history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第58部分

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　this；　their　vitally　important　convoy；　from　the　west　side　of　the　River；　an　active　Ziskowitz　co…operating　on　the　east　side；　where　the　road　itself　is；　and　do　their　uttermost！　That　is　Daun's　plan；now　in　course　of　execution。　Daun；　instead　of　meaning　battle；　that　day　when　Friedrich　saw　him；　was　cautiously　stealing　past；　intending　to　cross　the　River　farther　down；　and　himself　support　the　operation。　Daun　has　crossed　accordingly；　and　has　doubled　up　northward　again　to　the　fit　point；　Ziskowitz　is　in　the　fit　point；　in　the　due　force；　on　this　east　side　too。　Loudon；　on　the　west　side；　goes　by　Muglitz；　Hof；　making　a　long　deep　bend　far　to　westward　and　hillward　of　all　the　Prussian　posted　corps　and　precautions；　and　altogether　hidden　from　them；　Loudon　aims　to　be　in　Troppau　neighborhood；　〃Guntersdorf；　near　Bautsch；〃　by　the　proper　day；　and　pay　Mosel　an　unexpected　visit　in　the　passage　there。

Colonel　Mosel；　marshalling　his　endless　Trains　with　every　excellent　precaution；　and　the　cleverest　dispositions　（say　the　Books）；　against　the　known　and　the　unknown；　had　got　upon　the　road；　and　creaked　forward；　many…wheeled；　out　of　Troppau；　Monday；　26th　June。　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　89…94。＇　The　roads；　worn　by　the　much　travelling　and　wet　weather；　were　utterly　bad；　the　pace　was　perhaps　quicker　than　usual；　the　much…jolting　Train　got　greatly　into　a　jumble：Mosel；　to　bring　up　the　laggards；　made　the　morrow　a　rest…day；　did　get　about　two…thirds　of　his　laggards　marshalled　again；　ordered　the　others　to　return；　as　impossible。　They　say；　had　it　not　been　for　this　rest…day；　which　seemed　of　no　consequence；　Loudon　would　not　have　been　at　Guntersdorf　in　time；　nor　have　attempted　as　he　did　at　Guntersdorf　and　afterwards。　At　break　of　day　（Wednesday；　28th）；　Mosel　is　again　on　the　road；　heavily　jumbling　forward　from　his　quarters　in　Bautsch。　Few　miles　on；　towards　Guntersdorf；　he　discovers　Loudon　posted　ahead　in　the　defiles。　What　a　sight　for　Mosel；　in　his　character　of　Wagoner　up　with　the　dawn！　But　Mosel　managed　the　defiles　and　Loudon　this　time；　halted　his　train；　dashed　up　into　the　woody　heights　and　difficult　grounds；　stormed　Loudon's　cannon　from　him；　smote　Loudon　in　a　valiant　tempestuous　manner；　and　sent　him　travelling　again　for　the　present。

Loudon；　I　conjecture；　would　have　struggled　farther；　had　not　he　known　that　there　would　be　a　better　chance　again　not　very　many　miles　ahead。　London　has　studied　this　Convoy；　knows　of　Ziethen　coming　to　it　with　so　many；　of　Ziskowitz　coming　to　him；　Loudon；　with　so　many；　that　Ziethen　cannot　send　for　more　（roads　being　all　beset　by　our　industry　yesterday）；　that　Ziskowitz　can；　should　it　be　needful；and　that　at　Domstadtl　there　is　a　defile；　or　confused　woody　hollow；　of　unequalled　quality！　Mosel　jumbles　on　all　day　with　his　Train；　none　molesting；　at　night　gets　to　his　appointed　quarters；　Village　of　Neudorfl；　＇The　L；　or　EL；　is　a　diminutive　in　these　Names：　（NEUDORFL）　〃New…ThorpLET；〃　（DOMSTADTL）　〃Cathedral…TownLET；〃　and　the　like。＇　and　there　finds　Ziethen：　a　glad　meeting；　we　may　fancy；　but　an　anxious　one；　with　Domstadtl　ahead　on　the　morrow。　Loudon　concerts　with　Ziskowitz　this　day；　calls　in　all　reinforcements　possible；　and　takes　his　measures。　Thursday　morning；　Ziethen　finds　the　Train　in　such　a　state；　hardly　half　of　it　come　up；　he　has　to　spend　the　whole　day；　Mosel　and　he；　in　rearranging　it：　Friday　morning；　June　30th；　they　get　under　way　again；Friday；　the　catastrophe　is　waiting　them。

The　Pass　of　Domstadtl；　lapped　in　the　dim　Moravian　distance；　is　not　known　to　me　or　to　my　readers；　nor　indeed　could　the　human　pen　or　intellect；　aided　by　ocular　inspection　or　whatever　helps；　give　the　least　image　of　what　now　took　place　there；　rendering　Domstadtl　a　memorable　locality　ever　since。　Understand　that　Ziethen　and　Mosel；　with　their　waste　slow　deluge　of　wagons；　come　jumbling　in；　with　anxiety；　with　precautions；precautions　doubled；　now　that　the　woody　intricacies　about　Domstadtl　rise　in　sight。　〃Pooh；　it　is　as　we　thought：　there　go　Austrian　cannon…salvos；　horse…charges；　volleying　musketries；　as　our　first　wagons　enter　the　Pass；and　there　will　be　a　job！〃　Indecipherable　to　mankind　far　off；　or　even　near。　Of　which　only　this　feature　and　that　can　be　laid　hold　of；　as　discernible；　by　the　most　industrious　man。　Escort；　in　three　main　bodies；　vanguard；　middle；　rear…guard；　marches　on　each　side；　infantry　on　the　left；　cavalry　on　the　right；　as　the　ground　is　leveller　there。　Length　of　the　Train　in　statute　miles；　as　it　jumbles　along　at　this　point；　is　not　given；　but　we　know　it　was　many　miles；　that　horses　and　wagoners　were　in　panic　hardly　restrainable；　and　we　dimly　descry；　here　especially；　human　drill…sergeantcy　doing　the　impossible　to　keep　chaos　plugged　down。　The　poor　wagoner；　cannon　playing　ahead；　whirls　homeward　with　his　vehicle；　if　your　eye　quit　him；still　better；　and　handier；　cuts　his　traces；　mounts　in　a　good　moment；　and　is　off　at　heavy…footed　gallop；　leaving　his　wagon。　Seldom　had　human　drill…　sergeantcy　such　a　problem。

The　Prussian　Vanguard；　one　Krockow　its　commander；　repulsed　that　first　Austrian　attack；　swept　the　Bass　clear　for　some　minutes；　got　their　section　of　the　carriages；　or　some　part　of　it；　250　in　all；　hurried　through；　then　halted　on　the　safe　side；　to　wait　what　Ziethen　would　do　with　the　remainder。　Ziethen　does　his　best　and　bravest；　as　everybody　does；　keeps　his　wagon…chaos　plugged　down；　ranks　it　in　square　mass；　as　a　wagon　fortress　（WAGENBURG）；　ranks　himself　and　everybody；　his　cannon；　his　platoon　musketry；　to　the　best　advantage　round　it；　furiously　shoots　out　in　all　manner　of　ways；　against　the　furious　Loudon　on　this　flank；　and　the　furious　Ziskowitz　on　that；　takes　hills；　loses　them；　repels　and　is　repelled　（wagon…chaos　ever　harder　to　keep　plugged）；　finally　perceives　himself　to　be　beaten；　that　the　wagon…chaos　has　got　unplugged　（fancy　it！）and　that　he；　Ziethen；　must　retreat；　back　foremost　if　possible。　He　did　retreat；　fighting　all　the　way　to　Troppau；　and　the　Convoy　is　a　ruin　and　a　prey。

Krockow；　with　the　250；　has　got　under　way　again；　hearing　the　powder…　wagons　start　into　the　air　（fired　by　the　enemy）；　and　hearing　the　cannon　and　musketry　take　a　northerly　course；　and　die　away　in　that　ominous　direction。　These　250　were　all　the　carriages　that　came　in：　happily；　by　Ziethen's　prudence；　the　money；　a　large　sum；　had　been　lodged　in　the　vanmost　of　these。　The　rest　of　the　Convoy；　ball；　powder；　bread；　was　of　little　value　to　Loudon；　but　beyond　value　to　Friedrich　at　this　moment；　and　it　has　gone　to　annihilation　and　the　belly　of　Chaos　and　the　Croats。　Among　the　tragic　wrecks　of　this　Convoy　there　is　one　that　still　goes　to　our　heart。　A　longish；　almost　straight　row　of　young　Prussian　recruits　stretched　among　the　slain；　what　are　these？　These　were　700　recruits　coming　up　from　their　cantons　to　the　Wars；　hardly　yet　six　months　in　training：　see　how　they　have　fought　to　the　death；　poor　lads；　and　have　honorably；　on　the　sudden；　got　manumitted　from　the　toils　of　life。　Seven　hundred　of　them　stood　to　arms；　this　morning；　some　sixty…five　will　get　back　to　Troppau；　that　is　the　invoice　account。　They　lie　there；　with　their　blond　young　cheeks　and　light　hair；　beautiful　in　death；could　not　have　done　better；　though　the　sacred　poet　has　said　nothing　of　them　hitherto；nor　need；　till　times　mend　with　us　and　him。　Adieu；　my　noble　young　Brothers；　so　brave；　so　modest；　no　Spartan　nor　no　Roman　more；　may　the　silence　be　blessed　to　you！

Contrary　to　some　current　notions；　it　is　comfortably　evident　that　there　was　a　considerable　fire　of　loyalty　in　the　Prussians　towards　their　King；　during　this　War；　loyalty　kept　well　under　cover；　not　wasting　itself　in　harangues　or　noisy　froth；　but　coming　out；　among　all　ranks　of　men；　in　practical　attempts　to　be　of　help　in　this　high　struggle；　which　was　their　own　as　well　as　his。　The　STANDE；　landed　Gentry；　of　Pommern　and　other　places；　we　heard　of　their　poor　little　Navy　of　twelve　gunboats；　which　were　all　taken　by　the　Swedes。　Militia　Regiments　too；　which　did　good　service　at　Colberg；　as　may　transiently　appear　by　and　by：in　the　gentry　or　upper　classes；　a　respectable　zeal　for　their　King。　Then；　among　the　peasantry　or　lower　classHere　are　Seven　Hundred　who　stood　well　where　he　planted　them。　And　their　Mothers　Be　Spartan　also；　ye　Mothers！　In　peaceable　times；　Tempelhof　tells　us　the　Prussian　Mother　is　usually　proud　of　having　her　son　in　this　King's　service：　a　country　wife　will　say　to　you：　〃I　have　three　of　them；　all　in　the　regiment；〃　Billerbeck；　Itzenplitz；　or　whatever　be　the　Canton　regiment；　〃the　eldest　is　ten　inches　＇stands　five　feet　ten＇；　the　second　is　eleven；　the　third　eight；　for　indeed　he　is　yet　young。〃

Daun；　on　the　day　of　this　Domstadtl　business；　and　by　way　of　masking　it；　feeling　how　vital　it　was；　made　various　extensive　movements；　across　the　River　by　several　Bridges；　then　hither；　thither；　on　the　farther　side　of　Olmutz；　mazing　up　and　down：　Friedrich　observing　him；　till　he　should　ripen　to　something　definite；　followed　his　bombarding　the　while；　perhaps　having　hopes　of　wager　of　battle　ensuing。　Of　the　disaster　at　Domstadtl　Friedrich　could　know　nothing；　Loudon　having　closed　the　roads。　Daun　by　no　means　ripens　into　battle：　news　of　the　disaster　reached　Friedrich　next　day　（Saturday；　July　1st）；who　〃immediately　assembled　his　Generals；　and　spoke　a　few　inspiring　words　to　them；〃　such　as　we　may　fancy。　Friedrich　perceives　that　Olmutz　is　over；　that　his　Third　Campaign；　third　lunge　upon　the　Enemy's　heart；　has　prospered　worse；　thus　far；　than　either　of　the　others；　that　he　must　straightway　end　this　of　Olmutz；　without　any　success　whatever；　and　try　the　remaining　methods　and　resources。　No　word　of　complaint；　they　say；　is　heard　from　Friedrich　in　such　cases；　face　always　hopeful；　tone　cheery。　A　man　in　Friedrich's　position　needs　a　good　deal　of　Stoicism；　Greek　or　other。

That　Saturday　night　the　Prussian　bombardment　is　quite　uncommonly　furious；　long　continuing；　no　night　yet　like　it：the　Prussians　are　shooting　off　their　superfluous　ammunition　this　night；　do　not　quite　end　till　Sunday　is　in。　On　Sunday　itself；　packings；　preparations；　all　completed；　and；　〃Keith；　with　above　4；000　wagons；　safe　on　the　road　since　2　A。M。〃the　Prussians　softly　vanish　in　long　smooth　streams；　with　music　playing；　unmolested　by　Daun；　and　leaving　nothing；　it　is　boasted；　but　five　or　three　mortars；　which　kept　playing　to　the　last；　and　one　cannon；　to　which　something　had　happened。

Of　the　retreat　there　could　be　much　said；　instructive　to　military　men　w