While the states-general were deliberating on this memorial, which was chiefly intended to amuse the Dutch populace, Lowendahl made himself master of Sluys, Sandburg, Hulst, and many other fortified places of no small importance; the confederates, though reinforced with seven thousand British troops, not daring to oppose his progress. They were obliged by their position to cover Breda and Bois-le-duc; and all their motions were jealously watched by mareschal Saxe, who covered Antwerp, and the other French conquests in the Low Countries, with a hundred and twenty thousand men.(1) Thus secure, Lowendahl pushed his conquests in Dutch Brabant; and having taken possession of Axel and Terneuse, was making preparations for a descent upon Zealand, when a British squadron defeated his purpose, and a revolution in the government of Holland made a retreat necessary.

Struck with consternation at the progress of the French arms, the inhabitants of the United Provinces, believing themselves betrayed by their rulers, clamoured loudly against the ministry of the republic. The friends of the prince of Orange did not neglect so favourable an opportunity of promoting his interest. They encouraged the discontents of the people; they exagge rated the public danger; they reminded their countrymen of the year 1672, when Lewis XIV. was at the gates of Amsterdam, and the republic was saved by the election of a stadtholder. And they exhorted their fellow-citizens to turn their eyes on William Henry Frizo, the lineal descendant of those heroes who had established the liberty and independence of the United Provinces; extolling his virtues and talents, his ability, generosity, justice, and unshaken love of his country.

Inflamed by such representations, and their apparently desperate situation, the people rose in many places, and compelled their magistrates to declare the prince of Orange stadtholder; a dignity which had been laid aside since the death of William III. His popularity daily increased; and at last, after being elected by several particular provinces, he was appointed, in the general assembly of the states, "stadtholder, captain-general, and admiral-inchief of all the United Provinces."

On that occasion, count Bentinck, who introduced the new stadtholder, addressed the states-general in the following words;-"I doubt not but the prince I have the honour to present to you, will tread in the steps of his glorious ancestors; will heartily concur with us in delivering from danger the republic now invaded, and preserve us from the yoke of a treacherous and deceitful neighbour, who makes a jest of good faith, honour, and the most solemn treaties."(2)

The beneficial effects of this revolution to the common cause of the confederates soon appeared in several vigorous measures. The states-general immediately gave orders, that no provisions or warlike stores should be exported out of their dominions, except for the use of the allied army; that a fleet should be equipped, and the militia regularly armed and disciplined. They sent agents to several German courts, in order to treat for the hire of thirty thousand additional troops to their army: a council of war was established, for inquiring into the conduct of the governors who had given up the frontier towns; and orders were issued for commencing hostilities against the subjects of France, both by sea and land, though without any formal declaration of war.

During all these transactions the duke of Cumberland lay inactive, overawed by the superior generalship, rather than the superior force, of the French commander, who still continued to watch him. At length, the king of France arrived at Brussels, and it was resolved to undertake the siege of Maestricht. With that view mareschal Saxe, having called in his detachments, advanced towards Louvain; and the confederates, perceiving his design, endeavoured, by forced marches, to get possession of the heights of Herdeeren, an advantageous post in the neighbourhood of the threatened city. But in this they were disappointed. The enemy had occupied the post

(1) Mem. de. Saxe.

(2) Contin. of Rapin, vol. ix.

before their arrival, and were preparing to rush down upon them, in order to get between their main body and Maestricht, by turning their left wing. An engagement was now become unavoidable. The duke of Cumberland, therefore, disposed his army in order of battle, on the evening of the 30th of June; and very judiciously directed some regiments of British infantry, during the night, to take possession of the village of Val in the front of his left wing, which extended to Wirle, within a few miles of Maestricht, and was composed of English, Hessians, and Hanoverians. The Austrians, under mareschal Bathiani, who lay at Bilsen, composed the right of the confederate army, and the Dutch, under the prince of Waldeck, occupied the centre.

Matters being thus prepared, both armies waited with impatience the approach of morning. As soon as it was light, the French cavalry made a great show upon the heights of Herdeeren, in order to conceal the motions of their infantry; which appeared, soon after, coming down into the plain, through a valley between the hills near Rempert, formed in a vast column, of nine or ten battalions in front, and as many deep, and bearing directly on the village of Val. They suffered severely, in their approach, from the artillery of the confederates; and the British musketry saluted them with so warm a fire, that the front of the column was broken and dispersed. Not discouraged by this repulse, fresh battalions continued to advance to the attack, with wonderful alacrity and perseverance; so that the British troops in Val, overpowered by numbers, and exhausted with fatigue, were at last obliged to give way. Being, however, opportunely supported by three fresh regiments, they recovered their footing in the village, and drove out the enemy with great slaughter. The battle now wore so favourable an aspect, that the duke of Cumberland ordered the action to be made general, and victory seemed ready to declare for the confederates, when certain unforeseen circumstances disappointed their hopes.

The motion of the Austrians under Bathiani, on the right wing of the allied army, was so slow as to be equal to an almost total inaction;(1) so that mareschal Saxe, apprehending no danger from that quarter, was able to turn the whole weight of the French army against the village of Val, and not only finally to regain possession of it, after it had been three times lost and won, but to break entirely the left wing of the confederates, in spite of all the efforts of the duke of Cumberland, who exerted himself with great courage, and no inconsiderable share of conduct. The Dutch, in the centre, instead of supporting the broken wing, fell back in disorder, and overthrew, in their flight, five Austrian battalions that were advancing slowly to the charge. The French followed their blow; and having totally routed the centre, divided the right wing of the allied army from the left. At this dangerous crisis, when mareschal Saxe hoped to cut off the retreat of the confederates, and even to make the duke of Cumberland his captive, sir John Ligonier, who commanded the British cavalry, rushed at the head of three regiments of dragoons, and some squadrons of heavy horse, upon the victorious enemy. He bore down every thing before him; and although he was himself taken prisoner, by pursuing too far, he procured the duke of Cumberland time to collect his scattered forces, and to retire without molestation to Maestricht. The confederates lost about five, and the French near ten thousand men.(2) Such was the obstinate and bloody, but partial, battle of Val, or Laffeldt, in which the British troops distinguished themselves greatly; and, if properly supported, would have gained a complete victory. Hence the bon mot of. Lewis XV., that "the English not only paid all, but fought all!"-The action was followed by no important consequences. The duke of Cumberland, having reinforced the garrison of Maestricht, passed the Maese, in the neigh

(1) This inaction of the Austrian general is said to have been occasioned by the following circumstance. On the eve of the battle, when a French detachment only was supposed to have occupied the heights of Herdeeren, mareschal Bathiani asked permission of the duke of Cumberland to attack the enemy before they were reinforced, declaring he would answer for the success of the enterprise. The duke, instead of acceding to the proposal, asked him, by way of reply, where he should be found, in case he was wanted. "I shall always be found," said Bathiani, at the head of my troops!" and retired in disgust. (2) Contin. of Rapin, ubi sup. London Gazette, July 2, 1747.

bourhood of that city, and extended his army towards Vist, in the dutchy of Limberg. The French army remained at Tongres, near the field of battle; and mareschal Saxe, after amusing the confederates for a while, with various and contracting movements, suddenly detached count Lowendahl, with thirty thousand men, to invest Bergen-op-Zoom, the strongest fortification in Dutch Brabant, and the favourite work of the famous Cohorn.

This place had never been taken, and was generally deemed impregnable; as, besides its great natural and artificial strength, it can at all times be supplied with ammunition and provisions, in spite of the besiegers, by means of two canals, called the old and new harbour, which communicate with the Scheldt, and are navigable every tide. It was defended by a garrison of three thousand men, under the prince of Hesse Philipstal, when Lowendahl sat down before it; and the prince of Saxe Hildburghausen, who was sent to its relief, with an army of twenty battalions and fourteen squadrons, took possession of the lines belonging to the fortification, and from which the garrison could be reinforced on the shortest notice. As soon as the trenches were opened, old baron Cronstrom, governor of Dutch Brabant, assumed the command in the town, and preparations were made for the most vigorous defence. Meanwhile, Lowendahl conducted his operations with great judgment and spirit; and although he lost a number of men, in his approaches, by the warm and unremitting fire of the garrison, he was so effectually and speedily reinforced, by detachments of the army under mareschal Saxe, that he began very early to have hopes of success. He was even attempting to storm two of the out-forts, when lord John Murray's regiment of Scottish Highlanders, by a desperate sally, beat off the assailants, and burned some of their principal batteries. Other sallies were made with effect; mines were sprung on both sides, and every instrument of destruction employed for the space of six weeks after this repulse. Nothing was to be seen but fire and smoke, nothing heard but the perpetual roar of bombs and cannon; the town was laid in ashes-the trenches were filled with carnage !-And the fate of Bergen-opZoom, on which the eyes of all Europe were fixed, seemed still doubtful, as the works were yet in a great measure entire, when Lowendahl boldly carried it by assault.

That experienced general, and great master in the art of reducing fortified places, having observed a ravelin and two bastions somewhat damaged, resolved to storm all three at once. As the breaches were not such as could be deemed practicable, the governor had taken no precaution against an assault: and that very circumstance induced Lowendahl, presuming on such negligence, to hazard the attempt. He accordingly assembled his troops in the dead of night; when the ordinary sentinels were only on duty, and the greater part of the garrison was buried in security and repose. The assault was made at four in the morning, by the French grenadiers, who threw themselves into the fosse, mounted the breaches, forced open a sally-port, and entered the place almost without resistance. The Highlanders, however, assembled in the market-place, and fought like furies, till two-thirds of them were cut in pieces. But that was the only opposition the assailants met with. The troops in the lines instantly disappeared; all the forts in the neighbourhood surrendered; and the French became masters of the whole navigation of the Scheldt.(1)

The news of this event occasioned great surprise at London, and threw the United Provinces into the utmost consternation. The joy of the French was proportionally great. Lewis XV. no sooner received intelligence of the taking of Bergen-op-Zoom, than he promoted count Lowendahl to the rank of a mareschal of France; and having appointed count Saxe governor of the conquered Netherlands, he returned in triumph to Versailles. "The peace," said the penetrating and victorious governor, "lies in Maestricht !"(2)—But the siege of that important place being reserved for next campaign, both the French and the allies went into winter-quarters, without engaging in any new enterprise.

Fortunately for the confederates, the French were not equally successful on the frontiers of Italy during this campaign; although the mareschal de Belleisle, early in the season, saw himself at the head of a powerful army in Provence, which threatened to carry every thing before it. He passed the Var, in the month of April, and took possession of Nice. He reduced Montalban, Villa Franca, and Ventimiglia almost without resistance, and obliged the Austrians, under count Brown, to retire towards Finale and Savona. Nor were these the most important consequences of his expedition.

The court of Vienna, enraged at the revolt of the Genoese, was resolved to reduce them again to subjection, and severely to chastise the capital of the republic. Count Schuylemberg, who had succeeded the marquis de Botta in the chief command of Italy, was accordingly ordered to invest Genoa, with a powerful army of Austrians and Piedmontese. Meanwhile, the king of France, sensible of the importance of that city to the cause of the house of Bourbon, had remitted large sums, in order to enable the inhabitants to put it in a posture of defence; and, besides engineers and officers to discipline the troops of the republic, he sent thither a body of four thousand five hundred men, under the duke de Boufflers, for the greater security of the place, and to animate the Genoese to a bold resistance. The design took effect. The citizens of Genoa resolved to perish rather than again submit to the Austrians. But the force sent against them made their fate very doubtful.

Schuylemberg assembled his army in the dutchy of Milan, in the month of January; and having forced the passage of the Bochetta, entered the territories of Genoa, and appeared before the capital at the head of forty thousand men. As the inhabitants obstinately refused to lay down their arms, and even treated with derision the proposal made them of submitting to the clemency of the court of Vienna, the place was regularly invested; and although the Genoese behaved with great spirit in several sallies, animated by the example of the French troops under the duke of Boufflers, the Austrian general conducted his operations with so much skill, vigour, and intrepidity, that he must at last have accomplished his enterprise, had not his attention been diverted to another quarter. Alarmed at the progress of the mareschal de Belleisle, the king of Sardinia and count Brown represented to Schuylemberg the necessity of raising the siege of Genoa, in order to cover Piedmont and Lombardy. He accordingly drew off his army, and joined his Sardinian majesty, to the great joy of the Genoese; who, in revenge of the injuries they had suffered, ravaged the dutchies of Parma and Placenza.(1)

The apprehensions of the king of Sardinia for his hereditary dominions were by no means groundless. While the mareschal de Belleisle lay at Ventimiglia, his brother, the chevalier, attempted to penetrate into Piedmont, by the way of Dauphiny, at the head of thirty thousand French and Spaniards, emulous of glory under so gallant a leader. When he arrived at the pass of Exilles, a strong post on the north side of the river Doria, he found fourteen battalions of Piedmontese and Austrians waiting for him, behind ramparts of wood and stone, lined with artillery: and all the passes of the Alps were secured by detachments of the same troops. Not discouraged by these obstacles, Belleisle attacked the Piedmontese intrenchments with great intrepidity. But he was repulsed with loss in three successive assaults; and being determined to perish rather than survive a miscarriage, he seized a pair of colours, and advancing at the head of his troops, through an incessant fire, planted them with his own hand on the enemy's battlements.(2) At that instant he fell dead, having received the thrust of a bayonet and two musketballs in his body. Many other officers of distinction were killed; and the survivors, discouraged by the loss of of their brave commander, retired with precipitation, leaving behind them about five thousand slain.

(1) Mem. de Noailles, tom iv. Contin. of Rapin, vol. ix.

(2) Voltaire represents the chevalier de Belleisle as attempting to pull up the pallisades with his teeth, after being wounded in both arms. This is a perfectly ludicrous image: and admitting the assumed fact to be true, utterly inconsistent with the dignity of history. But it is by no means uncommon, even with the best French writers, to excite laughter when they attempt the sublime.

VOL. II.-G g

The mareschal de Belleisle was no sooner informed of his brother's fate, than he retreated towards the Var, in order to join the unfortunate army from Exilles. About the same time, the king of Sardinia, having assembled an army of seventy thousand men, threatened Dauphiny with an invasion. But excessive rains prevented the execution of the enterprise, and the campaign was closed without any other memorable event.

The naval transactions of this year were more favourable to Great Britain than those of any other during the war. Her success was great almost beyond example; but more advantageous than glorious, as she had a manifest superiority of force in every engagement. The English fleet under the admirals Auson and Warren, consisting of eleven sail of the line, three ships of fifty, and one of forty guns, fell in with a French fleet of six sail of the line, in the beginning of May, off Cape Finisterre. The French fleet was commanded by the marquis de la Jonquire and Mons. St. George, having under their convoy thirty ships laden with stores and merchandise, bound for America and the East Indies. The battle began about four in the afternoon and although the French seainen and commanders behaved with singular courage, and discovered no want of conduct, six ships of war and four armed East Indiamen were taken.(1) About six weeks after this engagement, and nearly in the same latitude, commodore Fox fell in with a fleet of merchantmen, from St. Domingo, laden with the rich productions of that fertile island, and took forty-six of them.

Admiral Hawke was no less successful. He sailed from Plymouth in the beginning of August, with fourteen ships of the line, to intercept a fleet of French merchantmen bound for the West Indies. He cruised for some time off the coast of Brittany; and at last the French fleet sailed from the isle of Aix, under convoy of nine ships of the line, besides frigates, commanded by Mons. de Letendeur. On the 14th of October, the two squadrons came within sight of each other, about seven in the morning, in the latitude of Belleisle. By noon both were engaged. The battle lasted till night, when six French ships of the line had struck to the British flag.(2) The rest escaped under cover of the darkness; having all maintained, with great obstinacy, a gallant but unequal fight.

These naval victories, which in a manner annihilated the French fleet, and the sailing of admiral Boscawen, with a strong squadron and a considerable body of land-forces, for the East Indies, where it was conjectured he would not only recover Madras but reduce Pondicherry, disposed Lewis XV. seriously to think of peace, and even to listen to moderate terms, notwithstanding the great superiority of his arms in the Low Countries. Other causes conspired to the same effect. His finances were almost exhausted; the trade of his subjects was utterly ruined: and he could no longer depend upon supplies from the mines of Mexico and Peru, in the present low state of the French and Spanish navy. The success of his arms in Italy had fallen infinitely short of his expectation; and the republic of Genoa, though a necessary, was become an expensive ally. His views had been totally defeated in Germany, by the elevation of the grand-duke to the imperial throne, and the subsequent pacification between the houses of Austria, Bavaria, and Brandenburg. He was still victorious in the Netherlands: but the election of a stadtholder, by uniting the force of the states-general against him, left little hopes of future conquests in that quarter; especially as the British parliament, whose resources were yet copious, and whose liberality seemed to know no bounds, had enabled their sovereign to conclude a subsidiary treaty with the empress of Russia, who engaged to hold in readiness an army of thirty thousand men, and forty galleys, to be employed in the service of the confederates, on the first requisition.

Influenced by these considerations, the king of France made advances towards an accommodation both at London and the Hague; and all parties, the subsidiary powers excepted, being heartily tired of the war, it was agreed

(1) Lond. Gazette, May 16, 1747. Contin. of Rapin, vol. ix.

(2) Lond. Gazette, Oct. 26, 1747