history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第72部分

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　up　of　siege…material　in　those　parts。　Kosel；　under　Commandant　Lattorf；　whose　praises；　like　Treskow's；　were　great；had　stood　four　months　of　Pandour　blockading　and　assaulting；　which　also　had　to　take　itself　away　on　advent　of　Friedrich。　Of　Friedrich；　on　his　return…journey；　we　shall　hear　again　before　long；　but　in　the　mean　while　must　industriously　follow　Daun。


FELDMARSCHALL　DAUN　AND　THE　REICHS　ARMY　TRY　SOME　SIEGE　OF　DRESDEN　（9th…16th　November）。

OCTOBER　30th；　Daun；　seeing　Neisse　Siege　as　good　as　gone　to　water；　decided　with　himself　that　he　could　still　do　a　far　more　important　stroke：　capture　Dresden；　get　hold　of　Saxony　in　Friedrich's　absence。　Daun　turned　round　from　Reichenbach；　accordingly；　and；　at　his　slow…　footed　pace；　addressed　himself　to　that　new　errand。　Had　he　made　better　despatch；　or　even　been　in　better　luck；　it　is　very　possible　he　might　have　done　something　there。　In　Dresden；　and　in　Governor　Schmettau　with　his　small　garrison；　there　is　no　strength　for　a　siege；　in　Saxony　is　nothing　but　some　poor　remnant　under　Finck；　much　of　it　Free…corps　and　light　people：　capable　of　being　swallowed　by　the　Reichs　Army　itself；were　the　Reichs　Army　enterprising；　or　in　good　circumstances　otherwise。　It　is　true　the　Russians　have　quitted　Colberg　as　impossible；　and　are　flowing　homewards　dragged　by　hunger：　the　little　Dohna　Army　will；　therefore；　march　for　Saxony；　the　little　Anti…Swedish　Army；　under　Wedell；　has　likewise　been　mostly　ordered　thither；　both　at　their　quickest。　For　Daun；　all　turns　on　despatch；　loiter　a　little；　and　Friedrich　himself　will　be　here　again！

Daun；　I　have　no　doubt；　stirred　his　slow　feet　the　fastest　he　could。　NOVEMBER　7th；　Daun　was　in　the　neighborhood　of　Pirna　Country　again；　had　his　Bridge　at　Pirna；　for　communication；　urged　the　Reichs　Army　to　bestir　itself；　Now　or　never。　Reichs　Army　did　push　out　a　little　against　Finck；　made　him　leave　that　perpetual　Camp　of　Gahmig；　take　new　camps；　Kesselsdorf　and　elsewhere；　and　at　length　made　him　shoot　across　Elbe；　to　the　northwest；　on　a　pontoon　bridge　below　Dresden；　with　retreating　room　to　northward；　and　shelter　under　the　guns　of　that　City。　Reichs　Army　has　likewise　made　powerful　detachments　for　capture　of　Leipzig　and　the　northwestern　towns；　capture　of　Torgau；　the　Magazine　town；　first　of　all：　summon　them；　with　force　evidently　overpowering；　〃Free　withdrawal；　if　you　don't　resist；　and　if　you　do！〃　At　Torgau　there　was　actual　attempt　made　（November　12th）；　rather　elaborate　and　dangerous　looking；　under　Haddick；　with　near　10；000　of　the　〃Austrian…auxiliary〃　sort：　to　whom　the　old　Commandant　judging　Wedell；　the　late　Anti…Swedish　Wedell；　to　be　now　near　rushed　out　with　〃300　men　and　one　big　gun；〃　and　made　such　a　firing　and　gesticulation　as　was　quite　extraordinary；　as　if　Wedell　were　here　already：　till　Wedell's　self　did　come　in　sight；　and　the　overpowering　Reichs　Detachment　made　its　best　speed　else…whither。　＇Tempelhof；　&c。；　〃Letter　from　a　Prussian　Officer；〃　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　v。　286。＇　The　other　Sieges　remained　things　of　theory；　the　other　Reichs　Detachments　hurried　home；　I　think；　without　summoning　anybody。

Meanwhile；　Daun；　with　the　proper　Artilleries　at　last　ready；　comes　flowing　forward　（NOVEMBER　8th…9th）；　and　takes　post　in　the　Great　Garden；　or　south　side　of　Dresden；　minatory　to　Schmettau　and　that　City。　The　walls；　or　works；　are　weak；　outside　there　is　nothing　but　Mayer　and　the　Free　Corps　to　resist；　who　indeed　has　surpassed　himself　this　season；　and　been　extraordinarily　diligent　upon　that　lazy　Reichs　Army。　Commandant　Schmettau　signifies　to　Daun；　the　day　Daun　came　in　sight；　〃If　your　Excellenz　advance　farther　on　me；　the　grim　Rules　of　War　in　besieged　places　will　order　That　I　burn　the　Suburbs；　which　are　your　defences　in　attacking　me；〃and　actually　fills　the　fine　houses　on　the　Southern　Suburb　with　combustible　matter；　making　due　announcements；　to　Court　and　population；　as　well　as　to　Dann。　〃Burn　the　Suburbs？〃　answers　Daun：　〃In　the　name　of　civilized　humanity；　you　will　never　think　of　such　thing！〃　〃That　will　I；　your　Excellenz；　of　a　surety；　and　do　it！〃　answers　Schmettau。　So　that　Dresden　is　full　of　pity；　terror　and　speculation。　The　common　rumor　is；　says　Excellency　Mitchell；　who　is　sojourning　there　for　the　present；　〃That　Bruhl　＇nefarious　Bruhl；　born　to　be　the　death　of　us！＇　has　persuaded　Polish　Majesty　to　sanction　this　enterprise　of　Daun's；〃very　careless；　Bruhl；　what　become　of　Dresden　or　us；　so　the　King　of　Prussia　be　well　hurt　or　spited！

Certain　enough；　NOVEMBER　9th；　Daun　does　come　on；　regardless　of　Schmettau's　assurances；　so　that；　〃about　midnight：〃　Mayer；　who　〃can　hear　the　enemy　busily　building　four　big　batteries〃　withal；　has　to　report　himself　driven　to　the　edge　of　those　high　Houses　（which　are　filled　with　combustibles）；　and　that　some　Croats　are　got　into　the　upper　windows。　〃Burn　them；　then！〃　answers　Schmettasu　（such　the　dire　necessity　of　sieged　places）：　and；　〃at　3　A。M。〃　（three　hours'　notice　to　the　poor　inmates）；　Mayer　does　so；　hideous　flames　bursting　out；　punctually　at　the　stroke　of　3：　〃whole　Suburb　seemed　on　blaze　＇about　a　sixth　part　of　it　actually　so＇；　nay　you　would　have　said　the　whole　Town　was　environed　in　flames。〃　Excellency　Mitchell　climbed　a　steeple：　〃will　not　describe　to　your　Lordship　the　horror；　the　terror　and　confusion　of　this　night；　wretched　inhabitants　running　with　their　furniture　＇what　of　it　they　had　got　flung　out；　between　12　o'clock　and　3＇　towards　the　Great　Garden；　all　Dresden；　to　appearance；　girt　in　flames；　ruins　and　smoke。〃　Such　a　night　in　Dresden；　especially　in　the　Pirna　Suburb；　as　was　never　seen　before。　＇Mitchell；　　Memoirs　and　Papers；　　i。　459。　In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　295…302；　minute　account　（corresponding　well　with　Mitchell's）；　ib。　303…333；　the　certified　details　of　the　damage　done：　〃280　houses　lost；〃　〃4　human　lives。〃＇　This　was　the　sad　beginning；　or　attempt　at　beginning；　of　Dresden　Siege；　and　this　also　was　the　end　of　it；　on　Daun's　part　at　present。　For　four　days　more；　he　hung　about　the　place；　minatory；　hesitative；　but　attempted　nothing　feasible；　and　on　the　fifth　day；　〃for　a　certain　weighty　reason；〃　as　the　Austrian　Gazettes　express　it；he　saw　good　to　vanish　into　the　Pirna　Rock…Country；　and　be　out　of　harm's　way　in　the　mean　while！

The　Truth　is；　Daun's　was　an　intricate　case　just　now；　needing；　above　all　things；　swiftness　of　treatment；　what；　of　all　things；　it　could　not　get　from　Daun。　His　denunciations　on　that　burnt　Suburb　were　again　loud；　but　Schmettau　continues　deaf　to　all　that；means　〃to　defend　himself　by　the　known　rules　of　war　and　of　honor；〃　declares；　he　〃will　dispute　from　street　to　street；　and　only　finish　in　the　middle　of　Polish　Majesty's　Royal　Palace。〃　Denunciation　will　do　nothing！　Daun　had　above　100；000　men　in　those　parts。　Rushing　forward　with　sharp　shot　and　bayonet　storm；　instead　of　logical　denunciation；　it　is　probable　Daun　might　have　settled　his　Schmettau。　But　the　hour　of　tide　was　rigorous；　withal；and　such　an　ebb；　if　you　missed　it　in　hesitating！　NOVEMBER　15th；　Daun　withdrew；　the　ebbing　come。　That　same　day；　Friedrich　was　at　Lauban　in　the　Lausitz；　within　a　hundred　miles　again；　speeding　hitherward；　behind　him　a　Silesia　brushed　clear；　before　him　a　Saxony　to　be　brushed。　〃Reason　weighty〃　enough；　think　Daun　and　the　Austrian　Gazettes！　But　such；　since　you　have　missed　the　tide…hour；　is　the　inexorable　fact　of　ebb；going　at　that　frightful　rate。　Daun　never　was　the　man　to　dispute　facts。

November　20th；　Friedrich　arrived　in　Dresden；　heard；　next　day；　that　Daun　had　wheeled　decisively　homeward　from　Pirna　Country；　that　the　Reichs　Army　and　he　are　diligently　climbing　the　Metal　Mountains；　and　that　there　is　not　in　Saxony；　more　than　in　Silesia；　an　enemy　left。　What　a　Sequel　to　Hochkirch！　〃Neisse　and　Dresden　both！〃　we　had　hoped　as　sequel；　if　lucky：　〃Neisse　OR　Dresden〃　seemed　infallible。　And　we　are　climbing　the　Metal　Mountains；　under　facts　superior　to　us。

And　Campaign　Third　has　closed　in　this　manner；leaving　things　much　as　it　found　them。　Essentially　a　drawn　match；　Contending　Parties　little　altered　in　relative　strength；both　of　them；　it　may　be　presumed；　considerably　weaker。　Friedrich　is　not　triumphant；　or　shining　in　the　light　of　bonfires；　as　last　Year；　but；　in　the　mind　of　judges；　stands　higher　than　ever　（if　that　could　help　him　much）；　and　is　not　〃annihilated〃　in　the　least；　which　is　the　surprising　circumstance。

Friedrich's　marches；　especially；　have　been　wonderful；　this　Year。　In　the　spring…time；　old　Marechal　de　Belleisle；　French　Minister　of　War；　consulting　officially　about　future　operations；　heard　it　objected　once：　〃But　if　the　King　of　Prussia　were　to　burst　in　upon　us　there？〃　〃The　King　of　Prussia　is　a　great　soldier；〃　answered　M。　de　Belleisle；　〃but　his　Army　is　not　a　shuttle　（NAVETTE）；〃to　be　shot　about；　in　that　way；　from　side　to　side　of　the　world！　No　surely；　not　altogether。　But　the　King　of　Prussia　has；　among　other　arts；　an　art　of　marching　Armies；　which　by　degrees　astonishes　the　old　Marechal。　To　〃come　upon　us　EN　NAVETTE；〃　suddenly　〃like　a　shuttle〃　from　the　other　side　of　the　web；　became　an　established　phrase　among　the　French　concerned　in　these　unfortunate　matters。　＇Archenholtz；　i。　316；　Montalembert；　SAEPIUS；　for　the　phrase　〃EN　NAVETTE。〃＇

〃The　Pitt…and…Ferdinand　Campaign　of　1758；〃　says　a　Note；　which　I　would　fain　abridge；　〃is　more　palpably　victorious　than　Friedrich's；　much　more　an　affair　of　bonfires　than　his；　though　it　too　has　had　its　rubs。　Loss　of　honor　at　Crefeld；　loss　of　Louisburg　and　Codfishery：　these　are　serious　blows　our　enemy　has　had。　But　then；　to　temper　the　joy　over　Louisburg；　there　was；　at　Ticonderoga；　by　Abercrombie；　on　the　small　scale　（all　the　extent　of　scale　he　had）；　a　melancholy　Platitude　committed：　that　of　walking　into　an　enemy　without　the　least　reconnoitring　of　him；　who　proves　to　be　chin…deep　in　abatis　and　field…works；　and　kills；　much　at　his　ease；　about　2；000　brave　fellows；　brought　5；000　miles　for　that　object。　And　obliges　you　to　walk　away　on　the　instant；　and　quit　Ticonderoga；　like　asurely　like　a　very　tragic　Dignitary　in　Cocked…hat！　To　be　cashiered；　we　will　hope；　at　least　to　be　laid　on　the　shelf；　and　replaced　by　some　Wolfe　or　some　Amherst；　fitter　for　the　business！　Nor　were　the　Descents　on　the　French　Coast　much　to　speak　of：　'Great　Guns　got　at　Cherbourg；'　these　truly；　as　exhibited　in　Hyde…Park；　were　a　comfortable　sight；　especially　to　the　simpler　sort：　but　on　the　other　hand；　at　Morlaix；　on　the