The victors advanced without ever looking behind them, till Marshal Belleisle, foreseeing that these victories would soon occasion defeats, thought it proper to be indisposed, and ask leave to retire. Marshal Brogolio was dispatched to him, and on taking a view of things, soon saw into the cause of Belleisle’s indisposition. Six years after, these two Generals being in my apartment, the latter said to the other concerning this affair, faith, Marshal, you played me a scurvy trick there.
The Hungarians made good all losses of men; and I have been since told by connoisseurs in military affairs, that of infantry we sent a sufficiency, but had forgot cavalry, which, in Germany, is the more necessary body.
The King of Prussia’s drift was to profit by the disadvantages of his allies: he had made conquests, which he carefully kept to himself, regardless of the losses of his allies; but he still wanted a decisive victory to make himself dreaded by the house of Austria, with whom he was already disposed to come to terms. He fought the battle of Czaslaw, which terminating in a complete victory on his side, he remained inactive, and soon after struck up a peace with Maria Theresa.
Every thing now went against France; her troops were driven from their posts, her convoys intercepted, her magazines seized, and the far greater part of the army perished by sickness.
Then it was that the French Generals discovered the Prussian Monarch’s temper. Marshal Belleisle has often told me, that he had seen into his way of thinking; but judged that the progress of the French arms in Germany would force him to be faithful to the alliance. So true is this, added he, that on the first rumour of our misfortunes, I said to M. de Broglio, the King of Prussia now will shift sides.
One of the articles of the treaty was, to renounce his alliance with the house of Bourbon; and thus the French troops were sacrificed.
For that, said a very knowing man to me, not long since, we may thank the council of Versailles, which, instead of such a body of troops as would have been equal to any undertaking, had only sent small armies, whose sickness ruined them as fast as they came.
The Emperor, being but ill assisted by France, was flying before his enemies; he had quitted his capital, and was at a loss where to shelter himself. His destiny seemed the more melancholy, as he was on the point of being tumbled down from the highest pitch of human exaltation.
Of all his mortifications the most severe certainly was his being forced to become a suppliant to his capital enemy, the Queen of Hungary. He made her an offer to limit his ambition to the imperial crown, and desist from all his claims to the Austrian succession.
But things now went so well with Maria Theresa, that, instead of a moderate answer to these proposals, she very nearly called him rebel, and driving him out of Bavaria, signified to him that the only safe shelter for him in Germany was the territory of the empire.