history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第19节

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ructing　in　that　part　of　the　world。　Daun's　batteries；　on　the　right；　spit　at　them　in　passing；　to　no　purpose；　sputters　of　Pandour　musketry；　from　coverts；　there　may　be：　Prussians　finely　disregarding；　pass　along；　flowing　tide…like　towards　THEIR　goal　and　place　of　choice。　An　impressive　phenomenon　in　the　sunny　afternoon；　with　Daun　expectant　of　them；　and　the　Czech　populations　well　hidden　underground！

Ziethen；　vanmost　of　all；　finds　Nadasti　and　his　Austrian　squadrons　drawn　across　the　Highway；　hitherward　of　the　Kreczor　latitude：　Ziethen　dashes　on　Nadasti；　tumbles　his　squadrons　and　him　away；　clears　the　Road；　and　Kreczor　neighborhood；　of　Nadasti：　drives　him　quite　into　the　hollow　of　Radowesnitz；　where　he　stood　inactive　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　Hulsen　now　at　the　level　of　Kreczor　（in　the　latitude　of　Kreczor；　as　we　phrased　it）；　halts；　faces　to　right；　stiffly　presses　up；　opens　his　cannon…thunders；　his　bayonet…charges　and　platoon…fires　upon　Kreczor。　Stiffly　pressing　up；　in　spite　of　the　violent　counter…thunders；　Hulsen　does　manage　Kreczor　without　very　much　delay；　completely　enough；　and　like　a　workman；　takes　the　battery；　two　batteries；　overturns　the　Infantry；in　a　word；　has　seized　Kreczor；　and；　as　new　tenant；　swept　the　old；　and　their　litter；　quite　out。　Of　all　which　Ziethen　has　now　the　chase；　and　by　no　means　will　neglect　that　duty。　Ziethen；　driving　the　rout　before　him；　has　driven　it　in　some　minutes　past　the　little　Oak…wood　above　mentioned；　and；　or　rather　BUT；what　is　much　to　be　noted；is　there　taken　in　flank　with　cannon…shot　and　musketry；　Daun　having　put　batteries　and　Croat　parties　in　the　Oak…wood；　and　is　forced　to　draw　bridle；　and　get　out　of　range　again。

Hulsen；　advancing　towards　this　little　Oak…wood；　is　surprised　to　discover；　not　the　wood　alone；　but　a　strong　Austrian　force；　foot　and　horse；　to　rear　of　it；such　had　been　Daun's　and　Nadasti's　precaution；　on　view　of　those　Friedrich　phenomena；　flowing　on　from　Planian；　guessed　to　be　hitherward。　At　sight　of　which　Wood　and　foot…　party；　Hulsen；　no　new　Battalion　having　yet　arrived　to　second　him；　pauses；　merely　cannonading　from　the　distance；　till　new　Battalions　shall　arrive。　Unhappily　they　did　not　arrive；　or　not　in　due　quantity　at　the　set　time；for　what　reason；　by　what　strange　mistake？　men　still　ask　themselves。　Probably　by　more　mistakes　than　one。　Enough；　Hulsen　struggling　here　all　day；　with　reinforcements　never　adequate；　did　take　the　Wood；　and　then　lose　it；　did　take　and　lose　this　and　that；but　was　unable　to　make　more　of　it　than　keep　his　ground　thereabouts。　A　resolute　man；　says　Retzow；　but　without　invention　of　his　own；　or　head　to　mend　the　mistakes　of　others。　In　and　about　Kreczor；　Hulsen　did　maintain　himself　with　more　and　more　tenacity；　till　the　general　avalanche；　fruit　of　sad　mistakes　swept　HIM；　quite　spasmodically　struggling　at　that　period；　off　to　the　edge　of　it；　and　all　the　others　clean　away！　Mistakes　have　been　to　rightwards；　one　or　even　two；　the　fruit　of　which；　small　at　first；　suffices　to　turn　the　balance；　and　ends　in　an　avalanche；　or　precipitous　descent　of　ruin　on　the　Prussian　side

One　mistake　there　was；　miles　westward　on　the　right　wing；　due　to　Mannstein；　our　too　impetuous　Russian　friend；　Mannstein　well　to　right；　while　marching　forward　according　to　order；　has　Croat　musketry　spitting　upon　him　from　amid　the　high　corn；　to　an　inconvenient　extent：　such　was　the　common　lot；　which　others　had　borne　and　disregarded：　perhaps　it　was　beyond　the　average　on　Mannstein；　or　Mannstein's　patience　was　less　infinite；　any　way　it　provoked　Mannstein　to　boil　over；　and　in　an　evil　moment　he　said；　〃Extinguish　me　that　Croat　canaille；　then！〃　Regiment　Bornstedt　faced　to　right；　accordingly；　took　to　extinguishing　the　Croat　canaille；　which　of　course　fled　at　once；　or　squatted　closer；　but　came　back　with　reinforcements；　drew　Mannstein　deeper　in；　fatally　delayed　Bornstedt；　and　proved　widely　ruinous。　For　now　he　stopped　the　way　to　those　following　him：　regiments　marching　on　to　rear　of　Mannstein　see　Mannstein　halted；　volleying　with　the　Austrians；　ask　themselves　〃How？　Is　there　new　order　come？　Attack　to　be　in　this　point？〃　And　successively　fall　on　to　support　Mannstein；　as　the　one　clear　point　in　such　dubiety。　So　that　the　whole　right　wing　from　Regiment　Bornstedt　westward　is　storming　up　the　difficult　steeps；　in　hot　conflict　with　the　Austrians　there；　where　success　against　them　had　been　judged　impracticable；and　there　is　now　no　reserve　force　anywhere　to　be　applied　to　in　emergency；　for　Hulsen's　behoof　or　another's；　and　the　Plan　of　Battle　from　Mannstein　westward　has　been　fatally　overturned。　Poor　Mannstein；　there　is　no　doubt；　committed　this　error；　being　too　fiery　a　man。　Surely　to　him　it　was　no　luxury；　and　he　paid　the　smart　for　it　in　skin　and　soul：　〃badly　wounded　in　this　business；〃　nay；　in　direct　sequel；　not　many　weeks　after；　killed　by　it；　as　we　shall　see！

To　Mannstein's　mistake；　Friedrich　himself；　in　his　account　of　Kolin；　mainly　imputes　the　disaster　that　followed；　and　such；　then　and　afterwards；　was　the　universal　judgment　in　military　circles；　loading　the　memory　of　too　impetuous　Mannstein　with　the　whole。　＇See　Retzow；　i。　135；　Templehof；　i。　214；　220。＇　Much　talk　there　was　in　Prussian　military　circles；　but　there　must　also　have　been　an　admirable　silence　on　the　part　of　some。　To　Three　Persons　it　was　known　that　another　strange　incident　had　happened　far　ahead；　far　eastward；　of　Mannstein's　position：　incident　which　did　not　by　any　means　tend　to　alleviate；　which　could　only　strengthen　and　widen；　the　evil　results　of　Mannstein；　and　which　might　have　lifted　part　of　the　load　from　Mannstein's　memory！　Not　till　the　present　Century；　after　the　lapse　of　almost　fifty　years；　was　this　secret　slowly　dug　out　of　silence；　and　submitted　to　modern　curiosity。

The　incident　is　this；never　whispered　of　for　near　fifty　years　（so　silent　were　the　three）；　and　endlessly　tossed　about　since　that；　the　sense　of　it　not　understood　till　almost　now。　＇See　Retzow；　i。　126；　Berenhorst；　&c。　&c。；then　FINALLY　Kutzen；　pp。　99；　217。＇　The　three　parties　were：　King　Friedrich；　Moritz　of　Dessau；　leading　on　the　centre　here；　Moritz's　young　Nephew　Franz；　Heir　of　Dessau；　a　brisk　lad　of　seventeen；　learning　War　here　as　Aide…de…camp　to　Moritz：　the　exact　spot　is　not　known　to　me；probably　the　ground　near　that　Inn　of　Slatislunz；　or　Golden…Sun；　between　the　foot　of　Friedrich's…Berg　and　that：fact　indubitable；　though　kept　dark　so　long。　Moritz　is　marching　with　the　centre；　or　main　battle；　that　way；　intending　to　wheel　and　turn　hillwards；　Kreczor…wise；　as　per　order；　certain　furlongs　ahead；　when　Friedrich　（having；　so　I　can　conceive　it；　seen　from　his　Hill…top；　how　Hulsen　had　done　Kreczor；　altogether　prosperous　there；　and　what　endless　capability　there　was　of　prospering　to　all　lengths　and　speeding　the　general　winning；　were　Hulsen　but　supported　soon　enough；　were　there　any　safe　short…cut　to　Hulsen）　dashed　from　his　Hill…top　in　hot　haste　towards　Prince　Moritz；　General　of　the　centre；　intending　to　direct　him　upon　such　short…cut；　and　hastily　said；　with　Olympian　brevity　and　fire；　〃Face　to　right　HERE！〃　With　Jove…like　brevity；　and　in　such　blaze　of　Olympian　fire　as　we　may　imagine。　Moritz　himself　is　of　brief；　crabbed；　fiery　mind；　brief　in　temper；　and　answers　to　the　effect；　〃Impossible　to　attack　the　enemy　here；　your　Majesty；　postured　as　they　are；　and　we　with　such　orders　gone　abroad！〃〃Face　to　right；　I　tell　you！〃　said　the　King；　still　more　Olympian；　and　too　emphatic　for　explaining。　Moritz；　I　hope；　paused；　but　rather　think　he　did　not；　before　remonstrating　the　second　time；　neither　perhaps　was　his　voice　so　low　as　it　should　have　been：　it　is　certain　Friedrich　dashed　quite　up　to　Moritz　at　this　second　remonstrance；　flashed　out　his　sword　（the　only　time　he　ever　drew　his　sword　in　battle）；　and　now；　gone　all　to　mere　Olympian　lightning　and　thundertone；　asks　in　THIS　attitude；　〃WILL　ER　（Will　He）　obey　orders；　then？〃Moritz；　fallen　silent　of　remonstrance；　with　gloomy　rapidity　obeys。

Prince　Franz；　the　young　Nephew　of　Moritz；　alone　witnessed　this　scene；　scene　to　be　locked　in　threefold　silence。　In　his　old　age；　Franz　had　whispered　it　to　Berenhorst；　his　bastard　Half…Uncle；　a　famed　military　Critic；who　is　still　in　the　highest　repute　that　way　（Berenhorst's　KRIEGSKUNST；　and　other　deep　Books）；　and　is　recognizable；　to　LAY　readers；　for　an　abstruse　strong　judgment；　with　equal　strength　of　abstruse　temper　hidden　behind　it；　and　very　privately　a　deep　grudge　towards　Friedrich；　scarcely　repressible　on　opportunity。　From　Berenhorst　it　irrepressibly　oozed　out；　＇〃Heinrich　van　Berenhorst　＇a　natural　son　of　the　Old　Dessauer's＇；　in　his　　Betrachtungen　uber　die　Kriegskunst；　　is　the　first　that　alludes　to　it　in　print。　（Leipzig；　1797；page　in　SECOND　edition；　1798；　is　i。　219）。〃＇　much　more　to　Friedrich's　disadvantage　than　it　now　looks　when　wholly　seen　into。　Not　change　of　plan；　not　ruinous　caprice　on　Friedrich's　part；　as　Berenhorst；　Retzow　and　others　would　have　it；　only　excess　of　brevity　towards　Moritz；　and　accident　of　the　Olympian　fire　breaking　out。　Friedrich　is　chargeable　with　nothing；　except　perhaps　（what　Moritz　knows　the　evil　of）　trying　for　a　short…cut！　Such　is　now　the　received　interpretation。　Prince　Franz；　to　his　last　day；　refused　to　speak　again　on　the　subject；　judiciously　repentant；　we　can　fancy；　of　having　spoken　at　all；　and　brought　such　a　matter　into　the　streets　and　their　pie…powder　adjudicati