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history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第73部分

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 were a comfortable sight; especially to the simpler sort: but on the other hand; at Morlaix; on the part of poor old General Bligh and Company; there had been a Platitude equal or superior to that of Abercrombie; though not so tragical in loss of men。 'What of that?' said an enthusiastic Public; striking their balance; and joyfully illuminating。 Here is a Clipping from Ohio Country; 'LETTER of an Officer 'distilled essence of Two Letters'; dated; FORT…DUQUESNE; 28th NOVEMBER; 1758:

〃'Our small Corps under General Forbes; after much sore scrambling through the Wildernesses; and contending with enemies wild and tame; is; since the last four days; in possession of Fort Duquesne 'PITTSBURG henceforth': Friday; 24th; the French garrison; on our appearance; made off without fighting; took to boats down the Ohio; and vanished out of those Countries;'forever and a day; we will hope。 'Their Louisiana…Canada communication is lost; and all that prodigious tract of rich country;'which Mr。 Washington fixed upon long ago; is ours again; if we can turn it to use。 'This day a detachment of us goes to Braddock's field of battle 'poor Braddock!'; to bury the bones of our slaughtered countrymen; many of whom the French butchered in cold blood; and; to their own eternal shame and infamy; have left lying above ground ever since。 As indeed they have done with all those slain round the Fort in late weeks;'calling themselves a civilized Nation too!〃 'Old Newspapers (in  Gentleman's Magazine  for 1759; pp。 41; 39)。'

LOWER RHINE; JULY…NOVEMBER; 1758。 〃Ferdinand's manoeuvres; after Crefeld; on the France…ward side of Rhine; were very pretty: but; without Wesel; and versus a Belleisle as War…Minister; and a Contades who was something of a General; it would not do。 Belleisle made uncommon exertions; diligent to get his broken people drilled again; Contades was wary; and counter…manoeuvred rather well。 Finally; Soubise〃 (readers recollect him and his 24 or 30;000; who stood in Frankfurt Country; on the hither or north side of Rhine); famed Rossbach Soubise;〃pushing out; at Belleisle's bidding; towards Hanover; in a region vacant otherwise of troops; became dangerous to Ferdinand。 'Making for Hanover?' thought Ferdinand: 'Or perhaps meaning to attack my 12;000 English that are just landed? Nay; perhaps my Rhine…Bridge itself; and the small Party left there?' Ferdinand found he would have to return; and look after Soubise。 Crossed; accordingly (August 8th); by his old Bridge at Rees;which he found safe; in spite of attempts there had been; '〃Fight of Meer〃 (Chevert; with 10;000; beaten off; and the Bridge saved; by Imhof; with 3;000;both clever soldiers; Imhof in better luck; and favored by the ground: 〃5th August; 1758〃): MAUVILLON; i。 315。'and never recrossed during this War。 Judges even say his first crossing had never much solidity of outlook in it; and though so delightful to the public; was his questionablest step。

〃On the 12;000 English; Soubise had attempted nothing。 Ferdinand joined his English at Soest (August 20th); to their great joy and his; 'Duke of Marlborough's heavy…laden LETTER to Pitt; 〃Koesfeld; August 15th:〃 〃Nothing but rains and uncertainties;〃 〃marching; latterly; up to our middles in water;〃 have come from Embden; straight south towards Wesel Country; almost 150 miles (Soest still a good sixty miles to southeast of us)。 CHATHAM CORRESPONDENCE (London; 1838); i。 334; 337。 The poor Duke died in two months hence; and the command devolved on Lord George Sackville; as is too well known。' 10 to 12;000 as a first instalment:Grand…looking fellows; said the Germans。 And did you ever see such horses; such splendor of equipment; regardless of expense? Not to mention those BERGSCHOTTEN (Scotch Highlanders); with their bagpipes; sporrans; kilts; and exotic costumes and ways; astonishing to the German mind。 'Romantic view of the BERGSCHOTTEN (2;000 of them; led by the Junior of the Robert Keiths above mentioned; who is a soldier as yet); in ARCHENHOLTZ; i。 351…353: IB。 and in PREUSS; ii。 136; of the 〃uniforms with gold and silver lace;〃 of the superb horses; 〃one regiment all roan horses; another all black; another all〃 &c。' Out of all whom (BERGSCHOTTEN included); Ferdinand; by management;and management was needed; got a great deal of first…rate fighting; in the next Four Years。

〃Nor; in regard to Hanover; could Soubise make anything of it; though he did (owing to a couple of stupid fellows; General Prince von Ysenburg and General Oberg; detached by Ferdinand on that service) escape the lively treatment Ferdinand had prepared for him; and even gave a kind of Beating to each of those stupid fellows; '1。 〃Fight of Sandershausen〃 (Broglio; as Soubise's vanguard; 12;000; VERSUS Ysenburg; 7;000; who stupidly would not withdraw TILL beaten: 〃23d July; 1758;〃 BEFORE Ferdinand had come across again)。 2。 Fight of Lutternberg (Soubise; 30;000; VERSUS Oberg; about 18;000; who stupidly hung back till Soubise was all gathered; and THEN &c。; still more stupidly: 〃10th October; 1758〃)。 See MAUVILLON; i。 312 (or better; ARCHENHOLTZ; i。 345); and MAUVILLON; i。 327。 Both Lutternberg and Sandershausen are in the neighborhood of Cassel;as many of those Ferdinand fights were。'one of which; Oberg's one; might have ruined Oberg and his Detachment altogether; had Soubise been alert; which he by no means was! 'Paris made such jeering about Rossbach and the Prince de Soubise;' says Voltaire; ' Histoire de Louis XV。 ' 'and nobody said a word about these two Victories of his; next Year!' For which there might be two reasons: one; according to Tempelhof; that 'the Victories were of the so…so kind (SIC WAREN AUCH DARNACH);' and another; that they were ascribed to Broglio; on both occasions;how justly; nobody will now argue!

〃Contades had not failed; in the mean while; to follow with the main Army; and was now elaborately manoeuvring about; intent to have Lippstadt; or some Fortress in those Rhine…Weser Countries。 On the tail of that second so…so Victory by Soubise; Contades thought; Now would be the chance。 And did try hard; but without effect。 Ferdinand was himself attending Contades; and mistakes were not likely。 Ferdinand; in the thick of the game (October 21st… 30th); 'made a masterly movement'that is to say; cut Contades and his Soubise irretrievably asunder: no junction now possible to them; the weaker of them liable to ruin;unless Contades; the stronger; would give battle; which; though greatly outnumbering Ferdinand; he was cautious not to do。 A melancholic cautious man; apt to be over…cautious;nicknamed 'L'APOTHECAIRE' by the Parisians; from his down looks;but had good soldier qualities withal。 Soubise and he haggled about; a short while;not a long; in these dangerous circumstances; and then had to go home again; without result; each the way he came; Contades himself repassing through Wesel; and wintering on his own side of the Rhine。〃

How Pitt is succeeding; and aiming to succeed; on the French Foreign Settlements: on the Guinea Coast; on the High Seas everywhere; in the West Indies; still more in the East;where General Lally (that fiery O'MulLALLY; famous since Fontenoy); missioned with 〃full…powers;〃 as they call them; is raging up and down; about Madras and neighborhood; in a violent; impetuous; more and more bankrupt manner:Of all this we can say nothing for the present; little at any time。 Here are two facts of the financial sort; sufficiently illuminative。 The much…expending; much… subsidying Government of France cannot now borrow except at 7 per cent Interest; and the rate of Marine Insurance has risen to 70 per cent。 'Retzow; ii。 5。' One way and other; here is a Pitt clearly progressive; and a long…pending JENKINS'S…EAR QUESTION in a fair way to be settled!

Friedrich stays in Saxony about a month; inspecting and adjusting; thence to Breslau; for Winter…quarters。 His Winter is like to be a sad and silent one; this time; with none of the gayeties of last Year; the royal heart heavy enough with many private sorrows; were there none of public at all! This is a word from him; two days after finishing Daun for the season:


FRIEDRICH TO MYLORD MARISCHAL (at Colombier in Neufchatel)。 

〃DRESDEN; 23d November; 1758。

〃There is nothing left for us; MON CHER MYLORD; but to mingle and blend our weeping for the losses we have had。 If my head were a fountain of tears; it would not suffice for the grief I feel。

〃Our Campaign is over; and there has nothing come of it; on one side or the other; but the loss of a great many worthy people; the misery of a great many poor soldiers crippled forever; the ruin of some Provinces; the ravage; pillage and conflagration of some flourishing Towns。 Exploits these which make humanity shudder: sad fruits of the wickedness and ambition of certain People in Power; who sacrifice everything to their unbridled passions! I wish you; MON CHER MYLORD; nothing that has the least resemblance to mv destiny; and everything that is wanting to it。 Your old friend; till death。〃F。 ' OEuvres de Frederic;  xx。 273。'





End of V 18

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