risons both in Göttingen and Cassel; and to the siege of the latter Prince Ferdinand now applied himself. He encountered great difficulties from a brave defence, and from the wintry season. Moreover, the Duke de Broglie had now recovered from his first surprise, had rallied his troops, and was resuming the offensive. Of the two Princes of Brunswick he worsted the nephew in an action at Stangerode, and compelled the uncle to raise the siege of Cassel after twenty-seven days of open trenches. Thus within a few weeks both armies quietly resumed their first positions. It may be added that in these operations the English and Hanoverian army had for auxiliaries a division of Prussians, and the French (though already much superior) several regiments of Saxons fighting for the liberation of their country under Prince Xavier, a son of their King. The destruction of the French magazines prevented any renewal of hostilities on their part until nearly the close of June. At that period, however, the Prince de Soubise pushed forward with one division from the Rhine, and the Duke de Broglie with the other from Cassel, both marching in the direction of Munster, both intending to join, and give battle to Prince Ferdinand. De Broglie, in his way falling in with a post of General Sporken, took from him 800 prisoners and nineteen pieces of cannon. The Duke and the Prince effected their junction through the forest of Teutenburg, while the Allies maintained the line in front of the river Lippe. This very ground, over which modern warfare was thus spreading, had in days of old been the scene of a renowned barbaric triumph,-here had Varus and his legions been overpowered by Arminius, or rather let me call him according to his true name, Herman, — here the forest of Teutenburg still retains the same appellation which Tacitus has recorded, — here Roman coins and remains of Roman arms continue to be found.* It may well be supposed that the French chiefs in the midst of their campaign were but little intent on such recollections. They found Prince Ferdinand encamped in a strong position between the Aest and the Lippe, and * Compare Archenholtz, vol. ii. p. 154., with Brotier's note to Tacitus, Annal. lib. i. c. 61. 1761. VICTORY AT KIRCH-DENKERN. 229 near the village of Kirch-Denkern; his left wing commanded by the Marquis of Granby, and his centre by General Conway. In the evening of the 15th of July De Broglie, eager to engross the honours of a victory, assailed Lord Granby's wing with his division, but was bravely withstood and driven back. Next morning before daybreak the attack was resumed by Soubise. It was fortunate, perhaps, for the Allies, considering their inferiority of numbers, that the jealousy between the enemy's chiefs prevented a more regular and effectual concert in their operations; as it was, the French were repulsed with a loss estimated, no doubt with some exaggeration, at 5,000 men, while that of the Allies was less than 1,500. In these skirmishes both Prince Ferdinand and Lord Granby were distinguished by their high spirit and gallantry; and the former, in his General Orders of the next day, paid a well-merited compliment to the brave Scottish clansmen: "The soldier-like perseverance of "the Highland battalions in resisting and repulsing the repeated attacks of the chosen troops of France has deservedly gained them the highest honour." 66 66 Notwithstanding their check at Kirch-Denkern the French were enabled, almost immediately afterwards, to resume the offensive. One of their detachments reduced the town of Wolfenbüttel, another the town of Embden. But these losses were retrieved or balanced by the skill of Ferdinand; and the close of the campaign found the contending armies in nearly the same positions as at first. Meanwhile De Broglie and Soubise were angrily accusing each other in memorials and despatches to the Court of Versailles. Soubise stood as high in the Royal favour as De Broglie in the confidence of the army; thus the latter found himself recalled from his command, and exiled to his estates, amidst the most unequivocal tokens of public sympathy.* * "On jouait Tancrède au Theatre Français, le jour où l'on apprit "l'exil de Broglie, et les applaudissemens fanatiques donnés à ces "deux vers, "On depouille Tancrède, on l'exile, on l'outrage, "C'est le sort d'un héros d'étre persecuté,— “montrèrent assez que tout le public lui en faisait l'application." (Sismondi, vol. xxix. p. 248.) At this period the destinies of France,-subject always to Madame de Pompadour,- were swayed by the Duke de Choiseul. Quick talents, prompt application, and personal vanity,— far more of courage than of constancy,- —an equal readiness to engage in or to recede from any arduous enterprise,—such were the characteristics of this statesman. On his first accession to power he had strained his own energies, and the nation's, to prosecute the war with spirit and success. He had failed in these endeavours; he beheld France on every side defeated, stripped of her fleets, her colonies, her commerce, and compelled to announce a bankruptcy to several classes of her public creditors. He found, moreover, discord reviving at home, fresh animosities ready to burst into flame between the King and the Parliaments, as also between the heads of the Church and of the Law. He found the Austrian alliance, and the war resulting with it, daily more unpopular; it was the common saying, that the nation was ruined for the sake of her ancient enemy. All these circumstances combined made the Duke de Choiseul desirous of peace. Early in the year he had induced the Courts of Petersburg and Vienna to join the Court of Versailles in a public Declaration, stating their readiness to treat, and inviting plenipotentiaries from the belligerent powers to a Congress at Augsburg. England and Prussia gladly acquiesced in this proposal, and plenipotentiaries were immediately named; ours being the Earl of Egremont, Lord Stormont, Ambassador at Warsaw, and Sir Joseph Yorke, Ambassador at the Hague. But it seemed to Choiseul that a separate and previous negotiation between France and England would afford the best hope to settle the Colonial questions depending between those two powers, and to succeed in an European pacification. With this view he despatched M. de Bussy, as his negotiator, to London, while Pitt despatched to Paris Mr. Hans Stanley, grandson of the famous physician, Sir Hans Sloane, and at this time a Lord of the Admiralty. It was the beginning of June before these two envoys reached their respective destinations. Bussy appears to have been a froward and petulant man, who early became 1761. NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE. 231 disgusted with his mission.* Mr. Stanley is described by Lady Hervey as "ingenious, sensible, knowing and "honest," and his industry and activity are apparent from his own despatches. Even on his journey, and even on matters unconnected with his mission, he lost no opportunity of acquiring useful information. Thus, at St. Omer, he ascertained the precise number of British and Irish students at the College of Jesuits; it was in that year 260.‡ 66 66 66 The following is one of his sketches of the French Court: "Since the affair of Damiens the King has never 66 been easy in his mind. If, when he is hunting, or on any occasion, he meets a person whom he is not used to see, he starts, and is extremely agitated. The Jesuits are charged by the vulgar as promoters of that attempt. "The Dauphin is esteemed much attached to that Society, which does not make him beloved, as they are generally hated. The Minister is a man of "lively parts, but no education for business; frank enough in talk, meaning often what he says at the time, but fickle; very indiscreet; treats all affairs, and "with the highest, as matters of jest. He has got a "credit with the King, quite independent of the lady "(De Pompadour). He treats her often very slightly,"sometimes roughly tells her she is handsome as an angel when she talks of affairs; and bid her throw a MEMOIRE the other day into the fire!" § 66 66 66 66 The negotiation thus begun continued with great activity during many weeks. Choiseul was prepared for large sacrifices; even in his first overture dated the 26th of March, he had offered to yield the pretensions of France upon Cape Breton, Guadaloupe, Goree, and many posts in the East Indies, and probably Canada also, but retaining in the first instance Minorca and Göttingen. The precise proposal which he made was, that each party * Mr. Stanley to Mr. Pitt, June 28. 1761. See Appendix. † To Mr. Morris, January 7. 1755. To Mr. Pitt, Senlis, June 3. 1761. The whole of this diplomatic correspondence is printed by Mr. Thackeray with most tedious fulness, partly in his text (vol. i. p. 510-579.), and partly in his Appendix (vol. ii. p. 507-632.). § To Mr. Pitt, June 9. 1761. should remain possessed (subject to exchanges and equivalents) of whatever territory it might hold in Europe on the ensuing 1st of May, in the West Indies and Africa on the 1st of July, and in the East Indies on the 1st of September. Pitt, however, demurred to these dates, maintaining that the day on which the treaty should be signed was the proper period for the UTI POSSIDETIS. His motive was to gain time for the projected conquest of Belleisle, which was then to be tendered as an equivalent for the restitution of Minorca. Belleisle, a barren rock off the iron-bound coast of Brittany, is about twelve leagues in circumference, and contained at this time about 5,000 people, mostly poor fishermen. Its reduction would be of slight advantage to England, but, as Pitt foresaw, of signal humiliation to France. An armament was accordingly sent against it; 9,000 troops under General Hodgson, and several ships of war under Commodore Keppel. On the 8th of April the troops attempted a landing, but partly from the ruggedness of the coast, and partly from the bravery of the defence, were repulsed, with a loss of 500 men. Pitt was apprised of their disaster, but his was not a spirit to acquiesce in it; he sent them some reinforcements, and positive orders to persevere. Their next attempt, on the 25th, was directed to the bay of Locmaria, on the southeast of the island,—an even stronger point, but less vigilantly guarded. Here, a detachment having climbed the almost inaccessible precipice, they made good their landing, and proceeded to invest the French Governor, the Chevalier de St. Croix, in his fortress of Palais. French on the mainland, having no naval force to set against the English, could afford no aid to the garrison, but it made a most resolute resistance. One night the besiegers were surprised in their trenches by a vigorous sally; their General on duty, Craufurd, with his two aides-de-camp, were made prisoners, and several hundred of their men put to the sword. On another occasion the English succeeded in storming the town, but, still undaunted, the besieged retired into the citadel, and continued to hold out. It was not till the 7th of June that they were reduced to capitulate, even then obtaining most honourable terms,—to march through the breach The |