history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第7部分

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is　not　than　that　old　Teutsch　（Dutch；　English；　Platt…Deutsch　and　other　varieties）；　and　so　disciplined　as　here　it　never　was　before　or　since。　〃In　an　hour　and　half；〃　what　military　men　may　count　almost　incredible；　they　are　fairly　on　their　ground；　motionless　the　most　of　them　by　9　A。M。；　the　rest　wheeling　rightward；　as　they　successively　arrive　in　the　Chwala…Podschernitz　localities；　and；　descending　diligently；　Sterbohol　way；　and　will　be　at　their　harvest…work　anon。

Meanwhile　the　Austrians；　seeing；　to　their　astonishment；　these　phenomena　to　the　north；　and　that　it　is　a　quite　serious　thing；　do　also　rapidly　bestir　themselves；　swarming　like　bees；bringing　in　their　foraging　Cavalry；　〃No　time　to　change　your　jacket　for　a　coat：〃　rank；　double…quick！　Browne　is　on　that　right　wing　of　theirs：　〃Bring　the　left　wing　over　hither；〃　suggests　Browne；　〃cavalry　is　useless　yonder；　unless　they　had　hippogriffs！〃and　（again　Browne　suggesting）　the　Austrians　make　a　change　in　the　position　of　their　right　wing；　both　horse　and　foot：　change　which　is　of　vital　importance；　though　unnoted　in　many　Narratives　of　this　Battle。　Seeing；　namely；　what　the　Prussians　intend；　they　wheel　their　right　wing　（say　the　last　furlong　or　two　of　their　long　Line　of　Battle）　half　round　to　right；　so　that　the　last　furlong　or　two　stands　at　right　angles　（〃EN　POTENCE；〃　gallows…wise；　or　joiner's…square…wise　to　the　rest）；　and；　in　this　way；　make　front　to　the　Prussian　onslaught；front　now；　not　flank；　as　the　Prussians　are　anticipating。　This　is　an　important　wheel　to　right；　and　formation　in　joiner's…square　manner；　and　involves　no　end　of　interior　wheeling；　marching　and　deploying；　which　Austrians　cannot　manage　with　Prussian　velocity。　〃Swift　with　it；　here　about　Sterbohol　at　least；　my　men！　For　here　are　the　Prussians　within　wind　of　us！〃　urges　Browne。　And　here　straightway　the　hurricane　does　break　loose。

Winterfeld；　the　van　of　Schwerin's　infantry　（Schwerin's　own　regiment；　and　some　others；　with　him）；　is　striding　rapidly　on　Sterbohol；　Winterfeld　catches　it　before　Browne　can。　But　near　by；　behind　that　important　post；　on　the　Homely　Hill　（BERG　or　〃Mountain；〃　nothing　like　so　high　as　Constitution　Mountain）；　are　cannon…　batteries　of　devouring　quality；　which　awaken　on　Winterfeld；　as　he　rushes　out　double…quick　on　the　advancing　Austrians；　and　are　fatal　to　Winterfeld's　attempt；　and　nearly　to　Winterfeld　himself。　Winterfeld；　heavily　wounded；　sank　in　swoon　from　his　horse；　and　awakening　again　in　a　pool　of　blood；　found　his　men　all　off；　rushing　back　upon　the　main　Schwerin　body；　〃Austrian　grenadiers　gazing　on　the　thing；　about　eighty　paces　off；　not　venturing　to　follow。〃　Winterfeld；　half　dead；　scrambled　across　to　Schwerin；　who　has　now　come　up　with　the　main　body；　his　front　line　fronting　the　Austrians　here。　And　there　ensued；　about　Sterbohol　and　neighborhood；　led　on　by　Schwerin；　such　a　death…wrestle　as　was　seldom　seen　in　the　Annals　of　War。　Winterfeld's　miss　of　Sterbohol　was　the　beginning　of　it：　the　exact　course　of　sequel　none　can　describe；　though　the　end　is　well　known。

The　Austrians　now　hold　Sterbohol　with　firm　grip；　backed　by　those　batteries　from　Homoly　Hill。　Redoubts；　cannon…batteries；　as　we　said；　stud　all　the　field；　the　Austrian　stock　of　artillery　is　very　great；　arrangement　of　it　cunning；　practice　excellent；　does　honor　to　Prince　Lichtenstein；　and　indeed　is　the　real　force　of　the　Austrians　on　this　occasion。　Schwerin　must　have　Sterbohol；　in　spite　of　batteries　and　ranked　Austrians；　and　Winterfeld's　recoil　tumbling　round　him：and　rarely　had　the　oldest　veteran　such　a　problem。　Old　Schwerin　（fiery　as　ever；　at　the　age　of　73）　has　been　in　many　battles；　from　Blenheim　onwards；　and　now　has　got　to　his　hottest　and　his　last。　〃Vanguard　could　not　do　it；　main　body；　we　hope；　kindling　all　the　hotter；　perhaps　may！〃　A　most　willing　mind　is　in　these　Prussians　of　Schwerin's：　fatigue　of　over…marching　has　tired　the　muscles　of　them；　but　their　hearts；all　witnesses　say；　these　（and　through　these；　their　very　muscles；　〃always　fresh　again；　after　a　few　minutes　of　breathing…time〃）　were　beyond　comparison；　this　day！

Schwerin's　Prussians；　as　they　〃march　up〃　（that　is；　as　they　front　and　advance　upon　the　Austrians）；　are　everywhere　saluted　by　case…　shot；　from　Homoly　Hill　and　the　batteries　northward　of　Homoly；　but　march　on；　this　main　line　of　them；　finely　regardless　of　it　or　of　Winterfeld's　disaster　by　it。　The　general　Prussian　Order　this　day　is：　〃By　push　of　bayonet；　no　firing；　none；　at　any　rate；　till　you　see　the　whites　of　their　eyes！〃　Swift；　steady　as　on　the　parade…ground；　swiftly　making　up　their　gaps　again；　the　Prussians　advance；　on　these　terms；　and　are　now　near　those　〃fine　sleek　pasture…grounds；　unusually　green　for　the　season。〃　Figure　the　actual　stepping　upon　these　〃fine　pasture…grounds：〃mud…tanks；　verdant　with　mere　〃bearding　oat…crop〃　sown　there　as　carp…provender！　Figure　the　sinking　of　whole　regiments　to　the　knee；　to　the　middle；　some　of　them；　the　steady　march　become　a　wild　sprawl　through　viscous　mud；　mere　case…shot　singing　round　you；　tearing　you　away　at　its　ease！　Even　on　those　terrible　terms；　the　Prussians；　by　dams；　by　footpaths；　sometimes　one　man　abreast；　sprawl　steadily　forward；　trailing　their　cannon　with　them；　only　a　few　regiments；　in　the　footpath　parts；　cannot　bring　their　cannon。　Forward；　rank　again；　when　the　ground　will　carry；　ever　forward；　the　case…shot　getting　ever　more　murderous！　No　human　pen　can　describe　the　deadly　chaos　which　ensued　in　that　quarter。　Which　lasted；　in　desperate　fury；　issue　dubious；　for　above　three　hours；　and　was　the　crisis；　or　essential　agony；　of　the　Battle。　Foot…chargings；　（once　the　mud…transit　was　accomplished）；　under　storms　of　grape…shot　from　Homoly　Hill；　by　and　by；　Horse…chargings；　Prussian　against　Austrian；　southward　of　Homoly　and　Sterbohol；　still　farther　to　the　Prussian　left；　huge　whirlpool　of　tumultuous　death…wrestle；　every　species　of　spasmodic　effort；　on　the　one　side　and　the　other；King　himself　present　there；　as　I　dimly　discover；　Feldmarschall　Browne　eminent；　in　the　last　of　his　fields；　and；　as　the　old　NIEBELUNGEN　has　it；　〃a　murder　grim　and　great〃　going　on。

Schwerin's　Prussians；　in　that　preliminary　struggle　through　the　mud…　tanks　（which　Winterfeld；　I　think；　had　happened　to　skirt；　and　avoid）；　were　hard　bested。　This；　so　far　as　I　can　learn；　was　the　worst　of　the　chaos；　this　preliminary　part。　Intolerable　to　human　nature；　this；　or　nearly　so；　even　to　human　nature　of　the　Platt…　Teutsch　type；　improved　by　Prussian　drill。　Winterfeld's　repulse　we　saw；　Schwerin's　own　Regiment　in　it。　Various　repulses；　I　perceive；　there　were；〃fresh　regiments　from　our　Second　Line〃　storming　in　thereupon；　till　the　poor　repulsed　people　〃took　breath；〃　repented；　〃and　themselves　stormed　in　again；〃　say　the　Books。　Fearful　tugging；　swagging　and　swaying　is　conceivable；　in　this　Sterbohol　problem！　And　after　long　scanning；　I　rather　judge　it　was　in　the　wake　of　that　first　repulse；　and　not　of　some　other　farther　on；　that　the　veteran　Schwerin　himself　got　his　death。　No　one　times　it　for　us；　but　the　fact　is　unforgettable；　and　in　the　dim　whirl　of　sequences；　dimly　places　itself　there。　Very　certain　it　is；　〃at　sight　of　his　own　regiment　in　retreat；〃　Feldmarschall　Schwerin　seized　the　colors；as　did　other　Generals；　who　are　not　named；　that　day。　Seizes　the　colors；　fiery　old　man：　〃HERAN；　MEINE　KINDER　（This　way；　my　sons）！〃　and　rides　ahead；　along　the　straight　dam　again；　his　〃sons〃　all　turning；　and　with　hot　repentance　following。　〃On；　my　children；　HERAN！〃　Five　bits　of　grape…shot；　deadly　each　of　them；　at　once　hit　the　old　man；　dead　he　sinks　there　on　his　flag；　and　will　never　fight　more。　〃HERAN！〃　storm　the　others　with　hot　tears；　Adjutant　von　Platen　takes　the　flag；　Platen；　too；　is　instantly　shot；　but　another　takes　it。　〃HERAN；　On！〃　in　wild　storm　of　rage　and　grief：in　a　word；　they　manage　to　do　the　work　at　Sterbohol；　they　and　the　rest。　First　line；　Second　line；　Infantry；　Cavalry　（and　even　the　very　Horses；　I　suppose）；　fighting　inexpressibly；　conquering　one　of　the　worst　problems　ever　seen　in　War。　For　the　Austrians　too；　especially　their　grenadiers　there；　stood　to　it　toughly；　and　fought　like　men；and　〃every　grenadier　that　survived　of　them；〃　as　I　read　afterwards；　〃got　double　pay　for　life。〃

Done；　that　Sterbohol　work；those　Foot…chargings；　Horse…chargings；　that　battery　of　Homoly　Hill；　and；　hanging　upon　that；　all　manner　of　redoubts　and　batteries　to　the　rightward　and　rearward：but　how　it　was　done　no　pen　can　describe；　nor　any　intellect　in　clear　sequence　understand。　An　enormous　MELEE　there：　new　Prussian　battalions　charging；　and　ever　new；　irrepressible　by　case…shot；　as　they　successively　get　up；　Marshal　Browne　too　sending　for　new　battalions　at　double…quick　from　his　left；　disputing　stiffly　every　inch　of　his　ground。　Till　at　length　（hour　not　given）；　a　cannon…shot　tore　away　his　foot；　and　he　had　to　be　carried　into　Prag；　mortally　wounded。　Which　probably　was　a　most　important　circumstance；　or　the　most　important　of　all。

Important　too；　I　gradually　see；　was　that　of　the　Prussian　Horse　of　the　Left　Wing。　Prussian　Horse　of　the　extreme　left；　as　already　noticed；　had；　in　the　mean　while；　fallen　in；　well　southward；　round　by　certain　lakelets　about　Michelup；　on　Browne's　extreme　right；　furiously　charging　the　Austrian　Horse；　which　stood　ranked　there　in　many　lines；　breaking　it；　then　again　half　broken　by　it；　but　again　rallying；　charging　it　a　second　time；　then　a　third　time；　〃both　to　front　and　flank；　amid　whirlwinds　of　dust〃　（Ziethen　busy　there；　not　to　mention　indignant　Warnery　and　others）；and　at　length；　driving　it　wholly　to　the　winds：　〃beyond　Nussel；　towards　the　Sazawa　Country；〃　never　seen　again　that　day。　Prince　Karl　（after　Browne's　death…wound；　or　before；　I　never　know）　came　galloping　to　rally　that　important　Right　Wing　of　horse。　Prince　Karl　did　his　very　utmost　there；　obtesting；　praying；　raging；　threatening：but　to　no　purpose；　the　Zietheners　and　others　so　heavy　on　the　rear　of　them：and　at　last　there　came　a　cramp；　or　intolerable　twinge　of　spasm；　through　Prince　Karl's　own　person　（breast　or　heart）；　like　to　take　the　life　of　him：　so　that　he　too　had　to　be　carried　into　Prag　to　the　doctors。　And　his　Cavalry　fled　at　discretion；　chased　by　Ziethen；　on　Friedrich's　express　order；　and　sent　quite　over　the　horizon。　Enough；　〃by　about　half…past　one；〃　Sterbohol　work　is　thoroughly　done：　and　the　Austrian　Battle；　both　its　Commanders　gone；　has　heeled　fairly　downwards；　and　is　in　an　ominous　way。