history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第9部分

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Here　is　a　very　curious　fact　and　consideration。　That　the　King　had　so　prophesied　and　preordained：　〃May　4th；　Four　Columns　arrive　at　Prag；　May　6th；　attack　the　Austrians；　beat　them；〃and　now　wished　to　keep　his　word！　This　is　an　aerial　reason；　which　I　can　suspect　to　have　had　its　weight　among　others。　There　were　twirls　of　that　kind　in　Friedrich；　intricate　weak　places；　knots　in　the　sound　straight…　fibred　mind　he　had　（as　in　whose　mind　are　they　not？）；which　now　and　then　cost　him　dear！　The　Anecdote…Books　say　he　was　very　ill　of　body；　that　day；　May　6th；　and　called　for　something　of　drug　nature；　and　swallowed　it　（drug　not　named）；　after　getting　on　horseback。　The　Evening　Anecdote　is　prettier：　How；　in　the　rushing　about；　Austrians　now　flying；　he　got　eye　on　Brother　Henri　（clayey　to　a　degree）；　and　sat　down　with　him；　in　the　blessed　sunset；　for　a　minute　or　two；　and　bewailed　his　sad　losses　of　Schwerin　and　others。

Certain　it　is；　the　victory　was　bought　by　hard　fighting；　and　but　for　the　quality　of　his　troops；　had　not　been　there。　But　the　bravery　of　the　Prussians　was　exemplary；　and　covered　all　mistakes　that　were　made。　Nobler　fire；　when　did　it　burn　in　any　Army？　More　perfect　soldiers　I　have　not　read　of。　Platt…Teutsch　firewhich　I　liken　to　anthracite；　in　contradistinction　to　Gaelic　blaze　of　kindled　straw　is　thrice　noble；　when；　by　strict　stern　discipline；　you　are　above　it　withal；　and　wield　your　fire…element；　as　Jove　his　thunder；　by　rule！　Otherwise　it　is　but　half…admirable：　Turk…Janissaries　have　it　otherwise；　and　it　comes　to　comparatively　little。

This　is　the　famed　Battle　of　Prag；　fought　May　6th；　1757；　which　sounded　through　all　the　world；and　used　to　deafen　us　in　drawing…rooms　within　man's　memory。　Results　of　it　were：　On　the　Prussian　side；　killed；　wounded　and　missing；　12；500　men；　on　the　Austrian；　13；000　（prisoners　included）；　with　many　flags；　cannon；　tents；　much　war…gear　gone　the　wrong　road；and　a　very　great　humiliation　and　dispiritment；　though　they　had　fought　well：　〃No　longer　the　old　Austrians；　by　any　means；〃　as　Friedrich　sees；　but　have　iron　ramrods；　all　manner　of　Prussian　improvements；　and　are　〃learning　to　march；〃　as　he　once　says；　with　surprise　not　quite　pleasant。

Friedrich　gives　the　cipher　of　loss；　on　both　sides；　much　higher：　〃This　Battle；〃　says　he；　〃which　began　towards　nine　in　the　morning；　and　lasted；　chase　included；　till　eight　at　night；　was　one　of　the　bloodiest　of　the　age。　The　Enemy　lost　24；000　men；　of　whom　were　5；000　prisoners；　the　Prussian　loss　amounted　to　18；000　fighting　men；　without　counting　Marshal　Schwerin；　who　alone　was　worth　above　10；000。〃　〃This　day　saw　the　pillars　of　the　Prussian　Infantry　cut　down；〃　says　he　mournfully；　seeming　almost　to　think　the　〃laurels　of　victory〃　were　purchased　too　dear。　His　account　of　the　Battle；　as　if　it　had　been　a　painful　object；　rather　avoided　in　his　after…thoughts；　is　unusually　indistinct；and　helps　us　little　in　the　extreme　confusion　that　reigns　otherwise；　both　in　the　thing　itself　and　in　the　reporters　of　the　thing。　Here　is　a　word　from　Winterfeld；　some　private　Letter；　two　days　after；　which　is　well　worth　reading　for　those　who　would　understand　this　Battle。

〃The　enemy　had　his　Left　Wing　leaning　on　the　City；　close　by　the　Moldau；〃　at　Nussel；　〃and　stretched　with　his　Right　Wing　across　the　high　Hill　＇of　Zisca＇　to　the　village　of　Lieben　＇so　he　HAD　stood；　looking　into　Prag；　but　faced　about；　on　hearing　that　Friedrich　was　across　the　River＇；　having　before　him　those　terrible　Defiles　＇DIE　TERRIBLEN　DEFILEES；　〃Horse…shoe　of　the　Moldau；〃　as　we　call　it＇；　and　the　village　of　Prossik；　which　was　crammed　with　Pandours。　It　was　about　half…past　six　in　the　morning；　when　our　Schwerin　Army　＇myself　part　of　it；　at　this　time＇　joined　with　the　twenty　battalions　and　twenty　squadrons；　which　the　King　had　brought　across　to　unite　with　us；　and　which　formed　our　right　wing　of　battle　that　day　＇our　left　wing　were　Schweriners；　Sterbohol　and　the　fighting　done　by　Schweriners　after　their　long　march＇。　The　King　was　at　once　determined　to　attack　the　Enemy；　as　also　were　Schwerin　＇say　nothing　of　the　arguing＇　and　your　humble　servant　（MEINE　WENIGKEIT）：　but　the　first　thing　was；　to　find　a　hole　whereby　to　get　at　him。

〃This　too　was　selected；　and　decided　on；　my　proposal　being　found　good；　and　took　effect　in　manner　following：　We　＇Schweriners＇　had　marched　off　left…wise；　foremost；　and　we　now；　without　halt；　continued　marching　so　with　the　Left　Wing〃　of　horse；　〃which　had　the　van　（TETE）；　and　moved　on；　keeping　the　road　for　Hlaupetin；　and　ever　thence　onwards　along　for　Kyge；　round　the　Ponds　of　Unter…　Podschernitz；　without　needing　to　pass　these；　and　so　as　to　get　them　in　our　rear。

〃The　Enemy；　who　at　first　had　expected　nothing　bad；　and　never　supposed　that　we　would　attack　him　at　once；　FLAGRANTE　DELICTO；　and　least　of　all　in　this　point；　and　did　not　believe　it　possible；　as　we　should　have　to　wade；　breast…deep　in　part；　through　the　ditches；　and　drag　our　cannon；was　at　first　quite　tranquil。　But　as　he　began　to　perceive　our　real　design　（in　which；　they　say；　Prince　Karl　was　the　first　to　open　Marshal　Browne's　eyes）；　he　drew　his　whole　Cavalry　over　towards　us；　as　fast　as　it　could　be　done；　and　stretched　them　out　as　Right　Wing；　to　complete　which；　his　Grenadiers　and　Hungarian　Regulars　of　Foot　ranked　themselves　as　they　got　up　＇makes　his　POTENCE；　HAKEN；　or　joiner's…square；　outmost　end　of　it　Horse。＇

〃The　Enemy's　intention　was　to　hold　with　the　Right　Wing　of　his　infantry　on　the　Farmstead　which　they　call　Sterbaholy　＇Sterbohol；　a　very　dirty　Farmstead　at　this　day＇；　I；　however；　had　the　good　luck；　plunging　on；　head　foremost；　with　six　battalions　of　our　Left　Wing　and　two　of　the　Flank；　to　get　to　it　before　him。　Although　our　Second　Line　was　not　yet　come　forward；　yet；　as　the　battalions　of　the　First　were　tolerably　well　together；　I　decided；　with　General　Fouquet；　who　had　charge　of　the　Flank；　to　begin　at　once；　and；　that　the　Enemy　might　not　have　time　to　post　himself　still　better；　I　pushed　forward；　quick　step；　out　of　the　Farmstead〃　of　Sterbohol　〃to　meet　him；so　fast；　that　even　our　cannon　had　not　time　to　follow。　He　did；　accordingly；　begin　to　waver；　and　I　could　observe　that　his　people　here；　on　this　Wing；　were　making　right…about。

〃Meanwhile；　his　fire　of　case…shot　opened　＇from　Homoly　Hill；　on　our　left＇；　and　we　were　still　pushing　on；might　now　be　about　two　hundred　steps　from　the　Enemy's　Line；　when　I　had　the　misfortune；　at　the　head　of　Regiment　Schwerin；　to　get　wounded；　and；　swooning　away　（VOR　TOD）；　fell　from　my　horse　to　the　ground。　Awakening　after　some　minutes；　and　raising　my　head　to　look　about；　I　found　nobody　of　our　people　now　here　beside　or　round　me；　but　all　were　already　behind；　in　full　flood　of　retreat　（HOCH　ANSCHLAGEN）。　The　Enemy's　Grenadiers　were　perhaps　eighty　paces　from　me；　but　had　halted；　and　had　not　the　confidence　to　follow　us。　I　struggled　to　my　feet；　as　fast　as；　for　weakness；　I　possibly　could；　and　got　up　to　our　confused　mass　＇CONFUSEN　KLUMPEN；exact　place；　where？＇：　but　could　not；　by　entreaties　or　by　threats；　persuade　a　single　man　of　them　to　turn　his　face　on　the　Enemy；　much　less　to　halt　and　try　again。

〃In　this　embarrassment　the　deceased　Feldmarschall　found　me；　and　noticed　that　the　blood　was　flowing　stream…wise　from　my　neck。　As　I　was　on　foot；　and　none　of　my　people　now　near；　he　bade　give　me　his　led　horse　which　he　still　had　＇and　sent　me　home　for　surgery？　Winterfeld；　handsomely　effacing　himself　when　no　longer　good　for　anything；　hurries　on　to　the　Catastrophe；　leaving　us　to　guess　that　he　was　NOT　an　eye…witness　farther＇bade　give　me　the　led　horse　which　he　still　had；　AND　＇as　if　that　had　happened　directly　after；　which　surely　it　did　not？　AND＇　snatched　the　flag　from　Captain　Rohr；　who　had　taken　it　up　to　make　the　Bursche　turn；　and　rode　forward　with　it　himself。'　But　before　he　could　succeed　in　the　attempt；　this　　excellent　man；　almost　in　a　minute；　was　hit　with　five　case…shot　balls；　and　fell　dead　on　the　ground；　as　also　his　brave　Adjutant　von　Platen　was　so　wounded　that　he　died　next　day。

〃During　this　confusion　and　repulse；　by　which；　as　already　mentioned；　the　Enemy　had　not　the　heart　to　profit；　not　only　was　our　Second　Line　come　on；　but　those　of　the　First；　who　had　not　suffered；　went　vigorously　（FRISCH）　at　the　Enemy；〃and　in　course　of　time　（perhaps　two　hours　yet）；　and　by　dint　of　effort；　we　did　manage　Sterbohol　and　its　batteries：〃Like　as　＇still　in　one　sentence；　and　without　the　least　punctuation；　Winterfeld　being　little　of　a　grammarian；　and　in　haste　for　the　close＇；　Like　as　Prince　Henri's　Royal　Highness　with　our　Right　Wing；〃　Mannstein　and　he；　〃without　waiting　for　order；　attacked　so　PROMPT　and　with　such　FERMOTE；〃　in　that　elbow…hole　far　north　of　US；　〃that　everywhere　the　Enemy's　Line　began　to　give　way；　and　instead　of　continuing　as　Line；　sought　corps…wise　to　gain　the　Heights；　and　there　post　itself。　And　as；　without　winning　said　Heights；　we　could　not　win　the　Battle；　we　had　to　storm　them　all；　one　after　the　other；　and　this　it　was　that　cost　us　the　best；　most　and　bravest　people。

〃The　late　Colonel　von　Goltz　＇if　we　glance　back　to　Sterbohol　itself＇；　who；　with　the　regiment　Fouquet；　was　advancing；　right…hand　of　Schwerin　regiment〃　and　your　servant；　〃had　likewise　got　quite　close　to　the　Enemy；　and　had　he　not；　at　the　very　instant　when　he　was　levelling　bayonets；　been　shot　down；　I　think　that　he；　with　myself　and　the　Schwerin　regiment；　would　have　got　in；〃and　perhaps　have　there　done　the　job；　special　and　general；　with　much　less　expense；　and　sooner！　＇Preuss；　ii。　45…47　（in　Winterfeld's　hand；　dated　〃Camp　at　Prag；　8th　May；　1757：〃　addressed　to　one　knows　not　whom；　first　printed　by　Preuss）。＇

This　is　what　we　get　from　Winterfeld；　a　rugged；　not　much　grammatical　man；　but　（as　I　can　perceive）　with　excellent　eyes　in　his　head；　and　interior　talent　for　twenty　grammatical　people；　had　that　been　his　line。　These；　faithfully　rendered　here；　without　change　but　of　pointing；　are　the　only　words　I　ever　saw　of　his：　to　my　regret；　which　surely　the　Prussian　Dryasdust　might　still　amend　a　little？in　respect　of　so　distinguished　a　person；　and　chosen　Peer　of　Friedrich's。　This　his　brief　theory　of　Prag　Battle；　if　intensely　read；　I　find　to　be　of　a　piece　with　his　practice　there。

Schwerin　was　much　lamented　in　the　Army；　and　has　been　duly　honored　ever　since。　His　body　lies　in　Schwerinsburg；　at　home；　far　away；　his　Monument；　finale　of　a　series　of　Monuments；　stands；　now　under　special　guardianship；　near　Sterbohol　on　the　spot