ight wing. The village was defended
with desperate bravery but, owing to the position, the king was
able to reinforce the assailants very much more rapidly than the
Austrian commander could bring up his distant troops. The Prussian
artillery concentrated their fire upon the place, and set it in
flames from end to end; when its defenders were forced to abandon
it, and retreat with precipitation on their cavalry.

In order to cover their withdrawal, the Austrian left moved down to
the village of Sulowitz, and endeavoured to pass the dam over a
marshy rivulet in front of it; but the fire from the battery on the
Homolka rendered it impossible for them to form, and also set that
village on fire, and they were therefore called back. The Austrian
centre moved to its right, and occupied the ground behind Lobositz
as soon as the defenders of the village had fallen back, and then
Marshal Browne formed up his whole force afresh.

His position was now as strong as it had been when the battle first
began, for the Prussians could not advance except between the
swampy ground and the river; and would have been exposed, while
doing so, to the fire of batteries both in front and in flank. The
Austrians were still greatly superior in numbers, and all the
advantages that had been gained might have been lost by a renewal
of the action. The total loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners on
the part of the Austrians was 3308. That of the Prussians was about
the same.

Although indecisive--and indeed, claimed as a victory by both
parties--the consequences showed that the advantage lay with the
Prussians. Marshal Browne's object had been to relieve the Saxons,
Frederick's to prevent this; and for the moment he had wholly
succeeded.

On the other hand was the fact that Marshal Browne had drawn off
his army practically intact, and that it was impossible for the
king to winter in Bohemia, as he would have done had the Austrian
army been defeated and dispersed; and the latter were still in a
position to make a fresh attempt to rescue the Saxons.

To prevent this, the king despatched the Duke of Bevern with a
large force, as if to get between the Austrians and the river Eger.
This movement had the desired effect. Marshal Browne at once fell
back, recrossed the river, and took up his position at his former
camp at Budin. From there he opened communications with the Saxons,
and it was arranged that these should pass the Elbe; and that he,
with 8