history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第6章

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nd；　of　horse…shoe　shape；〃　which　will　be　notable　to　us　anon〃again　proceeds　straight　northward　and　Elbe…ward。　It　is　narrow　everywhere；　especially　when　once　got　fairly　north　of　Prag；　and　runs　along　like　a　Quasi…Highland　Strath；　amid　rocks　and　hills。　Big　Hill…ranges；　not　to　be　called　barren；　yet　with　rock　enough　on　each　hand；　and　fine　side　valleys　opening　here　and　there：　the　bottom　of　your　Strath；　which　is　green　and　fertile；　with　pleasant　busy　Villages　（much　intent　on　water…power　and　cotton…spinning　in　our　time）；　is　generally　of　few　furlongs　in　breadth。　And　so　it　lasts；　this　pleasant　Moldau　Valley；　mile　after　mile；　on　the　northern　or　Lower　Moldau；　generally　straight　north；　though　with　one　big　bend　eastward　just　before　ending；　and　not　till　near　Melnick；　or　the　mouth　of　Moldau；　do　we　emerge　on　that　grand　Elbe　Valley；glanced　at　once　already；　from　Pascopol　or　other　Height；　in　the　Lobositz　times。〃

Friedrich's　first　problem　is　the　junction　with　Schwerin：　junction　not　to　be　accomplished　south　of　Ziscaberg　in　the　present　circumstances；　and　which　Friedrich　knows　to　be　a　ticklish　operation；　with　those　Austrians　looking　on　from　the　high　grounds　there。　Tuesday；　3d　May；　in　the　way　of　reconnoitring；　and　decisively　on　Wednesday；　4th；　Friedrich　is　off　northward；　along　the　western　heights　of　Lower　Moldau；　proper　force　following　him；　to　seek　a　fit　place　for　the　pontoons；　and　get　across　in　that　northern　quarter。　〃How　dangerous　that　Schwerin　is　a　day　too　late！〃　murmurs　he；　but　hopes　the　Austrians　will　undertake　nothing。　Keith；　with　30；000；　he　has　left　on　the　Weissenberg；　to　straiten　Prag　and　the　Austrian　Garrison　on　that　side：　our　wagon…trains　arrive　from　Leitmeritz　on　that　side；　Elbe…boats　bring　them　up　to　Leitmeritz；　very　indispensable　to　guard　that　side　of　Prag。　Friedrich's　fixed　purpose　also　is　to　beat　the　Austrians；　on　the　other　side　of　it；　and　send　them　packing；　but　for　that；　there　are　steps　needful！

Up　so　far　as　Lissoley；　the　first　day；　Friedrich　has　found　no　fit　place；　but　on　the　morrow；　Thursday；　5th；　farther　up；　at　a　place　called　Seltz；　Friedrich　finds　his　side　of　the　Strath　to　be　〃a　little　higher　than　the　other；〃proper；　therefore；　for　cannonading　the　other；　if　need　be；and　orders　his　pontoons　to　be　built　together　there。　He　knows　accurately　of　the　Schwerin　Column；　of　the　comfortable　Bevern　Victory　at　Reichenberg；　and　how　they　have　got　the　Jung…Bunzlau　Magazine；　and　are　across　the　Elbe；　their　bridges　all　secured；　though　with　delay　of　one　day；　and　do　now　wait　only　for　the　word；for　the　three　cannon…shot；　in　fact；　which　are　to　signify　that　Friedrich　is　actually　crossing　to　their　side　of　Lower　Moldau。

Friedrich's　Bridge　is　speedily　built　（trained　human　hands　can　be　no　speedier）；　his　batteries　planted；　his　precautions　taken：　the　three　cannon…shot　go　off；　audible　to　Schwerin；　and　Friedrich's　troops　stream　speedily　across；　hardly　a　Pandour　to　meddle　with　them。　Nay；　before　the　passage　was　completewhat　light…horse　squadrons　are　these？　Hussars；　seen　to　be　Seidlitz's　（missioned　by　Schwerin）；　appear　on　the　outskirts：　a　meeting　worthy　of　three　cheers；　surely；　after　such　a　march　on　both　sides！　Friedrich　lies　on　the　eastern　Hill…tops　that　night　（Hamlet　of　Czimitz　his　Head…quarter；　discoverable　if　you　wish　it；　scarcely　three　miles　north　of　Prag）；　and　accurate　appointment　is　made　with　Schwerin　as　to　the　meeting…place　to…morrow　morning。　Meeting…place　is　to　be　the　environs　of　Prossik　Village；　southeastward　over　yonder；　short　way　north　of　the　Prag…Konigsgratz　Highway；　and　rather　nearer　Prag　than　we　now　are；　in　Czimitz　here：　time　at　Prossik　to　be　6　A。M。　by　the　clock；　and　Winterfeld　and　Schwerin　to　come　in　person　and　speak　with　his　Majesty。　This　is　the　program　for　Friday；　May　6th；　which　proves　to　be　so　memorable　a　day。

Schwerin　is　on　foot　by　the　stroke　of　midnight；　comes　along；　〃over　the　heights　of　Chaber；〃　by　half　a　dozen；　or　I　know　not　how　many　roads；　visible　in　due　time　to　Friedrich's　people；　who　are　likewise　punctually　on　the　advance：　in　a　word；　the　junction　is　accomplished　with　all　correctness。　And；　while　the　Columns　are　marching　up；　Schwerin　and　Winterfeld　ride　about　in　personal　conference　with　his　Majesty；　taking　survey；　through　spy…glasses；　of　those　Austrians　encamped　yonder　on　the　broad　back　of　their　Zisca　Hill；　a　couple　of　miles　to　southward。　〃What　a　set　of　Austrians；〃　exclaim　military　critics；　〃to　permit　such　junction；　without　effort　to　devour　the　one　half　or　the　other；　in　good　time！〃　Friedrich　himself；　it　is　probable；　might　partly　be　of　the　same　opinion；　but　he　knew　his　Austrians；　and　had　made　bold　to　venture。　Friedrich；　we　can　observe；　always　got　to　know　his　man；　after　fighting　him　a　month　or　two；　and　took　liberties　with　him；　or　did　not　take；　accordingly。　And；　for　most　part；not　quite　always；　as　one　signal　exception　will　Show；　he　does　it　with　perfect　accuracy；　and　often　with　vital　profit　to　his　measures。　〃If　the　Austrian　cooking…tents　are　a…smoke　before　eight　in　the　morning；〃　notes　he；　〃you　may　calculate；　in　such　case；　the　Austrians　will　march　that　day。〃　＇MILITARY　INSTRUCTIONS。＇　With　a　surprising　vividness　of　eye　and　mind　（beautiful　to　rival；　if　one　could）；　he　watches　the　signs　of　the　times；　of　the　hours　and　the　days　and　the　places；　and　prophesies　from　them；　reads　men　and　their　procedures；　as　if　they　were　mere　handwriting；　not　too　cramp　for　him。The　Austrians　have；　by　this　time；　got　their　Konigseck　home；　very　unvictorious；　but　still　on　foot；　all　but　a　thousand　or　two：　they　are　already　stronger　than　the　Prussians　by　count　of　heads；　and　till　even　Daun　come　up；　what　hurry　in　a　Post　like　this？　The　Austrians　are　viewing　Friedrich；　too；　this　morning；　but　in　the　blankest　manner：　their　outposts　fire　a　cannon…shot　or　two　on　his　group　of　adjutants　and　him；　without　effect；　and　the　Head　people　send　their　cavalry　out　to　forage；　so　little　prophecy　have　they　from　signs　seen。

Zisca　Hill；　where　the　Austrians　now　are；　rises　sheer　up；　of　well…　nigh　precipitous　steepness；　though　there　are　trees　and　grass　on　it；　from　the　eastern　side　of　Prag；　say　five　or　six　hundred　feet。　A　steep；　picturesque；　massive　green　Hill；　Moldau　River；　turning　suddenly　to　right；　strikes　the　northwest　corner　of　it　（has　flowed　well　to　west　of　it；　till　then）；　and　winds　eastward　round　its　northern　base。　As　will　be　noticed　presently。　The　ascent　of　Ziscaberg；　by　roads；　is　steep　and　tedious：　but　once　at　the　top；　you　find　that　it　is　precipitous　on　two　sides　only；　the　City　or　westward　side；　and　the　Moldau　or　northward。　Atop　it　spreads　out；　far　and　wide；　into　a　waving　upland　level；　bare　of　hedges；　ploughable　all　of　it；　studded　with　littery　hamlets　and　farmsteadings；　far　and　wide；　a　kind　of　Plain；　sloping　with　extreme　gentleness；　five　or　six　miles　to　eastward；　and　as　far　to　southward；　before　the　level　perceptibly　rise　again。

Another　feature　of　the　Ziscaberg；　already　hinted　at；　is　very　notable：　that　of　the　Moldau　skirting　its　northern　base；　and　scarping　the　Hill；　on　that　side　too；　into　a　precipitous；　or　very　steep　condition。　Moldau　having　arrived　from　southward；　fairly　past　the　end　of　Ziscaberg；　had；　so　to　speak；　made　up　his　mind　to　go　right　eastward；　quarrying　his　way　through　the　lower　uplands　there；　And　he　proceeds　accordingly；　hugging　the　northern　base　of　Ziscaberg；　and　making　it　steep　enough；　but　finds；　in　the　course　of　a　mile　or　so；　that　he　can　no　more；　upland　being　still　rock…built；　not　underminable　farther；　and　so　is　obliged　to　wind　round　again；　to　northward；　and　finally　straight　westward；　the　way　he　came；　or　parallel　to　the　way　he　came；　and　has　effected　that　great　Horse…shoe　Hollow　we　heard　of　lately。　An　extremely　pretty　Hollow；　and　curious　to　look　upon；　pretty　villas；　gardens；　and　a　〃Belvedere　Park；〃　laid　out　in　the　bottom　part；　with　green　mountain…walls　rising　all　round　it；　and　a　silver　ring　of　river　at　the　base　of　them：　length　of　Horse…shoe；　from　heel　to　toe；　or　from　west　to　east；　is　perhaps　a　mile；　breadth；　from　heel　to　heel；　perhaps　half　as　much。　Having　arrived　at　his　old　distance　to　west；　Moldau；　like　a　repentant　prodigal；　and　as　if　ashamed　of　his　frolic；　just　over　against　the　old　point　he　swerved　from；　takes　straight　to　northward　again。　Straight　northward；　and　quarries　out　that　fine　narrow　valley；　or　Quasi…Highland　Strath；　with　its　pleasant　busy　villages；　where　he　turns　the　overshot　mac