history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第59部分

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ch　something　had　happened。

Of　the　retreat　there　could　be　much　said；　instructive　to　military　men　who　were　studious；　extremely　fine　retreat；　say　all　judges；of　which　my　readers　crave　only　the　outlines；　the　results。　Daun；　it　was　thought；　should　have　ruined　Friedrich　in　this　retreat；　but　he　did　nothing　of　harm　to　him。　In　fact；　for　a　week　he　could　not　comprehend　the　phenomenon　at　all；　and　did　not　stir　from　his　place；which　was　on　the　other；　or　wrong；　side　of　the　River。　Daun　had　never　doubted　but　the　retreat　would　be　to　Silesia；　and　he　had　made　his　detachments；　and　laid　himself　out　for　doing　something　upon　it；　in　that　direction：　but；　lo；　what　roads　are　these；　what　motions　whitherward？　In　about　a　week　it　becomes　manifest　that　the　retreat；　which　goes　on　various　roads；　sometimes　three　at　once；　has　converged　on　Leutomischl；　straight　for　Bohemia　instead　of　Silesia；　and　that　Daun　is　fallen　seven　days　behind　it；　incapable　now　to　do　anything。　Not　even　the　Magazine　at　Leutomischl　could　be　got　away；　nor　could　even　the　whole　of　it　be　burnt。

Keith　and　the　baggage　once　safe　in　Leutomischl　（July　8th）；　all　goes　in　deliberate　long　column；　Friedrich　ahead　to　open　the　passages。　July　14th；　after　five　more　marches；　Friedrioh　bursts　up　Konigsgratz；　scattering　any　opposition　there　is；　and　sits　down　there；　in　a　position　considered；　he　knows　well　how　inexpugnable；　to　live　on　the　Country；　and　survey　events。　The　4；000　baggage…wagons　came　in　about　entire。　Fouquet　had　the　first　division　of　them；　and　a　secondary　charge　of　the　whole；　an　extremely　strict；　almost　pedantic　man；　and　of　very　fiery　temper：　〃HE；　D'OU　VENEZ…VOUS？〃　asked　he　sharply　of　Retzow　senior；　who　had　broken　through　his　order；　one　day；　to　avert　great　mischief：　〃How　come　you　here；　MON　GENERAL？〃　〃By　the　Highway；　your　Excellency！〃　answered　Retzow　in　a　grave　stiff　tone。　＇Retzow；　i。　302。＇

Keith　himself　takes　the　rear…guard；　the　most　ticklish　post　of　all；　and　manages　it　well；　and　with　success；　as　his　wont　is。　Under　sickness　at　the　time；　but　with　his　usual　vigilance；　prudence；　energy；　qualities　apt　to　be　successful　in　War。　Some　brushes　of　Croat　fighting　he　had　from　Loudon；　but　they　did　not　amount　to　anything。　It　was　at　Holitz；　within　a　march　of　Konigsgratz；　that　Loudon　made　his　chief　attempt；　a　vehement；　well…intended　thing；　which　looked　well　at　one　time。　But　Keith　heard　the　cannonading　ahead；　hurried　up　with　new　cavalry；　new　sagacity　and　fire　of　energy；　dashed　out　horse…charges；　seized　hill…tops；　of　a　vital　nature；　and　quickly　ended　the　affair。　A　man　fiery　enough；　and　prompt　with　his　stroke　when　wanted；　though　commonly　so　quiet。　〃Tell　Monsieur；〃some　General　who　seemed　too　stupid　or　too　languid　on　this　occasion；〃Tell　Monsieur　from　me；〃　said　Keith　to　his　Aide…　de…camp；　〃he　may　be　a　very　pretty　thing；　but　he　is　not　a　man　（QU'IL　PEUT　ETRE　UNE　BONNE　CHOSE；　MAIS　QU'IL　N'EST　PAS　UN　HOMME）！〃　＇Varnhagen；　　Leben　des　&c。　Jakob　von　Keith；　　p。　227。＇　The　excellent　vernacular　Keith；still　a　fine　breadth　of　accent　in　him；　one　perceives！　He　is　now　past　sixty；　troubled　with　asthma；　and　I　doubt　not　may　be；　occasionally；　thinking　it　near　time　to　end　his　campaigns。　And　in　fact；　he　is　about　ending　them；　sooner　than　he　or　anybody　had　expected。　

Daun；　picking　his　steps　and　positions；　latterly　with　threefold　precaution；　got　into　Konigsgratz　neighborhood；　a　week　after　Friedrich；　and　looked　down　with　enigmatic　wonder　upon　Friedrich's　new　settlement　there。　Forage　abundant　all　round；　and　the　corn…　harvest　growing　white；here；　strange　to　say；　has　Friedrich　got　planted　in　the　inside　of　those　innumerable　Daun　redoubts；　and　〃woods　of　abatis；〃　and　might　make　a　very　pretty　〃Bohemian　Campaign〃　of　it；　after　all；　were　Daun　the　only　adversary　he　had！　Judges　are　of　opinion；　that　Daun；　with　all　his　superiority　of　number；　could　not　have　disrooted　Friedrich　this　season。　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　170…176；　185；who；　unluckily；　in　soldier　fashion；　here　as　too　often　elsewhere；　does　not　give　us　the　Arithmetical　Numbers　of　each；　but　counts　by　〃Battalions〃　and　〃　Squadrons；〃　which；　except　in　time　of　Peace；　are　a　totally　uncertain　quantity：guess　vaguely；　75；000　against　30；000。＇　Daun　did　try　him　by　the　Pandour　methods；　〃1；000　Croats　stealing　in　upon　Konigsgratz　at　one　in　the　morning；〃　and　the　like；　but　these　availed　nothing。　By　the　one　effectual　method；　that　of　beating　him　in　battle；　Daun　never　would　have　tried。　What　did　disroot　Friedrich；　then？Take　the　following　dates；　and　small　hints　of　phenomena　in　other　parts　of　the　big　Theatre　of　War。　〃Konitz〃　is　a　little　Polish　Town；　midway　between　Dantzig　and　Friedrich's　Dominions：

〃KONITZ；　16th　JUNE；　1758。　This　day　Feldmarschall　Fermor　arrives　in　his　principal　Camp　here。　For　many　weeks　past　he　has　been　dribbling　across　the　Weichsel　hitherward；　into　various　small　camps；　with　Cossack　Parties　flying　about；　under　check　of　General　Platen。　But　now；　being　all　across；　and　reunited；　Fermor　shoots　out　Cossack　Parties　of　quite　other　weight　and　atrocity；　and　is　ready　to　begin　business；still　a　little　uncertain　how。　His　Cossacks；　under　their　Demikows；　Romanzows；　capable　of　no　good　fighting；　but　of　endless　incendiary　mischief　in　the　neighborhood；shoot　far　ahead　into　Prussian　territory：　Platen；　Hordt　with　his　Free…Corps；　are　beautifully　sharp　upon　them；　but　many　beatings　avail　little。　'They　burn　the　town　of　Driesen　＇Hordt　having　been　hard　upon　them　there＇；　town　of　Ratzebuhr；　and　nineteen　villages　around；'burn　poor　old　women　and　men；　one　poor　old　clergyman　especially；　wind　him　well　in　straw…roping；　then　set　fire；　and　leave　him；and　are　worse　than　fiends　or　hyenas。　Not　to　be　checked　by　Platen's　best　diligence；　not；　in　the　end；　by　Platen　and　Dohna　together。　Dohna　（18th　June）　has　risen　from　Stralsund　in　check　of　them；leaving　the　unfortunate　Swedes　to　come　out　＇shrunk　to　about　7；000；　so　unsalutary　their　stockfish　diet　there＇；these　hyena…Cossacks　being　the　far　more　pressing　thing。　Dohna　is　diligent；　gives　them　many　slaps　and　checks；　Dohna　cannot　cut　the　tap…root　of　them　in　two；　that　is　to　say；　fight　Fermor　and　beat　him：　other　effectual　check　there　can　be　none。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　149　et　seq。；　Tempelhof；　ii。　135　&c。＇

〃TSCHOPAU　（in　Saxony）；　21st　JUNE。　Prince　Henri　has　quitted　Bamberg　Country；　and　is　home　again；　carefully　posted；　at　Tschopau　and　up　and　down；　on　the　southern　side　of　Saxony；　with　his　eye　well　on　the　Passes　of　the　Metal　Mountains；where　now；　in　the　turn　things　at　Olmutz　have　taken；　his　clear　fate　is　to　be　invaded；　NOT　to　invade。　The　Reichs　Army；　fairly　afoot　in　the　Circle　of　Saatz；　counts　itself　35；000；　add　15；000　Austrians　of　a　solid　quality；　there　is　a　Reichs　Army　of　50；000　in　all；　this　Year。　And　will　certainly　invade　Saxony；though　it　is　in　no　hurry；　does　not　stir　till　August　come；　and　will　find　Prince　Henri　elaborately　on　his　guard；　and　little　to　be　made　of　him；　though　he　is　as　one　to　two。

〃CREFELD　（Rhine　Country）；　23d　JUNE。　Duke　Ferdinand；　after　skilful　shoving　and　advancing；　some　forty　or　fifty　miles；　on　his　new　or　French　side　of　the　Rhine；　finds　the　French　drawn　up　at　Crefeld　（June　23d）；　47；000　of　them　VERSUS　33；000：　in　altogether　intricate　ground；　canal…ditches；　osier…thickets；　farm…villages；　peat…bogs。　Ground　defensible　against　the　world；　had　the　47；000　had　a　Captain；　but　reasonably　safe　to　attack；　with　nothing　but　a　Clermont　acting　that　character。　Ferdinand；　I　can　perceive；　knew　his　Clermont；　and　took　liberties　with　him。　Divided　himself　into　three　attacks：　one　in　front；　one　on　Clermont's　right　flank；　both　of　which　cannonaded；　as　if　in　earnest；　but　did　not　prevent　Clermont　going　to　dinner。　One　attack　on　front；　one　on　right　flank；　then　there　was　a　third；　seemingly　on　left　flank；　but　which　winded　itself　round　（perilously　imprudent；　had　there　been　a　Captain；　instead　of　a　Clermont　deepish　in　wine　by　this　time）；　and　burst　in　upon　Clermont's　rear；　jingling　his　wine…glasses　and　decanters；　think　at　what　a　rate；scattering　his　47；000　and　him　to　the　road　again；　with　a　loss　of　men；　which　was　counted　to　4；000　（4；000　against　1；700）；　and　of　honorwhatever　was　still　to　lose！〃　＇Mauvillon；　i。　297…309；　Westphalen；　i。　588…604；　Tempelhof；　&c。　&c。＇

Ferdinand；　it　was　hoped；　would　now　be　able　to　maintain　himself；　and　push　forward；　on　this　French　side　of　the　Rhine：　and　had　Wesel　been　his　（as　some　of　us　know　it　is　not！）；　perhaps。　he　might。　At　any　rate；　veteran　Belleisle　took　his　measures：dismissal　of　Clermont　Prince　of　the　Blood；　and　appointment　of　Contades；　a　man　of　some　skill；　recall　of　Soubise　and　his　24；000　from　their　Austrian　intentions；　these　and　other　strenuous　measures；and　prevented　such　consummation。　A　gallant　young　Comte　de　Gisors；　only　son　of　Belleisle；　perished　in　that　disgraceful　Crefeld：unfortunate　old　man；　what　a　business　that　of　〃cutting　Germany　in　four〃　has　been　to　you；　first　and　last！

〃LOUISBURG　（North　America）；　JULY　8th。　Landing　of　General　Amherst's　people　at　Louisburg　in　Cape　Breton；　with　a　view　of　besieging　that　important　place。　Which　has　now　become　extremely　difficult；　the　garrison；　and　their　defences；　military；　naval；　being　in　full　readiness　for　such　an　event。　Landing　was　done　by　Brigadier　Wolfe；　under　the　eye　of　Amherst　and　Admiral　Boscawen　from　rearward；　and　under　abundant　fire　of　batteries　and　musketries　playing　on　it　ahead：　in　one　of　the　surfiest　seas　（but　we　have　waited　four　days；　and　it　hardly　mends）；　tossing　us　about　like　corks；so　that　'many　of　the　boats　were　broken；'　and　Wolfe　and　people　'had　to　leap　out；　breast…deep；'　and　make　fight　for　themselves；　the　faster　the　better；　under　very　intricate　circumstances！　Which　was　victoriously　done；　by　Wolfe　and　his　people；　really　in　a　rather　handsome　manner；　that　morning。　As　were　all　the　subsequent　Siege…operations；　on　land　and　on　water；　by　them　and　the　others：till　（August　8th）　the　Siege　ended：　in　complete　surrender；positively　for　the　last　time　（Pitt　fully　intends）；　no　Austrian　Netherlands　now　to　put　one　on　revoking　it！　＇General　Amherst's　DIARY　OF　THE　SIEGE　（in　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　xxviii。　384…389）。＇

〃These　are　pretty　victories；　cheering　to　Pitt　and　Friedrich；　but　the　difficult　point　still　is　that　of　Fermor。　Whose　Cossacks；　and　their　devil…like　ravagings；　are　hideous　to　think　of：　unrestrainable　by　Dohna；　unless　he　could　cut　the　root　of　them；　which　he　cannot。　JUNE　27th　＇while　Colonel　Mosel；　with　his　3；000　wagons；