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history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第19部分

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uld come back。 Arriving there himself; he could see; about ten in the morning; behind Kaurzim and Planian; the whole Prussian Baggage fallen into such a coil that the wagons were with difficulty got on way again; nevertheless he let it; under cover of the grenadier battalion Manteuffel; go in peace。〃 'Tempelhof; i。 195。' A man that for caution and slowness could make no use of his victory!

The Austrian force in the Field this day is counted to have been 60;000; their losses in killed; wounded and missing; 8;114。 The Prussians; who began 34;000 in strength; lost 13;773; of whom prisoners (including all the wounded); 5;380。 Their baggage; we have seen; was not meddled with: they lost 45 cannon; 22 flags;a loss not worth adding; in comparison to this sore havoc; for the second time; in the flower of the Prussian Infantry。 'Retzow; i。 141 (whose numbers are apt to be inaccurate); Kutzen; p。 144 (who depends on the Canonical STAFF…OFFICER Account)。'

The news reached Prag Camp at two in the morning (Sunday; 19th): to the sorrowful amazement of the Generals there; who 〃stood all silent; only the Prince of Prussia breaking out into loud lamentations and accusations;〃 which even Retzow thinks unseemly。 Friedrich arrived that Sunday evening: and the Siege was raised; next day; with next to no hindrance or injury。 With none at all on the part of Daun; who was still standing among the heights and swamps of Planian;busy singing; or shooting; universal TE…DEUM; with very great rolling fire and other pomp; that day while Friedrich gathered his Siege…goods and got on march。


THE MARIA…THERESA ORDER; NEW KNIGHTHOOD FOR AUSTRIA。

No tongue can express the joy of the Austrians over this victory; vouchsafed them; in this manner; by Lieutenant…Colonel Benkendorf and the Powers above。 Miraculously; behold; they are not upon the retreat to Suchdol; at double…quick; and in ragged ever…lengthening line; but stand here; keeping rank all night; on the Planian…Kolin upland of the Kamhayek:behold; they have actually beaten Friedrich; for the first time; not been beaten by him。 Clearly beaten that Friedrich; by some means or other。 With such a result; too; consider it;drawn sword was at our throat; and marvellously now it is turned round upon his (if Daun be alert); and welet us rejoice to all lengths; and sing TE…DEUM and TE…DAUNUM with one throat; till the Heavens echo again。

 There was quite a hurricane; or lengthened storm; of jubilation and tripudiation raised at Vienna on this victory: New ORDER OF MARIA THERESA; in suitable Olympian fashion; with no end of regulating and inaugurating;with Daun the first Chief of it; and 〃Pensions to Merit〃 a conspicuous part of the plan; we are glad to see。 It subsists to this day: the grandest Military Order the Austrians yet have。 Which then deafened the world; with its infinite solemnities; patentings; discoursings; trumpetings; for a good while。 As was natural; surely; to that high Imperial Lady with the magnanimous heart; to that loyal solid Austrian People with its pudding…head。 Daun is at the top of the Theresa Order; and of military renown in Vienna circles;of Lieutenant…Colonel Benkendorf I never heard that he got the least pension or recognition;continued quietly a military lion to discerning men; for the rest of his days。 '〃Died at Dresden; General of Cavalry;〃 5th May; 1801 (Rodenbeck; i。 338; 339)。'

Nay once; on Dauu's TE…DEUM day; he had a kind of recognition;and even; by good accident; can tell us of it in his own words: 'Kutzen (citing some BIOGRAPHY of Benkendorf); p。 143。'

〃I was sent for to head…quarters by a trumpeter;〃Benkendorf was; 〃when all was ready for the TE…DEUM。 Feldmarschall Daun was pleased to say at sight of me; 'That as I had had so much to do with the victory; it was but right I should thank our Herr Gott along with him。' Having no change of clothes;as the servant; who was to have a uniform and some linens ready for me; had galloped off during the Fight; and our baggage was all gone to rearward; I tried to hustle out of sight among the crowd of Imperial Officers all in gala: but the reigning Duke of Wurtemberg 'Wilhelmina's Son…in…law; a perverse obstinate Herr; growing ever more perverse; one of Wilhelmina's sad afflictions in these days' called me to him; and said; 'He would give his whole wardrobe; could he wear that dusty coat with such honor as I!'〃yes; and tried hard; in his perverse way; for some such thing; but never could; as we shall see。

How lucky that Polish Majesty had some remains of Cavalry still at Warsaw in the Pirna time; that they were made into a Saxon Brigade; and taken into the Austrian service; Brigade of three Regiments; Nostitz for Chief; and this Benkendorf a Lieutenant…Colonel; among them;and that Polish Majesty; though himself lost; has been the saving of Austria twice within one year!



Chapter V。

FRIEDRICH AT LEITMERITZ; HIS WORLD OF ENEMIES COMING ON。

Of Friedrich's night…thoughts at Nimburg; how he slept; and what his dreams were; we have no account。 Seldom did a wearied heart sink down into oblivion on such terms。 By narrow miss; the game gone; and with such results ahead。 It was a right valiant plunge this that he made; with all his strength and all his skill; home upon the heart of his chief enemy。 To quench his chief enemy before another came up: it was a valiant plan; and valiantly executed; and it has failed。 To dictate peace from the walls of Vienna: that lay on the cards for him this morning; and at night? Kolin is lost; the fruit of Prag Victory too is lost; and Schwerin and new tens of thousands; unreplaceable for worth in this world; are lost; much is lost! Courage; your Majesty; all is not lost; you not; and honor not。

To the young Graf von Anhalt; on the road to Nimburg; he is recorded to have said; 〃Don't you know; then; that every man must have his reverses (MAIS NE SAVEZ…VOUS DONC PAS QUE CHAQUE HOMME DOIT AVOIR SES REVERS)? It appears I am to have mine。〃 'Rodenbeck; i。 309。' And more vaguely; in the Anecdote…Books; is mention of some stanch ruggedly pious old Dragoon; who brought; in his steel cap; from some fine…flowing well he had discovered; a draught of pure water to the King; old Mother Earth's own gift; through her rugged Dragoon; exquisite refection to the thirsty wearied soul; and spoke; in his Dragoon dialect;〃Never mind; your Majesty! DER ALLMACHTIGE and we; It shall be mended yet。 'The Kaiserin may get a victory for once; but does that send us to the Devil (DAVON HOLT UNS DER TEUFEL…NICHT)!'〃words of rough comfort; which were well taken。

Next morning; several Books; and many Drawings and Sculptures of a dim unsuccessful nature; give us view of him; at Kimburg; sitting silent 〃on a BRUNNEN…ROHR〃 (Fountain Apparatus; waste…pipe or feeding…pipe; too high for convenient sitting): he is stooping forward there; his eyes fixed on the ground; and is scratching figures in the sand with his stick; as the broken troops reassemble round him。 Archenholtz says: 〃He surveyed with speechless feeling the small remnant of his Life…guard of Foot; favorite First Battalion; 1;000 strong yesterday morning; hardly 400 now;〃gone the others; in that furious Anti…Stampach outburst which ended the day's work! 〃All soldiers of this chosen Battalion were personally known to him; their names; their age; native place; their history 'the pick of his Ruppin regiment was the basis of it': in one day; Death had mowed them down; they had fought like heroes; and it was for him that they had died。 His eyes were visibly wet; down his face rolled silent tears。〃 'Archenholtz; i。 104; 101; Kutzen; pp。 259; 138; Retzow; i。 142。'

In public I never saw other tears from this King;though in private I do not warrant him; his sensibilities; little as you would think it; being very lively and intense。 〃To work; however!〃 This King can shake away such things; and is not given overmuch to retrospection on the unalterable Past。 〃Like dewdrops from the lion's mane〃 (as is figuratively said); the lion swiftly rampant again! There was manifold swift ordering; considering and determining; at Nimburg; that day; and towards night Friedrich shot rapidly into Head…quarters at Prag; where; by order; there is; as the first thing of all; a very rapid business going on; well forward by the time he arrives。

To fold one's Siege…gear and Army neatly together from those Two Hill…tops; and march away with them safe; in sight of so many enemies: this has to be the first and rapidest thing; if this be found possible; as one calculates it may。 After which; the world of enemies; held in the slip so long; will rush in from all the four winds;unknown whitherward; one must wait to see whitherward and how。

Friedrich's History for the remaining six months of this Year falls; accordingly; into three Sections。 Section FIRST: Waiting how and towards what objects his enemies; the Austrians first of all; will advance;this lasts for about a month; Friedrich waiting mainly at Leitmeritz; on guard there both of Saxony and of Silesia; till this slowly declare itself。 Slowly; perhaps almost stupidly; but by no means satisfactorily to Friedrich; as will be seen! After which; Section SECOND of his History lasts above two months; Friedrich's enemies being all got to the ground; and united in hope and resolution to overwhelm and abolish him; but their plans; positions; operations so extremely various that; for a long time (end of August to beginning of November); Friedrich cannot tell what to do with them; and has to scatter himself into thin threads; and roam about; chiefly in Thuringen and the West of Saxony; seeking something to fight with; and finding nothing; getting more and more impatient of such paltry misery; at times nigh desperate; and habitually drifting on desperation as on a lee shore in the night; despite all his efforts。 Till; in Section THIRD; which goes from November 5th; through December 5th; and into the New Year; he does find what to do; and does it;in a forever memorable way。

Three Sections; of which the reader shall successively have some idea; if he exert himself; though it is only in snatches; suggestive to an active fancy; that we can promise to dwell on them; especially on the First Two; which lie pretty much unsurveyable in those chaotic records; like
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