history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第3部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


n　against　whom　they　are　all　advancing　open…　mouthed。　The　one　manwith　nothing　but　a　Duke　of　Cumberland　and　his　Observation　Army　for　backing　in　such　duelhad　need　to　look　to　himself！　Which；　we　well　know；　he　does；　wrapt　in　profoundly　silent　vigilance；　with　his　plans　all　laid。　Of　the　Four　Invasions；　three；　the　Russian；　French；　Austrian；　are　very　large；　and　the　two　latter；　especially　the　last；　are　abundantly　formidable。　The　Swedish；　of　which　there　is　rumoring；　he　hopes　may　come　to　little；　or　not　come　at　all。　Nor　is　Russia；　though　talking　big；　and　actually　getting　ready　above　100；000　men；　so　immediately　alarming。　Friedrich　always　hopes　the　English；　with　their　guineas　and　their　managements；　will　do　something　for　him　in　that　quarter；　and　he　knows；　at　worst；　that　the　Russian　Hundred　Thousand　will　be　a　very　slow…moving　entity。　The　Swedish　Invasion　Friedrich；　for　the　present；　leaves　to　chance：　and　against　Russia；　he　has　sent　old　Marshal　Lehwald　into　those　Baltic　parts；　far　eastward；　towards　the　utmost　Memel　Frontier；　to　put　the　Country　upon　its　own　defence；　and　make　what　he　can　of　it　with　30；000　men；West…Prussian　militias　a　good　few　of　them。　This　is　all　he　can　spare　on　the　Swedish…Russian　side：　Austria　and　France　are　the　perilous　pair　of　entities；　not　to　be　managed　except　by　intense　concentration　of　stroke；　and　by　going　on　them　in　succession；　if　one　have　luck！

Friedrich's　motions　and　procedures　in　canton…quarters；　through　Winter　and　in　late　months；　have　led　to　the　belief　that　he　means　to　stand　on　the　defensive；　that　the　scene　of　the　Campaign　will　probably　be　Saxony；　and　that　Austria；　for　recovering　injured　Saxony；　for　recovering　dear　Silesia；　will　have　to　take　an　invasive　attitude。　And　Austria　is　busy　everywhere　preparing　with　that　view。　Has　Tolpatcheries；　and　advanced　Brigades；　still　harassing　about　in　the　Lausitz。　A　great　Army　assembling　at　Prag；Browne　forward　towards　the　Metal　Mountains　securing　posts；　gathering　magazines；　for　the　crossing　into　Saxony　there。　There；　it　is　thought；　the　tug　of　war　will　probably　be。　Furious；　and　strenuous；　it　is　not　doubted；　on　this　Friedrich's　part：　but　against　such　odds；　what　can　he　do？　With　Austrians　in　front；　with　Russians　to　left；　with　French　to　right　and　arear；　not　to　mention　Swedes　and　appendages：　surely　here；　if　ever；　is　a　lost　King！

It　is　by　no　means　Friedrich's　intention　that　Saxony　itself　shall　need　to　be　invaded。　Friedrich's　habit　is；　as　his　enemies　might　by　this　time　be　beginning　to　learn；　not　that　of　standing　on　the　defensive；　but　that　of　GOING　on　it；　as　the　preferable　method　wherever　possible。　March　24th；　Friedrich　had　quitted　Dresden　City；　and　for　a　month　after　（head…quarters　Lockwitz；　edge　of　the　Pirna　Country）；　he　had　been　shifting；　redistributing；　his　cantoned　Army；　privately　into　the　due　Divisions；　due　readiness　for　march。　Which　done；　on　fixed　days；　about　the　end　of　April；　the　whole　Army；　he　himself　from　Lockwitz；　April　20th；to　the　surprise　of　Austria　and　the　world；　Friedrich　in　three　grand　Columns；　Bevern　out　of　the　Lausitz；　King　himself　over　the　Metal　Mountains；　Schwerin　out　of　Schlesien；　is　marching　with　extraordinary　rapidity　direct　for　Prag；　in　the　notion　that　a　right　plunge　into　the　heart　of　Bohemia　will　be　the　best　defence　for　Saxony　and　the　other　places　under　menace。

This　is　a　most　unexpected　movement；　which　greatly　astonishes　the　world…theatre；　pit；　boxes　and　gallery　alike　（as　Friedrich's　sudden　movements　often　do）；　and　which　is；　above　all；　interesting　on　the　stage　itself；　where　the　actors　had　been　counting　on　a　quite　opposite　set　of　entries　and　activities！　Feldmarschall　Browne　and　General　Konigseck　（not　our　old　friend　Konigseck；　who　used　to　dry…　nurse　in　the　Netherlands；　but　his　nephew　and　heir）　may　cease　gathering　Magazines；　in　those　Lausitz　and　Metal…Mountain　parts：　happy　could　they　give　wings　to　those　already　gathered！　Magazines；　for　Austrian　service；　are　clearly　not　the　things　wanted　there。　One　does　not　burn　one's　Magazines　till　the　last　extremity；　but　wings　they　have　none；　and　such　is　the　enigmatic　velocity　of　those　Prussian　movements；　one　seldom　has　time　even　to　burn　them；　in　the　last　crisis　of　catastrophe！　Considerable　portions　of　that　provender　fell　into　the　Prussian　throat；　as　much　as　〃three　months'　provision　for　the　whole　Army；〃　count　they；adding　to　those　Frontier　sundries　the　really　important　Magazine　which　they　seized　at　Jung…Bunzlau　farther　in。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　iv。　6…13；　&c。＇　It　is　one　among　their　many　greater　advantages　from　this　surprisal　of　the　enemy；　and　sudden　topsy…turvying　of　his　plans。　Browne　and　Konigseck　have　to　retire　on　Prag　at　their　swiftest；　looking　to　more　important　results　than　Magazines。

It　is　Friedrich's　old　plan。　Long　since；　in　1744；　we　saw　a　march　of　this　kind；　Three　Columns　rushing　with　simultaneous　rapidity　on　Prag；　and　need　not　repeat　the　particulars　on　this　occasion。　Here　are　some　Notes　on　the　subject；　which　will　sufficiently　bring　it　home　to　readers：　　　〃The　Three　Columns　were；　for　a　part　of　the　way；　Four；　the　King's　being；　at　first；　in　two　branches；　till　they　united　again；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Hills。　For　the　King；〃　what　is　to　be　noted；　〃had　shot　out；　three　weeks　before；　a　small　preliminary　branch；　under　Moritz　of　Dessau；　who　marched；　well　westward；　by　Eger　（starting　from　Chemnitz　in　Saxony）；　and　had　some　tussling　with　our　poor　old　friend　Duke　d'Ahremberg；　Browne's　subordinate　in　those　parts。　D'Ahremberg；　having　20；000　under　him；　would　not　quit　Eger　for　Moritz；　but　pushed　out　Croats　upon　him；　and　sat　still。　This；　it　was　afterwards　surmised；　had　been　a　feint　on　Friedrich's　part；　to　give　the　Austrians　pleasant　thoughts：　'Invading　us；　is　he？　Would　fain　invade　us；　but　cannot！'　Moritz　fell　back　from　Eger；　and　was　ready　to　join　the　King's　march；　（at　Linay；　April　23d'　（third　day　from　Lockwitz；　on　the　King's　part）。　Onwards　from　which　point　the　Columns　are　specifically　Three；　in　strength；　and　on　routes；　somewhat　as　follows：

1。　〃The　FIRST　Column；　or　King's；which　is　60；000　after　this　junction；　45；000　foot；　15；000　horse；quitted　Lockwitz　（head…　quarter　for　a　month　past）；　WEDNESDAY；　APRIL　20TH。　They　go　by　the　Pascopol　and　other　roads；　through　Pirna；　for　one　place：　through　Karbitz；　Aussig；　are　at　Linay　on　the　23d；　where　Moritz　joins：　24th；　in　the　united　state；　forward　again　（leave　Lobositz　two　miles　to　left）；　to　Trebnitz；　25th；　and　rest　there　one　day。

〃At　Aussig　an　unfortunate　thing　befell。　Zastrow；　respectable　old　General　Zastrow；　was　to　drive　the　Austrians　out　of　Aussig：　Zastrow　does　it；　April　22d…23d；　drives　them　well　over　the　heights；　April　25th；　however；　marching　forward　towards　Lobositz；　Zastrow　is　shot　through　both　temples　（Pandour　hid　among　the　bushes　and　cliffs；　OTHER　side　of　Elbe）；　and　falls　dead　on　the　spot。　Buried　in　GOTTLEUBE　Kirk；　1st　May。〃

In　these　Aussig　affairs；　especially　in　recapturing　the　Castle　of　Tetschen　near　by；　Colonel　Mayer；　father　of　the　new　〃Free…Corps；〃　did　shining　service；and　was　approved　of；　he　and　they。　And；　a　day　or　two　after；　was　detached　with　a　Fifteen　Hundred　of　that　kind；　on　more　important　business：　First；　to　pick　up　one　or　two　Bohemian　Magazines　lying　handy；　after　which；　to　pay　a　visit　to　the　Reich　and　its　bluster　about　Execution…Army；　and　teach　certain　persons　who　it　is　they　are　thundering　against　in　that　awkwardly　truculent　manner！　Errand　shiningly　done　by　Mayer；　as　perhaps　we　may　hear；and　certainly　as　all　the　Newspapers　loudly　heard；in　the　course　of　the　next　two　months。

At　crossing　of　the　Eger；　Friedrich's　Column　had　some　chasing　of　poor　D'Ahremberg；　attempting　to　cut　him　off　from　his　Bridges；　Bridge　of　Koschlitz；　Bridge　of　Budin；　but　he　made　good　despatch；　Browne　and　he；　and；　except　a　few　prisoners　of　Ziethen's　gathering；　and　most　of　his　Magazines　unburnt；　they　did　him　no　damage。　The　chase　was　close　enough；　more　than　once；　the　Austrian　head…　quarter　of　to…night　was　that　of　the　Prussians　to…morrow。　Monday；　May　2d；　Friedrich's　Column　was　on　the　Weissenberg　of　Prag；　Browne；　D'Ahremberg；　and　Prince　Karl；　who　is　now　come　up　to　take　command；　having　hastily　filed　through　the　City；　leaving　a　fit　garrison；　the　day　before。　Except　his　Magazines；　nothing　the　least　essential　went　wrong　with　Browne；　but　Konigseck；　who　had　not　a　Friedrich　on　his　heels；Konigseck；　trying　more；　as　his　opportunities　were　more；was　not　quite　so　lucky。

2。　〃Column　SECOND；　to　the　King's　left；　comes　from　the　Lausitz　under　Brunswick…Bevern；18；000　foot；　5；000　horse。　This　is　the　Bevern　who　so　distinguished　himself　at　Lobositz　last　year；　and　he　is　now　to　culminate　into　a　still　brighter　exploit；the　last　of　his　very　bright　ones；　as　it　proved。　Bevern　set　out　from　about　Zittau　（from　Grottau；　few　miles　south　of　Zittau）；　the　same　day　with　Friedrich；　that　is　April　20th；and　had　not　well　started　till　he　came　upon　formidable　obstacles。　Came　upon　General　Konigseck；　namely：　a　Konigseck　manoeuvring　ahead；　in　superior　force；　a　Maguire；　Irish　subordinate　of　Konigseck's；　coming　from　the　right　to　cut　off　our　baggage　（against　whom　Bevern　has　to　detach）；　a　Lacy；　coming　from　the　left；or　indeed；　Konigseck　and　Lacy　in　concert；　intending　to　offer　battle。　Battle　of　Reichenberg；　which　accordingly　ensued；　April　21st；〃of　which；　though　it　was　very　famous　for　so　small　a　Battle；　there　can　be　no　account　given　here。

The　short　truth　is；　Konigseck　falling　back；　Parthian…like；　with　a　force　of　30；000　or　more；　has　in　front　of　him　nothing　but　Bevern；　who；　as　he　issues　from　the　Lausitz；　and　till　he　can　unite　with　Schwerin　farther　southward；　is　but　some　20；000　odd：　cannot　Konigseck　call　halt；　and　bid　Bevern　return；　or　do　worse？　Konigseck；　a　diligent　enough　soldier；　determines　to　try；　chooses　an　excellent　position；at　or　round　Reichenberg；　which　is　the　first　Bohemian　Town；　one　march　from　Zittau　in　the　Lausitz；　and　then　one　from　Liebenau；　which　latter　would　be　Bevern's　SECOND　Bohemian　stage　on　the　Prag　road；　if　he　continued　prosperous。　Reichenberg；　standing　nestled　among　hills　in　the　Neisse　Valley　（one　of　those　Four　Neisses　known　to　us；　the　Neisse　where　Prince　Karl　got　exploded；　in　that　signal　manner；　Winter；　1745；　by　a　certain　King）；　offers　fine　capabilities；　which　Konigseck　has　laid　hold　of。　There　is　especially　one　excellent　Hollow　（on　the　left　or　western　bank　of　Neisse　River；　that　is；　ACROSS　from　Reichenberg）；　backed　by　woody　hills；　nothing　but　hills；　brooks；　woods　all