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

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at　other　advantages　gained？

Here　are　two　Letters；　brief　both；　which　we　may　as　well　read：

1。　FRIEDRICH　TO　WILHELMINA　（at　Baireuth）。

〃LOBOSITZ；　4th　October；　1756。

〃MY　DEAR　SISTER；Your　will　is　accomplished。　Tired　out　by　these　Saxon　delays；　I　put　myself　at　the　head　of　my　Army　of　Bohemia　＇Keith's　hitherto＇；　and　marched　from　Aussig　toa　Name　which　seemed　to　me　of　good　augury；　being　yours；to　the　Village　of　Welmina　＇Battle　was　called　OF　WELMINA；　by　the　Prussians　at　first＇。　I　found　the　Austrians　here；　near　Lobositz；　and；　after　a　Fight　of　seven　hours；　forced　them　to　run。　Nobody　of　your　acquaintance　is　killed；　except　Generals　Luderitz　and　OErzen　＇who　are　not　of　ours＇。

〃I　return　you　a　thousand　thanks　for　the　tender　part　you　take　in　my　lot。　Would　to　Heaven　the　valor　of　my　Army　might　procure　us　a　stable　Peace！　That　ought　to　be　the　aim　of　War。　Adieu；　my　dear　Sister；　I　embrace　you　tenderly；　assuring　you　of　the　lively　affection　with　which　I　am…F。〃　＇　OEuvres；　　xxvii。　i。　291。＇

　2。　PRINCE　OF　PRUSSIA　TO　VALORI　（who　is　still　at　Berlin；　but　　soon　going　as　it　proves；Broglio's　explosion　at　the　Lines　of　　Gross…Sedlitz　being　on　hand；　during　the　King's　absence；　in　　these　very　hours　＇〃5th…6th　October〃　（Valori；　ii。　353）。＇

〃CAMP　OF　LOBOSITZ；　5th　October；　1756。

〃You　will　know　the　news　of　the　day；　and　I　am　persuaded　you　take　part　in　it。　All　you　say　to　me　betokens　the　conspiracy　there　is　for　the　destruction　of　our　Country。　If　that　is　determined　in　the　Book　of　Fate；　we　cannot　escape　it。

〃Had　my　advice　been　asked；　a　year　ago；　I　should　have　voted　to　preserve　the　Alliance　＇with　YOU＇　which　we　had　been　used　to　for　sixteen　years　＇strictly　for　twelve；　though　in　substance　ever　since　1740＇；　and　which　was　by　nature　advantageous　to　us。　But　if　my　advice　were　asked　just　now；　I　should　answer；　That　the　said　method　being　now　impossible；　we　are　in　the　case　of　a　ship's　captain　who　defends　himself　the　best　he　can；　and　when　all　resources　are　exhausted；　has；　rather　than　surrender　on　shameful　conditions；　to　fire　the　powder…　magazine；　and　blow　up　his　ship。　You　remember　that　of　your　Francois　I。〃FORS　L'HONNEUR；　ah　yes；　very　well！〃Perhaps　it　will　be　my　poor　Children　who　will　be　the　victims　of　these　past　errors；〃　for　such　I　still　think　them；　I　for　my　part。

〃The　Gazettes　enumerate　the　French　troops　that　are　to　besiege　Wesel；　Geldern　＇Wesel　they　will　get　gratis；　poor　Geldern　will　almost　break　their　heart　first＇；　and　take　possession　of　Ost…　Friesland；　the　Russian　Declaration　＇Manifesto　not　worth　reading＇　tells　us　Russia's　intentions　for　the　next　year　＇most　truculent　intentions＇：　we　will　defend　ourselves　to　the　last　drop　of　our　blood；　and　perish　with　honor。　If　you　have　any　counsel　farther；　I　pray　you　give　it　me。


MAP　GOES　HERE　BETWEEN　P。　350　AND　351　Chap　VII　book　17


〃Remain　always　my　friend；　and　believe　that　in　all　situations　I　will　remain　yours；　and　trying　to　do　what　my　duty　is；　will　not　forfeit　the　sentiments　on　your　part　which　have　been　so　precious　to　me。　Your　servant；　　　　　　GUILLAUME。〃　＇Valori；　ii。　204…206。＇

〃Pity　this　good　Prince　contemplating　the　downfall　of　his　House；〃　suggests　Valori：　〃He　deserved　a　better　fate！　He　would　be　in　despair　to　think　I　had　sent　this　Letter　to　your　Excellency；　but　I　thought　perhaps　you　would　show　it　to　the　King；〃and　that　it　might　do　good　one　day。　＇Valori　（to　the　French　Minister；　〃12th　October；　1756〃）；　ii。　204。＇　The　Prussians　lay　in　their　〃Camp　of　Lobositz；〃　posted　up　and　down　in　that　neighborhood；　for　a　couple　of　weeks　more；　waiting　whether　Rrowne　would　attempt　anything　farther　in　the　fighting　way；　and；　in　fine；　whether　the　solution　of　the　crisis　would　fall　out　hereabouts；　or　on　the　other　side　of　the　Hills。



Chapter　VII。

THE　SAXONS　GET　OUT　OF　PIRNA　ON　DISMAL　TERMS。

The　disaster　of　October　1stfor　which　they　were　trying　to　sing　TE…DEUMS　at　Viennafell　heavier　on　the　poor　Saxons；　in　their　cage　at　Pirna：　〃Alas；　where　is　our　deliverance　now？〃　Friedrich's　people；　in　their　lines　here；　gave　them　such　a　〃joy…firing〃　for　Lobositz　as　Retzow　has　seldom　heard；　huge　volleyings；　salvoings；　running…fires；　starting　out；　artistically　timed　and　stationed；　thunderous；　high；　and　borne　by　the　echoes；　gloomily　reverberative；　into　every　dell　and　labyrinth　of　the　Pirna　Country；intended　to　strike　a　deeper　damp　into　them；　thinks　he。　＇Retzow；　i。　67。＇　But　Imperial　Majesty　was　mindful；　too；　and　straightway　sent　Browne　positive　order；　〃Deliver　me　these　poor　Saxons　at　any　price！〃　And　in　the　course　of　not　quite　a　week　from　Lobositz；　there　arrives　a　confidential　Messenger　from　Browne：　〃Courage　still；　ye　caged　Saxons；　I　will　try　it　another　way！　Only　you　must　hold　out　till　the　11th；　on　the　11th　stand　to　your　tools；　and　it　shall　be　done。〃

Browne　is　to　take　a　succinct　Detachment；　8；000　picked　men；　horse　and　foot；　to　make　a　wider　sweep　with　these；　well　eastward　by　the　foot　of　Lausitz　Hills；　and　far　enough　from　all　Prussian　parties　and　scouts；　to　march；　with　all　speed　and　silence；　〃through　Bohm…Leipa；　Kamnitz；　Rumburg；　Schluckenau；　and　come　in　upon　the　Schandau　region；　quite　from　the　northeast　side；　say；　at　Lichtenhayn；　an　eligible　Village；　which　is　but　seven　miles　or　so　from　the　Konigstein；　with　the　chasmy　country　and　the　river　intervening。　Monday；　October　llth；　Browne　will　arrive　at　Lichtenhayn　（sixty　miles　of　circling　march　from　Budin）；　privately　post　himself　near　Lichtenhayn；　Prussian　posts；　of　no　great　strength；　lying　ahead　of　him　there。　You；　indignant　extenuated　Saxons；　are　to　get　yourselves　across；near　the　Konigstein　it　will　have　to　be；　under　cover　of　the　Konigstein's　cannon；on　the　front　or　riverward　side　of　those　same　Prussian　posts：　crossing…place　（Browne's　Messenger　settles）　can　be　Thurmsdorf　Hamlet；　opposite　the　Lilienstein；　opposite　the　Hamlets　of　Ebenheit　and　Halbstadt　there。　Konigstein　fire　will　cover　your　bridge　and　your　building　of　it。

〃Monday　night　next；　I　say；　post　yourselves　there；　with　hearts　resolute；　with　powder　dry；　there；　about　the　eastern　roots　of　the　Lilienstein　＇beautiful　Show　Mountain；　with　stair…steps　cut　on　it　for　Tourist　people；　by　August　the　Strong＇；　and　avoid　the　Prussian　battery　and　abatis　which　is　on　it　just　now！　You　at　Ebenheit；　I　at　Lichtenhayn；　trimmed　and　braced　for　action；　through　that　Monday　night。　Tuesday　morning；　the　Konigstein；　at　your　beckoning；　shall　fire　two　cannon…shots；　which　shall　mean；　'All　ready　here！'　Then　forward；　you；　on　those　Prussian　posts　by　the　front；　I　will　attack　them　by　the　rear。　With　right　fury；　both　of　us！　I　am　told；　they　are　but　weak　in　those　posts；　surely；　by　double　impetus；　and　dead…lift　effort　from　us　both；　they　CAN　be　forced？　Only　force　them；you　are　in　the　open　field　again；　and　you　march　away　with　me；　colors　flying；　your　hunger…cage　and　all　your　tribulations　left　behind　you！〃

This　is　Browne's　plan。　The　poor　Saxons　accept；what　choice　have　they？though　the　question　of　crossing　and　bridge…building　has　its　intricacies；　and　that　inevitable　item　of　〃postponement　till　the　11th〃　is　a　sore　clause　to　them；　for　not　only　are　there　short　and　ever　shorter　rations；　but　grim　famine　itself　is　advancing　with　large　strides。　The　〃daily　twenty　ounces　of　meal〃　has　sunk　to　half　that　quantity；　the　〃ounce　or　so　of　butcher's…meat　once　a　week〃　has　vanished；　or　become　HORSE　of　extreme　leanness。　The　cavalry　horses　have　not　tasted　oats；　nothing　but　hay　or　straw　（not　even　water　always）；　the　artillery　horses　had　to　live　by　grazing；　brown　leaves　their　main　diet　latterly。　Not　horses　any　longer；　but　walking　trestles；　poor　animals！　And　the　men；well；　they　are　fallen　pale；　but　they　are　resolute　as　ever。　The　nine　corn…mills；　which　they　have　in　this　circuit　of　theirs；　grind　now　night　and　day；　and　all　the　cavalry　are　set　to　thresh　whatever　grain　can　be　found　about；　no　hind　or　husbandman　shall　retain　one　sheaf：　in　this　way；　they　hope；　utter　hunger　may　be　staved　off；　and　the　great　attempt　made。　＇PRECIS　DE　LA　RETRAITE　DE　L'ARMEE　SAXONNE　DE　SON　CAMP　DE　PIRNA　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten；　　i。　482…494）。＇

Browne　skilfully　and　perfectly　did　his　part　of　the　Adventure。　Browne　arrives　punctually　at　Lichtenhayn；　evening　of　the　11th；　bivouacs；　hidden　in　the　Woods　thereabouts；　in　cold　damp　weather；　stealthily　reconnoitres　the　Prussian　Villages　ahead；　and　trims　himself　for　assault；　at　sound　of　the　two　cannons　to…morrow。　But　there　came　no　cannon…signal　on　the　morrow；　far　other　signallings　and　messagings　to…morrow；　and　next　day；　and　next；　from　the　Konigstein　and　neighborhood！　〃Wait；　Excellency　Feldmarschall　＇writes　Bruhl　to　him；　Note　after　Note；　instead　of　signalling　from　the　Konigstein＇：　do　wait　a　very　little！　You　run　no　risk　in　waiting；　we；　even　if　we　MUST　yield；　will　make　that　our　first　stipulation！〃　〃YOU　will？〃　grumbles　Browne；　and　waits；　naturally；　with　extreme　impatience。　But　the　truth　is；　the　Adventure；　on　the　Saxon　side　of　it；　has　already　altogether　misgone；　and　becomes；　from　this　point　onwards；　a　mere　series　of　failures；　futilities　and　disastrous　miseries；　tragical　to　think　of。　Worth　some　record　here；　since　there　are　Documents　abundant；especially　as　Feldmarschall　Rutowski　（who　is　General…in…Chief；　an　old；　not　esteemed；　friend　of　ours）　has　produced；　or　caused　to　be　produced；　a　Narrative；　which　illuminates　the　Business　from　within　as　well。　＇PRECIS；　&c。　（just　cited）；　compare　TAGEBUCH　DER　EINSCHLIESSUNG　DES　SACHSISCHEN　LAGERS　BEY　PIRNA　（〃Diary；〃　&c。；　which　is　the　Prussian　Account：　in　Seyfarth；　BEYLAGEN）；　ii。　22…48。＇　The　latter　is　our　main　Document　here：

I　know　not　how　much　of　the　blame　was　General　Rutowski's：　one　could　surmise　some　laxity　of　effort；　and　a　rather　slovenly…survey　of　facts；　in　that　quarter。　The　Enterprise；　from　the　first；　was　flatly　impossible；　say　judges；　and　it　is　certain；　poor　Rutowski's　execution　was　not　first…rate。　〃How　get　across　the　Elbe？〃　Rutowski　had　said　to　himself；　perhaps　not　quite　with　the　due　rigor　of　candor　proportionate　to　the　rigorous　fact：　〃How　get　across　the　Elbe？　We　have　copper　pontoons　at　Pirna；　but　they　will　be　difficult　to　cart。　Or　we　might　have　a　boat…bridge；　boats　planked　together　two　and　two。　At　Pirna　are　plenty　of　boats；　and　by　oar　and　track…rope；　the　River　itself　might　be　a　road　for　them？　Boats　or　pontoons　to　Konigstein；　by　water　or　land；　they　must　be　got。　Eight　miles　of　abysmal　roads；　our　horses　all　extenuated？　Impossible　to　cart　these　pontoons！〃　said　R