HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



27 



fosture of Defence. The Duke of York stations his Forces 7ienr these Toiins for 

 their Protection. Preparations of the French to attack the Duke of York. Their 

 immense Superiority of Numbers obliges him to remove to Grave, ajler sustainiii;; 

 (heir Altackof his Posts on the Rii-er Dommel with greMl Resolution. Conslerna- 

 tionin Holland at the /Ipproach of the French. Prorlnmalions of the Stodtholdei 

 and the States, exhorting the People to I'igour and Unanimity in their Oefettce. 

 /tddress of Prince Colourg to the luhalitanls of Germany bordering vpon France. 

 Address of the Emperor to the same. Sentiments of the Princes and i'lulns of the 

 Empire at this Time. Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor, 

 ■who engages to proieciile the IVar on receiving a large Subsidy for that Purpose, 

 Prince Cobourg resigns the Command of the Confederate Armies. Reasons altegtd 

 fur his Dismission. 



DURING these rapid successes 

 of the French, a considerable 

 body of British troops arrived at 

 Ostend, commaBded by the Earl of 

 Moira. Intelligence being received 

 of theperilous situation of theDiike 

 of York, a consultation was held. 

 Whether it were not more expedient 

 to proceed with all diligence to the 

 relief of the Duke than to attempt 

 the precarious defence of a town 

 that wae encompassed by so many 

 places possessed by the French ? 

 A siege of it would infallibly take 

 place ; and were the garrison to 

 make ever so brave a defence, this 

 would not prevent the enemy 

 from pressing upon the Duke with 

 80 numerous a force, that without 

 immediate aid he could not main- 

 tain his ground. These motives 

 determined the Earl to march his 

 troops with all speed to the assist- 

 ance of the Duke, while tlie gar- 

 rison of Ostead should immediately 

 embark in the fleet that brought 

 them from England. This evacu- 

 ation was effected with great dex- 

 terity by Colonel Vyse j who used 

 80 much expedition, that in the 

 fspTice of a d;iy, the 1st of July, be- 

 fore nigiit, all the troops of which the 

 garrison consisted, with their bag- 

 gage and stores of every kind, were 

 I afe on board. The French troops, 

 apprized of what was transacting at 



Ostend, made so rapid a march as 

 to reach it towards the evening ; 

 a strong detachment cr.tered the 

 town as the last of the British 

 troops were embarking : they 

 directly began to iire on the ship- 

 ping J which answered them with 

 great spint. 



It was at the end of June before 

 the arrival of the Earl Moira at 

 Ostend ; and the fleet on which the 

 British troops a'.id garrison em- 

 barked, sailed for Flusiur-g, in Zea-. 

 land, on the 3d of July. Only one 

 vessel was lost on this occasion. It 

 ran aground in the entrance of the 

 harbour, and was burnt, to prevent 

 its capture by the enemy. 



Notwithstandinof the benefits re^ 

 suiting to the people of Ostend 

 while it remained in tlie possession 

 of the English, so infatuated were 

 the inhabitants, as to imagine that 

 much f^reater advantaircs would ac- 

 crue to tliesn from the French. They 

 received th.m o: course with every 

 demonstration of joy ; and the 

 French, in return, organized them 

 witliout delay, according to their 

 own plan. The force brought 

 from England, under the com- 

 mand of the Earl of Moira, 

 amounted to ten thousand effective 

 men. Previously to the approach of 

 the French to intercept his com- 

 munication with the allied forces, 



Lord 



