, imploring for
help for her mother's tottering kingdom, the French troops came too
late to prevent this disaster. Even though Maria Theresa, Empress of
Austria, and niece to the Queen of Saxony, as her army were in want
of horses, gave up all her own to carry the cannon. The Austrian
cannon was of as little help to Saxony as the French troops.
Starvation was a more powerful ally to Prussia than Austria, France,
Russia, and Sweden were to Saxony, for in the Saxon camp also a cry
of woe resounded.
It was hunger that compelled the brave Saxon General Rutrosky to
capitulate. It was the same cause that forced the King of Saxony to
bind himself to the fearful stipulations which the victorious King
of Prussia, after having tried in vain for many years to gain an
ally in Saxony, made.
In the valley of Lilienstein the first of that great drama, whose
scenes are engraved in blood in the book of history, was performed,
and for whose further developments many sad, long years were
necessary.
In the valley of Lilienstein the Saxon army, compelled to it by
actual starvation, gave up their arms; and as these true, brave
soldiers, weeping over their humiliation, with one hand laid down
their weapons, the other was extended toward their enemies for
bread.
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