history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第39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！


；　the　word　was　given；　March！　And　good　speed　they　made　about　it；　in　this　Herrenhaus；　and　out　of　doors　too；　striking　their　tents；　and　cording　up　and　trimly　shouldering　everything　with　incredible　brevity；〃　as　if　machinery　were　doing　it；　〃and　at　three；　on　the　Prussian　part；　all　was　packed　and　out　into　the　court　for　being　carried　off；　and；　in　fact；　the　Prussian　Army　was　on　march　at　three。〃　Seidlitz；　with　all　his　Horse；　vanishing　round　the　corner　of　the　Height；　speeding　along；　invisible　on　his　northern　slope　there；　straight　for　the　Janus…Polzen　Hill　part；　the　Infantry　following；　double…quick；well　knowing；　each；　what　he　has　got　to　do。

But　at　this　interesting　point；　the　Editorssmall　thanks　to　them；　authentic　but　thrice…stupid　mortalscut　short　our　Eye…witness；　not　so　much　as　telling　us　his　name；　some　of　them　not　even　his　date　or　whereabouts；　and　so　the　curtain　tumbles　down　（as　if　its　string　had　been　cut；　or　suddenly　eaten　by　unwise　animals）；　and　we　are　left　to　gray　hubbub；　and　our　own　resources　at　second…hand。　Except　only　that　a　French　Officerone　of　those　cannonading　from　Almsdorf；　no　doubt　declares　that　〃it　was　like　a　change　of　scene　in　the　Opera　（DECORATION　D'OPERA）；〃　＇Letter　in　MULLER：　p。　60。　In　WESTPHALEN　（ii。　128…133）　is　a　much　superior　French　Letter；　intercepted　somewhere；　and　fallen　to　Duke　Ferdinand；　well　worth　reading；　on　Rossbach　and　the　previous　Affairs。＇　so　very　rapid；　and　that　〃they　all　rolled　off　eastward　at　quick　time。〃　At　extremely　quick　time；　and　soon；　in　the　slight　hollow　behind　Janus　Hugel；　vanished　from　sight　of　these　Almsdorf　French；　and　of　the　Soubise…Hildburghausen　Army　in　general。　Which　latter　is　agreeably　surprised　at　the　phenomenon；　and　draws　a　highly　flattering　conclusion　from　it。　〃Gone；　then；　off　at　double…quick　for　Merseburg；　aha！〃　think　the　Soubise…Hildburghausen　people：　〃Double…quick　you　too；　my　pretty　men；　lest　they　do　whisk　away；　and　we　never　get　a　stroke　at　them；！〃

Seidlitz　meanwhile；　with　his　cavalry　（thirty…eight　squadrons；　about　4；000　horse）；　is　rapidly　doing　the　order　he　has　had。　Seidlitz　at　a　sharp　military　trot；　and　the　infantry　at　doublequick　to　keep　up　near　him；　which　they　cannot　quite　do；　are；　as　we　have　said；　making　right　across　for　the　Polzen…Hill　and　Janus…Hill　quarter；　their　route　the　string；　French　route　the　bow；　and　are　invisible　to　the　French；　owing　to　the　heights　between。　Seidlitz；　when　he　gets　to　the　proper　point　eastward；　will　wheel　about；　front　to　southward；　and　be　our　left　wing；　infantry；　as　centre　and　right；　will　appear　in　like　manner；　andwe　shall　see！

The　exultant　Dauphiness；　or　Soubise…Hildburghausen　Army　（let　us　call　it；　for　brevity's　sake；　Dauphiness　or　French；　which　it　mainly　was）；　on　that　rapid　disappearance　of　the　Prussians；　never　doubted　but　the　Prussians　were　off　on　flight　for　Merseburg；　to　get　across　by　the　Bridge　there。　Whereat　Dauphiness；　doubly　exultant；　mended　her　own　pace；　cavalry　at　a　sharp　trot；　infantry　double…quick；　but　unable　to　keep　up；for　the　purpose　of　capturing　or　intercepting　the　runaway　Prussians。　Speed；　my　friends；if　you　would　do　a　stroke　upon　Friedrich；　and　show　the　Versailles　people　a　King　at　last！　Thus　they；　hurrying　on；　in　two　parallel　columns；infantry；　long　floods　of　it；　coming　double…quick　but　somewhat　fallen　behind；　cavalry　7；000　or　so；　as　vanguard；faster　and　faster；　sweeping　forward　on　their　southern　side　of　the　Janus…and…Polzen　slope；　and　now　rather　climbing　the　same。

Seidlitz　has　his　hussar　pickets　on　the　top；　to　keep　him　informed　as　to　their　motions；　and　how　far　they　are　got。　Seidlitz；　invisible　on　the　south　slope　of　the　Polzen　Hugel；　finds　about　half…past　three　P。M。　that　he　is　now　fairly　ahead　of　Dauphiness；　Seidlitz　halts；　wheels；　comes　to　the　top；　〃Got　the　flank　of　them；　sure　enough！〃　and　without　waiting　signal　or　farther　orders；　every　instant　being　precious；　rapidly　forms　himself；　and　plunges　down　on　these　poor　people。　〃Compact　as　a　wall；　and　with　an　incredible　velocity　（D'UNE　VITESSE　INCROYABLE）；〃　says　one　of　them。　Figure　the　astonishment　of　Dauphiness；　of　poor　Broglio；　who　commands　the　horse　here。　Taken　in　flank；　instead　of　taking　other　people；　intercepted；　not　in　the　least　needing　to　intercept！　Has　no　time　to　form；　though　he　tried　what　he　could。　Only　the　two　Austrian　regiments　got　completely　formed；　the　rest　very　incompletely；　and　Seidlitz；　in　the　blaze　of　rapid　steel；　is　in　upon　them。　The　two　Austrian　regiments；　and　two　French　that　are　named；　made　what　debate　was　feasible；courage　nowise　wanting；　in　such　sad　want　of　captaincy；　nay　Soubise　in　person　galloped　into　it；　if　that　could　have　helped。　But　from　the　first；　the　matter　was　hopeless；　Seidlitz　slashing　it　at　such　a　rate；　and　plunging　through　it　and　again　through　it；　thrice；　some　say　four　times：　so　that；　in　the　space　of　half　an　hour；　this　luckless　cavalry　was　all　tumbling　off　the　ground；　plunging　down…　hill；　in　full　flight；　across　its　own　infantry　or　whatever　obstacle；　Seidlitz　on　the　hips　of　it；　and　galloping　madly　over　the　horizon；　towards　Freiburg　as　it　proved；　and　was　not　again　heard　of　that　day。

In　about　half　an　hour　that　bit　of　work　was　over；　and　Seidlitz；　with　his　ranks　trimmed　again；　had　drawn　himself　southward　a　little；　into　the　Hollow　of　Tageswerben；　there　to　wait　impending　phenomena。　For　Friedrich　with　the　Infantry　is　now　emerging　over　Janus　Hill；　in　a　highly　thunderous　manner；eighteen　pieces　of　artillery　going；　and　〃four　big　guns　taken　from　the　walls　of　Leipzig；〃　and　there　will　be　events　anon。　It　is　said；　Hildburghausen；　at　the　first　glimpse　of　Friedrich　over　the　hill…top；　whispered　to　Soubise；　〃We　are　lost；　Royal　Highness！〃〃Courage！〃　Soubise　would　answer；　and　both；　let　us　hope；　did　their　utmost　in　this　extremely　bad　predicament　they　had　got　into。

Friedrich's　artillery　goes　at　a　murderous　rate；　had　come　in　view；　over　the　hill…top；　before　Seidlitz　ended；〃nothing　but；　the　muzzles　of　it　visible〃　（and　the　fire…torrents　from　it）　to　us　poor　French　below。　Friedrich's　lines；　or　rather　his　one　line；　mere　tip　of　his　left　wing；only　seven　battalions　in　it；　five　of　them　under　Keith　from　the　second　or　reserve　line；　whole　centre　and　right　wing　standing　〃refused〃　in　oblique　rank；　invisible；　BEHIND　the　Hill；　Friedrich's　line；　we　say；　the　artillery　to　its　right；　shoots　out　in　mysterious　Prussian　rhythm；　in　echelons；　in　potences；　obliquely　down　the　Janus…Hill　side；　straight；　rigid；　regular　as　iron　clock…　work；　and　strides　towards　us；　silent；　with　the　lightning　sleeping　in　it：Friedrich　has　got　the　flank　of　Dauphiness；　and　means　to　keep　it。　Once　and　again　and　a　third　time；　poor　Soubise；　with　his　poor　regiments　much　in　an　imbroglio；　here　heaped　on　one　another；　there　with　wide　gaps；　halt　being　so　sudden；attempts　to　recover　the　flank；　and　pushes　out　this　regiment　and　the　other；　rightward；　to　be　even　with　Friedrich。　But　sees　with　despair　that　it　cannot　be；　that　Friedrich　with　his　echelons；　potences　and　mysterious　Prussian　resources；　pulls　himself　out　like　the　pieces　of　a　prospect…glass；　piece　after　piece；　hopelessly　fast　and　seemingly　no　end　to　them；　and　that　the　flank　is　lost；　and　thatUnhappy　Generals　of　Dauphiness；　what　a　phenomenon　for　them！　A　terrible　Friedrich；　not　fled　to　Merseburg　at　all；　but　mounted　there　on　the　Janus　Hill；　as　on　his　saddle…horse；　with　face　quite　the　other　way；and　for　holster…pistol；　has　plucked　out　twenty…two　cannon。　Clad　verily　in　fire；　Chimera…like；　RIDING　the　Janus　Hill；　in　that　manner；　left　leg　（or　wing）　of　him　spurning　us　into　the　abysses；　right　one　ready　to　help　at　discretion！

Hildburghausen；　I　will　hope；　does　his　utmost；　Soubise；　Broglio；　for　certain　do。　The　French　line　is　in　front；　next　the　Prussians：　poor　Generals　of　Dauphiness　are　panting　to　retrieve　themselves。　But　with　regiments　jammed　in　this　astonishing　way；　and　got　collectively　into　the　lion's　throat；　what　can　be　done？　Steady；　rigid　as　iron　clock…work；　the　Prussian　line　strides　forward；　at　forty　paces'　distance　delivers　its　first　shock　of　lightning；　bursts　into　platoon　fire；　and　so　continues；　steady　at　the　rate　of　five　shots　a　minute；hard　to　endure　by　poor　masses　all　in　a　coil。　〃The　artillery　tore　down　whole　ranks　of　us；〃　says　the　Wutenberg　Dragoon；　＇His　Letter　in　MULLER；　p。　83。＇　〃the　Prussian　musketry　did　terrible　execution。〃

Things　began　％o　waver　very　soon；　French　reeling　back　from　the　Prussian　fire；　Reichs　troops　rocking　very　uneasy；　torn　by　such　artillery；　when；　to　crown　the　matter；　Seidlitz；　seeing　all　things　rock　to　the　due　extent；　bursts　out　of　Tageswerben　Hollow；　terribly　compact　and　furious；　upon　the　rear　of　them。　Which　sets　all　things　into　inextricable　tumble；　and　the　Battle　is　become　a　rout　and　a　riding　into　ruin；　no　Battle　ever　more。　Lasted　twenty…five　minutes；　this　second　act　of　it；　or　till　half…past　four：　after　which；　the　curtains　rapidly　descending　（Night's　curtain；　were　there　no　other）　cover　the　remainder；　the　only　stage…direction；　EXEUNT　OMNES。　Which　for　a　50　or　60；000；　ridden　over　by　Seidlitz　Horse；　was　not　quite　an　easy　matter！　They　left；　of　killed　and　wounded；　near　3；000；　of　prisoners；　5；000　（Generals　among　them　8；　Officers　300）：　in　sum；　about　8；000；　not　to　mention　cannon；　67　or　72；　with　standards；　flags；　kettle…drums　and　meaner　baggages　AD　LIBITUM　in　a　manner。　The　Prussian　loss　was；　165　killed；　376　wounded；between　a　sixteenth　and　a　fifteenth　part　of　theirs：　in　number　the　Prussians　had　been　little　more　than　one　to　three；　22；000　of　all　arms；not　above　half　of　whom　ever　came　into　the　fire；　Seidlitz　and　seven　battalions　doing　all　the　fighting　that　was　needed；　St。　Germain　tried　to　cover　the　retreat；　but　〃got　broken；〃　he　says；Mayer　bursting　in　on　him；and　soon　went　to　slush　like　the　others。

Seldom；　almost　never；　not　even　at　Crecy　or　Poictiers；　was　any　Army　better　beaten。　And　truly；　we　must　say；　seldom　did　any　better　deserve　it；　so　far　as　the　Chief　Parties　went。　Yes；　Messieurs；　this　is　the　PETIT　MARQUIS　DE　BRANDEBOURG；　you　will　know　this　one；　when　you　meet　him　again！　The　flight；　the　French　part　of　it；　was　towards　Freiburg　Bridge；　in　full　gallop；　long　after　the　chase　had　ceased；　crossing　of　the　Unstrut　there；　hoarse；　many…voiced；　all　night；　burning　of　the　Bridge；　found　burnt；　when　Friedrich　arrived　next　morning。　He　had　encamped　at　Obschutz；　short　way　from　the　field　itself。　French　Army；　Reichs　Army；　all　was　gone　to　staves；　to　utter　chaotic　wreck。　Hildburghausen　went　by　Naumburg；　crossed