'furious sallies;'"--readers may divine what that means for Prag
and the Oriflamme!

"Prag is begirdled, bombarded from all the Wischerads, Ziscabergs
and Hill environments; every avenue blocked, 'above 60,000
Austrians round it, near 40,000 of them regulars:' a place
difficult to defend; but with excellent arrangements for defence on
Belleisle's part, and the garrison with its blood up.
Garrison makes continual furious sallies,--which are eminently
successful, say the French Newspapers; but which end, as all
sallies do, in returning home again, without conquest, except of
honor;--and on this Wednesday, 22d August, comes out with the
greatest sally of all. [ Campagnes, vi. 5;
Guerre de Boheme, ii. 173.] While Commodore
Martin, many a Pipes and Hatchway standing grimly on the watch
unknown to us, is steering towards Matthews and the Toulon waters
again. The equal sun looking down on all.

"It was about twelve o'clock, when this Prag sally, now all in
order, broke out, several thousand strong, and all at the white
heat, now a constant temperature. Sally almost equal to that
Pharsalia of a Sahay, it would seem;--concerning which we can spend
no word in this brief summary. Fierce fighting, fiery irresistible
onslaught; but it went too far, lost all its captured cannon again;
and returned only with laurels and a heavy account of killed and
wounded,--the leader of it being himself carried home in a very
bleeding state. 'Oh, the incomparable troops!' cried Paris;--cried
Voltaire withal (as I gather), and in very high company, in that
Visit at Aachen. A sally glorious, but useless.