history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第15部分

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ion　of　bread；　the　spies　say；　is　not　scarce；　unless　the　Prussians　can　burn　it；　which　they　are　industriously　trying　（diligent　to　learn　where　the　Magazines　are；　and　to　fire　incessantly　upon　the　same）：　plenty　of　meal　hitherto；　but　for　butcher's…meat；　only　what　we　saw。　Forage　nearly　done；　and　12；000　horses　standing　in　the　squares　and　market…places；not　even　stabling　for　them；　not　to　speak　of　food　or　work；slaughtering　and　salting　＇if　one　but　had　salt！＇　the　one　method。　Horse…flesh　two　kreutzers　a　pound；　rises　gradually　to　double　that　value。

〃MAY　29th；　About　sunset　there　came　a　furious　burst　of　weather：　rain…torrents　mixed　with　battering　hail；some　flaw　of　water…spout　among　the　Hills；　for　it　lasted　hour　on　hour；　and　Moldau　came　down　roaring　double…deep；　above　a　hundred　yards　too　wide　each　way；　with　cargoes　of　ruin；　torn…up　trees；　drowned　horses；　which　sorely　tried　our　Bridge　at　Branik。　Bridge；　half　of　it；　did　break　away　（Friedrich's　half；　forty…four　pontoons；　Keith's　people　got　their　end　of　the　Bridge　doubled　in　and　saved）：　the　Austrians；　in　Prag；　fished　out　twenty…four　of　Friedrich's　pontoons；　the　other　twenty　we　caught　at　our　Bridge　of　Podoli；　farther　down。　A　most　wild　night　for　the　Prussian　Army　in　tents；　and　indeed　for　Prag　itself；　the　low　parts　of　which　were　all　under　water；　unfortunate　individuals　getting　drowned　in　the　cellars；　and；　still　more　important；　a　great　deal　of　Austrian　meal；　which　had　been　carried　thither；　to　be　safe　from　the　red…hot　balls。

〃It　was　thought　the　Austrians；　our　Bridge　being　down；　might　try　a　sally　again。　To　prevent　which；　hardly　was　the　rain　done；　when；　on　our　part；　a　rocket　flew　aloft；　and　there　began　on　the　City；　from　all　sides；　a　deluge　of　bombs　and　red　hot　balls。　So　that　the　still…　dripping　City　was　set　fire　to；　in　various　parts：　and　we　could　hear　＇what　this　Editor　never　can　forget＇　the　WEH…KLAGEN　（wail）　of　the　Townsfolk　as　they　tried　to　quench　it；　and　it　always　burst　out　again。　The　fire…deluge　lasted　for　six　hours。〃Human　WEH…KLAGEN；　through　the　hollow　of　Night；　audible　to　the　Prussians　and　us：　〃Woe's　me！　water…deluges；　then　fire…deluges；　death　on　every　hand！〃　　According　to　the　Austrian　accounts；　there　perished；　by　bursting　of　bomb…shells；　falling　of　walls；　by　hunger　and　other　misery　and　hurts；　〃above　9；000　Townsfolk　in　this　Siege。〃　Yes；　my　Imperial　friends；　War　is　not　a　thing　of　streamering　and　ornamental　trumpeting　alone；　War　is　an　inexorable；　dangerously　incalculable　thing。　Is　it　not　a　terrible　question；　at　whose　door　lies　the　beginning　of　a　War！

〃JUNE　5th；　12；000　poor　people　of　Prag　were　pushed　out：　'Useless　mouths；　will　you　contrive　to　disappear　some　way！'　But；　after　haggling　about　all　day；　they　had　to　be　admitted　in　again；　under　penalty　of　being　shot。

〃JUNE　8th；　City　looking　black　and　ruinous；　whole　of　the　Neustadt　in　ashes；　few　houses　left　in　the　Jew　Town；　in　the　Altstadt　the　fire　raged　on　（WUTHETE　FORT）。　Nothing　but　ruin　and　confusion　over　there；　population　hiding　in　cellars；　getting　killed　by　falling　buildings。　Burgermeister　and　Townsfolk　besiege　Prince　Karl；　'For　the　Virgin's　sake；　have　pity　on　us；　Your　Serenity！'　Poor　Prince　Karl　has　to　be　deaf；　whatever　his　feelings。

〃He　was　diligent　in　attending　mass；　they　say：　he　alone　of　the　Princes；　of　whom　there　were　several；　two　Saxon　Princes　among　others；　Prince　Xavier　the　elder　of　them；　who　will　be　heard　of　again。　A　profane　set；　these；　lodging　in　the　CLEMENTINUM　＇vast　Jesuit　Edifice；　which　had　been　cleared　out　for　them；　and　〃the　windows　filled　with　dung　outside；〃　against　balls＇：　there；　with　wines　of　fine　vintage；　and　cookeries　plentiful　and　exquisite；　that　know　nothing　of　famine　outside；　they　led　an　idle　disorderly　life；　ran　races　in　the　long　corridors　＇not　so　bad　a　course＇；　dressed　themselves　in　Priests'　vestures　＇which　are　abundant　in　such　locality＇；　and　made　travesties　and　mummeries　of　Holy　Religion；　the　wretched　creatures；　defying　despair；　as　buccaneers　might　when　their　ship　is　sinking。　To　surrender；　everything　forbids；　of　escape；　there　is　no　possibility。　＇Archenholtz　i。　86；　　Helden…　Geschichte；　　iv。　73…84。＇

〃JUNE　9th；　The　bombardment　abates；　a　LABORATORIUM　of　our　own　flew　aloft　by　some　spark　or　accident；　and　killed　tbirteen　men。

〃JUNE　15th；　From　the　King's　Camp　a　few　bombs　＇King　himself　now　gone＇　kindled　the　City　in　three　places：〃but　there　is；　by　this　time；　new　game　afield；　Prag　Siege　awaiting　its　decision　not　at　Prag；　but　some　way　off。

Friedrich　has　been　doing　his　utmost；　diligent；　by　all　methods；　to　learn　where　the　Austrian　Magazines　were；　that　is；　on　what　special　edifices　and　localities　shot　might　be　expended　with　advantage；　and　has　fired　into　these　〃about　12；000　bombs。〃　Here　is　a　small　thing　still　remembered：

〃Spies　being；　above　all；　essential　in　this　business；　Friedrich　had　bethought　him　of　one　Kasebier；　a　supreme　of　House…breakers；　whom　he　has；　safe　with　a　ball　at　his　ankle；　doing　forced　labor　at　Spandau　＇in　Stettin；　if　it　mattered＇。　Kasebier　was　actually　sent　for；　pardon　promised　him　if　he　could　do　the　State　a　service。　Kasebier　smuggled　himself　twice；　perhaps　three　times；　into　Prag；　but　the　fourth　time　he　did　not　come　back。〃　＇Retzow；　i。　108。　n。＇　Another　Note　says：　〃Kasebier　was　a　Tailor；　and　Son　of　a　Tailor；　in　Halle；　and　the　expertest　of　Thieves。　Had　been　doing　forced　labor；　in　Stettin；　since　1748；　twice　did　get　into　Prag；　third　time；　vanished。　A　highly　celebrated　Prussian　thief；　still　a　myth　among　the　People；　like　Dick　Turpin　or　Cartouche；　except　that　his　was　always　theft　without　violence。〃　＇Preuss；　ii。　57　n。＇

We　learn　vaguely　that　the　price　of　horse…flesh　in　Prag　has　risen　to　double；　famine　very　sore：　but　still　one　hears　nothing　of　surrender。　And　again　there　is　vague　rumor　that　the　City　may　be　as　it　will；　but　that　the　Garrison　has　meal；　after　all　we　have　ruined；　which　will　last　till　October。　Such　a　Problem　has　this　King：　soluble　within　the　time；　or　not　soluble？　Such　a　question　for　the　whole　world；　and　for　himself　more　than　any。



MAP　GOES　IN　HEREfACING　PAGE　446；　BOOK　xviii




Chapter　IV。

BATTLE　OF　KOLIN。

On　and　after　June　9th；　the　bombardment　at　Prag　abated；　and　never　rose　to　briskness　again；　the　place　of　trial　for　decision　of　that　Siege　having　flitted　else…whither；　as　we　said。　About　that　time；　rumors　came　in；　not　so　favorable；　from　the　Duke　of　Bevern；　which　Friedrich；　strong　in　hope；　strove　visibly　to　disbelieve；　but　at　last　could　not。　Bevern　reports　that　Daun　is　actually　coming　on；　far　too　strong　for　his　resisting；in　other　terms；　that　the　Siege　of　Prag　will　not　decide　itself　by　bombardment；　but　otherwise　and　elsewhere。　Of　which　we　must　now　give　some　account；　brief　as　may　be；　especially　in　regard　to　the　preliminary　or　marching　part。

Daun；　whose　light　troops　plundered　Brandeis　（almost　within　wind　of　the　Prussian　Rear）　on　the　day　while　Prag　Battle　was　fighting；　had；　on　that　fatal　event；　gradually　drawn　back　to　Czaslau；　a　place　we　used　to　know　fifteen　years　ago；　and　there；　or　in　those　neighborhoods；　defensively　manoeuvring；　and　hanging　upon　Kuttenberg；　Kolin；　especially　upon　his　Magazine　of　Suchdol；　Daun；　always　rather　drawing　back；　with　Brunswick…Bevern　vigilantly　waiting　on　him；　has　continued　ever　since；　diligently　recruiting　himself；　ranking　the　remains　of　the　right　wing　defeated　at　Prag；　drawing　regiments　out　of　Mahren；　or　whencesoever　to　be　had。　Till；　by　these　methods；　he　is　grown　60；000　strong；　nearly　thrice　superior　to　Bevern；　though　being　a　〃Fabius　Cunctator〃　（so　called　by　and　by）；　he　as　yet　attempts　nothing。　Forty　thousand　in　Prag；　with　Sixty　here　in　the　Czaslau　Quarter；　＇Tempelhof；　i。　196；　Retzow　（i。　107；　109）　counts　46；000＋66；000。＇　that　makes　100；000；　say　his　Prussian　Majesty　has　two…thirds　of　the　number：　can　the　Fabius　Cunctator　attempt　nothing；　before　Prag　utterly　famish？

Order　comes　to　him　from　Vienna：　〃Rescue　Prag；　straightway　go　upon　it；　cost　what　it　like！〃　Daun　does　go　upon　it；　advances　visibly　towards　Prag；　Bevern　obliged　to　fall　back　in　front　of　him。　Sunday；　12th　June；　Daun　despatches　several　Officers　to　Prince　Karl　at　Prag；　with　notice　that；　〃On　the　20th；　Monday　come　a　week；　he　will　be　in　the　neighborhood　of　Prag　with　this　view：they；　of　course；　to　sally　out；　and　help　from　rearward。〃　〃Several　Officers；　under　various　disguises；〃　go　with　that　message；　June　12th；　but　none　of　them　could　get　into　the　City；　and　some　of　them；　I　judge；　must　have　fallen　into　the　Prussian　Hussar　Parties：at　any　rate；　the　news　they　carried　did　get　into　the　Prussian　circuit；　and　produced　an　instant　resolution　there。　Early　next　morning；　Monday　13th；　King　Friedrich；　with　what　disposable　force　is　on　the　spot；10；000　capable　of　being　spared　from　siege…work；　and　4；000　more　that　will　be　capable　of　following；　under　Prince　Moritz；　in　two　days；sets　forth　in　all　speed。　Joins　Bevern　that　same　night；　at　Kaurzim；　thirty…five　miles　off；　which　is　about　midway　from　Prag　to　Czaslau；　and　only　three　miles　or　so　from　Daun's　quarters　that　night；had　the　King　known　it；　which　he　did　not。

Daun　must　be　instantly　gone　into；　and　shall；if　he　is　there　at　all；　and　not　fallen　back　at　the　first　rumor　of　us；　as　Friedrich　rather　supposes。　In　any　case；　there　are　preliminaries　indispensable：　the　4；000　of　Prince　Moritz　still　to　come　up；　secondly；　bread　to　be　had　for　us；　which　is　baking　at　Nimburg；　across　the　Elbe；　twenty　miles　off；　lastly　（or　rather　firstly；　and　most　indispensable　of　all）；　Daun　to　be　reconnoitred。　Friedrich　reconnoitres　Daun　with　all　diligence；　pushes　on　everything　according　to　his　wont；　much　obstructed　in　the　reconnoitring　by　Pandour　clouds；　under　which　Daun　has　veiled　himself；　which　far　outnumber　our　small　Hussar　force。　Daun；　as　usual；showing　always　great　skill　in　regard　to　camps　and　positions；has　planted　himself　in　difficult　country：　a　little　river　with　its　boggy　pools　in　front；　behind　and　around；　an　intricate　broken　country　of　knolls　and　swamps；　one　ridge　in　it　which　they　even　call　a　BERG　or　Hill；　Kamhayek　Berg；　not　much　of　a　Hill　after　all；　but　forming　a　long　backbone　to　the　locality；　west　end　of　it　straight　behind　Daun's　centre；　at　present。　Friedrich's　position　is　from　north　to　south；　like　Daun's；　taking　advantage　of　what　heights　and　brooks　there　are；　and　edging　northward　to　be　near　his　bread…ovens：　right　wing　still　holds　by　Kaurzim；　left　wing　looking　down　on　Planian；　a　little　Town　on　the　High　Road　（KAIS