“I am concerned,” said the empress, “that so many generals, with so considerable a force, must remain besieged in Prague, but I augur favorably for the event.  I can not too strongly impress upon your minds that the troops will incur everlasting disgrace should they not effect what the French in the last war performed with far inferior numbers.  The honor of the whole nation, as well as that of the imperial aims, is interested in their present behavior.  The security of Bohemia, of my other hereditary dominions, and of the German empire itself, depends on a gallant defense and the preservation of Prague.

“The army under the command of Marshal Daun is daily strengthening, and will soon be in a condition to raise the siege.  The French are approaching with all diligence.  The Swedes are marching to my assistance.  In a short space of time affairs will, under divine Providence, wear a better aspect.”

The scene in Prague was awful.  Famine strode through all the streets, covering the pavements with the emaciate corpses of the dead.  An incessant bombardment was kept up from the Prussian batteries, and shot and shell were falling incessantly, by day and by night, in every portion of the city.  Conflagrations were continually blazing; there was no possible place of safety; shells exploded in parlors, in chambers, in cellars, tearing limb from limb, and burying the mutilated dead beneath the ruins of their dwellings.  The booming of the cannon, from the distant batteries, was answered by the thunder of the guns from the citadel and the walls, and blended with all this uproar rose the uninterrupted shrieks of the wounded and the dying.  The cannonade from the Prussian batteries was so destructive, that in a few days one quarter of the entire city was demolished.

Count Daun, with sixty thousand men, was soon advancing rapidly towards Prague.  Frederic, leaving a small force to continue the blockade of the city, marched with the remainder of his troops to assail the Austrian general.  They soon met, and fought for some hours as fiercely as mortals can fight.  The slaughter on both sides was awful.  At length the fortune of war turned in favor of the Austrians, though they laid down nine thousand husbands, fathers, sons, in bloody death, as the price of the victory.  Frederic was almost frantic with grief and rage as he saw his proud battalions melting away before the batteries of the foe.  Six times his cavalry charged with the utmost impetuosity, and six times they were as fiercely repulsed.  Frederic was finally compelled to withdraw, leaving fourteen thousand of his troops either slain or prisoners.  Twenty-two Prussian standards and forty-three pieces of artillery were taken by the Austrians.

The tidings of this victory elated Maria Theresa almost to delirium.  Feasts were given, medals struck, presents given, and the whole empire blazed with illuminations, and rang with all the voices of joy.  The queen even condescended to call in person upon the Countess Daun to congratulate her upon the great victory attained by her husband.  She instituted, on the occasion, a new military order of merit, called the order of Maria Theresa.  Count Daun and his most illustrious officers were honored with the first positions in this new order of knighthood.