history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第70章

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　was　not　to　be　called　a　prudent　Enterprise。　But　had　Friedrich's　arrangements　been　punctually　fulfilled；　and　Olmutz　been　got　in　fair　time；　as　was　possible　or　probable；　the　thing　might　have　been　done　very　well。　Duke　Ferdinand；　in　these　early　May　days；　is　practically　making　preparations　to　follow　the　French　across　the　Rhine；　no　fear　of　French　Armies　interfering　with　us　this　year。　Dohna　has　the　Swedes　locked　in　Stralsund　（capable　of　being　starved；　had　not　the　thaw　come）；　and　in　Hinter…Pommern　he　has　General　Platen；　with　a　tolerable　Detachment；　watching　Fermor　and　his　Russians；　Dohna；　with　Platen；　may　entertain　the　Russians　for　a　little；　when　they　get　on　way；which　we　know　will　be　at　a　slow　pace；　and　late　in　the　season。　Prince　Henri　commands　in　Saxony；　say　with　30；000；King's　vicegerent　and　other　self　there；　〃Do　YOUR　wisest　and　promptest；　hold　no　councils　of　war！〃　Prince　Henri；　altogether　on　the　aggressive　as　yet；　is　waiting　what　Reichs　Army　there　may　be；has　already　had　Mayer　and　Free　Corps　careering　about　in　Franken　Country　once　and　again；　tearing　up　the　incipiencies　and　preparations；　with　the　usual　emphasis；　and　is　himself　intending　to　follow　thither；　in　a　still　more　impressive　manner。　Friedrich's　calculation　is；　Prince　Henri　will　have　his　hands　free　for　a　good　few　weeks　yet。　Which　proved　true　enough；　so　far　as　that　went。

And　now；　supposing　Olmutz　ours；　and　Vienna　itself　open　to　our　insults；　does　not；　by　rapid　suction；　every　armed　Austrian　flow　thitherward；　Germany　all　drained　of　them：　in　which　case；　what　is　to　hinder　Prince　Henri　from　stepping　into　Bohmen；　by　the　Metal　Mountains；　capturing　Prag；　getting　into　junction　with　us　here；　and　tumbling　Austria　at　a　rate　that　will　astonish　her！　Her；　and　her　miscellaneous　tagraggery　of　Confederates；　one　and　all。　Konigsberg；　Stralsund；　Bamberg；　Russians；　Swedes；　Reichsfolk；　here；　in　Mahren；　will　be　the　crown　of　the　game　for　all　these。　Prosper　in　Mahren；　all　these　are　lamed；　one　right　stroke　at　the　heart；　the　limbs　become　manageable　quantities！　This　was　Friedrich's　program；　and　had　not　imperfections　of　execution；　beyond　what　was　looked　for；　and　also　a　good　deal　of　plain　ill…luck；　intervened；　this　bold　stroke　for　Mahren　might　have　turned　out　far　otherwise　than　it　did。

The　march　thither　（started　from　Neisse　April　27th）　was　beautiful：　Friedrich　with　vanguard　and　first　division；　Keith　with　rear…guard　and　second；　always　at　a　day's　distance；　split　into　proper　columns；　for　convenience　of　road　and　quarter　in　the　hungry　countries；　threading　those　silent　mountain　villages；　and　upper　streamlets　of　Oder　and　Morawa：　Ziethen　waving　intrusive　Croateries　far　off；　Fouquet；　in　thousands　of　wagons；　shoving　on　from　Neisse；　〃in　four　sections；〃　with　the　due　intervals；　under　the　due　escorts；　the　immensity　of　stores　and　siege…furniture；　through　Jagerndorf；　through　Troppau；　and　onwards；　＇Table　of　his　routes　and　stages　in　TEMPELHOF；　ii。　46。＇punctual　everybody；　besiegers　and　siege　materials　ready　on　their　ground　by　the　set　day。　Daun　too　had　made　speed　to　save　his　Magazine。　Daun　was　at　Leutomischl；　May　5th；a　forty　miles　to　west　of　the　Morawa；few　days　after　Friedrich　had　arrived　in　those　countries　by　the　eastern　or　left　bank；　by　Troppau；　Gibau；　Littau；　Aschmeritz；　Prossnitz；　and　a　week　before　Friedrich　had　finished　his　reconnoitrings；　campings；　and　taken　position　to　his　mind。　Camps；　four　or　more　（shrank　in　the　end　to　three）；　on　both　banks　of　the　River；　a　matter　of　abstruse　study；　so　that　it　was　May　12th　before　Friedrich　first　took　view　of　Olmutz　itself；　and　could　fairly　begin　his　Problem；Daun；　with　his　best　Tolpatcheries；　still　unable　to　guess　what　it　was。

Of　the　Siege　I　propose　to　say　little；　though　the　accounts　of　it　are　ample；　useful　to　the　Artillerist　and　Engineer。　If　the　reader　can　be　made　to　conceive　it　as　a　blazing　loud…sounding　fact；　on　which；　and　on　Friedrich　in　it；　the　eyes　of　all　Europe　were　fixed　for　some　weeks；　it　may　rest　now　in　impressive　indistinctness　to　us。　Keith　is　Captain　of　the　Siege；　whom　all　praise　for　his　punctual　firmness　of　progress；　Balbi　as　before；　is　Engineer；　against　whom　goes　the　criticism；　Keith's　first　of　all；　that　he　〃opened　his　first　parallel　800　yards　too　far　off；〃which　much　increased　the　labor；　and　the　expenditure　of　useless　gunpowder；　shot　having　no　effect　at　such　a　distance。　There　were　various　criticisms：　some　real；　as　this；　some　imaginary；　as　that　Friedrich　grudged　gunpowder；　the　fact　being　that　he　had　it　not；　except　after　carriage　from　Neisse；　say　a　hundred　and　twenty　miles　off；Troppau；　his　last　Silesian　Town；　or　safe　place　（his　for　the　moment）；　is　eighty　miles；and　was　obliged　to　waste　none　of　it。

Friedrich　is　not　thought　to　shine　in　the　sieging　line　as　he　does　in　the　fighting；　which　has　some　truth　in　it；　though　not　very　much。　When　Friedrich　laid　himself　to　engineering；　I　observe；　he　did　it　well：　see　Neisse；　Graudenz；　Magdeburg。　His　Balbi　went　wrong　with　the　parallels；　on　this　occasion；　many　things　went　wrong：　but　the　truly　grievous　thing　was　his　distance　from　Silesia　and　the　supplies。　A　hundred　and　twenty　miles　of　hill…carriage；　eighty　of　them　disputable；　for　every　shot　of　ammunition　and　for　every　loaf　of　bread；　this　was　hard　to　stand：and　perhaps　no　War…apparatus　but　a　Prussian；　with　a　Friedrich　for　sole　chief…manager；　could　have　stood　it　so　long。　Friedrich　did　stand　it；　in　a　wonderfully　tolerable　manner；　and　was　continuing　to　stand　it；　and　make　fair　progress；　and　it　is　not　doubted　he　would　have　got　Olmutz；　had　not　there　another　fact　come　on　him；　which　proved　to　be　of　unmanageable　nature。　The　actual　loss；　namely；　of　one　Convoy；　after　so　many　had　come　safe；　and　when；　as　appears；　there　was　now　only　one　wanted　and　no　more！Let　us　attend　to　this　a　little。

Had　Daun；　at　Olmutz；　been　as　a　Duke　of　Cumberland　relieving　Tournay；　rushing　into　fight　at　Fontenoy；　like　a　Hanover　White…　Horse；　neck　clothed　with　thunder；　and　head　destitute　of　knowledge；　how　lucky　had　it　been　for　Friedrich！　But　Daun　knows　his　trade　better。　Daun；　though　superior　in　strength；　sits　on　his　Magazine；　clear　not　to　fight。　By　no　art　of　manoeuvring；　had　Friedrich　much　tried　it；　or　hoped　it；　this　time；　could　Daun　have　been　brought　to　give　battle。　As　Fabins　Cunctator　he　is　here　in　his　right　place；　taking　impregnable　positions；　no　man　with　better　skill　in　that　branch　of　business；　pushing　out　parties　on　the　Troppau　road；　and　patiently　waiting　till　this　dangerous　Enemy；　with　such　endless　shifts　in　him；　come　in　sight　perhaps　of　his　last　cartridge；　or　perhaps　make　some　stumble　on　the　way　towards　that　consummation。　Daun　is　aware　of　Friedrich's　surprising　qualities。　Bos　against　Leo；　Daun　feels　these　procedures　to　be　altogether　feline　（FELIS…　LEONINE）；　such　stealthy　glidings　about；　deceptive　motions；　appearances；　then　such　a　rapidity　of　spring　upon　you；　and　with　such　a　set　of　claws；destructive　to　bovine　or　rhinoceros　nature：　in　regard　to　all　which；　Bos；　if　he　will　prosper；　surely　cannot　be　too　cautious。　It　was　remarked　of　Daun；　that　he　was　scrupulously　careful；　never；　in　the　most　impregnable　situations；　neglecting　the　least　precaution；　but　punctiliously　fortifying　himself　to　the　last　item；　even　to　a　ridiculous　extent；　say　Retzow　and　the　critics。　It　was　the　one　resource　of　Daun：　truly　a　solid　stubborn　patience　is　in　the　man；　stubborn　courage　too；　of　bovine…rhinoceros　type；　stupid；　if　you　will；　but　doing　at　all　times　honestly　his　best　and　his　wisest　without　flurry；　which　character　is　often　of　surprising　value　in　War；　capable　of　much　mischief；　now　and　then；　to　quicker　people。　Rhinoceros　Daun　did　play　his　Leo　a　bad　prank　more　than　once；　and　this　of　barring　him　out　from　Olmutz　was　one　of　them；　perhaps　the　worst　after　Kolin。

Daun's　management　of　this　Olmutz　business　is　by　no　means　reckoned　brilliant；　even　in　the　Fabius　line；　but；　on　the　contrary；　inert；　dim…minded；　inconclusive；　and　in　reality；　till　almost　the　very　last；　he　had　been　of　little　help　to　the　besieged。　For　near　three　weeks　（till　May　23d）　Daun　sat　at　Leutomischl；　immovable　on　his　bread…basket　there；　forty　or　more　miles　from　Olmutz；　and　did　not　see　that　a　Siege　was　meant。　May　27th…28th；　Balbi　opened　his　first　parallel；　in　that　mistaken　way；　four　days　before　which；　Daun　does　move　inwards　a　march　or　so；　to　Zwittau；　to　Gewitsch　（still　thirty　miles　to　west　of　Olmutz）；　still