history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第8章

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im　on　both　heads　let　us　faithfully　give；　and　finish　our　sad　part　of　the　combat。

Friedrich；　with　his　Schwerin　and　Winterfeld；　surveying　these　things　from　the　northern　edge；　admits　that　the　Austrian　position　is　extremely　strong；　but　he　has　no　doubt　that　it　must　be；　by　some　good　method；　attacked　straightway；　and　the　Austrians　got　beaten。　Indisputably　the　enterprise　is　difficult。　Unattackable　clearly；　the　Austrians；　on　that　left　wing　of　theirs；　not　in　the　centre　well　attackable；　nor　in　the　front　at　all；　with　that　stiff　ground；　and　such　redoubts　and　points　of　strength：　but　round　on　their　right　yonder；　take　them　in　flank；cannot　we？　On　as　far　as　Kyge；　the　Three　have　ridden　reconnoitring；　and　found　no　possibility　upon　the　front；　nor　at　Kyge；　where　the　front　ends　in　batteries；　pools　and　quagmires；　is　there　any。　〃Difficult；　not　undoable；〃　persists　the　King：　〃and　it　must　be　straightway　set　about　and　got　done。〃　Winterfeld；　always　for　action；　is　of　that　opinion；　too：　and；　examining　farther　down　along　their　right　flank；　reports　that　there　the　thing　is　feasible。

Feasible　perhaps：　〃but　straightway？〃　objects　Schwerin。　His　men　have　been　on　foot　since　midnight；　and　on　forced　marches　for　days　past：　were　it　not　better　to　rest　for　this　one　day？　〃Rest：and　Daun；　coming　on　with　30；000　of　reinforcement　to　them；　might　arrive　this　night？　Never；　my　good　Feldmarschall；〃and　as　the　Feldmarschall　was　a　man　of　stiff　notions；　and　had　a　tongue　of　some　emphasis；　the　Dialogue　went　on；　probably　with　increasing　emphasis　on　Friedrich's　side　too；　till　old　Schwerin；　with　a　quite　emphatic　flash　of　countenance；　crushing　the　hat　firm　over　his　brow；　exclaims：　〃Well；　your　Majesty：　the　fresher　fish　the　better　fish　（FRISCHE　FISCHE；　GUTE　FISCHE）：　straightway；　then！〃　and　springs　off　on　the　gallop　southward；　he　too；　seeking　some　likely　point　of　attack。　He　too；　conjointly　or　not　with　Winterfeld；　I　do　not　know：　Winterfeld　himself　does　not　say；　whose　own　modest　words　on　the　subject　readers　shall　see　before　we　finish。　But　both　are　mentioned　in　the　Books　as　searching；　at　hand…gallop；　in　this　way：　and　both；　once　well　round　to　south；　by　the　Podschernitz　＇〃Podschernitz〃　is　pronounced　PotSHERnitz　（should　we　happen　to　mentionn　it　again）；　〃Kyge；〃　KEEGA。＇　quarter；　with　the　Austrian　right　flank　full　in　view；　were　agreed　that　here　the　thing　was　possible。　〃Infantry　to　push　from　this　quarter　towards　Sterbohol　yonder；　and　then　plunge　into　their　redoubts　and　them！　Cavalry　may　sweep　still　farther　southward；　if　found　convenient；　and　even　take　them　in　rear。〃　Both　agree　that　it　will　do　in　this　way：　ground　tolerably　good；　slightly　downwards　for　us；　then　slightly　upwards　again；　tolerable　for　horse　even：the　intermediate　lacing　of　dirty　lakelets；　the　fish…ponds　with　their　sluices　drawn；　Schwerin　and　Winterfeld　either　did　not　notice　at　all；　or　thought　them　insiginificant；　interspersed　with　such　beautiful　〃pasture…ground；〃of　unusual　verdure　at　this　early　season　of　the　year。

The　deployment；　or　〃marching　up　（AUFMARSCHIREN）〃　of　the　Prussians　was　wonderful；　in　their　squadrons；　in　their　battalions；　horse；　foot；　artillery；　wheeling；　closing；　opening；　strangely　checkering　a　country…side；in　movements　intricate；　chaotic　to　all　but　the　scientific　eye。　Conceive　them；　flowing　along；　from　the　Heights　of　Chaber；　behind　Prossik　Hamlet　（right　wing　of　infantry　plants　itself　at　Prossik；　horse　westward　of　them）；　and　ever　onwards　in　broad　many…checkered　tide…stream；　eastward；　eastward；　then　southward　（〃our　artillery　went　through　Podschernitz；　the　foot　and　horse　a　little　on　this　westward　side　of　it〃）：　intricate；　many…glancing　tide　of　coming　battle；　which；　swift；　correct　as　clock…work；　becomes　two　lines；　from　Prossik　to　near　Chwala　（〃baggage　well　behind　at　Gbell〃）；　thence　round　by　Podschernitz　quarter；　and　descends；　steady；　swift；　tornado…storm　so　beautifully　hidden　in　it；　towards　Sterbohol；　there　to　grip　to。　Gradually；　in　stirring　up　those　old　dead　pedantic　record…books；　the　fact　rises　on　us：　silent　whirlwinds　of　old　Platt…Deutsch　fire；　beautifully　held　down；　dwell　in　those　mute　masses；　better　human　stuff　there　is　not　than　that　old　Teutsch　（Dutch；　English；　Platt…Deutsch　and　other　varieties）；　and　so　disciplined　as　here　it　never　was　before　or　since。　〃In　an　hour　and　half；〃　what　military　men　may　count　almost　incredible；　they　are　fairly　on　their　ground；　motionless　the　most　of　them　by　9　A。M。；　the　rest　wheeling　rightward；　as　they　successively　arrive　in　the　Chwala…Podschernitz　localities；　and；　descending　diligently；　Sterbohol　way；　and　will　be　at　their　harvest…work　anon。

Meanwhile　the　Austrians；　seeing；　to　their　astonishment；　these　phenomena　to　the　north；　and　that　it　is　a　quite　serious　thing；　do　also　rapidly　bestir　themselves；　swarming　like　bees；bringing　in　their　foraging　Cavalry；　〃No　time　to　change　your　jacket　for　a　coat：〃　rank；　double…quick！　Browne　is　on　that　right　wing　of　theirs：　〃Bring　the　left　wing　over　hither；〃　suggests　Browne；　〃cavalry　is　useless　yonder；　unless　they　had　hippogriffs！〃and　（again　Browne　suggesting）　the　Austrians　make　a　change　in　the　position　of　their　right　wing；　both　horse　and　foot：　change　which　is　of　vital　importance；　though　unnoted　in　many　Narratives　of　this　Battle。　Seeing；　namely；　what　the　Prussians　intend；　they　wheel　their　right　wing　（say　the　last　furlong　or　two　of　their　long　Line　of　Battle）　half　round　to　right；　so　that　the　last　furlong　or　two　stands　at　right　angles　（〃EN　POTENCE；〃　gallows…wise；　or　joiner's…square…wise　to　the　rest）；　and；　in　this　way；　make　front　to　the　Prussian　onslaught；front　now；　not　flank；　as　the　Prussians　are　anticipating。　This　is　an　important　wheel　to　right；　and　formation　in　joiner's…square　manner；　and　involves　no　end　of　interior　wheeling；　marching　and　deploying；　which　Austrians　cannot　manage　with　Prussian　velocity。　〃Swift　with　it；　here　about　Sterbohol　at　least；　my　men！　For　here　are　the　Prussians　within　wind　of　us！〃　urges　Browne。　And　here　straightway　the　hurricane　does　break　loose。

Winterfeld；　the　van　of　Schwerin's　infantry　（Schwerin's　own　regiment；　and　some　others；　with　him）；　is　striding　rapidly　on　Sterbohol；　Winterfeld　catches　it　before　Browne　can。　But　near　by；　behind　that　important　post；　on　the　Homely　Hill　（BERG　or　〃Mountain；〃　nothing　like　so　high　as　Constitution　Mountain）；　are　cannon…　batteries　of　devouring　quality；　which　awaken　on　Winterfeld；　as　he　rushes　out　double…quick　on　the　advancing　Austrians；　and　are　fatal　to　Winterfeld's　attempt；　and　nearly　to　Winterfeld　himself。　Winterfeld；　heavily　wounded；　sank　in　swoon　from　his　horse；　and　awakening　again　in　a　pool　of　blood；　found　his　men　all　off；　rushing　back　upon　the　main　Schwerin　body；　〃Austrian　grenadiers　gazing　on　the　thing；　about　eighty　paces　off；　not　venturing　to　follow。〃　Winterfeld；　half　dead；　scrambled　across　to　Schwerin；　who　has　now　come　up　with　the　main　body；　his　front　line　fronting　the　Austrians　here。　And　there　ensued；　about　Sterbohol　and　neighborhood；　led　on　by　Schwerin；　such　a　death…wrestle　as　was　seldom　seen　in　the　Annals　of　War。　Winterfeld's　miss　of　Sterbohol　was　the　beginning　of　it：　the　exact　course　of　sequel　none　can　describe；　though　the　end　is　well　known。

The　Austrians　now　hold　Sterbohol　with　firm　grip；　backed　by　those　batteries　from　Homoly　Hill。　Redoubts；　cannon…batteries；　as　we　said；　stud　all　the　field；　the　Austrian　stock　of　artillery　is　very　great；　arrangement　of　it　cunning；　practice　excellent；　does　honor　to　Prince　Lichtenstein；　and　indeed　is　the　real　force　of　the　Austrians　on　this　occasion。　Schwerin　must　have　Sterbohol；　in　spite　of　batteries　and　ranked　Austrians；　and　Winterfeld's　recoil　tumbling　round　him：and　rarely　had　the　oldest　veteran　such　a　problem。　Old　Schwerin　（fiery　as　ever；　at　the　age　of　73）　has　been　in　many　battles；　from　Blenheim　onwards；　and　now　has　got　to　his　hottest　and　his　last。　〃Vanguard　could　not　do　it；　main　body；　we　hope；　kindling　all　the　hotter；　perhaps　may！〃　A　most　willing　mind　is　in　these　Prussians　of　Schwerin's：　fatigue　of　over…marching　has　tired　the　muscles　of　them；　but　their　hearts；all　witnesses　say；　these　（and　through　these；　their　very　muscles；　〃always　fresh　again；　after　a　few　minutes　of　breathing…time〃）　were　beyond　comparison；　this　day！

Schwerin's　Prussians；　as　they　〃march　up〃　（that　is；　as　they　front　and　advance　upon　the　Austrians）；　are　everywhere　saluted　by　case…　shot；　from　Homoly　H