history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第68部分

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Daun's　head…quarter；　as　we　said；　is　Kittlitz；　a　Village　some　two　miles　short　of　Lobau；　in　the　direction　southeast　of　Friedrich；　perhaps　five　miles　to　southeast　of　Rodewitz；　Friedrich's　lodging。　It　is　close　upon　the　Bautzen…Zittau　Highway；　Zittau　some　twenty　miles　to　south　of　it；　Herrnhuth　and　the　pacific　Brethren　about　half…way　thither。　Kittlitz　lies　more　to　south　than　Hochkirch　itself；　and　Daun's　outposts；　as　we　saw；　circle　quite　round　among　those　Devil's　Hills；　and　envelop　Friedrich's　right　flank。　But　Daun's　main　force　lies　chiefly　northward；　and　well　to　west；　of　Kittlitz；　parallel　to　Friedrich；　and　eastward　of　him；　with　elaborate　intrenchments；　every　village；　brook；　bridge；　height　and　bit　of　good　ground；　Stromberg　to　end　with；　punctually　secured。　Obliquely　over　the　Stromberg；　holding　the　Stromberg　and　certain　Villages　to　southeast　and　to　northwest　of　it；　lies　D'Ahremberg；　as　right　wing：　about　20；000　he；　put　into　oblique　potence；　looking　into　Kotitz；　which　is　Friedrich's　extreme　left；　and　in　a　good　measure　dividing　Friedrich　from　the　Retzow　10；000。　And　lastly；　as　reserve；　in　front　of　Reichenbach；　eight　or　nine　miles　to　east　of　all　that；　lies　the　Prince　of　Baden…Durlach；　25；000　or　so；　barring　Retzow　on　that　side；　and　all　attempts　on　the　Silesian　Road　there。　Daun's　lines；　not　counting　in　the　southern　outposts　or　Devil's…Hill　parties；　are　considerably　longer　than　Friedrich's；　and　also　considerably　deeper。　The　two　head…quarters　are　about　five　miles　apart：　but　the　two　frontsdivided　by　a　brook　and　good　hollow　running　here　（one　of　many　such；　making　all　for　Lobau　Water）are　not　half　a　mile　apart。　Towards　Hochkirch　and　the　top　of　this　brook；　the　opposing　posts　are　quite　crammed　close　on　one　another；　divided　only　by　their　hollow。　Many　brooks；　each　with　a　definite　hollow；　run　tinkling　about　here；　swift　but　straitened　to　get　out；　especially　Lobau　Water；　which　receives　them　all；　has　to　take　a　quite　meandering　circling　course　（through　Daun's　quarters　and　beyond　them）　before　it　can　disembogue　in　Spree；　and　decidedly　set　out　for　Berlin　under　that　new　name。　The　Landscapeseen　from　Hochkirch　Village；　still　better　from　the　Church…steeple　which　lifts　you　high　above　it；　and　commands　all　round　except　to　the　south；　where　Friedrich's　battery…height　quite　shuts　you　in；　and　hides　even　those　Devil's　Hills　beyondis　cheerful　and　pretty。　Village　belfries；　steeples　and　towers；　airy　green　ridges　of　heights；　and　intricate　greener　valleys：　now　rather　barer　than　you　like。　The　Tourist　tells　me；　in　Friedrich's　time　there　must　have　been　a　great　deal　more　of　wood　than　now。


WHAT　ACTUALLY　BEFELL　AT　HOCHKIRCH　（Saturday；　14th　October；　1758）。

Friedrich；　for　some　time；probably　ever　since　Wednesday　morning；　when　he　found　the　Stromberg　was　not　to　be　his；had　decided　to　be　out　of　this　bad　post。　In　which；　clearly　enough；　nothing　was　to　be　done；　unless　Daun　would　attempt　something　else　than　more　and　more　intrenching　and　palisading　himself。　Friedrich　on　the　second　day　（Thursday；　12th）　rode　across　to　Weissenberg；　to　give　Retzow　his　directions；　and　take　view　of　the　ground：　〃Saturday　night；　Herr　Retzow；　sooner　it　cannot　be　＇Friedrich　had　aimed　at　Friday　night；　but　finds　the　Provision…convoy　cannot　possibly　be　up＇；　Saturday　night；　in　all　silence；　we　sweep　round　out　of　this；we　and　you；hurl　Baden…Durlach　about　his　business；　and　are　at　Schops　and　Reichenbach；　and　the　Silesian　Highway　open；　next　morning；　to　us！〃　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　320。＇　Quietly　everything　is　speeding　on　towards　this　consummation；　on　Friedrich's　part。　But　on　Daun's　part　there　isstarted；　I　should　guess；　on　the　very　same　Thursdayanother　consummation　getting　ready；　which　is　to　fall　out　on　Saturday　MORNING；　fifteen　hours　before　that　other；　and　entirely　supersede　that　other！

Keith's　opinion；　that　the　Austrians　deserve　to　be　hanged　if　they　don't　attack　us　here；　is　also　Loudon's　opinion　and　Lacy's；　and　indeed　everybody's；and　at　length　Daun's　own；　who　determines　to　try　something　here；　if　never　before　or　after。　This　plan；　all　judges　admit；　was　elaborate　and　good；　and　was　well　executed　too；Daun　himself　presiding　over　the　most　critical　part　of　the　execution。　A　plan　to　have　ruined　almost　any　Army；　except　this　Prussian　one　and　the　Captain　it　chanced　to　have。　A　universal　camisado；　or　surprisal　of　Friedrich　in　his　Camp；　before　daylight：　everybody　knows　that　it　took　effect　（Hochkirch；　Saturday；　14th　October；　1758；　5　A。M。　of　a　misty　morning）；　nobody　expects　of　an　unassisted　fellow…creature　much　light　on　so　doubly　dark　a　thing。　But　the　truth　is；　there　are　ample　accounts；　exact；　though　very　chaotic；　and　the　thing；　steadily　examined；　till　its　essential　features　extricate　themselves　from　the　unessential；　proves　to　be　not　quite　so　unintelligible；　and　nothing　like　so　destructive；　overwhelming　and　ruinous　as　was　supposed。

Daun's　plan　is　very　elaborate；　and　includes　a　great　many　combinations；　all　his　90；000　to　come　into　it；　simultaneously　or　in　succession。　But　the　first　and　grandly　vital　part；　mainspring　and　father　to　all　the　rest；　is　this：　That　Daun；　in　person；　after　nightfall　of　Friday；　shall；　with　the　pick　of　his　force；　say　30；000　horse　and　foot；　with　all　their　artilleries　and　tools；　silently　quit　his　now　position　in　front　of　Hochkirch；　Friedrich's　right　wing。　Shall　sweep　off；　silently　to　southward　and　leftward；　by　Wuischke；　thence　westward　and　northward；　by　the　northern　base　of　those　Devil　Mountains；　through　the　shaggy　hollows　and　thick　woods　there；　hitherto　inhabited　by　Croats　only；　and　unknown　to　the　Prussians：　forward；　ever　forward；　through　the　night…watches　that　way；　till　he　has　fairly　got　to　the　flank　of　Hochkirch　and　Friedrich：　Daun　to　be　standing　there；　all　round　from　the　southern　environs　of　Hochkirch；　westward　through　the　Woods；　by　Meschwitz；　Steindorfel；　and　even　north　to　Waditz　（if　readers　will　consult　their　Map）；　silently　enclosing　Friedrich；　as　in　the　bag　of　a　net；　in　this　manner；ready　every　man　and　gun　by　about　four　on　Saturday　morning。　Are　to　wait　for　the　stroke　of　five　in　Hochkirch　steeple；　and　there　and　then　to　begin　business；there　first；　but；　on　success　THERE；　the　whole　90；000　everywhere；and　to　draw　the　strings　on　Friedrich；　and　bag　and　strangle　his　astonished　people　and　him。

The　difficulty　has　been　to　keep　it　perfectly　secret　from　so　vigilant　a　man　as　Friedrich：　but　Daun　has　completely　succeeded。　Perhaps　Friedrich's　eyes　have　been　a　little　dimmed　by　contempt　of　Daun：　Daun；　for　the　last　two　days　especially；　has　been　more　diligent　than　ever　to　palisade　himself　on　every　point；　nothing；　seemingly；　on　hand　but　felling　woods；　building　abatis；　against　some　dangerous　Lion's…spring。　They　say　also；　he　detected　a　traitor　in　his　camp；　traitor　carrying　Letters　to　Friedrich　under　pretence　of　fresh　eggs；one　of　the　eggs　blown；　and　a　Note　of　Daun's　Procedures　substituted　as　yolk。　〃You　are　dead；　sirrah；〃　said　Daun；　〃hoisted　to　the　highest　gallows：　Are　not　you？　But　put　in　a　Note　of　my　dictating；　and　your　beggarly　life　is　saved。〃　Retzow　Junior；　though　there　is　no　evidence　except　of　the　circumstantial　kind；　thinks　this　current　story　may　be　true。　＇Retzow；　i。　347。＇　Certain　it　is；　neither　Friedrich　nor　any　of　his　people　had　the　least　suspicion　of　Daun's　project；　till　the　moment　it　exploded　on　them；　when　the　clock　at　Hochkirch　struck　five。　Daun；　in　the　last　two　days；　had　been　felling　even　more　trees　than　they　are　aware　of；thousands　of　trees　in　those　Devil's　wildernesses　to　Friedrich's　right；　and　has　secretly　hewn　himself　roads；　passable　by　night　for　men　and　ammunition…wagons　there：and　in　front　of　Friedrich；　especially　Hochkirch　way；　Daun　seems　busier　than　ever　felling　wood；　this　Friday　night；　numbers　of　people　running　about　with　axes；　with　lanterns　over　there；　as　if　in　the　push　of　hurry；　and　making　a　great　deal　of　noise。　〃Intending　retreat　for　Zittau　to…morrow！〃　thinks　Friedrich；　as　the　false　egg…yolk　had　taught　him；　or　merely；　〃That　poor　precautionary　fellow！〃　supposing　the　false　yolk　a　myth。　In　short；　Daun　has　got　through　his　nocturnal　wildernesses　with　perfect　success。　And　stands；　dreamt　of　by　no　enemy；　in　the　places　appointed　for　his　30；000　and　him；　and　that　poor　old　clock　of　Hochkirch；　unweariedly　grunting　forward　to　the　stroke　of　five；　will　strike　up　something　it　is　little　expecting！

The　Prussians　have　vedettes；　pickets　and　small　outposts　of　Free…　corps　people　scattered　about　within　their　border　of　that　Austrian　Wood；　the　body　of　which；　about　Hochkirch　as　everywhere　else；　belongs　wholly　to　Croats。　Of　course　there　are　guard…parties；　sentries　duly　vigilant；　in　the　big　Battery　to　southeast　of　Hochkirch；and　along　southwestward　in　that　POTENCE；　or　fore…arm　of　Four　Battalions；　which　are　stationed　there。　Four　good　Battalions　looking　southward　there；　with　Cavalry　to　right；　Ziethen's　Cavalry；　whose　horses　stand　saddled　through　the　night；　ready　always　for　the　nocturnal　〃Pandourade；〃　which　seldom　fails　them。　There；　as　elsewhere；　are　the　due　vigilances；　watchmen；　watch…fires。　The　rest　of　the　Prussian　Army　is　in　its　blankets；　wholly　asleep；　while　Daun　stands　waiting　for　the　stroke　of　five。

That　Daun；　bursting　in　with　his　chosen　30；000；　will　trample　down　the　sleeping　Prussian　POTENCE　at　Hochkirch；　capture　its　big　Battery　to　left；　its　Village　of　Hochkirch　to　rear；　and　do　extensive　ruin　on　the　whole　right　wing　of　Friedrich；　rendering　Friedrich　everywhere　an　easy　conquest　to　the　rest　of　Daun's　people；　who　stand；　far　and　wide；　duly　posted　and　prepared；　waiting　only　their　signal　from　Hochkirch：　much　of　this；　all　of　it　that　had　regard　to　Hochkirch　Battery　and　Village；　and　the　Prussians　stationed　there；　Daun　did　execute。　And　readers；　from　the　data　they　have　got；　must　conceive　the　manner　of　it；human　description　of　the　next　Two　Hours；　about　Hochkirch；　in　the　thick　darkness　there；　and　stormful　sudden　inroad；　and　stormful　resistance　made；　being　manifestly　an　impossible　thing。　Nobody　was　〃massacred　in　his　bed〃　as　the　sympathetic　gazetteers　fancied；　nobody　was　killed；　that　I　hear　of；　without　arms；　in　his　hand：　but　plenty　of　people　perished；　fierce　of　humor；　on　both　sides；　and　from　half…past　five　till　towards　eight；　there　was　a　general　blaze　of　fiery　chaos　pushing　out　ever　and　anon；　swallowed　in　the　belly　of　Night　again；　such　as　was　seldom　seen　in　this　world。　Instead　of　confused　details；　and　wearisome　enumeration　of　particulars；　which　nobody　would　listen　to　or　u