mated the lofs of the conquerors as immenfe, and that of the conquered as nothing. It is, indeed, aftonishing, that the Pruffians, who fuffer'd much, fhould yet remain on the spot, and that the Auftrians, who fuffer'd fo little, fhould run away. This is a problem, which the Auftrian wits would well employ their time to refolve. However, not to disguise our lofs, I will take upon me to fay, that the whole number of the killed amounted to 2600, including 40 officers of the rank of Majors, with 250 fubalterns, and about 6000 wounded.

The Auftrian generals had no apprehenfion of an attack on the 6th of May; their cavalry were, on that day, out a foraging; their whole camp was quiet, and the foldiers boil ed the pot: They had not the leaft doubt, but that on the 5th, Marshal Schwerin's army was many miles off; but this army made forced marches on that day, as they had done the day before, and having arrived in their camp at midnight, unfpeakably fatigued, received that very inftant orders to advance near 10 English miles farther, where, juft at day break, they were joined by the king, who, without allowing his troops the leaft repofe, immediately began the attack. The enemy had not a moment to ftrike their tents; fo that after the victory, all their field furniture and baggage, and all their carriages fell into our hands. The Huffars of Ziethen have divided the military cheft.

It must be acknowledged that the Silefian army, which was led to action by Marshal Schewerin, had a rude fhock to fuftain; having moraffes to pafs, precipices to climb, and batteries to face. Nothing but the prefence of the king could have animated the foldiery to attempt fo rafh an enterprize, if I may be allowed to use the expreffion, or to have fuftained them in it. His majefty expofed his perfon to the fierceft cannonading, with an air of unconcern, which made those

tremble for his life, whom it animated to rifque their own: The ground and fituation were fuch as prevented Buddenbroek, Getler, and Kian's regiments of horfe from forming and acting, as they would have done, and as they have been used to do: They fuffered very much in the beginning of the action, but they were afterwards fuftained by Trefcou's regiment of foot. Trefcou, who is not lefs eminent for experience than courage, marched himself at their head, fell upon the flank of the enemy, and put thofe that attacked to flight. The foot had not lefs difficulties to fur

mount than the horse; many generals following the example of the first field marshal, difmounted, and led their regiments fword in hand, thro' marthes, over precipices, and a-crofs a thoufand fires. It was here our hero, M. Schwerin, feel at the head of his regiment, with the Colonel's standard in his hand; two balls pierced him at once, one went thro' his head, the other thro' his body. Soon after this fatal accident, Prince Henry, the king's brother, fet an example to the troops that encouraged every individual to attempt all that was poffible. His Royal Highnefs difmounting from his horfe, and heading his brigade, was the first that climbed a mountain and took poffeffion of the battery by which our troops had been most annoy'd. By this enterprize the attack of the enemy's camp, fortify'd both by nature and art, appeared lefs impracticable, and the ardour which it infpired, fecured fuccefs.

In a

The generals and other officers of the firft rank who fell, were killed at the head of their regiments, bravely fighting for their country, a circumftance which ought to render their memory glorious and immortal. comparison of this battle with that of Lowofitz, it may be faid, that the latter was atchieved by the foldiers, the former by the officers. It would be unjuft to deprive the enemy's cavalry of their due praise; and it must A Aa a 2

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fantry, that they stood firm ; their Huffars only deferved blame, and they indeed always difappeared as foon as ours came in fight. I have juft learnt three of the enemy's generals fell in the engagement, of whom Lieut. field marshal Pr. Lowenftein Wertheim is the most regretted. No more than 40,000 of the enemy could throw themfelves into Prague; thofe who could not reach that city, fled towards Bennefchau; but our people were close at their heels, and cut off a body of 20,000 commanded by Gen. Serbelloni, from the main army, fo as effectually to prevent their junction. He got thefe fugitives together foon after the battle, and encamped with them near Boehmischbrod, under the command of Count Leopold Daun, who was just come from Vienna. The Duke of Bevern was detached with about 20,000 men to obferve this body, and prevent it from advancing towards Prague. As foon as the prince approached, this corps which was then encreafed to 40,000 men, retired haftily towards Collin, and left behind them a great number of tents, which our people found in the neighbouring villages. This account was received on the 12th of May, and the nemy is fince retired towards Moravia, whither they have tranfported their only magazine, and our troops have at the fame time advanced as far as Kurtenberg and Czaflau. The fitu ation of the D. of Bevern's army puts us in perfect fecurity, and covers the fiege of Prague from the fhattered remains of the Auftrian army, which was fo numerous a few days ago. Nothing now remains but to give you fome account how the liege goes on, and, in order to this, I must first acquaint you with our prefent pofition.

Our troops under the command of field marthal Keith, the Prince of Pruffia, Prince Ferdinand, Prince Maurice, and the hereditary Prince of Darmitedt, bave fut up what is called the

dau. Our right wing extends to mount St. Laurence's which commands in fome measure mount Blanche: Our left wing is ranged along the river, fronting a wide plain towards Ratfchin. On this plain there are many strong ramparts against Belvidere and the Park, which are in poffeffion of the enemy, and upon the most confiderable of thefe ramparts, fome regiments of their foot are encamped under tents. The army which is commanded by the king in perfon, is beyond the Moldau, and blocks up the rest of Prague, fo clofely, that no creature but deferters have come out of it fince it was first invefted, and indeed of these the number has been very great. As the place is defended by a compleat army, it cannot be taken by affault without the lofs of many lives, which are fcarce lefs valued by the king than the poffeffors, and a regular fiege, or a blockade that would reduce it by famine, would take up much time, fo that no expedient remains but a bombardment, for which preparation is now making, and which, if any judgment can be formed from thefe preparations, will be the most terrible that has been ever known. Our part of the army has prepared 4 bomb batteries, each of which will discharge 72 bombs in 24 hours, and the troops on the oppofite fide will at the fame time ply the city with red hot bullets. The mountain of Zifka was taken in a very fhort time, and with very little lofs, on the 9th of this month, and it is thought this circumftance will greatly facilitate the reduction of the city. We have certain intelligence from deferters, that the garriton is in want, not only of provifions and forage, but of artillery and ammunition. They have not one 24 pounder, and but few 12 pounders, their heavy artillery having been lately transported to the fortreffes in Moravia. Their ramparts fwarm with foldiers, 12,000 horses are ranged in the ftreets and fquares, but the forage is almost exhausted. We

have fet fire to Strokhof, and to all the gardens and houfes in the neighbourhood where the Pandours, who guarded the advanced pofts, held their bacchanals.

Since the 19th, the reft of our heavy artillery is arrived, and our men work inceffantly on the batteries, which are all cover'd with ramparts and redoubts. The furious fally which the enemy made in the night between the 23d and 24th, is a ftriking proof that this precaution was of the utmoft importance. This fally deferves particular mention in the hiftory of the fiege of Prague, and I fhall therefore finish my letter with an account of it. On the 23d, about 11 o'clock at night, a deferter came over from the city, and acquainted the Pr. of Pruffia that the Auftrians were about to attack him with 12,000 men of which number he was one. and found means to defert after they had come out of the city, and while they were waiting for orders to march: Upon receipt of this intelligence proper measures were taken, and the troops were put into a pofture of defence. At the fame time the enemy came on with the greatest part of their cavalry, all their grenadiers, Pandours, and Hungarian infantry, to which were added 16 volunteers from each company of the reft of the garrifon, The remainder of the army was drawn up upon the ramparts ready to follow if the fally fhould fucceed.

This expedition was conducted with fuch filence, that, altho' we were advertised of it, we could difcover nothing till the enemy charg'd our advanced pofts. The attack was began on the fide of the Little Town, against the camp of Marshal Keith and the left wing of our army which was encamp'd on the Moldau; and their view feems to have been either to pafs or to deftroy our bridge. The enemy defiled from the city about 10 o'clock; at about half an hour after one a regiment of horfe grenadiers fell upon our redoubt, which had been thrown up before the village near the Park, where

fome days before we had begun to work on the trenches. This regiment of grenadiers, fupported by the Hungarian infantry, returned three times to the affault, and were three times beaten back by our people, whom they found it impoffible to diflodge, tho' the battalion of Ferdinand de Bronfvic, which guarded this poft has fuffered very much. While this attack was making, the enemy kept an inceffant fire. with their mufquetry, upon our whole front, quite from the convent of St. Margaret to the river. At three in the morning we quitted our camp to engage the enemy; the battalion of Panewitz attacked the Red houfe; which is fituated at the bottom of a declivity before Welleflawitz; the Pandour, who had taken poffeffion of this houfe fired upon us inceffantly from all the doors and windows, till they were dislodged, and our battalions were obliged to fuftain the fire, both of cannon and mufquetry, till half an hour after five, when the enemy retired to the city except the Pandours, who again took poffeffion of the Red houfe, which our troops were obliged to abandon, because the artillery of Prague kept a continual fire upon it, as foon as it was known to be in our hands. The enemy left behind them many dead and wounded, befides deferters, and we have taken fome prifoners; but we have loft mamy officers and private men. Prince Ferdinand had a horfe killed under him, and a ball fightly grazed his chin. This action was very brifk on both fides, and it must be owned that if we had not exerted our utmost efforts, the enemy would not have been repulfed : Prince Xavier de Saxe was one of the commanders of the attack, and the deferters boafted much of his bravery. At 15 paces behind our ftandard, domeftick of General Pannewitz was ftruck from his horfe, by a fhot from a falconet. Major General Gieft, who was appointed to cover our works during the whole night, escaped, unhurt, and fo did the Prince of Pruflia, tho' both were expofed to the most im

minent danger. Some deferters fay, the number of the enemy was 12,000, others 19,000; but all we know certainly of the number which came out is, that it confiderably exceeded that which went back. The greatest alarm began about two o'clock, when the enemy hoped to have come filently and unexpectedly upon our miners, but it fortunately happened that they had left work about a quarter of an hour before. At the report of the first piece, which the enemy fired, the piquet of the 3d battalion of guards to the number of 100 men, went out of the camp to fuftain the body which covered our works, and which was thrown into fome confufion, as the darkness of the night prevented our distinguishing the Auftrian troops from our own. Lieut. Jork was detached with two platoons to reconnoitre the enemy which he attempted by kindling a fire, Capt. Roding, who by the light of this fire, perceived the enemy's fituation, immediately conceived the design of falling upon them in flank, and cried out march! the brave fellows of his picquet immediate ly began to fire in platoons, mutually repeating the fignal which their chief had given them, and the enemy fied with the greater precipitation as they were ignorant of the weakness of the picquet, and as the fhouting of our foldiers made them mistake it for a numerous body. Many of them deferted, many took shelter in Prague, and many more are reported to be dead or drowned. Capt. Roding, has acquired great honour, Prince Ferdinand and Marshal Keith have complimented him upon his behaviour, and the Prince has alfo diftributed rich prefents among the picquet, of whom 6 only were killed and 22 wounded. The piquet of two battalions equal in number to that of Capt. Roding, which threw themselves into the new redoubt under the command of Capt. Lohmann, has but one dead and 6 wounded: this officer has alfo acquired great honour, fo has Lieut. Racul,

adjutant of the 3d battalion of guards, who received a wound in his ear.. Here ends our correfpondent's letter, but other advices from the camp before Prague, dated the ift inflant, and published in the London Gazette, inform us farther, that on the 29th of May, at midnight, after a moft dreadful ftorm of thunder and rain, the Pruffian army, by the fignal of a skyrocket, thrown up for that purpofe from the king's battery, began to fire upon the town from one batttery on this fide the Moldau, and from three on the other. This firing was continued without intermiflion till the departure of the poft; when the bombs and red hot balls had fet fire to the town in feveral places; but it was impoffible to afcertain the damage; or learn what effect the fires in the town had had upon the garrifon, no propofition whatever having then been made: It is, however remarkable, that for two days after the bombardment began, fcarce a fingle fhot had been fired from the town, which seems to prove, that either ammunition, or artillery, are wanting. Early on the ift of June 5000 horfe, fupported by as many foot, iffued out near the Wilcherad, but were fo warmly received, that they were glad to get back. Such is the prefent fituation of affairs on the fide of Bohemia; advices, however, from Bruffels take notice, that all the regiments in the interior parts of France, and many of thofe that are in Britanny and Normandy have received orders to march directly into Alface, where they are to form an army of 40,000 men, to be commanded by the Pr. of Soubize, and to be fent to her imperial majesty's affiftance. This news has been reputlifhed in the London Gazette.

On the other fide, advices in the fame gazette mention the arrival of a body of Pruffians before Nuremberg, in order to ftrike terror in the leffer ftates of the empire, and to chastise thofe that have officiously discover'd that zeal for the Auftrian caufe. In the mean time, the want of forage in