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

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en　miles　from　us；＇it　is　most　true；　Browne　marched　this　morning；　long　before　the　Sun；　crossed　Eger；　and　pitched　camp　at　noon＇　Good！〃　thinks　Friedrich。　And　pushes　down　into　the　Pascopol；　into　the　hollows　and　minor　troughs；　which　hide　Browne　henceforth；　till　we　are　quite　near。

Quite　near；　through　Welmina　and　a　certain　final　gap　of　the　Hills；　Friedrich　with　the　vanguard　does　emerge；　〃an　hour　before　sunset；〃　overhanging　Browne；　not　above　a　mile　from　the　Camp　of　Browne。　A　very　large　Camp；　that　of　Browne's；　flanked　to　right　by　the　Elbe；　goes　from　Sulowitz；　through　Lobositz；　to　Welhoten　close　on　Elbe；　and　has　properties　extremely　well　worth　studying　just　now！　〃Friedrich〃　the　Books　say；　〃bivouacs　by　a　fire　of　sticks；〃　short　way　down　on　the　southern　slope　of　the　Hill；　and　till　sunset　and　after；　has　eye…glass；　brain；　and　faculties　and　activities　sufficiently　occupied　for　the　rest　of　the　night；his　Divisions　gradually　taking　post　behind　him；　under　arms；　〃not　till　midnight；　the　very　rearmost　of　them。〃　＇〃Tuesday；　28th　September；　left　the　Camp　at　Sedlitz；　with　8　battalions　20　squadrons；　to　Johnsdorf：　29th；　to　Turmitz；Browne　is　to　pass　the　Eger　tomorrow。　From　the　tops　of　the　Pascopol　（30th）；　SEE　an　Austrian　Camp　in　the　Plain　of　Lobositz。　Vanguard　bivouacs　in　the　'neck'　of　the　two　Hills　or　a　little　beyond。〃　PRUSSIAN　ACCOUNT　OF　CAMPAIGN　1756　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten；　i。　844…845；　840…858）；　Anonymous　of　Hamburg；　&c。　&c。＇



Chapter　VI。

BATTLE　OF　LOBOSITZ。

Welmina；or　Reschni…Aujest；　last　pertinent　of　Welmina　（but　we　will　take　Friedrich's　name　for　it）；　offers　to　the　scrutinizing　eye　nothing；　in　our　day；　but　some　bewildered　memory　of　〃Alte　Fritz〃　clinging　obstinately　even　to　the　Peasant　mind　thereabouts。　A　sleepy　littery　place；　some　biggish　haggard　untrimmed　trees；　some　broken…　backed　sleepy…looking　thatched　houses；　not　in　contact；　and　each　as　far　as　might　be　with　its　back　turned　on　the　other；　and　cloaked　in　its　own　litter　and　privacy。　Probably　no　human　creature　will　be　visible；　as　you　pass　through。　Much　straw　lying　about；　chiefly　where　the　few　gaunt　trees　look　down　on　it　（cattle　glad　of　any　shelter）：　in　fact；　it　is　mainly　an　extinct　tumult　of　straw；　nothing　alive；　as　you　pass；　but　a　few　poor　oxen　languidly　sauntering　up　and　down；　finding　much　to　trample；　little　to　eat。　The　Czech　Populations　（were　it　not　for　that　〃Question　of　the　Nationalities〃）　are　not　very　beautiful！

Close　south　of　this　poor　Hamlet　is　a　big　Hill；　conspicuous　with　three　peaks；　quite　at　the　other　base　of　which；　a　good　way　down；　lies　Lobositz；　the　main　Village　in　those　parts；　a　place　now　of　assiduous　corn…mill　and　fruit　trade；　and　one　of　the　stations　on　the　Dresden…Prag　Railway。　This　Hill　is　what　Lloyd　calls　the　Lobosch；　＇Major…General　Lloyd；　　History　of　the　late　War　in　Germany；　　1756…1759　（3　vols。　4to；　London；　1781）；　i。　2…11。＇　twin　to　which；　only　flatter；　is　Lloyd's　〃Homolka　Hill〃　（Hill　of　RADOSTITZ　in　more　modern　Plans　and　Books）。　Conspicuous　Heights；　and　important　to　us　here；though　I　did　not　find　the　Peasants　much　know　them　under　those　names。　By　the　southern　shoulder　of　this　Lobosch　Hill　runs　the　road　from　Welmina　to　Lobositz；　with　branches　towards　many　other　villages。　To　your　right　or　southern　hand；　short　way　southward；　rises　the　other　Hill；　which　Lloyd　calls　Homolka　Hill；　the　gap　or　interval　between　Homolka　and　Lobosch；　perhaps　a　furlong　in　extent；　is　essentially　the　PASS　through　those　uplands。　This　pass；　Friedrich；　at　the　first　moment；　made　sure　of；　filling　the　same　with　battalions；　there　to　bivouac。　He　likewise　promptly　laid　hold　of　the　two　Hills；　high　Lobosch　to　his　left；　and　lower　Homolka　to　right；　which　precautionary　measure　it　is　reckoned　a　fault　in　Browne　to　have　neglected；　that　night；　fault　for　which　he　smarted　on　the　morrow。

From　this　upland　pass；　or　neck　between　the　two　Mountains；　Friedrich's　battalions　would　have　had　a　fine　view；　had　the　morning　shone　for　them：　Lobositz；　Leitmeritz；　Melnick；　a　great　fertile　Valley；　or　expanse　of　fruitful　country；　many　miles　in　breadth　and　length；　Elbe；　like　a　silver　stripe；　winding　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