history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第19章

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g　grandly　through　the　finest　of　all　his　countries；　before　ducking　himself　into　the　rock…　tumults　of　that　Pirna　district。　The　mountain　gorges　of　Prag　and　Moldau　River；　south　of　Melnick；　lie　hidden　under　the　horizon；　or　visible　only　as　peaks；　thirty　miles　and　more　to　southeastward；　a　bright　country　intervening；　sprinkled　with　steepled　towns。　To　northwestward；　far　away；　are　the　Lausitz　Mountains；　ranked　in　loose　order；　but　massive；　making　a　kind　of　range：　and　as　outposts　to　them　in　their　scattered　state；　Hills　of　good　height　and　aspect　are　scattered　all　about；　and　break　the　uniformity　of　the　Plain。　Nowhere　in　North　Germany　could　the　Prussian　battalions　have　a　finer　view；if　the　morning　were　fine；　and　if　views　were　their　object。

The　morning；　first　in　October；　was　not　fine；　and　it　was　far　other　than　scenery　that　the　Prussian　battalions　had　in　hand！Friday；　1st　October；　1756；　Day　should　have　broken：　but　where　is　day？　At　seven　in　the　morning　（and　on　till　eleven）；　thick　mist　lay　over　the　plain；　thin　fog　to　the　very　hill…tops；　so　that　you　cannot　see　a　hundred　yards　ahead。　Lobositz　is　visible　only　as　through　a　crape；　farther　on；　nothing　but　gray　sea；　under　which；　what　the　Austrians　are　doing；　or　whether　there　are　any　Austrians；　who　can　say？　Leftward　on　the　Lobosch…Hill　side；　as　we　reconnoitre；　some　Pandours　are　noticeable；　nestled　in　the　vineyards　there：that　sunward　side　of　the　Lobosch　is　all　vineyards；　belonging　to　the　different　Lobositzers：　scrubby　vineyards；　all　in　a　brown　plucked　state　at　this　season。　Vineyards　parted　by　low　stone　walls；　say　three　or　four　feet　high　（parted　by　hurdles；　or　by　tiny　trenches；　in　our　day；　and　the　stone　walls　mere　stone　facings）：　there　are　the　Pandours　crouched；　and　give　fire　in　a　kneeling　posture　when　you　approach。　Lower　down；　near　Lobositz　itself；　flickerings　as　of　Horse　squadrons；　probably　Hussar　parties；　twinkle　dubious　in　the　wavering　mist。　Problem　wrapt　in　mist；　nothing　to　be　seen；　and　all　depends　on　judging　it　with　accuracy！　Seven　by　the　clock：　Deploy；　at　any　rate；　let　us　cover　our　post；　and　be　in　readiness　for　events。

Friedrich's　vanguard　of　itself　nearly　fills　that　neck；　or　space　between　the　Lobosch　and　Homolka　Hills。　He　spreads　his　Infantry　and　〃hundred　field…pieces；〃　in　part；　rightwards　along　the　Homolka　Hill；　but　chiefly　leftwards　along　the　Lobosch；　where　their　nearest　duty　is　to　drive　off　those　Pandours。　Always　as　a　new　battalion；　pushing　farther　leftward；　comes　upon　its　ground；　the　Pandours　give　fire　on　it；and　it　on　the　Pandours；　till　the　Left　Wing　is　complete；　and　all　the　Lobosch　is；　in　this　manner；　a　crackling　of　Pandour　musketry。　and　anti…musketry。　Right　Wing；　steady　to　its　guns　on　the　Homolka；　has　as　yet　nothing　to　do。　Those　wings　of　Infantry　are　two　lines　deep；　the　Cavalry；　in　three　lines；　is　between　them　in　the　centre；　no　room　for　Cavalry　elsewhere；　except　on　the　outskirts　some　fringing　of　light　horse；　to　be　ready　for　emergencies。

The　Pandour　firing；　except　for　the　noise　of　it；　does　not　amount　to　much；　they　can　take　no　aim；　says　Lloyd；　crouching　behind　their　stone　fences；　and　the　Prussian　Battalions；　steadily　pushing　downwards；　trample　out　their　sputtering；　and　clear　the　Lobosch　of　them　to　a　safe　distance。　But　the　ground　is　intricate；　so　wrapt　in　mist　for　the　present。　That　crackling　lasts　for　hours；　decisive　of　nothing；　and　the　mist　also；　and　one's　anxious　guessings　and　scrutinizings；　lasts　in　a　wavering　fitful　manner。

Once；　for　some　time；　in　the　wavering　of　the　mist；　there　was　seen；　down　in　the　plain　opposite　our　centre；　a　body　of　Cavalry。　Horse　for　certain：　say　ten　squadrons　of　them；　or　1；500　Horse；　continually　manoeuvring；　changing　shape；　now　in　more　ranks；　now　in　fewer；　sometimes　〃checkerwise；〃　formed　like　a　draught…board；　shooting　out　wings：　they　career　about；　one　sees　not　whither；　or　vanish　again　into　the　mist　behind。　〃Browne's　rear…guard　this；　that　we　are　come　upon；〃　thinks　Friedrich；　〃these　squatted　Pandours；　backed　by　Horse；　must　be　his　rear…guard；　that　are　amusing　us：　Browne　and　the　Army　are　off；　crossing　the　Elbe；　hastening　towards　the　Schandau；　the　Pirna　quarter；　while　we　stand　bickering　and　idly　sputtering　here！〃　Weary　of　such　idle　business；　Friedrich　orders　forward　Twenty　of　his　Squadrons　from　the　centre　station：　〃Charge　me　those　Austrian　Horse；　and　let　us　finish　this。〃　The　Twenty　Squadrons；　preceded　by　a　pair　of　field…pieces；　move　down　hill；　storm　in　upon　the　Austrian　party；　storm　it　furiously　into　the　mist；　are　furiously　chasing　it；　　when　unexpected　cannon…batteries；　destructive　case…shot；　awaken　on　their　left　flank　（batteries　from　Lobositz；　one　may　guess）；　and　force　them　to　draw　back。　To　draw　back；　with　some　loss；　and　rank　again；　in　an　indignantly　blown　condition；　at　the　foot　of　their　Hill。　Indignant；　after　brief　breathing；　they　try　it　once　more。

〃Don't　try　it！〃　Friedrich　had　sent　out　to　tell　them：　for　the　mist　was　clearing；　and　Friedrich；　on　the　higher　ground；　saw　new　important　phenomena：　but　it　was　too　late。　For　the　Twenty　Squadrons　are　again　dashing　forward；　sweeping　down　whatever　is　before　them：　in　spite　of　cannon…volleys；　they　plunge　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　mist；　come　upon　〃a　ditch　twelve　feet　broad〃　（big　swampy　drain；　such　as　are　still　found　there；　grass…green　in　summer…time）；　clear　said　ditch；　forward　still　deeper　into　the　mist：　and　after　three　hundred　yards；　come　upon　a　second　far　worse　〃ditch；〃　plainly　impassable　this　one；〃ditch〃　they　call　it；　though　it　is　in　fact　a　vile　sedgy　Brook；　oozing　along　there　（the　MORELL　BACH；　considerable　Brook；　lazily　wandering　towards　Lobositz；　where　it　disembogues　in　rather　swifter　fashion）；and　are　saluted　with　cannon；　from　the　farther　side；　and　see　serried　ranks　under　the　gauze　of　mist：　Browne's　Army；　in　fact！　The　Twenty　Squadrons　have　to　recoil　out　of　shot…range；　the　faster；　the　better；　with　a　loss　of　a　good　many　men；　in　those　two　charges。　Friedrich　orders　them　up　Hill　again；　much　regretful　of　this　second　charge；　which　he　wished　to　hinder；　and　posts　them　to　rearward；where　they　stand　silent；　the　unconscious　stoic…　philosophers　in　buff；　and　have　little　farther　service　through　the　rest　of　the　day。

It　is　now　11　o'clock；　the　mist　all　clearing　off；　and　Friedrich；　before　that　second　charge；　had　a　growing　view　of　the　Plain　and　its　condition。　Beyond　question；　there　is　Browne；　not　in　retreat；　by　any　means；　but　in　full　array；　numerous；　and　his　position　very　strong。　Ranked；　unattackable　mostly；　behind　that　oozy　Brook；　or　BACH　of　Morell；　which　has　only　two　narrow　Bridges；　cannon　plenty　on　both：　one　Bridge　from　the　south　parts　to　Sulowitz　（OUR　road　to　Sulowitz　and　it　would　be　by　Radostitz　and　the　Homolka）；　and　then　one　other　Bridge；　connecting　Sulowitz　with　Lobositz；which　latter　is　Browne's　own　Bridge；　uniting　right　wing　and　left　of　Browne；　so　to　speak；　and　is　still　more　unattackable；　in　the　circumstances。　What　will　Friedrich　decide　on　attempting？

That　oozy　Morell　Brook　issues　on　Browne's　side　of　Lobositz；　cutting　Browne　in　two；　but　is　otherwise　all　in　Browne's　favor。　Browne　extends　through　Lobositz；　and　beyond　it；　curves　up　to　Welhoten　on　the　River…brink；　at　Lobositz　are　visible　considerable　redoubts；　cannon…batteries　and　much　regular　infantry。　Browne　will　be　difficult　to　force　yonder；　in　the　Lobositz　part；　but　yonder　alone　can　he　be　tried。　He　is　pushing　up　more　Infantry　that　way；　conscious　probably　of　that　fact；and　that　the　Lobosch　Hill　is　not　his；　but　another's。　What　would　not　Browne　now　give　for　the　Lobosch　Hill！　Yesternight　he　might　have　had　it　gratis；　in　a　manner；　and　indeed　did　try　slightly；　with　his　Pandour　people　（durst　not　at　greater　expense）；who　have　now　ceased　sputtering；　and　cower　extinct　in　the　lower　vineyards　there。　Browne；　at　any　rate；　is　rapidly　strengthening　his　right　wing；　which　has　hold　of　Lobositz；　pushing　forward　in　that　quarter；where　the　Brook　withal　is　of　firmer　bottom　and　more　wadable。　Thither　too　is　Friedrich　bent。　So　that　Lobositz　is　now　the　key　of　the　Battle；　there　will　the　tug　of　war　now　be。

Friedrich's　cavalry　is　gone　all　to　rearward。　His　right　wing　holds　the　Homolka　Hill；that　too　would　now　be　valuable　to　Browne；　and　cannot　be　had　gratis；　as　yesternight！　Friedrich's　left　wing　is　on　the　Lobosch；　Pandours　pretty　well　extinct　before　it；　but　now　from　Welhoten　quarter　new　Regulars　coming　on　thither；a