history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第22章

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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　adjudications。　＇In　KUTZEN；　pp。　217…237；　a　long　dissertation　on　it。＇　For　the　present；　he　is　Adjutant　to　Moritz；　busy　obeying　to　the　letter。

Friedrich；　withdrawing　to　his　Height　again；　and　looking　back　on　Moritz；　finds　that　he　is　making　right　in　upon　the　Austrian　line；　which　was　by　no　means　Friedrich's　meaning；　had　not　he　been　so　brief。　Friedrich；　doubtless　with　pain；　remembers　now　that　he　had　said　only；　〃Face　to　right！〃　and　had　then　got　into　Olympian　tempest；　which　left　things　dark　to　Moritz。　〃HALB…LINKS；　Half　to　left　withal！〃　he　despatches　that　new　order　to　Moritz；　with　the　utmost　speed：　〃Face　to　right；　THEN；　forward　half　to　left。〃　Had　Moritz；　at　the　first；　got　that　commentary　to　his　order；　there　had　probably　been　no　remonstrance　on　Moritz's　part；　no　Olympian　scene　to　keep　silent；　and　Moritz；　taking　that　diagonal　direction　from　the　first；　had　hit　in　at　or　below　Kreczor；　at　the　very　point　where　he　was　needed。　Alas　for　overhaste；　short…cuts；　if　they　are　to　be　good；　ought　at　least　to　be　made　clear！　Moritz；　on　the　new　order　reaching　him；　does　instantly　steer　half…left：　but　he　arrives　now　above　Kreczor；　strikes　the　Austrian　line　on　this　side　of　Kreczor；　disjoined　from　Hulsen；　where　he　can　do　no　good　to　Hulsen：　in　brief；　Moritz；　and　now　the　whole　line　with　him；　have　to　do　as　Mannstein　and　sequel　are　doing；　attack　in　face；　not　in　flank；　and　try　what；　in　the　proportion　of　one　to　two；　uphill；　and　against　batteries；　they　can　make　of　it　in　that　fashion！

And　so；　from　right　wing　to　left；　miles　long；　there　is　now　universal　storm　of　volleying；　bayonet…charging；　thunder　of　artillery；　case…　shot；　cartridge…shot；　and　sulphurous　devouring　whirlwind；　the　wrestle　very　tough　and　furious；　especially　on　the　assaulting　side。　Here；　as　at　Prag；　the　Prussian　troops　were　one　and　all　in　the　fire；　each　doing　strenuously　his　utmost；　no　complaint　to　be　made　of　their　performance。　More　perfect　soldiers；　I　believe；　were　rarely　or　never　seen　on　any　field　of　war。　But　there　is　no　reserve　left：　Mannstein　and　the　rest；　who　should　have　been　reserve；　and　at　a　General's　disposal；　we　see　what　they　are　doing！　In　vain；　or　nearly　so；　is　Friedrich's　tactic　or　manoeuvring　talent；　what　now　is　there　to　manoeuvre？　All　is　now　gone　up　into　one　combustion。　To　fan　the　fire；　to　be　here；　there；　fanning　the　fire　where　need　shows：　this　is　now　Friedrich's　function；　〃everywhere　in　the　hottest　of　the　fight；〃　that　is　all　we　at　present　know　of　him；　invisible　to　us　otherwise。　This　death…wrestle　lasted　perhaps　four　hours；　till　seven　or　towards　eight　o'clock　in　the　June　evening；　the　sun　verging　downwards；　issue　still　uncertain。

And；　in　fact；　at　last　the　issue　turned　upon　a　hair；such　the　empire　of　Chance　in　War　matters。　Cautious　Daun；　it　is　well　known；　did　not　like　the　aspect　of　the　thing；　cautious　Daun　thinks　to　himself；　〃If　we　get　pushed　back　into　that　Camp　of　yesternight；　down　the　Kamhayek　Heights；　and　right　into　the　impassable　swamps；　the　reverse　way；　Heights　now　HIS；　not　ours；　and　impassable　swamps　waiting　to　swallow　us？　Wreck　complete；　and　surrender　at　discretion！〃　Daun　writes　in　pencil：　〃The　retreat　is　to　Suchdol〃　（Kuttenberg　way；　southward；　where　we　have　heights　again　and　magazines）；　Daun's　Aide…de…camp　is　galloping　every…whither　with　that　important　Document；　and　Generals　are　preparing　for　retreat　accordingly；one　General　on　the　right　wing　has；　visibly　to　Hulsen　and　us；　his　cannon　out　of　battery；　and　under　way　rearwards；　a　welcome　sight　to　Hulsen；　who；　with　imperfect　reinforcement；　is　toughly　maintaining　himself　there　all　day。

And　now　the　Daun　Aide…de…camp；　so　Chance　would　have　it；　cannot　find　Nostitz　the　Saxon　Commandant　of　Horse　in　that　quarter；　finds　a　〃Saxon　Lieutenant…Colonel　B…〃　（〃Benkendorf〃　all　Books　now　write　him　plainly）；　who；　by　another　little　chance；　had　been　still　left　there：　〃Can　the　Herr　Lieutenant…Colonel　tell　me　where　General　Nostitz　is？〃　Benkendorf　can　tell；will　himself　take　the　message：　but　Benkendorf　looks　into　the　important　Pencil　Document；　thinks　it　premature；　wasteful；　and　that　the　contrary　is　feasible！　persuades　Nostitz　so　to　think；　persuades　this　regiment　and　that　（Saxon；　Austrian；　horse　and　foot）；　though　the　cannon　in　retreat　go　trundling　past　them：　〃Merely　shifting　their　battery；　don't　you　see：Steady！〃　And；　in　fine；　organizes；　of　Saxon　and　Austrian　horse　and　foot　in　promising　quantity　（Saxons　in　great　fury　on　the　Pirna　score；　not　to　say　the　Striegau；　and　other　old　grudges）；　a　new　unanimous　assault　on　Hulsen。

The　assault　was　furious；　and　became　ever　more　so；　at　length　irresistible　to　Hulsen。　Hulsen's　horse；　pressing　on　as　to　victory；　are　at　last　hurled　back；　could　not　be　rallied；　＇That　of　〃RUCKER；　WOLLT　IHR　EWIG　LEBEN；　Rascals；　would　you　live　forever？〃　with　the　〃Fritz；　for　eight　groschen；　this　day　there　has　been　enough！〃is　to　be　counted　pure　myth；　not　unsuccessful；　in　its　withered　kind。＇　fairly　fled　（some　of　them）；　confusing　Hulsen's　foot；foot　is　broken；　instantly　ranks　itself；　as　the　manner　of　Prussians　is；　ranks　itself　in　impromptu　squares；　and　stands　fiercely　defensive　again；　amid　the　slashing　and　careering：　wrestle　of　extreme　fury；　say　the　witnesses。　〃