they were oblig'd to fly with Precipitation, and to abandon the Field of Battle to us. The Prince attributes this vigorous Action of the Prussian Soldiers to the most exemplary Courage and Valor of the Prince of Anhalt their Commander. 'Tis but Justice, continu'd Prince Eugene, to give the Prince of Anhalt the Praise he has so well deserved. He hazarded his Person upon all Occasions, and not intimidated by the Danger to which he expos'd it, I always saw him at the Head of his Troops, leading them on to Battle, and encouraging them by his own Example; so that it may be said to his Honor, that he contributed the greatest Share to that Victory. This was a Panegyric the more pleasing to the Subject of it, because it proceeded from the Mouth of a Prince, who was too great a Master of Courage to be mistaken.
After the Campaign was over, my Lord Marlborough came to Berlin, where he receiv'd all the Marks of Esteem from the King, which he could possibly have desired. Every Point that he negociated for the Operations of the Campaign was granted him, and he went away from Court highly satisfied. As soon as he was gone the Prince Royal set out for Hanover, from whence he went to Holland; and he intended to pass over to England, but an Event which happen'd to the Grief of him and the whole Court, oblig'd him to return to Berlin.
This was the unexpected Death of the Queen, on the 1st of February 1705, after a few days Illness. This Princess us'd for some time past to go to Hanover, to make a Visit to the Electoress her Mother, of whom, as I have already had the Honor to acquaint you, she was extremely fond. The Day that she was to set
out for this Journey she found herself indispos'd, but did not discover it, for fear lest the King should not permit her to go. Her Illness continu'd during the whole Journey, and When she came to Hanover, what with the fatigue of receiving Visits from the Ladies of the Court, and her dancing at a Ball the same day, she grew much worse. She came from the Ball with a Soreness in her Throat, which prov'd so violent that the Physicians and Surgeons soon despair'd of curing her. The Queen, tho' in the Flower of her Age, was not at all terrify'd when she saw Death approaching her. She wrote a very tender Letter to the King, in which she thanked him for the Love he had always manifested to her, and recommended her Domestics to him. Her Brother the Duke Ernest Augustus was so deeply concern'd to see her in such a condition, that she did what she could to comfort him: There is nothing so natural, said she to him, as Death; 'tis unavoidable, and tho' I am young enough to hope to live a few Years longer, yet I am not loth to die.
M. de la Bergerie the Minister of the French Church, who assisted her in her last Moments, was so surpriz'd at her courage and calmness, that he was more attentive to hear her than to exhort her. I have, said she, for twenty Years seriously study'd my Religion, and have read the Books that treat of it with too much application to be in any doubt as to my Principles. You cannot mention any thing to me but what I have read, and what you can say to me will certainly add nothing to my Opinion. Then turning towards my Cousin, who was on the other side of her Bed, Alas! said she, what a deal of needless Ceremony is now going to be us'd about this Body of mine! At
the same time almost, she stretch'd out her Hand to Duke Ernest her Brother, and said to him, Dear Brother, I am choak'd; and that Moment she expir'd.
A Courier was immediately dispatch'd to the Prince Royal, who was at the Hague, and M. de Bulau the Steward of the Queen's Houshold carried the News to the King, who was so surpriz'd at it, that he fainted away several times. When he came to himself he shew'd marks of the sincerest Affliction, and seem'd fully sensible what a loss he had sustain'd. Indeed this Princess truly deserv'd his Lamentation, as well as the Sorrow of the whole State; and I for my part with my whole Family lost a solid and sincere Protectress.
The King's Grief was such, that it had no Interval, but in his application to pay those Honours to the Queen, that were due to her Rank. He was willing to signalize it by the magnificence of a Funeral Pomp, and for this purpose he himself issued the necessary Orders. The Elector of Hanover (afterwards King of England) omitted nothing on his part to shew his Sorrow for the loss of so dear a Sister. Her Body was laid for several days upon a sumptuous Bed of State; her Ladies and the Officers of her Houshold who had waited on her to Hanover encompass'd it, and the Elector's Guards and Officers stay'd with the Queen's Corpse, and pay'd the same Attendance as if she had been living. When every thing was ready to carry the Corpse to Berlin, the Elector caus'd it to be convey'd by all his Guards even to the Frontiers of the Duchy of Zell, where it was receiv'd by M. de Bulau the Grand Marshal of the Court, who conducted it to the Territories of Brandenburg; and there it
was receiv'd by the Count de Witgenstein, who accompany'd it as far as Berlin, where I remember it arriv'd about ten o'clock at Night in a terrible Shower of Rain. The King accompany'd by the Prince Royal and the Margraves in long Mourning-Cloaks and by the Ladies of the Court in deep Mourning-Veils, receiv'd the Queen's Corpse at its being taken out of the Funeral-Chariot, and accompany'd it into the Old Chapel where a magnificent Cataphalque was erected for depositing it.
It represented a Temple of an Oval Form, whose Roof was supported by Pillars of the Corinthian Order, between each of which were plac'd Statues that represented the Queen's Vertues. In the middle of the Cataphalque just in the Upright there was a Glory, in which there was the Queen's Cypher form'd by Stars. All the Statues, that were silver'd, added to the Lustres, Branches and Chandeliers, made a noble Contrast with the Black that cover'd the Walls and the Roof. There the Queen's Corpse was repos'd till every thing was ready for her Interment. I will not here enter into the detail of that Ceremony, which was one of the most magnificent. What I observ'd extraordinary in it was, that 'twas the King's pleasure that the Parliament of Orange, of which the greatest part were Refugees at Court, should appear there in their Scarlet Robes.