1758.

VICTORY OVER THE RUSSIANS.

143

asperated by the sufferings of their countrymen around them, had resolved to give no quarter *, - and the Russians neither gave nor asked it. Both parties flew to the conflict, less like warring armies than as personal and rancorous foemen. Thus, for instance, a Prussian and a Russian were found on the plain locked in each other's arms, both grievously wounded, -the Prussian unable to move,-and the Russian maimed in both hands, but still endeavouring to tear asunder his prostrate opponent with his teeth. Few battles accordingly have been more bloody, considering the numbers engaged. At the close of the day there had fallen dead or wounded 11,000 of Frederick's army, and 20,000 of Fermor's. The victory had been decided for the Prussians, mainly by the heroic exertions of their horse, led on by General Seydlitz, one of the best cavalry officers whom the world has ever seen. Yet the Russians could still maintain through the night a part of the battle-field, and pretend to claim the honours of victory; they marched back with their columns diminished, but unbroken; nor was it until after attempting, though unsuccessfully, the siege of Colberg, that they retired for winter-quarters beyond the Vistula. Frederick himself hastened back to Saxony, where, during his absence, his brother, Prince Henry, had been closely pressed by the Austrians.

The Russian prisoners (for some prisoners were made on the day after the battle, and during the retreat,) were sent for safe custody to the fortress of Magdeburg. There the Royal Family of Prussia had ever since the preceding campaign sought shelter. There also were immured the captives of Rosbach and of Leuthen. We may well conceive how the inhabitants, secure behind their ramparts from the sufferings of war, were elated at its glory. We may yet trace the recollections of a German writer of some note, then a schoolboy at Magdeburg: "How my young heart," says he, "used to bound when I heard "couriers arriving, in constant succession and amidst 66 sounding clarions, each with the news of some fortress

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*It is owned by the Prussian writers that this order was given by Frederick himself: "Der König befahl, keinem Russen in der Schlacht pardon zu geben." (Archenholtz, vol. i. p. 169.)

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"taken, of some victory won; when I saw companies of "invalids bringing in whole armies of prisoners from the "furthest points of the great nations banded against us, - from the borders of the gulf of Gascony to the roots "of the mountains of Ural." *

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Once again in Saxony, the King speedily reduced Daun to the defensive. His own camp was fixed at Hochkirchen in front of Bautzen, and close to the Bohemian lines. But in this exposed position he had neglected his usual care and vigilance before an enemy. Daun and Laudohn, combining their movements, surprised his camp before daybreak on a winter morning. Starting from his rest, Frederick beheld his troops scattered or slaughtered all around him; and nothing but his presence of mind and intrepidity preserved them from utter ruin. As it was he lost 100 pieces of cannon, twenty-eight standards, and 9,000 men in killed and wounded. None among the slain were more deeply and more deservedly lamented than Field Marshal James Keith, brother of the exiled Earl Marischal of Scotland. His private virtues were not less conspicuous than his military talents. Some days previously he had warned Frederick of the danger of his unguarded position. "If the Austrians," said he, "leave us quiet here, they will deserve to be hanged!"† At the first sound of the hostile firing he had hastened to the head of his troops; seeing them disperse, he sought by beat of drum to rally them; even a wound could not make him quit the field, until another bullet laid the British hero (for as our's let us still claim him!) lifeless on the ground.

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The date of this disastrous battle was the 14th of October. "On the very day," writes Frederick, "that the King was defeated at Hochkirchen by the Austrians, "his sister the Margravine of Bareith expired. No doubt "the ancient Romans would have ascribed some fatal

* Rötger, Rückblicke ins Leben, p. 12.-Preuss, Lebens-Geschichte, vol. ii. p. 38.

† Preuss, Lebens-Geschichte, vol. ii. p. 171. The King wittily answered, "I hope they are more afraid of us than of the gallows!"

See also an interesting letter from Keith to his brother, Earl Marischal, dated the very day before the battle, and printed in Lord Dover's Life of Frederick II. (vol. ii. p. 140.)

1758.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

145

૯૮ omen to that day when two such grievous blows struck "the King together."* Fatal indeed has been the omen of that day to the House of Hohen-zollern. On the 14th of October, forty-eight years afterwards, the whole heritage of Frederick, the whole monarchy of Prussia, — was overwhelmed in the rout of Jena.

Had the Austrians followed up their success at Hochkirchen they might, perhaps, have ended the war. But Daun, whose own army had suffered severely, hesitated during several days, and these days enabled Frederick to repair his losses. Having by some skilful manoeuvres misled the enemy as to his designs, he suddenly marched into Silesia, and raised the siege of Neisse, which another Austrian division had for some time invested. Thence, darting back into Saxony, he rescued Dresden, which was already close pressed by Daun; and then, the winter having now set in, he closed this chequered campaign, fixing, as before, his own head-quarters at Breslau. Berlin he had resolved not to re-enter so long as the war continued.

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" events.

In November the British Parliament met. On this occasion, says a Member of the House of Commons, "Mr. Pitt made the most artful speech he ever made, "-provoked, called for, defied, objections, - promised enormous expense, — demanded never to be judged by Universal silence left him arbiter of his own "terms." Nor did this unanimity and this silence prevail but for a single night; they endured throughout the Session. The general submission of the House to the Minister's measures seemed rather heightened and enhanced, as by contrast, from the stubborn resistance of a single Member, Mr. Vyner, who declaimed to empty benches against almost every thing proposed. A new Subsidy to Prussia, like the last of 670,000l., was readily voted. The total amount of the estimates for the year approached the

* Euvres Posthumes, vol. ii. p. 268. ed. 1789. See also his letter to Voltaire, April 22. 1759.

+ H. Walpole to Sir H. Mann, November 27. 1758. It was in the course of this speech that Pitt, placing himself in an attitude of defiance, exclaimed in his loudest tone: "Is there an Austrian among "you? Let him stand forward and reveal himself!"-See Butler's Reminiscences, vol. i. p. 153.

hitherto unparalleled height of twelve millions and a half; —an annual expenditure, which, moderate as it may be deemed by the present generation, appeared altogether incredible and ruinous to the last.* Pitt himself was startled at the sum. "I wish to God,” — thus he writes to Newcastle, "I could see my way through this moun"tain of expense!" †

This wondrous unanimity, -this sudden stilling of the troubled waves of faction, this combination of the longdissevered words, Ministerial and Patriot,—was owing in no small degree to the newly established concord between the statesman at the Foreign Office and the intriguer at the Treasury. According to Horace Walpole's just description, "Mr. Pitt DOES every thing; the Duke "of Newcastle GIVES every thing. As long as they can agree in this partition they may do what they will." Thus also Lord Chesterfield tells us, with his usual quiet touch of satire: "Domestic affairs go just as they did; "the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pitt jog on like man "and wife; that is, seldom agreeing, often quarrelling, "but, by mutual interest upon the whole, not parting." §

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But no doubt a still more efficient cause of the unanimity in Parliament at this time may be found in the growing success and glory of our arms, under Pitt's administration, and the equally augmented confidence of the people in his counsels.

Thus ended the year 1758. But, before dismissing it, let me not leave wholly unnoticed, although I cannot relate in detail, the gallant actions of the British Navy. In the course of that year we captured or destroyed sixteen French men of war, forty-nine privateers, and 104 merchant ships. In the latter respect, however, the enemy had the advantage; for their capture of merchant ships exceeded 300, while of our privateers they took only seven, and of our men of war only three. We had

*The total expenditure in 1759 was 12,503,5641. (Sinclair's Public Revenue, part iii. p. 69)—about 200,000l. beyond the Estimates. "A most incredible sum!" writes Lord Chesterfield to his son, December 15, 1758.

† Letter, April 4. 1758.-Chatham Correspondence, vol. i. p. 305. To Sir H. Mann, November 27. 1758.

To his son, May 18. 1758

1759.

HAVRE BOMBARDED.

147

also seized 176 neutral ships, as laden with French colonial produce or with military stores; these ships were chiefly Dutch, and engaged us for some time in acrimonious discussions with the Government of Holland.*

During the course of this war, both by land and sea, it has been alleged, — perhaps unjustly, — that the French dispirited by their worthless government, and their growing sense of public misrule, did not fight with altogether their usual gallantry and ardour. Early in 1759, however, our manifold successes stung even the feeble Court of Versailles into something like enterprise. A descent upon our own shores was threatened in good earnest; at Havre, and several other ports, flat-bottomed boats were seen building for the projected invasion, and large fleets were equipped at Toulon and at Brest, besides a small squadron at Dunkirk, under the command of Thurot, a brave and skilful seaman. But these measures were neither sufficiently extensive nor yet well-timed. A superior British fleet rode the Channel,. -a superior British force lined the coastt; both were supported by the unanimous public feeling at home, and each seemed fully able to defeat, the hosnay, even to destroy, tile armament whenever it advanced. - Pitt had taken vigorous and timely steps, both in defence and in retaliation. In May he brought down a Royal Message that His Majesty might be enabled to march the regiments of Militia out of their several counties, and he made a noble speech on this occasion, finely distinguishing between the various kinds of fear; "this," he said, "is a magna“nimous fear."— In July, under his instructions, Admiral George Rodney anchored in the roads of Havre, and began a bombardment, which continued for fiftytwo hours without intermission, to the damage of that flourishing town—to the destruction of many of the newconstructed boats. In August, the Toulon fleet under M. de La Clue, on its way to take part in these northern operations, was pursued by Admiral Boscawen from

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* Entick's History of the War, vol. iii. p. 396-423.

"All the country squires are in regimentals. A pedestal is making for little Lord Montfort, that he may be placed at the head "of the Cambridgeshire Militia !”—H. Walpole to Mann, August 1.

1759.