history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第50部分

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h　stout；　and；　except　perhaps　Oliver　Cromwell's　handful　of　Ironsides；　probably　the　most　perfect　soldiers　ever　seen　hitherto。　Arriving　at　the　end　of　Lissa；　and　finding　all　safe　as　it　should　be　there；　they　make　their　bivouac；　their　parallelogram　of　two　lines；　miles　long　across　the　fields；　left　wing　resting　on　Lissa；　right　on　Guckerwitz；　andhaving；　I　should　think；　at　least　tobacco　to　depend　on；　with　abundant　stick…　fires；　and　healthy　joyful　heartspass　the　night　in　a　thankful；　comfortable　manner。

Leuthen　was　the　most　complete　of　all　Friedrich's　victories；　two　hours　more　of　daylight；　as　Friedrich　himself　says；　and　it　would　have　been　the　most　decisive　of　this　century。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　167。＇　As　it　was；　the　ruin　of　this　big　Army；　80；000　against　30；000；　＇〃89；200　was　the　Austrian　strength　before　the　Battle〃　（deduct　the　Garrisons　of　Schweidnitz　and　Liegnitz）：　Preuss；　ii。　109　（from　the　STAFF…OFFICERS）。＇　was　as　good　as　total；　and　a　world　of　Austrian　hopes　suddenly　collapsed；　and　all　their　Silesian　Apparatus；　making　sure　of　Silesia　beyond　an　IF；　was　tumbled　into　wreck；by　this　one　stroke　it　had　got；　smiting　the　corner…stone　of　it　as　if　with　unexpected　lightning。　On　the　morrow　after　Leuthen；　Friedrich　laid　siege　to　Breslau；　Karl　had　left　a　garrison　of　17；000　in　it；　and　a　stout　Captain；　one　Sprecher；　determined　on　defence：　such　interests　hung　on　Breslau；　such　immensities　of　stores　were　in　it；　had　there　been　nothing　else。　Friedrich；　pushing　with　all　his　strength；　in　spite　of　bad　weather　and　of　Sprecher's　industrious　defence；　got　it　in　twelve　days。　＇7th…19th　December：　DIARIUM；　&c。　of　it　in　　Helden…　Geschichte；　　iv。　955…961。＇　Sprecher　had　posted　placards　on　the　gallows　and　up　and　down；　terrifically　proclaiming　that　any　man　convicted　of　mentioning　surrender　should　be　instantly　hanged：　but　Friedrich's　bombardment　was　strong；　his　assaults　continual；　and　the　ditches　were　threatening　to　freeze。　On　the　seventh　day　of　the　siege；　a　Laboratorium　blew　up；　on　the　ninth；　a　Powder…Magazine；　carrying　a　lump　of　the　rampart　away　with　it。　Sprecher　had　to　capitulate：　Prisoners　of　War；　we　17；000；　our　cannons；　ammunitions　（most　opulent；　including　what　we　took　from　Bevern　lately）；　these；　we　and　Breslau　altogether；　alas；　it　is　all　yours　again。　Liegnitz　Garrison；　seeing　no　hope；　consented　to　withdraw　on　leave。　＇26th　December：　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　1016。＇　Schweidnitz　cannot　be　besieged　till　Spring　come：　except　Schweidnitz；　Maria　Theresa；　the　high　Kaiserinn；　has　no　foot　of　ground　in　Silesia；　which　she　thought　to　be　hers　again。　Gone　utterly；　Patents　and　all；　Schweidnitz　alone　waiting　till　spring。　To　the　lively　joy　of　Silesia　in　general；　to　the　thrice…　lively　sorrow　and　alarm　of　certain　individuals；　leading　Catholic　Ecclesiastics　mainly；　who　had　misread　the　signs　of　the　times　in　late　months！　There　is　one　Schaffgotsch；　Archbishop　or　head…man　of　them；　especially；　who　is　now　in　a　bad　way。　Never　was　such　royal　favor；　never　such　ingratitude；　say　the　Books　at　wearisome　length。　Schaffgotsch　was　a　showy　man　of　quality；　nephew　of　the　quondam　Austrian　Governor；　whom　Friedrich；　across　a　good　deal　of　Papal　and　other　opposition；　got　pushed　into　the　Catholic　Primacy；　and　took　some　pains　to　make　comfortable　there；Order　of　the　Black　Eagle；　guest　at　Potsdam；　and　the　like；having　a　kind　of　fancy　for　the　airy　Schaffgotsch；　as　well　as　judging　him　suitable　for　this　Silesian　High…Priesthood；　with　his　moderate　ideas　and　quality　ways；which　I　have　heard　were　a　little　dissolute　withal。　To　the　whole　of　which　Schaffgotsch　proved　signally　traitorous　and　ingrate；　and　had　plucked　off　the　Black　Eagle　（say　the　Books；　nearly　breathless　over　such　a　sacrilege）　on　some　public　occasion；　prior　to　Leuthen；　and　trampled　it　under　his　feet；　the　unworthy　fellow。　Schaffgotsch's　pathetic　Letter　to　Friedrich；　in　the　new　days　posterior　to　Leuthen；　and　Friedrich's　contemptuous　inexorable　answer；　we　could　give；　but　do　not：　why　should　we？　O　King；　I　know　your　difficulties；　and　what　epoch　it　is。　But；　of　a　truth；　your　airy　dissolute　Schaffgotsch；　as　a　grateful　〃Archbishop　and　Grand…Vicar；〃　is　almost　uglier　to　me　than　as　a　Traitor　ungrateful　for　it；　and　shall　go　to　the　Devil　in　his　own　way！　They　would　not　have　him　in　Austria；　he　was　not　well　received　at　Rome；　happily　died　before　long。　＇Preuss；　ii。　113；　114；　Kutzen；　pp。　12；　155…160；　for　the　real　particculars。＇　Friedrich　was　not　cruel　to　Schaffgotsch　or　the　others；　contemptuously　mild　rather；　but　he　knew　henceforth　what　to　expect　of　them；　and　slightly　changed　this　and　that　in　his　Silesian　methods　in　consequence。

Of　Prince　Karl　let　us　add　a　word。　On　the　morrow　after　Leuthen；　Captain　Prince　de　Ligne　and　old　Papa　D'Ahremberg　could　find　little　or　no　Army；　they　stept　across　to　Grabschen；　a　village　on　the　safe　side　of　the　Lohe；　and　there　found　Karl　and　Daun：　〃rather　silent；　both；　one　of　them　looking；　'Who　would　have　thought　it！'　the　other；　'Did　n't　I　tell　you？'〃and　knowing　nothing；　they　either；　where　the　Army　was。　Army　was；　in　fact；　as　yet　nowhere。　〃Croat　fellows；　in　this　Farmstead　of　ours；〃　says　De　Ligne；　〃had　fallen　to　shooting　pigeons。〃　The　night　had　been　unusually　dark；　the　Austrian　Army　had　squatted　into　woods；　into　office…houses；　farm…villages；　over　a　wide　space　of　country；　and　only　as　the　day　rose；　began　to　dribble　in。　By　count；　they　are　still　50；000；　but　heart…broken；　beaten　as　men　seldom　were。　〃What　sound　is　that？〃　men　asked　yesterday　at　Brieg；　forty　miles　off；　and　nobody　could　say；　except　that　it　was　some　huge　Battle；　fateful　of　Silesia　and　the　world。　Breslau　had　it　louder；　Breslau　was　still　more　anxious。　〃What　IS　all　that？〃　asked　somebody　（might　be　Deblin　the　Shoemaker；　for　anything　I　know）　of　an　Austrian　sentry　there：　〃That？　That　is　the　Prussians　giving　us　such　a　beating　as　we　never　had。〃　What　news　for　Deblin　the　Shoemaker；　if　he　is　still　above　ground！

〃Prince　Karl；　gathering　his　distracted　fragments；　put　17；000　into　Breslau　by　way　of　ample　garrison　there；　and　with　the　rest　made　off　circuitously　for　Schweidnitz；　thence　for　Landshut；　and　down　the　Mountains；　home　to　Konigsgratz；self　and　Army　in　the　most　wrecked　condition。　Chased　by　Ziethen；　Ziethen　（sticking　always　to　the　hocks　of　them；'　as　Friedrich　eagerly　enjoins　on　him；　or　sometimes　it　is；　'sitting　on　the　breeches　of　them：'　for　about　a　fortnight　to　come。　＇Eleven　Royal　Autographs：　in　Blumenthal；　　Life　of　De　Ziethen　　（ii。　94…111）；　a　feeble　incorrect　Translation　of　them。＇　Ziethen　took　2；000　prisoners；　no　end　of　baggages；　of　wagons　left　in　the　difficult　places：　wild　weather　even　for　Ziethen；　still　more　for　Karl；　among　the　Silesian…Bohemian　Hill…roads：　heavy　rains；　deep　muds；　then　sudden　glass；　with　cutting　snow…　blasts：　'An　Army　not　a　little　dilapidated；'　writes　Prince　Karl；　almost　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　（Army　without　linens；　without　clothes；　in　condition　truly　sad　and　pitiable；　and　has　always；　so　close　are　the　enemy；　to　encamp；　though　without　tents。'　＇Kutzen；　p。　134　（〃Prince　Karl　to　the　Kaiser；　December　14th〃）。＇。　Did　not　get　to　Konigsgratz；　and　safe　shelter；　for　ten　days　more。　Counted；　at　Konigsgratz　in　the　Christmas　time；　37；000　rank　and　file；'22；000　of　whom　are　gone　to　hospital；'　by　the　Doctor's　report。

〃Universal　astonishment；　indignation；　even　incredulity；　is　the　humor　at　Vienna：　the　high　Kaiserinn　herself；　kept　in　the　dark　for　some　time；　becomes　dimly　aware；　and　by　Kaiser　Franz's　own　advice　she　relieves　Prince　Karl　from　his　military　employments；　and　appoints　Daun　instead。　Prince　Karl　withdrew　to　his　Government　of　the　Netherlands；　and　with　the　aid　of　generous　liquors；　and　what　natural　magnanimity　he　had；　spent　a　noiseless　life　thenceforth；　Sword　laid　entirely　on　the　shelf；　and　immortal　Glory；　as　of　Alexander　and　the　like；　quite　making　its　exit　from　the　scene；　convivial　or　other。　'The　first　General　in　the　world；'　so　he　used　to　be　ten　years　ago；　in　Austria；　in　England；　Holland；　the　thrice…　greatest　of　Generals：　but　now　he　has　tried　Friedrich　in　Five　pitched　Battles　（Czaslau；　Hohenfriedberg；　Sohr；　then　Prag；　then　Leuthen）；been　beaten　every　time；　under　every　form　of　circumstance；　and　now；　at　Leuthen；　the　fifth　beating　is　such；　no　public；　however　ignorant；　can　stand　it　farther。　The　ignorant　public　changes　its　long…eared　eulogies　into　contumeliously　horrid　shrieks　of　condemnation；　in　which　one　is　still　farther　from　joining。　'That　crossing　of　the　Rhine；'　says　Friedrich；　'was　a　BELLE　CHOSE；　but　flatterers　blew　him　into　dangerous　self…conceit；　besides；　he　was　ill…obeyed；　as　others　of　us　have　been。'　＇〃Prince　de　Ligne；　　Memoires　snr　Frederic　（Berlin；　1789）；　p。　38　〃　（Preuss；　ii。　112）。＇　Adieu　to　him；　poor　red…faced　soul；and　good　liquor　to　him；　at　least　if　he　can　take　it　in　moderation！〃

The　astonishment　of　all　men；　wise　and　simple；　at　this　sudden　oversetting　of　the　scene　of　things；　and　turning　of　the　gazetteer…　diplomatic　theatre　bottom　uppermost；　was　naturally　extreme；　especially　in　gazetteer　and　diplomatic　circles；　and　the　admiration；　willing　or　unwilling；　of　Friedrich；　in　some　most　essential　points　of　him；　rose　to　a　high　pitch。　Better　soldier；　it　is　clear；　has　not　been　heard　of　in　the　modern　ages。　Heroic　constancy；　courage　superior　to　fate：　several　clear　features　of　a　hero；pity　he　were　such　a　liar　withal；　and　ignorant　of　common　honesty；　thought　the　simple　sort；　in　a　bewildered　manner；　endeavoring　to　forget　the　latter　features；　or　think　them　not　irreconcilable。　Military　judges　of　most　various　quality；　down　to　this　day；　pronounce　Leuthen　to　be　essentially　the　finest　Battle　of　the　century；　and　indeed　one　of　the　prettiest　feats　ever　done　by　man　in　his　Fighting　Capacity。　Napoleon；　for　instance；　who　had　run　over　these　Battles　of　Friedrich　（apparently　somewhat　in　haste；　but　always　with　a　word　upon　them　which　is　worth　gathering　from　such　a　source）；　speaks　thus　of　Leuthen：　〃This　Battle　is　a　masterpiece　of　movements；　of　manoeuvres；　and　of　resolution；　enough　to　immortalize　Friedrich；　and　rank　him　among　the　greatest　Generals。　Manifests；　in　the　highest　degree；　both　his　moral　qualities　and　his　military。〃　＇Montholon；　　Memoires　&c。；　de　Napoleon；　　vii。　211。　This　Napoleon　SUMMARY　OF　FRIEDRICH'S　CAMPAIGNS；　and　these　brief　Bits　of　Criticism；　are　pleasant　reading；　though　the　fruit　evidently　of　slight　study；　and　do　credit　to　Napoleon