Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick had opened the campaign with less success than reputation, having been obliged to retreat after attempting to dislodge the French from Bergen. It was this and some parallel occasions in which the French stood their ground, that intituled Prince Ferdinand most deservedly to the character of a consummate General. Retreats before a victorious Army, and prosperous campaigns against a superior Army, these were his titles--the incapacity of the hostile Generals, and the shameful behaviour of their troops, rendered his subsequent achievements less brilliant, without proving that he would not have succeeded against abler antagonists. It is a little more problematic whether he could not have served us better, had he had no interests to serve but ours. As we were strictly connected with the King of Prussia, co-operating with him was serving the common cause. The question is, whether Prince Ferdinand never lost sight of the interests of Great Britain, when a motion, a diversion that might shield that Monarch, clashed with an obvious plan of activity for driving the French out of the territories that more immediately affected our cause. The advantage of employing so able a German General balanced some signal inconveniences attending that nomination. The sums which were never refused to him, and for which, not being a Briton, he could not be called to account, will perhaps outweigh the glory he procured to our arms, the benefits that resulted from his success, or the share which he made us take in saving the King of Prussia from destruction. Should the last-named Prince prove oftener our enemy than our Ally, we must comfort ourselves with having guarded the Protestant religion in Germany--for the Protestantism of its chief, it was too ridiculous to be made, as it was, even a serious object by the mob! Atheistic odes were the psalms which that Protestant confessor sung by the waters of Babylon! After the check at Bergen, Prince Ferdinand, though retreating, disputed his ground by garrisoning the chief towns on his march. Yet they were all taken by the French, particularly Munster and Minden. Hanover seemed again on the point of becoming their prey. Nothing was left, but to hazard a battle; on which the Prince determined, and the news of which arrived here, when such an event was least expected, except by the King, who, on receiving General Yorke’s[52] courier, owned that he had had Prince Ferdinand’s plan in his pocket for ten days, without communicating it to a single person. This testimony was given immediately, before the slightest particulars were known, except that the general result of the action was complete success. Yet, however the event was coincident with the design, however determined the Prince was to provoke an engagement, it is rather clear that he was surprised, though not by his own fault, as came out afterwards.