history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第47部分

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inary　swiftness；　sharpness；　precision　is　the　indispensable　condition；by　no　means　try　it　otherwise；　none　but　Prussians；　drilled　by　an　Old　Dessauer；　capable　of　doing　it。　This　is　the　SCHRAGE　ORDNUNG；　about　which　there　has　been　such　commentating　and　controversying　among　military　people：　whether　Friedrich　invented　it；　whether　Caesar　did　it；　how　Epaminondas；　how　Alexander　at　Arbela；　how〃Which　shall　not　in　the　least　concern　us　on　this　occasion。

The　four　columns　rustled　themselves　into　two；　and　turned　southward　on　the　two　sides　of　Borne；southward　henceforth；　for　about　two　hours；　as　if　straight　towards　the　Magic　Mountain；　the　Zobtenberg；　far　off；　which　is　conspicuous　over　all　that　region。　Their　steadiness；　their　swiftness　and　exactitude　were　unsurpassable。　〃It　was　a　beautiful　sight；〃　says　Tempelhof；　an　eye…　witness：　〃The　heads　of　the　columns　were　constantly　on　the　same　level；　and　at　the　distance　necessary　for　forming；　all　flowed　on　exact；　as　if　in　a　review。　And　you　could　read　in　the　eyes　of　our　brave　troops　the　noble　temper　they　were　in。〃　＇Tempelhof；　i。　288；　287。＇　I　know　not　at　what　point　of　their　course；　or　for　how　long；　but　it　was　from　the　column　nearest　him；　which　is　to　be　first　line；　that　the　King　heard；　borne　on　the　winds　amid　their　field…music；　as　they　marched　there；　the　sound　of　Psalms；many…voiced　melody　of　a　Church　Hymn；　well　known　to　him；　which　had　broken　out；　band　accompanying；　among　those　otherwise　silent　men。　The　fact　is　very　certain；　very　strange　to　me：　details　not　very　precise；　except　that　here；　as　specimen；　is　a　verse　of　their　Hymn：

　　　　　〃Grant　that　with　zeal　and　skill；　this　day；　I　do　　　　　　　What　me　to　do　behooves；　what　thou　command'st　me　to；　　　　　　　Grant　that　I　do　it　sharp；　at　point　of　moment　fit；　　　　　　　And　when　I　do　it；　grant　me　good　success　in　it。〃　　　　　　　　〃Gieb　dass　ich　thu'　mit　Fleiss　was　mir　zu　thun　gebuhret；　　　　　　　Wozu　mich　dein　Befehl　in　meinem　Stande　fuhret；　　　　　　　Gieb　dass　ich's　thue　bald；　zu　der　Zeit　da　ich's　soll；　　　　　　　Und　wenn　ich's　thu'；　so　gieb　dass　es　gerathe　wohl。〃　　　＇〃HYMN…BOOK　of　Porst〃　（Prussian　Sternhold…and…　Hopkins）；　〃p。　689：〃　cited　in　Preuss；　ii。　107。＇

One　has　heard　the　voice　of　waters；　one　has　paused　in　the　mountains　at　the　voice　of　far…off　Covenanter　psalms；　but　a　voice　like　this；　breaking　the　commanded　silences；　one　has　not　heard。　〃Shall　we　order　that　to　cease；　your　Majesty？〃　〃By　no　means；〃　said　the　King；　whose　hard　heart　seems　to　have　been　touched　by　it；　as　might　well　be。　Indeed　there　is　in　him；　in　those　grim　days；　a　tone　as　of　trust　in　the　Eternal；　as　of　real　religious　piety　and　faith；　scarcely　noticeable　elsewhere　in　his　History。　His　religion；　and　he　had　in　withered　forms　a　good　deal　of　it；　if　we　will　look　well；　beiug　almost　always　in　a　strictly　voiceless　state；nay；　ultra…voiceless；　or　voiced　the　wrong　way；　as　is　too　well　known。　〃By　no　means！〃　answered　he：　and　a　moment　after；　said　to　some　one；　Ziethen　probably：　〃With　men　like　these；　don't　you　think　I　shall　have　victory　this　day！〃

The　loss　of　their　Saxon　Forepost　proved　more　important　to　the　Austrians　than　it　seemed；not　computable　in　prisoners；　or　killed　and　wounded。　The　Height　named　Scheuberg；〃Borne　Rise〃　（so　we　might　call　it；　which　has　got　its　Pillar　of　memorial　since；　with　gilt　Victory　atop　＇Not　till　1854　（Kutzen；　pp。　194；　195）。＇；where　Friedrich　now　is　and　where　the　Austrians　are　not；　is　at　once　a　screen　and　a　point　of　vision　to　Friedrich。　By　loss　of　their　Nostitz　Forepost；　they　had　lost　view　of　Friedrich；　and　never　could　recover　view　of　him；　could　not　for　hours　learn　distinctly　what　he　was　about；　and　when　he　did　come　in　sight　again；　it　was　in　a　most　unexpected　place！　On　the　farther　side　of　Borne；　edge　of　the　big　expanse　of　open　country　there；　Friedrich　has　halted；　ridden　with　his　adjutants　to　the　top　of　〃the　Scheuberg　（Shy…HILL）；〃　as　the　Books　call　it；　though　it　is　more　properly　a　blunt　Knoll　or　〃Rise；〃　the　nearest　of　a　Chain　of　Knolls；　or　swells　in　the　ground；　which　runs　from　north　to　south　on　that　part。

Except　the　Zobtenberg；　rising　blue　and　massive；　on　the　southern　horizon　（famous　mythologic　Mountain；　reminding　you　of　an　ARTHUR'S　SEAT　in　shape　too；　only　bigger　and　solitary）；　this　Country；　for　many　miles　round；　has　nothing　that　could　be　called　a　Hill；　it　is　definable　as　a　bare　wide…waving　champaign；　with　slight　bumps　on　it；　or　slow　heavings　and　sinkings。　Country　mostly　under　culture；　though　it　is　of　sandy　quality；　one　or　two　sluggish　brooks　in　it；　and　reedy　meres　or　mires；　drained　in　our　day。　It　is　dotted　with　Hamlets　of　the　usual　kind；　and　has　patches　of　scraggy　fir。　Your　horizon；　even　where　bare；　is　limited；　owing　to　the　wavy　heavings　of　the　ground；　windmills　and　church…belfries　are　your　only　resource；　and　even　these；　from　about　Leuthen　and　the　Austrian　position；　leave　the　Borne　quarter　mostly　invisible　to　you。　Leuthen　Belfry；　the　same　which　may　have　stood　a　hundred　years　before　this　Battle；　ends　in　a　small　tile…roof；　open　only　at　the　gables：〃Leuthen　Belfry；〃　says　a　recent　Tourist；　〃is　of　small　resource　for　a　view。　To　south　you　can　see　some　distance；　Sagschutz；　Lobetintz　and　other　Hamlets；　amid　scraggy　fir…patches；　and　meadows；　once　miry　pools；　but　to　north　you　are　soon　shut　in　by　a　swell　or　slow　rise；　with　two　windmills　upon　it　＇important　to　readers　at　present＇；　and　to　eastward　＇Breslau　side　and　Lissa　side＇；　or　to　westward　＇Friedrich's　side＇；　one　has　no　view；　except　of　the　old　warped　rafters　and　their　old　mouldy　tiles　within　few　inches；　or；　if　by　audacious　efforts　at　each　end；　to　the　risk　of　your　neck；　you　get　a　transient　peep；　it　is　stopt；　far　short　of　Borne；　by　the　slow　irregular　heavings；　with　or　without　fir　about　them。〃　＇Tourist's　Note；　PENES　ME。＇

In　short；　Friedrich　keeps　possession　of　that　Borne　ridge　of　Knolls；　escorted　by　Cavalry　in　good　numbers；　twinkling　about　in　an　enigmatic　way：〃Prussian　right　wing　yonder；〃　think　the　Austrians　〃whitherward；　or　what　can　they　mean？〃and　keeps　his　own　columns　and　the　Austrian　lines　in　view；　himself　and　his　movements　invisible；　or　worse；　to　the　Austrian　Generals　from　any　spy…glass　or　conjecture　they　can　employ。

The　Austrian　Generals　are　in　windmills；　on　church…belfries；　here；　there；　diligently　scanning　the　abstruse　phenomenon；　of　which　so　little　can　be　seen。　Daun；　who　had　always　been　against　this　adventure；　thinks　it　probable　the　vanished　Prussians　are　retiring　southward：　for　Bohemia　and　our　Magazines　probably。　〃These　good　people　are　smuggling　off　（DIE　GUTEN　LEUTE　PASCHEN　AB）；〃　said　he：　〃let　them　go　in　peace。〃　＇Muller；　p。　36。＇　Daun；　that　morning；　in　his　reconnoitrings；　had　asked　of　a　peasant；　〃What　is　that；　then？〃　（meaning　the　top　of　a　Village…steeple　in　the　distance；　but　thought　by　the　peasant　to　be　meaning　something　nearer　hand）。　〃That　is　the　Hill　our　King　chases　the　Austrians　over；　when　he　is　reviewing　here！〃　Which　Daun　reported　at　head…quarters　with　a　grin。　＇Nicolai；　　Anekdoten；　　iv。　34。＇

Lucchesi；　on　the　other　hand；　scanning　those　Borne　Hills；　and　the　cavalry　of　Friedrich's　escort　twinkling　hither　and　thither　on　them；　becomes　convinced　to　a　moral　certainty；　That　yonder　is　the　Prussian　Vanguard；　probable　extremity　of　left　wing；　and　that　he；　Lucchesi；　here　at　Nypern；　is　to　be　attacked。　〃Attacked；　you？〃　said　one　Montazet；　French　Agent　or　Emissary　here：　〃unless　they　were　snipes；　it　is　impossible！〃　But　Lucchesi　saw　it　too　well。

He　sends　to　say　that　such　is　the　evident　fact；　and　that　he；　Lucchesi；　is　not　equal　to　it；　but　must　have　large　reinforcement　of　Horse　to　his　right　wing。　〃Tush！〃　answer　Prince　Karl　and　Daun；　and　return　only　argument；　verbal　consolation；　to　distressed　Lucchesi。　Lucchesi　sends　a　second　message；　more　passionately　pressing；　to　the　like　effect；　also　with　the　like　return。　Upon　which　he　sends　a　third　message；　quite　passionate：　〃If　Cavalry　do　not　come；　I　will　not　be　responsible　for　the　issue！〃　And　now　Daun　does　collect　the　required　reinforcement；　〃all　the　reserve　of　Horse；　and　a　great　many　from　the　left　wing；〃and；　Daun　himself　heading　them；　goes　off　at　a　swift　trot；　to　look　into　Lucchesi　and　his　distresses；　three　or　four　miles　to　right；　five　or　six　from　where　the　danger　lies。　Now　is　Friedrich's　golden　moment。

Wending　always　south；　on　their　western　or　invisible　side　of　those　Knolls；　Friedrich's　people　have　got　to　about　the　level；　or　LATITUDE　as　we　might　call　it；　of　Nadasti's　left。　To　Radaxdorf；　namely；　to　Lobetintz；　or　still　farther　south；　and　perhaps　a　mile　to　west　of　Nadasti。　Friedrich　has　mounted　to　Lobetintz　Windmill；　and　judges　that　the　time　is　come。　Daun　and　Cavalry　once　got　to　support　their　right　wing；　and　our　south　latitude　being　now　sufficient；　Friedrich；　swift　as　Prussian　manoeuvring　can　do　it；　falls　with　all　his　strength　upon　their　left　wing。　Forms　in　oblique　order；horse；　foot；　artillery；　all　perfect　in　their　paces；　and　comes　streaming　over　the　Knolls　at　Sagschutz；　suddenly　like　a　fire…deluge　on　Nadasti；　who　had　charge　there；　and　was　expecting　no　such　adventure！　How　Friedrich　did　the　forming　in　oblique　order　was　at　that　time　a　mystery　known　only　to　Friedrich　and　his　Prussians：　but　soldiers　of　all　countries；　gathering　the　secret　from　him；　now　understand　it；　and　can　learnedly　explain　it　to　such　as　are　curious。　Will　readers　take　a　touch　more　of　the　DRILL…SERGEANT？

〃You　go　stairwise　（EN　ECHELON）；〃　says　he：　〃first　battalion　starts；　second　stands　immovable　till　the　first　have　done　fifty　steps；　at　the　fifty…first；　second　battalion　also　steps　along；　third　waiting　for　ITS　fifty…first　step。　First　battalion　＇rightmost　battalion　or　leftmost；　as　the　case　may　be；　rightmost　in　this　Leuthen　case＇　doing　fifty　steps　before　the　next　stirs；　and　each　battalion　in　succession　punctually　doing　the　same：〃　march　along　on　these　terms；or　halt　at　either　end；　while　you　advance　at　the　other；it　is　evident　you　will　swing　yourself　out　of　the　parallel　position　into　any　degree　of　obliquity。　And　furthermore；　merely　by　halting　and　facing　half　round　at　the　due　intervals；　you　shove　yourself　to　right　or　to　left　as　required　（always　to　right　in　this　Leuthen　case）：　and　soprovided　you　CAN　march　as　a　pair　of　compasses　wouldyou　will；　in　the　given　number　of　minutes；　impinge　upon　your　Enemy's　extremity　at　the　required　angle；　and　overlap　him　to　the　required　length：　whereupon；　At　him；　in　flank；　in　front；　and　rear；　and　see　if　he　can　stand　it！　〃A　beautiful　manoeuvre〃