history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第48节

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。　692。＇

。。。　〃For　a　hundred　miles　round；〃　writes　St。　Germain；　〃the　Country　is　plundered　and　harried　as　if　fire　from　Heaven　had　fallen　on　it；　scarcely　have　our　plunderers　and　marauders　left　the　houses　standing。　。。。　I　lead　a　band　of　robbers；　of　assassins；　fit　for　breaking　on　the　wheel；　they　would　turn　tail　at　the　first　gunshot；　and　are　always　ready　to　mutiny。　If　the　Government　（LA　COUR；〃　with　its　Pompadour　presiding；　very　unlikely　for　such　an　enterprise！）　〃cannot　lay　the　knife　to　the　root　of　all　this；　we　may　give　up　the　notion　of　War。〃　＇St。　Germain；　after　Rossbach　and　before　（in　Preuss；　UBI　SUPRA）。＇　。。。

Such　a　pitch　have　French　Armies　sunk　to。　When　was　there　seen　such　a　Bellona　as　Dauphiness　before？　Nay；　in　fact；　she　is　the　same　devil…　serving　Army　that　Marechal　de　Saxe　commanded　with　such　triumph；　Marechal　de　Saxe　in　better　luck　for　opponents；　Army　then　in　a　younger　stage　of　its　development。　Foaming　then　as　sweet　must；　as　new　wine；　in　the　hands　of　a　skilful　vintner；　poisonous　but　brisk；　not　run；　as　now；　to　the　vinegar　state；　intolerable　to　all　mortals。　She　can　now　announce　from　her　camp…theatres　the　reverse　of　the　Roucoux　program；　〃To…morrow；　Messieurs；　you　are　going　to　fight；　our　Manager　foresees〃you　will　be　beaten；　and　we　cannot　say　what　or　where　the　next　Piece　will　be！　Impious；　licentious；　high…flaring　efflorescence　of　all　the　Vices　is　not　to　be　redeemed　by　the　one　Quasi…Virtue　of　readiness　to　be　shot；sweet　of　that　kind；　and　sour　of　this；　are　the　same　substance；　if　you　only　wait。　How　kind　was　the　Devil　to　his　Saxe；　and　flew　away　with　him　in　rose…pink；　while　it　was　still　time！



Chapter　IX。

FRIEDRICH　MARCHES　FOR　SILESIA。

The　fame　of　Friedrich　is　high　enough　again　in　the　Gazetteer　world；　all　people；　and　the　French　themselves；　laughing　at　their　grandiloquent　Dauphiness…Bellona；　and　writing　epigrams　on　Soubise。　But　Friedrich's　difficulties　are　still　enormous。　One　enemy　coming　with　open　mouth；　you　plunge　in　upon；　and　ruin；　on　this　hand；　and　it　only　gives　you　room　to　attempt　upon　another　bigger　one　on　that。　Soubise　he　has　finished　handsomely；　for　this　season；　but　now　he　must　try　conclusions　with　Prince　Karl。　Quick；　towards　Silesia；　after　this　glorious　Victory　which　the　Gazetteers　are　celebrating。

The　news　out　of　Silesia　are　ominously　doubtful；　bad　at　the　best。　Duke　Bevern；　once　Winterfeld　was　gone；　had；　as　we　observed；　felt　himself　free　to　act；　unchecked；　but　also　unsupported；　by　counsel　of　the　due　heroism；　and　had　acted　unwisely。　Made　direct　for　Silesia；　namely；　where　are　meal…magazines　and　strong　places。　Prince　Karl；　they　say；　was　also　unwise；　took　no　thought　beforehand；　or　he　might　have　gained　marches；　disputed　rivers；　Bober；　Queiss；　with　Bevern；　and　as　good　as　hindered　him　from　ever　getting　to　Silesia。　So　say　critics；　Retzow　and　others；　perhaps　looking　too　fixedly　on　one　side　of　the　question。　Certain　it　is；　Bevern　marched　in　peace　to　Silesia；　found　it　by　no　means　the　better　place　it　had　promised　to　be。

Prince　KarlDaun　there　as　second；　but　Karl　now　the　dominant　hand　was　on　the　heels　of　Bevern；　march　after　march。　Prince　Karl　cut　athwart　him　by　one　cunning　march；　in　Liegnitz　Country；　barring　him　from　Schweidnitz；　the　chief　stronghold　of　Silesia；　and　to　appearance　from　Breslau；　the　chief　city；　too。　Bevern；　who　did　not　want　for　soldiership；　when　reduced　to　his　shifts；　now　made　a　beautiful　manoeuvre；　say　the　critics；　struck　out　leftwards；　namely；　and　crossed　the　Oder；　as　if　making　for　Glogau；　quite　beyond　Prince　Karl's　sphere　of　possibility；but　turned　to　right；　not　to　left；　when　across；　and　got　in　upon　Breslau　from　the　other　or　east　side　of　the　River。　Cunning　manoeuvre；　if　you　will；　and　followed　by　cunning　manoeuvres：　but　the　result　is；　Prince　Karl　has　got　Schweidnitz　to　rear；　stands　between　Breslau　and　it；　can　besiege　Schweidnitz　when　he　likes；　and　no　relief　to　it　possible　that　will　not　cost　a　battle。　A　battle；　thinks　Friedrich；　is　what　Bevern　ought　to　have　tried　at　first；　a　well…fought　battle　might　have　settled　everything；　and　there　was　no　other　good　likelihood　in　such　an　expedition：　but　now；　by　detaching　reinforcements　to　this　garrison　and　that；　he　has　weakened　himself　beyond　right　power　of　fighting。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　141；　159。＇　Schweidnitz　is　liable　to　siege；　Breslau；　with　its　poor　walls　and　multitudinous　population；　can　stand　no　siege　worth　mentioning；　the　Silesian　strong　places；　not　to　speak　of　meal…magazines；　are　like　to　go　a　bad　road。　Quite　dominant；　this　Prince　Karl；　placarding　and　proclaiming　in　all　places；　according　to　the　new　〃Imperial　Patent；〃　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　（iv。　832；　833）；　Copy　of　it：　〃Absolved　from　all　prior　Treaties　by　Prussian　Majesty's　attack　on　us；　We〃　&c。　&c。　（〃21st　Sept。　1757〃）。＇　That　Silesia　is　her　Imperial　Majesty's　again！　Which　seems　to　be　fast　becoming　the　fact；unless　contradicted　better。　Quick！

Bevern　has　now；　October　1st；　no　manoeuvre　left　but　to　draw　out　of　Breslau；　post　himself　on　the　southern　side　of　it；　in　a　safe　angle　there；　marshy　Lohe　in　front；　broad　Oder　to　rear；　Breslau　at　his　right…hand　with　bread；　and　there　intrenching　himself　by　the　best　methods；　wait　slowly；　in　a　sitting　posture；　events　which　are　extensively　on　the　gallop　at　present。　One　fancies；　Had　Winterfeld　been　still　there！　It　is　as　brave　an　Army；　30；000；　or　more；　as　ever　wore　steel。　Surely　something　could　have　been　done　with　it；　something　better　than　sit　watching　the　events　on　full　gallop　all　round！　Bevern　was　a　loyal；　considerably　skilful　and　valiant　man；　in　the　Battle　of　Lobositz；　and　elsewhere；　we　have　seen　him　brave　as　a　lion：　but　perhaps　in　the　other　kind　of　bravery　wanted　here；　he　Well；　his　case　was　horribly　difficult；　full　of　intricacy。　And　he　sat；　no　doubt　in　a　very　wretched　state；　consulting　the　oracles；　with　events　（which　are　themselves　oracular）　going　at　such　a　pace。

Schweidnitz　was　besieged　October　26th。　Nadasti；　with　20；000；　was　set　to　do　it；　Prince　Karl；　with　60；000；　ready　to　protect　him；　Prince　Bevern　asking　the　oracles：what　a　bit　of　news　for　Friedrich；　breaking　suddenly　the　effulgency　of　Rossbach　with　a　bar　of　ominous　black！　Friedrich；　still　in　the　thick　of　pure　Saxon　business；　makes　instant　arrangement　for　Silesia　as　well：　Prince　Henri；　with　such　and　such　corps；　to　maintain　the　Saale；　and　guard　Saxony；　Marshal　Keith；　with　such　and　such；　to　step　over　into　Bohemia；　and　raise　contributions　at　least；　and　tread　on　the　tail　of　the　big　Silesian　snake：　all　this　Friedrich　settles　within　a　week；　takes　certain　corps　of　his　own；　effective　about　13；000；　and　on　November　13th　marches　from　Leipzig。　Round　by　Torgau；　by　Muhlberg；　Grossenhayn；　by　Bautzen；　Weissenberg；　across　the　Queiss；　across　the　Bober；　and　so；　with　long　marches；　strides　continually　forward；　all　hearts　willing；　and　all　limbs；　though　in　this　sad　winter　weather；　towards　relief　of　Schweidnitz。

At　Grossenhayn；　fifth　day　of　the　march；　Friedrich　learns　that　Schweidnitz　is　gone。　November　12th…14th；　Schweidnitz　went　by　capitulation；　contrary　to　everybody's　hope　or　fear；　certainly　a　very　short　defence　for　such　a　fortress。　Fault　of　the　Commandant；　was　everybody's　first　thought。　Not　probably　the　best　of　Commandants；　said　others　gradually；　but　his　garrison　had　Saxons　in　it；one　day　〃180　of　them　in　a　lump　threw　down　their　arms；　in　the　trenches；　and　went　over　to　the　Enemy。〃　Owing　to　whatsoever；　the　place　is　gone。　Such　towers；　such　curtains；　star…ramparts；　such　an　opulence　of　cannons；　stores；　munitions；　a　30；000　pounds　of　hard　cash；　one　item。　All　is　gone；　after　a　fortnight's　siege。　What　a　piece　of　news；　as　heard　by　Friedrich；　coming　at　his　utmost　towards　the　scene　itself！　As　seen　by　Bevern；　too；　in　his　questioning　mood；　it　was　an　event　of　very　oracular　nature。

On　Monday；　14th；　Schweidnitz　fell；　Karl；　with　Nadasti　reunited　to　him；　was　now　80；000　odd；　and　lost　no　time。　On　Tuesday　next；　NOVEMBER　22d；　1757；　〃at　three　in　the　morning；〃　long　hours　before　daybreak；　Karl；　with　his　60；000；　all　learnedly　arranged；　comes　rolling　over　upon　hapless　Bevern：　with　no　end　of　cannonading　and　storm　of　war：　BATTLE　OF　BRESLAU；　they　call　it；　ruinous　to　Bevern。　Of　which　we　shall　attempt　no　description：　except　to　say；　that　Karl　had　five　bridges　on　the　Lohe；　came　across　the　Lohe　by　five　Bridges；　and　that　Bevern　stood　to　his　arms；　steady　as　the　rocks；　to　prevent　his　getting　over；　and　to　entertain　him　when　over；　that　there　were　five　principal　attacks；　renewed　and　re…renewed　as　long　as　needful；　with　torrents　of　shot；　of　death　and　tumult；　over　six　or　eight　miles　of　country；　for　the　space　of　fifteen　hours。　Battle　comparable　only　to　Malplaquet；　said　the　Austrians；　such　a　hurricane　of　artillery；　strongly　intrenched　enemy　and　loud　doomsday　of　war。　Did　not　end　till　nine　at　night；　Austrians　victorious；　more　or　less；　in　four　of　their　attacks　or　separate　enterprises：　that　is　to　say；　masters　of　the　Lohe；　and　of　the　outmost　Prussian　villages　and　posts　in　front　of　the　Prussian　centre　and　right　wing；　victorious　in　that　northern　part；but　plainly　unvictorious　in　the　southeast　or　Prussian　left　wing；farthest　off　from　Breslau；　and　under　Ziethen's　command；　where　they　were　driven　across　the　Lohe　again；　and　lost　prisoners　and　cannons；　or　a　cannon。　＇In　Seyfarth；　Three　Accounts；　　Beylagan；　　ii。　198；　221；　234　et　seq。＇

Some　of　Bevern's　p