That curious irony in events which history so often shows
us, was illustrated by the telegram from Bavaria which followed the great news of the tremendous battles in Bohemia and their de- cisive 'result. " Yesterday," says a telegram dated Baden, 5th July, " the Prussians were-routed by the Bavarians at Meiningen with immense loss. The Prussians retreated in disorder on Fulda." Fulda is not far from the borders of Weimar, and about fifty miles south-east of Cassel. The Bavarians, if they did indeed defeat the Prussians " with immense loss," have, as it turns out, only irritated a foe powerful enough to crush them with a single blow. The great ally is beaten while the little ally wins,—wins at least a strong claim to a future beating. Bavaria will now almost wish that she had appeased Nemesis in the form of the dictatorial Prus- sian by letting herself be beaten, rather than planted this petty
4%, arrow in the body of a victor who had just given the coup de grace to her only protector.
