r enemies, the clergy, in their sermons,
did not fail to celebrate and extol the charity and benevolence of the
duke de Randan. Such glorious testimonies, even from enemies, must have
afforded the most exquisite pleasure to a mind endued with sensibility;
and this, no doubt, may be termed one of the fairest triumphs of
humanity.

THE FRENCH ABANDON HANOVER.

The two grand divisions of the French army, quartered at Zell and
Hanover, retired in good order to Hamelen, where they collected all
their troops, except those that were left in Hoya, and about four
thousand men placed in garrison at Minden, to retard the operations of
the combined army. Towards the latter end of February, prince Ferdinand
of Brunswick, having received intelligence that the count de Chabot
was posted with a considerable body of troops at Hoya, upon the Weser,
detached the hereditary prince of Brunswick, with four battalions,
and some light troops and dragoons, to dislodge them from that
neighbourhood. This enterprise was executed with the utmost intrepidity.
The hereditary prince passed the Weser at Bremen with part of his
detachment, while the rest advanced on this side of the river: and the
enemy, being attacked in front and rear, were in a little time forced,
and thrown into confusion. The bridge being abandoned, and near seven
hundred men taken prisoners, the count de Chabot threw himself, with two
battalions, into the castle, where he resolved to support himself, in
hope of being relieved. The regiment of Bretagne, and some detachments
of dragoons, were actually on the march to his assistance. The
hereditary prince being made acquainted with this circumstance, being
also destitute of heavy artillery to besiege the place in form, and
taking it for granted he should not be able to maintain the post after
it might be taken, he listened to the terms of capitulation proposed by
the French general, whose garrison was suffered to march out with
the honours of war; but their cannon, stores, and ammunition were
surrendered to the victor. This was the first exploit of the hereditary
prince, whose valour and activity on many subsequent occasions shone
with distinguished lustre. He had no sooner reduced Hoya, than he
marched to the attack of Minden, which he invested on the fifth day of
March, and on the fourteenth the garrison surrendered at discretion.
After the reduction of this city, the combined army advanced towards
Hamelen, where the French