history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ULY　29th。　Following　which；　are　six　days　of　such　a　hunt　for　those　Austrian　reynards　as　seldom　or　never　was！　Most　vehement；　breathless；　baffling　hunt；　half　of　it　spent　in　painfully　beating　cover；　in　mere　finding　and　losing。　Not　rightly　successful；　after　all。　So　that；　on　the　eighth　day　hence；　AUGUST　6th；　at　Mullrose；　near　Frankfurt；　80　miles　from　Sagan；　there　is　a　second　rendezvous；rendezvous　of　Wedell　and　Friedrich；　who　do　not　now　〃intersect；〃　but　meet　after　the　hunt　is　done；and　in　the　interim；　there　has　been　a　wonderful　performance；　though　an　unsuccessful。　Friedrich　never　could　rightly　get　hold　of　his　Austrians。　Once　only；　at　Sommerfeld；　a　long　march　northwest　of　Sagan；　he　came　upon　some　outskirts　of　them。　And　in　general；　in　those　latter　eight　days；　especially　in　the　first　six　of　them；　there　is；　in　that　Kotbus…Sagan　Country；　such　an　intersecting；　checking；　pushing　and　multifarious　simmering　of　marches；　on　the　part　of　half　a　dozen　Strategic　Entities；　Friedrich　the　centre　of　them；　asas；　I　think；　nobody　but　an　express　soldier…student；　well　furnished　with　admiration　for　this　particular　Soldier；　would　consent　to　have　explained　to　him。　One　of　the　maziest；　most　unintelligible　whirls　of　marching；　inextricable　Sword　Dance；　or　Dance　of　the　Furies；five　of　them　（that　is　the　correct　number：　Haddick；　Loudon；　Friedrich；　Wurtemberg；　Wedell）；and　it　is　flung　down　for　us；　all　in　a　huddle；　in　these　inhuman　Books　（which　have　several　errors　of　the　press；　too）：　let　no　man　rashly　insist　with　himself　on　understanding　it；　unless　he　have　need！　Humanly　pulled　straight；　not　inhumanly　flung　down　at　random；　here　the　essentials　of　it　are；in　very　brief　state：

〃SAGAN；　MONDAY；　30th　JULY。　Friedrich　is　at　Sagan；　since　midnight　last；　busier　and　busier；〃　beating　cover；　as　we　termed　it；　and　getting　his　hounds　（his　new　Henri…Army）　in　leash；　〃endeavoring；　especially；　to　get　tidings　of　those　Austrian　people；　who　are　very　enigmatic；Loudon　a　dexterous　man；and　have　hung　up　such　a　curtain　of　Pandours　between　Friedrich　and　them　as　is　nearly　impenetrable。　In　the　course　of　this　Monday　Friedrich　ascertains　that　they　are　verily　on　the　road；　coming　eastward；　for　Sommerfeld；　'thence　for　Crossen！'　he　needs　no　ghost　to　tell　him。　Wherefore；

〃TUESDAY；　SAGAN　TO　NAUMBURG。　Tuesday　before　daybreak　Friedrich　too　is　on　the　road：　northwestward；　in　full　march　towards　Naumburg　on　Bober；　meaning　to　catch　the　Bridge　from　them　there。　March　of　the　swiftest；　he　himself　is　ahead；　as　usual；　with　the　Vanguard　of　Horse。　He　reaches　Naumburg　（northward；　a　march　of　20　miles）；　finds；　not　Haddick　or　Loudon；　but　a　Detachment　of　theirs：　which　he　at　once　oversets　with　his　cavalry；　and　chases；marking　withal　that　'westward　is　the　way　they　run。'　Westward；　and　that　we　are　still　ahead；　thank　Heaven！

〃Before　his　Infantry　are　all　up；　or　are　well　rested　in　Naumburg；　Friedrich　ascertains；　on　more　precise　tidings；　that　the　Austrians　are　in　Sommerfeld；　to　westward　（again　a　20　miles）；　and　judges　That；　no　doubt；　they　will　bear　off　more　to　leftward；　by　Guben　probably；　and　try　to　avoid　him；unless　he　can　still　catch　them　in　Sommerfeld。　About　nightfall　he　marches　for　Sommerfeld；　at　his　swiftest；　arrives　Wednesday　early；　findsalas！

〃SOMMERFELD；　WEDNESDAY　MORNING；　AUGUST　1st；　Friedrich　finds　that　Loudon　was　there　last　night；preterite　tense；　alas；　the　question　now　being；　Where　is　he！〃　In　fact；　Loudon　had　written　yesterday　to　Daun　（Letter　still　extant；　〃Sommerfeld；　July　31st〃）；　That　〃being　swift　and　light；〃　consisting　of　horse　for　most　part；　〃he　may　probably　effect　Junction　this　very　night；〃but　has　altered　his　mind　very　much；　on　sight　of　these　fugitives　from　Naumburg；　since！　And　has　borne　off　more　to　leftward。　Straight　north　now；　and　at　a　very　brisk　pace；　being　now　all　of　horse；and　has　an　important　conference　with　Haddick　at　Guben；　when　they　arrive　there。　〃Not　in　Sommerfeld？〃　thinks　Friedrich　（earnestly　surveying；　through　this　slit　he　has　made　in　the　Pandour　veil）：　〃Gone　to　Guben　most　likely；　bearing　off　from　us　to　leftward？〃Which　was　the　fact；　though　not　the　whole　fact。　And　indeed　the　chase　is　now　again　fallen　uncertain；　and　there　has　to　be　some　beating　of　covers。　For　one　thing；　he　learns　to…day　（August　1st）　that　the　Russians　are　gone　to　Frankfurt：　〃Follow　them；　you　Wedell；〃orders　Friedrich：　them　we　shall　have　to　go　into；however　this　hunt　end！

〃To　Markersdorf；　Thursday；　August　2d。　Friedrich　takes　the　road　for　Guben；　reaches　Markersdorf　（twenty　miles'　march；　still　seven　or　eight　from　Guben）；　falls　uponWhat　phenomenon　is　this？　The　Austrian　heavy　Train；　meal…wagons　not　a　few；　and　a　regiment　of　foot　in　charge　of　it；but　going　the　wrong　way；　not　TOWARDS　the　Russians；　but　from　them！　What　on　earth　can　this　be？　This　is　Haddick；if　Friedrich　could　yet　clearly　know　it；Haddick　and　Train；　who　for　his　own　part　has　given　up　the　junction　enterprise。　At　Guben；　some　hours　ago；　he　had　conference　with　Loudon；　and　this　was　the　conclusion　arrived　at：　'Impossible；　with　that　King　so　near！　You；　Herr　Loudon；　push　on；　without　heavy　baggage；　and　with　the　Cavalry　altogether：　you　can　get　in；　almost　20；000　strong；　I；　with　the　Infantry；　with　the　meal　and　heavy　guns；　will　turn；　and　make　for　the　Lausitz　again！'

〃This　mysterious　Austrian　Train；　going　the　wrong　way；　Friedrich　attacks；　whatever　it　be　（hoping；　I　suppose；　it　might　be　the　Austrians　altogether）；　chases　it　vigorously；　snatches　all　the　meal…　wagons；　and　about　1；000　prisoners。　Uncertain　still　what　it　is；if　not　the　Austrians　altogether？　To　his　sorrow；　he　finds；　on　pushing　farther　into　it；　that　it　is　only　Haddick　and　the　Infantry；　that　Loudon；　with　the　20；000　Horse；　will　have　gone　off　for　Frankfurt；irretrievably　ahead；　the　swift　Loudon；ever　careering　northward　all　this　while；　since　that　afternoon　at　Sommerfeld；　when　the　fugitives　altered　his　opinion：　a　now　unattainable　Loudon。　In　the　course　of　Thursday　night；　Friedrich　has　satisfied　himself　that　the　Loudon　junction　is　a　thing　as　good　as　done；in　effect；　Loudon　did　get　to　Frankfurt；　morning　of　August　3d；　and　joined　the　Russians　there；　and　about　the　same　time；　or　only　a　few　hours　sooner；　Friedrich；　by　symptoms；　has　divined　that　his　hunt　has　ended；　in　this　rather　unsuccessful　way；　and　that　chasing　of　Haddick　is　not　the　road　to　go。〃　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　135…139。＇

Not　Haddick　now；　with　or　without　their　Austrians；　it　shall　be　the　Russians　now！　Two　days　ago　（Wednesday；　as　was　mentioned）；　before　sight　of　those　enigmatic　meal…wagons；　Friedrich　had　learned　that　the　Russians　were　to　be　in　Frankfurt　again；　and　had　ordered　Wedell　to　march　thitherward；　at　any　rate。　Which　Wedell　is　doing；　all　this　Thursday　and　the　four　following　days。　As　does　likewise；　from　and　after　〃FRIDAY；　AUGUST　3d；　1　A。M。〃　（hunt　then　over）；　Friedrich　himself；renouncing　Haddick　and　the　hunt。　Straight　towards　Frankfurt　thenceforth；　head…quarters　Beeskow　that　night；　next　night；　Mullrose；　whither　Wedell　is　appointed；　within　twelve　miles　of　Frankfurt。　This　is　the　end　of　Friedrich's　sore　Chase　and　March；　burnt　deeply　into　his　own　weary　brain；　if　ours　still　refuse　it　admittance！　Here；　of　utterly　fatigued　tone；　is　a　Note　of　his；　chiefly　on　business；　to　Minister　Finkenstein。　Indeed　there　are；　within　the　next　ten　days；　Three　successive　Notes　to　Finkenstein；　which　will　be　worth　reading　in　their　due　places。　This　is　the　First　of　them：

THE　KING　TO　GRAF　VON　FINKENSTEIN　（at　Berlin）。

〃BEESKOW；　3d　August；1759。〃

〃I　am　just　arrived　here；　after　cruel　and　frightful　marchings　＇CHECKS　HIMSELF；　HOWEVER＇。　There　is　nothing　desperate　in　all　that；　and　I　believe　the　noise　and　disquietude　this　hurly…burly　has　caused　will　be　the　worst　of　it。　Show　this　Letter　to　everybody；　that　it　may　be　known　the　State　is　not　undefended。　I　have　made　above　1；000　prisoners　from　Haddick。　All　his　meal…wagons　have　been　taken。　Finck；　I　believe；　will　keep　an　eye　on　him；〃　and　secure　Berlin　from　attempts　of　his。　〃This　is　all　I　can　say。

〃To…morrow　I　march　to　within　two　leagues　of　Frankfurt　＇to　Mullrose；　namely＇。　Katte　＇the　Minister　who　has　charge　of　such　things＇　must　send　me　instantly　Two　Hundred　Wispels　＇say　tons＇　of　Meal；　and　Bakers　One　Hundred；　to　Furstenwalde。　I　shall　encamp　at　Wulkow。　I　am　very　tired。　For　six　nights　I　have　not　closed　an　eye。　Farewell。F。〃

During　the　above　intricate　War…Dance　of　Five；the　day　while　Friedrich　was　at　Sommerfeld；　the　day　before　he　came　in　sight　of　Haddick's　meal…wagons　going　the　wrong　road；there　went　on；　at　Minden；　on　the　Weser；　three　hundred　miles　away；　a　beautiful　feat　of　War；　in　the　highest　degree　salutary　to　Duke　Ferdinand　and　Britannic　Majesty's　Ministry；　feat　which　requires　a　word　from　us　here。　A　really　splendid　Victory；　this　of　Minden；　August　1st：　French　driven　headlong　through　the　Passes　there；　their　〃Conquest　of　Hanover　and　Weser　Country〃　quite　exploded　and　flung　over　the　horizon；　and　Duke　Ferdinand　relieved　from　all　his　distresses；　and　lord　of　the　ascendant　again　in　those　parts。　Highly　interesting　to　Friedrich；especially　to　Prince　Henri；　whose　apprehensions　about　Ferdinand　and　the　old　Richelieu　Hastenbeck…Halberstadt　time　returning　on　us；　have　been　very　great；　and　who　now；　at　Schmottseifen；　fires　FEU…DE…JOIE　for　it　with　all　his　heart。　This　is　a　Battle　still　of　some　interest　to　English　readers。　But　can　English　readers　consent　to　halt　in　this　hot　pinch　of　the　Friedrich　crisis；　and　read　the　briefest　thing　which　is　foreign　to　it？　Alas；　I　fear　they　can；and　will　insert　the　Note　here：

BATTLE　OF　MINDEN：　WEDNESDAY；　AUGUST　1st；　1759。…〃Ever　since　Bergen；　things　have　gone　awry　with　Ferdinand；　and　in　spite　of　skilful　management；　of　hard　struggles　and　bright　sparkles　of　success；　he　has　had　a　bad　Campaign　of　it。　The　French；　it　would　seem；　are　really　got　into　better　fighting　order；　Belleisle's　exertions　as　War…Minister　have　been　almost　wonderful；in　some　respects；　TOO　wonderful；　as　we　shall　hear！and　Broglio　and　Contades；　in　comparison　with　Clermont　and　Soubise；　have　real　soldier　qualities。　Contades；　across　Rhine　again；　in　those　Weser　Countries；　who　is　skilful　in　his　way；　and　is　pricked　on　by　emulation　of　Broglio；　has　been　spreading　himself　out　steadily　progressive　there；　while　Broglio；　pushing　along　from　Frankfurt…on…　Mayn；　has　conquered　Hessen；　is　into　Hanover；　on　the　edge　of　conqueriug　Hanover；which　how　is　Ferdinand　to　hinder？　Ferdinand　has　got　two；　if　not　three　Armies　to　deal　with；　and　in　number　is　not　mnch　superi