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of Pruffia exerted himself with incredible diligence to preferve an uniform ftrength in every part of his line, and hazarded his own life with a daring, which nothing but his fituation could excufe from temerity. His cloaths were fhot through in feveral places, his horfe was killed under him. But all these troubles and dangers were fully compenfated by the efforts of his troops, who maintained fo fteady a fire, and pushed the Auftrians with fo much ardour, that they at laft gave ground, and retreated with precipitation, though not without fome order, towards the Katfbach.

were taken. On the fide of the conquerors, five hundred were killed, and 1200 wounded.

With regard to Silefia, the victory near Lignitz produced fome moft immediate, and most useful effects. Although M. Daun, not difpirited with his late mifadventure, and only follicitous to repair his lofs, had detached a ftrong corps under Prince Lowenftein, and Gen. Beck to strengthen the Ruffians and encourage them to advance, Count Czernichew was fo intimidated with the late defeat of the Auftrians, that he repaffed the Oder by the fame bridges on which he had lately croffed it.

Thus one great end of the King of Pruffia's march was obtained. He prevented the dreaded junction of those two powers. In the other part of his defign, he did not fo perfectly fucceed. M. Daun fince the action of Pfaffendorf, could indeed make no progrefs in Silefia; but on the other hand, the king. was not able entirely to drive him out of that province. The Auftrians even after their defeat, far fuperior to the king, had been befides largely reinforced. The empress exerted all her power, to remove the ill effect this late check might have had on the reputation of her

The king purfued them to this river, and no further. His advantage as it was gained by the most vigorous fteps, fo bounds were fet to the ardour of improving it with the most guarded caution. He feared if he pursued his fuccefs too far, it might disjoin the part of the army engaged from that which he had left to obferve M. Daun; and perhaps give that general an opportunity of taking a fevere revenge on the right, for the fucceffes of the left. Notwithstanding this referve of the king, (a referve, the want of which was formerly the only failings in his military character, but which his misfortunes had now perfectly taught him,) notwithstand-arms; at the fame time that the ing, I fay he did not push his good fortune against Baron Laudohn to the utmoft, the victory was compleat, glorious, and adorned with all the trophies. By their own confeffion, the Auftrians loft upwards of 6000 men, killed, wounded and prifoners. The Pruffians made it amount, and not without probability to 10,000. Among the prifoners, were two generals, and 84 officers; S2 pieces of cannon and 23 pair of colours

augmented her troops, fhe comforted and encouraged Baron Laudohn, and by a very generous and gracious letter let him fee, that fhe was not a fovereign, in whose mind a late misfortune cancels the memory of paft fervices. In the praifes which this letter beftowed on Laudohn, feveral were of opinion, was couched an indirect cenfure on the conduct of Count Daun, the flowness of whofe temper fo ill

agreed

agreed with the ardour of her ambition, and with thefe great hopes, which the number of her forces, and the strength of her alliance had encouraged her to entertain.

1

The king after this victory joined his brother Prince Henry at Newmarcke. One part of that prince's army under Gen. Goltze had paffed the Oder to observe the Ruffians, who fince the repaffing that river, feemed to direct their motions northward. The king being ftrengthened by this junction, and having his communication with Breflaw clear, marched against Daun, who had begun to form the blockade of Schweidnitz, fell upon a corps under Gen. Beck; made two battalions of Croats prifoners, difperfed feveral fquadrons, and by this lively affair obliged the enemy's grand army to raife the blockade, and by a precipitate retreat, to take refuge in the mountains of Landshut.

Whilft his majefty was thus exerting the most heroic efforts in defence of Silefia; Gen. Hulfen, who commanded for him in Saxony, feconded his endeavours in that quarter with uncommon bravery and fuccefs. The army of the empire had formed a defign of cutting him off from Torgau. To fruitrate their intentions, that general quitted his camp at Meiffen, and marched to Strehla. The enemy divided into two bodies; one attacked an advanced post about a cannon fhot from his camp upon every fide, with the greateft fury from day break to fix in the morning, whilft ano20 Aug ther corps was fo placed as to keep his camp in awe, and to prevent his attempting any thing for the relief of the advanced poit, Gen. Hullen faw that unless he could speedily do fomething for its fuc

cour, that body muft inevitably perih. He therefore in this exigency, gave orders to his cavalry to make a circuit round an height; and to charge if poffible the enemies flank. This order was executed with the utmoft promptitude and fpirit. The Imperialists were charged on their flank; their battalions and horse were thrown upon one another in confufion, and 41 officers and 1200 men were made prifoners. The lofs of the Pruffians was inconfiderable. Gen. Hulfen by this advantage, was enabled to encamp under Torgau, while he retreated through an apprehenfion, as the grand army of the Imperialifts was coming up, that he might be cut off from his communication with the Elbe. This retreat made the Auftrians magnify the affair into a victory on their fide; but the circumftances render the Pruffian account much more probable.

Fortune feemed once more to have fmiled, after a long interval of gloom on the King of Pruffia's affairs; and the reputation of his arms began to revive. But the victories he obtained, though glorious, were decifive of little more than the field upon which they were fought. They were far from having lowered the power of the enemy to an equality with his. And the movements he made to gain thofe advantages, and to protect one part of his dominions neceffarily expofed the rest. enemy was able to detach without end; and whilft bodies of Ruffians traverfed the Lower Silefia, feveral corps of Auftrians fcoured Lufatia and thus together they broke off all regular communication between the king's army and his hereditary dominions, and of course between him

The

;

and

and his general Hulfen, who with very unequal forces was ftruggling to fecure Saxony; a country in which there are towns indeed fortified; but fortified for the greater part in fuch a manner as to be little more than fnares for increafing the number of prisoners, by betraying defenceless garrifons into the hands of an enemy fuperior in the field.

In this fituation, the king is faid to have wrote a letter to the cele brated (1) Marq. d'Argens, very pathetick, and very defcriptive of his condition, and of his frame of mind under those preffures. This letter is faid to have been intercepted by a Ruffian detachment, and induftriously spread about in order to diffpirit his friends. On that account fome have fufpected its authenticity. But the letter is furely highly confonant to his circumftances, and fufficiently agreeable to his general manner of writing: fo that we do not think ourselves difpenfed with inferting it in this place.

"Formerly, my dear marquis, the affair of the 15th of Auguft would have decided a campaign. At prefent that action is no more than a fcratch; a great battle muft determine our fate. We fhall have one, according to all appearances, very foon, and then, if the event is favourable to us, we may rejoice. It required many ftratagems and much address to bring things to this pass. Don't talk to me of danger; the last action cost me only a fuit of cloaths and a horfe. This is buying 'victory very cheap.

I have not had the letter which you mention. We are in a manner blocked up, in regard to correfpondence, by the Ruffians on one fide the Oder, and by the Auftrians on the other. A fmall fkirmish was neceffary to clear the way for Cocceii (2); I hope that he will deliver you my letter; I never was, in the courfe of my life, in a more embarraffing fituation than in this campaign. Believe me, nothing lefs than a miracle is ftill neceffary to extricate me from the difficulties that I forefee. I fhall certainly do my duty when occafion offers, but, my dear marquis, always remember that I pretend not to command fortune, and that I am obliged, in my projects, to leave too much to chance, for want of being able to form any more folid. I have the labours of a Hercules to undergo, at a time of life when my ftrength fails me, my infirmities increase, and, to speak the truth, when hope, the only confolation of the urhappy, begins to defert me. are not fufficiently acquainted with the circumftances of affairs to have a clear idea of all the dangers which threaten the state; I know, but conceal them; I keep all my fears to my myfelf, and only communicate to the public my hopes, or the little good news that I can acquaint them with. If the blow that I meditate fucceeds, then, my dear marquis, it will be time enough to exprefs our joy: but till then, let us not flatter ourselves, for fear fome unexpected bad news fhould deject us too much.

(1) Author of the Jewish Spy, &c. and now refident at Berlin.

You

(2) The aid-de-camp, who was charged with this letter, and who came to England with the news of the above mentioned action: In our papers, it is trauMated Stage Coach, from the fimilitude, probably, of the word Cocher.

I lead here the life of a military is fafe, it will be a treat to receive monk. I have much to think of you there. about my affairs, and the reft of my time I devote to literature, which is my confolation, as it was of the conful, the father of his country and of eloquence. I know not if I fhall furvive this war, but I I am determined, in cafe it fhould happen, to pass the reft of my days in retirement, in the bofom of philofophy, and friendship.

When our correfpondence fhall be more open, you'll oblige me by writing more frequently. I know not where we shall have our winterquarters. My houfes at Breflaw were deftroyed by the bombardment. Our enemies envy us every thing, even day-light and the air that we breathe. They muft however leave us fome place, and if it

Well, my dear marquis, what is become of the peace with France ? Your nation, you fee, is more blind, than you imagined. Thofe fools lofe Canada, and Pondicherry, to please the queen and the Czarina. Heaven grant that Prince Ferdinand may well reward them for their zeal. The officers, innocent of thefe evils, and the foldiers, will be made the victims, and the illuftrious offenders will fuffer nothing.

These are the fubjects which offer themselves to me. I was in a writing vein, but I fee that I must conclude, left I fhould tire you and neglect my own bufinefs. Adieu, my deareft marquis.- I embrace you, c."

CHAP. VII.

to

Situation of the Frerch and English armies. Hereditary Prince furprifes a body of French in Zierenberg. Gen. Bulow takes Marpurg. Defcated by Monf. Stainville. Gen. Wangenheim paffes and is obliged to repafs the Wefer. French retire from Mulbaufen to Caffel. Hereditary Prince marches the Rhine, paffes that river. Cleves taken. Wefel befieged. English expedition. M. Calries forms an army on the Rhine. Battle of Campen. Allies defeated. Hereditary Prince repafes the Rhine. Siege of Wefel raised. Death and eulogium of George the II. Acceffion of George III. and his refolution of fupporting his Allies.

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To authenticate the above it may be proper to add 1. That this letter was fhown at Bath and London by M. Cocce himfelf. And 2. That the copy here printed was fent to the tranflator by a friend at Magdebourg belonging to the court.

within a fmall diftance of the allies, who ever fince the battle continued to occupy Warbourg, the Dymel running between the two armies. In this fituation they continued for about a month.

The Hereditary Prince, who was ever in motion, and continually hovering now on one fide, now on the other of the French camp, in one of his excurfions had perceived that the French, according to their ufual negligence, were not very exact in their out-pofts and patrols. He had alfo received intelligence, that they had thrown a corps of horfe and foot, confifting of fomething more than two thousand men, into the town of Zierenberg, a place furrounded with fome damaged walls.

From these lights, he refolved upon the furprize of this body, and accordingly made his difpofitions for this bold attempt, in the manner following; firft, he ordered a body of his light troops to turn the town of Zierenberg, and to take poft between it and Dierenberg, in order to intercept any that should attempt paffing to the camp of the enemy. Next he pofted at proper diftances eight fquadrons of dragoons, two battallions of grenadiers, and one regiment of foot, on the road between his own camp and the place which was to be attacked, with a view to cover his retreat, in cafe he should be repulfed and purfued, With the reft of his foot, confiting for the greater part of English, he marched with the utmost caution and diligence towards the town.

5th Sept.ved within two miles, When they had arri

they divided into three bodies, VOL. III.

which took three different routs, by which the place was compleatly furrounded. At eight in the evening, they fet out from Warbourg, and came before this place at two the following morning. Notwithstanding the precautions taken, the trampling of the troops over the gardens gave the alarm to a guard of the enemies dragoons, who immediately began to fire. Strict orders had been given to proceed with. as little alarm as poffible, and to referve their fire; and fuch was the deliberate courage, fuch the perfect difcipline of the English grenadiers, that they fuftained this fire, pufhed on with bayonets, drove back the enemies picquets, killed the guard at the gate, and entered the town along with the fugitves, without theleaft noife, hurry, or confufion. Never was furprize more compleat.

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The column of the English grenadiers having forced the gate, advanced regularly with their bayonets fixed, and without firing a mufquet, bythe two streets that led to the churchyard, (which being the only open part of the town, ferved the French as a place of arms,) killing or taking a great number of thofe who ran from the houses towards this rendezvous; and thus they advanced with the greateft order and the most profound filence, until they reached the church-yard, The night was fo dark that they formed by the fide of the French, who for. awhile took them to be their own picquets that had affembled ; but they were foon undeceived; a fierce encounter with bayonets enfued, in liged to give way. which the French were quickly ob

Tworegiments of the enemies draa

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