history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第15章

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wood；　to　the　topmost　height；　pine…trees　far　aloft　look　quietly　down　upon　you；　over　sheer　precipices；　on　your　intricate　path。　On　the　slopes　of　the　Hills　is　grass　enough；　in　the　intervals　are　Villages　and　husbandries；　are　corn　and　milk　for　the　laborious　natives；who　depend　mainly　on　quarrying；　and　pine…forest　work：　pines　and　free…stone；　rafts　of　long　slim　pines；　and　big　stone　barges；　are　what　one　sees　upon　the　River　there。　A　Note；　not　very　geological；　says　of　it：

〃Elbe　sweeps　freely　through　this　Country；　for　ages　and　aeons　past；　curling　himself　a　little　into　snake…figure；　and　with　increased　velocity；　but　silent　mostly；　and　trim　to　the　edge；　a　fine　flint…　colored　river；though　in　aeons　long　anterior；　it　must　have　been　a　very　different　matter　for　torrents　and　water…power。　The　Country　is　one　huge　Block　of　Sandstone；　so　many　square　miles　of　that　material；　ribbed；　channelled；　torn　and　quarried；　in　this　manner；　by　the　ever…　busy　elements；　for　a　million　of　Ages　past！　Chiefly　by　the　Elbe　himself；　since　he　got　to　be　a　River；　and　became　cosmic　and　personal；　ceasing　to　be　a　mere　watery　chaos　of　Lakes　and　Deluges　hereabouts。　For　the　Sandstone　was　of　various　degrees　of　hardness；　tenacious　as　marble　some　parts　of　it；　soft　almost　as　sand　other　parts。　And　the　primordial　diluviums　and　world…old　torrents；　great　and　small；　rushing　down　from　the　Bohemian　Highlands；　from　the　Saxon　Metal　Mountains；　with　such　storming；　gurgling　and　swashing；　have　swept　away　the　soft　parts；　and　left　the　hard　standing　in　this　chaotic　manner；　and　bequeathed　it　all　to　the　Elbe；　and　the　common　frosts　and　rains　of　these　human　ages。

〃Elbe　has　now　a　trim　course；　but　Elbe　too　is　busy　quarrying　and　mining；　where　not　artificially　held　in；and　you　notice　at　every　outlet　of　a　Brook　from　the　interior；　north　side　and　south　side；　how　busy　the　Brook　has　been。　Boring；　grinding；　undermining；　much　helped　by　the　frosts；　by　the　rains。　AEons　ago；　the　Brook　was　a　lake；　in　the　interior；　but　was　every　moment　laboring　to　get　out；　till　it　has　cut　for　itself　that　mountain　gullet；　or　sheer…down　chasm；　and　brought　out　with　it　an　Alluvium　or　Delta；on　which；　since　Adam's　time；　human　creatures　have　built　a　Hamlet。　That　is　the　origin；　or　unwritten　history；　of　most　hamlets　and　cultivated　spots　you　fall　in　with　here：　they　are　the　waste　shavings　of　the　Brook；　working　millions　of　years；　for　its　own　object　of　getting　into　the　Elbe　in　level　circumstances。　Ploughed　fields；　not　without　fertility；　are　in　the　interior；　if　you　ascend　that　Brook；　the　Hamlet；　at　the　delta　or　mouth　of　it；　is　as　if　built　upon　its　TONGUE　and　into　its　GULLET：　think　how　picturesque；　in　the　November　rains；　for　example！

〃The　road〃　one　road；　〃from　Dresden　to　Aussig；　to　Lobositz；　Budin；　Prag；　runs　up　the　river…brink　（south　brink）；　or；　in　our　day；　as　Prag…Dresden　Railway；　thunders　through　those　solitudes；　strangely　awakening　their　echoes；　and　inviting　even　the　bewildered　Tourist　to　reflect；　if　he　could。　The　bewildered　Tourist　sees　rock…walls　heaven…high　on　both　hands　of　him；　River　and　he　rushing　on　between；　by　law　of　gravitation；　law　of　ennui　（which　are　laws　of　Nature　both）；　with　a　narrow　strip　of　sky　in　full　gallop　overhead；　and　has　little　encouragement　to　reflect；　except　upon　his　own　sorrows；　and　delirious　circumstances；　physical　and　moral。　'How　much　happier；　were　I　lying　in　my　bed！'　thinks　the　bewildered　Tourist；does　strive　withal　to　admire　the　Picturesque；　but　with　little　success；　notices　the　'BASTEI　（Bastion）；'　and　other　rigorously　prescribed　points　of　the　Sublime　and　Beautiful；　which　are　to　be　'done。'　That　you　will　have　to　DO；　my　friend：　step　out；　you　will　have　to　go　on　that　Pinnacle；　with　indifferent　Hotel　attached；　on　that　iron　balcony；　aloft　among　the　clouds　yonder；　and　shudder　to　project　over　Elbe…flood　from　such　altitudes；　admiring　the　Picturesque　in　prescribed　manner。

〃This　Country　has　for　its　permanent　uses；　timber；　free…stone；　modicum　of　milk　and　haver；　serviceable　to　the　generality；and　to　his　Polish　Majesty；　at　present；　it　is　as　the　very　Ark　of　Noah：　priceless　at　this　juncture；　being　the　strongest　military　country　in　the　world。　Excellent　strength　in　it；　express　Fortresses；　especially　one　Fortress　called　the　Konigstein；　not　far　from　Schandau；　of　a　towering　precipitous　nature；　with　'a　well　900　feet　deep'　in　it；　and　pleasant　Village　outside　at　the　base；Fortress　which　is　still；　in　our　day；　reckoned　a　safe　place　for　the　Saxon　Archives　and　preciosities。　Impregnable　to　gunpowder　artillery；　not　to　be　had　except　by　hunger。　And　then；　farther　down　the　River；　close　by　Pirna；　presiding　over　Pirna；　as　that　Konigstein　in　some　sort　does　over　Schandau；　is　the　Sonnenstein：　Sonnenstein　too　was　a　Fortress　in　those　days　of　Friedrich；　but　not　impregnable；　if　judged　worth　taking。　The　Austrians　took　it；　a　year　or　two　hence；　Friedrich　retook　it；　dismantled　it：　'the　Sonnenstein　is　now　a　Madhouse；'　say　the　Guide…books。

〃Sonnenstein　stands　close　east　or　up…stream　of　Pirna；　which　is　a　town　of　5；000　souls；　by　much　the　largest　in　those　parts；　Konigstein　a　little　down…stream　of　Schandau；　which　latter　is　on　the　opposite　or　north　side　of　the　River。　These　are　the　two　chief　Towns；　which　do　all　the　trade　of　this　region；　picturesque　places　both：　the　Tourist　remembers　Pirna？　Standing　on　its　sleek　table　or　stair…　step；　by　the　River's　edge；　well　above　floodmark；　green；　shaggy　or　fringy　mountains　looking　down　on　it　to　rearward；　in　front；　beyond　the　River；　nothing　visible　but　mile…long　cream…colored　rock…wall；　with　bushes　at　bottom　and　top；　wall　quarried　by　Elbe；　as　you　can　see。　Pirna　is　near　the　beginning　＇properly　END；　but　we　start　from　Dresden＇　or　western　extremity　of　Saxon　Schweitz。　Schandau；　almost　at　the　opposite　or　eastern　extremity；　is　still　more　picturesque；　standing　on　the　delta　of　a　little　Brook；　with　high　rock…cliffs；　with　garden…shrubberies；　sanded　walks；　tufts　of　forest…umbrage；　a　bright…painted；　almost　OPERATIC…looking　place；with　spa…waters；　if　I　recollect：　〃yes　truly；　and　the　〃Bath　Season〃　making　its　packages　in　great　haste；　breaking　up　prematurely；　this　Year　（1756）！

Directly　on　arriving　at　Gross…Sedlitz；　Friedrich　takes　ocular　survey　of　this　Country；　which　is　already　not　unknown　to　him。　He　finds　that　the　Saxons　have　secured　themselves　within　the　Mountains；　a　rocky　streamlet；　Brook　of　Gottleube；　which　issues　into　Elbe　just　between　Gross…Sedlitz　and　them；　〃through　a　dell　of　eighty　or　a　hundred　feet　deep；〃　serving　as　their　first　defence；　well　in　front　of　the　mere　rocky　Heights　and　precipices　behind　it；　which　stretch　continuously　along　to　southward；　six　miles　or　more；　from　Pirna　and　the　south　brink　of　Elbe。　At　Langen…Hennersdorf；　which　is　the　southernmost　part；　these　Heights　make　an　elbow　inwards；　by　Leopoldshayn；　towards　the　Konigstein；　which　is　but　four　miles　off；　here　too　the　Saxons　are　defended　by　a　Brook　（running　straight　towards　Konigstein；　this　one）　in　front　of　their　Heights；　and　stand　defensive；　in　this　way；　along　a　rock…bulwark　of　ten　miles　long：　the　passes　all　secured　by　batteries；　by　abatis；　palisades；　mile　after　mile；　as　Friedrich　rides　observant　leftward：　behind　them；　Elbe　rushing　swifter　through　his　rock…walls　yonder；　with　chasms　and　intricate　gorges；　defending　them　inexpugnably　to　rear。　Six　miles　long　of　natural　bulwark　（six　to　Hennersdorf）；　where　the　gross　of　the　Saxons　lie；　then　to　Konigstein　four　other　miles；　sufficiently；　if　more　sparsely；　beset　by　them。　〃No　stronger　position　in　the　world；〃　Friedrich　thinks；　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　83；　84　（not　a　very　distinct　Account；　and　far　from　accurate　in　the　details；which　are　left　without　effectual　correction　even　in　the　best　Editions）。＇and　that　it　is　impossible　to　force　this　place；　without　a　loss　of　life　disproportionate　even　to　its　importance　at　present。　Not　to　say　that　the　Saxons　will　make　terms　all　the　easier；　BEFORE　bloodshed　rise　between　us；and　furthermore　that　Hunger　（for　we　hear　they　have　provision　only　for　two　weeks）　may　itself　soon　do　it。　〃Wedge　them　in；　therefore；　block　every　outgate；　every　entrance；　nothing　to　get　in；　except　gradually　Hunger。　Hunger；　and　on　our　part　rational　Offers；　will　suffice。〃　That　is　Friedrich's　plan；　good　in　itself；though　the　ovine　obstinacy；　and　other　circumstances；　retarded　the　execution　of　it　to　an　unexpected　extent；　lamentable　to