history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第6部分

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From　behind　that　verdant　Horse…shoe　Chasm　we　spoke　of；　buttressed　by　the　inaccessible　steeps；　and　the　Moldau；　double…folded　in　the　form　of　Horse…shoe；　all　along　the　brow　of　that　sloping　expanse；　stands　（by　9　A。M。　〃foragers　all　suddenly　called　in〃）　the　Austrian　front；　the　second　line　and　the　reserve；　parallel　to　it；　at　good　distances　behind。　Ranked　there；　say　65；000　regulars　（Prussian　force　little　short　of　the　same）；　on　the　brow　of　Ziscaberg　slope；　some　four　miles　long。　Their　right　wing　ends；　in　strong　batteries；　in　intricate　marshes；　knolls；　lakelets；　between　Hlaupetin　and　Kyge：　the　extreme　of　their　left　wing　looks　over　on　that　Horse…shoe　Hollow；　where　Moldau　tried　to　dig　his　way；　but　could　not　and　had　to　turn　back。　They　have　numerous　redoubts；　in　front　and　in　all　the　good　places；　and　are　busy　with　more；　some　of　them　just　now　getting　finished；　treble…quick；　while　the　Prussians　are　seen　under　way。　As　many　as　sixty　heavy　cannon　in　battery　up　and　down：　of　field…　pieces　they　have　a　hundred　and　fifty。　Excellent　always　with　their　Artillery；　these　Austrians；　plenty　of　it；　well…placed　and　well…　served：　thanks　to　Prince　Lichtenstein's　fine　labors　within　these　ten　years　past。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　（in　several　places）；　see　Hormayr；　？　Lichtenstein。＇　The　villages；　the　farmsteads；　are　occupied；　every　rising　ground　especially　has　its　battery；Homoly　Berg；　Tabor　Berg；　〃Mount　of　Tabor；〃　say　KNOLL　of　Tabor　（nothing　like　so　high　as　Battersea　Rise；　hardly　even　as　Constitution　Hill）；　though　scriptural　Zisca　would　make　a　Mount　of　it；these；　and　other　BERGS　of　the　like　type。

That　is　the　Austrian　Battle　Order　（as　it　stood　about　9；　though　it　had　still　to　change　a　little；　as　we　shall　see）：　their　first　line；　straight　or　nearly　so；　looking　northward；　stands　on　the　brow　of　the　Zisca　Slope；　their　second　and　their　third；　singularly　like　it；　at　the　due　distances　behind；in　the　intervals；　their　tents；　which　stand　scattered；　in　groups　wide　apart；　in　the　ample　interior　to　southward。　The　cavalry　is　on　both　wings；　left　wing；　behind　that　Moldau　Chasm；　cannot　attack　nor　be　attacked；except　it　were　on　hippogriffs；　and　its　enemy　on　the　like；　capable　of　fighting　in　the　air；　overhead　of　these　Belvedere　Pleasure…grounds：　perhaps　Prince　Karl　will　remedy　this　oversight；　fruit　of　close　following　of　the　orthodox　practice？　Prince　Karl；　supreme　Chief；　commands　on　the　left　wing；　Browne　on　the　right；　where　he　can　attack　or　be　attacked；　NOT　on　hippogriffs。　As　we　shall　see；　and　others　will！　Light　horse；　in　any　quantity；　hang　scattered　on　all　outskirts。　With　foot；　with　cannon　batteries；　with　horse；　light　or　heavy；　they　cover　in　long　broad　flood　the　whole　of　that　Zisca　Slope；　to　near　where　it　ceases；　and　the　ground　to　eastward　begins　perceptibly　to　rise　again。

In　this　latter　quarter；　Zisca　Slope；　now　nearly　ended；　begins　to　get　very　swampy　in　parts；　on　the　eastern　border　of　the　Austrian　Camp；　at　Kyge；　Hostawitz；　and　beyond　it　southward；　about　Sterbohol　and　Michelup；　there　are　many　little　lakelets；　artificial　fish…　ponds；　several　of　them；　with　their　sluices；　dams　and　apparatus：　a　ragged　broadish　lacing　of　ponds　and　lakelets　（all　well　dried　in　our　day）　straggles　and　zigzags　along　there；　connected　by　the　miserablest　Brook　in　nature；　which　takes　to　oozing　and　serpentizing　forward　thereabouts；　and　does　finally　get　emptied；　now　in　a　rather　livelier　condition；　into　the　Moldau；　about　the　TOE…part　of　that　Horse…shoe　or　Belvedere　region。　It　runs　in　sight　of　the　King；　I　think；　where　he　now　is；　this　lower　livelier　part　of　it：　little　does　the　King　know　how　important　the　upper　oozing　portion　of　it　will　be　to　him　this　day。　Near　Michelup　are　lakelets　worth　noticing；　a　little　under　Sterbohol；　in　the　course　of　this　miserable　Brook；　is　a　string　of　fish…ponds；　with　their　sluices　open　at　this　time；　the　water　out；　and　the　mud　bottom　sown　with　herb…provender　for　the　intended　carps；　which　is　coming　on　beautifully；　green　as　leeks；　and　nearly　ready　for　the　fish　getting　to　it　again。

Friedrich　surveys　diligently　what　he　can　of　all　this；　from　the　northern　verge。　We　will　now　return　to　Friedrich；　and　will　stay　on　his　side　through　the　terrible　Action　that　is　coming。　Battle　of　Prag；　one　of　the　furious　Battles　of　the　World；　loud　as　Doomsday；　the　very　Emblem　of　which；　done　on　the　Piano　by　females　of　energy；　scatters　mankind　to　flight　who　love　their　ears！　Of　this　great　Action　the　Narratives　old　and　modern　are　innumerable；　false　some　of　them；　unintelligible　well…nigh　all。　There　are　three　in　Lloyd；　known　probably　to　some　of　my　readers。　Tempelhof；　with　criticisms　of　these　three；　gives　a　fourth；perhaps　the　one　Narrative　which　human　nature；　after　much　study；　can　in　some　sort　understand。　Human　readers；　especially　military；　I　refer　to　that　as　their　finale。　＇In　Lloyd；　i。　38　et　seq。　（the　Three）：　in　Tempelhof；　i。　123　（the　Fourth）；　ib。　i。　144　（strength　of　each　Army）；　105…149　（remarks　of　Tempelhof）。The　〃HISTORY；〃　or　Series　of　Lectures　on　the　Battles　&c。　of　this　War；　〃BY　THE　ROYAL　STAFF…OFFICERS〃which；　for　the　last　thirty　or　forty　years；　is　used　as　Text…Book；　or　Military　EUCLID；　in　the　Prussian　Cadet…Schools；appears　to　possess　the　fit　professorial　lucidity　and　amplitude；　and；　in　regard　to　all　Official　details；　enumerations　and　the　like；　is　received　as　of　CANONICAL　authority：　it　is　not　accessible　to　the　general　Public；though　liberally　enough　conceded　in　special　cases；　whereby；　in　effect；　the　main　results　of　it　are　now　become　current　in　modern　Prussian　Books。　By　favor　in　high　quarters；　I　had　once　possession　of　a　copy；　for　some　months；　but　not；　at　that　time；　the　possibility　of　thoroughly　reading　any　part　of　it。＇　Other　interest　than　military…scientific　　the　Action　now　has　not　much。　The　stormy　fire　of　soul　that　blazed　that　day　（higher　in　no　ancient　or　modern　Fight　of　men）　is　extinct；　hopeless　of　resuscitation　for　English　readers。　Approximately　what　the　thing　to　human　eyes　might　be　like；　what　Friedrich's　procedure；　humor　and　physiognomy　of　soul　was　in　it：　this；　especially　the　latter　head；　is　what　we　search　for；had　lazy　Dryasdust　given　us　almost　anything　on　this　latter　head！　What　little　can　be　gleaned　from　him　on　both　heads　let　us　faithfully　give；　and　finish　our　sad　part　of　the　combat。

Friedrich；　with　his　Schwerin　and　Winterfeld；　surveying　these　things　from　the　northern　edge；　admits　that　the　Austrian　position　is　extremely　strong；　but　he　has　no　doubt　that　it　must　be；　by　some　good　method；　attacked　straightway；　and　the　Austrians　got　beaten。　Indisputably　the　enterprise　is　difficult。　Unattackable　clearly；　the　Austrians；　on　that　left　wing　of　theirs；　not　in　the　centre　well　attackable；　nor　in　the　front　at　all；　with　that　stiff　ground；　and　such　redoubts　and　points　of　strength：　but　round　on　their　right　yonder；　take　them　in　flank；cannot　we？　On　as　far　as　Kyge；　the　Three　have　ridden　reconnoitring；　and　found　no　possibility　upon　the　front；　nor　at　Kyge；　where　the　front　ends　in　batteries；　pools　and　quagmires；　is　there　any。　〃Difficult；　not　undoable；〃　persists　the　King：　〃and　it　must　be　straightway　set　about　and　got　done。〃　Winterfeld；　always　for　action；　is　of　that　opinion；　too：　and；　examining　farther　down　along　their　right　flank；　reports　that　there　the　thing　is　feasible。

Feasible　perhaps：　〃but　straightway？〃　objects　Schwerin。　His　men　have　been　on　foot　since　midnight；　and　on　forced　marches　for　days　past：　were　it　not　better　to　rest　for　this　one　day？　〃Rest：and　Daun；　coming　on　with　30；000　of　reinforcement　to　them；　might　arrive　this　night？　Never；　my　good　Feldmarschall；〃and　as　the　Feldmarschall　was　a　man　of　stiff　notions；　and　had　a　tongue　of　some　emphasis；　the　Dialogue　went　on；　probably　with　increasing　emphasis　on　Friedrich's　side　too；　till　old　Schwerin；　with　a　quite　emphatic　flash　of　countenance；　crushing　the　hat　firm　over　his　brow；　exclaims：　〃Well；　your　Majesty：　the　fresher　fish　the　better　fish　（FRISCHE　FISCHE；　GUTE　FISCHE）：　straightway；　then！〃　and　springs　off　on　the　gallop　southward；　he　too；　seeking　some　likely　point　of　attack。　He　too；　conjointly　or　not　with　Winterfeld；　I　do　not　know：　Winterfeld　himself　does　not　say；　whose　own　modest　words　on　the　subject　readers　shall　see　before　we　finish。　But　both　are　mentioned　in　the　Books　as　searching；　at　hand…gallop；　in　this　way：　and　both；　once　well　round　to　south；　by　the　Podschernitz　＇〃Podschernitz〃　is　pronounced　PotSHERnitz　（should　we　happen　to　mentionn　it　again）；　〃Kyge；〃　KEEGA。＇　quarter；　with　the　Austrian　right　flank　full　in　view；　were　agreed　that　here　the　thing　was　possible。　〃Infantry　to　push　from　this　quarter　towards　Sterbohol　yonder；　and　then　plunge　into　their　redoubts　and　them！　Cavalry　may　sweep　still　farther　southward；　if　found　convenient；　and　even　take　them　in　rear。〃　Both　agree　that　it　will　do　in　this　way：　ground　tolerably　good；　slightly　downwards　for　us；　then　slightly　upwards　again；　tolerable　for　horse　even：the　intermediate　lacing　of　dirty　lakelets；　the　fish…ponds　with　their　sluices　drawn；　Schwerin　and　Winterfeld　either　did　not　notice　at　all；　or　thought　them　insiginificant；　interspersed　with　such　beautiful　〃pasture…ground；〃of　unusual　verdure　at　this　early　season　of　the　year。

The　deployment；　or　〃marching　up　（AUFMARSCHIREN）〃　of　the　Prussians　was　wonderful；　in　their　squadrons；　in　their　battalions；　horse；　foot；　artillery；　wheeling；　closing；　opening；　strangely　checkering　a　country…side；in　movements　intricate；　chaotic　to　all　but　the　scientific　eye。　Conceive　them；　flowing　along；　from　the　Heights　of　Chaber；　behind　Prossik　Hamlet　（right　wing　of　infantry　plants　itself　at　Prossik；　horse　westward　of　them）；　and　ever　onwards　in　broad　many…checkered　tide…stream；　eastward；　eastward；　then　southward　（〃our　artillery　went　through　Podschernitz；　the　foot　and　horse　a　little　on　this　westward　side　of　it〃）：　intricate；　many…glancing　tide　of　coming　battle；　which；　swift；　correct　as　clock…work；　becomes　two　lines；　from　Prossik　to　near　Chwala　（〃baggage　well　behind　at　Gbell〃）；　thence　round　by　Podschernitz　quarter；　and　descends；　steady；　swift；　tornado…storm　so　beautifully　hidden　in　it；　towards　Sterbohol；　there　to　grip　to。　Gradually；　in　stirring　up　those　old　dead　pedantic　record…books；　the　fact　rises　on　us：　silent　whirlwinds　of　old　Platt…Deutsch　fire；　beautifully　held　down；　dwell　in　those　mute　masses；　better　human　stuff　there　is　not　than　that　old　Teutsch　（Dutch；　English；　Platt…Deutsch　and　other　varieties）；　and　so　disciplined