ertain of their own
resolutions, all at once quickened their motions, and entered Ducal
Prussia, under mareschal Apraxin and general Fermor, marking their
progress by every inhumanity that unbridled cruelty, lust, and rapine,
can be imagined capable of committing. A large body of Austrians entered
Silesia, and penetrated as far as Breslau; then, turning back, they laid
seige to the important fortress of Schweidnitz, the key of that
country. A second body entered Lusa-tia, another quarter of the Prussian
territories, and made themselves masters of Zittau. Twenty-two thousand
Swedes penetrated into Prussian Pomerania, took the towns of Anclam and
Demmin, and laid the whole country under contribution. The army of the
empire, reinforced by that of prince Soubise, after many delays, was at
last in full march to enter Saxony; and this motion left the Austrians
at liberty to turn the greatest part of their forces to the reduction of
Silesia. An Austrian general penetrating through Lusatia, passed by the
Prussian armies, and suddenly presenting himself before the gates of
Berlin, laid the whole country under contribution; and though he retired
on the approach of a body of Prussians, yet he still found means to
interrupt the communication of these last with Silesia. The Prussians,
it is true, exerted themselves bravely on all sides, and their enemies
fled before them; but whilst one body was pursuing, another gained upon
them in some other part. The winter approached, their strength decayed,
and their adversaries multiplied daily. Their king harassed, and almost
spent with incessant fatigue both of body and of mind, was in a manner
excluded from the empire. The greatest part of his dominions were
either taken from him, or laid under contribution, and possessed by
his enemies, who collected the public revenues, fattened on the
contributions, and with the riches which they drew from the electorate
of Hanover, and other conquests, defrayed the expenses of the war; and
by the convention of Closter-Seven he was deprived of his allies,
and left without any assistance whatever, excepting what the British
parliament might think fit to supply. How different is this picture
from that which the king of Prussia exhibited when he took arms to
enter Saxony! But, in order to form a clear idea of these events, of the
situation of his Prussian majesty, and of the steps he took to defeat
the designs of his antagonists, and extricate himself from hi