history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第24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！


rcuit；　has　a　time　of　it！　Loses　its　pontoons；　loses　most　of　its　baggage；　obliged　to　set　fire；　not　to　the　Pandours；　but　to　your　own　wagons；　and　necessaries　of　army　life；　encamps　on　bleak　heights；　no　food；　not　even　water；　road　quite　lost；　road　to　be　rediscovered　or　invented；　Pandours　sputtering　on　you　out　of　every　bush　and　hollow；　your　peasant　wagoners　cutting　traces　and　galloping　off：such　are　the　phenomena　of　that　march　by　circuit　leftward；　on　the　poor　Prince's　part。　March　began；　soon　after　midnight；　SATURDAY；　16th；　Schmettau　as　vanguard；　and〃

And；　in　fine；　by　FRIDAY；　22d；　after　not　quite　a　week　of　it；　the　Prince；　curving　from　northward　（in　parabolic　course；　LESS　speedy　than　the　cannon…ball's　would　have　been）　into　sight　of　Zittau；　behold；　there　are　the　Austrians　far　and　wide　to　left　of　us；　encamped　impregnable　behind　the　Neisse　River　there！　They　have　got　the　Eckart's　Hill；　which　commands　Zittau：and　how　to　get　into　Zittau　and　our　magazines；　and　how　to　subsist　if　we　were　in？　The　poor　Prince　takes　post　on　what　Heights　there　are；　on　his　own　side　of　the　Neisse；　looks　wistfully　down　upon　Zittau；　asking　How？

About　stroke　of　noon　the　Austrians；　from　their　Eckartsberg；　do　a　thing　which　was　much　talked　of。　They　open　battery　of　red…hot　balls　upon　Zittau；　kindle　the　roofs　of　it；　shingle…roofs　in　dry　July；　set　Zittau　all　on　blaze；　the　10；000　innocent　souls　shrieking　in　vain　to　Heaven　and　Earth；　and　before　sunset；　Zittau　is　ashes　and　red…hot　walls；　not　Zittau　but　a　cinder…heap；Prussian　Garrison　not　hurt；　nor　Magazine　as　yet；　Garrison　busy　with　buckets；　I　should　guess；　but　beginning　to　find　the　air　grow　very　hot。　On　the　morrow　morning；　Zittau　is　a　smouldering　cinder…heap；　hotter　and　hotter　to　the　Prussian　Garrison；　and　does　not　exist　as　a　City。

One　of　the　most　inhuman　actions　ever　heard　of　in　War；　shrieks　universal　Germany；　asks　itself　what　could　have　set　a　chivalrous　Karl　upon　this　devil…like　procedure？　〃Protestants　these　poor　Zittauers　were；　shone　in　commerce；　no　such　weaving；　industrying；　in　all　Teutschland　elsewhere：　Hah！　An　eye…sorrow；　they；　with　their　commerce；　their　weavings　and　industryings；　to　Austrian　Papists；　who　cannot　weave　or　trade？〃　that　was　finally　the　guess　of　some　persons；wide　of　the　mark；　we　may　well　judge。　Prince　Xavier　of　Saxony；　present　in　the　Camp　too；　made　no　remonstrance；　said　others。　Alas；　my　friends；　what　could　Xavier　probably　avail；　the　foolish　fellow；　with　only　three　regiments？　Prince　Karl；　it　was　afterwards　evident；　could　have　got　Zittau　unburnt；　and　could　even　have　kept　the　Prussians　out　of　Zittau　altogether。　Zittau　surely　would　have　been　very　useful　to　Prince　Karl。　But　overnight　（let　us　try　to　fancy　it　so）；　not　knowing　the　Prussian　possibilities；　Prince　Karl；　screwed　to　the　devilish　point；　had　got　his　furnaces　lighted；　his　red…hot　balls　ready；　and　so；　hurried　on　by　his　Pride　and　by　his　other　Devils；　had；There　are　devilish　things　sometimes　done　in　War。　And　whole　cities　are　made　ashes　by　them。　For　certain；　here　is　　a　strange　way　of　commencing　your　〃Deliverance　of　Saxony〃！　And　Prince　Karl　carries；　truly；　a　brand…mark　from　this　conflagration；　and　will　till　all　memory　of　him　cease。　As　to　Zittau；　it　rebuilt　itself。　Zittau　is　alive　again；　a　strong　stone　city；　in　our　day。　On　its　new…built　Town…house　stands　again　〃BENE　FACERE　ET　MALE　AUDIRE　REGIUM　EST；　To　do　well；　and　be　ill　spoken　of；　is　the　part　of　kings〃　＇A　saying　of　Alexander　the　Great's　（Plutarch；　in　ALEXANDRE）。＇　（amazingly　true　of　them；when　they　are　not　shams）。　What　times　for　Herrnhuth；　preparing　for　its　Christian　Sabbath；　under　these　omens　near　by！

The　Prince　of　Prussia　tells　us；　he　〃early　next　morning　（Saturday；　23d　July）　had　his　tents　pitched；〃　which　was　but　an　unavailing　procedure；　with　poor　Zittau　gone　such　a　road。　〃Bring　us　bread　out　of　that　ruined　Zittau；〃　ordered　the　Prince：　his　Detachment　returns　ineffectual；　〃So　hot；　we　cannot　march　in。〃　And　the　Garrison　Colonel　（one　Dierecke　and　five　battalions　are　garrison）　sends　out　word：　〃So　hot；　we　cannot　stand　it。〃　〃Stand　it　yet　a　very　little；　and！〃　answers　the　Prince：　but　Dierecke　and　battalions　cannot；　or　at　least　cannot　long　enough；　and　set　to　marching　out。　In　firm　order；　I　have　no　doubt；　and　with　some　modicum　of　bread：　but　the　tumbling　of　certain　burnt　walls　parted　Colonel　and　men；　in　a　sad　way。　Colonel　himself；　with　the　colors；　with　the　honors　（none　of　his　people；　it　seems；　though　they　were　scattered　loose）；　was　picked　up　by　an　Austrian　party；　and　made　prisoner。　A　miserable　business；　this　of　Zittau！

Next；　evening；　Sunday；　after　dark；　Prince　of　Prussia　strikes　his　tents　again；　rolls　off　in　a　very　unsuccinct　condition；　happily　unchased；　for　he　admits　that　chase　would　have　been　ruinous。　Off　towards　Lobau　（what　nights　for　Zinzendorf　and　Herrnhuth；　as　such　things　tumble　past　them！）；　thence　towards　Bautzen；　and　arrives　in　the　most　lugubrious　torn　condition　any　Prussian　General　ever　stood　in。　Reaches　Bautzen　on　those　terms；and　is　warned　that　his　Brother　will　be　there　in　a　day　or　two。

One　may　fancy　Friedrich's　indignation；　astonishment　and　grief；　when　he　heard　of　that　march　towards　Zittau　through　the　Hills　by　a　parabolic　course；　the　issue　of　which　is　too　gnessable　by　Friedrich。　He　himself　instantly　rises　from　Leitmeritz；　starts；　in　fit　divisions；　by　the　Pascopol；　by　the　Elbe　passes；　for　Pirna；　and；　leaving　Moritz　of　Dessau　with　a　10；000　to　secure　the　Passes　about　Pirna；　and　Keith　to　come　on　with　the　Magazines；　hastens　across　for　Bautzen；　to　look　into　these　advancing　triumphant　Austrians；　these　strange　Prussian　proceedings。　On　first　hearing　of　that　side…march；　his　auguries　had　been　bad　enough；　＇Letter　to　Wilhelmina　〃Linay；　22d　July〃　（second　day　of　the　march　from　Leitmeritz）；　　OEuvres；　　xxvii。　i。　298。＇　but　the　event　has　far　surpassed　them。　Zittau　gone；　the　Army　hurrying　home；　as　if　in　flight；　in　that　wrecked　condition；　the　door　of　Saxony；　door　of　Silesia　left　wide　open；Daun　has　only　to　choose！　Day　by　day；　as　Friedrich　advanced　to　repair　that　mischief；　the　news　of　it　have　grown　worse　on　him。　Days　rife　otherwise　in　mere　bad　news。　The　Russians　in　Memel；　Preussen　at　their　feet；　Soubise's　French　and　the　Reich's　Army　pushing　on　for　Erfurt；　to　〃deliver　Saxony；〃　on　that　western　side：　and　from　the　French…English　scene　of　operations　In　those　same　bad　days　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　has　been　doing　a　feat　worth　notice　in　the　above　connection！　Read　this；　from　an　authentic　source：

〃HASTENBECK；　22d…26th　JULY；　1757。　Royal　Highness；　hitching　back　and　back；　had　got　to　Hameln；　a　strong　place　of　his　on　the　safe　side　of　the　Weser；　and　did　at　last；　Hanover　itself　being　now　nigh；　call　halt；　and　resolve　to　make　a　stand。　July　22d　＇very　day　while　the　Prince　of　Prussia　came　in　sight　of　Zittau；　with　the　Austrians　hanging　over　it＇；　Royal　Highness　took　post　in　that　favorable　vicinity　of　Hameln；　at　perfect　leisure　to　select　his　ground：　and　there　sat　waiting　D'Estrees；swamps　for　our　right　wing；　and　the　Weser　not　far　off；　small　Hamlet　of　Hastenbeck　in　front；　and　a　woody　knoll　for　our　left；totally　inactive　for　four　days　long；　attempting　nothing　upon　D'Estrees　and　his　intricate　shufflings；　but　looking　idly　noonward　to　the　courses　of　the　sun；　till　D'Estrees　should　come　up。　Royal　Highness　is　much　swollen　into　obesity；　into　flabby　torpor；　a　changed　man　since　Fontenoy　times；　shockingly　inactive；　they　say；　in　this　post　at　Hastenbeck。　D'Estrees；　too；　is　ridiculously　cautious；　'has　manoeuvred　fifteen　days　in　advancing　about　as　many　British　miles。'　D'Estrees　did　at　last　come　up　（July　25th）；　nearly　two　to　one　of　Royal　Highness；72；000　some　count　him；　but　considerably　anarchic　in　parts；　overwhelmed　with　Court　Generals　and　Princes　of　the　Blood；　for　one　item；and　decides　on　attacking；　next　morning。　D'Estrees　duly　went　to　reconnoitre；　but　unluckily　'had　mist　suddenly　falling。'　'Well；　we　must　attack；　all　the　same！'

〃And　so；　26th　JULY；　Tuesday；　there　ensued　a　BATTLE　OF　HASTENBECK：　the　absurdest　Battle　in　the　world；　and　which　ought；　in　fairness；　to　have　been　lost　by　BOTH；　though　Royal　Highness　alone　had　the　ill　luck。　Both　Captains　behaved　very　poorly；　and　each　of　them　had　a　subaltern　who　behaved　well。　D'Estrees；　with　his　70；000　VERSUS　40；000　posted　there；　knows　nothing　of　Royal　Highness's　position；　sees　only　Royal　Highness's　left　wing　on　that　woody　Height；　and　after　hours　of　preliminary　cannonading；　sends　out　General　Chevert　upon　that。　Chevert；　his　subaltern　＇a　bit　of　right　soldier…　stuff；　the　Chevert　whom　we　knew　at　Prag；　in　old　Belleisle　times＇；　goes　upon　it　like　fury；　whom　the　Brunswick　Grenadiers　resist　in　like　humor；　hotter　and　hotter。　Some　hard　fighting　there；　on　Royal　Highness's　left；　Chevert　very　fiery；　Grenadiers　very　obstinate；　till；　on　the　centre；　westward；　in　Royal　Highness's　chief　battery　there；　some　spark　went　the　wrong　way；　and　a　powder…wagon　shot　itself　aloft　with　hideous　blaze　and　roar；　and　in　the　confusion；　the　French　rushed　in；　and　the　battery　was　lost。　Which　discouraged　the　Grenadiers；　so　that　Chevert　made　some　progress　upon　them；　on　their　woody　Height；　and　began　to　have　confident　hope。

〃Had　Chevert　known；　or　had　D'Estrees　known；　there　was；　close　behind　said　Height；　a　Hollow；　through　which　these　Grenadiers　might　have　been　taken　in　rear。　Dangerous　Hollow；　much　neglected　by　Royal　Highness；　who　has　only　General　Breitenbach　with　a　weak　party　there。　This　Breitenbach；　happening　to　have　a　head　of　his　own；　and　finding　nothing　to　do　in　that　Hollow　or　to　rightward；　bursts　out；　of　his　own　accord；　on　Chevert's　left　flank；　cannonading；　volleying；　horse…　charging；the　sound　of　which　（'Hah；　French　there　too！'）　struck　a　damp　through　Royal　Highness；　who　instantly　ordered　retreat；　and　took　the　road。　What　singular　ill…luck　that　sound　of　Breitenbach　to　Royal　Highness！　For　observe；　the　EFFECT　of　Breitenbach；which　was；　to　recover　the　lost　battery　（gallant　young　Prince　of　Brunswick；　'Hereditary　Prince；'　or　Duke　that　is　to　be；　striking　in　upon　it　with　bayonet…charge　at　the　right　moment）；　made　D'Estrees　to　order　retreat！　'Battle　lost；'　thinks　D'Estrees；and　with　good　cause；　had　Breitenbach　been　supported　at　all。　But　no　subaltern　durst；　and　Royal　Highness　himself　was　not　overtakable；　so　far　on　the　road。　Royal　Highness　wept　on　hearing；　the　Brunswick　Grenadiers　too　are　said　to　have　wept　（for　rage）；　and　probably　Breitenbach　and　the　Hereditary　Prince。〃