melen, and its left to Lauenftein, which is a high hill covered by a wood, upon which the Duke of Cumberland had esta blished feveral batteries. His army had in front a fortified village, on the left of which was an impaffable morals.Such was the advantageous fituation of this prince, when, on the 26th, at five in the morning, M. d'Etrees made a motion, whereby his army became pofted nearer that of the Duke. The batteries which the Hanoverians had on their left played with great force; and the French returned the fire as brifkly. M. d'Etrees defigned, if it had been poffible, to attack the Hanoverians in front; but he found fo many infurmountable difficulties, that he determined to alter his plan. He refolved to wind round the Lauenftein, and to penetrate at the fame time through that mountain, in or, der to hem in the left of the Hanoverians, and to take them in flank. M. de Chevert, who had the charge of the first of thefe operations, immediately fet out with his corps to proceed round the mountain; and the Marquis d'Armentieres, with the referve, forced his way over it. In advancing, he was expofed to a battery of eight cannon and two haubitzes, which fired upon him inceffantly, and greatly annoyed his corps. Upon which he detached from his left the Count de Gifors, with the brigade of Champagne, to feize on that battery. This young colonel acquitted himself with fo much bravery, that at the fecond attack the battery was carried by this brigade, and the cannon were im mediately turned against the Hanoverians. To make the proper advantage of this fuccefs, M. d'Etrees caufed the infantry of his right to advance, and fre upon the left of the Hanoverians; who finding themselves in a manner fur rounded, and expofed on all fides to the difcharges of the mufketry of the corps advancing upon them, were forced to retire behind the centre of the Duke of Cumberland's army. His R. Highness made a motion to the right, to favour the retreat of the left, and to caufe the relt of the army to take the route of Coppenbruck, which covered the hol

low roads leading to Hanover. By this motion, the end propofed by M. d'Etrees was accomplished; as the Duke of Cumberland has been obliged to take a fituation which has separated him from Hamelen, fo that he will not be able to cover that place, or to fuccour it in case a defign fhould be formed to undertake the fiege. The regiments of Marine, Enghien, Champagne, Navarre, and Belfunce, which were employed in the attack on the left, have fuffered greatly in this action.-Befide the loss of the Count de Montmorency, M. de Buffy (who commanded the corps of voluntiers) was alfo flain in the field, as well as feveral other officers. In the number of the wounded is the Marquis de Chatelet, very dangerously. The Count de Belfunce is wounded in the fhoulder; and M. de Boufquet, heutenant-colonel of the regiment of Enghien, is already dead of his wounds.'

A French officer, who was prefent in the engagement, gives the following account. "After cannonading one another two days, the enemy retreating and we advancing, we came up with them to-day, and gave them battle, which we gained, without reaping any other advantage by it, than that of incamping on the place where they incamped yesterday. M. de Chevert, at the head of three brigades and the Auftrians, was ordered to climb up to the top of the hills, to make his way through the trees, and fall upon the left flank of the enemy; which he executed, after fuftaining the fire of 16 or 17,000 men, who lined the woods. You will readily judge that this was not an easy task; however, he performed it. The brigade. of Champagne was ordered to go round the bottom of the hill: we marched a little too fast, which had like to have coft us dear. We came up to the ene- . my's grand battery, before any impreffion had been made on the main body of their army, and before M. de Chevert had got farther than the top of the hills. Behind this large battery were five battalions of grenadiers concealed among the trees, which covered an eminence in the wood, and between us and them was

an

an hollow way of an amazing depth. As we were advancing through the woods in platoons to get to the battery, thefe grenadiers gave us two fmart discharges of their fmall arins on flanks at the diftance of thirty paces, which put us in great confternation, because we imagined our troops were by this time masters of the eminence where they were pofted. We gave them our whole fire without feeing them; but it was fo terrible, that they were thrown into a panic; and we immediately ran up to the battery. We only fuftained one difcharge of the fmall arms of the battery. We took it; and the army of the enemy immediately retired. Thus it was in a manner we alone (the regiment of Champagne) who gained the battle; for the main body of our army fcarce gained any ground, and had not fired a fingle mufket, having only cannonaded. We were very quiet upon our plato, [the flat furface of an eminence where cannon is planted], and were employing the cannon we had taken, when the Count de Lorges, who with the Duke de Randan had kept more to our right than M. de Chevert, was fired upon by fome of the enemy who ftill remained in the wood; upon which he imagined he was cut off, and difpatched a mellenger to M. d' Etrees. The Marthal thought fo himself; and, coming upon our plato, told us, the battle was fairly loft, and that he muft order a retreat. This aftonished us. We maintained to the General's face, that it was impoffible we were beat, and that we were ready to march up to the enemy. Mean while the troops of M. de Chevert came up. He and M. de Brehan were as mad as two devils, and after two hours difputing, during which we faw the enemy retiring, the Maishal was at length prevailed upon to march. But the enemy was now at a great diftance, and had had time to carry away from the plain the cannon which they had at firft abandoned, and we could not fire a fingle mufket at them. While we sustained the fire of the enemy as we proceeded along the wood, we had at our fide a Swifs regiment, and the well

difciplined grenadiers of Alface, who be ing all frighted, likewife fired upon us, fo that it was a miracle we escaped. Indeed we were thoroughly warmed."

According to a letter from Paris, dated Aug. 12. the lift which the court had received of their lofs in this battle, makes 17 officers killed and 118 wounded, 1038 foldiers killed and 1159 wounded. It is affured from other quarters, that M. d'Etrees had 90,000 men at the battle, and the Duke of Cumberland fearce the half of that number.

On the 28th of July the town of Hamelen furrendered by capitulation to the French; who, it is faid, found in the place 60 pieces of cannon, feveral mortars, a great quantity of warlike fores and provifions, forty ovens, and part of the baggage belonging to the Duke of Cumberland's army. The garrifon marched out on the 30th, with all the honours of war, and were conducted to Hanover. That fame day M. d' Etrees received a letter from the French King, informing him, that the circumstances of affairs were fo changed, that it was found neceffary to join the army of the Duke de Richlieu with that under the command of M. d'Etrees; that therefore he fhould give up the command to the Duke, as his fenior; and that it would be very agreeable to his Majefty to hear that he would continue to ferve in the army under him. The letter was likewife filled with high expreffions of kindness towards the Marthal. But, notwithstanding, he did not refolve to ftay longer than till his command fhould be fuperfeded. This change occafioned fome delay in the motions of the French army.

In the mean time the Duke of Cumberland, after retiring first to Copenbruck, afterwards turned towards Minden; the Pruffian garrifon of which joined his army; fo that the news we formerly had of that place being taken by the French had been ill founded. His R. Highnefs next marched down the right of the Wefer to the neighbourhood of Hoya, where he incamped, in order to try what he could do to cover Bremen and Verden, and preferve a communication

communication with Stade; to which laft place the Hanoverian archives and most valuable effects were a confiderable time ago conveyed, in order to be tranfported to England if neceffity fhould require.

The Duke de Richlieu arrived at the French army on the 6th of Auguft, and that fame day a French garrison of 2000 men entered the city of Hanover. M. d'Etrees fet out the next day, with all his equipage, on his return to France, by the way of Aix-la-Chapelle. The Duke de Chevreuse commands the garrifon of Hanover, and the Duke de Randan is appointed governor of the whole province. Besides the contributions exacted from particular principalities, the French are to receive the public revenues of the electorate. The inhabitants have been injoined, under very fevere penalties, to difpofe of all their arms of whatever kind; but the new governor has made public intimation, that if any French foldier quartered upon them fhall commit any excefs, they fhall have immediate juftice done them upon application to the nearest guard, who have orders to take the offender into cuftody, and carry him before the officers, who are appointed to determine in the mat

ter.

This regulation has in a great measure quieted the minds of the people, who expected nothing less than to be plundered of all they had.

All thefe affairs being fettled, the Duke de Richlieu advanced towards the army of obfervation, which still retreated further down the right of the Wefer as he marched forward. Left his R. Highnefs fhould pass that river, and enter Eaft Friefland, the French general fent a body of troops thither, and ordered the garrifon of Embden to be reinforced with feveral regiments. At length, after halts, at different places, the Duke of Cumberland having his army incamped below Verden, he received advice on the 24th, that the French had laid two bridges, the preceding night, over the Aller, and paffed that river with a large body of troops; upon which, left the enemy fhould attempt to pafs round on his left, he ordered his army to march in order to fecure the important poft and

paffage of Rothenburg. That place he reached on the 25th, and according to the London Gazette had his head quarters there on the 28th. They write from Verden of the 26th, that a large body of French troops, who had paffed to the right of the Aller, arrived in that neighbourhood the day before; that another body of the fame troops was advancing by the right of the Weser; and that the Duke of Cumberland had marked out a camp at Stade, which would be of very difficult accefs to an enemy. Before that time four British men of war and two frigates were arrived in the mouth of the Wefer below Stade.

The blockade of Gueldres, which was begun fome months ago, lafted till the 23d of Auguft, when the place capitulated. The 800 men of which the garrifon was compofed, were to be conducted, under an efcorte of French troops, towards Berlin, by the route of Cologn and Francfort. They were to march out with the honours of war, and to carry with them two pieces of cannon.

According to late advices from Turin, the King of SARDINIA feems determined to continue in the obfervation of a strict neutrality; but at the fame time is reviewing and completing his forces, repairing his fortifications, and new-cafting his artillery, that he may be in a condition to cover his dominions from infults, in cafe of any unforeseen turn in the affairs of Italy, as the prefent fituation of things proves, that there can be no dependence on the guaranties made by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

According to late accounts from FRANCE, the Count de Conflans was speedily to fail from Brest with a strong fquadron, in order to obferve that which has been fitting out in G. Britain for a fecret expedition, or perhaps on his fide to execute an important enterprife. They tell us, that there is a great ftir in Austrian and French Flanders, occafioned by the British secret expedition; that the march of the Emprefs-Queen's troops intended for Germany is countermauded; that the garrifon of Dunkirk is reinforced with feveral battalions; and that all the pri

vateers

vateers in that and the other French ports along the coaft, are ordered to be difarmed, in order to man M. de Conflans's fleet.

One Ricard, a foldier in the guards, has been condemned to be broken on the wheel, as being an accomplice with Damien. It is faid, that he would have taken away the lives of fome innocent people, whom he falfely accused of offering him 300 louisd'ors to affaffinate the King; but that, upon further inquiry, it appeared, that his only aim was to prolong his own life.

His Moft Chriftian Majefty having learned, that a number of his Proteftant fubjects have, within these three years paft, fold their effects, and retired out of the kingdom, and that many others are daily doing the fame, he has publifhed an edict, forbidding all perfons profeffing the reformed religion to alienate or transfer any of their effects for three years to come, on pain of the forfeiture of fuch effects; and declaring, that whether they are fold for money, delivered in payment, given gratuitoufly, or difpofed of on any other confideration, the deeds transferring them are void and of none effect.

Late advices from the HAGUE, by the way of Bruffels, run to this purpofe. "The courier which the Count d'Affry received lately from Compeigne, brought him difpatches touching the taking of Embden, the orders given to deliver up that conqueft to the Empress Queen's commiffary, and a declaration to be made to their High Mightineffes, to prevent their being uneafy at their new - neighbours. Accordingly the Count d'Affry has had a conference with the minifters of state, to whom he repeated the ftrongest affurances, that the troops of his Moft Chriftian Majefty will religioufly obferve the laws of good neighbourhood and friendship which fubfift between him and this ftate; that they will respect the territory of their High Mightineffes, and even protect it, in cafe any one fhould, in refentment of their neutrality, attempt to moleft it.- This declaration comes the more feasonably, as the province of Groninguen, which VOL. XIX.

borders on East Friesland, had written a letter to the States-General, expreffing the greatest uneasiness at their new neighbours; and fome reftlefs fpirits made a handle thereof, to communicate the fame apprehenfions to the people in general, and to force the regency to augment their troops. It is with a view to prevent the effects of this ferment, and to avoid giving any cause of discontent to France, that certain libels against the Roman-Catholic religion, and againft fome refpectable potentates, have been ordered to be fuppreffed, as well as fome papers that appeared here concerning Damien. The French minifter here hath obtained another passport for 100,000 rations of hay, with an order from the admiralty of the Meufe, to have the money reftored, which was depofited for the toll at one of the offices on that river." -Notwithstanding thofe ftrong affurances, which were given about the middle of July, the states of Groninguen were extraordinarily af fembled about the 12th of August, on occafion of arrefting the Dutch effects and eftates in Eaft Friefland, by orders of the Emprefs-Queen. It is affured, that the Dutch are not at all pleased with the taking of Embden, and ftill lefs fo with the fetting up of French flags on the ramparts of Oftend and Nieuport; and that even the city of Amfterdam, which was always antiftadtholderian, and warmly oppofed the augmentation of the republic's landforces, and the taking of any part in the present broils, has now very diffe rent fentiments. If the managers of that city have really changed their fentiments on thefe fubjects, they feem to be a little unlucky, by being much too late.

As to PLANTATION affairs: The Earl of Loudon, with the tranfports from New York, arrived at Halifax in Nova. Scotia, on the 30th of June; and ViceAdm. Holburne, with the men of war and tranfports from Corke, arrived there the 9th of July. By this junction the army in Nova Scotia is compofed of fifteen battalions, viz. Royal Scots, 2d batt. Forbes's, Whitmore's (late Offar 32

rell's),