ahead of them, had they known it;--very short of breakfast, too,
for most part. But they have one fine quality, and Britannic
George, like all his Welf race from Henry the Lion down to these
days, has it in an eminent degree: they are not easily put into
flurry, into fear. In all Welf Sovereigns, and generally in Teuton
Populations, on that side of the Channel or on this, there is the
requisite unconscious substratum of taciturn inexpugnability, with
depths of potential rage almost unquenchable, to be found when you
apply for it. Which quality will much stead them on the present
occasion: and, indeed, it is perhaps strengthened by their
'stupidity' itself, what neighbors call their 'stupidity;'--want of
idle imagining, idle flurrying, nay want even of knowing, is not
one of the worst qualities just now! They tramp on, paying a
minimum of attention to the cannon; ignorant of what is ahead;
hoping only it may be breakfast, in some form, before the day quite
terminate. The day is still young, hardly 8 o'clock, when their
advanced parties find Dettingen beset; find a whole French Army
drawn up, on the scrubby moor there; and come galloping back with
this interesting bit of news! Pause hereupon; much consulting;
in fact, endless hithering and thithering, the affair being knotty:
'Fight, YES, now at last! But how?' Impetuous Stair was not wanting
to himself; Neipperg too, they say, was useful with advice;
D'Ahremberg, I should imagine, good for little.

"Some six hours followed of thrice-intricate deploying, planting of
field-pieces, counter-batteries; ranking, re-ranking, shuffling
hither and then thither of horse and foot; Noailles's cannonade
proceeding all the while; the English, still considerably exposed
to it, and standing it like stones; chivalrous Grammont, and with
better reason the English, much wishing these preliminaries were