the Tower, Caroline was presiding, as usual, in the absence of her mother at the head of the Ducal household, when the following conversation ensued between herself and the Duke, the Margravine of B, the French Marshal R. to whom we have alluded before, and Madame de S-1.

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"You have not yet," (said Caroline, addressing herself to the Marshal R-b-u) " returned me an answer to the question I put to you as to your opinion of the gardens of Wolfenstein Castle. I must protest, (before you reply, observe,) against every species of French flattery: and the more especially so, because the gardens are laid out in the English taste."

"And by your directions, I should presume," replied the gallant Frenchman: " and the result of both your united tastes has been, if I may be permitted so to speak, to produce an epitome of the character of their illustrious decorator.-" The Princess bowed :

"They are elegant but they are natural; highly ornamented, but not artificial; various, but not confused; cultivated, and yet romantic."

The Ladies all applauded this high flown, but not unhandsomely insinuated, admiration; and while each fair one declared that nothing could be more justly applied, there was a singularly meaning simper upon her lip, which most treacherously intimated that it only required to have been addressed individually to herself to have been excessively proper."

"I assure you, Marshal," said the Duke, "the

H

Princess my daughter has always taken a very considerable interest in those gardens."

"And of late, I can vouch," (said Madame de S-, in one of her most sarcastic tones,) "that she has taken so great an interest in the gardens, or the--the gardens, I suppose, in her, that her Highness is never to be seen after some favourite nightingale, or other "cultivated and yet romantic' animal, has warbled its signal."

The ladies joined in a very cordial laugh at this sally, and while the Duke appeared disposed to join in it also, his eyes looked inquisitively at his daughter.—"You do not partake of our merriment, Caroline;" said the Duke, in a half serious, half-joking tone.

It is because I do not comprehend the proper meaning, Sir, of Madame's remark. Neither ́did I expect that if I made it my evening practice to admire the beauties of your Highness's domain here, I was to become amenable to this sort of tribunal; I really should feel obliged if Madame would condescend to lower her remarks more to the level of my own meaner capacity. At present I must confess I do not rightly understand her.

The Margravine and Madame looked rather confused at the unexpected dignity with which Caroline spoke, and at the serious tone she assumed. Luckily for them, they were joined by the Baroness Van Orpenton, and one or two other ladies of the court.

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By heavens, ladies," said the Duke, laughing very heartily, "you have at last found out

the method of making my daughter exceedingly serious; she seems disposed, moreover, to be a little displeased at Madame's raillery: but that to me is always so agreeable, that I am tempted to suggest, it would be more agreeable to us all to hear a little more of it.'

Poor Caroline was almost vexed at this public declaration of her father's benevolent intentions in her favor; and while the ladies, but for mere punctilio, would have immediately recommenced their insidious and ill-natured attack, her own face was suffused with the blushes of ingenuous shame and indignation, at the want of delicacy betrayed by the Duke. She little imagined that the same subject was speedily to be renewed to her increased mortification, and in her presence.

While the Baroness Van Orpenton, however, engaged her, and this fair "Cabal" in an interesting conversation about the arrangements of a "fete champetre" which it was proposed very speedily to give, in honor of the Duke's birth day, the Duke himself held with the Marshal R---mb---u a conversation which our readers may think at least equally interesting, and which we consider at least equally authentic.*

"You were speaking, Marshal," said the Duke, "of the battle of Lowositz, I remember it well, although then extremely young; poor General

*The reader cannot fail to perceive our obligations to the Monthly Review; [see the series 1812,] nor ourselves to acknowledge in this instance also, our obligations to the same friend whose assistance we have noticed.

Brown had but a very sorry account to render to the Imperial court of that affair.* I have always thought that the ill-success of that disastrous battle must have struck a panic into the Saxon garrison at Pirna; for in such a fortress they ought to have compelled all Europe, had all her powers sat down before it, to raise the seige. Besides, I know that the great Frederick could not repress his utter astonishment at his own suc

"I believe there can be but one opinion upon that head," rejoined the Marshal.-"They wanted, Sir, at Pirna two very effective aids: B-k riflemen and French engineers; the two very aids without which it must be clear to your Serene Highness that the Austrians never could have taken Schweidnitz. At Schweidnitz the garrison was so well officered, that it would have been in vain to have approached the place, 、 unless they had picked off a few of the gallant

* "The armies of his Prussian Majesty, like an irresistible torrent, burst into Saxony, totally defeated the Imperial General Brown, at the battle of Lowositz, forced the Saxons to lay down their arms, though almost impregnably fortified at Pirna; and the elector of Saxony fled to his regal dominions in Poland. After this his Prussian Majesty was put to the ban of the empire; and the French poured by one quarter, their armies, as the Russians did by another, into the empire. The conduct of his Prussian Majesty on this occasion, is the most surprising that is to be met with in history. At last, however, the taking of Colberg by the Russians and of Schweidnitz by the Austrians was on the point of completing his ruin, when his most formidable enemy, &c."

Encyclop. Brit. Art. GERMANY.

fellows, who were able to direct the operations necessary to sustain ten such seiges. When that was once done, the place could hold out a very little longer."

"It is the privilege of your countrymen to be polite; you have, therefore, considered our services first R-b-u. But what, my dear Marshal, could the Austrians have atchieved at Schweidnitz, or the Russians at Colberg, or the Prussians at Pirna, without French engineers ? what indeed, would have been the success of my illustrious relative himself,* if he had not incorporated into his admirable system, some large portions of French tactics?"

"Your Serene Highness is pleased to do us honor. There may be some truth, however, in the remark, seeing that the English themselves, our mortal enemies, have adopted many of our recent improvements; so that you see, Sir, proud as they are ever, they are glad to follow us."

"Aye, aye, Marshal, but I fear they follow so closely that they tread on your heels; and that when you talk of their adopting your tactics, you are making the knives, which they admire, indeed; but with which they will some day cut your own throats."

The Marshal looked a little disconcerted at this, but recovering himself, in a moment, observed-"Your Highness imagines then, they would act in much the same manner to us, in that case,

*Frederic the Great.