Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/59

 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

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incredible efforts. He had been educated with all the care an. excel- lent father could befliow on a fon of an uncommon genius, who was alone able to fupport the reputation of his family. To the purelt morals he had united the politell manners; he had made a great proficiency in learning; he knew many branches of it, and loved all; he had feen every part of Europe, and read courts and nations with a difcerning eve; and wanting nothing to fuliil all hope, and to make liim a perfect and Lifting ornament and fupport to his country, but a knowledge in the military art, he entered that courfe of glory and danger, and fell in his firft campaign. The unhappy fa- ther and minifter faw his private misfortunes keep pace with the public calamities, and the tears of his family mingled with thofe of his country.

Prince Ferdinand gained a viiflory at Cxevelt, which did the greatell honour to his military capacity and to tiie bravery of his troops. ^But it was a viftory neither entire nor deci- five. The French army on their own frontiers was quickly and ftrongly reinforced: fo that they were not only in a condition in fome fort to make head againft the allies, but were enabled to detach a confide- rable reinforcement to the army of the Prince de Soubife on the ether fide of the Rhine.

Although the Prince had reafon to imagine that he ftiould not be able to keep his ground on this fide of the Rhine for any conilderable time, this did not hinder him from improving to the utmoll the advan- tage he had obtained. Whilll the French, difabled by their late de- feat, were m no condition to oppofe liim, he pafled the Rhine with a large detachment, and appeared on

thezSih of jane before DuiTeliorp, a city advantageoufly fituated oa the river, and belonging to the EleiSlor Palatine. A fevere bom- bardment obliged it to capitulate on the 7th of July. The garrifon, confifting of 2000 men, marched out with the honours of war. Prince Ferdinand placed here three baualions of Hanoverians^ and threw a bridge of beats acrofs the river ; by that means he multi- plied his polls and communicati- ons on both fides of the Rhine ; and threw a new and no fmall impediment in the way of the French, to retard their progrefs, in cafe he fliould find himfelf" compelled to retire. After tliis, the army of the allies and that of France, fpent feveral days ia making various marches and coun- termarches, as if they both propofed to bring on an aflion, to which however it does not appear that either party was very llrongly in- clined.

Prince Ferdinand ftill retained his hopes that the Prince of Vfenburg, who commanded the Heilian troops, would find the Prince of Soubife employment for fome time. Her had originally laid his plan in fuch a manner, that by palfing the Maefe and transferring the feat of war into the enemies country he might drav/ the French from the Rhine, and perhaps oblige the Prince of Soubife to come to the alTiftance of the main army under M. de Contades, who commanded in the room of Count Cierm.ont, being now the fourth commander of the French troops fincc they enter- ed Germany. But whilll Prince Ferdinand pleafed himfelf with, thofe hopes, and ftill continued to ad: as far as circumllances would admit in puriuance of this plan, he received

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