Gazette Of The United States

Some short time prior to the Emperor's declaration against the Turks, the flower of his army, to the amount of 40,000 men, were reviewed by His Imperial Majesty, and General Laudoun, near Vienna.

After the line had been passed with the usual forms, &c. the troops were divided for a sham fight; one half commanded by the Emperor, the other by Gen. Laudoun. The armies had but just separated, before the old veteran Laudoun, with the eyes of Argus, discovered, and secured the advantage of some high ground from which he had a perfect view of the Emperor's movements: The general instantly gave the command of this advantageous post to an able officer; while he, with a detachment of his army, filed off, and took post under cover of a woody hill.

The firing had not continued an hour before the Emperor, who lay detached from his main body, was surrounded by Laudoun's party, when the old General, riding up to the Emperor, with much gallantry said, "he could not believe, but that his Majesty had deigned him the honor of taking him prisoner;" upon which the Emperor replied with much good humour—"That the circumstance had fully proved that he was but a young soldier; but he had some consolation left, in knowing that he was not the only crowned head, who had bowed to the superior abilities of the first General in the world."