, a very celebrated Austrian general, was born in 1608, of a distinguished
, a very celebrated
Austrian general, was born in 1608, of a distinguished family in the Modenese. Ernest Montecuculi, his uncle,
who was general of artillery in the imperial troops, made
him pass through aJl the military ranks, before he was
raised to that of commander. The young man’s first exploit was in 1634, when at the head of 2000 horse, he surprised 10,000 Swedes who were besieging Nemeslaw, in
Silesia, and took their baggage and artillery; but he was
shortly after defeated and made prisoner by general Bannier. Having obtained his liberty at the end of two years,
he joined his forces to those of J. de Wert, in Bohemia,
and conquered general Wrangel, who was killed in the
battle. In 1627, the emperor appointed Montecuculi marechal de camp general, and sent him to assist John Casimir, king of Poland. He defeated Razolzi, prince of
Transylvania, drove out the Swedes, and distinguished
himself greatly against the Turks in Transylvania, and in
Hungary, by gaining the battle of St. Gothard, in 1664.
Montecuculi commanded the imperial forces against
France in 1673, and acquired great honour from the capture of Bonn, which was preceded by a march, conducted
with many stratagems to deceive M. Turenne. The command of this army was nevertheless taken from him the
year following, but he received it again in 1675, that he
might oppose the great Turenne, on the Rhine. Montecuculi had soon to bewail the death of this formidable
enemy, on whom he bestowed the highest encomiums: “I
lament,
” said he, “and I can never too much lament, the
loss of a man who appeared more than man; one who did
honour to human nature.
” The great prince of Cond6
was the only person who ould contest with Montecuculi,
the superiority which M. de Turenne’s death gave him.
That prince was therefore sent to the Rhine, and stopped
the imperial general’s progress, who nevertheless considered
this last campaign as his most glorious one; not because
he was a conqueror, but because he was not conquered by
two such opponents as Turenne and Conde. He spent
the remainder of his life at the emperor’s court, devoting
himself to the belles lettres; and the academy of naturalists owes its establishment to him. He died October 16,
1680, at Linez, aged seventy-two. This great general left
some very excellent “Memoires
” on the military art; the
best French edition of which is that of Strasburg, 1735; to
which that of Paris, 1746, 12mo, is similar.