PART many to recover her ancient power, and VIII. make it valid with her allies, who concurred " to help her out of the bad fituation fhe was 1746. in, with no other views, but to make use of her in the execution of their defigns againft

the Ottoman power. THAT it was true, the "King of Pruffia had made his peace; but this "was a ftronger reafon why the porte, who had exhorted France to perfift in the fame fyftem, and had began to concur in it her"felf, fhould continue united to France, and "conform to the plan which fhe would fol"low this peace, perhaps, was only a truce

upon force, of as fhort duration as the treaty of 1742; but if it fhould be true, that the * houfe of Auftria, by her accommodation "with the houfes of Bavaria and Branden

burgh, fhould be delivered from her enemies "in Germany, it would follow that thofe pow"ers, who, on the eaft and weft, might bound "the illimitable ambition of that house, were

more interested than ever to preferve a good "understanding, and act with uniformity. THAT "the peace with Perfia was either concluded, or "upon the point of being fo; when efficacious "and folid measures might be taken, to over"throw the ambitious projects of the Auftri

ans: but the fublime porte would previoufly renounce all the advantage of those mea "fures, and would deviate from the rules of found policy, if the tied up her own hands,

and voluntarily, without neceffity, gave up "the right fhe had either to act or threaten, "whenever the circumftances of affairs might

require it therefore, the ambaffador of France was perfuaded, that if the fublime porte condefcended to pay an attention to this "memorial,

I memorial, fhe would defer the acknowledge- CHAP. sment of the Grand Duke of Tufcany, at leaff, 1. till the first fucceffes of the next campaign,

for which France was making immenfe pre- 1746. "parations, were feen." As France, without any regard for chriftianity, fpared no pains or artifices to ftir up the Ottoman porte againft the house of Auftria; this memorial was an evidence that she was no lefs follicitous to embroil the Turks with Ruffia, in the fame manner as the had done in 1738, when France brought the Mahometan arms against the Czarina, becaufe fhe had opposed the establishment of Staniflaus in Poland: and, by this memorial, France made a fincere confeffion that the true caufe of the war was for oppofing the election of the grand duke, and not for obtaining the pretenfions of the house of Bavaria ; which ferved, as the original pretexts, for colouring the breach of a peace, confirmed by oath but a few years before: the Ottoman miniftry paid little attention to this memorial; for the grand fignior recognized the title of the Emperor of Germany, in the Grand Duke of Tuscany; and manifefted a refolution to live peaceably, and harmoniously, with the chriftian powers.

THE Court of Vienna was alfo industriously employed in re-eftablishing her intereft with the European powers, and providing the neceffary forces and fupplies for opening the campaign; for which purpose the Austrian miniftry had propofed, to their confederates, to bring 50,000 men into the Netherlands, befides their contingent, of 30,000 men, for Italy, if timely fupplied with their fubfidies, Prince Charles of Lorrain was elected Prime Veldt Marfhal of the Empire, though oppofed by the Pruffian and Palatine minifters:

PART minifters: but the Imperial court had not inVIII. tereft enough to prevail with the circles of the ~ Empire, to come to any other refolutions than to 1746. defend themfelves, and mutually affift each other,

when attacked by any power whatsoever. The Auftrian minifter at the court of Drefden, in concert with thofe of the maritime powers, caused the provifional requifition to be made for the march of the 10,000 Saxons, agreed to be furnished for the fervice of the Maritime powers, and to serve in the Netherlands, pursuant to the treaty of Warfaw: but his Polish ma, jefty was not feafonably fupplied with the ftipulated fubfidy, which retarded the motion of thefe troops; because the heavy contributions lately exacted in his electoral dominions, by the King of Pruffia, made it impoffible for his Polifh majefty to raise a fufficient fum of money to put the requested troops into a condition of marching early enough for the Netherlands: however the Elector of Bavaria promifed the court of Vienna to fupply her with a body of troops, on the first requifition, and the condition of a proper fubfidy.

If the court of Verfailles was disappointed in her artifices at the Ottoman porte, the overtures from the court of Vienna found a very different reception with the czarina: the Ruffian miniftry were determined to fupport the intereft of the houfe of Auftria; and a treaty was concluded, on the 20th of March, between her imperial majefty of all the Ruffias, and her imperial and regal majefty the Empress of the Romans, by which it was agreed, "THAT if the "Czarina fhould be attacked, or inquieted, by

66

any one whomfoever, fo that he thought it "neceffary to claim the fuccour of her allies,

"the

I.

"the empress queen fhould fend her, within CHAP. "the term of three months from the day of the "requifition, a fuccour of 30,000 men; 20,000 "foot, and 10,000 horfe, which fhould remain 1746. "in the fervice of the Czarina as long as the "faid attack,or vexation, should fubfift. The fame "fuccour was alfo granted, upon the fame con"ditions, by the Czarina to the empress queen : "but it was mutually agreed, that this alliance "fhould not extend, with regard to either of the "parties, if the Czarina fhould be attacked by "Perfia, or if the states of the empress queen "in Italy hould be attacked; nor was this "engagement to reach to the war which ex"ifted in Italy, or to any other war between the "emprefs queen and the crown of Spain: how"ever it was agreed, that, if the empress queen "fhould be attacked in Italy, the Czarina fhould "keep ready a corps of 30,000 men; and, in "like manner, if the Czarina fhould be attacked "by Perfia, the empress queen fhould also keep

દ

66

30,000 men in readiness: which reciprocal "preparative should be made by the two high "contracting powers, that they might be the "more ready to furnish mutually the neceffary "fuccour, if another war fhould happen to "arife before thofe in Italy, or Perfia, were ter"C.minated."

СНАР

CHAPTER II. !

The campaign in the NETHER LANDS; the reduction of ANT

4.

WERP, MONS, St GUILAIN, and NAMUR, by the FRENCH; and the battle of LIERS, or ROUCOUX. The campaign in ITALY: the expulfion of the FRENCH and SPANIARDS Out of PIEDMONT, by the King of SARDINIA: the abandoning of MILAN by Don PHILIP, and his retreat from the AUSTRIAN general; the action at CODOGNO; the junction of the FRENCH and SPANIARDS and the battle of PLACENTIA: the junction of the AUSTRIANS and PIEDMONTESE; the battle of ROTTO FREDO; with the total expulfion of the SPANIARDS, and their auxiliaries, out of the PARMESAN, PLAISANTIN and MILANESE; their flight to GENOA, and retreat into PROVENCE.

4

THE