history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第43节

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Friedrich's　dinner　had　gone　on　with　deliberation　for　about　two　hours；　Friedrich's　intentions　not　yet　known　to　any；　but　everybody；　great　and　small；　waiting　eagerly　for　them；　like　greyhounds　on　the　slip；when　Adjutant　Gaudi；　who　had　been　on　the　House…top　the　while；　rushes　into　the　Dining…room　faster　than　he　ought；　and；　with　some　tremor　in　his　voice　and　eyes；　reports　hastily：　〃At　Schevenroda；　at　Pettstadt　yonder！　Enemy　has　turned　to　left。　Clearly　for　the　left。〃〃Well；　and　if　he　do？　No　flurry　needed；　Captain！〃　answered　Friedrich；（NOT　in　these　precise　words；　but　rebuking　Gaudi；　with　a　look　not　of　laughter　wholly；　and　with　a　certain　question；　as　to　the　state　of　Gaudi's　stomachic　part；　which　is　still　known　in　traditionary　circles；　but　is　not　mentionable　here）；and　went；　with　due　gravity；　himself　to　the　roof；　with　his　Officers。　〃To　the　left；　sure　enough；　meaning　to　attack　us　there：〃　the　thing　Friedrich　had　despaired　of　is　voluntarily　coming；　then；　and　it　is　a　thing　of　stern　qualities　withal；　a　wager　of　life；　with　glorious　possibilities　behind。

Friedrich　earnestly　surveys　the　phenomenon　for　some　minutes；　in　some　minutes；　Friedrich　sees　his　way　through　it；　at　least　into　it；　and　how　he　will　do　it。　Off；　eastward；　march！　Swift　are　his　orders；　almost　still　swifter　the　fulfillment　of　them。　Prussian　Army　is　a　nimble　article　in　comparison　with　Dauphiness！　In　half　an　hour's　time；　all　is　packed　and　to　the　road；　and；　except　Mayer　and　certain　Free…Corps　or　Light…Horse；　to　amuse　St。　Germain　and　his　Almsdorf　people；　there　is　not　a　Prussian　visible　in　these　localities　to　French　eyes。　〃At　half…past　two；〃　says　the　Squire's　Man；or　let　us　take　him　a　sentence　earlier；　to　lose　nothing　of　such　a　Document：　〃At　noon　his　Majesty　took　dinner；　sat　till　about　two　o'clock；　then　again　went　to　the　roof；　and　perceived　that　the　Enemy's　Army　at　Pettstadt　were　turning　about　the　little　Wood　there　northeastward；　as　if　for　Lunstadt　＇into　the　Lunstadt　road＇；such　cannonading　too；〃　from　those　Almsdorf　people；　〃that　the　balls　flew　over　our　heads；〃or　I　tremulously　thought　so。　〃At　half…past　two；　the　word　was　given；　March！　And　good　speed　they　made　about　it；　in　this　Herrenhaus；　and　out　of　doors　too；　striking　their　tents；　and　cording　up　and　trimly　shouldering　everything　with　incredible　brevity；〃　as　if　machinery　were　doing　it；　〃and　at　three；　on　the　Prussian　part；　all　was　packed　and　out　into　the　court　for　being　carried　off；　and；　in　fact；　the　Prussian　Army　was　on　march　at　three。〃　Seidlitz；　with　all　his　Horse；　vanishing　round　the　corner　of　the　Height；　speeding　along；　invisible　on　his　northern　slope　there；　straight　for　the　Janus…Polzen　Hill　part；　the　Infantry　following；　double…quick；well　knowing；　each；　what　he　has　got　to　do。

But　at　this　interesting　point；　the　Editorssmall　thanks　to　them；　authentic　but　thrice…stupid　mortalscut　short　our　Eye…witness；　not　so　much　as　telling　us　his　name；　some　of　them　not　even　his　date　or　whereabouts；　and　so　the　curtain　tumbles　down　（as　if　its　string　had　been　cut；　or　suddenly　eaten　by　unwise　animals）；　and　we　are　left　to　gray　hubbub；　and　our　own　resources　at　second…hand。　Except　only　that　a　French　Officerone　of　those　cannonading　from　Almsdorf；　no　doubt　declares　that　〃it　was　like　a　change　of　scene　in　the　Opera　（DECORATION　D'OPERA）；〃　＇Letter　in　MULLER：　p。　60。　In　WESTPHALEN　（ii。　128…133）　is　a　much　superior　French　Letter；　intercepted　somewhere；　and　fallen　to　Duke　Ferdinand；　well　worth　reading；　on　Rossbach　and　the　previous　Affairs。＇　so　very　rapid；　and　that　〃they　all　rolled　off　eastward　at　quick　time。〃　At　extremely　quick　time；　and　soon；　in　the　slight　hollow　behind　Janus　Hugel；　vanished　from　sight　of　these　Almsdorf　French；　and　of　the　Soubise…Hildburghausen　Army　in　general。　Which　latter　is　agreeably　surprised　at　the　phenomenon；　and　draws　a　highly　flattering　conclusion　from　it。　〃Gone；　then；　off　at　double…quick　for　Merseburg；　aha！〃　think　the　Soubise…Hildburghausen　people：　〃Double…quick　you　too；　my　pretty　men；　lest　they　do　whisk　away；　and　we　never　get　a　stroke　at　them；！〃

Seidlitz　meanwhile；　with　his　cavalry　（thirty…eight　squadrons；　about　4；000　horse）；　is　rapidly　doing　the　order　he　has　had。　Seidlitz　at　a　sharp　military　trot；　and　the　infantry　at　doublequick　to　keep　up　near　him；　which　they　cannot　quite　do；　are；　as　we　have　said；　making　right　across　for　the　Polzen…Hill　and　Janus…Hill　quarter；　their　route　the　string；　French　route　the　bow；　and　are　invisible　to　the　French；　owing　to　the　heights　between。　Seidlitz；　when　he　gets　to　the　proper　point　eastward；　will　wheel　about；　front　to　southward；　and　be　our　left　wing；　infantry；　as　centre　and　right；　will　appear　in　like　manner；　andwe　shall　see！

The　exultant　Dauphiness；　or　Soubise…Hildburghausen　Army　（let　us　call　it；　for　brevity's　sake；　Dauphiness　or　French；　which　it　mainly　was）；　on　that　rapid　disappearance　of　the　Prussians；　never　doubted　but　the　Prussians　were　off　on　flight　for　Merseburg；　to　get　across　by　the　Bridge　there。　Whereat　Dauphiness；　doubly　exultant；　mended　her　own　pace；　cavalry　at　a　sharp　trot；　infantry　double…quick；　but　unable　to　keep　up；for　the　purpose　of　capturing　or　intercepting　the　runaway　Prussians。　Speed；　my　friends；if　you　would　do　a　stroke　upon　Friedrich；　and　show　the　Versailles　people　a　King　at　last！　Thus　they；　hurrying　on；　in　two　parallel　columns；infantry；　long　floods　of　it；　coming　double…quick　but　somewhat　fallen　behind；　cavalry　7；000　or　so；　as　vanguard；faster　and　faster；　sweeping　forward　on　their　southern　side　of　the　Janus…and…Polzen　slope；　and　now　rather　climbing　the　same。

Seidlitz　has　his　hussar　pickets　on　the　top；　to　keep　him　informed　as　to　their　motions；　and　how　far　they　are　got。　Seidlitz；　invisible　on　the　south　slope　of　the　Polzen　Hugel；　finds　about　half…past　three　P。M。　that　he　is　now　fairly　ahead　of　Dauphiness；　Seidlitz　halts；　wheels；　comes　to　the　top；　〃Got　the　flank　of　them；　sure　enough！〃　and　without　waiting　signal　or　farther　orders；　every　instant　being　precious；　rapidly　forms　himself；　and　plunges　down　on　these　poor　people。　〃Compact　as　a　wall；　and　with　an　incredible　velocity　（D'UNE　VITESSE　INCROYABLE）；〃　says　one　of　them。　Figure　the　astonishment　of　Dauphiness；　of　poor　Broglio；　who　commands　the　horse　here。　Taken　in　flank；　instead　of　taking　other　people；　intercepted；　not　in　the　least　needing　to　intercept！　Has　no　time　to　form；　though　he　tried　what　he　could。　Only　the　two　Austrian　regiments　got　completely　formed；　the　rest　very　incompletely；　and　Seidlitz；　in　the　blaze　of　rapid　steel；　is　in　upon　them。　The　two　Austrian　regiments；　and　two　French　that　are　named；　made　what　debate　was　feasible；courage　nowise　wanting；　in　such　sad　want　of　captaincy；　nay　Soubise　in　person　galloped　into　it；　if　that　could　have　helped。　But　from　the　first；　the　matter　was　hopeless；　Seidlitz　slashing　it　at　such　a　rate；　and　plunging　through　it　and　again　through　it；　thrice；　some　say　four　times：　so　that；　in　the　space　of　half　an　hour；　this　luckless　cavalry　was　all　tumbling　off　the　ground；　plunging　down…　hill；　in　full　flight；　across　its　own　infantry　or　whatever　obstacle；　Seidlitz　on　the　hips　of　it；　and　galloping　madly　over　the　horizon；　towards　Freiburg　as　it　proved；　and　was　not　again　heard　of　that　day。

In　about　half　an　hour　that　bit　of　work　was　over；　and　Seidlitz；　with　his　ranks　trimmed　again；　had　drawn　himself　southward　a　little；　into　the　Hollow　of　Tageswerben；　there　to　wait　impending　phenomena。　For　Friedrich　with　the　Infantry　is　now　emerging　over　Janus　Hill；　in　a　highly　thunderous　manner；eighteen　pieces　of　artillery　going；　and　〃four　big　guns　taken　from　the　walls　of　Leipzig；〃　and　there　will　be　events　anon。　It　is　said；　Hildburghausen；　at　the　first　glimpse　of　Friedrich　over　the　hill…top；　whispered　to　Soubise；　〃We　are　lost；　Royal　Highness！〃〃Courage！〃　Soubise　would　answer；　and　both；　let　us　hope；　did　their　utmost　in　this　extremely　bad　predicament　they　had　got　into。

Friedrich's　artillery　goes　at　a　murderous　rate；　had　come　in　view；　over　the　hill…top；　before　Seidlitz　ended；〃nothing　but；　the　muzzles　of　it　visible〃　（and　the　fire…torrents　from　it）　to　us　poor　French　below。　Friedrich's　lines；　or　rather　his　one　line；　mere　tip　of　his　left　wing；only　seven　battalions　in　it；　five　of　them　under　Keith　from　the　second　or　reserve　line；　whole　centre　and　right　wing　standing　〃refused〃　in　oblique　rank；　invisible；　BEHIND　the　Hill；　Friedrich's　line；　we　say；　the　artillery　to　its　right；　shoots　out　in　mysterious　Prussian　rhythm；　in　echelons；　in　potences；　obliquely　down　the　Janus…Hill　side；　straight；　rigid；　regular　as　iron　clock…　work；　and　strides　towards　us；　silent；　with　the　lightning　sleeping　in　it：Friedrich　has　got　the　flank　of　Dauphiness；　and　means　to　keep　it。　Once　and　again　and　a　third　time；　poor　Soubise；　with　his　poor　regiments　much　in　an　imbroglio；　here　heaped　on　one　another；　there　with　wide　gaps；　halt　being　so　sudden；attempts　to　recover　the　flank；　and　pushes　out　this　regiment　and　the　other；　rightward；　to　be　even　with　Friedrich。　But　sees　with　despair　that　it　cannot　be；　that　Friedrich　with　his　echelons；　potences　and　mysterious　Prussian　resources；　pulls　himself　out　like　the　pieces　of　a　prospect…glass；　piece　after　piece；　hopelessly　fast　and　seemingly　no　end　to　them；　and　that　the　flank　is　lost；　and　thatUnhappy　Generals　of　Dauphiness；　what　a　phenomenon　for　them！　A　terrible　Friedrich；　not　fled　to　Merseburg　at　all；　but　mounted　there　on　the　Janus　Hill；　as　on　his　saddle…hors