history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第27部分

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　make　of　it。　Bevern　is　jealous　of　Winterfeld；　hint　they；　and　willing　to　see　his　impetuous　audacity　checked。　Perhaps　only　cautious　of　getting　into　a　general　action　for　what　was　intrinsically　nothing？　Second；　that　two　regiments　of　Infantry；　whom　Winterfeld　detached　double…quick　to　seize　a　couple　of　villages　（Leopoldshayn；　Hermsdorf）　on　his　right；　and　therefrom　fusillade　Nadasti　on　flank；　found　the　villages　already　occupied　by　thousands　of　Croats；　with　regular　foot　and　cannon…batteries；　and　could　in　nowise　seize　them。　This　was　a　great　reverse　of　advantage。　Third；　that　an　Aide…de…Camp　made　a　small　misnomer；　misreport　of　one　word；　which　was　terribly　important：　〃Bring　me　hither　Regiment　Manteuffel！〃　Winterfeld　had　ordered。　The　Aide…de…Camp　reported　it　〃Grenadiers　Manteuffel：〃　upon　which；　the　grenadiers；　who　were　posted　in　a　walled　garden；　an　important　point　to　Winterfeld's　right；　came　instantly　to　order；　and　Austrians　instantly　rushed　in　to　the　vacant　post；　and　galled　Winterfeld's　other　flank　by　their　fire。　＇Abundant　Accounts　in　Seyfarth；　ii。　（　Beylagen）；　162…163；　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　615…633；　Retzow；　i。　216…221。＇

Enough；　Winterfeld　lay　bleeding　to　death；　the　Hill　was　lost；　Prussians　drawing　off　slowly　and　back…foremost；　about　two　in　the　afternoon；　upon　which　the　Austrians　also　drew　off；　leaving　only　a　small　party　on　the　Hill；　who　voluntarily　quitted　it　next　morning。　Next　morning；　likewise；　Winterfeld　had　died。　The　Hill　was；　except　as　bravado；　and　by　way　of　comfort　to　Kaunitz；　nothing　for　the　Austrians；　but　the　death　of　Winterfeld；　which　had　come　by　chance　to　them　in　the　business；　was　probably　a　great　thing。　Better　than　two　pitched　battles　gained：　who　shall　say？　He　was　a　shining　figure；　this　Winterfeld；　dangerous　to　the　Austrians。　The　most　shining　figure　in　the　Prussian　Army；　except　its　Chief；　and　had　great　thoughts　in　his　head。　Prussia　is　not　skilful　to　celebrate　her　Heroes；the　Prussian　Muse　of　History；　choked　with　dry　military　pipe…clay；　or　with　husky　cobwebbery　and　academic　pedantry；　how　can　she？but　if　Prussia　can　produce　heroes　worth　celebrating；　that　is　the　one　important　point。　Apart　from　soldiership；　and　the　outward　features　which　are　widely　different；　there　is　traceable　in　Winterfeld　some　kinship　in　soul　to　English　Chatham　his　contemporary；　though　he　has　not　had　the　fame　of　Chatham。

Winterfeld　was　by　no　means　universally　liked；　as　what　brave　man　is　or　can　be？　Too　susceptible　to　flattery；　too　this；　too　that。　He　is；　one　feels　always；　except　Friedrich　only；　the　most　shining　figure　in　the　Prussian　Army：　and　it　was　not　unnatural　he　should　be　Friedrich's　one　friend；as　seems　to　have　been　the　case。　Friedrich；　when　this　Job's…message　reached　him　（in　Erfurt　Country；　eight　days　hence）；　was　deeply　affected　by　it。　To　tears；　or　beyond　tears；　as　we　can　fancy。　〃Against　my　multitude　of　enemies　I　may　contrive　resources；〃　he　was　heard　to　say；　〃but　I　shall　find　no　Winterfeld　again！〃　Adieu；　my　one　friend；　real　Peer；　sole　companion　to　my　lonely　pilgrimage　in　these　perilous　high　regions。

〃The　Prince　of　Prussia；　contrariwise；〃　says　a　miserable　little　Note；　which　must　not　be　withheld；　〃brightened　up　at　the　news：　'I　shall　now　die　much　more　content；　knowing　that　there　is　one　so　bad　and　dangerous　man　fewer　in　the　Army！'　And；　six　months　after；　in　his　actual　death…moments；　he　exclaimed：　'I　end　my　life；　the　last　period　of　which　has　cost　me　so　much　sorrow；　but　Winterfeld　is　he　who　shortened　my　days！'〃　＇Preuss；　ii。　75；　citing　Retzow。＇Very　bitter　Opposition　humors　circulating；　in　their　fashion；　there　as　elsewhere　in　this　world！

Bevern；　the　millstone　of　Winterfeld　being　off　his　neck；　has　become　a　more　responsible；　though　he　feels　himself　a　much…delivered　man。　Had　not　liked　Winterfeld；　they　say；　or　had　even　hated　him；　since　those　bad　Zittau　times。　Can　now；　at　any　rate；　make　for　Schlesien　and　the　meal…magazines；　when　he　sees　good。　He　will　find　meal　readier　there；　may　he　find　other　things　corresponding！　Nobody　now　to　keep　him　painfully　manoeuvring　in　these　parts；　with　the　King's　Army　nearer　to　him；　but　meal　not。

On　the　third　day　after　（September　l0th）；　Bevern；　having　finished　packing；　took　the　road　for　Schlesien；　Daun　and　Karl　attending　him；　nothing　left　of　Daun　and　Karl　in　those　Saxon　Countries；except；　at　Stolpen；　out　Dresden…wards；　some　Reserve…Post　or　Rear…guard　of　15；000；　should　we　chance　to　hear　of　that　again。　And　from　the　end　of　September　onwards；　Bevern's　star；　once　somewhat　bright　at　Reichenberg；　shot　rapidly　downwards；　under　the　horizon　altogether；　and　there　came；　post　after　post；　such　news　out　of　Schlesien；　to　say　nothing　of　that　Stolpen　Party；as　Friedrich　had　never　heard　before。



Chapter　VII。

FRIEDRICH　IN　THURINGEN；　HIS　WORLD　OF　ENEMIES　ALL　COME。

The　Soubise…Hildburghausen　people　had　got　rendezvoused　at　Erfurt　about　August　25th；　50；000　by　account；　and　no　enemy　within　200　miles　of　them；　and　in　the　Versailles　circles　it　had　been　expected　they　would　proceed　to　the　〃Deliverance　of　Saxony〃　straightway。　What　is　to　hinder？Friedrich；　haggling　with　the　Austrians　at　Bernstadt；　could　muster　but　a　poor　23；000；　when　he　did　march　towards　Erfurt。　In　those　same　neighborhoods；　within　reach　of　Soubise；　is　the　Richelieu；　late　D'Estrees；　Army；　elated　with　Hastenbeck；　comfortably　pushing　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland；　who　makes　no　resistance；　step　by　step；　into　the　sea；　victoriously　plundering；　far　and　wide　in　those　countries；　Hanover　itself　the　Head…quarter。　In　the　Versailles　circles；　it　is　farther　expected　that　Richelieu；　〃Conqueror　of　Minorca；〃　will　shortly　besiege　and　conquer　　Magdeburg；　and　so　crown　his　glories。　Why　not；　were　the　〃Deliverance　of　Saxony〃　complete？

The　whole　of　which　turned　out　greatly　otherwise；　and　to　the　sad　disappointment　of　Versailles。　The　Conqueror　of　Minorca　is　probably　aware　that　the　conquering　of　Magdeburg；　against　one　whose　platforms　are　not　rotten；　and　who　does　not　〃lie　always　in　his　bed；〃　as　poor　old　Blakeney　did；　will　be　a　very　different　matter。　And　the　private　truth　is；　Marrchal　de　Richelieu　never　turned　his　thoughts　upon　Magdeburg　at　all；　nor　upon　any　point　of　war　that　had　difficulties；　but　solely　upon　collecting　plunder　for　himself　in　those　Countries。　One　of　the　most　magnificent　marauders　on　record；　in　no　danger；　he；　of　becoming　monitory　and　a　pendulum；　like　the　1；000　that　already　swing　in　that　capacity　to　rear　of　him！　And　he　did　manage；　in　this　Campaign；　which　was　the　last　of　his　military　services；　so　as　to　pay　off　at　Paris　〃above　50；000　pounds　of　debts；　and　to　build　for　himself　a　beautiful　Garden　Mansion　there；　which　the　mocking　populations　called　'Hanover　Pavilion　（PAVILION　D'HANOVRE）；'〃　a　name　still　sticking　to　it；　I　believe。　＇Barbier；　iii。　256；　271。＇　Of　the　Richelieu　Campaign　we　are　happily　delivered　from　saying　almost　anything：　and　the　main　interest　for　us　turns　now　on　that　Soubise…Hildburghausen　wing　of　it；which　also　is　a　sufficiently　contemptible　affair；　not　to　be　spoken　of　beyond　the　strictly　unavoidable。

Friedrich；　with　his　23；000　setting　out　from　Dresden；　August　30th；　has　a　march　of　about　170　miles　towards　Erfurt。　He　may　expect　to　findcounting　Richelieu；　if　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　persist　in　acting　ZERO　as　hithertoa　confused　mass　of　about　150；000　Enemies；　of　one　sort　and　other；　waiting　him　ahead；　not　to　think　of　those　he　has　just　left　behind；and　he　cannot　well　be　in　a　triumphant　humor！　Behind；　before；　around；　it　is　one　gathering　of　Enemies：　one　point　only　certain；　that　he　must　beat　them；　or　else　die。　Readers　would　fain　follow　him　in　this　forlorn　march；　him；　the　one　point　of　interest　now　in　it：　and　readers　shall；　if　we　can　manage；　though　it　is　extremely　difficult。　For；　on　getting　to　Erfurt；　he　finds　his　Soubise…Hildburghausen　Army　off　on　retreat　among　the　inaccessible　Hills　still　farther　westward；　and　has　to　linger　painfully　there；　and　to　detach；　and　even　to　march　personally　against　other　Enemies；　and　then；　these　finished；　to　march　back　towards　his　Erfurt　ones；　who　are　taking　heart　in　the　interim：and；　in　short；　from　September　1st　to　November　5th；　there　are　two　months　of　confused　manoeuvring　and　marching　to　and　fro　in　that　West…Saxon　region；　which　are　very　intricate　to　readers。　November　5th　is　a　day　unforgettable：　but　anterior　to　that；　what　can　we　do？　Here；　dated；　are　the　Three　grand　Epochs　of　the　thing；　which　readers　had　better　fix　in　mind　as　a　preliminary：

　　1。　SEPTEMBER　13th；　Friedrich　has　got　to　Erfurt　neighborhood；　but　Soubise　and　Company　are　off　westward　to　the　Hills　of　Eisenach；　won't　come　down；　Friedrich　obliged　to　linger　thereabouts；　painfully　waiting　almost　a　month；　till　　　2。　OCTOBER　11th；　hearing　that　〃15；000　Austrians〃　（that　Stolpen　Party；　left　as　rear…guard　at　Stolpen；　Croats　mainly；　under　a　General　Haddick）　are　on　march　for　Berlin；　he　rises　in　haste　thitherward；　through　Leipzig；　Torgau；　say　100　miles；　hears　that　Haddick　HAS　been　in　Berlin　（16th…17th　October）　for　one　day；　and　that　he　is　off　again　full　speed　with　a　ransom　of　30；000　pounds；　which　they　have　had　to　pay　him：　upon　which　Friedrich　calls　halt　in　the　Torgau　country；and　would　have　been　uncertain　what　to　do；　had　not　　　3。　Soubise　and　Company；　extremely　elated　with　this　Haddick　Feat；　come　out　from　their　Hills；　intent　to　deliver　Saxony　after　all。　So　that　Friedrich　has　to　turn　back　（October　26th…30th）　through　Leipzig　again；　towards；in　fact　towards　ROSSBACH　and　NOVEMBER　5th；　in　his　old　Saale　Country；　which　does　not　prove　so　wearisome　as　formerly！

These　are　the　cardinal　dates；　these　let　the　reader　recur　to；　if　necessary；　and　keep　steadily　in　mind：　it　will　then　perhaps　be　possible　to　intercalate；　in　a　manner　intelligible　to　him；　what　other　lucent　phenomena　there　are；　and　these　dismal　wanderings；　and　miserablest　two　months　of　Friedrich's　life；　will　not　be　wholly　a　provoking　blotch　of　enigmatic　darkness；　but　in　some　sort　a　thing　with　features　in　the　twilight　of　the　Past。


I。　FRIEDRICH'S　MARCH　TO　ERFURT　FROM　DRESDEN　（31st　August…13th　September；　1757）。

The　march　to　Erfurt　was　of　twelve　days；　and　without　adventure　to　speak　of。　Mayer　and　Free…Battalion　had　the　vanguard；　Friedrich　there　as　usual；　main　body；　under　Keith　with　Ferdinand　and　Moritz；　following　in　several　columns：　straight　towards　their　goal；　with　steady　despatch；　for　twelve　days；weather　often　very　wet。　＇Tempelhof；　i。　229；　Rodenbeck；　i。　317　（not　ve