Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/32

 army to besiege, or whether he was blinded by a train of uniform success, which made him believe his arms irresistible under every disadvantage, or whatever were his motives or necssities, the whole army employed in this undertaking, including the Prince of Bevern's corps, did not exceed 32,000 men, cavalry and infantry; and with these he was to attack 60,000 men,

in one of the strongeft situations which could be chosen, and defended by a vast train of artillery. Whatever the most impetuous and well regulated courage, whatever an ardour inspired by the remembrance of so many victories could do towards overcoming every kind of disadvantage, was done by the Prussians on this occasion. They returned to the attack seven times: in none of their victorious battles had their bravery been more conspicuous. Both the King's brothers were in the field; and they did every thing that could be expected from the King of Prussia's brothers. The King himself, at the head of his cavalry, made one furious and concluding charge. Every thing was tried, and every thing was unsuccessful. The want of a sufficiently numerous infantry in a ground where his cavalry could not support them, the want of an equal artillery, the advantageous situation of the enemy, their numbers, their bravery, their general, obliged the King of Prussia to quit the field. What his loss was is not so certain; it was undoubtedly great in the action, but still greater by desertions, and the innumerable ill consequences that follow a defeat.

Though the King of Prussia was defeated in this battle, and tho' he brought on his defeat, in a great measure, by some errors of his own, yet whatever small blemish his military skill might have suffered, his reputation was raised higher than ever, in the opinion of all judicious men, by the noble and candid manner in which he acknowledged his mistake, by the firmness with which he bore his misfortune, and by those astonishing strokes of genius and heroism, by which he retrieved his loss. The smile of fortune makes conquerors; it is her malice which discovers heroes.

 

EVER was the old observatio une bataille perdue a un mauvais cu, more verified than in the consequences of the unfortunate battle of Colin. Though the King retired unpursued by his enemies, he was obliged to rejoin his own army before Prague without delay, and to raise the blockade of that place. The imprisoned Austrians with joy received Count Daun their deliverer, and their united forces became greatly superior to the Prussians. The King was in a short time obliged to evacuate Bohemia, and take refuge in Saxony. The 