history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第70部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


f　it　begins。

Rapidly　enough　Friedrich　takes　his　new　measures。　Seizes　Drehsa　Height；　which　will　now　be　key　of　the　field；　despatches　Mollendorf　thither　（Mollendorf　our　courageous　Leuthen　friend）；　who　vigorously　bestirs　himself；　gets　hold　of　Drehsa　Height　before　the　enemy　can；　Ziethen　co…operating　on　the　Heights　of　Kumschutz；　Canitz　and　other　points　of　vantage。　And　thus；　in　effect；　Friedrich　pulls　up　his　torn　right　skirt　（as　he　is　doing　all　his　other　skirts）　into　new　compact　front　against　the　Austrians：　so　that；　in　that　southwestern　part　especially；　the　Austrians　do　not　try　it　farther；　but　〃retire　at　full　gallop；〃　on　sight　of　this　swift　seizure　of　the　Keys　by　Mollendorf　and　Ziethen。　Friedrich　also　despatches　instant　order　to　Retzow；　to　join　him　at　his　speediest。　Friedrich　everywhere　rearranges　himself；　hither；　thither；　with　skilful　rapidity；　in　new　Line　of　Battle；　still　hopeful　to　dispute　what　is　left　of　the　field；longing　much　that　Retzow　could　come　on　wings。

By　this　time　（towards　eight；　if　I　might　guess）　Day　has　got　the　upper　hand；　the　Daun　Austrians　stand　visible　on　their　Ring　of　Heights　all　round；　behind　Hochkirch　and　our　late　Battery；　on　to　westward　and　northward；　as　far　as　Steindorfel　and　Waditz；　extremely　busy　rearranging　themselves　into　something　of　line；　there　being　much　confusion；　much　simmering　about　in　clumps　and　gaps；　after　such　a　tussle。　In　front　of　us；　to　eastward；　the　appointed　Austrian　parties　are　proceeding　to　attack：　but　in　daylight；　and　with　our　eyes　open；　it　is　a　thing　of　difficulty；　and　does　not　prosper　as　Hochkirch　did。　Duke　D'Ahremberg；　on　their　extreme　right；　had　in　charge　to　burst　in　upon　our　left；　so　soon　as　he　saw　Hochkirch　done：　D'Ahremberg　does　try；　as　do　others　in　their　places；　near　Daun；　but　with　comparatively　little　success。　D'Ahremberg；　meeting　something　of　check　or　hindrance　where　he　tried；　pauses；　for　a　good　while；　till　he　see　how　others　prosper。　Their　grand　chance　is　their　superiority　of　number；　and　the　fact　that　Friedrich　can　try　nothing　upon　THEM；　but　must　stand　painfully　on　the　defensive　till　Retzow　come。　To　Friedrich；　Retzow　seems　hugely　slow　about　it。　But　the　truth　is；　Baden…Durlach；　with　his　20；000　of　Reserve；　has；　as　per　order；　made　attack　on　Retzow；　20；000　against　12：　one　of　the　feeblest　attacks　conceivable；　but　sufficient　to　detain　Retzow　till　he　get　it　repulsed。　Retzow　is　diligent　as　Time；　and　will　be　here。

Meanwhile；　the　Austrians　on　front　do；　in　a　sporadic　way；　attack　and　again　attack　our　batteries　and　posts；　especially　that　big　Battery　of　Thirty　Guns；　which　we　have　to　north　of　Rodewitz。　The　Austrians　do　take　that　Battery　at　last；　and　are　beginning　again　to　be　dangerous；the　rather　as　D'Ahremberg　seems　again　to　be　thinking　of　business。　It　is　high　time　Retzow　were　here！　Few　sights　could　be　gladder　to　Friedrich；　than　the　first　glitter　of　Retzow's　vanguard；　horse；　under　Prince　Eugen　of　Wurtemberg；beautifully　wending　down　from　Weissenberg　yonder；　skilfully　posting　themselves；　at　Belgern　and　elsewhere；　as　thorns　in　the　sides　of　D'Ahremberg　（sharp　enough；　on　trial　by　D'Ahremberg）。　Followed；　before　long；　by　Retzow　himself；　serenely　crossing　Lobau　Water；　and；　with　great　celerity；　and　the　best　of　skill；　likewise　posting　himself；hopelessly　to　D'Ahremberg；　who　tries　nothing　farther。　The　sun　is　now　shining；　it　is　now　ten　of　the　day。　Had　Retzow　come　an　hour　sooner；　efore　we　lost　that　big　Battery　and　other　things！　But　he　could　come　no　sooner；　be　thankful　he　is　here　at　last；　in　such　an　overawing　manner。

Friedrich；　judging　that　nothing　now　can　be　made　of　the　affair；　orders　retreat。　Retreat；　which　had　been　getting　schemed；　I　suppose；　and　planned　in　the　gloom　of　the　royal　mind；　ever　since　loss　of　that　big　Battery　at　Rodewitz。　Little　to　occupy　him；　in　this　interim；　except　indignant　waiting；　rigorously　steady；　and　some　languid　interchange　of　cannon…shot　between　the　parties。　Retreat　is　to　Klein…Bautzen　neighborhood　（new　head…quarter　Doberschutz；　outposts　Kreckwitz　and　Purschwitz）；　four　miles　or　so　to　northwest。　Rather　a　shifting　of　your　ground；　which　astonishes　the　military　reader　ever　since；　than　a　retreating　such　as　the　common　run　of　us　expected。　Done　in　the　usual　masterly　manner；　part　after　part　mending　off；　Retzow　standing　minatory　here；　Mollendorf　minatory　there；　in　the　softest　quasi…rhythmic　sequence；　Cavalry　all　drawn　out　between　Belgern　and　Kreckwitz；　baggage…wagons　filing　through　the　Pass　of　Drehsa；not　an　Austrian　meddling　with　it；　less　or　more；　Daun　and　his　Austrians　standing　in　their　ring　of　five　miles；　gazing　into　it　like　stone　statues；　their　regiments　being　still　in　a　confused　state；and　their　Daun　an　extremely　slow　gentleman。　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　319…336；　Seyfarth；　　Beylagen；　　i。　432…453；　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　241…257；　Archenholtz；　&c。　&c。＇

And　in　this　manner　Friedrich；　like　a　careless　swimmer　caught　in　the　Mahlstrom；　has　not　got　swallowed　in　it；　but　has　made　such　a　buffeting　of　it；　he　is　here　out　of　it　again；　without　bone　broken；　not；　we　hope；　without　instruction　from　the　adventure。　He　has　lost　101　pieces　of　cannon；　most　of　his　tents　and　camp…furniture；　and；　what　is　more　irreparable；　above　8；000　of　his　brave　people；　5；381　of　them　and　119　Officers　（Keith　and　Moritz　for　two）　either　dead　or　captive。　In　men　the　Austrian　loss；　it　seems；　is　not　much　lower；　some　say　is　rather　a　shade　higher；　by　their　own　account；　325　Officers；　5；614　rank　and　file；　killed　and　wounded；not　reckoning　1；000　prisoners　they　lost　to　us；　and　〃at　least　2；000〃　who　took　that　chance　of　deserting　in　the　intricate　dark　woods。　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　336；　but　see　Kausler；　p。　576。＇

Friedrich；　all　say；　took　his　punishment　in　a　wonderfully　cheerful　manner。　De　Catt　the　Reader；　entering　to　him　that　evening　as　usual；　the　King　advanced；　in　a　tragic　declamatory　attitude；　and　gave　him；　with　proper　voice　and　gesture；　an　appropriate　passage　of　Racine：

　〃Enfin　apres　un　an；　tu　me　revois；　Arbate；　　　　　　　　　　　Non　plus　comme　autrefois　cet　heureux　Mithridate；　　　　　　　　　　　Qui；　de　Rome　toujours　balancant　le　destin；　　　　　　　　　　　Tenait　entre　elle　et　moi　l'univers　incertain。　　　　　　　　　　　Je　suis　vaincu；　Pompee　a　saisi　l'avantage　　　　　　　　　　　D'une　nuit　qui　laissait　peu　de　place　au　courage；　　　　　　　　　　　Mes　soldats　presque　nus；　dans〃　。。。　　

Not　a　little　to　De　Catt's　comfort。　＇Rodenbeck；　i。　354。＇　During　the　retreat　itself；　Retzow　Junior　had　come；　as　Papa's　Aide…de…Camp；　with　a　message　to　the　King；　found　him　on　the　heights　of　Klein　Bautzen；　watching　the　movements。　Message　done　with；　the　King　said；　in　a　smiling　tone；　〃Daun　has　played　me　a　slippery　trick　to…day！〃　〃I　have　seen　it；〃　answered　Retzow；　〃but　it　is　only　a　scratch；　which　your　Majesty　will　soon　manage　to　heal　again。〃〃GLAUBT　ER　DIES；　Do　you　think　so？〃　〃Not　only　I；　but　the　whole　Army　firmly　believe　it　of　your　Majesty。〃〃You　are　quite　right；〃　added　the　King；　in　a　confidentially　candid　way：　〃We　will　manage　Daun。　What　I　lament　is；　the　number　of　brave　men　that　have　died　this　morning。〃　＇Retzow；　i。　359　n。＇　On　the　morrow；　he　was　heard　to　say　publicly：　〃Daun　has　let　us　out　of　check…mate；　the　game　is　not　lost　yet。　We　will　rest　ourselves　here；　a　few　days；　then　go　for　Silesia；　and　deliver　Neisse。〃　The　Anecdote…Books　（perhaps　not　mythicalIy）　add　this：　〃Where　are　all　your　guns；　though？〃　said　the　King　to　an　Artilleryman；　standing　vacant　on　parade；　next　day。　〃IHRO　MAJESTAT；　the　Devil　stole　them　all；　last　night！〃〃Hm；　well；　we　must　have　them　back　from　him。〃　＇Archenholtz；　i。　299。＇

Nothing　immoderately　depressive　in　Hochkirch；　it　appears；though；　alas；　on　the　fourth　day　after；　there　came　a　message　from　Baireuth；　which　did　strike　one　down：　〃My　noble　Wilhelmina　dead；　died　in　the　very　hours　while　we　were　fighting　here！〃　＇On　a　common　Business…　Letter　to　Prince　Henri；　〃Doberschutz；　18th　October；　1758；〃　is　this　sudden　bit　of　Autograph：　〃GRAND　DIEU；　MA　SOEUR　DE　BAREITH！〃　（Schoning；　　Der　siebenjahrige　Krieg；　nach　der　Original…　Correspondens　&c。　aus　den　Staats…Archiven：　　Potsdam；　1851：　i。　287。）＇　Readers　must　conceive　it：　coming　unexpected　more　or　less；　black　as　sudden　universal　hurricane；　on　the　heart　of　the　man；　a　sorrow　sacred；　yet　immeasurable；　irremediable　to　him；　as　if　the　sky　too　were　falling　on　his　head；　in　aid　of　the　mean　earth　and　its　ravenings：of　all　this　there　can　nothing　be　said　at　present。　Friedrich's　one　relief　seems　to　have　been　the　necessity　laid　on　him　of　perpetual　battling　with　outward　business；we　may　fancy；　in　the　rapid　weeks　following；　how　much　was　lying　at　all　times　in　the　background　of　his　mind　suppressed　into　its　caves。

Daun；　it　appears；　was　considerably　elated；　spent　a　great　deal　of　his　time；　so　precious　just　at　present；　in　writing　despatches；　in　congratulating　and　being　congratulated；did　an　elaborate　TE…DEUM；　or　Ambrosian　Song；　in　Artillery　and　VOX　HUMANA；which　with　the　adjuncts；　say　splenetic　people；　as　at　Kolin；　sensibly　assisted　Friedrich's　affairs。　Daun　was　by　no　means　of　braggart　turn；　but　the　recognition　of　his　matchless　achievement　by　the　gazetteer　public；　whether　in　exultation　or　in　lamentation；　was　loud　and　universal；　and　the　joy；　in　Vienna　and　the　cognate　quarters；　knew　no　bounds　for　the　time　being。　Thus；　among　other　tokens；　the　Holiness　of　our　Lord　the　Pope；　blessing　Heaven　for　such　success　against　the　Heretic；　was　pleased　to　send　him　〃a　Consecrated　Hat　and　Sword；〃such　as　the　old　Popes　were　wont；　very　long　ago；　to　bestow　on　distinguished　Champions　against　the　Heathen；（much　jeered　at；　and　crowed　over；　by　a　profane　Friedrich　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xv。　122；　124；　126；　&c。　&c。：　in　PREUSS；　ii。　196；　compiete　List　of　these　poor　Pieces；　which　are　hearty；　not　hypocritical；　in　their　contemptuons　hilarity；　but　have　little　other　metit。＇）：　〃the　effect　of　which　miraculous　furnishings；〃　says　Tempelhof；　〃turned　out　to　be　that　the　Feldmarschall　never　gained　any　success　more；〃　in　fact；　except　that　small　thing　on　Finck　next　Year；　never　any；　as　it　chanced。　Daun　had　withdrawn　to　his　old　Camp；　on　the　day　of　Hochkirch；　leaving　only　a　detachment　on　the　field　there：　it　was　not　for　six　or　seven　days　more　that　he　stept　out　to　the　Kreckwitz　and　Purschwitz　neighborhood；　more　within　sight　of　his　vanquished　enemy；but　nothing　like　vigilant　enough　of　what　might　still　be　in　him；　after　such　vanquishing！We　must　spare　this　Note；　for　the　sake　of