cepted by the enemy. Some of thefe fugitives, however, committed great outrages in their flight, plundering and burning the houfes of the Orange party in the villages and open country, while they endeavoured in vain to fix the impututation of these diforders upon the Pruffians, who obferved, through all these transactions, as strict a difcipline as if they had been only changing quarters or marching to a review in their own country. The celerity of the huffars foon put an end to thefe enormities, by the difperfion and chastisement of the marauders. The influence of reputation, and the terror bred by opinion, could never be more apparent than at this time; for fo great was the dread conceived of the Pruffian arms, that no fuperiority of number could embolden either the regular or irregular forces of the province, to endure any thing like a conflict even with the huffars and chaffeurs. Under the general operation of thefe circumftances, fo great a number of fortified towns (and these generally well provided with artillery and ammunition) were, perhaps, never before taken in fo thort a fpace of time; and this was performed with scarcely the lofs of a fingle Pruffian foldier for the firft week. It was indeed difficult for thofe who had read the hiftory of the ancient wars of the Netherlands to believe, that thofe towns which had been celebrated through the world, for the extraordinary length of the fieges they endured, and the unconquerable obftinacy of their defence, fhould now be given up without firing a fhot. But the diftance of the refpective periods in point of time is not fo great, as that differ ence which has taken place in the character of the inhabitants. After the taking of Gorcum, the duke's detachment fpread on all fides, and every thing fell before them. Befides places of lefs confequence, Niewport and Schoonhoven, both cities capable of a long defence, if there had been even leifure for regular fieges, were abandoned by their garrifons without waiting for the fight of the enemy; notwithstanding which, a confiderable number of the latter were brought back prifoners by the Pruffian huffars. Dort furrendered to a handful of huffars who were going on other fervice, and who feemed to fummon it by chance, or merely out of a bravade. Another detachment having boldly advanced to the gates of Rotterdam, they were immediately thrown open to them. In the fame manner Leyden and Harlem furrendered, without firing a fhot. Similar fuccefs attended the column which advanced on both fides the Lech; Viannen, the Vaart, and every place in their way, was abandoned at their approach. The firft advance of thefe troops on the fouth fide of Utrecht, while the right hand column under general Lottum was at the fame time within a few miles of them to the north, threw that turbulent city into the moft deplorable ftate of terror and confufion. Their opinion of their own confequence made them imagine that they were the only objec in view with both columns, that they would accordingly close upon the city, and that, furrounding it on all fides, they fhould at once be equally cut off from all means of relief and efcape. Their numbers were very confiderable, fiderable, amounting to above ten thousand armed men, including the legion of Salm, and all the other foreigners who had come to their affiftance; their artillery were, in proportion, perhaps ftill more numerous; and vaft fums had been expended in new fortifications, under the immediate direction of able engineers, who were fent by France for the purpose. In thefe circumftances they defpifed the prince of Orange's little army of about 3,500 men, which was pofted at the Bilt, a few miles to the north-east of the city: and in reality, if their troops had been good, and well commanded, they were in much better condition for offenfive operations than the invader; and if no change had taken place in their relative fituation, the war might have lafted for years without any abfolute decifion. But they had been fo blind to the apprehenfion of danger from any other quarter, that the new works were all conftructed on that fide by which the ftadtholder muft have made his approaches; trufting to the potency of their allies in Holland for the fecurity of thofe fides of the city which looked towards that province, and where the old fortifications were accordingly left in their priftine state. The people of Utrecht were fo unwilling to be disturbed from the dream of confidence, greatness, and fecurity, which they had fo long indulged, that the firft accounts which they received of the entrance of the Pruffian army, though authenticated by perfons of veracity, were treated with the utmoft contempt and ridicule. But when, on the night of the fame evening, expreffes arrived from Amersford,with intelligence of Gen. Lottum's ar rival at that place, within 14 miles of them, and at the fame instant others arrived from Wick, in the oppofite direction, and about the fame diftance, with the news that they faw Waldeck's army enter the town, no words could describe the confternation and difinay which enfued. All eyes were turned to their hero, the Rhingrave of Salm, and fome remains of hope ftill lingered, that his courage and military knowledge would have administered relief; but when it was seen that he was no lefs oppreffed by the general terror than the multitude, that he was among the foremost who prepared for escaping, and that he declared the city was indefensible, nothing could exceed the diforder and confufion that prevailed. Some faint attempts were made to fpike the artillery, and to spoil the powder in the magazines; but the fears of thofe employed foon became fo predominant, that every other object and confideration immediately gave way to the defire of escape. In an incredibly fhort fpace of time, all the roads and canals leading to Holland were covered with the horses, carriages, and boats of thofe terrified fugitives, who escaped with their families, and whatever else they could convey. A greater number, who could not procure thefe conveniencies, traverfed the roads on foot, loaded with fuch parts of their effects as they deemed most valuable, and could beft carry. Some hundreds, however, of the citizens,with more fenfe and prudence than any of these, took the refolution of breaking and hiding their arms, deftroying their hoftile emblems, and waiting quietly in their houses to abide the confequences; and by this wife and eafy meafure, happily efcaped all queftion, and all lois. This memorable night of terror, confufion, and miferable flight, happened fo early after the arrival of the Pruffians in the province, as the 15th of September; and it is worthy of obfervation, that Utrecht was not within the line of operation of any of the columns of that army; for they had no intention of lofing time in the fiege of a city of fuch extent, fo powerful in men, arms, and money, and where, from the character and paft conduct of the inhabitants, they had every reason to expect a moft obftinate refiftance. The inhabitants of the town,who were in the Orange intereft, did not venture out of their houses during the tumult of this night, but were aftonished in the morning at finding the city evacuated by all orders of armed men, and the artillery lying on the works without centinels or guards. This intelligence was immediately conveyed to the ftadtholder's camp; but it feemed fo incredible as not to obtain a ready belief; it was on the contrary fupposed to be a ftratagem of the enemy, in order to lead the troops into an ambuscade. An English volunteer officer foon put an end to this doubt, by galloping himfelf to Utrecht, and perfonally examining the city and works. The Prince and his army then entered in triumph, the ftates of the province were restored to their long loft refidence in the capital,and the city foon recovered its priftine tranquillity. Nothing could have given a heavier blow to the republican cause than the lofs of this city; and the weight and effect were much increafed by the manner and circumftances of the lofs. Utrecht had long been confidered as the great bulwark of the province of Holland, and, next to Amfterdam, as the principal feat and grand citadel of the party. Though its old ramparts could not be deemed fufficient to withftand the regular fiege of a numerous army, yet with its numerous garrifon and artillery, they would have afforded good cover for refifting the defultory attempts of a fmall one; and the enemy were neither prepared for fieges, nor would they have accorded with their defigns; at the fame time that fuch a body of ftrength lying in their rear, would have been a great check to their progrefs in Holland. But if they had even been seriously attacked, and that the defence only lafted four or five days, that fmall delay would have been a wonderful point gained in favour of the party; for Amfterdam would have had time, to fhake off its panic, and to have adopted fuch effectual means of refiftance, as it would not only be found very difficult to overcome, but might have been the means of prolonging the war in fuch a manner as to render it fubject to great and unexpected revolutions, and the event perhaps very doubtful on the fide of the invaders. The defertion of Utrecht accordingly excited the mott general difmay at Amfterdam, while the fugitives.communicated their own fears to all places where they fled for fhelter. The Rhingrave of Salm now experienced a fad reverse in popular opinion. The eagerness of party, without reafon or experience to juftify its partiality, had attributed to him all the great qualities of humanity; and now, without being heard, and without leifure for enquiry, he was univerfally con demned, demned, his name never mentioned without execration, and charges of cowardice or treachery were every where laid against him. He foon found it neceffary to abandon Amfterdam and the republic altogether, while the place of his retreat was for a long time totally unknown; for fo fingular was his fortune, or fo extraordinary had been his conduct, that while he was charged on one fide with betraying the party whom he served, he had rendered himself fo exceedingly obnoxious to the ftadtholder, and to all his foreign and domeftic allies and friends, that it was doubted whether there was a country in Europe that would have afforded him a fecure afylum. We have already feen the quick progrefs made by the central, and by the left column of the Pruffian army. That on the right, commanded by general Lottum, was equally fuccefsful, but met with rather more refiftance, and confequentlywas engaged with fomething more like action. This column having entered the province of Holland at Hilverfum, a detachment under major gen.Kalekreuth was dispatched to the right to fummon Naarden,a very ftrong place, lying at the fouth end of the Zuyder fea, within 13. miles of Amfterdam, and which has always been confidered as one of the principal keys of the province. Col. Matha, the commander or governor, difdaining to betray his truft, rejected the fummons, and gallantly prepared for defence. The detachment being in no degree equal to the taking of the place, and a fiege not being intended if it had, fell off from Naarden, and marched up the Vecht, pufhing on parties to furprize three of the principal paffages of that river, in order to gain its left fide. Two of thefe detachments were fuccefsful in gaining the paffages at Maarfen and Zuylen, and a lieutenant croffing the river with a detachment of cuiraffiers, pushed on at full gallop to the fort and entrenchments of Vytermeer, which he maftered without lofs before the garrifon could recollect themselves, although the fort was furrounded by double entrenchments, and by two ditches full of water. While the bridges at Maarsen and Zuylen were repairing, general Kalekreuth had the fortune to furprize and make himself master of the fluices near Breukel, by which the whole country might have been laid under water; a circumftance which ftrongly fhews the terror and confufion that then prevailed on the other fide. And the general having received intelligence from capt. Kleift, who had been sent to seize the third paffage over the river at Breukolyn, that the approaches were fo difficult, and the place fo effectually covered by the artillery of Nieuwerfluys, that it was impoffible for him to proceed, he immediately marched thither in perfon. The fort at Nieuwerfluys was very ftrong, well covered with artillery, and the approaches. exceedingly difficult. The Pruffian commander feems; чowever, to have conducted them with great judgment and dexterity; and, finding that the garrifon was fupplied with provifions from Amfterdam, he found means to eftablifh fuch pofts on the other fide of the river, as entirely cut off their fupplies. In thefe circumftances general Averholt, who commanded the fort, conceiving that the whole country was overrun, and nearly covered by Pruffians, fơ that that all defence was useless, furrendered the place without Sept. 21 ft. firing a fhot. Forty of ficers and 730 foldiers were made prifoners, among whom were a colonel in the French fervice, and 36 cannoniers of that nation. 54 pieces of cannon were found in the fort. A party of Pruffians having marched all night to furprize Wefep, loft their way in the dark, and thereby arrived too late to fucceed iu the defign; their courage and conftant fuccefs, however, prompted them to attack the place, though it was then broad day, and the garrifon were alarmed, and prepared for their reception. They were accordingly repulfed, with the lofs of fome men; and two diftinguished lieutenants, who commanded the detachment, were feverely wounded. Kalekreuth afterwards pufhed on his approaches towards Ouderkerk, which being within a few miles of Amfterdam, was strongly garrifoned, and an obstinate defence intended; at the same time that all the celerity of the Pruffians (which was perhaps never exceeded in fervice) could not prevent fome of the dykes being cut through, by which the country was becoming daily more difficult and dangerous. While Kalekreuth was thus preparing to force his paffage to the environs of the capital, by the way of Ouderkerk, the duke of Brunfwick advanced with a stronger force, by the way of Gouda, Alphen, and Leimuyden, leaving the Haarlem Meer on his left, towards Amftelveen, another village, which like Ouderkerk lay about five miles fhort of Amfterdam, and which was likewife ftrongly entrenched and garrifoned. But, during these military tranf- actions, an unexpected revolution had taken place at the Hague, which greatly changed the face of internal affairs in the province of Holland. We have before feen, that the inhabitants of that place were in general strongly attached to the perfon and interefts of the prince of Orange. The governing party, well aware of this difpofition, and knowing that the officers and troops who compofed the ordinary garrifon were little more to be trusted than the inhabitants, had long fince brought in a ftrong body of volunteers, to rule the one, and to keep the other in check. These were ftationed in the center of the town, and had two pieces of artillery, in conftant readiness for im mediate fervice, placed before their main guard. Under the confterna→ tion and difmay which the deplo rable flight from Utrecht, the progrefs of the Pruffians, and the failure of French fuccours, all together excited on the republican fide, it was eafily feen that the volunteers would not be long able to keep fo populous a place in awe, and feveral of the principal perfons of that party accordingly retired for fafety to Amfterdam. This increased the general hope and confidence, but ftill fome immediate impulfe was wanting to bring the long-fuppreffed fpirit into action. This was foon fupplied by the courage of the Swifs foldiers, who formerly compofed the ftadtholder's ftate guard. They boldly, in the face of the volunteers, and in broad day, carried off their two pieces of cannon in triumph through the ftreets, while the populace decorated, or rather covered the artillery with orange ribbons, the very poffeffion of which, juft before, [D] would |