go observations on Watson'' s history, March 21. 



employ only their pikes and their swords. At one of 

 the breaches de Herle, and in the other Tapin, gave 

 the most splendid proofs of capacity and valour. The 

 afsailants, enraged at meeting with such obstinate 

 resistance from an enemy so much inferior in number* 

 . exerted their utmost vigour to overcome them ; the 

 action was furious and desperate. The ruins of the 

 •wall, and the ground on both sides were strewed 

 ■with dead, and dying ; stones hurled down from the 

 bulwarks, and artificial fires which the besieged 

 launched among the afsailants, increased the confu- 

 sion. Those fires happened to lay hold of the bar- 

 T,«3 of gunpowder, which stood near for the use 

 of the combatants ; the explosion was terrible, and 

 many on both sides perilhed by this fatal accident. 

 The air resounded with cries, and flirieks, and 

 groans. The earth was covered with mangled carca- 

 ses ; yet those who survived still maintained their 

 ground with the same unconquerable obstinacy as 

 before, and, frota the horrid scene which lay 

 around them, seemed only to derive frefh rage and 

 fury. The prince of Parma gave orders, at last, 

 with much reluctance, for sounding a retreat. The 

 lesolution and fortitude of the besieged he perceived 

 were not to be overcome." 



To describe characters is one of the most difficult 

 talks which belong to an historian, and in the perfor- 

 mance of which he is most liable to fail. To esti- 

 mate the powers of the mind, and to attend to the 

 natural and acquired biafses of the heart, is a much 

 nicer study, and requires far more genius and dis- 

 (Cernment, than a relation of external occurren9es, 



