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Good evening, gentlemen, evidently you were not expecting me

Good evening, gentlemen, evidently you were not expecting me.jpg The Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of LiegnitzThe Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of LiegnitzThe Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of LiegnitzThe Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of LiegnitzThe Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of LiegnitzThe Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of LiegnitzThe Ox MinuetThumbnailsFrederick at the watch-fire before the battle of Liegnitz

The King, remarked with the utmost composure: “Gentlemen, follow me. I am no stranger here.” Thereupon he rode to the left over the drawbridge leading to the castle, followed by a few of his officers. He had hardly arrived at the castle entrance when several Austrian officers and attendants, with lanterns in their hands, ran down the steps and made an effort to get to their horses in the castle yard and escape under cover of the darkness. The King, dismounting, quietly confronted them and said: “Good-evening, gentlemen. Evidently you were not expecting me. Is there no room left for me?”

It would have been easy for them to have overpowered Frederick if they had had the courage, but the suddenness of his appearance and the confident tone of his voice so completely dazed them that they took the lanterns from the hands of their attendants, lit the King up the stairs, and escorted him to one of the finest of the rooms. The most distinguished of the Austrian officers introduced his comrades to the King, by name and `rank`, and all joined in agreeable conversation. During this time more Prussian officers arrived at the castle, fearing the King might be in danger; but they found him enjoying himself mightily. He finally took leave of the Austrian officers, however, and they sought quarters in other rooms of the spacious castle.