108] ANNUAL REGISTER, 17092. 
he would be harassed on all sides) 
_ prudently resolved to attempt ne- 
gociation; and on very moderate 
terms offered to withdraw his army, 
and to become the ally of France: 
all that he wished, was, the perfect 
safety of the King, and an honour- 
able place for his Majesty in the 
new constitution. 
About the end of the month the 
Prussians began to move off; they 
left Clermont, and quitted their ad- 
vantageous camp on the heights of 
LLalune. The retreat of the Prus- 
sians opened the communication 
between Chalons and St. Mene- 
hould, which had been intercepted 
about twenty-four hours. The 
Duke, in this retreat, lost daily a 
great number of men, waggons, 
and horses; and afforded to the 
French . generals a complete. tri- 
umph. In this retreat the French 
army might have obtained advan- 
tages over the enemy if they had 
acted upon his rear with activity 
and resolution :—and this was Du- 
mouriez’s intention, having sent his 
orders for the purpose to Valence, 
Bournonville, and Miranda: but 
Kellerman opposed it; Bournon- 
ville acted with delay; no advan- 
tage was obtained ; and time was 
left to the Duke of Brunswick to 
execute it with order, and a success 
which he could scarcely have ex- 
pected from his situation. Dumou- 
riez was»particularly elated ; and he 
assured the Assembly that he would 
fix for the winter his head-quarters 
at Brussels, The distress and want 
* Among other persons of consequence, on whose co-operation the Prussia 
relied, was General Dumouriez himself, who assured the court of Berlin of this 
early as the month of May, but who was utterly devoid of sincerity and | 
uppermost, 
duct of the Duke of Brunswick, be- 
of the Prussians in this business, was 
undoubtedly great: the camps 
which they left, and which were _ 
taken possession of by the French, _ 
appeared more like a_burying- 
ground than the residence of the _ 
living : they had even been reduc- 
ed to the necessity of eating ther 
horses, to satisfy the cravings of 
nature. rR 
The reputation of men, in all the 
different walks of life, but in. none - 
so much as that of war, depends, 
with vulgar minds, on success:.as 
success, again, depends on fortune. 
The military renown of the Duke 
of Brunswick suffered a temporary 
relapse; and his pedantic adversa- - 
ry in the field, who has celebrated _ 
his own praises in three sizeable ; 
volumes, laboured to set off his 
own ability and address, by con- 
trasting these with errors alleged 
by him to have been committed _ 
by the Germaa commander. But 
the errors of the day are usually — 
corrected by the progress of time; _ 
Opinions descend from the higher _ 
and best informed to the lower 
classes of men: and the light of 
truth dispels the illusions.of fancy. 
It has already sufficiently appeared _ 
that Dumouriez was not qualified — 
to make a just.estimate of the con- — 
ing unacquainted with the whole 
of his views, as well as with 
many important circumstances in 
his actual situation. Though the” 
Duke was disappointed in the — 
force* on which he had been in- — 
