history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第12节
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！
heart among them。 Feldmarschall Daun； on the news of May 6th； hastily fell back； joined by the wrecks of the right wing； which fled Sazawa way。 Brunswick…Bevern； with a 20；000； is detached to look after Daun； finds Daun still on the retreat； greedily collecting reinforcements from the homeward quarter； and hanging back； though now double or so of Bevern's strength。 Amazement and discouragement are the general feeling among Friedrich's enemies。 Notable to see how the whole hostile world marching in upon him；French； Russians； much more the Reich； poor faltering entity；pauses； as with its breath taken away； at news of Prag； and； arrested on the sudden； with lifted foot； ceases to stride forward； and merely tramp…tramps on the same place （nay in part； in the Reich part； visibly tramps backward）； for above a month ensuing！ Who knows whether； practically； any of them will come on； ＇See CORRESPONDANCE DU COMTE DE SAINT…GERMAIN； an Eye…witness； i。 108 （cited in Preuss； ii。 50）； &c。 &c。＇ and not leave Austria by itself to do the duel with Friedrich？ If Prag were but got； and the 46；000 well locked away； it would be very salutary for Friedrich's affairs！Week after week； the City holds out； and there seems no hope of it； except by hunger； and burning their Magazines by red…hot balls。
COLONEL MAYER WITH HIS 〃FREE…CORPS〃 PARTY MAKES A VISIT； OF DIDACTIC NATURE； TO THE REICH。
Friedrich； as we saw； on entering Bohmen； had shot off a Light Detachment under Colonel Mayer； southward； to seize any Austrian Magazines there were； especially one big Magazine at Pilsen：which Mayer has handsomely done； May 2d （Pilsen 〃a bigger Magazine than Jung…Bunzlau； even〃）； after which Mayer is now off westward； into the Ober…Pfalz； into the Nurnberg Countries； to teach the Reich a small lesson； since they will not listen to Plotho。 Prag Battle； as happens； had already much chilled the ardor of the Reich！ Mayer has two Free…Corps； his own and another； about 1；300 of foot； to which are added a 200 of hussars。 They have 5 cannon； carry otherwise a minimum of baggage； are swift wild fellows； sharp of stroke； and do； for the time； prove didactic to the Reich； bringing home to its very bosom the late great lesson of the Ziscaberg； in an applied form。 Mayer made a pretty course of it； into the Ober…Pfalz Countries； scattering the poor Execution Drill…Sergeants and incipiencies of preparation； the deliberative County Meetings； KREIS…Convents： ransoming Cities； Nurnberg for one city； whose cries went to Friedrich on the Ziscaberg； and wide over the world。 ＇In Helden…Geschichte； iv。 360…367； the Nurnberg Letter and Response （3lst May…5th June； 1757）： in Pauli； Leben grosser Helden （iii。 159 et seq。）； Account of the Mayer Expedition； also in Militair…Lexikon； iii。 29 （quoting from Pauli）。＇ Nurnberg would have been but too happy to 〃refuse its contingent to the Reich's Army；〃 as many others would have been （poor Kur…Baiern hurrying off a kind of Embassy to Friedrich； great terror reigning among the wigs of Regensburg； and everybody drawing back that could）；had not Imperial menaces； and an Event that fell out by and by in Prag Country； forced compliance。
Mayer's Expedition made a loud noise in the Newspapers； and was truly of a shining nature in its kind； very perfectly managed on Mayer's part； and has traits in it which are amusing to read； had one time。 Take one small glance from Pauli：
〃At Furth in Anspach； 1st June ＇after six days' screwing of Nurnberg from without； which we had no cannon to take＇； a Gratuity for the Prussian troops ＇amount not stated＇ was demanded and given： at Schwabach； farther up the Regnitz River； they took quarters； no exemption made； clergy and laity alike getting soldiers billeted。 Meat and drink had to be given them： as also 100 carolines ＇guineas and better＇； and twenty new uniforms。 Upon which； next day； they marched to Zirndorf； and the Reichsgraf Puckler's Mansion； the Schloss of Farrenbach there。 Mayer took quarter in the Schloss itself。 Here the noble owners got up a ball for Mayer's entertainment； and did all they could contrive to induce a light treatment from him。〃 Figure it； the neighboring nobility and gentry in gala； Mayer too in his best uniform； and smiling politely； with those 〃bright little black eyes〃 of his！ For he was a brilliant airy kind of fellow； and had much of the chevalier； as well as of the partisan； when requisite！
〃Out of Farrenbach； the Mayer people circulated upon all the neighboring Lordships； at Wilhelmsdorf； the Reichs…Furst von Hohenlohe ＇a too busy Anti…Prussian＇ had the worst brunt to bear。 The adjacent Baireuth lands ＇dear Wilhelmina； fancy her too in such neighborhood！＇ were to the utmost spared all billeting； and even all transit；〃though wandering sergeants of the Reich's Force； 〃one sergeant with the Wurzburg Herr Commissarius and eight common men； did get picked up on Baireuth ground： and this or the other Anspach Official （Anspach being disaffected）； too busy on the wrong side； found himself suddenly Prisoner of War； but was given up； at Wilhelmina？s gracious request。 On Bamberg he was sharp as flint； and had to be； the Bambergers； reinforced at last by 'Circle… Militias （KREIS…TRUPPEN）' in quantity； being called out in mass against him； and at Vach an actual Passage of Fight had occurred。〃
Of the 〃Affair at Vach；〃 pretty little Drawn…Battle （mostly an affair of art）； Mayer VERSUS 〃Kreis…troops to the amount of 6；000； with twelve cannon； or some say twenty…four〃 （which they couldn't handle）； and how Mayer cunningly took a position unassailable； 〃burnt Bridges of the Regnitz River；〃 and； plying his five cannon against these ardent awkward people； stood cheerful on the other side； and then at last； in good time； whisked himself off to the Hill of Culmbach； with all his baggage； inexpugnable there for three days：of all this； though it is set down at full length； we can say nothing。 ＇Pauli； iii。 159； &c。 （who gives Mayer's own LETTER； and others； upon Vach）。＇ And will add only； that； having girt himself and made his packages； Mayer left the Hill of Culmbach； and deliberately wended home； by Coburg and other Countries where he had business； eating his way； and early in July was safe in the Metal Mountains again； having fluttered the Volscians in their Frankenland Corioli to an unexpected extent。 It is one of five or six such sallies Friedrich made upon the Reich； sometimes upon the Austrians and Reich together； to tumble up their magazines and preparations。 Rapid unexpected inroads； year after year； done chiefly by the Free…Corps； and famous enough to the then Gazetteers。 Of which； or of their doers； as we can in time coming afford little or no notice； let us add this small Note on the Free…Corps topic； which is a large one in the Books； but must not interrupt us again：
〃Before this War was done；〃 say my Authorities； 〃there came gradually to be twenty…one Prussian Free…Corps；〃foot almost all； there being already Hussars in quantity； ever since the first Silesian experiences。 〃Notable Aggregates they were of loose wandering fellows； broken Saxons； Prussians； French； 'Hungarian… Protestant' some of them； 'Deserters from all the Armies' not a few； attracted by the fame of Friedrich；as the Colonels enlisting them had been； Mayer himself； for instance； was by birth a Vienna man； and had been in many services and wars； from his fifteenth year and onwards。 Most miscellaneous； these Prussian Free…Corps； a swift faculty the indispensable thing； by no means a particular character： but well…disciplined； well…captained； who generally managed their work well。
〃They were； by origin； of Anti…Tolpatch nature； got up on the diamond…cut…diamond principle； they stole a good deal； with order sometimes； and oftener without； but there was nothing of the old Mentzel…Trenck atrocity permitted them； or ever imputed to them； and they did； usually with good military talent； sometimes conspicuously good； what was required of them。 Regular Generals； of a high merit； one or two of their Captains came to be： Wunsch； for example； Werner； in some sort； and； but for his sudden death； this Mayer himself。 Others of them； as Von Hordt （Hard is his Swedish name）； and 'Quintus Icilius' （by nature GUICHARD； of whom we shall hear a great deal in the Friedrich circle by and by）； are distinguished as honorably intellectual and cultivated persons。 ＇Count de Hordt's Memoirs （autobiographical； or in the first person： English Translation； London； 1806； TWO French Originals； a worse in 1789； and a better now at last）； Preface； i…xii。 In Helden…Geschichte； v。 102…104； 93； a detailed 〃List of the Free…Corps in 1758〃 （twelve of foot； two of horse； at that time）： see Preuss； ii。 372 n。； Pauli （ubi supra）； Life of Mayer。 ＇
〃Poor Mayer died within two years hence （5th January； 1759）； of fever； caught by unheard…of exertions and over fatigues； after many exploits； and with the highest prospect； opening on him。 A man of many adventures； of many qualities； a wild dash of chivalry in him all along； and much military and other talent crossed in the growing。 In the dull old Books I read one other fact which is vivid to
