the second time into that element for which nature seemed to have formed him. Full of hope and ardour, and painting in the most vivid colours the picture of his future life, he was far from dreaming that vexations of a more disagreeable nature awaited him in the cavalry, than those he had experienced in the infantry. He repaired to his new quarters, but before he arrived there he had a disaster to encounter which nearly cost him his life.

When he was on the point of setting out for his garrison* in the month of February, a staff-officier of his own regiment, who had come to Berlin to procure of supply of horses, having been informed that Zieten was appointed lieutenant, consigned a quantity of them to his care. The officer set out a day before him and passed the Vistula with no small difficulty, as the ice was beginning to break up. When Zieten arrived the next day on the bank of the river, the ice was already afloat and he

was obliged to take a circuitous way of more than twenty German miles to cross the river over the bridge of Naugarten. This tottering structure had been often impaired by the inundation of the Vistula, and at this moment seemed on the point of giving way. What could he do? It was necessary to avail himself of the present instant, and Zieten accordingly began to march the horses over the bridge, and remained behind himself to presserve order. During these proceedings the Polish toll-man shut the gate on the opposite side and refused to suffer the horses, which were now crowded on the bridge, to pass till the toll was duly paid. This incident rendered the personal interference of Zieten absolutely necessary, and he was obliged to make his way over the narrow and crazy bridge, justling along by the horses which now began to grow unruly and much startled at the dashing of the waters. Scarcely had he, by dint of threats and promises, prevailed on the man to throw open the gate, scarcely had the horses in the rear lightened the bridge, which their weight had hitherto tended not a little to keep entire, when

one

one arch after another began to yield to the violence of the current, and the last horse having touched the bank, the last arch gave way and the whole bridge disappeared in a few

minutes.

Thus did Zieten owe his safety to the merest accident. Had he remained in the rear, and had not the well-timed perverseness of the toll-man forced him to quit that dangerous post, he would most probably have been swallowed up with the bridge, and found a grave in the vistula. But having escaped this danger, he seemed to derive new intrepidity from it, and became the better fitted to encounter the perils that still awaited him.

Being happily arrived at his garrison, he gave himself up with unremitting ardour to his vocation, and the more so as the cavalry was a new school to him; and being incapable of doing any thing by halves, he resolved to accomplish himself in a profession, in which it was one day his lot to act so brilliant a part. However after having been present at the first review

I.

2

tence.

review of his regiment, he was obliged at the beginning of winter to solicit for leave of absence in order to terminate a tedious lawsuit which had for so many years employed and embittered the life of his father. The difficulties he had to combat engaged him not only to solicit a prolongation of his furlough but likewise to make direct application to the king for the purpose of hastening a definitive senThe sentence was accordingly obtained and this unhappy suit which had lasted forty years, was at length determined in favour of the family of Zieten. After having settled this weighty business, and, at the same time, redressed nany abuses and reformed many irregularities of less moment; after having obtained justice against his neighbours and restored peace and competency to his aged mother, he left Wustrau in the month of February, 1727, and returned to his garrison.

This journey proved as perilous as the former. Zieten had just enlisted two very promising Saxon deserters, and was under the necessity of escorting them himself to the regi

ment.

ment. He set off with them from Berlin in a sledge on a clear frosty day, but they were hardy arrived at Schwedt, when it suddenly began to thaw, and Zieten was obliged to change his sledge for a waggon. He arrived with much difficulty at Dantzick, but was unable to proceed any further on account of the melting of the snow which had damaged the roads. In vain he endeavoured to truck his waggon for a carriage of more solid construc tion, or to inquire for some travelling companions in order to be accommodated with double the number of posthorses. He offered likewise considerable sums to all the carriers of the place to induce them, to take him further on; not one of them, however, would hear him, as they were all fearful of inundations and the breaking up of the ice.

Of all measures to be chosen, that of remaining at Dantzick and waiting for the thaw seemed the least conformable to his impatience. He quickly came to a determination, and went on in his waggon with the two recruits over the Frisch - haff, an arm of the sea lying between

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