history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第48部分

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hereupon；　At　him；　in　flank；　in　front；　and　rear；　and　see　if　he　can　stand　it！　〃A　beautiful　manoeuvre〃　says　Captain　Archenholtz；　〃devised　by　Friedrich；〃　by　Friedrich　inheriting　Epaminondas　and　the　Old　Dessauer；　〃and　which　perhaps　only　Friedrich's　men；　to　this　day；　could　do　with　the　requisite　perfection。〃

Nadasti；　a　skilful　War…Captain；　especially　with　Horse；　was　beautifully　posted　about　Sagschutz；　his　extreme　left　folded　up　EN　POTENCE　there　（elbow　of　it　at　Sagschutz；　forearm　of　it　running　to　Gohlau　eastward）；　POTENCE　ending　in　firwood　Knolls　with　Croat　musketeers；　in　ditches；　ponds；　difficult　ground；　especially　towards　Gohlau。　He　has　a　strong　battery；　14　pieces；　on　the　Height　to　rear　of　him；　at　the　angle　or　elbow　of　his　POTENCE；　strong　abatis；　well　manned　in　front　to　rightwards：　upon　this；　and　upon　the　Croats　in　the　firwood；　the　Prussians　intend　their　attack。　General　Wedell　is　there；　Prince　Moritz　as　chief；　with　six　battalions；　and　their　batteries；　battery　of　10　Brummers　and　another；　Ziethen　also　and　Horse：　coming　on；　in　swift　fire…flood；　and　at　an　angle　of　forty…　five　degrees。　Most　unexpected；　strange　to　behold！　From　southwest　yonder；　about　one　o'clock　of　the　day。

Nadasti；　though　astonished　at　the　Prussian　fire…deluge；　stands　to　his　arms；　makes；　in　front；　vigorous　defence；　and　even　takes；　in　some　sort；　the　initiative；that　is；　dashes　out　his　Cavalry　on　Ziethen；　before　Ziethen　has　charged。　Ziethen's　Horse；　who　are　rightmost　of　the　Prussians：　and　are　bare　to　the　right；ground　offering　no　bush；　no　brook　there　（though　Ziethen；　foreseeing　such　defect；　has　a　clump　of　infantry　near　by　to　mend　it）；reel　back　under　this　first　shock；　coming　downhill　upon　them；　and　would　have　fared　badly；　had　not　the　clump　of　infantry　instantly　opened　fire　on　the　Nadasti　visitors；　and　poured　it　in　such　floods　upon　them；　that　they；　in　their　turn；　had　to　reel　back。　Back　they；　well　out　of　range；and　leave　Ziethen　free　for　a　counter…attack　shortly；　on　easier　terms；　which　was　successful　to　him。　For；　during　that　first　tussle　of　his；　the　Prussian　Infantry；　to　left　of　Ziethen；　has　attacked　the　Sagschutz　Firwood；　clears　that　of　Croats；　attacks　Nadasti's　line；　breaks　it；　their　Brummer　battery　potently　assisting；　and　the　rage　of　Wedell　and　everybody　being　extreme。　So　that；　in　spite　of　the　fine　ground；　Nadasti　is　in　a　bad　way；　on　the　extreme　left　or　outmost　point　of　his　POTENCE；　or　tactical　KNEE。　Round　the　knee…pan　or　angle　of　his　POTENCE；　where　is　the　abatis；　he　fares　still　worse。　Abatis；　beswept　by　those　ten　Brummers　and　other　Batteries；　till　bullet　and　bayonet　can　act　on　it；　speedily　gives　way。　〃They　were　mere　Wurtembergers；　these；　and　could　not　stand！〃　cried　the　Austrians　apologetically；　at　a　great　rate；　afterwards；　as　if　anybody　could　well　have　stood。

Indisputably　the　Wurtembergers　and　the　abatis　are　gone；　and　the　Brandenburgers；　storming　after　them；　storm　Nadasti's　interior　battery　of　14　pieces；　and　Nadasti's　affairs　are　rapidly　getting　desperate　in　this　quarter。　Figure　Prince　Karl's　scouts；　galloping　madly　to　recall　that　Daun　Cavalry！　Austrian　Battalions；　plenty　of　them；　rush　down　to　help　Nadasti；　but　they　are　met　by　the　crowding　fugitives；　the　chasing　Prussians；　are　themselves　thrown　into　disorder；　and　can　do　no　good　whatever。　They　arrive　on　the　ground　flurried；　blown；　have　not　the　least　time　to　take　breath　and　order：　the　fewest　of　them　ever　got　fairly　ranked；　none　of　them　ever　stood　above　one　push：　all　goes　rolling　wildly　back　upon　the　centre　about　Leuthen。　Chaos　come　on　us；and　all　for　mere　lack　of　time：　could　Nadasti　but　once　stretch　out　one　minute　into　twenty！　But　he　cannot。　Nadasti　does　not　himself　lose　head；　skilfully　covers　the　retreat；　trying　to　rally　once　and　again。　Not　for　the　first　few　furlongs；　till　the　ditches；　till　the　firwood；　quagmires　are　all　done；　could　Ziethen；　now　on　the　open　ground；　fairly　hew　in；　〃take　whole　battalions　prisoners；〃　drive　the　crowd　in　an　altogether　stormy　manner；　and　wholly　confound　the　matter　in　this　part。

Prince　Karl；　his　messengers　flying　madly；　has　struggled　as　man　seldom　did　to　put　himself　in　some　posture　about　Leuthen；　to　get　up　some　defences　there。　Leuthen　itself；　the　churchyard　of　it　especially；　is　on　the　defensive。　Men　are　bringing　cannon　to　the　windmills；　to　the　swelling　ground　on　the　north　side　of　Leuthen；　they　dig　ditches；　build　batteries；could　they　but　make　Time　halt；　and　Friedrich　with　him；　for　one　quarter　of　an　hour。　But　they　cannot。　By　the　extreme　of　diligence；　the　Austrians　have　in　some　measure　swung　themselves　into　a　new　position；　or　imperfect　Line　round　Leuthen　as　a　centre；Lucchesi；　voluntarily　or　by　order；　swinging　southwards　on　the　one　hand；　Nadasti　swinging　northwards　by　compulsion；new　Line　at　an　angle　say　of　75　degrees　to　the　old　one。　And　here；　for　an　hour　more；　there　was　stiff　fighting；　the　stiffest　of　the　day；of　which；　take　one　direct　glimpse；　from　the　Austrian　side；　furnished　by　a　Young　Gentleman　famous　afterwards：

Leuthen；　let　us　premise；　is　a　long　Hamlet　of　the　usual　littery　sort；　with　two　rows；　in　some　parts　three；　of　farm…houses；　barns；　cattle…stalls；　with　Church；　or　even　with　two　Churches；　a　Protestant　and　a　Catholic；　goes　from　east　to　west　above　a　mile　in　length。　With　the　wrecks　of　Nadasti　tumbling　into　it　pell…mell　from　the　southeast；　and　Lucchesi　desperately　endeavoring　to　swing　round　from　the　northwest；　not　quite　incoherently；　and　the　Prussian　fire…storm　for　accompaniment；　Leuthen　is　probably　the　most　chaotic　place　in　the　Planet　Earth　during　that　hour　or　so　（from　half…past　two　to　half…past　three）　while　the　agony　lasted。　At　one　o'clock　Nadasti　was　attacked；　at　two　he　is　tumbling　in　mid…career　towards　Leuthen：　I　guess　the　date　of　this　Excerpt；　or　testimony　by　a　Notable　Eye…　witness；　may　be　half…past　two；　crisis　of　the　agony　just　about　to　begin：　and　before　four　it　was　all　finished　again。　Eye…witness　is　the　young　Prince　de　Ligne；　now　Captain　in　an　Austrian　Regiment　of　Foot；　and　standing　here　in　this　perilous　posture；　having　been　called　in　as　part　of　the　Reserve。　He　says：

〃Cry　had　risen　for　the　Reserve；〃　in　which　was　my　regiment；　〃and　that　it　must　come　on　as　fast　as　possible；〃to　Leuthen；　west　of　us　yonder。　〃We　ran　what　we　could　run。　Our　Lieutenant…Colonel　fell　killed　almost　at　the　first；　beyond　this　we　lost　our　Major；　and　indeed　all　the　Officers　but　three；three　only；　and　about　eleven　or　twelve　of　the　Voluuteer　or　Cadet　kind。　We　had　crossed　two　successive　ditches；　which　lay　in　an　orchard　to　left　of　the　first　houses　in　Leuthen；　and　were　beginning　to　form　in　front　of　the　Village。　But　there　was　no　standing　of　it。　Besides　a　general　cannonade　such　as　can　hardly　be　imagined；　there　was　a　rain　of　case…　shot　upon　this　Battalion；　of　which　I；　as　there　was　no　Colonel　left；　had　to　take　command；　and　a　third　Battalion　of　the　Royal　Prussian　Foot…guards；　which　had　already　made　several　of　our　regiments　pass　that　kind　of　muster；　gave；　at　a　distance　of　eighty　paces；　the　liveliest　fire　on　us。　It　stood　as　if　on　the　parade…ground；　that　third　Battalion；　and　waited　for　us；　without　stirring。

〃The　Austrian　regiment　Andlau；　at　our　right　hand；　could　not　get　itself　formed　properly　by　reason　of　the　houses；　it　was　standing　thirty　deep；　and　sometimes　its　shot　hit　us　on　the　back。　On　my　left　the　Austrian　regiment　Merci　ran　its　ways；　and　I　was　glad　of　that；　in　comparison。　By　no　method　or　effort　could　I　get　the　dragoons　of　Bathyani；　who　stood　fifty　yards　in　rear　of　me；　to　cut　in　a　little；　and　help　me　out；〃no　good　cutting　hereabouts；　think　the　dragoons　of　Bathyani。　〃My　soldiers；　who　were　still　tired　with　running；　and　had　no　cannon　（these　either　from　necessity　or　choice　they　had　left　behind）；　were　got　scattered；　fewer　in　number；　and　were　fighting　mainly　out　of　sullenness。　More　our　honor；　than　the　notion　of　doing　good　in　the　affair；　prevented　us　from　running　off。　An　Ensign　of　the　regiment　Arberg　helped　me　awhile　to　form；　from　his　and　my　own　fragments；　a　kind　of　line；　but　he　was　shot　down。　Two　Officers　of　the　Grenadiers　brought　me　what　they　still　had。　Some　Hungarians；　too；　were　luckily　got　together。　But　at　last；　as；　with　all　helps　and　the　remnants　of　my　own　brave　Battalion；　I　had　come　down　to　at　most　200；　I　drew　back　to　the　Height　where　the　Windmill　is；〃　＇Kutzen　p。　103　（from　〃Prince　de　Ligne's　DIARY；　i。　63；　German　Translation〃）。＇where　many　have　drawn　back；　and　are　standing　in　sheltered　places；　a　hundred　deep；　say　our　Books。

Stiff　fighting　at　Leuthen；　especially　furious　till　Leuthen　Churchyard；　a　place　with　high　stone　walls；　was　got。　Leuthen　Village；　we　observe；　was　crammed　with　Austrians　spitting　fire　from　every　coign　of　vantage；　Church　and　Churchyard　especially　are　a　citadel　of　death。　Cannon　playing　from　the　Windmill　Heights；　too；　moments　are　inestimable。　The　Prussian　Commander　（name　charitably　hidden）　at　Leuthen　Churchyard　seems　to　hesitate　in　the　murderous　fire…deluge：　Major　Mollendorf；　namable　from　that　day　forward；　growling；　〃No　time　this　for　study；〃　dashes　out　himself；　〃EIN　ANDRER　MANN　（Follow　me；　whoever　is　a　man）！〃smashes　in　the　Church…Gate　of　the　place；　nine　muskets　blazing　on　him　through　it；　smashes；　after　a　desperate　struggle；　the　Austrians　clean　out　of　it；　and　conquers　the　citadel。　＇Muller；　p。　42。＇

The　Austrians；　on　confused　terms；　made　stiff　dispute　in　this　second　position　for　about　an　hour。　The　Prussian　Reserve　was　ordered　up　by　Friedrich；　the　Prussian　left　wing；　which　had　stood　〃refused；〃　about　Radaxdorf；　till　now：　at　one　time　nearly　all　the　Prussians　were　in　fire。　Friedrich　is　here；　is　there；　wherever　the　press　was　greatest；　〃Prince　Ferdinand；〃　whom　we　now　and　then　find　named；　as　a　diligent　little　fellow；　and　ascertain　to　be　here　in　this　and　other　Battles　of　Friedrich's；〃Prince　Ferdinand　at　one　time　pointed　his　cannon　on　the　Bush　or　Fir…Clump　of　Radaxdorf；an　aide…de…camp　came　to　him　with　message：　〃You　are　firing　on　the　King；　the　King　is　yonder！〃　At　which　Ferdinand　＇his　dear　little　Brother＇　ERSCHRACK；〃　or　almost　fainted　with　terror。　＇Kutzen；　p。　110。＇

Stiff　dispute；　and　had　the　Austrians　possessed　the　Prussian　dexterity　in　manoeuvring；　and　a　Friedrich　been　among　them；　perhaps？　But　on　their　own　terms；　there　was　from　the　first　little　hope　in　it。　〃Behind　the　Windmills　they　are　a　hundred　men　deep；〃　by　and　by；　your　Windmills；　riddled　to　pieces；　have　to　be　abandoned；　the　Prussian　left　wing　rushing　on　with　bayonets；　wil