SEVEN WEEKS' WAR. 10 tioned behind the Eieseiigebirge; so that when Von Bittenfeld and Prince Frederick Charles crossed the Erzgebirge (June 24th), they found themselves opposed by only the outlying brigades of Clam-Gallas, which they forced to retire to- ward Turnau and JMiinehengratz, after defeating them in some insignificant combats and in a se- vere struggle at Podol. The First Prussian Army and the Elbe Arni.y, now united, advanced leisure- ly, driving the enemy before them toward Jliin- chengriitz, where Clam-Gallas was attacked on June 28th, and, after a brief but severe contest forced to retreat in haste. By several routes, the combined armies continued their onward march, routing the detached corps of Austrians and Sax- ons which attempted to bar their progress; and after a severe contest (June 29th) took posses- sion of Gitschin and established communications with the Crown Prince. Clam-Gallas retired to join the main body under Benedek. The army of the Crown Prince advanced in two divisions, the right wing by Landshut, toward Trautenau; the left by Glatz, toward Nachod and Skalitz; while the centre entered Bohemia by Braunau, all crossing the frontier on June 2Gth and 27th. The passes were traversed without op- position, but the Austrian forces under Gablenz opposed a determined resistance when the invaders emerged from them. Both sides were strongly reinforced, but victory remained with the Prus- sians in the encounters at Nachod, Skalitz. and Schweinsehadel. The three Prussian columns, having effected a firm lodgment in Bohemia, moved steadily forward in lines converging to a point north of the Austrian army, which was concentrated between Josephstadt and Konig- griltz: and King William I. of Prussia, who had arrived (July 2d) at the headquarters of the First and Third armies, hearing of Benedek's in- tention of attacking before the Crown Prince's army could come up, resolved to anticipate him. and ordered an attack on the Austrian position at 8 A. M. on July 3d, at the same time sending an urgent appeal to hasten the arrival of the Crown Prince. (See Sadowa, Battle of.) The Aus- trians and their Saxon allies were utterly routed and only saved from annihilation by tlieir admir- able cavalry. All hope, however, of staying the advance of the Prussians with the army of Bene- dek was at an end; a truce was asked for. but refused ; and the victorious Prussians pushed forward toward Vienna, whither Benedek had drawn his beaten forces. At the same time the southern Austrian army, which had been em- ployed against the Italians, was summoned to the defense of Vienna, when, through the agency of the Emperor of the French, a truce" was agreed to (.July 26th), at Nikolsburg, which afterwards led to a treaty of peace. A few days before this campaign began, the Italians, who had entered into an alliance with Prussia in order to secure the lilieration of Ve- netia, assembled an army of 200.000 men. one- half of which, under General La Marmora (q.v. ) was to cross the Mincio between Peschiera and Mantua, while the other half was stationed round Bologna to operate on the lower Po. To op- pose this force. -the Archduke Alljert, the com- mander-in-chief of the Austrian forces in Italy, had about flO.OOO men near Verona, besides the garrisons of the Quadrilateral and Venice, which were not available for field service. On June 23d SEVEN WISE MASTERS. La Marmora's army crossed the Jlineio, unop- posed by the Austrians. The Archduke, however, succeeded in drawing his opjionent into an un- favorable ijo.sitiou and attacked him (June 24th) at C'ustozza with his whole force. The Austrians achieved a decisive victory. The Italians Jell back, in fair order, toward the Mincio, unpur- sued by their exhausted opponents. While the Italian generals were deliberating on the renewal of the campaign, news came ot the great defeat which the Austrians had sus- tained in the north, and of the cession of Venetia, by the Emperor of Austria, to the Emperor Xa- poleon. On July 20th the Italian Heet. under Persano, suffered a great defeat at Lissa at tlie hands of Admiral Tegetthoff, the Austrian com- mander. In spite of her disasters, Italy was very loath to agree to the armistice signed bj' the two bellig- erent German Powers at Xikolsburg, on July 26th, and attempted to insist upon the surrender by Austria to her of the Trentino. Prussia, how- ever, would not support this demand, and Victor Emmanuel gave way reluctantly, and agreed to the armistice, August 12th. The Peace of Prague •Has signed August 23d. A third contest was, about the same time, in progress between Prussia and those States of Germany which had engaged in the struggle on the side of Austria. The Hanoverian army was compelled to surrender at Langensalza, June 28th. The operations against the forces of the South- Ciernian States ( Bavaria. ^Viirttemberg. Baden, and the Grand Duchy ot Hesse) in the valley of the Main and in the Lower Franconia ( Kissen- gen) were speedily brought to a successful issue by Vogel von Falckenstein and other Prussian generals. For results of the war, see Gebmant; PKU.SSIA; Italy. Consult: Hozier, The Seven Weeks' War (Lon- don, 1807) ; Lecomte, Guerre de la Pr^^sse et de ritalie contre VAiilriche et la confederation fjcnnanique (Paris. 1868) ; Fontane. ZJec deutsche Krieg'von 1S6G (2d ed., Berlin, 1867); Knorr, Dcr Feldzug dcs Jahres ISOU in West- und Siid- deutschland (Hamburg. 1867) ; also the olBcial accounts of the general staffs. SEVEN WISE MASTERS. A collection of stories of Oriental origin and of wide currency in Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the details vary, the general framework is the same in all the recensions, and is as follows: A king has his son by a former marriage reared by seven sages far from the Court. When the prince reaches manhood, his father sununons him home, but a period of danger for the youth is foretold by the stars. To avert the peril, he is bidden by his teacher, with- out the King's knowledge, to keep silence for seven days. During this time his stepmother accuses him before the King in revenge for his lefusal to return her proffered love. The Prince is sen- tenced to die. His death is delayed, however, by the seven sages, each of whom tells a story to the King of the craft of women and the danger of hasty judgment, while the Queen endeavors to offset this story by another, and urges immediate execution. This continues for seven days. At the end of this time the Prince breaks his silence, and proves his innocence, whereupon the Queen is put to death. The original of the collection is un- known. An analogue exists, however, in the Sanskrit Sukasaptati (q.v.), and, with a different
