history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第44部分

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t　of　Commandants；　said　others　gradually；　but　his　garrison　had　Saxons　in　it；one　day　〃180　of　them　in　a　lump　threw　down　their　arms；　in　the　trenches；　and　went　over　to　the　Enemy。〃　Owing　to　whatsoever；　the　place　is　gone。　Such　towers；　such　curtains；　star…ramparts；　such　an　opulence　of　cannons；　stores；　munitions；　a　30；000　pounds　of　hard　cash；　one　item。　All　is　gone；　after　a　fortnight's　siege。　What　a　piece　of　news；　as　heard　by　Friedrich；　coming　at　his　utmost　towards　the　scene　itself！　As　seen　by　Bevern；　too；　in　his　questioning　mood；　it　was　an　event　of　very　oracular　nature。

On　Monday；　14th；　Schweidnitz　fell；　Karl；　with　Nadasti　reunited　to　him；　was　now　80；000　odd；　and　lost　no　time。　On　Tuesday　next；　NOVEMBER　22d；　1757；　〃at　three　in　the　morning；〃　long　hours　before　daybreak；　Karl；　with　his　60；000；　all　learnedly　arranged；　comes　rolling　over　upon　hapless　Bevern：　with　no　end　of　cannonading　and　storm　of　war：　BATTLE　OF　BRESLAU；　they　call　it；　ruinous　to　Bevern。　Of　which　we　shall　attempt　no　description：　except　to　say；　that　Karl　had　five　bridges　on　the　Lohe；　came　across　the　Lohe　by　five　Bridges；　and　that　Bevern　stood　to　his　arms；　steady　as　the　rocks；　to　prevent　his　getting　over；　and　to　entertain　him　when　over；　that　there　were　five　principal　attacks；　renewed　and　re…renewed　as　long　as　needful；　with　torrents　of　shot；　of　death　and　tumult；　over　six　or　eight　miles　of　country；　for　the　space　of　fifteen　hours。　Battle　comparable　only　to　Malplaquet；　said　the　Austrians；　such　a　hurricane　of　artillery；　strongly　intrenched　enemy　and　loud　doomsday　of　war。　Did　not　end　till　nine　at　night；　Austrians　victorious；　more　or　less；　in　four　of　their　attacks　or　separate　enterprises：　that　is　to　say；　masters　of　the　Lohe；　and　of　the　outmost　Prussian　villages　and　posts　in　front　of　the　Prussian　centre　and　right　wing；　victorious　in　that　northern　part；but　plainly　unvictorious　in　the　southeast　or　Prussian　left　wing；farthest　off　from　Breslau；　and　under　Ziethen's　command；　where　they　were　driven　across　the　Lohe　again；　and　lost　prisoners　and　cannons；　or　a　cannon。　＇In　Seyfarth；　Three　Accounts；　　Beylagan；　　ii。　198；　221；　234　et　seq。＇

Some　of　Bevern's　people；　grounding　on　this　latter　circumstance；　and　that　they　still　held　the　Battle…field；　or　most　part　of　it；　wrote　themselves　victorious；though　in　a　dim　brief　manner；　as　if　conscious　of　the　contrary。　Which　indeed　was　the　fact。　At　the　council　of　war；　which　he　summoned　that　evening；　there　were　proposals　of　night…attack；　and　other　fierce　measures；　but　Bevern；　rejecting　the　plan　for　a　night　attack　on　the　Austrian　camp　as　too　dubious；　did；　in　the　dark　hours；　through　the　silent　streets　of　Breslau；　withdraw　himself　across　the　Oder；　instead；　leaving　80　cannon；　and　5；000　killed　and　wounded；　an　evidently　beaten　man　and　Army。　And　indeed　did　straightway　disappear　personally　altogether；　as　no　longer　equal　to　events。　Rode　out；　namely；　to　reconnoitre　in　the　gray　of　his　second　sad　morning；　on　this　new　Bank　of　the　Oder；　saw　little　except　gray　mist；　but　rode　into　a　Croat　outpost；　only　one　poor　groom　attending　him；　and　was　there　made　prisoner：　intentionally；　thought　mankind；　intentionally；　thinks　Friedrich；　　who　was　very　angry　with　the　poor　man。　＇Preuss；　ii。　102。　More　exact　　in　Kutzen；　DER　TAG　VON　LEUTHEN　（Breslau；　1857；an　excellent　exact　　little　Compilation；　from　manifold　sources　well　studied）；　pp。　166…169；　date　〃24th　November。〃＇

The　poor　man　was　carried　to　Vienna；　if　readers　care　to　know；　but　being　a　near　Cousin　there　（second…cousin；　no　less；　to　the　late　Empress…Mother）；　was　by　the　high　now…reigning　Empress…Queen　received　in　a　charmingly　gracious　manner；　and　sent　home　again　without　ransom。　〃To　Stettin！〃　beckoned　Friedrich　sternly　from　the　distance；　and　would　not　see　him　at　all：　〃To　Stettin；　I　say；　your　official　post　in　time　of　peace！　Command　me　the　invalid　Garrison　there；　you　are　fit　for　nothing　better！〃I　will　add　one　other　thing；　which　unhappily　will　seem　strange　to　readers：　that　there　came　no　whisper　of　complaint　from　Bevern；　mere　silence；　and　loyal　industry　with　his　poor　means；　from　Bevern；　and　that　he　proved　heroically　useful　in　Stettin　two　years　hence；　against　the　Swedes；　against　the　Russians　in　the　Siege…of…Colberg　time；　and　gained　Friedrich's　favor　again；　with　other　good　results。　Which　I　observe　was　a　common　method　with　Prussian　Generals　and　soldiers；　when；　unjustly　or　justly；　they　fell　into　trouble　of　this　kind；　and　a　much　better　one　than　that　of　complaining　in　the　Newspapers；　and　demanding　Commissions　of　Inquiry；　presided　over　by　Chaos　and　the　Fourth…Estate；　now　is。

Bevern　being　with　the　Croats；　the　Prussian　Army　falls　to　General　Kyau；　as　next　in　rank；　who　（directly　in　the　teeth　of　fierce　orders　that　are　speeding　hither　for　Bevern　and　him）　marches　away；　leaving　Breslau　to　its　fate；　and　making　towards　Glogau；　as　the　one　sure　point　in　this　wreck　of　things。　And　Prince　Karl；　that　same　day；　goes　upon　Breslau；　which　is　in　no　case　to　resist　and　be　bombarded：　so　that　poor　old　General　Lestwitz；　the　Prussian　Commandant；always　thought　to　be　a　valiant　old　gentleman；　but　who　had　been　wounded　in　the　late　Action；　and　was　blamably　discouraged；took　the　terms　offered；　and　surrendered　without　firing　a　gun。　Garrison　and　he　to　march　out；　in　〃Free　Withdrawal；〃　these　are　the　terms：　Garrison　was　4；000　and　odd；　mostly　Silesian　recruits；　but　there　marched　hardly　500　out　with　poor　Lestwitz；　the　Silesian　recruitspersuaded　by　conceivable　methods；　that　they　were　to　be　prisoners　of　war；　and　that；　in　short；　Austria　was　now　come　to　be　King　again；　and　might　make　inquiry　into　men's　conductfound　it　safer　to　take　service　with　Austria；　to　vanish　into　holes　in　Breslau　or　where　they　could；　and；　for　instance；　one　regiment　（or　battalion；　let　us　hide　the　name　of　it）；　on　marching　through　the　Gate；　consisted　only　of　nine　chief　officers　and　four　men。　＇Muller；　SCHLACHT　BEI　LEUTHEN　（Berlin；　1857；professedly　a　mere　abridgment　and　shadow　of　Kutzen：　unindexed　like　it）；　p。　12　（with　name　and　particulars）。＇

There　were　lost　98　pieces　of　cannon；　endless　magazines　and　stores　of　war。　A　Breslau　scandalously　gone；a　Breslau　preaching　day　after　next　（27th；　which　was　Sunday）；　in　certain　of　its　churches；　especially　Cardinal　Schaffgotsch　in　the　Dom　Insel　doing　it；　Thanksgiving　Sermons；　as　per　order；　with　unction　real　or　official；　〃That　our　ancient　sovereigns　are　restored　to　us：〃　which　Sermons　except　in　the　Schaffgotsch　case；　Prince　Karl　and　the　high　Catholic　world　all　there　in　galawere　〃sparsely　attended；〃　say　my　authors。　The　Austrians　are　at　the　top　of　their　pride；　and　consider　full　surely　that　Silesia　is　theirs；　though　Friedrich　were　here　twice　over。　〃What　is　Friedrich？　We　beat　him　at　Kolin。　His　Prussians　at　Zittau；　at　Moys；　at　Breslau　in　the　new　Malplaquet；　were　we　beaten　by　them？　Hnh！〃and　snort　（in　the　Austrian　mess…rooms）；　and　snap　their　fingers　at　Friedrich　and　his　coming。

It　was　at　Gorlitz　（scene　of　poor　Winterfeld's　death）　that　Friedrich；　〃on　November　23d；　the　tenth　day　of　his　march；〃　first　got　rumor　of　the　Breslau　Malplaquet：　〃endless　cannonading　heard　thereabouts　all　yesterday！〃　said　rumor　from　the　east；more　and　more　steadily；　as　Friedrich　hastened　forward；and　that　it　was　〃a　victory　for　Bevern。〃　Till；　at　Naumburg　on　the　Queiss；　he　gets　the　actual　tidings：　Bevern　gone　to　the　Croats；　Breslau　going；　Kyau　marching　vague；　and　what　kind　of　victory　it　was。

Ever　from　Grossenhayn　onwards　there　had　been　message　on　message；　more　and　more　rigorous；　precise　and　indignant；　〃Do　this；　do　that；　your　Dilection　shall　answer　it　with　your　head！〃not　one　message　of　which　reached　his　Dilection；　till　Dilection　and　Fate　（such　the　gallop　of　events）　had　done　the　contrary：　and　now　Dilection　and　his　head　have　made　a　finish　of　it。　〃No；〃　answers　Friedrich　to　himself；　〃not　till　we　are　all　finished！〃and　pushes　on；　he　too；　like　a　kind　of　Fate。　〃What　does　or　can　he　mean；　then？〃　say　the　Austrians；　with　scornful　astonishment；　and　think　his　head　must　be　turning：　〃Will　he　beat　us　out　of　Silesia　with　his　Potsdam　Guard…Parade　then？〃　〃POTSDAMSCHE　WACHT…PARADE：〃so　they　denominate　his　small　Army；　and　are　very　mirthful　in　their　mess…rooms。　〃I　will　attack　them；　if　they　stood　on　the　Zobtenberg；　if　they　stood　on　the　steeples　of　Breslau！〃　said　Friedrich；　and　tramped　diligently　forward。　Day　after　day；　as　the　real　tidings　arrive；　his　outlook　in　Silesia　is　becoming　darker　and　darker：　a　sternly　dark　march　this　altogether。　Prince　Karl　has　thrown　a　garrison　into　Liegnitz　on　Friedrich's　road；　Prince　Karl　lies　encamped　with　Breslau　at　his　back；　has　above　80；000　when　fully　gathered；　and　reigns　supreme　in　those　parts。　Darker　march　there　seldom　was：　all　black　save　a　light　that　burns　in　one　heart；　refusing　to　be　quenched　till　death。　

Friedrich　sends　orders　that　Kyau　shall　be　put　in　arrest；　that　Ziethen　shall　be　general　of　the　Bevern　wreck；　shall　bring　it　round　by　Glogau；　and　rendezvous　with　Friedrich　at　a　place　and　day；　Parchwitz；　2d　of　December　coming；and　be　steady；　my　old　Ziethen。　Friedrich　brushes　past　the　Liegnitz　Garrison；　leaves　Liegnitz　and　it　a　trifle　to　the　right；　arrives　at　Parchwitz　November　28th；　and　there　rests；　or　at　least　his　weary　troops　do；　till　Ziethen　come　up；　the　King　not　very　restful；　with　so　many　things　to　prearrange；　a　life　or　death　crisis　now　nigh。　Well；　it　is　but　death；　and　death　has　been　fronted　before　now！　We　who　are　after　the　event；　on　the　safe　sunny　side　of　it；　can　form　small　image　of　the　horrors　and　the　inward　dubieties　to　him　who　is　passing　through　it；and　how　Hope　is　needed　to　shine　heroically　eternal　in　some　hearts。　Fire　of　Hope；　that　does　not　issue　in　mere　blazings；　mad　audacities　and　chaotic　despair；　but　advances　with　its　eyes　open；　measuredly；　counting　its　steps；　to　the　wrestling…place；this　is　a　godlike　thing；　much　available　to　mankind　in　all　the　battles　they　have；　battles　with　steel；　or　of　whatever　sort。

Friedrich；　at　Parchwitz；　assembled　his　Captains；　and　spoke　to　them；　it　was　the　night　after　Ziethen　came　in；　night　of　December　3d；　1757；　and　Ziethen；　no　doubt；　was　there：　for　it　is　an　authentic　meeting；　this　at　Parchwitz；　and　the　words　were　taken　down。


FRIEDRICH'S　SPEECH　TO　HIS　GENERALS　（Parchwitz；　3d　December；　1757）。　＇From　RETZOW；　i。　240…242　（slightly　abridged）。＇

〃It　is　not　unknown　to　you；　MEINE　HERREN；　what　disasters　have　befallen　here；　while　we　were　busy　with　the　French　and　Reichs　Army。　Schwei