history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第45部分

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〃It　is　not　unknown　to　you；　MEINE　HERREN；　what　disasters　have　befallen　here；　while　we　were　busy　with　the　French　and　Reichs　Army。　Schweidnitz　is　gone；　Duke　of　Bevern　beaten；　Breslau　gone；　and　all　our　war…stores　there；　good　part　of　Silesia　gone：　and；　in　fact；　my　embarrassments　would　be　at　the　insuperable　pitch；　had　not　I　boundless　trust　in　you；　and　your　qualities；　which　have　been　so　often　manifested；　as　soldiers　and　sons　of　your　Country。　Hardly　one　among　you　but　has　distinguished　himself　by　some　nobly　memorable　action：　all　these　services　to　the　State　and　me　I　know　well；　and　will　never　forget。

〃I　flatter　myself；　therefore；　that　in　this　case　too　nothing　will　be　wanting　which　the　State　has　a　right　to　expect　of　your　valor。　The　hour　is　at　hand。　I　should　think　I　had　done　nothing；　if　I　left　the　Austrians　in　possession　of　Silesia。　Let　me　apprise　you；　then：　I　intend；　in　spite　of　the　Rules　of　Art；　to　attack　Prince　Karl's　Army；　which　is　nearly　thrice　our　strength；　wherever　I　find　it。　The　question　is　not　of　his　numbers；　or　the　strength　of　his　position：　all　this；　by　courage；　by　the　skill　of　our　methods；　we　will　try　to　make　good。　This　step　I　must　risk；　or　everything　is　lost。　We　must　beat　the　enemy；　or　perish　all　of　us　before　his　batteries。　So　I　read　the　case；　so　I　will　act　in　it。

〃Make　this　my　determination　known　to　all　Officers　of　the　Army；　prepare　the　men　for　what　work　is　now　to　ensue；　and　say　that　I　hold　myself　entitled　to　demand　exact　fulfilment　of　orders。　For　you；　when　I　reflect　that　you　are　Prussians；　can　I　think　that　you　will　act　unworthily？　But　if　there　should　be　one　or　another　who　dreads　to　share　all　dangers　with　me；　he；〃continued　his　Majesty；　with　an　interrogative　look；　and　then　pausing　for　answer；〃can　have　his　Discharge　this　evening；　and　shall　not　suffer　the　least　reproach　from　me。〃Modest　strong　bass　murmur；　meaning　〃No；　by　the　Eternal！〃　if　you　looked　into　the　eyes　and　faces　of　the　group。　Never　will　Retzow　Junior　forget　that　scene；　and　how　effulgently　eloquent　the　veteran　physiognomies　were。

〃Hah；　I　knew　it；〃　said　the　King；　with　his　most　radiant　smile；　〃none　of　you　would　desert　me！　I　depend　on　your　help；　then；　and　on　victory　as　sure。〃The　speech　winds　up　with　a　specific　passage：　〃The　Cavalry　regiment　that　does　not　on　the　instant；　on　order　given；　dash　full　plunge　into　the　enemy；　I　will；　directly　after　the　Battle；　unhorse；　and　make　it　a　Garrison　regiment。　The　Infantry　battalion　which；　meet　with　what　it　may；　shows　the　least　sign　of　hesitating；　loses　its　colors　and　its　sabres；　and　I　cut　the　trimmings　from　its　uniform！　Now　good…night；　Gentlemen：　shortly　we　have　either　beaten　the　Enemy；　or　we　never　see　one　another　again。〃

An　excellent　temper　in　this　Army；　a　rough　vein　of　heroism　in　it；　steady　to　the　death；and　plenty　of　hope　in　it　too；　hope　in　Vater　Fritz。　〃Never　mind；〃　the　soldiers　used　to　say；　in　John　Duke　of　Marlborough's　time；　〃Corporal　John　will　get　us　through　it！〃That　same　evening　Friedrich　rode　into　the　Camp；　where　the　regiments　he　had　were　now　all　gathered；　out　of　their　cantonments；　to　march　on　the　morrow。　First　regiment　he　came　upon　was　the　Life…Guard　Cuirassiers：　the　men；　in　their　accustomed　way；　gave　him　good…　evening；　which　he　cheerily　returned。　Some　of　the　more　veteran　sort　asked；　ruggedly　confidential；　as　well　as　loyal：　〃What　is　thy　news；　then；　so　late？〃　〃Good　news；　children　（KINDER）：　to…morrow　you　will　beat　the　Austrians　tightly！〃　〃That　we　will；　by！〃　answered　they。　〃But　think　only　where　they　stand　yonder；　and　how　they　have　intrenched　themselves？〃　said　Friedrich。　〃And　if　they　had　the　Devil　in　front　and　all　round　them；　we　will　knock　them　out；　only　thou　lead　us　on！〃〃Well；　I　will　see　what　you　can　do：　now　lay　you　down；　and　sleep　sound；　and　good　sleep　to　you！〃　〃Good…night；　Fritz！〃　answer　all；　＇Muller；　p。　21　（from　Kaltenhorn；　of　whom　INFRA）；　Preuss；　&c。　&c。＇　as　Fritz　ambles　on　to　the　next　regiment；　to　which；　as　to　every　one；　he　will　have　some　word。

Was　it　the　famous　Pommern　regiment；　this　that　he　next　spoke　to；　who　answered　Loudon's　summons　to　them　once　（as　shall　be　noticed　by　and　by）　in　a　way　ineffable；　though　unforgettable？　Manteuffel　of　Foot；　yes；　no　other！　＇Archenholtz；　ii。　61；　and　Kutzen；　p。　35。＇　They　have　their　own　opinion　of　their　capacities　against　an　enemy；　and　do　not　want　for　a　good　conceit　of　themselves。　〃Well；　children；　how　think　you　it　will　be　to…morrow？　They　are　twice　as　strong　as　we。〃　〃Never　thou　mind　that；　there　are　no　Pommerners　among　them；　thou　knowest　what　the　Pommerners　can　do！〃FRIEDRICH：　〃Yea；　truly；　that　do　I；　otherwise　I　durst　not　risk　the　battle。　Now　good　sleep　to　you！　to…morrow；　then；　we　shall　either　have　beaten　the　Enemy　or　else　be　all　dead。〃　〃Yea；〃　answered　the　whole　regiment；　〃dead；　or　else　the　Enemy　beaten：〃　and　so　went　to　deep　sleep；　preface　to　a　deeper　for　many　of　them；as　beseems　brave　men。　In　this　world　it　much　beseems　the　brave　man；　uncertain　about　so　many　things；　to　be　certain　of　himself　for　one　thing。

These　snatches　of　Camp　Dialogue；　much　more　the　Speech　preserved　to　us　by　Retzow　Junior；　appear　to　be　true；　though　as　to　the　dates；　the　circumstances；　there　has　been　debating。　＇Kutzen；　pp。　175…181。＇　Other　Anecdotes；　dubious　or　more；　still　float　about　in　quantity；　of　which　let　us　give　only　one；　that　of　the　Deserter　（which　has　merit　as　a　myth）。　〃What　made　thee　desert；　then？〃　〃Hm；　alas；　your　Majesty；　we　were　got　so　down　in　the　world；　and　had　such　a　time　of　it！〃〃Well；　try　it　one　day　more；　and　if　we　cannot　mend　matters；　thou　and　I　will　both　desert。〃

A　learned　Doctor；　one　of　the　most　recent　on　these　matters；　is　astonished　why　the　Histories　of　Friedrich　should　be　such　dreary　reading；　and　Friedrich　himself　so　prosaic；　barren　an　object；　and　lays　the　blame　upon　the　Age；　insensible　to　real　greatness；　led　away　by　clap…trap　Napoleonisms；　regardless　of　expense。　Upon　which　Smelfungus　takes　him　up；　with　a　twitch：

〃To　my　sad　mind；　Herr　Doctor；　it　seems　ascribable　rather　to　the　Dryasdust　of　these　Ages；　especially　to　the　Prussian　Dryasdust；　sitting　comfortable　in　his　Academies；　waving　sublimely　his　long　ears　as　he　tramples　human　Heroisms　into　unintelligible　pipe…clay　and　dreary　continents　of　sand　and　cinders；　with　the　Doctors　all　applauding。

〃Had　the　sacred　Poet；　or　man　of　real　Human　Genius；　been　at　his　work；　for　the　thousand　years　last　past；　instead　of　idly　fiddling　far　away　from　his　work；which　surely　is　definable　as　being　very　mainly；　That　of　INTERPRETING　human　Heroisms；　of　painfully　extricating；　and　extorting　from　the　circumambient　chaos　of　muddy　babble；　rumor　and　mendacity；　some　not　inconceivable　human　and　divine　Image　of　them；　more　and　more　clear；　complete　and　credible　for　mankind　（poor　mankind　dumbly　looking　up　to　him　for　guidance；　as　to　what　it　shall　think　of　God　and　of　Men　in　this　Scene　of　Things）；　I　calculate；　we　should　by　this　time　have　had　a　different　　Friedrich　of　it；　O　Heavens；　a　different　world　of　it；　in　so　many　respects！

〃My　esteemed　Herr　Doctor；　it　is　too　painful　a　subject。　Godlike　fabulous　Achilles；　and　the　old　Greek　Kings　of　men；　one　perceives；　after　study；　to　be　dim　enough　Grazier　Sovereigns；　'living　among　infinite　dung；'　till　their　sacred　Poet　extricated　them。　And　our　UNsacred　all…desecrating　Dryasdust；Herr　Doctor；　I　must　say；　it　fills　me　with　despair！　Authentic　human　Heroisms；　not　fabulous　a　whit；　but　true　to　the　bone；　and　by　all　appearance　very　much　nobler　than　those　of　godlike　Achilles　and　pious　AEneas　ever　could　have　been；left　in　this　manner；　trodden　under　foot　of　man　and　beast；　man　and　beast　alike　insensible　that　there　is　anything　but　common　mud　under　foot；　and　grateful　to　anybody　that　will　assure　them　there　is　nothing。　Oh；　Doctor；　oh；　Doctor！　And　the　results　of　itYou　need　not　go　exclusively　'to　France'　to　look　at　them。　They　are　too　visible　in　the　so…called　'Social　Hierarchies；'　and　sublime　gilt　Doggeries；　sltcred　and　secular；　of　all　Modern　Countries！　Let　us　be　silent；　my　friend。〃

〃Prussian　Dryasdust；〃　he　says　elsewhere；　〃does　make　a　terrible　job　of　it；　especially　when　he　attempts　to　weep　through　his　pipe…clay；　or　rise　with　his　long　ears　into　the　moral　sublime。　As　to　the　German　People；　I　find　that　they　dimly　have　not　wanted　sensibility　to　Friedrich；　that　their　multitudes　of　Anecdotes；　still　circulating　among　them　in　print　and　VIVA　VOCE；　are　proof　of　this。　Thereby　they　have　at　least　made　a　MYTH　of　Friedrich's　History；　and　given　some　rhythmus；　life　and　cheerful　human　substantiality　to　his　work　and　him。　Accept　these　Anecdotes　as　the　Epic　THEY　could　not　write　of　him；　but　were　longing　to　hear　from　somebody　who　could。　Who　has　not　yet　appeared　among　mankind；　nor　will　for　some　time。　Alas；　my　friend；　on　piercing　through　the　bewildering　nimbus　of　babble；　malignity；　mendacity；　which　veils　seven…fold　the　Face　of　Friedrich　from　us；　and　getting　to　see　some　glimpses　of　the　Face　itself；　one　is　sorrowfully　struck　dumb　once　more。　What　a　suicidal　set　of　creatures；　commanding　as　with　one　voice；　That　there　shall　be　no　Heroism　more　among　them；　that　all　shall　be　Doggery　and　Common…　place　henceforth。　'ACH；　MEIN　LIEBER　SULZER；　you　don't　know　that　damned　brood！'Well；　well。　'Solomon's　Temple；'　the　Moslems　say；　'had　to　be　built　under　the　chirping　of　ten　thousand　Sparrows。'　Ten　thousand　of　them；　committee　of　the　whole　house；　unanimously　of　the　opposite　view；and　could　not　quite　hinder　it。　That　too　is　something！〃

More　to　our　immediate　purpose　is　this　other　thing：　That　the　Austrians　have　been　in　Council　of　War；　and；　on　deliberation；　have　decided　to　come　out　of　their　defences；　to　quit　their　strong　Camp；　which　lies　so　eligibly；　ahead　of　Breslau　and　arear　of　Lissa　and　of　Schweidnitz　Water　yonder；　to　cross　Schweidnitz　Water；　leave　Lissa　behind　them；　and　meet　this　offensively　aggressive　Friedrich　in　pitched　fight。　Several　had　voted；　No；　why　stir？Daun　especially；　and　others　with　emphasis。　〃No　need　of　fighting　at　all；〃　said　Daun：　〃we　can　defend　Schweidnitz　Water；　ruin　him　before　he　ever　get　across。〃　〃Defend？　Be　assaulted　by　an　Army　like　his？〃　urges　Lucchesi；　the　other　Chief　General：　〃It　is　totally　unworthy　of　us！　We　have　gained　the　game；　all　the　honors　ours；　let　us　have　done　with　it。　Give　him　battle；　since　he　fortunately　wishes　it；　we　finish　him；　and　gloriously　finish　the　War　too！〃　So　argued　Lucchesi；　with　vivacity；　persistency；to　his　own　ill　luck；　but　evidently　with　approval　from　Prince　Karl。　Everybody　sees；　thi