enerals offered to surrender Prague, Egra, and all the other
places they possessed in Bohemia, provided they might be allowed to
march off with their arms, artillery, and baggage. The proposal was
rejected, and Prague invested on all sides about the end of July. Though
the operations of the siege were carried on in an awkward and slovenly
manner, the place was so effectually blocked up, that famine must
have compelled the French to surrender at discretion, had not very
extraordinary efforts been made for their relief. The emperor had made
advances to the queen of Hungary. He promised that the French forces
should quit Bohemia, and evacuate the empire; and he offered to renounce
all pretensions to the kingdom of Bohemia, on condition that the
Austrians would restore Bavaria; but these conditions were declined by
the court of Vienna. The king of France was no sooner apprized of the
condition to which the generals Broglio and Belleisle were reduced, than
he sent orders to mareshal Maillebois, who commanded his army on the
Bhine, to march to their relief. His troops were immediately put in
motion; and when they reached Amberg in the Upper Palatinate, were
joined by the French and Imperialists from Bavaria. Prince Charles of
Lorraine having received intelligence of their junction and design,
left eighteen thousand men to maintain the blockade of Prague, under
the command of general Festititz, while he himself, with the rest of
his army, advanced to Hay-don on the frontiers of Bohemia. There he was
joined by count Khevenhuller, who from Bavaria had followed the enemy,
now commanded by count Seckendorf, and the count de Saxe. Seckendorf
however was sent back to Bavaria, while mareschal Maillebois entered
Bohemia on the twenty-fifth day of September. But he marched with such
precaution, that prince Charles could not bring him to an engagement.
Meanwhile Festititz, for want of sufficient force, was obliged to
abandon the blockade of Prague; and the French generals being now at
liberty, took post at Leutmaritz. Maillebois advanced as far as Kadan;
but seeing the Austrians possessed of all the passes of the mountains,
he marched back to the palatinate, and was miserably harassed in his
retreat by prince Charles, who had left a strong body with prince
Lobkowitz to watch the motions of Belleisle and Broglio.

EXTRAORDINARY RETREAT OF M. DE BELLEISLE.

These generals seeing themselves surrounded on all hands, returned to
Pragu