ning. D'Estrees duly went to reconnoitre, but unluckily 'had mist
suddenly falling.' 'Well; we must attack, all the same!'

"And so, 26th JULY, Tuesday, there ensued a BATTLE OF HASTENBECK: the
absurdest Battle in the world; and which ought, in fairness, to have
been lost by BOTH, though Royal Highness alone had the ill luck. Both
Captains behaved very poorly; and each of them had a subaltern who
behaved well. D'Estrees, with his 70,000 VERSUS 40,000 posted there,
knows nothing of Royal Highness's position; sees only Royal Highness's
left wing on that woody Height; and after hours of preliminary
cannonading, sends out General Chevert upon that. Chevert, his subaltern
[a bit of right soldier-stuff, the Chevert whom we knew at Prag, in old
Belleisle times], goes upon it like fury; whom the Brunswick Grenadiers
resist in like humor, hotter and hotter. Some hard fighting there, on
Royal Highness's left; Chevert very fiery, Grenadiers very obstinate;
till, on the centre, westward, in Royal Highness's chief battery there,
some spark went the wrong way, and a powder-wagon shot itself aloft with
hideous blaze and roar; and in the confusion, the French rushed in, and
the battery was lost. Which discouraged the Grenadiers; so that Chevert
made some progress upon them, on their woody Height, and began to have
confident hope.

"Had Chevert known, or had D'Estrees known, there was, close behind said
Height, a Hollow, through which these Grenadiers might have been taken
in rear. Dangerous Hollow, much neglected by Royal Highness, who has
only General Breitenbach with a weak party there. This Breitenbach,
happening to have a head of his own, and finding nothing to do in that
Hollow or to rightward, bursts out, of his own accord, on Chevert's
left flank; cannonading, volleying, horse-charging;--the sound of which
('Hah, French there too!') struck a damp through Royal Highness, who
instantly ordered retreat, and took the road. What singular ill-luck
that sound of Breitenbach to Royal Highness! For observe, the EFFECT
of Breitenbach,--which was, to recover the lost battery (gallant
young Prince of Brunswick, 'Hereditary Prince,' or Duke that is to
be, striking in upon it with bayonet-charge at the right moment), made
D'Estrees to order retreat! 'Battle lost,' thinks D'Estrees;--and with
good cause, had Breitenbach been supported at all. But no subaltern
durst; and Royal Highness himself was not overtakable, so far on the
road. Royal Hig