ost in his retreat, which had been pro- 
voked by General Schwerin’s partiality 
to the Mecklenburg officers. 
Zieten joined his regiment, and endea- 
youred to make himself perfect master 
as well of the theory as the practice of 
his profession. ‘The superior genius of 
the young man, together with his frank 
and noble deportment, gained him the 
esteem of all his brother officers, the se- 
cond captain of the colonel-squadron ex- 
cepted, to which he belonged. ‘This 
man, jealous of the superior genius of his 
lieutenant, during two years, took every 
opportunity to thwart and mortify him. 
-he smothered flame at length burst out: 
Zieten challenged his superior officer, 
was tried by a court martial, and con- 
demned to one year’s imprisonment in 
the fortress of Friedericksbourg, whither 
‘he was sent at the end of the year 1720. 
‘At the expiration of his imprisonment, 
Zieten again joined the regiment; and, if 
the bravery of her hero has not seduced 
his fair biographer into too flattering a 
sketch, behaved with the greatest propri- 
-ey and decorum. All the officers sided 
with Zieten; the conduct of his captain 
was considered as the effect of cowardice, 
he was shunned and despised, and medi- 
tated some deep revenge. Several at- 
‘tempts appear to have been intendedupon 
‘the person of Zieten; one was at length 
“executed: the young hero was unexpect- 
edly attacked by his enemy, and had 
‘scarcely time to draw his sword, that he 
‘might parry the first blow. In the con- 
“flict Zieten’s sword broke; he knew his 
‘enemy too well to confide in his genero- 
ee ; and saved his own life by throwing 
the hilt in his face, with a violence that 
elled him to the ground. By partial 
‘Tepresentations to the king, who was 
taught to consider Zieten as of a quarrel- 
‘some and ungovernable temper, this af- 
-fair proved more serious than the former : 
the captain was condemned to suffer 
‘three months imprisonment for drawing 
e first, and Zieten was broke for hav- 
g thrown the hilt of his sword in the 
ptain’s face. 
' Zieten now retired to Wustraw, where 
passed several months in a seclusion, 
ich at length became perfectly intole- 
able: he was induced to solicit the inter- 
ssion of two general officers, who lived 
“on familiar terms with the king, Marshal 
:Bundenbrock and General de Flantz, 
“im order that he might be reinstated. 
Chese officers, aware of Zieten’s merit, 
Overcame his majesty’s repugnance to 
Ann. Rev. Vor. Il. 
BERESFORD’S TRANSLATION OF THE LIFE OF GENERAL DE ZIETEN. 
481 
admit the suppliant. Frederick Wil- 
liam, in the year 1722, had created two 
companies of hussars; and in 1730, he 
was anxious to organize a third at Ber- 
lin, to be composed of the finest men of 
the Bayreuth company, a company 
which the Margrave of Bayreuth, his 
son-in-law, had given him, and of the 
flower of the two already formed com- 
panies of Prussian hussars. The king 
had named the captain and the cornet, 
and Zieten, at the earnest solicitation of 
his two friends, Bundenbrock and Flantz, 
was appointed lieutenant; “on condi- 
tion,” were his majesty’s words, ‘ that 
he should behave himself in an orderly 
manner, and that his superior officer 
would keep a watchful eye over him.” 
The impression which this humiliating 
interview with his majesty, in the pre- 
sence of his brother officers, made in the 
mind of Zieten, was not effaced at the 
latest period of his life. He was at this 
time thirty-one years of age; and it was 
with the greatest impatience that he bore 
the frequent contumely of his superior 
officer, Captain de Benekendorf, who 
forgot no part of the instructions of his 
majesty. 
Frederick William was so much pleas- 
ed with his hussars, that at the end of 
the first year he created two additional 
companies; and at the end of the second, 
he increased them to three squadrons, 
which he composed of the flower of the 
youth, and of the choicest men of every 
other regiment. Zieten, who daily rose 
in the estimation of his majesty, was ap- 
pointed captain of the second company, 
onthe Ist of March, 1731. The king, 
proud of being in some sort the founder 
of his hussars, was anxious that, by see- 
ing service, they should emulate his gre- 
nadiers. Inthe year 1736, he ordered 
sixty Jody hussars, as this corps was now 
called, and an equal number of those of 
Prussia, to join the Austrian army, and 
gave the command of them to Captain de 
Zieten, whom he recommended in very 
strong terms to General de Baronay, in 
whose school he imagined they might 
be perfected in their discipline. 
Zieten’s march lay through Weimar: 
at Buttstadt, a small town belonging to 
that principality, he received such exu- 
berant hospitality from the duke, that 
his hussars and himself got drunk to the 
health of their host, and the most serious 
consequences were on the point of taking 
effect, but for the timely recovery of 
rg from his intemperance. A vio- 
: 
