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 written a letter to the celebrated marquis d'Argens*, very pathetic, 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 difpirit 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 from 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 addrefs to bring things to this país. Don't talk to me of danger; the last action coft me only a fuit of cloaths and a horse. 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 our fide the Oder, and by the Auftrians on the other. A small fkirmith was neceffary to clear the way for Cocceiit; I hope that he will deliver you my letter; I never was, in the courfe of my life, in a more embarrailing fituation than in this campaign. Believe me, nothing lefs than a miracle is ftill neceflary 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 for tune, 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 increafe, and, to speak the truth, when hope, the only confolation of the unhappy, begins to defert me. You are not fufficiently acquainted with the circumftances of affairs to have a clear idea of all the dangers which threaten the ftate; I know, but conceal them; I keep all my fears to 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.

within a small 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 patroles. 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 Zirenberg, a place furrounded with fome dama ged walls.

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

5th Sept. When they had arrived within two miles, they divided into three bodies, VOL. III.

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

The column of the English grenadiers having forced the gate, advanced regularly with their bayonets fixed, and without firing a mufquet, by the two ftreets that led to the church-yard (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 houfes towards this rendezvous; and thus they advanced with the greateft order and the moft profound filence, until they reached the church-yard. The night was fo dark that they formed by the fide of the French, who for a while took them to be their own picquets that had affembled; but. they were foon undeceived; a fierce encounter with bayonets enfued, in which the French were quickly obliged to give way.

Two regiments of the enemies dragoons

d

goons endeavoured to fly to the gate that led to their camp; but they found it occupied by 400 grenadiers, who drove them back with their bayonets'; forced from hence, they fled to another gate; there they were repulfed with a fharp fire of fmall arms. Then they were compelled to feparate; and flying at random as fortune and the night directed, made their escape at the feveral breaches of the wall. The prince was mafter of the place in about an hour; but the nearness of the French camp and the approach of day prevented as long a continuance in the place as he wifhed for reaping the full fruits of his victory; therefore about three o'clock he began his retreat, carrying off two pieces of cannon, 36 officers, and between 4 and 500 private men. The flaughter alfo of the enemy was confiderable. The prince reached his camp without the leaft moleftation in his retreat.

If we confider the difficulty of this attempt, very few have been bolder; if we examine the difpofition, none could be conducted with greater wifdom; if we attend to the behaviour of the troops, we hall no where find an example of more exact obedience, difcipline, and courage. To attack fo large a body of the enemy, fo ftrongly pofted, within a little league of their grand camp, to march so far in that critical fituation, and in a very dark night to divide into fo many parts, yet to act with so much order and fo entire a concert, was certainly an exploit of the very firft rank; and though not of any great importance in its confequences, is fo admirable in its conduct and execution, that it well deferves to be told at the length we have given it. This added greatly to the reputa

tion of the British foldiers as troops, and no lefs to their honour as men, by the humanity they fhewed to their prifoners, and the generous fentiments of the common fort with regard to money; as there were feveral noble inftances that night of their refufing to take any thing from their prifoners who had offered them their purfes. They loft but ten men.

From this time the operations of the two armies, which for a time feemed to languish, were renewed with fresh vigour. Prince Ferdinand perceived, that whilft the French communication with the Rhine and with Franckort on the Maine continued open, it must prove to little purpofe to attempt any thing either for the relief of Gottingen or Caffel. Their progrefs indeed into Hanover had been checked; but whilft ever they continued in so advanced a position, it was evidently impoffible to prevent their making very ruinous inroads into that country. To force them to a battle against their inclination would be difficult, and the attempt itself dangerous. There remained but one method, which was to make frequent and ftrong detachments into the fouthern parts of Heffe and Wetteravia, and thus render precarious the French communication with the Rhine and Maine, from whence they drew the greatest part of their fupplies of all kinds.

With this intention, he detached general Bulow at the head of a ftrong corps, who pushed forward toward Marpurg,furprised the town, deftroyed the French ovens, with feveral hundred waggons of flour, and carried off a confiderable quantityof cloathing and military ftores. In the mean time, his light troops fcoured the country in fuch a manner as

for