history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第60部分
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could cut the root of them; which he cannot。 JUNE 27th 'while Colonel Mosel; with his 3;000 wagons; still only one stage from Troppau; was so busy'; slow Fermor rose from Konitz; began hitching southward; southward gradually to Posen;a considerably stronger Polish Town; on the edge both of Brandenburg and of Silesia;and has been sitting there; almost ever since our entrance into Bohemia; his Cossacks burning and wasting to great distances in both Countries; no deciding which of them he meant to invade with his main Army。 Sits there almost a month; enigmatic to Dohna; enigmatic to Friedrich: till Friedrich decides at last that he cannot be suffered longer; whichever of them he mean; and rises for Silesia (August 2d)。 Precisely about which day Fermor had decided for Brandenburg; and rolled over thither; towards Custrin and the Frankfurt…on…Oder Country; heralded by fire and murder; as usual。〃
Friedrich's march to Landshut is; again; much admired。 Daun had beset the three great roads; the two likeliest especially; with abundant Pandours; and his best Loudons and St。 Ignons: Friedrich; making himself enigmatic to Daun; struck into the third road by Skalitz; Nachod; circuitous; steep; but lying Glatz…ward; handy for support of various kinds。 He was attempted; once or more; by Pandours; but used them badly; fell in with Daun's old abatis (well wind…dried now); in different places; and burnt them in passing。 And in five days was in Kloster…Grussau; safe on his own side of the Mountains again。 One point only we will note; in these Pandour turmoilings。 From Skalitz; the first stage of his march; he answers a Letter of Brother Henri's:
TO PRINCE HENRI (at Tachopau in Saxony)。 〃What you write to me of my Sister of Baireuth 'that she has been in extremity; cannot yet write; and must not be told of the Prince of Prussia's death lest it kill her' makes me tremble! Next to our Mother; she is what I have the most tenderly loved in this world。 She is a Sister who has my heart and all my confidence; and whose character is of price beyond all the crowns in this universe。 From my tenderest years; I was brought up with her: you can conceive how there reigns between us that indissoluble bond of mutual affection and attachment for life; which in all other cases; were it only from disparity of ages; is impossible。 Would to Heaven I might die before her;and that this terror itself don't take away my life without my actually losing her!〃 ' OEuvres de Frederic; xxvi。 179; 〃Klenny; near Skalitz; 3d August; 1758;〃 Henri's Letter is dated 〃Camp of Tschopau; 28th July〃 (ib。 277)。' 。。。
At Grussau (August 9th) he writes to his dear Wilhelmina herself: 〃O you; the dearest of my family; you whom I have most at heart of all in this world;for the sake of whatever is most precious to you; preserve yourself; and let me have at least the consolation of shedding my tears in your bosom! Fear nothing for US; and〃 O King; she is dying; and I believe knows it; though you will hope to the last! There is something piercingly tragical in those final Letters of Friedrich to his Wilhelmina; written from such scenes of wreck and storm; and in Wilhelmina's beautiful ever…loving quiet Answers; dictated when she could no longer write。 '〃July 18th〃 is the last by her hand; and 〃almost illegible;〃still extant; it seems; though withheld from us。 Was received at Grussau here; and answered at some length ( OEuvres; xxvii。 i。 316); according to the specimen just given。 Two more of hers follow; and four of the King's (ib。 317…322)。 Nearly meaningless; as printed there; without commentary for the unprepared reader。'
Friedrich had last left Grussau April 18th; he has returned to it August 8th: after sixteen weeks of a very eventful absence。 In Grussau he stayed two whole days;busy enough he; probably; though his people were resting! August 10th he draws up; for Prince Henri; 〃under seal of the most absolute secrecy;〃 and with admirable business…like strictness; brevity and clearness; forgetting nothing useful; remembering nothing useless; a Paper of Directions in case of a certain event: 〃I march to…morrow against the Russians: as the events of War may lead to all sorts of accidents; and it may easily happen to me to be killed; I have thought it my duty to let you know what my plans were;〃 and what you are to do in that event;〃the rather as you are Guardian of our Nephew 'late Prince of Prussia's Son' with an unlimited authority。〃 Oath from all the armies the instant I am killed: rapid; active; as ever; the enemy not to notice that there is any change in the command。 I intend to 〃beat the Russians utterly 'A PLATE COUTURE; splay…seam'; if it be possible;〃 then to &c。: gives you his 〃itinerary;〃 too; or probable address; till 〃the 25th〃 (notably enough); in short; forgets nothing useful; nor remembers anything that is not; in spite of his hurry。 '〃DISPOSITION TESTAMENTAIRE〃 (so they have labelled it); given in OEuvres; iv。 (APPENDICE) 261; 262。 Friedrich's TESTAMENT proper is already made; and all in order; years ago (〃11th January 1752〃): of this there followed Two new Redactions (new EDITIONS with slight improvements; 〃7th November; 1768;〃 and 〃8th January; 1769〃 the FINALLY valid one); and various Supplements; or summary Enforcements (as here); at different times of crisis。 see PREUSS; iv。 277; 401; and OEuvres de Frederic; vi。 p。 13 (of Preface); for some confused account of that matter。' For Mlnlster Finck also there went a Paper; seal lzot needing to be opened for the moment。
With Margraf Karl; and Fouquet under him; who are to guard Silesia; he leaves in two Divisions about Half the late Olmutz Army:added to the other force; this will make about 40;000 for that service。 'Stenzel; v。 163。' Keith has the chief command here; but is ordered to Breslau; in the mean time; for a little rest and recovery of health。 Friday; 11th August; Friedrich himself; with the other Half; pushes off towards Fermor and the Cossack demons; through Liegnitz; through Hohenfriedberg Country; straight for Frankfurt; with his best speed。
Chapter XIII。
BATTLE OF ZORNDORF。
Sunday; 20th August; Friedrich; with his small Army; hardly above 15;000 I should guess; arrived at Frankfurt…on…Oder: 〃his Majesty;〃 it seems; 〃lodged in the Lebus Suburb; in the house of a Clergyman's Widow; and was observed to go often out of doors; and listen to the cannonading; which was going on at Custrin。〃 'Rodenbeck; i。 347。' From Landshut hither; he has come in nine days; the swiftest marching; a fiery spur of indignation being upon all his men and him; for the last two days fierier than ever; longing all to have a blow at those incendiary Russian gentlemen。 Five days ago; the Russians; attempting blindly on the Garrison of Custrin; had burnt;nothing of the Garrison at all;but the poor little Town altogether。 Which has filled everybody with lamentation and horror。 And; listen yonder; they are still busy on the solitary Garrison of Custrin;audible enough to Friedrich from his northern or Lebus Suburb; which lies nearest the place; at a distance of some twenty miles。
Of Fermor's red…hot savagery on Custrin; it is lamentably necessary we should say something: to say much would he a waste of record; as the thing itself was a waste of powder。 A thing hideous to think of; without the least profit to Fermor; but with total ruin to all the inhabitants; and to the many strangers who had sought refuge there。 One interior circumstance is memorable and lucky to us。 Artillery…Captain Tielcke happened to be with these people; had come in the train of 〃two Saxon Princes; serving as volunteers;〃 and; with a singular lucidity; and faithful good sense; not scientific alone; he illuminates these biack Russian matters for such as have to do with them。
Tielcke's Book of Contributions to the Art of War ' Beytrage zur Kriege…Kunst und (ZUR) Geschichte des Krieges von 1756 bis 1763 (six thin vols。 4to; with many Plates); cited above。' is still in repute with Soldiers; especially in the Artillery line; and indeed shows a sound geometrical head; and contains bits of excellent Historical reading interspersed among the scientific parts。 This Tielcke; it appears; was a common foot…soldier; one of those Pirna 14;000 made Prussian against their will; but Tielcke had a milkmaid for sweetheart in those regions; who; good soul; gave him her generous farewell; a suit of her clothes; perhaps a pair of her pails; and in that guise he walked out of bondage。 Clear away; to Warsaw; to favor with the King and others (being of real merit; an excellent; studious; modest little man); and here he now reappears; in a higher capacity; as articulate Eye…witness of the Custrin Business and the Zorndorf; among much other Russian darkness; which shall remain comfortably blank to us。
Up to Custrin; the Journal of the Operations of the Russian Army; which I could give from day to day; '〃TAGEBUCH BEYDER &c。 (Diary of both Armies from the beginning of the Campaign till Zorndorf〃); in Tielcke; ii。 1…75; Tempelhof; ii。 136; 216…224; Helden… Geschichte; v。; &c。 &c。' is of no interest except to the Nether Powers of this Universe; the Russian Operations hitherto having consisted in slow marches; sluttish cookeries; cantonings; bivouackings; with destruction of a poor innocent Country; and arson; theft and murder done on the great scale by inhuman vagabonds; Cossacks so called; not tempered on this occasion by the mercy of Calmucks。 The regular Russian Army; it appears; participates in the common horror of mankind against such a method of making war; but neither Feldmarschall Fermor; nor General Demikof (properly THEMICOUD; a Swiss; deserving little thanks from us; who has taken in hand to command these Missionaries of the Pit); can help the results above described。 Which are justly characterized as abominable; to gods and men; and not fit to be recorded in human Annals; execration; and; if it were possible; oblivion; being the human resource with them。; The Russian Officers; it seems; despise tbis Cossack rabble incredibly; for their fighting qualities withal are close on zero; though their talent for arson and murder is so