It is said that the chief of his staff felt indignant at this treachery; we are assured that he represented to his general in the warmest terms, that he would ruin himself, and destroy the honour of the Prussian arms; and that, finally, Yorck, moved by his representations, allowed Kleist to put himself in movement.  His approach was quite sufficient.  But on this occasion, although there was a regular battle, there were scarcely four hundred men put hors du combat on both sides.  As soon as this petty warfare was over, each army tranquilly resumed its former quarters.

CHAP.  VII.

On the receipt of this intelligence, Macdonald became uneasy, and very much incensed; he hurried from his right wing, where perhaps he had remained too long at a distance from the Prussians.  The surprise of Mittau, the danger which his park of artillery had run of being captured, Yorck’s obstinacy in refusing to pursue the enemy, and the secret details which reached him from the interior of Yorck’s head-quarters, were all sufficiently alarming.  But the more ground there was of suspicion, the more it was necessary to dissemble; for as the Prussian army was entirely guiltless of the designs of its leader, and had fought readily, and as the enemy had given way, appearances had been preserved, and it would have been wise policy in Macdonald if he had appeared satisfied.

He did quite the contrary.  His quick disposition, or his loyalty, were unable to dissemble; he burst out into reproaches against the Prussian general, at the very moment when his troops, satisfied with their victory, were only looking for praise and rewards.  Yorck artfully contrived to make his soldiers, whose expectations had been frustrated, participators in the disgust of a humiliation which had been reserved solely for himself.

We find in Macdonald’s letters the real causes of his dissatisfaction.  He wrote to Yorck, “that it was shameful that his posts were continually attacked, and that in return he had never once harassed the enemy; that ever since he had been in sight of them, he had done no more than repel attacks, and in no one instance had ever acted on the offensive, although his officers and troops were filled with the best dispositions.”  This last remark was very true, for in general it was remarkable to see the ardour of all these Germans for a cause completely foreign to them, and which might to them even appear hostile.

They all rivalled each other in eagerness to rush into the midst of danger, in order to acquire the esteem of the grand army, and an eulogium from Napoleon.  Their princes preferred the plain silver star of French honour to their richest orders.  At that time the genius of Napoleon still appeared to have dazzled or subdued every one.  Equally munificent to reward as prompt and terrible to punish, he appeared like one of those great centres of nature, the dispenser of all good.  In many of the Germans, there was united with this feeling that of a respectful admiration for a life which was so completely stamped with the marvellous, which so much affects them.