PART which was compelled to fubmit to fuperior force. III. The Auftrians, under the command of Prince

Charles of Lorrain, continued about Moravia 1742. and the army commanded by Prince Lobkowitz, maintained themselves in Bohemia. Upon all fides were continual skirmishes, but there happened no material action; though the French and Bavarians were greatly reduced by the severity of the winter.

WHILE Marfhal Khevenhuller was overruning the electorate of Bavaria, her Hungarian majefty, fpirited by the profpect of a speedy affiftance from the King of Great Britain and the King of Sardinia, was collecting a fufficient body of troops to reinforce her armies in Bohemia and Moravia.

PRINCE CHARLES, though his army was too infufficient to attack either the Pruffians or Saxons in their entrenchments, yet often incommoded them by the excurfions of his irregular troops, who very narrowly miffed feizing the King of Pruffia prifoner, having taken one of his general officers and one of his pages, his majefty escaping only by the fleetness of his horse. His highnefs having ordered General Philibert, with a detachment of 2,000 horfe and 1000 croats, to obferve the motions of the Saxons: the general received intelligence, that the regiment of Cofel were marching out of Wels and Offau, and he ordered them to be immediately attacked by 500 croats, under the command of LieutenantColonel Macquire, which was done with fuch vigour, that, after a refiftance that lafted an hour and a quarter, the croats defeated the whole regiment, having killed the lieutenantcolonel, three captains, five lieutenants, five enfigns, and 340 men; taking the colonel, four

1

сар

Captains, four lieutenants, four enfigns, and 188 CHAP. men prifoners; with a booty of four pieces of III. cannon, three pair of colours, the military cheft,

and all their baggage; the croats having but ten 1742, men killed and eighteen wounded.

As Prince Charles of Lorrain was now fulfilling the prediction of the glorious Eugene, who, from the regimental difcipline, diligence, and affiduity, of the young hero, foretold he would acquire the character of a complete general; the digreffion may well be pardoned, that traces the firft military rudiments of this accomplished prince; thus, in his youth, renewing thofe laurels that his illuftrious grandfather, Charles Leopold, had entwined round the coronet of Lorrain; and, in the dawn of manhood, eclipfing all the glories of France; who fnatched the palm of victory from the too ambitious King of Pruffia; fupported the luftre of the Auftrian line; and baffled the moft confummate and experienced generals of the prefent age.

THIS prince is the younger brother of the Grand Duke of Tufcany, fince elected Emperor of Germany, and fecond fon to Leopold Duke of Lorrain, and Elizabeth Charlotte, daughter to the late Duke of Orleans: he was born on the 12th of December 1712; during his minority he fhewed a fondness for the martial life, and was diftinguished for his genius, which wanted no cultivation. He made an early appearance in the army, and, from his firft entrance into the military state, his affable deportment and fteady refolution, fo ingratiated himself with the foldiers, that he was, and not undefervedly, ftiled the delight of the army. Having paffed through all the inferior degrees in the imperial fervice, foon after the commencement of the

war

PART war between the Emperor and Ruffia against the III. Turks, in the year 1738, Prince Charles was pre

ferred to a regiment; and, after giving eminent 1742. proofs of his gallant behaviour in the Turkish war, was promoted to the rank of general of the artillery; but, upon the conclufion of the peace at Belgrade, he applied himself to ftudy the theory of that military art he fince reduced into practice. His highness was now in the 30th year of his age, was well proportioned, neither fat nor lean, and rather tall than of a middle ftature; genteel and affable, temperate in diet, and negligent in drefs, but his air at once difcovered the man of .confequence and the foldier. He had entirely won the affections of his men, and though fomewhat haughty in his behaviour to the officers, yet the dignity of his family, and the proximity of his alliance to the Queen of Hungary, made them chearfully condescend to his authority; and this fubmiffion to their general, greatly contributed to the fervice of their fovereign, as the German officers unwillingly pay obedience to a general of their own rank.

PRINCE LOBKOWITZ was older, and had commanded with Count Wallis and Count Neuperg in the Turkish war, where he fignalized himself fufficiently to fhew that he was deferving of an important truft; for though he commanded a third part of the German army when the peace was concluded at Belgrade, his character was unimpeached, while Count Wallis and Count Neuperg were arrefted, by an imperial order, on a fulpicion, of negligence in their duty.

THESE princes were now to oppose the King of Pruffia, and two of the most distinguished generals in the armies of France. His Pruffian

majefty

majefty was almoft a year younger than Prince CHAP. Charles; his bravery was great, and by the af- III. fistance of able generals, with the beft regulated troops in the world, he had rendered himfelf one 1742. of the most formidable princes among the powers of Europe. Marshal Broglio had spent almost threescore years in the military service, and had acquired a diftinguished reputation when he commanded in Italy, during the late war between the Emperor Charles VI. and the crown of France. Marshal Belleifle was alfo advanced in years; he was a nobleman of great genius, and equal ambition, and had paffed all his life in the profeffion of arms, having ftudied war as a fcience; he was active and enterprizing, and brave fometimes to excefs; he was beloved by the foldiers, whom he fupported from the oppreffions of inferior officers; and was an able and experienced general.

MARSHAL BROGLIO, having intelligence that the court of Vienna would fpeedily fend a numerous reinforcement to the Auftrian armies in Bohemia and Moravia, determined to get poffeffion of the beft fortified places, for the fecurity of his army, if the Auftrians fhould happen to take the field with a superior force to the allies. Prague was already lecured by a numerous garrison of French and Bavarians; and Egra was the next formidable place that attracted the observation of the marihal. This city is fituate on a river of the fame name, 75 miles west of Prague, near the confines of the Upper Palatinate, to which it formerly pertained, and is the fecond place of confequence in Bohemia, being fortified with a double, and in fome parts, with a treble wall, and a very strong caftle. To reduce this city, Marthal Broglio detached a ftrong body of French

and

PART and Bavarians, under the command of Count III. Maurice of Saxe, a general who afterwards, by

his noble actions, acquired a glorious reputation, 1742. and was dignified for his eminent fervices with honours never before conferred on any subject of France, excepting the immortal Turenne. Count Saxe invefted the town on the 23d of March ; the garrifon maintained a vigorous refiftance till the 19th of April; when, finding it impoffible to receive any relief from the Austrian army, they obtained a capitulation, and furrendered the town, being allowed to march out with the honours of war, four pieces of cannon, and two covered waggons, and to be conducted to Paf fau; but with a reftriction not to bear arms against the emperor, or his allies, till ranfomed or exchanged by cartel.

DURING the fiege of Egra, the Austrian res inforcements arrived, when Prince Charles had under his command an army confifting of 30,000 infantry, and 18,800 cavalry; while Prince Lobkowitz found himself at the head of 11,000 foot and 5,000 horfe.

As foon as Prince Charles put his army in motion, both the Pruffians and Saxons retired out of Moravia, with great precipitation; fuffering confiderable loffes in their retreat; and what appeared very extraordinary, they moved different ways, the former towards Silefia, and the latter towards Leutmeritz, a city of Bohemia, fituate on the river Elbe, on the confines of Saxony, and twenty-five miles N. of Prague. This wide retreat abandoned the French and Bavarians to the mercy of the Auftrians, as they were now in danger of being attacked by the united forces under Prince Charles and Prince Lobkowitz; but, before the Auftrians could ef

fect