"And Belleisle in Prag, left solitary there, with his heroic
remnant,--gone now to 17,000, the fourth man of them in hospital,
with Festititz Tolpatchery hovering round, and Winter and Hunger
drawing nigh,--what is to become of Belleisle? Prince Karl and the
Grand-Duke had attended Maillebois to Bavaria; steadily to left of
Maillebois between Austria and him; and are now busy in the Passau
Country, bent on exploding those Seckendorf-Broglio operations and
intentions, as the chief thing now. Meanwhile they have detached
Prince Lobkowitz to girdle in Belleisle again; for which Lobkowitz
(say, 20,000, with the Festititz Tolpatchery included) will be
easily able. On the march thither he easily picked up (18th-25th
November) that new French Post of Leitmeritz (Broglio's fine 'Half-
way House to Saxony and Provender'), with its garrison of 2,000:
the other posts and outposts, one and all, had to hurry home, in
fear of a like fate. Beyond the circuit of Prag, isolated in ten
miles of burnt country, Belleisle has no resource except what his
own head may furnish. The black landscape is getting powdered with
snow; one of the grimmest Winters, almost like that of 1740;
Belleisle must see what he will do.

"Belleisle knows secretly what he will do. Belleisle has orders to
come away from Prag; bring his Army off, and the chivalry of France
home to their afflicted friends. [ Campagnes,
vi. 244-251; Espagnac, i. 168.] A thing that would have been so
feasible two months ago, while Maillebois was still wriggling in
the Pass of Caaden; but which now borders on impossibility, if not
reaches into it. As a primary measure, Belleisle keeps those orders
of his rigorously secret. Within the Garrison, or on the part of
Lobkowitz, there is a far other theory of Belleisle's intentions.