history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第4部分

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iver；　that　is；　ACROSS　from　Reichenberg）；　backed　by　woody　hills；　nothing　but　hills；　brooks；　woods　all　round；　Hollow　scooped　out　as　if　for　the　purpose；　and　altogether　of　inviting　character　to　Konigseck。　There；　〃Wednesday；　April　20th；〃　Konigseck　posts　himself；　plants　batteries；　fells　abatis；　plenty　of　cannon；　of　horse　and　foot；　and；　say　all　soldiers；　one　of　the　best　positions　possible。

So　that　Bevern；　approaching　Reichenberg　at　evening；　evening　of　his　first　march；　Wednesday；　April　20th；　finds　his　way　barred；　and　that　the　difficulties　may　be　considerable。　〃Nothing　to　be　made　of　it　to…night；〃　thinks　Bevern；　〃but　we　must　try　to…morrow！〃　and　has　to　take　camp；　〃with　a　marshy　brook　in　front　of　him；〃　some　way　on　the　hither　side　of　Reichenberg；　and　study　overnight　what　method　of　unbarring　there　may　be。　Thursday　morning　early；　Bevern；　having　well　reconnoitred　and　studied；　was　at　work　unbarring。　Bevern　crossed　his　own　marshy　brook；　courageously　assaulted　Konigseck's　position；　left　wing　of　Konigseck；　stormed　the　abatis；　the　batteries；　plunged　in　upon　Konigseck；　man　to　man；　horse　to　horse；　and　after　some　fierce　enough　but　brief　dispute；　tumbled　Konigseck　out　of　the　ground。　Konigseck　made　some　attempt　to　rally；　attempted　twice；　but　in　vain；　had　fairly　to　roll　away；　and　at　length　to　run；　leaving　1；000　dead　upon　the　field；　about　500　prisoners；　one　or　two　guns；　and　I　forget　how　many　standards；　or　whether　any　kettle…drums。　This　was　thought　to　be　a　decidedly　bright　feat　on　Bevern's　part　（rather　mismanaged　latterly　on　Konigseck's）；　＇Tempelhof；　i。　100；　　Helden…　Geschichte；　　iii。　1077　（Friedrich's　own　Account；　〃Linay　　in　Bohmen；　24th　April；　1757〃）；　&c。　&c。　There　is；　in　Busching's　italic》　Magazin　　（xvi。　139　et　seq。）；　an　intelligible　sketch　of　this　Action　of　Reichenherg；　with　satirical　criticisms；　which　have　some　basis；　on　Lacy；　Maguire　and　others；　by　an　Anonymous　Military　Cynic；who　gives　many　such　in　BUSCHING　（that　of　Fontenoy；　for　example）；　not　without　force　of　judgment；　and　signs　of　wide　study　and　experience　in　his　trade。＇much　approved　by　Friedrich；　as　he　hears　of　it；　at　Linay；　on　his　own　prosperous　march　Prag…ward。　A　comfortable　omen；　were　there　nothing　more。

Konigseck　and　Company；　torn　out　of　Reichenberg；　and　set　running；　could　not　fairly　halt　again　and　face　about　till　at　Liebenau；　twenty　miles　off；　where　they　found　some　defile　or　difficult　bit　of　ground　fit　for　them；　and　this　too　proved　capable　of　yielding　pause　for　a　few　hours　only。　For　Schwerin；　with　his　Silesian　Column；　was　coming　up　from　the　northeast；　threatening　Konigseck　on　flank　and　rear：　Konigseck　could　only　tighten　his　straps　a　little　at　this　Liebenau；　and　again　get　under　way；　and　making　vain　attempts　to　hinder　the　junction　of　Schwerin　and　Bevern；　to　defend　the　Jung…Bunzlau　Magazine；　or　do　any　good　in　those　parts；　except　to　detain　the　Schwerin…Bevern　people　certain　hours　（I　think；　one　day　in　all）；　had　nothing　for　it　but　to　gird　himself　together；　and　retreat　on　Prag　and　the　Ziscaberg；　where　his　friends　now　were。

The　Austrian　force　at　Reichenberg　was　20；000；　would　have　been　30　and　odd　thousands；　had　Maguire　come　up　（as　he　might　have　done；　had　not　the　appearances　alarmed　him　too　much）；　Bevern；　minus　the　Detachment　sent　against　Maguire；　was　but　15；000　in　fight；　and　he　has　quite　burst　the　Austrians　away；　who　had　plugged　his　road　for　him　in　such　force：　is　it　not　a　comfortable　little　victory；　glorious　in　its　sort；　and　a　good　omen　for　the　bigger　things　that　are　coming？　Bevern　marched　composedly　on；　after　this　inspiriting　tussle；　through　Liebenau　and　what　defiles　there　were；　April　24th；　at　Turnau；　he　falls　into　the　Schwerin　Column；　incorporates　himself　therewith；　and；　as　subordinate　constituent　part；　accompanies　Schwerin　thenceforth。

3。　〃Column　THIRD　was　Schwerin's；　out　of　Schlesien；　counted　to　be　32；000　foot；　12；000　horse。　Schwerin；　gathering　himself；　from　Glatz　and　the　northerly　country；　at　Landshut；very　careless；　he；　of　the　pleasant　Hills；　and　fine　scattered　peaks　of　the　Giant　Mountains　thereabouts；was　completely　gathered　foremost　of　all　the　Columns；　having　farthest　to　go。　And　on　Monday；　18th　April；　started　from　Landshut；　Winterfeld　leading　one　division。　In　our　days；　it　is　the　finest　of　roads；　high　level　Pass；　of　good　width；　across　the　Giant　Range；　pleasant　painted　hamlets　sprinkling　it；　fine　mountain　ridges　and　distant　peaks　looking　on；　Schneekoppe　（SNOWfell；　its　head　bright…white　till　July　come）　attends　you；　far　to　the　right；　all　the　way：probably　Sprite　Rubezahl　inhabits　there；　and　no　doubt　River　Elbe　begins　his　long　journey　there；　trickling　down　in　little　threads　over　yonder；　intending　to　float　navies　by　and　by：　considerations　infinitely　indifferent　to　Schwerin。　'The　road；'　says　my　Tourist；　（is　not　Alpine；　it　reminds　you　of　Derbyshire…Peak　country；　more　like　the　road　from　Castletown　to　Sheffield　than　any　I　could　name；'we　have　been　in　it　before；　my　reader　and　I；　about　Schatzlar　and　other　places。　Trautenau；　well　down　the　Hills；　with　swift　streams；　more　like　torrents；　bound　Elbe…wards；　watering　it；　is　a　considerable　Austrian　Town；　and　the　Bohemian　end　of　the　Pass；　Sohr　only　a　few　miles　from　it：　heartily　indifferent　to　Schwerin　at　this　moment；　who　was　home　from　the　Army；　in　a　kind　of　disfavor；　or　mutual　pet；　at　the　time　Sohr　was　done。　Schwerin's　March　we　shall　not　give；　his　junction　with　Bevern　（at　Turnau；　on　the　Iser；　April　24th）；　then　their　capture　of　Jung…Bunzlau　Magazine；　and　crossing　of　the　Elbe　at　Melnick；　these　were　the　important　points；　and；　in　spite　of　Konigseck's　tusslings；　these　all　went　well；　and　nothing　was　lost　except　one　day　of　time。〃

The　Austrians；　some　days　ago；　as　we　observed；　filed　THROUGH　Prag；　Sunday；　May　1st；　not　a　pleasant　holiday…spectacle　to　the　populations；and　are　all　encamped　on　the　Ziscaberg　high　ground；　on　the　other　side　of　the　City。　Had　they　been　alert；　now　was　the　time　to　attack　Friedrich；　who　is　weaker　than　they；　while　nobody　has　yet　joined　him。　They　did　not　think　of　it；　under　Prince　Karl；　and　Browne　and　the　Prince　are　said　to　be　in　bad　agreement。



Chapter　II。

BATTLE　OF　PRAG。

Monday　morning；　2d　May；　1757；　the　Vanguard；　or　advanced　troops　of　Friedrich's　Column；　had　appeared　upon　the　Weissenberg；　northwest　corner　of　Prag　（ground　known　to　them　in　1744；　and　to　the　poor　Winter…King　in　1620）：　Vanguard　in　the　morning；　followed　shortly　by　Friedrich　himself；　and；　hour　after　hour；　by　all　the　others；　marching　in。　So　that；　before　sunset；　the　whole　force　lay　posted　there；　and　had　the　romantic　City　of　Prag　full　in　view　at　their　feet。　A　most　romantic；　high…piled；　many…towered；　most　unlevel　old　City；　its　skylights　and　gilt　steeple…cocks　glittering　in　the　western　sun；Austrian　Camp　very　visible　close　beyond　it；　spread　out　miles　in　extent　on　the　Ziscaberg　Heights；　or　eastern　side；　Prag；　no　doubt；　and　the　Austrian　Garrison　of　Prag；　taking　intense　survey　of　this　Prussian　phenomenon；　with　commentaries；　with　emotions；　hidden　now　in　eternal　silence；　as　is　fit　enough。　One　thing　we　know；　〃Head…quarter　was　in　Welleslawin：〃　there；　in　that　small　Hamlet；　nearly　to　north；　lodged　Friedrich；　the　then　busiest　man　of　Europe；　whom　Posterity　is　still　striving　for　a　view　of；　as　something　memorable。

Prince　Karl；　our　old　friend；　is　now　in　chief　command　yonder；　Browne　also　is　there；　who　was　in　chief　command；　their　scheme　of　Campaign　gone　all　awry。　And　to　Friedrich；　last　night；　at　his　quarters　〃in　the　Monastery　of　Tuchomirsitz；〃　where　these　two　Gentlemen　had　lodged　the　night　before；　it　was　reported　that　they　had　been　heard　in　violent　altercation；　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　11　（exact　〃Diary　of　the　march〃　given　there）。＇　both　of　them；　naturally；　in　ill…humor　at　the　surprising　turn　things　had　taken；　and　Feldmarschall　Browne　firing　up；　belike；　at　some　platitude　past　or　coming；　at　some　advice　of　his　rejected；　some　imputation　cast　on　him；　or　we　know　not　what。　Prince　Karl　is　now　chief；　and　indignant　Browne；　as　may　well　be　the　case；　dissents　a　good　deal；as　he　has　often　had　to　do。　Patience；　my　friend；　it　is　near　ending　now！　Prince　Karl　means　to　lie　quiet　on　the　Ziscaberg；　and　hold　Prag；　does　not　think　of　molesting　Friedrich　in　his　solitary　state；　and　will　undertake　nothing；　〃till　Konigseck；　from　Jung…Bunzlau；　come　in；〃　victorious　or　not；　or　till　perhaps　even　Daun　arrive　（who　is；　rather　slowly；　gathering　reinforcement　in　Maren）：　〃What　can　the　enemy　attempt　on　us；　in　a　Post　of　this　strength？〃　thinks　Prince　Karl。　And　Browne；　whatever　his　insight　or　convictions　be；　has　to　keep　silence。

〃Weissenberg；〃　let　readers　be　reminded；　〃is　on　the　hither　or　western　side　of　Prag：　the　Hradschin　＇pronounce　RadSHEEN；　with　accent　on　the　last　syllable；　as　in　〃SchwerIN〃　and　other　such　cases＇；　the　Hradschin；　which　is　the　topmost　summit　of　the　City　and　of　the　Fashionable　Quarter；old　Bohemian　Palace；　still　occasionally　habitable　as　such；　and　in　constant　use　as　a　DOWNING　STREET；lies　on　the　slope　or　shoulder　of　the　Weissenberg；　a　good　way　from　the　top；　and　has　a　web　of　streets　rushing　down　from　it；　steepest　streets　in　the　world；　till　they　reach　the　Bridge；　and　broad…flowing　Moldau　（broad　as　Thames　at　half…flood；　but　nothing　like　so　deep）；　after　which　the　streets　become　level；　and　spread　out　in　intricate　plenty　to　right　and　to　left；　and　ahead　eastward；　across　the　River；　till　the　Ziscaberg；　with　frowning　precipitous　brow；　suddenly　puts　a　stop　to　them　in　that　particular　direction。　From　Ziscaberg　top　to　Weissenberg　top　may　be　about　five　English　miles；　from　the　Hradschin　to　the　foot　of　Ziscaberg；　northwest　to　southeast；　will　be　half　that　distance；　the　greatest　length　of　Prag　City。　Which　is　rather　rhomboidal　in　shape；　its　longer　diagonal　this　that　we　mention。　The　shorter　diagonal；　from　northmost　base　of　Ziscaberg　to　southmost　of　Hradschin；　is　perhaps　a　couple　of　miles。　Prag　stands　nestled　in　the　lap　of　mountains；　and　is　not　in　itself　a　strong　place　in　war：　but　the　country　round　it；　Moldau　ploughing　his　rugged　chasm　of　a　passage　through　the　piled　table…land；　is　difficult　to　manoeuvre　in。

〃Moldau　Valley　comes　straight　from　the　south；　crosses　Prag；　andmaking；　on　its　outgate　at　the　northern　end　of　Prag　（end　of　'shortest　diagonal'　just　spoken　of）；　one　big　loop；　or　bend　and　counter…bend；　of　horse…shoe　shape；〃　which　will　be　notable　to　us　anon〃again　proceeds　straight　northward　and　Elb