You would think it strange not to hear from me after a battle though the printed relation is so particular, that I could only repeat what that contains.  The sum total is, that we would fight. which the French did not intend; we gave them, or did not take, the advantage of situation; they attacked:  what part of our army was engaged did wonders, for the Dutch ran away, and we had contrived to post the Austrians in such a manner, that they could not assist us:(1388) we were overpowered by numbers, though the centre was first broke by the retreating Dutch; and though we retired, we killed twelve thousand of the enemy, and lost six ourselves.  The Duke was very near taken, having through his short sight, mistaken a body of French for his own people.  He behaved as bravely as usual; but his prowess is so well established, that it grows time for him to exert other qualities of a general.

We shine at sea; two-and-forty sail of the Domingo fleet have fallen into our hands, and we expect more.  The ministry are as successful in their elections:  both Westminster and Middlesex have elected court candidates, and the city of London is taking the same step, the first time of many years that the two latter have been Whig; but the non-subscribing at the time of the rebellion, has been most successfully played off upon the Jacobites; of which stamp great part of England was till-the Pretender came.  This would seem a paradox in any other country, but contradictions are here the only rule of action.  Adieu!

(1389) The Duke of Cumberland, in a letter to Lord Chesterfield of the 3d of July, says, “The great misfortune of our position was that our right wing was so strongly posted, that they could neither be attacked nor make a diversion; for I am assured that Marshal Bathiani would have done all in his power to sustain me, or attack the enemy."-E.

535 Letter 240 To sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, July 28, 1747.

This is merely one of my letters of course, for I have nothing to tell you.  You will hear that Bergen-op-zoom still holds out, and is the first place that has not said yes, the moment the French asked it the question.  The Prince of Waldeck has resigned, on some private disgust with the Duke.  Mr. Chute received a letter from you yesterday, with the account of the deliverance of Genoa, which had reached us before, and had surprised nobody.  But when you wrote, you did not know of the great victory obtained by eleven battalions of PiedmOntese over six-and-forty of the French, and of the lucky but brave death of their commander, the Chevalier de Belleisle.  He is a great loss to the French, none to Count Saxe; an irreparable one to his own brother. whom, by the force of his parts, he had pushed so high, at the same time always declining to raise himself, lest he should eclipse the Marshal, who seems now to have missed the ministry by his Italian scheme, as he did before by his ill success in Germany.  We talk of nothing but peace:  I hope we shall not make as bad an one as we have made a war, though one is the natural consequence of the other.