history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第61部分

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r　their　fighting　qualities　withal　are　close　on　zero；　though　their　talent　for　arson　and　murder　is　so　considerable。　And　contrariwise；　the　Cossacks；　for　their　part；　have　no　objection　to　plunder；　or　even；　if　obstreperous；　to　kill；　any　regular　Officer　they　may　meet　unescorted　in　a　good　place。　Their　talent　for　arson　is　great。　They　do　uncountable　damage　to　the　Army　itself；　provoking　all　the　Country　people　to　destroy　by　fire　what　could　be　eaten　or　used；　the　foraging；　food　and　equipments　of　horse　and　man；　so　that　horse　and　man　have　to　be　fed　by　victual　carted　hundreds　of　miles　out　of　Poland；　and　the　Russian　Army　sticks；　as　it　were；　tethered　with　a　welter　of　broken　porridge…pots　and　rent　meal…bags　hung　to　every　foot　it　has。

East　Preussen　is　quiet　from　the　storms　of　War；　holds　its　tongue　well；　and　hopes　better　days：　but　the　Russians　themselves　are　little　the　better　for　it；　a　country　so　lately　burned　bare；　they　are　merely　flung　so　many　scores　of　miles　forward；　farther　from　home　and　their　real　resources；　before　they　can　begin　work；　They　have　no　port　on　the　Baltic：　poor　blockheads；　they　are　aware　how　desirable；　for　instance；　Dantzig　would　be；　to　help　feeding　them　out　of　ships；　but　the　Dantzigers　won't。　Colberg；　a　poor　little　place；　with　only　700　militia　people　in　it；　would　be　of　immense　service　to　them　as　a　sea…haven：　but　even　this　they　have　not　yet　tried　to　get；　and　after　trying；　they　will　find　it　a　job。　〃Why　not　unite　with　the　Swedes　and　take　Stettin　（the　finest　harbor　in　the　Baltic）；　which　would　bring　Russia；　by　ships；　to　your　very　hand？〃　This　is　what　Montalembert　is　urgent　upon；　year　after　year；　to　the　point　of　wearying　everybody；　but　he　can　get　no　official　soul　to　pay　heed　to　him；the　difficulties　are　so　considerable。　〃Swedes；　what　are　they？〃　say　the　Russians：　〃Russians　what？〃　say　the　Swedes。　〃Sweden　would　be　so　handy　for　the　Artilleries；〃　urges　Montalembert；　〃Russians　for　the　Soldiery；　or　covering　and　fighting　part。〃〃Can't　be　done！〃　Officiality　shakes　its　head：　and　Montalembert　is　obliged　to　be　silent。

The　Russians　have　got　into　the　Neumark　of　Brandenburg；　on　those　bad　terms；　and　are　clearly　aware　that；　without　some　Fortress　as　a　Place　of　Arms；　they　are　an　overgrown　Incompetency　and　Monstrosity　in　the　field　of　War；　doing　much　destruction；　most　of　which　proves　self…　destructive　before　long。　But　how　help　it？　If　the　carrying　of　meal　so　far　be　difficult　what　will　the　carrying　of　siege…furniture　be？　A　flat　impossibility。　Fermor；　aware　of　these　facts；　remembers　what　happened　at　Oczakow；long　ago；　in　our　presence；　and　Keith's　and　Munnich's；　if　the　reader　have　not　quite　forgot。　Munnich；　on　that　occasion；　took　Oczakow　without　any　siege…furniture　whatever；　by　boldly　marching　up　to　it；　nothing　but　audacity　and　good　luck　on　his　side。　Fermor　determines　to　try　Custrin　in　the　like　way；if　peradventure　Prussian　soldiery　be　like　Turk？

Fermor　rose　from　Posen　August　2d；　almost　three　weeks　ago；　making　daily　for　the　Neumark　and　those　unfortunate　Oder　Countries；　nobody　but　Dohna　to　oppose　him；Dohna　in　the　ratio　of　perhaps　one　against　four。　Dohna　naturally　laid　hold　of　Frankfurt　and　the　Oder　Bridge；　so　that　Fermor　could　not　cross　there；　whereupon　Fermor；　as　the　next　best　thing；　struck　northward　for　the　Warta　（black　Polish　stream；　last　big　branch　of　Oder）；　crossed　this；　at　his　ease；　by　Landsberg　Bridge；　August　10th　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　216。＇　and　after　a　day　or　two　of　readjustment　in　Landsberg；　made　for　Custrin　Country　（his　next　head…quarter　is　at　Gross　Kamin）；　hoping　in　some　accidental　or　miraculous　way　to　cross　Oder　thereabouts；　or　even　get　hold　of　Custrin　as　a　Place　of　Arms。　If　peradventure　he　can　take　Custrin　without　proper　siege…artillery；　in　the　Oczakow　or　Anti…Turk　way？　Fermor　has　been　busy　upon　Custrin　since　August　15th；in　what　fashion　we　partly　heard；　and　will　now；　from　authentic　sources；　see　a　little　for　ourselves。

The　Castle　of　Custrin；　built　by　good　Johann　of　Custrin；　and　〃roofed　with　copper；〃　in　the　Reformation　times；we　know　it　from　of　old；　and　Friedrich　has　since　had　some　knowledge　of　it。　Custrin　itself　is　a　rugged　little　Town；　with　some　moorland　traffic；　and　is　still　a　place　of　great　military　strength；　the　garrison　of　those　parts。　Its　rough　pavements；　its　heavy　stone　battlements　and　barriers；　give　it　a　guarled　obstinate　aspect；stern　enough　place　of　exile　for　a　Crown…Prince　fallen　into　such　disfavor　with　Papa！　A　rugged；　compact；　by　no　means　handsome　little　Town；　at　the　meeting　of　the　Warta　and　the　Oder；　stands　naturally　among　sedges；　willows　and　drained　mire；　except　that　human　industry　is　pleasantly　busy　upon　it；　and　has　long　been。　So　that　the　neighborhood　is　populous　beyond　expectation；　studded　with　rough　cottages　in　white…wash；　hamlets　in　a　paved　condition；　and　comfortable　signs　of　labor　victoriously　wrestling　with　the　wilderness。　Custrin；　an　arsenal　and　garrison；　begirt　with　two　rivers；　and　with　awful　bulwarks；　and　bastions　cased　in　stone；〃perhaps　too　high；〃　say　the　learned；is　likely　to　be　impregnable　to　Russian　engineering　on　those　terms。　Here；　with　brevity；　is　the　catastrophe　of　Custrin。

TUESDAY；　15th　AUGUST；　1758。　At　two　in　the　morning；　several　thousand　Russians；　grenadiers；　under　Quartermaster　General　Stoffeln；　whom　the　readers　of　Mannstein　know　from　old　Oczakow　times；　are　astir；　pushing　along　from　Gross　Kamin；　through　the　scraggy　firwoods；　and　flat　peat　countries；　intending　a　stroke　on　Custrin；　if　perhaps　they　can　get　it：　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　217；　but　Tielcke；　ii。　69　et　seq。；　the　real　source。＇not　the　slightest　chance　to　get　Custrin；　Prussian　soldiership　and　Turkish　being　two　quite　different　things！　The　pickeering　and　manoeuvring　of　Stoffeln　shall　not　detain　us。　Stoffeln　came　along　by　the　Landsberg　road　（course　of　the　now　Konigsberg…Custrin　Railway）；　and　drove　in　the　Prussian　out…parties；　who　at　first　took　him　for　Cossacks。　Stoffeln　set　himself　down　on　the　north　side　of　the　place；　planted　cannon　in　certain　clay…pits　thereabouts；　and　about　nine　o'clock　began　firing　shells　and　incendiary　grenadoes　at　a　great　rate。　Tielcke　saw　everything；and　had　the　honor　to　take　luncheon；　that　evening；　with　certain　chief　Officers；　sitting　on　the　ground；　after　all　was　over；　and　only　a　few　shots　from　the　Garrison　still　dropping。　＇Tielcke；　ii。　75　n。＇

At　the　third　grenade；　which；　it　seems；　fell　into　a　straw　magazine；　Custrin　took　fire；　could　not　be　quenched　again；　so　much　dry　wood　in　it；　so　much　disorder　too；　the　very　soldiers　some　of　them　disorderly　（a　bad　deserter　set）；　so　that　it　soon　flamed　aloft；from　side　to　side　one　sea　of　flame：　and　man；　woman　and　child；　every　soul　（except　the　Garrison；　which　sat　enclosed　in　strong　stone）；　had　to　fly　across　the　River；　under　penalty　of　death　by　fire。　Of　Custrin；　by　five　in　the　evening；　there　was　nothing　left　but　the　black　ashes；　the　Garrison　standing　unharmed；　and　the　Church；　School…house　and　some　stone　edifices　in　a　charred　skeleton　condition。　〃No　life　was　lost；　except　that　of　one　child　in　arms。〃　All　Neumark　had　lodged　its　valuables　in　this　place　of　strength；　all　are　fled　now　in　horror　and　terror　across　the　Oder；　by　the　Bridge；　before　it　also　unquenchably　takes　fire；　at　the　western　or　non…Russian　end　of　the　place。　Such　a　day　as　was　seldom　seen　in　human　experience；Fermor　responsible　for　it；　happily　not　we。

Fermor；　in　the　evening；　said　to　his　Artillery　People：　〃Why　have　you　ceased　to　fire　grenadoes？〃　〃Excellency；　the　Town　is　out；　nothing　now　but　ashes　and　stone。〃　〃Never　mind；　give　them　the　rest；　one　every　quarter　of　an　hour。　We　shall　not　need　the　grenadoes　again。　The　cannon…balls　we　shall；　them；　therefore；　do　not　waste。〃　On　the　morrow　morning；　after　this　performance　on　the　Town；　Fermor　sends　a　Trumpeter：　〃Surrender　or　else！〃　rather　in　the　tremendous　style。　〃Or　else？〃　answers　the　Commandant；　pointing　to　the　ashes；　to　the　black　inconsumable　stones；　and　is　deaf　to　this　EX…POST…FACTO　Trumpeter。　The　Russians　say　they　sent　one　yesterday　morning；　not　EX…POST…FACTO；　but　he　was　killed　in　the　pickeerings；　and　never　heard　of　again。　A　mile　or　so　to　rear　of　Custrin；　on　the　westward　or　Berlin　side　of　the　River；　lies　Dohna　for　the　last　four　days；　expecting　that　the　Laws　of　Nature　will　hold　good；　and　Custrin　prove　tenable　against　such　sieging。　So　stands　it　on　Friedrich's　arrival。

We　left　Friedrich　in　the　Lebus　Suburb　of　Frankfurt；　Sunday；　August　20th；　listening　to　the　distant　cannonade。　Next　morning；　he　is　here　himself；　at　Dohna's　Camp　of　Gorgast；　taking　survey　of　affairs；　came　early；　under　rapid　small　escort；　leaving　his　Army　to　follow；　scorn　and　contemptuous　indignation　the　humor　of　him；　they　say；　resolution　to　be　swiftly　home　upon　that　surprising　Russian　armament；　and　teach　it　new　manners。　The　black　skeleton　of　Custrin　stares　hideously　across　the　River；　〃Custrin　Siege〃　so　called　still　going　on；had　better　make　despatch　now；　and　take　itself　away！　He　greatly　despises　Russian　soldiership：　〃Pooh；　pooh；〃　he　would　answer；　if　Keith　from　experience　said；　〃Your　Majesty　does　not　do　it　justice；〃and　Keith　has　been　known　to　hint；　〃If　the　trial　ever　come；　your　Majesty　will　alter　that　opinion。〃　A　day　or　two　hence；　amid　these　hideous　Russian　fire…traceries；　the　Hussars　bring　him　a　dozen　of　Cossacks　they　have　made　prisoners：　Friedrich　looks　at　the　dirty　green　vagabonds；　says　to　one　of　his　Staff：　〃And　this　is　the　kind　of　Doggery　I　have　to　bother　with！〃The　sight　of　the　poor　country…people；　and　their　tears　of　joy　and　of　sorrow　on　his　reappearance　among　them；　much　affected　him。　Taking　inspection　of　Dohna；　he　finds　Dohna　wonderfully　clean；　pipe…clayed；　complete：　〃You　are　very　fine　indeed；　you；I　bring　you　a　set　of　fellows；　rough　as　GRASTEUFELN　＇〃grass…devils；〃　I　never　know　whether　insects　or　birds＇；　but　they　can　bite；〃hope　you　can！

Tuesday；　August　32d；　at　five　in　the　morning　our　Army　has　all　arrived；　the　Frankfurt　people　just　come　in；　30；000　of　us　now　in　Camp　at　Gorgast。　Friedrich　orders　straightway　that　a　certain　Russian　Redoubt　on　the　other　side　of　the　River；　at　Schaumburg；　a　mile　or　two　down　stream；　be　well　cannonaded　into　ruin；as　if　he　took　it　for　some　incipiency　of　a　Russian　Bridge；　or　were　himself　minded　to　cross　here；　under　cover　of　Custrin。　Friedrich's　intention　very　certainly　is　to　cross；here　or　not　just　here；and　that　same　night；　after　some　hours　of　rest　to　the　Frankfurt　people；night　of　Tuesday…Wednesday；　Friedrich；　having　persuaded　the　Russians　that　h