n of
prince Ferdinand, that instead of taking measures to harass him in his
retreat, they carefully maintained their situation, apprehensive of
another general attack. Indeed, they had great reason to be satisfied
with the issue of this battle, without risking in any measure the
advantage which they had gained. It was their business to remain quiet
until their reinforcements should arrive, and this plan they invariably
pursued. On the other hand, the allies, in consequence of their
miscarriage, were reduced to the necessity of acting upon the defensive,
and encountering a great number of difficulties and inconveniences
during great part of the campaign, until the misconduct of the enemy
turned the scale in their favour. In the meantime, the prince thought
proper to begin his retreat in the night towards Fulda, in which his
rear suffered considerably from a body of the enemy's light troops under
the command of M. de Blaisel, who surprised two squadrons of dragoons
and a battalion of grenadiers. The first were taken or dispersed, the
last escaped with the loss of their baggage. The allied army returned
to their cantonments about Munster, and the prince began to make
preparations for taking the field in earnest.

While the French enjoyed plenty in the neighbourhood of Dusseldorp and
Creveldt, by means of the Rhine, the allies laboured under a dearth and
scarcity of every species of provisions, because the country which they
occupied was already exhausted, and all the supplies were brought from
an immense distance. The single article of forage occasioned such an
enormous expense, as alarmed the administration of Great Britain, who,
in order to prevent mismanagement and fraud for the future, nominated a
member of parliament inspector-general of the forage, and sent him over
to Germany in the beginning of the year, with the rank and appointments
of a general officer, that the importance of his character, and the
nature of his office, might be a check upon those who were suspected of
iniquitous appropriations. This gentleman is said to have met with such
a cold reception, and so many mortifications in the execution of his
office, that he was in a very little time sick of his employment. An
inquiry into the causes of his reception, and of the practices which
rendered it necessary to appoint such a superintendent, may be the
province of some future historian, when truth may be investigated
freely, without any apprehension of pai