Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/64

 50 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

to prcferve a free ccmmunication with the King. jM. Daun was ob- liged to rerounce his firll defign, but he was left at full liberty to form and execute fuch other plans for tliC relief of Saxony as his prudence could fugged.

About that tinne the Imperial court, elated with their recent fuc- ccfs, began to ihew with what mo- deration they were likely to beha\ c if it continued and increafed. They entirely threw off all the little appearances of rcfpfidl they had hitherto retained for the King of Great iJritain, and icveral other of the molt reipeftable princes and perfcns of the Empire. They made the abufe of their authority go hand in hand with the fuccefs of their arms. On the 2 ill of Augull a conclufion of the Aulic council was iflued againft the King of Great Britain, as Eleftor of Ha^ never, againil the Landgrave of Heflc Calll'I, againil Prince Fer- dinand of Brunfwick, the Count of Lippe Buckebourg, and in general againft all the adherents to the King of Pruflia, threatening them with penalties in dignity, p;rlbp, and eftate. In confequence of this decree, letters avocatory were if- fued, notifying to the fovcreign princes, that if they did not widiia a limited time dilperfe their armies, break off their connection with the King of PrufTia, ■ pay their quota of Roman 'months, and fend their contingen'^s to the army of execution, they were put under the ban of the. Empire. To all other perlbns who held any dig- nity in the Empire, orders wore given, and penalties were thr?aten- ed faitable to their cotidition. They in fliort went all lengths i)ut that of adtualiy and form.iily putting them under the ban, which they

would not have failed to do, if their fuccefs had anf'vVered its be- ginnings. So little regard had the court of \'ienna to former fervices of the mtift irltereitirig nature ; and lo entirely did Ihe feem to forget that fhe owed to the King of Great Britain, not only that power which (he now unjuftly and ungratefully turned againft him, but alfo the very being of the houfe of Auilria. So entirely did they forget that this monarch had expended his treafures, employed his armiesi and even expofcd his perfon in her caule, when it was not only abandoned, but attacked by alniolt all the reft of Europe. However the violent proceedings of the Aidic council, drew no one Itate or perfon from the Kings of Great Britain and Pruftia ; they rather had a contrary effect, in roufmg the whole Evangelic body to a ienfe of their own danger. Much lefs were they able to Itop the progrefs of the allied arms.

The King of Pruflia conducted his retreat out of Bohemia in admi-^ table order. 'Ihe generals Jahnus and Eoudohn for feveral days hung upon his rear v/ith two Itrong bo- dies. Tiiey took advantageous pofts, fometimes on one fide, lome- times on the other, fometimes to- gether, fometimes i'eparately, and threw all poflible impediments in his way. ilut the vigour of the Prulfians drove them with lofs from every poft. So that by the 6th of Auguft, they were obliged entirely to delift from their purfuit. Ihe King of Pruflia freed from this mo'eifation marched with the utmoft diligence by Wilbca, Poiit-7, Landfhut, and arrived on the 20th at ErancktoVt on trie Oder. Here he joined the troops under- Count Dohna. The army- was