his;
and on the whole, what critics now reckon very wise and very courageous
of him, determines to stand his chance in it. The consultations of
Broglio and Soubise are a thing unique to look upon; spread over volumes
of Official Record, and about a volume and a half even of BOURCET, where
it is still almost amusing to read; [_Memoires Historiques_ (that is to
say, for most part, Selection of Official Papers) _sur la Guerre que les
Francais ont soutenue en Allemagne depuis 1757 jusqu'au 1762_: par
M. de Bourcet, Lieutenant-General des Armees du Roi (3 tomes, Paris,
1792);--worthily done; but occupied, two-thirds of it, with this
Vellinghausen and the paltry "Campaign of 1761"!] and ending in helpless
downbreak on both parts. Of strategic faculty nobody supposes they
had much, and nearly all of it is in Broglio; Soubise being strong in
Court-favor only. Exquisitely polite they both strive to be; and
under the exquisite politeness, what infirmities of temper, splenetic
suspicions, and in fact mutual hatred lay hidden, could never be
accurately known. 'Attack him, Sunday next; on the 13th!' so, at the
long last, both of them had said. And then, on more reflection, Broglio
afterwards: 'Or not till the 15th, M. le Prince; till I reconnoitre ye
and drive in his outposts?' 'M. le Marechal's will is always mine:
Tuesday, 15th, reconnoitre him, drive him in; be it so, then!' answers
Soubise, with extreme politeness,--but thinking in his own mind (or
thought to be thinking), 'Wants to do it himself, or to get the credit
of doing it, as in former cases; and bring me into disgrace!' Not quite
an insane notion either, on Soubise's part, say some who have looked
into the Broglio-Soubise Controversy;--which far be it from any of us,
at this or at any time, to do. Here are the facts that ensued.

"TUESDAY, JULY 15th, 1761, Broglio reconnoitred with intensity all day,
drove in all Ferdinand's outposts; and about six in the evening,
seeing hope of surprise, or spurred by some notion of doing the feat
by himself, suddenly burst into onslaught on Ferdinand's Position:
'Vellinghausen yonder, and the woody strengths about,--could not we get
hold of that; it would be so convenient to-morrow morning!' Granby and
the English are in camp about Vellinghausen; and are taken quite on the
sudden: but they drew out rapidly, in a state of bottled indignation,
and fought, all of them,--Pembroke's Brigade of Horse, Cavendish's
of Foot, BERG-SCHOTTEN, M