26
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
CHAP
VI.
HuJJtans and Sivedes retire. Ilano'veriatis refume their arms. Cruelty cf the Freiich. Condition of their army. Cajile of Harbour g bejleged. Re- capitulation of the e'vents of the year 1757-
AS the misfortunes of his Pruf- fian majefty after the battle of Colin, came on him all at once, fo his fuccefies after his viftories at Rofbach and Liffa, flowed upon him all at once likewife, and in a full tide. The Ruflians', tho' they had repuifed General Lehwald, iv.i- fered fo much in that aftion, and their barbarous method of making war had fo deftroyed the country, that they fecmed to themfelves to have no way of fafety left but in re- tiring out of the Pruflian territories. This extraordinary retreat of fo s^reat an army, and fo lately viftori- ous, and ftill polTciTed of a good fea- port in the country, could fcarcely be accounted for en thofe motives we have affigned, and aftonifhcd all Europe, whilft it left General Leh- wald at liberty to turn his arms in- to Pomerania againft the Swedes. The Swedes on this occafion did nothing worthy of their ancient mi- litary fame; bat every where retir- ing, left the Pruflian 5 an eafy con- qufll, not only of the PrufTian but of every part of the Swedifh Pomerania, except! nc; the port of Stralfund ; they left their anief^ of Mecklcnbourg quite fxcofed to all the refentment of the King of PrufTia, who chailifed them with the moll fevere contri- butions and levies. The French, t.ho had been ravaging the Old Marche of Erandcnburgj evacuated that country immediately after the battle of Rofbach. But one of tiie iM'catefl revolutions of fortune in the war, and one of the moil glori- ous and important confequences of
that viflory, was, that the Hanove- rian troops were enabled to refume their arms.
From the moment the capitula- tion of Clofter-feven was figned, the Duke de Richelieu, who came to the command only to reap the advantage, and fully the honour of another's conqueft, feemed to think of nothing but how to repair from the plunder of the unhappy Ha- noverians, the fortune which he had fhattered by a thoufand vices. The moft exorljitant contributions were levied with the moil inflexible fcverity; every exaftion which was fubmitted to, only produced a new one flill more extravagant ; and all the orderly methods of plunder did not exempt them from the pillage, licentioufnefs, and infolence of the French foldiery. However, jn juf- tice to merit, we muil except from this general charge the conduct of the Duke de Randan, governor of Hanover for the French ; who faved the capital of the eledorate from utter ruin by the ftridlnefs of all his dil'cipline, by the prudence the juilice and moderation of all his condui^t, a conduft which does more real honour to his name than the moll iplendid vidories.
'l"he duke de Richelieu'? rapaci- oufnei's and opprelfion, whilft they leaned ib heavily on the conquered people, did the conquering army no kind of fervice. Intent only on plunder, which he did not confine to the cneiTiy, he relaxed every part of military dilcipline ; and that numerous army which Ai. d'E trees 2 had
