might have been at Dresden again perhaps within a week,--no Siege possible for Friedrich, hardly the big guns got up from Magdeburg.

But Friedrich calculated there would be very considerable fettling and haggling on Daun's part; say a good Fortnight of Siege allowed;--and that, by dead-lift effort of all hands, the thing was feasible within that limit.