132, 134-136.] A plain piece
of duty; punctually done: the beginning of it falls here in the Camp at
Philipsburg, July-August 1734; in May, 1736, we shall see some glimpse
of the end!--

His Prussian Majesty in Camp at Philipsburg--so distinguished a
volunteer, doing us the honor to encamp here--"was asked to all the
Councils-of-war that were held," say the Books. And he did attend, the
Crown-Prince and he, on important occasions: but, alas, there was, so to
speak, nothing to be consulted of. Fascines and hurdles lay useless;
no attempt was made to relieve Philipsburg. On the third day after his
Majesty's arrival, July 18th, Philipsburg, after a stiff defence of
six weeks, growing hopeless of relief, had to surrender;--French then
proceeded to repair Philipsburg, no attempt on Eugene's part to molest
them there. If they try ulterior operations on this side the River, he
counter-tries; and that is all.

Our Crown-Prince, somewhat of a judge in after years, is maturely of
opinion, That the French Lines were by no means inexpugnable; that the
French Army might have been ruined under an attack of the proper kind.
[_OEuvres de Frederic,_ i. 167.] Their position was bad; no room to
unfold themselves for fight, except with the Town's cannon playing on
them all the while; only one Bridge to get across by, in case of coming
to the worse: defeat of them probable, and ruin to them inevitable
in case of defeat. But Prince Eugene, with an Army little to his mind
(Reich's-Contingents not to be depended on, thought Eugene), durst not
venture: "Seventeen victorious Battles, and if we should be defeated in
the eighteenth and last?"

It is probable the Old Dessauer, had he been Generalissimo, with this
same Army,--in which, even in the Reich's part of it, we know ten
thousand of an effective character,--would have done some stroke upon
the French; but Prince Eugene would not try. Much dimmed from his former
self this old hero; age now 73;--a good deal wearied with the long march
through Time. And this very Summer, his Brother's Son, the last male
of his House, had suddenly died of inflammatory fever; left the old man
very mournful: "Alone, alone, at the end of one's long march; laurels
have no fruit, then?" He stood cautious, on the defensive; and in this
capacity is admitted to have shown skilful management.

But Philipsburg being taken, there is no longer the least event to be
spoken of; the Campaign passed into a series of advanc