federacy. Supported by fuch powerful alliances, fhe began, in fummer 1756, to affemble two strong armies in Bohemia and Moravia, not doubting but the could in a very fhort time effectually reduce the Pruffian monarch. This vigilant prince, apprifed of what was tranfacting, and obferving the vaft armaments carrying on in his neighbourhood, judged it prudent to anticipate the defigns of his enemies. With this view, his Majefty, about the end of August 1756, put his troops in motion, immediately took poffeffion of Saxony, foon after beat the Auftrian army in Bohemia, and obliged the Saxon troops to furrender themfelves prisoners of war; moft of the pri vate men entering into his fervice, and the officers being fet at liberty, upon their parole not to ferve against him.

Thus matters flood at the beginning of the year 1757, before the end of which the numerous and powerful confederates against his Pruffian Majefty reckoned they could certainly compel him, and any allies he had, to subscribe whatever terms of peace they should be pleafed to grant. For this purpose they brought into the field about 440,000 men, in different armies. The Auftrians, with auxiliaries from Saxony, Bavaria, and Wurtemburg, were computed at 186,000; the Ruffians, at between 90 and 100,000; the Swedes, at 21,000; the French, at 122,000, confifting of two feparate bodies, of 90,000 and 32,000; and the troops furnished by the princes and circles of the empire, to compofe an army for executing the Imperial decrees and edicts, and hence called the executionarmy of the empire, at 20,000. To oppofe fuch prodigious armies, the King of Pruffia could not, exclufive of garrifons, mufter more than 146,000 men; and the troops of the King of G. Britain, Elector of Hanover, the only ally his Pruffian Majefty had, did not exceed 50,000 men; who were under the command of the Duke of Cumberland.

His Pruffi in Majefty refolving to be beforehand with his enemies, penetrated into Bohemia about the middle of April. The Prince of Bevern with one corps beat a body of Auftrians at Reichenberg

on the 21ft of that month, and the King in perfon defeated the whole Austrian army near Prague on the 6th of May, obliging the remains of it to fly, one body towards Moravia, and the other to take fhelter in Prague. That city was immediately invefted, fuffered a furions bombardment, and had certainly fallen, with its garrifon, confifting of at least 40,000 men, into the bands of the Pruffian monarch, had he not, in his turn, been beat by the remains of the Auftrian army, then confiderably augmented, under the command of M. Daun, at Chofternitz, on the 18th of June. This unlucky difafter obliged his Majefty to raife the fiege two days after the battle, and extend his troops along the Elbe, to guard the fontiers of Saxony. The Auftrians, elated with this fuccefs, immediately turned their views towards Selefia, the great and primary object of their fovereign's wifhes. His Majefty followed them close at the heels, and having come up with them, in the end of Auguft, then pofted near Zittau in Lufatia, and computed at 100,000 men, he, with an army not exceeding 60,000, offered them battle three days fucceflively, which they as often declined.

By this time the French army of 32,000 men under the Prince de Soubife, with the execution-army of the empire, commanded by the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghaufen, was approaching towards the western frontier of Saxony; the King, therefore, drew off about 22,000 men, in order to meet them; leaving the Prince of Bevern, with the remainder of the army, computed at between 30 and 40,000 men, to make head againft the whole Auftrian army, then augmented, as themfelves gave out, to 130,000. The Prince finding himfelf unable to maintain his ground in Lufatia, was obliged to retreat towards Breflau in Silefia, and arrived there in the beginning of October, not without confiderable lofs.

The enemies of the Pruffian monarch now began to be very confident, and his friends to fear, that his affairs were become defperate. For befides the fuccefs of the Auftrians, the grand army of the

French,

Thus did his Pruffian Majefty end the campaign of 1757 with the greatest glory. At the fame time affairs had put on a new face on the fide of Hanover. Several difficulties had occurred with regard to the execution of the convention of Clofter-Seven; and the outrageous behaviour of the French in that electorate gave great umbrage to its fovereign. Soon after the middle of November, the Hanoverians, with their allies, began to be in motion; and the motives of their conduct were not long after published [xix. 651.]. Pr. Ferdinand of Bruniwic, brother to the reigning Duke, one of the Pruffian generals, arrived at Stade, Nov. 23. to take the command of them. A party was detached to befiege Harburg, which did not furrender till Dec. 29. Mean while Pr. Ferdinand marched forward with the rest of the army; and the French under M. Richelieu, who had returned from Halberstadt, every where retreated, till a confiderable body of them got together in Zell and its neighbourhood. Pr. Ferdinand intended to furprise that place; but the defign unluckily mifcarried, by the pontoons not arriving in time for paffing the Aller. Towards the end of December a fevere froft and fnow came on, which obliged the troops on both fides to go into quarters of cantonment, Pr. Ferdinand fixing his head quarters at Lunenburg, and M. Richelieu his at Hanover.

We now proceed to the year 1758; and as we have been just treating of the

Early in January about 10,000 o M. Richelieu's troops made a forced march, in hopes of furprising a small bo dy of Pruffians then pofted at Halber ftadt and in its neighbourhood, which on different occafions had given them confiderable uneafinefs. The Pruffians took care of their own safety by a timely retreat; but the French extorted exorbitant contributions from the city of Halberstadt, and demolished a part of its walls. Soon after, the Pruífians, in fome measure, took their revenge, by making about 300 of their enemies prifoners. Pr. Henry of Prussia arrived at Hall on the 7th of February, to take the command of a body of his brother's forces affembling at Halberstadt, and fecond the operations of the Hanoverians and their allies, if needful. In the mean time M. Richelieu was recalled from Germany, charged, as was faid, with rapaciously pocketing immenfe fums, without allowing the private men near a lufficiency for meat, drink, and cloaths. A fpeech faid to have been delivered by M. Belleifle in the council at Versailles, represented the great want of difcipline that had prevailed in the French army, and acknowledged that fuch pillaging and robbing had been carried on by both offi cers and common men, after the example fet them by their generals, as made them every where throughout Germany be held in execration. On the 16th of February the Count of Clermont arrived at Hanover to replace M. Richelieu. Not long after, the allies under Pr. Ferdinand of Brunfwic again took the field; and the French every where retreated before them fo precipitately, that by the beginning of March few of them remained on the right of the Wefer. The 5th of that month the allies invefted Minden on the left of the Wefer, and it was furrendered the 14th. In the place were found 3704 officers and foldiers, 27 colours and standards, 2 mortars, 47 pieces of cannon, and a confiderable magazine of

provifions

All neceffaries being arrived, the allies again began to move from their dif. ferent quarters about the 25th of May. The 3d of June the last of the whole army paffed the Rhine near Cleves, its lofs being very trifling, while the French had fuffered more confiderably. After feveral motions on both fides, Pr. Ferdinand attacked the Count de Clermont, near Crevelt, on the 23d of June. The action was long and obftinate; but the left of the French, against which the principal attack was made, being at length put into confufion, their whole army retreated, with the lofs, as the allies faid, of between 7 and 8000 men, killed, wounded, and taken prifoners; with 7 ftandards and colours, and 8 pieces of cannon. By the French accounts, their lofs of men was much as has just been reprefented; but they fuppofed that of the allies to be greater. Pr. Ferdinand, who had a better opportunity of knowing the truth, reprefented his lofs at between 12 and 1300, killed and wounded. The French retired first to Nuys, and afterwards to Cologn. During this retreat a good many more prifoners were taken from them. On the 26th the town of Ruremond furrendered by capitulation, the French and Austrian garrifon being allowed to march out with the honours of war. Duffeldorp alfo was given up on the 8th of July, the garrifon march. ing out with military honours, but on condition not to serve against the allies for a year. There was found in it a great magazine of ammunition and provifions, and a numerous train of artillery. That fame day C. Clermont refigned the command of the French army to M. de Contades, a lieutenantgeneral, and returned home. Pr. Ferdinand railed contributions from the principality of Liege, and the Pruffian huffars did the fame from feveral places in Brabant belonging to the EmpreisQueen. The French being fo near their own frontiers, they received fuch rein forcements as enabled them again to advance towards the allies. Pr. Ferdi

and thought to attack them by furprife on the 14th; but being perceived

in his approach, he thought it prudent to withdraw. The 19th a large body of M. de Contades's army endeavoured to cut off the communication between the right and left of the allies, but were repulfed; the lofs of the former being about 500 men killed, and feveral officers taken, with fix pieces of cannon, and four standards; and that of the allies very fmall.

Even when the affairs of the French were in the worst fituation, a finmall body of the troops that had been commanded by Pr. Soubife the preceding year, ftill remained at Hanau on the Upper Rhine. Thefe being confiderably augmented, and joined by 6000 Wir temburghers under the Duke their fove. reign, they put in motion the 9th of July, in order to penetrate into Heffe and Hanover, Pr. Ifemburg got together 7000 Heffian regulars and militia to oppose them. On the 23d, about 12,000 of the French attacked that prince; who, after a refiftance of five hours, was obliged to yield to numbers. The lofs of the Heilians, in killed, wounded, and prifoners taken, was computed at 2300 men, with 7 pieces of cannon; and that of the French, in killed and wounded, at 4415. On the third day after the battle, Pr. Ifemburg had reaffembled about 3000 of his troops; but as this corps was too feeble to oppofe the progrefs of about 20,000, which Pr. Soubile bad ftill under his command, the former retired under the cannon of Hamelen, where he received reinforcements from different parts. tachments of the French advanced to Gottingen, Nordheim, and fome other places within the electorate of Hanover, where they raised contributions; but their main body remained, for fome time, in the neighbourhood of Caffel.

De