history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第79章

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ar　northward　in　upon　the　　Russian　Minotaur；　making　him　still　blinder　in　the　important　moments　now　coming。

Friedrich　rides　up　to　view　the　Zabern　Hollow：　〃Beyond　expectation　deep；　very　boggy　too；　with　its　foul　leakage　or　brook：　no　attacking　of　their　western　flank　through　this　Zaberngrund；attack　the　corner　of　them；　then；　here　on　the　southwest！〃　That　is　Friedrich's　rapid　resource。　The　lines　halt；　accordingly；　make　ready。　Behind　flaming　Zorndorf　stands　his　extreme　left；　which　is　to　make　the　attack；　infantry　in　front；　horse　to　rear　and　farther　leftwards；and　under　the　command　of　Seidlitz　in　this　quarter；　which　is　an　important　circumstance。　Right　wing；　reaching　to　behind　Wilkersdorf；　is　to　refuse　itself；　whole　force　of　centre　is　to　push　upon　that　Russian　corner；　to　support　the　left　in　doing　it；according　to　the　Leuthen　or　LEUCTRA　principle；　once　more。　May　no　mistakes　occur　in　executing　it　this　day！

The　first　division　of　the　Prussian　Infantry；　or　extreme　Left；　marches　forward　by　the　west　end　of　flaming　Zorndorf；　next　division；　which　should　stand　close　to　right　of　it；　or　even　behind　it　in　action；　and　follow　it　close　into　the　Russian　fire；　has　to　march　by　the　east　end　of　Zorndorf；　this　is　a　farther　road；　owing　to　the　flames；　and　not　a　lucky　one。　Second　division　could　never　get　into　fair　contact　with　that　first　division　again：　that　was　the　mistake：　and　it　might　have　been　fatal；　but　was　not；　as　we　shall　see。　First　division　has　got　clear　of　Zorndorf；　in　advancing　towards　its　Russian　business；is　striding　forward；　its　left　flank　safe　against　the　Zaberngrund；　steadily　by　fixed　stages；　against　the　fated　Russian　Corner；　which　is　its　point　of　attack。　First　division；　second　division；　are　clear　of　Zorndorf；　though　with　a　wide　gap　between　them；　are　steadily　striding　forward　towards　the　Russian　Corner。　Two　strong　batteries；　wide　apart；　have　planted　themselves　ahead；　and　are　playing　upon　the　Russian　Quadrilateral；　their　fires　crossing　at　the　due　Corner　yonder；　with　terrible　effect；　Russian　artillery；　which　are　multitudinous　and　all　gathered　down　to　this　southwestern　corner；　are　responding；　though　with　their　fire　spread；　and　far　less　effectual。　The　Prussian　line　steps　on；　extreme　left　perhaps　in　too　animated　a　manner；　their　cannon　batteries　enfilade　the　thick　mass　of　Russians　at　a　frightful　rate　（〃forty…　two　men　of　a　certain　regiment　blown　away　by　a　single　ball；〃　in　one　instance　＇Tielcke。＇）；　drive　the　interior　baggage…horses　to　despair：　a　very　agitated　Quadrilateral；　under　its　grim　canopy　of　cannon　smoke；　and　of　straw　smoke；　heaped　on　it　from　the　Zorndorf　side　here。　Manteuffel；　leader　of　that　first　or　leftmost　division；　sees　the　internal　simmering；　steps　forward　still　more　briskly；　to　firing　distance；　begins　his　platoon　thunder；　with　the　due　steady　fury；　had　the　second　division　but　got　up　to　support　Manteuffel！　The　second　division　is　in　fire　too；　but　not　close　to　Manteuffel；　where　it　should　be。

Fermor　notices　the　gap；　the　wavering　of　Manteuffel　unsupported；　plunges　out　in　immense　torrent；　horse　and　foot；　into　the　gap；　into　Manteuffel's　flank　and　front；　hurls　Manteuffel　back；　who　has　no　support　at　hand：　〃ARAH；　ARAH　（Hurrah；　Hurrah）！　Victory；　Victory！〃　shout　the　Russians；　plunging　wildly　forward；　sweeping　all　before　them；　capturing　twenty…six　pieces　of　cannon；　for　one　item。　What　a　moment　for　Friedrich；　looking　on　it　from　some　knoll　somewhere　near　Zorndorf；　I　suppose；　hastily　bidding　Seidlitz　strike　in：　〃Seidlitz；　now！〃　The　hurrahing　Russians　cannot　keep　rank　at　that　rate　of　going。　like　a　buffalo　stampede；　but　fall　into　heaps　and　gaps：　Seidlitz；　with　a　swiftness；　with　a　dexterity　beyond　praise；　has　picked　his　way　across　that　quaggy　Zabern　Hollow；　falls；　with　say　5；000　horse；　on　the　flank　of　this　big　buffalo　stampede；　tumbles　it　into　instant　ruin；which　proves　irretrievable；　as　the　Prussian　Infantry　come　on　again；　and　back　Seidlitz。

In　fifteen　minutes　more　（I　guess　it　now　to　be　ten　o'clock）；　the　Russian　Minotaur；　this　end　of　it；　on　to　the　Gallows　Ground；　is　one　wild　mass。　Seldom　was　there　seen　such　a　charge；　issuiug　in　such　deluges　of　wreck；　of　chaotic　flight；　or　chaotic　refusal　to　fly。　The　Seidlitz　cavalry　went　sabring　till；　for　very　fatigue；　they　gave　it　up；　and　could　no　more。　The　Russian　horse　fled　to　Kutzdorf；　Fermor　with　them；　who　saw　no　more　of　this　Fight；　and　did　not　get　back　till　dark；had　not　the　Bridges　been　burnt；　and　no　crossing　of　the　Mutzel　possible；　Fermor　never　would　have　come　back；　and　here　had　been　the　end　of　Zorndorf。　Luckier　if　it　had！　But　there　is　no　crossing　of　the　Mutzel；　there　is　only　drowning　in　the　quagmires　there：death　any　way；　what　can　be　done　but　die？

The　Russian　infantry　stand　to　be　sabred；　in　the　above　manner；　as　if　they　had　been　dead　oxen。　More　remote　from　Seidlitz；　they　break　open　the　sutlers'　brandy…casks；　and　in　few　minutes　get　roaring　drunk。　Their　officers；　desperate；　split　the　brandy…casks；　soldiers　flap　down　to　drink　it　from　the　puddles；　furiously　remonstrate　with　their　officers；　and　〃kill　a　good　many　of　them〃　（VIELE；　says　Tielcke）；　especially　the　foreign　sort。　〃A　frightful　blood…bath；〃　by　all　the　Accounts：　blood…bath；　brandy…bath；　and　chief　Nucleus　of　Chaos　then　extant　aboveground。　Fermor　is　swept　away：　this　chaos；　the　very　Prussians　drawing　back　from　it；　wearied　with　massacring；　lasts　till　about　one　o'clock。　Up　to　the　Gallows…ground　the　Minotaur　is　mere　wreck　and　delirium：　but　beyond　the　Gallows…ground；　the　other　half　forms　a　new　front　to　itself；　becomes　a　new　Minotaur；　though　in　reduced　shape。　This　is　Part　First　of　the　Battle　of　Zorndorf；　Friedrichon　the　edge　of　great　disaster　at　one　moment；　but　miraculously　savedhas　still　the　other　half　to　do　（unlucky　that　he　left　no　Bridges　on　the　Mutzel）；　and　must　again　change　his　program。

Half　of　the　Minotaur　is　gone　to　shreds　in　this　manner；　but　the　attack　upon　it；　too；　is　spent：　what　is　to　be　done　with　the　other　half　of　the　monster；　which　is　again　alive；　which　still　stands；　and　polypus…like　has　arranged　a　new　life　for　itself；　a　new　front　against　the　Galgengrund　yonder？　Friedrich　brings　his　right　wing　into　action。　Rapidly　arranges　right　wing；　centre；　all　of　the　left　that　is　disposable；　with　batteries；　with　cavalry；　for　an　attack　on　the　opposite　or　southeastern　end　of　his　monster。　If　your　monster；　polypus…like；　come　alive　again　in　the　tail…part；　you　must　fell　that　other　head　of　him。　Batteries；　well　in　advance；　begin　work　upon　the　new　head　of　the　monster；　which　was　once　his　tail；　fresh　troops；　long　lines　of　them；　pushing　forward　to　begin　platoon…volleying：　time　now；　I　should　guess；　about　half…past　two。　Our　infantry　has　not　yet　got　within　musket…range；when　torrents　of　Russian　Horse；　Foot　too　following；　plunge　out；　wide…flowing；　stormfully　swift；　and　dash　against　the　coming　attack。　Dash　against　it；　stagger　it；　actually　tumble　it　back；　in　the　centre　part；　take　one　of　the　batteries；　and　a　whole　battalion　prisoners。　Here　again　is　a　moment！　Friedrich；　they　say；　rushed　personally　into　this　vortex；　rallied　these　broken　battalions；　again　rallied　and　led　them　up；　but　it　was　to　no　purpose：　they　could　not　be　made　to　stand；　these　centre　battalions；　〃some　sudden　panic　in　them；　a　thing　unaccountable；〃　says　Tempelhof；　〃they　are　Dohna's　people；　who　fought　perfectly　at　Jagersdorf；　and　often　elsewhere〃　（they　were　all　in　such　a　finely　burnished　state　the　other　day；　but　have　not　biting　talent；　like　the　grass…devils）：　enough；　they　fairly　scour　away；　certain　disgraceful　battalions；　and　are　not　got　ranked　again　till　below　Wilkersdorf；　above　a　mile　off；　though　the　grass…devils；　on　both　hands　of　them；　stand　grimly　steady；　left　in　this　ominous　manner。

What　would　have　become　of　the　affair　one　knows　not；　if　it　had　not　been　that　Seidlitz　once　more　made　his　appearance。　On　Friedrich's　order；　or　on　his　own；　I　do　not　know；　but　sure　it　is；　Seidlitz；　with　sixty…one　squadrons；　arriving　from　some　distance；　breaks　in　like　a　DEUS　EX　MACHINA；　swift　as　the　storm…wind；　upon　this　Russian　Horse…　torrent；　drives　it　again　before　him　like　a　mere　torrent　of　chaff；　back；　ever　back；　to　the　shore　of　Acheron　and　the　Stygian　quagmires　（of　the　Mutzel；　namely）；　so　that　it　did　not　return　again；　and　the　Prussian　infantry　had　free　field　for　their　platoon　exercise。　Their　rage　against　the　Russians　was　extreme；　and　that　of　the　Rus