history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第13部分

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st　thing；which　does　not　succeed　at　once　（indeed　took　three　attacks　in　all）；　and　perhaps　looks　rather　tedious　to　those　Six　English　Battalions。　Ferdinand's　order　to　them　was；　'You　shall　march　up　to　attack；　you　Six；　on　sound　of　drum；'　but；　it　seems；　they　read　it；　'BY　sound　of　drum；'　'Beating　our　own　drums；　yes；　of　course！'and；　being　weary　of　this　Hahlen　work；　or　fancying　they　had　no　concern　with　it；　strode　on；　double…quick；　without　waiting　for　Hahlen　at　all！　To　the　horror　of　their　Hanoverian　comrades；　who　nevertheless　determined　to　follow　as　second　line。　'The　Contades　cross…fire　of　artillery；　battery　of　30　guns　on　one　flank；　of　36　on　the　other；　does　its　best　upon　this　forward…minded　Infantry；　but　they　seem　to　heed　it　little；　walk　right　forward；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of　those　French　Horse　and　of　all　the　world；　entirely　break　and　ruin　the　charge　made　on　them；　and　tramp　forward　in　chase　of　the　same。　The　10；000　Horse　feel　astonished；　insulted；　and　rush　out　again；　furiously　charging；　the　English　halt　and　serry　themselves：　'No　fire　till　they　are　within　forty　paces；'　and　then　such　pouring　torrents　of　it　as　no　horse　or　man　can　endure。　Rally　after　rally　there　is；　on　the　part　of　those　10；000；　mass　after　mass　of　them　indignantly　plunges　on；again；　ever　again；　about　six　charges　in　all；but　do　not　break　the　English　lines：　one　of　them　（regiment　Mestrede…Camp；　raised　to　a　paroxysm）　does　once　get　through；　across　the　first　line；　but　is　blown　back　in　dreadful　circumstances　by　the　second。　After　which　they　give　it　up；　as　a　thing　that　cannot　be　done。　And　rush　rearward；　hither；　thither；　the　whole　seventy…five　squadrons　of　them；　and　'between　their　two　wings　of　infantry　are　seen　boiling　in　complete　disorder。'

〃This　has　lasted　about　an　hour：　this　is　essentially　the　soul　of　the　Fight；though　there　wanted　not　other　activities；　to　right　of　it　and　to　left；　on　both　sides；　artilleries　going　at　a　mighty　rate　on　both　wings；　and　counter…artilleries　（superlative　practice　'by　Captain　Phillips'　on　OUR　right　wing）；　Broglio　cannonading　Wangenheim　very　loudly；　but　with　little　harm　done　or　suffered；　on　their　right　wing。　Wangenheim　is　watchful　of　that　gap　between　Ferdinand　and　him；　till　it　close　itself　sufficiently。　Their　right…　wing　Infantry　did　once　make　some　attempt　there；　but　the　Prussian　Horse（always　a　small　body　of　Prussians　serve　in　this　Allied　Army）shot　out；　and　in　a　brilliant　manner　swept　them　home　again。

PLAN　OF　BATTLE　HEREPAGE　239；　BOOK　X1X…

Artillery　and　that　pretty　charge　of　Prussian　Horse　are　all　one　remembers；　except　this　of　the　English　and　Hanover　Foot　in　the　centre：　'an　unsurpassable　thing；'　says　Tempelhof　（though　it　so　easily　might　have　been　a　fatal！）which　has　set　Contades's　centre　boiling；　and　reduced　Contades　altogether　to　water；　as　it　were。　Contades　said　bitterly：　'I　have　seen　what　I　never　thought　to　be　possible；a　single　line　of　infantry　break　through　three　lines　of　cavalry　ranked　in　order　of　battle；　and　tumble　them　to　ruin！'　＇Stenzel；　v。　204。＇

〃This　was　the　feat；　this　hour's　work　in　the　centre；　the　essential　soul　of　the　Fight：and　had　Lord　George　Sackville；　General　of　the　Horse；　come　on　when　galloped　for　and　bidden；　here　had　been　such　a　ruin；　say　all　judges；　as　seldom　came　upon　an　Army。　Lord　Georgeeverlasting　disgrace　and　sorrow　on　the　name　of　himcould　not　see　his　way　to　coming　on；　delayed；　haggled；　would　not　even　let　Granby；　his　lieutenant；　come；　not　for　a　second　Adjutant；　not　for　a　third；　never　came　on　at　all；　but　rode　to　the　Prince；　asking；　'How　am　I　to　come　on？'　Who；　with　a　politeness　I　can　never　enough　admire；　did　not　instantly　kill　him；　but　answered；　in　mild　tone；　'Milord；　the　opportunity　is　now　past！'　Whereby　Contades　escaped　ruin；　and　was　only　beaten。　By　about　10　in　the　morning　all　was　over。　When　a　man's　centre　is　gone　to　water；　no　part　of　him　is　far　from　the　fluid　state。　Contades　retreated　into　his　rabbit…hole　by　those　nineteen　bridges；well　tormented；　they　say；　by　Captain　Phillips's　artillery；　till　he　got　beyond　the　knolls　again。　Broglio；　who　had　never　been　in　musket…fire　at　all；　but　had　merely　barked　on　Wangenheim　all　morning；　instead　of　biting；　covered　the　retreat；　and　withdrew　into　Minden。　And　we　are　a　beaten　Army；thanks　to　Lord　George；　not　an　annihilated　one。　Our　loss　being　only　7；086　（with　heavy　guns；　colors；　cavalry　flags　and　the　like）；　theirs　being　2；822；full　half　of　it　falling　on　those　rash　Six　Battalions。　＇Mauvillon；　ii。　44…60；　Tempelhof；　iii。　154…179；　&c。　&c。：　and　　Proceedings　of　a　Court…Martial；　held　at　the　Horse…　Guards；　7th…24th　March　and　25th　March…5th　April；　1760；　in　Trial　of　Lord　George　Sackville　　（London；　1760）。　In　Knesebeck；　　Ferdinand　wahrend　des　siebenjahrigen　Krieges　　　（i。　395）；　Ferdinand's　Letter　to　Friedrich　of　〃July　31st；〃　and　（i。　398…418　and　ii。　33…36）　many　special　details　about　Sackville　and　〃August　1st。〃

〃And　what　is　this　one　hears　from　Gohfeld　in　the　evening？　The　Hereditary　Prince；　busy　there　on　us　during　the　very　hours　of　Minden；　has　blown　our　rear…guard　division　to　the　winds　there；and　we　must　move　southward；　one　and　all　of　us；　without　a　moment's　delay！　Out　of　this　rabbit…hole　the　retreat　by　rearward　is　through　a　difficult　country；　the　Westphalian　Gates　so　called；　fatal　to　Varus's　Legions　long　ago。　Contades　got　under　way　that　very　night；　lost　most　of　his　baggage；　all　his　conquests；　that　shadow…conquest　of　Hanover；　and　more　than　all　his　glories　（Versailles　shrieking　on　him；　'Resign　you；　let　Broglio　be　chief；）；and；　on　the　whole；　jumbled　homeward　hither　and　thither；　gravitating　towards　the　Rhine；　nothing　but　Wesel　to　depend　on　in　those　parts；　as　heretofore。　Broglio　retreated　Frankfurt…way；　also　as　usual；　though　not　quite　so　far；　and　at　Versailles　had　clearly　the　victory。　Zealous　Belleisle　could　not　protect　his　Contades；　it　is　not　known　whether　he　privately　blamed　Contades　or　blamed　Broglio　for　loss　of　Minden。　Zealous　old　man；　what　a　loss　to　himself　withal　had　Minden　been！　That　shadow…conquest　of　Hanover　is　quite　vanished：　and　worse；　in　Ferdinand's　spoil　were　certain　LETTERS　from　Belleisle　to　Contades；　inculcating　strange　things；for　example；　'IL　FAUT　FAIRE　UN　DESERT　DU　PAYS　＇all　Hessen；　I　think；　lest　Ferdinand　advance　on　you＇　DEVANT　L'ARMEE；'　and　the　like。　Which　Ferdinand　saw　good　to　publish；　and　which　resounded　rather　hideously　through　the　general　mind。〃　＇Were　taken　at　Detmold　（Tempelhof；　iii。　223）；　Old　Newspapers　full　of　Excerpts　from　them；　in　the　weeks　following。＇

Ignominious　Sackville　was　tried　by　Court…martial；　cashiered；　declared　incapable　of　again　serving　his　Majesty　〃in　any　military　capacity；〃perhaps　a　mild　way　of　signifying　that　he　wanted　the　common　courage　of　a　soldier？　Zealous　Majesty；　always　particular　in　soldier　matters；　proclaimed　it　officially　to　be　〃a　sentence　worse　than　death；〃　and　furthermore；　with　his　own　royal　hand；　taking　the　pen　himself；　struck　out　Sackville　from　the　List　of　Privy…　Councillors。　Proper　surely；　and　indispensable；and　should　have　been　persisted　in；　like　Fate；　which；　in　a　new　Reign；　it　was　not！　For　the　rest；　there　was　always；　and　is；　something　of　enigma　in　Sackville's　palpably　bad　case。　It　is　difficult　to　think　that　a　Sackville　wanted　common　courage。　This　Sackville　fought　duels　with　propriety；　in　private　life；　he　was　a　surly；　domineering　kind　of　fellow；　and　had　no　appearance　of　wanting　spirit。　It　is　known；　he　did　not　love　Duke　Ferdinand；　far　from　it！　May　not　he　have　been　of　peculiarly　sour　humor　that　morning；　the　luckless　fool；　sulky　against　Ferdinand；　and　his　〃saddling　at　one　o'clock；〃　sulky　against　himself；　against　the　world　and　mankind；　and　flabbily　disinclined　to　heroic　practices　for　the　moment？　And　the　moment　came；　and　the　man　was　not　there；　except　in　that　foggy；　flabby　and　forever　ruinous　condition！　Archenholtz；　alone　of　Writers；　judges　that　he　expressly　wanted　to　spoil　the　Battle　of　Minden　and　Ferdinand's　reputation；　and　to　get　appointed　Commander　in　his　stead。　Wonderful；　but　may　have　some　vestige　of　basis；　too！　True；　this　Sackville　was　as　fit　to　lead　the　courses　of　the　stars　as　to　lead　armies。　But　such　a　Sackville　has　ambition；　and；　what　is　fatally　more　peculiar　to　him；　a　chance　for　unfolding　it；any　blockhead　has　an　ambition　capable；　if　you　encourage　it　sufficiently；　of　running　to　the　infinite。　Enough　of　this　particular　blockhead；　and　may　it　be　long　before　we　see　his　like　again！

The　English　Cavalry　was　in　a　rage　with　Sackville。　Of　the　English　Infantry；　Historians　say；　what　is　not　now　much　heard　of　in　this　Country；　〃That　these　unsurpassable　Six　＇in　industrious　valor　unsurpassable；　though　they　mistook　orders；　and　might　have　fared　badly！＇　are　ever　since　called　the　Minden　Regiments；　that　they　are　the　12th；　20th；　23d；　25th；　37th　and　51st　of　the　British　Line；　and　carry　'Minden'　on　their　colors；〃　＇Kausler；　　Schlachter；　　&c。　p；　587。＇with　silent　profit；　I　hope！

Fancy　how　Pitt's　public；　lately　gloomy　and　dubious；　blazed　aloft　into　joyful　certainty　again！　Pitt's　outlooks　have　been　really　gloomy　all　this　season；　nor　are　the　difficulties　yet　ended；　though　we　hope　they　will　end。　Let　us　add　this　other　bit　of　Synchronism；　which　is　still　of　adverse　aspect；　over　Seas；　and　will　be　pungently　interesting　to　Pitt　and　England；　when　they　come　to　hear　of　it。

〃BEFORE　QUEBEC；　JULY　31st；　1759。　This　same　Evening；　at　Quebec；　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic；evening　at　Quebec；　9　or　10　at　night　for　Contades　and　his　nineteen　Bridges；there　is　a　difficult　affair　going　on。　Above　and　below　the　Falls　of　Montmorenci；　and　their　outflow　into　the　St。　Lawrence：　attempt　on　General　Wolfe's　part　to　penetrate　through　upon　the　French；　under　Marquis　de　Montcalm；　French　Commander…in…chief；　and　to　get　a　stroke　at　Quebec　and　him。　From　the　south　side　of　the　St。　Lawrence；　nothing　can　be　done　upon　Quebec；　such　the　distance　over。　From　Isle　d'Orleans　and　the　north　side；　it　is　also　impossible　hitherto。　Easy　enough　to　batter　the　Lower　Town；　from　your　ships　and　redoubts：　but　the　High　Town　towers　aloft　on　its　sheer　pinnacles；　inaccessible　even　to　cannon；　looks　down　on　the　skilfulest　British　Admiral　and　Fleet　as　if　with　an　air　of　indifference；trying　him　on　dark　nights　with　fire…ships；　fire…rafts；　the　cunningest　kinds　of　pyrotechny；　which　he　skilfully　tows　aside。

〃A　strenuous　thing；　this　of　Wolfe's；　though　an　unsuccessful。　Towards　evening；　the　end　of　it；　all　Quebe