history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第43部分

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　not　your　Royal　Majesty's　and　Electoral　Translucency's　most　gracious　will　that　we；　your　Most　Supreme　Self's　most　faithful　subjects；　should　entirely　perish；　therefore　we　repeat　our　former　most　submissive　prayer　once　again　with　hot　（SIC）　sorrow　of　mind　to　Highest…the…Same；　and　sob　most　submissively　for　that　help　which　your　Most　Supreme　Self；　through　most　gracious　mediation　with　the　Duc　de　Richelieu；　with　the　Reichs　Army　or　wherever　else；　might　perhaps　most　graciously　procure　for　us。　Who；　in　deepest　longing　thitherwards；　with　the　most　deepest　devotion；　remain〃　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　688…691。＇　（NAMES；　unfortunately；　not　given）。

How　many　Saxons　and　Germans　generallyalas；　how　many　men　universallycry　towards　celestial　luminaries　of　the　governing　kind　with　the　most　deepest　devotion；　in　their　extreme　need；　under　their　unsufferable　injuries；　and　are　truly　like　dogs　in　the　backyard　barking　at　the　Moon。　The　Moon　won't　come　down　to　them；　and　be　eaten　as　green　cheese；　the　Moon　can't！

4。　DAUPHINESS　AFTER　ROSSBACH。　〃Excise…Inspector　Neitsche；　at　Bebra；　　near　Weissenfels　＇Bebra　is　well　ahead　from　Freiburg　and　the　burnt　　Bridge；　and　a　good　twenty…five　miles　west　of　Weissenfels＇；　writes　　　　To　the　King　of　Poland's　Majesty；　9th　NOVEMBER；　1757：

〃May　it　please　your　Royal　Majesty　and　Electoral　Translucency；　out　of　your　highest　grace；　to　take　knowledge；　from　the　accompanying　Registers　SUB　SIGNO　MARTIS　＇sign　unknown　to　readers　here＇；　of　the　things　which；　in　the　name　of　this　Township　of　Bebra；　the　Burgermeister　Johann　Adam；　with　the　Raths　and　others　concerned；　have　laid　before　the　Excise…Inspection　here。　As　follows：

〃It　will　be　already　well　known　to　the　Excise…Inspection　that　on　the　7th　of　November　（A。　C。）　of　the　current　year　＇day　before　yesterday；　in　fact！＇；　the　French　Army　so　handled　this　place　as　to　have　not　only　taken　from　the　inhabitants；　by　open　force；　all　bread　and　articles　of　food；　but　likewise　all　clothes；　beds；　linens　（WASCHE）；　and　other　portable　goods；　that　it　has　broken；　split　to　pieces；　and　emptied　out；　all　chests；　boxes；　presses；　drawers；　has　shot　dead；　in　the　backyards　and　on　the　thatch…roofs；　all　manner　of　feathered…　stock；　as　hens；　geese；　pigeons；　also　carried　forth　with　it　all　swine；　cow；　sheep　and　horse　cattle；　laid　violent　hands　on　the　inhabitants；　clapped　guns；　swords；　pistols　to　their　breast；　and　threatened　to　kill　them　unless　they　showed　and　brought　out　whatever　goods　they　had；　or　else　has　hunted　them　wholly　out　of　their　houses；　shooting　at　them；　cutting；　sticking　and　at　last　driving　them　away；　thereby　to　have　the　freer　room　to　rob　and　plunder：　flung　out　hay　and　other　harvest…stock　from　the　barns　into　the　mud　and　dung；　and　had　it　trampled　to　ruin　under　the　horses；　feet；　nay；　in　fact；　has　dealt　with　this　place　in　so　unpermitted　a　way　as　even　to　the　most　hard…hearted　man　must　seem　compassionable。〃Poor　fellows：　CETERA　DESUNT；　but　that　is　enough！　What　can　a　Polish　Majesty　and　Electoral　Translucency　do？　Here　too　is　a　sorrowful　howling　to　the　Moon。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　692。＇

。。。　〃For　a　hundred　miles　round；〃　writes　St。　Germain；　〃the　Country　is　plundered　and　harried　as　if　fire　from　Heaven　had　fallen　on　it；　scarcely　have　our　plunderers　and　marauders　left　the　houses　standing。　。。。　I　lead　a　band　of　robbers；　of　assassins；　fit　for　breaking　on　the　wheel；　they　would　turn　tail　at　the　first　gunshot；　and　are　always　ready　to　mutiny。　If　the　Government　（LA　COUR；〃　with　its　Pompadour　presiding；　very　unlikely　for　such　an　enterprise！）　〃cannot　lay　the　knife　to　the　root　of　all　this；　we　may　give　up　the　notion　of　War。〃　＇St。　Germain；　after　Rossbach　and　before　（in　Preuss；　UBI　SUPRA）。＇　。。。

Such　a　pitch　have　French　Armies　sunk　to。　When　was　there　seen　such　a　Bellona　as　Dauphiness　before？　Nay；　in　fact；　she　is　the　same　devil…　serving　Army　that　Marechal　de　Saxe　commanded　with　such　triumph；　Marechal　de　Saxe　in　better　luck　for　opponents；　Army　then　in　a　younger　stage　of　its　development。　Foaming　then　as　sweet　must；　as　new　wine；　in　the　hands　of　a　skilful　vintner；　poisonous　but　brisk；　not　run；　as　now；　to　the　vinegar　state；　intolerable　to　all　mortals。　She　can　now　announce　from　her　camp…theatres　the　reverse　of　the　Roucoux　program；　〃To…morrow；　Messieurs；　you　are　going　to　fight；　our　Manager　foresees〃you　will　be　beaten；　and　we　cannot　say　what　or　where　the　next　Piece　will　be！　Impious；　licentious；　high…flaring　efflorescence　of　all　the　Vices　is　not　to　be　redeemed　by　the　one　Quasi…Virtue　of　readiness　to　be　shot；sweet　of　that　kind；　and　sour　of　this；　are　the　same　substance；　if　you　only　wait。　How　kind　was　the　Devil　to　his　Saxe；　and　flew　away　with　him　in　rose…pink；　while　it　was　still　time！



Chapter　IX。

FRIEDRICH　MARCHES　FOR　SILESIA。

The　fame　of　Friedrich　is　high　enough　again　in　the　Gazetteer　world；　all　people；　and　the　French　themselves；　laughing　at　their　grandiloquent　Dauphiness…Bellona；　and　writing　epigrams　on　Soubise。　But　Friedrich's　difficulties　are　still　enormous。　One　enemy　coming　with　open　mouth；　you　plunge　in　upon；　and　ruin；　on　this　hand；　and　it　only　gives　you　room　to　attempt　upon　another　bigger　one　on　that。　Soubise　he　has　finished　handsomely；　for　this　season；　but　now　he　must　try　conclusions　with　Prince　Karl。　Quick；　towards　Silesia；　after　this　glorious　Victory　which　the　Gazetteers　are　celebrating。

The　news　out　of　Silesia　are　ominously　doubtful；　bad　at　the　best。　Duke　Bevern；　once　Winterfeld　was　gone；　had；　as　we　observed；　felt　himself　free　to　act；　unchecked；　but　also　unsupported；　by　counsel　of　the　due　heroism；　and　had　acted　unwisely。　Made　direct　for　Silesia；　namely；　where　are　meal…magazines　and　strong　places。　Prince　Karl；　they　say；　was　also　unwise；　took　no　thought　beforehand；　or　he　might　have　gained　marches；　disputed　rivers；　Bober；　Queiss；　with　Bevern；　and　as　good　as　hindered　him　from　ever　getting　to　Silesia。　So　say　critics；　Retzow　and　others；　perhaps　looking　too　fixedly　on　one　side　of　the　question。　Certain　it　is；　Bevern　marched　in　peace　to　Silesia；　found　it　by　no　means　the　better　place　it　had　promised　to　be。

Prince　KarlDaun　there　as　second；　but　Karl　now　the　dominant　hand　was　on　the　heels　of　Bevern；　march　after　march。　Prince　Karl　cut　athwart　him　by　one　cunning　march；　in　Liegnitz　Country；　barring　him　from　Schweidnitz；　the　chief　stronghold　of　Silesia；　and　to　appearance　from　Breslau；　the　chief　city；　too。　Bevern；　who　did　not　want　for　soldiership；　when　reduced　to　his　shifts；　now　made　a　beautiful　manoeuvre；　say　the　critics；　struck　out　leftwards；　namely；　and　crossed　the　Oder；　as　if　making　for　Glogau；　quite　beyond　Prince　Karl's　sphere　of　possibility；but　turned　to　right；　not　to　left；　when　across；　and　got　in　upon　Breslau　from　the　other　or　east　side　of　the　River。　Cunning　manoeuvre；　if　you　will；　and　followed　by　cunning　manoeuvres：　but　the　result　is；　Prince　Karl　has　got　Schweidnitz　to　rear；　stands　between　Breslau　and　it；　can　besiege　Schweidnitz　when　he　likes；　and　no　relief　to　it　possible　that　will　not　cost　a　battle。　A　battle；　thinks　Friedrich；　is　what　Bevern　ought　to　have　tried　at　first；　a　well…fought　battle　might　have　settled　everything；　and　there　was　no　other　good　likelihood　in　such　an　expedition：　but　now；　by　detaching　reinforcements　to　this　garrison　and　that；　he　has　weakened　himself　beyond　right　power　of　fighting。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　141；　159。＇　Schweidnitz　is　liable　to　siege；　Breslau；　with　its　poor　walls　and　multitudinous　population；　can　stand　no　siege　worth　mentioning；　the　Silesian　strong　places；　not　to　speak　of　meal…magazines；　are　like　to　go　a　bad　road。　Quite　dominant；　this　Prince　Karl；　placarding　and　proclaiming　in　all　places；　according　to　the　new　〃Imperial　Patent；〃　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　（iv。　832；　833）；　Copy　of　it：　〃Absolved　from　all　prior　Treaties　by　Prussian　Majesty's　attack　on　us；　We〃　&c。　&c。　（〃21st　Sept。　1757〃）。＇　That　Silesia　is　her　Imperial　Majesty's　again！　Which　seems　to　be　fast　becoming　the　fact；unless　contradicted　better。　Quick！

Bevern　has　now；　October　1st；　no　manoeuvre　left　but　to　draw　out　of　Breslau；　post　himself　on　the　southern　side　of　it；　in　a　safe　angle　there；　marshy　Lohe　in　front；　broad　Oder　to　rear；　Breslau　at　his　right…hand　with　bread；　and　there　intrenching　himself　by　the　best　methods；　wait　slowly；　in　a　sitting　posture；　events　which　are　extensively　on　the　gallop　at　present。　One　fancies；　Had　Winterfeld　been　still　there！　It　is　as　brave　an　Army；　30；000；　or　more；　as　ever　wore　steel。　Surely　something　could　have　been　done　with　it；　something　better　than　sit　watching　the　events　on　full　gallop　all　round！　Bevern　was　a　loyal；　considerably　skilful　and　valiant　man；　in　the　Battle　of　Lobositz；　and　elsewhere；　we　have　seen　him　brave　as　a　lion：　but　perhaps　in　the　other　kind　of　bravery　wanted　here；　he　Well；　his　case　was　horribly　difficult；　full　of　intricacy。　And　he　sat；　no　doubt　in　a　very　wretched　state；　consulting　the　oracles；　with　events　（which　are　themselves　oracular）　going　at　such　a　pace。

Schweidnitz　was　besieged　October　26th。　Nadasti；　with　20；000；　was　set　to　do　it；　Prince　Karl；　with　60；000；　ready　to　protect　him；　Prince　Bevern　asking　the　oracles：what　a　bit　of　news　for　Friedrich；　breaking　suddenly　the　effulgency　of　Rossbach　with　a　bar　of　ominous　black！　Friedrich；　still　in　the　thick　of　pure　Saxon　business；　makes　instant　arrangement　for　Silesia　as　well：　Prince　Henri；　with　such　and　such　corps；　to　maintain　the　Saale；　and　guard　Saxony；　Marshal　Keith；　with　such　and　such；　to　step　over　into　Bohemia；　and　raise　contributions　at　least；　and　tread　on　the　tail　of　the　big　Silesian　snake：　all　this　Friedrich　settles　within　a　week；　takes　certain　corps　of　his　own；　effective　about　13；000；　and　on　November　13th　marches　from　Leipzig。　Round　by　Torgau；　by　Muhlberg；　Grossenhayn；　by　Bautzen；　Weissenberg；　across　the　Queiss；　across　the　Bober；　and　so；　with　long　marches；　strides　continually　forward；　all　hearts　willing；　and　all　limbs；　though　in　this　sad　winter　weather；　towards　relief　of　Schweidnitz。

At　Grossenhayn；　fifth　day　of　the　march；　Friedrich　learns　that　Schweidnitz　is　gone。　November　12th…14th；　Schweidnitz　went　by　capitulation；　contrary　to　everybody's　hope　or　fear；　certainly　a　very　short　defence　for　such　a　fortress。　Fault　of　the　Commandant；　was　everybody's　first　thought。　Not　probably　the　best　of　Commandants；　said　others　gradually；　but　his　garrison　had　Saxons　in　it；one　day　〃180　of　them　in　a