ho is so busy on us just
here?"--and, September 22d, despatches the Hereditary Prince on that
errand. A man likely for it, if there be one in the world:--unable to do
it, however, as the issue told. Here is what I find noted.

"SEPTEMBER 22d, the Erbprinz, with a chosen Corps of 15,000, mostly
English, left these Diemel regions towards Wesel, at his speediest.
September 29th, Erbprinz and vanguard, Corps rapidly following, are got
to Dorsten, within 20 miles of Wesel. A most swift Erbprinz; likely
for such work. And it is thought by judges, Had he had either
siege-artillery or scaling apparatus, he might really have attacked
Wesel with good chance upon it. But he has not even a ladder ready,
much less a siege-gun. Siege-guns are at Bielefeld [come from Bremen, I
suppose, by English boating, up the Weser so far]; but that is six score
miles of wheel-carriage; roads bad, and threatening to be worse, as it
is equinoctial weather. There is nothing for it but to wait for those
guns.

"The Erbprinz, hopefully waiting, does his endeavor in the interim;
throws a bridge over the Rhine, pounces upon Cleve garrison (prisoners,
with their furnitures), pounces upon this and that; 'spreads terror'
on the French thereabouts 'up to Dusseldorf and Koln,--and on Broglio
himself, so far off, the due astonishment. 'Wesel to be snatched,--ye
Heavens! Our Netherlands road cut off: Dusseldorf, Koln, our Rhine
Magazines, all and sundry, fallen to the hawks,--who, the lighter-winged
of them, might pay visits in France itself!' Broglio has to suspend
his Gottingen operations, and detach Marquis de Castries with (say
ultimately, for Castries is to grow and gather by the road) 35,000,
to relieve Wesel. Castries marches double-quick; weather very
rainy;--arrives in those parts OCTOBER 13th;--hardly a gun from
Bielefeld come to hand yet, Erbprinz merely filling men with terror. And
so,

"OCTOBER 14th, after two weeks and a day, the Hereditary Prince sees,
not guns from Bielefeld, but Castries pushing into Wesel a 7,000 of
additional garrison,--and the Enterprise on Wesel grown impossible.
Impossible, and probably far more; Castries in a condition to devour
us, if he prove sharp. It behooves the Hereditary Prince to be himself
sharp;--which he undoubtedly was, in this sharp crisis. Next day, our
Erbprinz, taking survey of Castries in his strong ground of Kloster
Kampen, decides, like a gallant fellow, to attack HIM;--and straightway
does it. Brea