Listers. 
Siege of 
TAgUC, 
A. D. 1742. 
-neral fo 
614 
French, under Marshals Belleisle and Broglio. The 
King of Prussia, fortunately for the French, prevented 
their junction ; but this monarch soon afterwards sus- 
pecting the sincerity of his ally, the King of France, 
concluded a separate treaty at Breslaw. This unex- 
pected and alarming intelligence was followed by dis- 
astrous wences; for Marshals Broglio and Belle- 
isle, by superior forces, were reduced to the 
humiliating peeey, of offering to evacuate all the 
places which they held in Bohemia, provided they were 
pent to retire with jane, —_ epson ps a 
e. This proposal was tily rejected by 
oy of ears ; and Marshal Mail Bashy who com- 
manded the French forces on the Rhine, was ordered 
to march into Bohemia, at the head of 42,000 men. In 
Weems, he was joined by $0,000 French and Im- 
ialists. In the mean time, Marshal Belleisle, who 
find assumed the command in Prague, was closely press- 
ed by the Prince of Lorraine. The latter, on learning the 
approach of Marshal Maillebois, turned the siege into 
a blockade, and advanced with the main body of his 
army towards the frontiers of the kingdom, in order to 
oppose the French. He was soon afterwards joined, by a 
1 Austrian army, and in the mean time Marshals 
Belleisle and Broglio formed the design of uniting with 
Maillebois. Prince Charles, however, by taking 
session of the passes in the mountains, utterly defeated 
this scheme ; and Maillebois was obliged to return to 
the Palatinate, whither he was followed by the Prince 
of Lorraine ; while the Austrian army, under Lobkouitz, 
obliged Belleisle and Broglio again to take refuge in 
ue, 
Soon afterwards, Brogiio baring escaped from this ci 
in disguise, took upon him the command of the Fren 
army in the Palatinate ; so that the fate of Prague, to- 
wards which the attention of all Europe was now direct- 
ed, depended solely upon the conduct and courage of 
Belleisle, and the smail remains of that gallant army, 
which had given an Emperor to Germany. Now it was 
that the powers and resources of Belleisle’s mind were 
made manifest ; having formed the plan of his retreat, 
by making in one quarter of the town a feint for a ge- 
, and marching out at another, he succeed- 
ed in eluding the besiegers, and in reaching the defiles 
with an unbroken army. In this march he had ten 
leagues to pass over; the ground was covered with 
snow ; the cold intensely severe; all the inhabitants 
were his enemies: and as soon as his flight was known, 
Prince Lobkowitz with 12,000 infantry, aud 8000 ca- 
valry, hung on his rear. After a fatiguing march of 
twelve days, he reached Egra, and entered Alsace with- 
out the loss of a single man from the enemy, though a 
thousand had perished in consequence of the rigour of 
the season. 
In 1743, the Queen of Hungary being victorious in 
Germany, and in sion of the territories of the 
Emperor Charles VII. the French became heartily tired 
of a war, in which they had suffered so severely, and 
made proposals of peace, on rather humiliating condi- 
tions, though Cardinal Fleury no longer influenced the 
cabinet of Versailles: he had died in the beginning of 
this year. But the Queen of Hungary rejected all pa- 
cific overtures ; and Louis made preparations for carry- 
ing on the war with increased vigour and effect. Af- 
fairs, however, were still gloomy: the French were 
driven from all their positions in the Upper Palatinate ; 
and Marshal Broglio was obliged to abandon a strong 
camp on the Danube, and to retire towards the Rhine. 
When he reached Donawert, he was joined by 12,000 
FRANCE. 
men under Count Saxe; but his main body being near- 
ly ruined, he still continued his retreat. About this 
time, the battle of — was fought between the 
French and the English; for an account of which, see 
the article Barratn. st " 
On the 25th of October in this year, a family com- Pamily 
pact, or perpetual alliance, was formed between France compact 
and Spain at Fontainebleau ; in consequence of which oxy 
the irals of their combined fleet, in the harbour of g,,:n 
Toulon, resolved to give battle to that of England, by 4. p.'17 
which they had been blocked up. The "particulars of 
this t are given in the article Brirain, Hi- 
war, 
therto France and England, ( engaged 
in hostilities, had 5 oe 
These, however, were put forth towards the end of 
March 1744. For the i of this war, we shall 
refer our readers to article Brirarn; and in this 
place confine ourselves to the ions of France 
against Austria and Sardinia. About the beginning Operations 
of April, the French and Spaniards formed of France © 
of penetrating into the Duchy of Milan, through the 98*"*" 
Genoese territories; but the republic not daring, in g.cinia, 
consequence of the threats of Admiral’ Matthews, to 4. p, 17 
allow this the French and Spaniards defiled off 
towards Piedmont, and attacked a strong post, where 
the King of Sardinia commanded in person. This — 
they carried; i uence of which, the King of Sar« 
dinia drew off in order to cover his capital. 
In the nes nome eeasiedeinion invested Coni, the 
possession of which wou ve opened them a passage 
into Milan. The King of Sardinia, on learning. this, 
having been -reinfi by 10,000 Austrians, resolved 
to attempt the relief of the He accordingly at- 
tacked the French and Spaniards in their entrench- 
ments; but, after an obstinate he was com< 
pelled to retire, not, however, before he had reinforeed 
the garrison of Coni, and supplied it with provisions. 
As the winter was now approaching, the 
raised the siege, r the mountains, evacuated 
Piedmont, and entered Dauphiné. ‘ 
In the beginning of November, a treaty was cone» 
cluded at Frankfort, through the influence of France, 
between the Emperor and King of Prussia, the Ki 
of Sweden, and the Elector Palatine, the declan 
obliging the Queen of H _to acknowledge 
Charles VII. The King of Pressing however, by 
a se aurocanent, Wat nheiee ge Se eneeaeee 
till he should see France act. with vigour. In conse- ' 
quence of this agreement, Louis put himself at the Louis in- 
head of his army in Flanders, consisting of 120,000 
men, and invested Menin, which surrendered in seven 
days ; several other places were reduced with equal fa- 
cility ; while the allied army, amounting only to. 70,000 _ 
men, were behind the Scheldt. But Louis was 
soon obliged to leave the scene of his triumphs, to go 
and defend his own kingdom ; for Prince Charles of . 
Lorraine having passed the Rhine, entered Alsace with ; 
an army of 60,000 Austrians. Against him, the ki 
i first the Duke of Noailles, and afterwards . 
marched himself ; leaving Marshal Saxe, ne aoe ¥ 
the troops, to oppose the allies in Flanders. is gee , 
neral, though now inferior to them, yet, by his con- i 
summate abilities, prevented them.from gaining any ( 
advantages during the remainder of the campaign. 
Before Pe Prince of honnen could atchieve por 
operst ion of importance, having. got information tha 
the King of Prussia had entered Bohemia, he judged it 
