which they fought to turn to their advantage. On their right and left were hills on which they planted batteries of cannon. The ground in their front was interfected by many causeways; and to make the whole more impracticable, the Auftrians had felled a vast many trees, and scattered them in the way. The King of Pruffia was not terrified with this fituation, nor with the consciousness that above 70,000 excellent troops commanded by Count Daun were fo pofted. The Pruffians, who did not exceed as it is faid 36,000 men, attacked them with their ufual refolution. It was almost impoffible at the beginning of the engagement for the Pruffian horse to act, on account of the impediments we have juft mentioned, but a moft judicious difpofition of the King himself overcame that difadvantage; he had in his firft difpofitions placed four battalions behind the cavalry of his right wing, forefeeing that General Nadafti,who was placed with a corps de referve on the enemy's left defigned to take him in flank. It happened as he had foreseen; that General's horfe attacked the King's right wing with great fury; but he was receivedwith fo fevere a fire from the four battalions, that he was obliged to retire in diforder. Then the King's flank well covered and fupported was enabled to act with fuch order and vigour, that the enemy's right was obliged to give way. The Pruffian artillery which was incomparably ferved, and filenced that of the enemy, concurred to maintain the King's infantry, and to enable them to act in grounds where their horfe could give them but little affiftance. The Auftrians made a gallant refiftance

The

during the whole battle. panic of the enemy did not here, as at Rofbach, do half the bufinefs; every foot of ground was well difputed. The Auftrians rallied all their forces about Leuthen, which was defended upon all fides with intrenchments and redoubts. After reiterated attacks made with the utmost impetuofity, and fuftained with great firmnefs, the Pruffians mastered the poft; then the Austrians fled on all parts; they were entirely routed. The King purfued them to Liffa. 6000 of the Auftrians were flain, 15000 were made prifoners; and an immenfe artillery, upwards of 200 pieces of cannon were taken.

This great and decifive action was fought on the very fame day of the next month after the no lefs important and decifive battle of Rofbach. The confequences that followed the action of Leuthen, declared the entireness of the victory. Notwithstanding the rigour of the season, the fiege of Breflau was immediately undertaken, and profecuted with fuch fpirit, that by the 29th of December it furrendered; and with it furrendered the garrifon of 13000 men prisoners of war; the blockade of Schweidnitz was formed as clofely as the inclemency of the winter would permit; whilft the Pruffian parties not only repoffeffed thofe parts of Silefia which belonged to the King, but penetrating into the Auftrian divifion, reduced Jagerndorf, Troppau, and Tetichen, and left to the Emprefs Queen, except a forlorn garrifon in Schweidnitz, no fort of footing in that country, in which a few days before the reckoned her dominion perfectly established.

CHA P.

Recapi

Colin, came on him all at once, fo his fucceffes after his victories at Rofbach and Liffa, flowed upon him all at once likewife, and in a full tide. The Ruffians, tho' they had repulfed General Lehwald, fuffered fo much in that action, and their barbarous method of making war had fo deftroyed the country, that they feemed to themselves to have no way of fafety left but in retiring out of the Pruffian territories. This extraordinary retreat of fo great an army, and fo lately victori ous, and ftill poffeffed of a good feaport in the country, could fcarcely be accounted for on thofe motives we have affigned, and aftonished all Europe,whilst it leftGeneral Lehwald at liberty to turn his arms into Pomerania against the Swedes. The

Swedes on this occafion did nothing worthy of their antient military fame; but every where retiring, left the Pruffians an eafy conqueft, not only of the Pruffian but of every part of the Swedish Pomerania, excepting the port of Stralfund; they left their allies of Mecklenbourg quite expofed to all the refentment of the King of Pruffia, who chaftifed them with the moft fevere contributions and levies. The French who had been ravaging the old marche of Bradenburg, evacuated that country immediately after the battle of Rosbach. But one of the greatest revolutions of fortune in the war, and one of the most glorious and important confequences of

their arms.

From the moment the capitulation of Clofter-feven was figned, the Duke de Richlieu, who came to the command only to reap the advantage, and fully the honour of another's conqueft, feemed to think of nothing but how to repair from the plunder of the unhappy Hanoverians, the fortune which he had fhattered by a thoufand vices. The moft exorbitant contributions were levied with the most inflexible severity; every exaction which was fubmitted to, only produced a new one ftill more extravagant; and all the orderly methods of plunder did not exempt them from the pillage, licentioufnefs and infolence of the French foldiery. However, in juftice to merit, we muft except from this general charge the conduct of the Duke deRandan, Governor of Hanover for theFrench; who faved the capital of the electorate from utter ruin by the ftrictnefs of all his difcipline, by the prudence, the juftice and moderation of all his conduct; a conduct which does more real honour to his name than the moft fplendid victories.

The Duke de Richlieu's rapacioufnefs and oppreffion, whilft they leaned fo heavily on the conquered people, did the conquering army no kind of fervice. Intent only on plunder, which he did not confine to the enemy, he relaxed every part of military discipline; and that numerous army which M. d'Etrees

had fuftained, and brought in health and fpirits through the difmal defarts of Weftphalia, under all the oppofition ofa fkilful adverfary, were now, in full peace, in the quiet poffeffion of a conquered and plentiful country, reduced in their numbers, decayed in their health and their fpirits, without cloaths, without fubfiftence, without order, without arms. In this condition they began at laft to perceive that the Hanoverians, with the yoke of the capitulation about their necks, were ftill formidable. As they had broke almoft every article of that treaty, they made no fcruple to add another breach in order to fecure them in all the reft. They attempted actually to take their arms from the Hanoverian and Heffian troops. Thefe gallant troops, who had with a filent grief and indignation feen the diftreffes of their ruined country, were ravished to find that the victory at Rofbach encouraged their fovereign to refent at laft this and all the other indignities they had fuffered. They began to collect and to act, and under the command of the gallant Prince Ferdinand of Brunfwick, reinforced with a body of Pruffian troops, they broke from their confinement. They reduced the town of Harburg, and laid clofe fiege to the caftle, which it muft be owned was defended very bravely. In all other refpects the French did not feem in a condition to maintain their ground any where. Thofe troops, which a few months before had fo fubmitted as to make it neceffary to declare that they were not prifoners of war in order to explain their condition, were now on the point of pushing their adverfaries to almoft the fame freights. Such was the force of French military difcipline, and fuch the triumphs of Voltaire's hero.

The King of Pruffia now faw the full effect of his counfels and his labours. His dominions were freed; his allies were enabled to afliit him; and his enemies defeated, broken, and flying every where before him. In what light pofterity will view these things is uncertain; we, under whofe eyes, as we may fay, they were atchieved, fcarcely believed what we had feen. And perhaps in all the records of time, the compass of a fingle year, on the fcene of a fingle country, never contained fo many ftriking events, never displayed fo many revolutions of fortune; revolutions not only beyond what might have been expected, but far beyond what the moft fagacious forefight, reafoning from experience, and the nature of things, could poffibly have imagined. The King of Pruffia at firft triumphant : the whole power of the Auftrians totally defeated; their hopes utterly ruined: then their affairs fuddenly re-established, their armies victorious, and the King of Pruffia in his turn hurled down; defeated; abandoned by his allies; furrounded by his enemies; on the very edge of defpair: then all at once raised beyond all hope, he fees the united Auftrian, Imperial, and French power levelled with the ground. 40,000Hanoverians, a whole army, fubmit to 80,000 French, and are only not prifoners of war. The French are peaceable mafters of all the country between the Wefer and the Elbe: anon, thefe fubdued Hanoverians refume their arms; they recover their country, and the French in a little time think themfelves not fecure to the eastward of the Rhine. 500,000 men in action. Six pitched battles fought. Three great armies annihilated. The French army reduced and vanquish

ed

ed without fighting. The Ruffians victorious, and flying as if they had been vanquished. A confederacy, not of fmaller potentates to humble one great power, but of five the greatest powers on earth to

reduce one fmall potentate; all the force of thefe powers exerted and baffled. It happened as we have related; and it is not the hif tory of a century, but of a fingle campaign.

WT

WITH regard to the part we had in the tranfactions of this year, though it was not fo full of ftriking events, nor does it afford fuch a fplendid fubject for narrative, yet it is as interesting to an English reader, and may perhaps prove more inftructive; as it fhews us in fo ftrong a light, the miferable confequences of our political divifions, which produced a general unfteadiness in all our purfuits, and infufed a languor and inactivity into all our military operations. For, whilft our commanders abroad knew not who were to reward their services or punish their neglects, and were not affured in what light even the beft of their actions would be confidered, (having reafon to apprehend that they might not be judged of as they were in themfelves, but as their appearances might answer the the end of fome ruling faction ;) they naturally wanted that firmnefs and that enterprizing refolution, without which the best capacity, and intentions the most honeft, can do nothing in war. The attachment of most men to their parties, weakened their affection to their country. It has been imagined that miniiters did not always wifh fuccefs even to their own fchemes,

left obnoxious men should acquire credit by the execution of them; as it was fufpected that officers even at the expence of their own reputation, didnot exert their faculties to the utmoft, left a difagreeable minifterial fyftem fhould eftablish the credit of its counfels by the vigour of their operations. For my own part, I think that these refinements, in which there is often as much malice difcovered as penetration, have carried the matter infinitely too far. But certain it is, that the fpirit of perfonal parties and attachments, never carried to greater lengths than at that time, proved of very bad confequence, if it had no other effect than to raise and to give a colour to fuch fufpicions as we have juft mentioned. Whatever was the caufe, it is most certain, that our fuccefs in America this year, no more answered to the greatness of our preparations and our hopes than it did in the two preceding.

The attack upon Crown Point, which had been a principal object of our attention in the beginning, feemed at this time to be laid afide; and an expedition to Louisbourg, undoubtedly a more confiderable object in itself, fupplied its place. Lord Loudon was to command the

land

July 9.

land forces in this expedition; Admiral Holborn the navy. The former left New York with a body of 6000 men, and failed to Halifax, where he was joined by the latter, who had failed from Corke on the 7th of May with a confiderable fleet, and much the fame number of land forces, which his lordship had brought from New York. When the united armies and fleets were on the point of departing for Louifbourg, news arrived at Halifax, that the Breft fleet confifting of feventeen ships of the line befides frigates, with great fupplies of military ftores, provifions, and men, were arrived at the harbour which they were preparing to attack. This news immediately fufpended their preparations. Councils of war were held one after another. The refult of the whole was, that as the place was fo well reinforced, the fleet of the French rather fuperior to our navy, and the feafon fo far advanced, it was the more prudent courfe to defer the enterprise to a more favourable opportunity. This refolution feems to have been the moft eligible in their circumstances, because the council of war was almost unanimous in it.

Lord Loudon returned to New York, and the Admiral now freed from the care of thetranfports fet fail for Louisbourg, in hopes as it was faid, of drawing the French fleet to an engagement. But uponwhat grounds this hope was conceived, I confess I cannot fee; as it could not be imagined, that the French fleet having no fort of occafion to fight in order to protect Louisbourg, would chufe out of a bravado to bring on an unneceffary battle. However it was, the English fquadron continued to cruize off that harbour until the 25th of September, when they were overtaken by a terrible ftorm, in

which one of our fhips was loft, eleven difmafted, and the reft returned to England in a very shattered condition. This was the end of the expedition to Louifbourg from which fo much was expected. But it was not the worst confequence which attended it.

Since Ofwego had been taken, the French remained entirely masters of all the lakes, and we could do nothing to obftruct their collecting the Indians from all parts, and obliging them to act in their favour. But our apprehenfions, (or what fhall they be called?) did more in favour of the French than their conquefts. Not fatisfied with the lofs of that important fortrefs, we ourfelves abandoned to the mercy of the enemy all the country of the Five Nations, the only body of Indians who preferved even the appearance of friendship to us. The forts we had at the Great carrying Place were demolished ; Wood Creek was induftriously stopped up and filled with logs; by which it became evident to all those who knew that country, that our communication with our allied Indians was totally cut off; and what was worse, our whole frontier left perfectly uncovered to the irruption of the enemies favages, who foon availed themselves of our errors. For after the removal of thefe barriers, and thetaking offort William-Henry, of which we fhall fpeak prefently, they deftroyed with fire and fword the fine fettlements which we poffeffed on the Mohawks river and on thofe grounds called the German flats. Thus with a vast increase of our forces, and the cleareft fuperiority over the enemy, we only abandoned our allies, expofed our people, and relinquished a large and valuable tract of country. The

French