history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


wing　still　holds　by　Kaurzim；　left　wing　looking　down　on　Planian；　a　little　Town　on　the　High　Road　（KAISER…STRASSE）　from　Prag　to　Vienna。　Little　Town　destined　to　get　up　its　name　in　a　day　or　two；next　little　Town　to　which；　twelve　miles　farther　on；　is　Kolin；　secretly　destined　to　become　and　continue　still　more　famous　among　mankind。　Kolin　is　close　to　the　Elbe；　left　or　south　bank；　Elbe　hereabouts　strikes　into　his　long　northwestern　course　（to　Wittenberg　all　the　way；　Pirna；　say　150　miles　off；　is　his　half…way　house　in　that　direction）；strikes　off　northward　hereabouts；　making　for　Nimburg；　among　other　places：　Planian；　right　south　of　Nimburg；　is　already　fifteen　good　miles　from　Elbe。

This　is　Friedrich's　position；　Wednesday；　June　15th　and　the　day　following；　somewhat　nearer　his　ovens　than　yesterday。　Daun　is　yet　parallel　to　him；　has　his　centre　behind　Swoyschitz；　an　insignificant　Village　at　the　foot　of　those　Kamhayek　Heights；　which　is；　ever　since；　to　be　found　in　Maps。　Friday；　17th；　Friedrich's　bread…wagons　and　4；000　having　come　in；　as　doubtless　the　Pandours　report　in　the　proper　place；　Daun　does　not　quite　like　his　strong　position　any　more；　but　would　prefer　a　stronger。　Friday　about　sunset；　〃great　clouds　of　dust〃　rise　from　Daun：　changing　his　position；　the　Prussians　see；　if　for　Pandours　and　gathering　darkness　they　can　at　present　see　little　else。　Daun；　truly；　observing　the　King　to　have　in　that　manner　edged　up；　towards　Planian；　is　afraid　of　his　right　wing　from　such　a　neighbor。　So　that　the　reader　must　take　his　Map　again。　Or；　if　he　care　not　for　such　things；　let　him　skip；　and　leave　me　solitary　to　my　sad　function；　till　we　can　meet　on　easier　ground；　and　report　the　battle　which　ensued。　Daun　hustles　his　right　wing　back　out　of　that　dangerous　proximity；　wheels　his　whole　right　wing　and　centre　ninety　degrees　round；　so　as　to　reach　out　now　towards　Kolin；　and　lie　on　the　north　slope　of　the　Kamhayek　ridge；　places　his　left　wing　EN　POTENCE　（gibbet…wise）；　hanging　round　the　western　end　of　said　Kamhayek；　its　southern　extremity　at　Swoyschitz；　its　northern　at　Hradenin；　where　（not　a　mile　from　Planian）　his　right　wing　had　formerly　been；with　other　intricate　movements　not　worth　following；　under　my　questionable　guidance；　on　a　Map　with　unpronounceable　names。　Enough　to　say　that　Daun's　right　wing　is　now　far　east　at　Krzeczhorz；　well　beyond　Chotzemitz；　whereabouts　his　centre　now　comes　to　stand　（and　most　of　his　horse　THERE；　both　the　wings　being　hilly　and　rough；　unfit　for　horse）；and　that；　this　being　nearly　the　last　of　Daun's　shiftings　and　hustlings　for　the　present；　or　indeed　in　essential　respects　the　very　last；　readers　may　as　well　note　the　above　main　points　in　it。

Hustled　into　this　still　stronger　place；　with　wheeling　and　shoving；　which　lasted　to　a　late　hour；　Daun　composes　himself　for　the　night。　He　lies　now；　with　centre　and　right　looking　northward；　pretty　much　parallel　to　the　Planian…Kolin　or　Prag…Vienna　Highway；　and　about　a　mile　south　of　the　same；　extreme　posts　extending　almost　to　Kolin　on　that　side；　left　wing　well　planted　EN　POTENCE；　Kamhayek　ridge；　north　face　and　west　end　of　it；　completely　his　on　both　the　exposed　or　Anti…Prussian　faces。　Friedrich　feels　uncertain　whether　he　has　not　gone　his　ways　altogether；　but　proposes　to　ascertain　by　break　of　day。

By　break　of　day　Friedrich　starts；　having　cleared　off　certain　Pandour　swarms　visible　in　places　of　difficulty；　who　go　on　first　notice；　and　without　shot　fired。　＇Lloyd；　i。　61　et　seq。　（or　Tempelhof's　Translation；　i。　151…164）；　Tempelhof's　own　Account　is；　i。　179…196；　Retzow's；　i。　120…149　（fewer　errors　of　detail　than　usual）；　Kutzen；　　Der　Tag　von　Kolin　　（Breslau；　1857）；　a　useful　little　compilation　from　many　sources。　Very　incorrect　most　of　the　common　accounts　are；　Kausler's　　Schlachten；　　Jomini；　and　the　like。＇　Marches　through　Planian　in　two　columns；　along　the　Kolin　Highway　and　to　north　of　it；　marches　on；　four　or　five　miles　farther；　nothing　visible　but　the　skirts　of　retiring　Pandours；〃Daun's　rear…guard　probably？〃　Friedrich　himself　is　with　Ziethen；　who　has　the　vanguard；　as　Friedrich's　wont　is；　eagerly　enough　looking　out；　reaches　a　certain　Inn　on　the　wayside　（WIRTHSHAUS　〃of　Slatislunz　or　GOLDEN…SUN；〃　say　the　Modern　Books；though　I　am　driven　to　think　it　Novomiesto；　nearer　Planian；　but　will　not　quarrel　on　the　subject）；　Inn　of　good　height　for　one　thing；　and　there；　mounting　to　the　top…story　or　perhaps　the　leads；　descries　Daun；　stretching　far　and　wide；　leant　against　the　Kamhayek；　in　the　summer　morning。　What　a　sight　for　Friedrich：　〃Big　game　SHALL　be　played；　then；　death　sure；　this　day；　to　thousands　of　men：　and　to　me？　Well！〃

Friedrich　calls　halt：　rest　here　a　little；　to　consider；　examine；　settle　how。　A　hot　close　morning；　rest　for　an　hour　or　two；　till　our　rear　from　Kaurzim　come　up：　horses　and　men　will　be　the　better　for　it；horses　can　have　a　mouthful　of　grass；　mouthful　of　water；　some　of　them　〃had　no　drink　last　night；　so　late　in　getting　home。〃　Poor　quadrupeds；　they　also　have　to　get　into　a　blaze　of　battle…rage　this　day；　and　be　blown　to　pieces　a　great　many　of　them；in　a　quarrel　not　of　their　seeking！　Horse　and　rider　are　alike　satisfied　on　that　latter　point；　silently　ready　for　the　task　THEY　have；　and　deaf　on　questions　that　are　bottomless。

At　this　Hostelry　of　Novomiesto　（not　of　Slatislunz　or　〃GOLDEN…SUN〃　at　all；　which　is　a　〃Sun〃　fallen　dismally　eclipsed　in　other　ways　＇〃The　Inn　of　Slati…Slunz　was　burnt；　about　twenty　years　ago；　nothing　of　it　but　the　stone　walls　now　dates　from　Friedrich's　time。　It　is　a　biggish　solid…looking　House　of　two　stories　（whether　ever　of　three；　I　could　not　learn）；　stands　pleasantly；　at　the　crown　of　a　long　rise　from　Kolin；and　inwardly；　alas；　in　our　day；　offers　little　but　bad　smells　and　negative　quantities！　Only　the　ground…　floor　is　now　inhabited。　From　the　front；　your　view　northward；　Nimburg　way；　across　the　Elbe　Valley；　is　fertile；　wide…waving；　pretty：　but　rearward；　upstairs；having　with　difficulty　got　permission；you　find　bare　balks；　tattered　feathers；　several　hundredweight　of　pigeon's　dung；　and　no　outlook　at　all；　except　into　walls　of　office…houses　and　the　overhanging　brow　of　Heights；fatal；　clearly；　to　any　view　of　Daun；　even　from　a　third　story！〃　（TOURIST'S　NOTE；　1858。）Tempelhof　（UBI　SUPRA）　seems　to　have　known　the　right；　place；　not；　Retzow；　or　almost　anybody　since：　and　indeed　the　question；　except　for　expressly　Military　people；　is　of　no　moment。＇）；　Friedrich　halted　for　three　hours　and　more；　saw　Daun　developing　himself　into　new　Order　of　Battle；　〃every　part　of　his　position　visible；〃　considered　with　his　whole　might　what　was　to　be　tried　upon　him；and　about　noon；　having　made　up　his　mind；　called　his　Generals；　in　sight　of　the　phenomenon　itself　there；　to　give　them　their　various　orders　and　injunctions　in　regard　to　the　same。　The　Plan　of　Fight；　which　was　thought　then；　and　is　still　thought　by　everybody；　an　excellent　one；resting　on　the　〃oblique　order　of　attack；〃　Friedrich's　favorite　mode；was；　if　the　reader　will　take　his　Map；　conceivable　as　follows。

Daun　has　by　this　time　deployed　himself；　in　three　lines；　or　two　lines　and　a　reserve；　on　the　high…lying　Champaign　south　of　the　Planian…Kolin　Great　Road；　south；　say　a　mile；　and　over　the　crests　of　the　rising　ground；　or　Kamhayek　ridge；　so　that　from　the　Great　Road　you　can　see　nothing　of　him。　His　line；　swaying　here　and　there　a　little；　to　take　advantage　of　its　ground；　extends　nearly　five　miles；　from　east　to　west；　pointing　towards　Planian　side；　the　left　wing　of　it；　from　Planian；　eastward；　the　way　Friedrich　has　marched；　Daun's　left　wing　may　be　four　miles　distant。　On　the　other　side；　Daun's　right　wingmain　line　always　pretty　parallel　to　the　Highway；　and　pointing　rather　southward　of　Kolinreaches　to　the　small　Hamlet　of　Krzeczhorz；　which　is　two　miles　off　Kolin。　In　front　of　his　centre　is　a　Village　called　Chotzemitz　（from　which　for　a　while；　in　those　months；　the　Battle　gets　its　name；　〃Battle　of　Chotzemitz；〃　by　Daun's　christening）：　in　front　of　him；　to　right　or　to　left　of　Chotzemitz；　are　some　four　or　even　six　other　Villages　（dim　rustic　Hamlets；　invisible　from　the　High　Road）；　every　Village　of　which　Daun　has　well　beset　with　batteries；　with　good　infantry；　not　to　speak　of　Croat　parties　hovering　about；　or　dismounted　Pandours　squatted　in　the　corn。　That　easternmost　Village　of　his　is　spelt　〃Krzeczhorz〃　（unpronounceable　to　mankind）；　a　dirty　little　place；　in　and　round　which　the　Battle　had　its　hinge　or　cardinal　point：　the　others；　as　abstruse　of　spelling；　all　but　equally　impossible　to　the　human　organs；　we　will　forbear　to　name；　except　in　case　of　necessity。　Half　a　mile　behind　Krzeczhorz　（let　us　write　it　Kreczor；　for　the　future：　what　can　we　do？）；　is　a　thin　little　Oak…wood；　bushes　mainly；　but　with　sparse　trees　too；　which　is　now　quite　stubbed　out；　though　it　was　then　important　enough；　and　played　a　great　part　in　the　result　of　this　day's　work。　Radowesnitz；　a　pronounceable　little　Village；　half　a　mile　farther　or　southward　of　the　Oak…bush；　is　beyond　the　extremity　of　Daun's　position；　low　down　on　a　marshy　little　Brook；　which　oozes　through　lakes　and　swamps　towards　Kolin；　in　the　northerly　direction。

Most　or　all　of　these　Villages　are　on　little　Brooks　（natural　thirst　so　leading　them）：　always　some　little　runlet　of　water；　not　so　swampy　when　there　is　any　fall　for　it；　in　general　lively　when　it　gets　over　the　ridge；　and　becomes　visible　from　this　Highway。　And　it　is　curious　to　see　what　a　considerable　dell；　or　green　ascending　chasm；　this　little　thread　of　water；　working　at　all　moments　for　thousands　of　years；　has　hollowed　out　for　itself　in　the　sloping　ground；　making　a　great　military　obstacle；　if　you　are　mounting　to　attack　there。　Poor　Czech　Hamlets　all　of　them；　dirty；　dark；　mal…odorous；　ignorant；　abhorrent　of　German　speech；in　what　nook　those　inarticulate　inhabitants；　diving　underground　at　a　great　rate　this　morning；　have　hidden　themselves　to…day；　I　know　not。　The　country　consists　of　knolls　and　slopes；　with　swamps　intermediate；　rises　higher　on　the　Planian　side；　but　except　the　top　of　that　Kamhayek　ridge　on　the　Planian　side；　and　〃Friedrich's…Berg〃　on　the　Kolin　side；　there　is　nothing　that　you　could　think　of　calling　a　Hill；　though　many　Books　（and　even　Friedrich's　Book）　rashly　say　otherwise。　Friedrich's…Berg；　now　so　called；　is　on　the　north　side　of　the　Highway：　half　a　mile　northeastward　of　Slatislunz；　the　mal…odorous　Inn。　A　conical　height　of　perhaps　a　hundr