478 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



fo understand and write both, gram- 

 matically and clogantly, but to speak 

 them Hucntlj. When he was a 

 Jientcnant in the guards, he trans- 

 lated from the French, " The Re- 

 Tcncs ; or, Memoirs upon tlie Art 

 of War, by Field-marshal Count 

 Saxe," which was pnblished in 4to. 

 in 17.57, and dedicated " To the 

 General Officers." He also trans- 

 lated from the German, " ^-t'g'ila- 

 tions for the Prnssian Cavalry," 

 which was also published 1757, and 

 dedicated to major-general the earl 

 of Albemarle, colonel of the king's 

 own regiment of dragoons. And 

 he likewise translated from the Ger- 

 man, " Regulations for the Prus- 

 sian Infantry," to which was add- 

 ed, " The Prnssian Tacticks, " 

 which was published in 1739, and 

 dedicated to lieutenant-general the 

 earl of Rothes, colonel of the third 

 regiment of foot guards. Having 

 attained the situation of adjutant in 

 the guards, his abilities and unre- 

 mitting attention soon became con- 

 spicuous ; and, on the late general 

 Elliot's being ordered to Germany 

 in the seven years war, he offered fo 

 take him as his aid-de-camp, which 

 he gladly accepted, as it gave him 

 an opporfunity of gaining that know, 

 ledge which actual service could 

 alone impart. When he served in" 

 Germany, his ardour, intrepidity, 

 and attention to all the duHes of his 

 situation, were such, that on the 

 death of general Elliot, he had im- 

 mediately offers both from the late 

 prince Ferdinand, the commander 

 in chief, and the late marquis of 

 Granby, to be appointed aid-de- 

 camp. By the advice of a noble 

 carl now dead (who hinted to him 

 that the German war would not last 

 for ever) he accepted the offer of 

 tlie latter, after making due ac- 

 2 



knowledgmehts for the honour in., 

 tended him by the former. In this 

 his new situation, his ardour and 

 attention were, if possible, increas- 

 ed, which gained liim the friendship 

 of all those attached to lord Gran- 

 by, particularly of a noble lord 

 (now living, and highly conspicu- 

 ous both by his rank and talents), 

 who, being fixed upon to bring to 

 England the account of the battle 

 of Warburgh, gave up his appoint- 

 ment to capt. Fawcett; an instance 

 of generous friendship which he al- 

 ways spoke of with themostheartfelt 

 gratitude. On his arrival in England 

 he was introduced by the then 

 great minister to his late ma jesty king 

 George the second, who received 

 him most graciously, and not the 

 less so, on his giving the whole ac- 

 count in German. Soon after, ,he 

 was promoted to a company in the 

 guards, with the rank of lieutenant- 

 colonel in the army, and became 

 military secretary to, and the inti- 

 niate friend of, lord Granby. His 

 manners were formed with equal 

 strength and softness; and to cool, 

 ncss, intrepidity, and extensive mi- 

 litary knowledge, he added all the 

 requisite talents of a man of busi- 

 ncss, and the most persevering assi- 

 duity, without the least ostentation. 

 Notwithstanding the most unassum- 

 ing modesty, his abilities were now so 

 generally known, that he was fixed 

 upon as the most proper person to 

 manage and support the interests of 

 his country, in settling many of the 

 concerns of the war in Germany ; 

 and by that means necessarily be- 

 came known to the great Frederick 

 (that superemineat judge of merit 

 such as his) from whom he after-- 

 wards had the most tempting and 

 dazzling offers, which he declined 

 without hesitation, preferring the 



service 



