y letter to acquaint your lordship that I have
just joined the grand army with my detachment.]

[Footnote 564: Note 4 P, p. 564. The Germans are in general but
indifferent engineers, and little acquainted with the art of besieging.
On this occasion the Austrian general had no other prospect than that of
carrying the place by a sudden attack, or intimidating count Tavenzein,
the governor, to an immediate surrender: for he knew the Russian army
was at a considerable distance; and judged, from the character of prince
Henry of Prussia, that he would advance to the relief of the place long
before it would be taken according to the usual forms. Influenced by
these considerations, when he had invested the town, he sent a letter
to the governor, specifying that his army consisted of fifty
battalions, and fourscore squadrons; that the Russian army, amounting to
seventy-five thousand men, was within three days' march of Breslau; that
no succour could be expected from the king of Prussia, encamped as he
was on the other side of the Elbe, and overawed by the army of count
Daun; that prince Henry, far from being in a condition to bring relief,
would not be able to stand his ground against the Russians; that
Breslau, being an open mercantile town (not a fortress), could not
be defended without contravening the established rules of war; and
therefore the governor, in case of obstinacy, had no reason to expect
an honourable capitulation, the benefit of which was now offered. He, at
the same time, sent a memorial to the civil magistrates, threatening the
town with destruction, which could by no other means be prevented than
by joining with the inhabitants in persuading the governor to embrace
immediately the terms that were proposed. Count Tavenzein, instead of
being intimidated, was encouraged by these menaces, which implied an
apprehension in Laudolm that the place would be relieved. He therefore
replied to the summons he had received, that Breslau was not simply a
mercantile town, but ought to be considered as a place of strength,
as being surrounded with works and wet ditches; that the Austrians
themselves had defended it as such after the battle of Lissa, in the
year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven; that the king his
master having commanded him to defend the place to the last extremity,
he could neither comply with general Laudohn's proposals, nor pay the
least regard to his threat of destroying the town; as he had not