556 



Memoir of the late Duke of Brunsicuk. [Jan. I , 



fions, and one of the fined countries in 

 our lieniilphere was at Inlt aniiiliiliitcd, 

 by the combiuutioii of three imperial and 

 royal fpoilers. 



From that moment tliere was an end 

 of every practical idea of the law of 

 nations ; and it was left to the IVench 

 revolution to prove, that the Imc of the 

 flrongejl was thenceforward to become 

 paramount. That great event, which 

 from its origin feenied big with tlic moll 

 portentous changes, has in its confe- 

 quenccs involved the fate of all the 

 Jieighbouring cnuntrics. States, king- 

 doms, empires, have melted before it;" 

 hereditary claims, regal titles, ariftocra- 

 ti(;al pretcnfions, have dilFolved and dif- 

 ■fcjipeared at its approach. The elements 

 of modern hiftory arc changed ; political 

 relations have alfunicd a more '.•mblgu- 

 ous form ; the art of war, in particular, 

 ■ has been carried to a fatal and ominous 

 de«;ree of perfection, while thofc gene- 

 rals wh(i had grown hoary under arni.s, 

 and whofe characters appeared conic- 

 crated to thejnft admiration of polterity, 

 liave '.■ecu fudifenly eclipfcd by a new 

 race of Ibldicrs, and a new fyftcm of 

 taclics! 



The iHufirions houfe of Brimfwick is 

 traced up to Albert Azzoni, one of the 

 richeil marquiflos in Italy, born, accord- 

 ing to fome, in pyO ; but if «e arc to 

 credit others, not until 1097. Havini: 

 married Cuniza, or Cunigonda, heirefs 

 of the ancient houfe of Guelphs, or 

 Welfes, in (Germany, he obtained con- 

 fiderable additions to his pretcniions, if 

 not to his cllates ; and according to I\]u- 

 riitori, his grandfon Obizon, Marquis of 

 Efie, in 11H4, received tlie invediturc 

 of the lordfliips of (ienoa and !Milan. 

 This dcfcendant of this chief (Guelph 

 I\ .) bccjnie Duke of Ba\aria; Guelph 

 v., called the Grofs, delignatcd hinifeif 

 Dul.e of Spolcta, Marquis of Tufcauy, 

 Lord of Kile, &c. 



Henry the Black havingafl'umed the ha- 

 bit of a monk in the convent of Weingar- 

 teu, was luccceded bv Henry the ^lagiia- 

 nimous and Superb. Henry the L'on and 

 the] Great was Duke of Sixony as well as 

 of Bavaria; and having conquered the 

 duchies of Lunnenburi:, Mecklenburg, 

 part of Brandenburg, 6:c., lie became a 

 ]irince of contiderab'e power and coufe- 

 quence. From this Itock fprung the 

 royal family of Ensland, uhich, having 

 attained the electoral, foon added the 

 vegaj crown to its arms ; and alter hav- 

 ing fettled in Great Britain^ kept up an 



interchange of alliances T^ith the other 

 parts of the family full remaining on the 

 continent. 



Charles William Ferdinaud, Duke of 

 Brimfwick, of whom we are now about 

 to treat, was born on the 9th October, 

 17.^5, O. S. Like all the German prince* 

 of his time, he was bred to the profelVion 

 of arms from his cradle ; and as he-vva* 

 defceiulcd from a houfe eminently war- 

 like, and was taught to look up to an 

 uncle* who already began to a<tain a 

 portion of his future celebrity, he ap- 

 plied hinii'eif to war a~ a fciencc with no 

 common degree of avidity. 



By the time he had attained the age 

 of nineteen, the hereditary Princtt (for 

 fo he was called during the life-tirne of 

 his father) experienced many opportuni- 

 ties to diliinguilh his courage and Jiis 

 conduct in arms. The Duke of Brunf- 

 wick, perceiving a pow crful league form- 

 ed againfi France on the continent, had 

 joined his troops to thofe of the allie«, 

 from wiiom he recei\ed a fubfidy. Hi* 

 brother, the renowned Prince Ferdi- 

 nand, was attually in tlieir camp ; and 

 he was accompanied by his nephew, 

 whofe memoirs we are now about to 

 detail, and wlio, under fo great a mafter, 

 expected to attain both experience and 

 rejjutation. 



But e\cnt§ had occurred about this 

 period, which placed both father and 

 11)11 in a very delicate and critical fitu- 

 ation. The Frciiclr having attacked Ha- 

 nover, merely hecaufe his Britamiic 

 Majeftv (George H.) liad refufed to to- 

 lerate their eticroachmcuts in America, 

 the Duke of Cumberland was fent thi- 

 ther to command an army of obferva- 

 tion. But Marlhal Bichlieu advancci} 

 againft him with fupcrior numbers, and 

 his I'lMval Higliiic!'s was obliged t» lar 

 <lown his arm?, on wh.ich the enemy took 

 polVeliion of the whole electorate, and 

 occupied its capital. 



The Duke of Brunhvick, artuated by 

 the policv natural to petty ■ princes, be- 

 came afraid of the progrefs of the 

 French, and was julHy alarmed at the 

 Imnii Hating treaty of Clofterfevcn. He 

 therefore entered into an agreement 

 with the courts of \"ienna and A'erfaillcs, 

 by'uhich he fiipul.itcd that his troops 

 ill )uld return l.-.nne, on condition of his 

 dominioas being conlideved as neutral. 

 On thi> he imuiediately ilVued orders for 

 that purpofc ; but Prince Ferdinajid, 



• i'rince F«rJk3nd of ljr»afv,-ick. 



■wh^i 



