history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第18部分

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meshwork　of　meres　and　straggling　lakes；　two　of　them　in　the　burnt　Village　itself；　no　passing　of　these　except　on　narrow　isthmuses；　which　necessitate　change　of　rank　and　re…change；　and　our　Left　Wing　cannot；　with　all　its　industry；　〃march　up；〃　that　is；　arrive　at　the　enemy　in　fighting　line；　without　the　painfulest　delays。

And　then　the　getting　forward　of　our　cannon！　On　the　Muhlberg　itself　the　seventy…two　Russian　guns；　〃owing　to　difference　of　calibre；〃　or　artillery…men　know　what；　cannot　be　used　by　us：　a　few　light　guns；　Tempelhof　to　one　of　them；　a　poor　four　in　all；　with　perhaps　100　shot　to　each；　did；　by　the　King's　order；　hasten　to　the　top　of　the　Muhlberg；　and　never　did　Tempelhof　see　a　finer　chance　for　artillery　than　there。　Soft　sloping　ground；　with　Russians　simmering　ahead　of　you；　all　the　way　down　to　Kunersdorf；　a　mile　long：　by　horizontal　pointing；　you　had　such　reboundings　（RICOCHETS）；　and　carried　beautiful　execution！　Tempelhof　soon　spent　his　hundred　shots：　but　it　was　not　at　once　that　any　of　our　sixty　heavy　guns　could　be　got　up　thither。　Twelve　horses　to　each：　fancy　it；　and　what　baffling　delays　here　and　elsewhere；and　how　the　Russian　whirlpool　was　settling　more　and　more；　in　the　interim！　And　had；　in　part；　settled；　in　part；　got　through　to　the　rear；　and　been　replaced　by　fresh　troops！

Friedrich's　activities；　and　suppressed　and　insuppressible　impatiences　in　this　interval；　are　also　conceivable；　though　not　on　record　for　us。　The　swiftest　of　men；　tied　down；　in　this　manner；　with　the　blaze　of　perfect　victory　ahead；　were　the　moments　NOT　running　out！　Slower　or　faster；　he　thinks　（I　suppose）；　the　victory　is　his；　and　that　he　must　possess　his　soul　till　things　do　arrive。　It　was　in　one　and　more　of　those　embargoed　intervals　that　he　wrote　to　Berlin　＇Preuss；　ii。　212　n。＇　（which　is　waiting；　as　if　for　life　or　death；　the　issue　of　this　scene；　sixty　miles　distant）：　〃Russians　beaten；　rejoice　with　me！〃　Four　successive　couriers；　I　believe；　with　messages　to　that　effect；　and　at　last　a　Fifth　with　dolefully　contrary　news！

In　proportion　as　the　cannon　and　other　necessaries　gradually　got　in；　the　Fight　flamed　up　from　its　embers　more　aud　more：　and　there　ensued；the　Russians　being　now　ranked　again　（fronting　eastward　now）　〃in　many　lines；〃　and　very　fierce；a　second　still　deadlier　bout；　Friedrich　furiously　diligent　on　their　front　and　right　flank；　Finck；　from　the　Alder　Waste；　battering　and　charging　（uphill；　and　under　difficulties　from　those　Flosses　and　single　Bridges）　on　their　left　flank。　This　too；　after　long　deadly　efforts　on　the　Prussian　part；　ended　again　clearly　in　their　favor；　their　enemies　broken　a　second　time；　and　driven　not　only　out　of　Kunersdorf　and　the　Kuhgrund；　but　some　say　almost　to　the　foot　of　the　Judenberg；what　can　only　be　very　partially　true。　Broken　portions　of　the　Russian　left　flank；some　of　Finck's　people；　in　their　victorious　wrath；　may　have　chased　these　very　far：　but　it　is　certain　the　general　Russian　mass　rallied　again　a　long　way　short　of　the　Judenberg；though；　the　ground　being　all　obliterated　by　the　rabbits　and　the　winds；　nobody　can　now　know　with　exactitude　where。

And　indeed　the　Battle；　from　this　point　onwards；　becomes　blurred　and　confused　to　us；　only　its　grosser　features　visible　henceforth。　Where　the　〃Big　Spitzberg〃　was　（so　terribly　important　soon）；　nobody　can　now　tell　me；　except　from　maps。　London's　motions　too　are　obscure；　though　important。　I　believe　his　grenadiers　had　not　yet　been　in　the　fire；　but　am　certain　they　are　now　come　out　of　Big　Hollow；　fresh　for　the　rescue；　and　have　taken　front　rank　in　this　Second　Rally　that　is　made。　Loudon's　Cavalry　Loudon　himself　has　in　hand；　and　waits　with　them　in　a　fit　place。　He　has　18；000　fresh　men；　and　an　eye　like　few　others　on　a　field　of　war。　Loudon's　18；000　are　fresh：　of　the　Prussians　that　can　by　no　means　be　said。　I　should　judge　it　must　be　3　of　the　afternoon。　The　day　is　windless；　blazing；　one　of　the　hottest　August　days；　and　〃nobody；　for　twelve　hours　past；　could　command　a　drink　of　water：〃　very　fresh　the　poor　Prussians　cannot　be！　They　have　done　two　bouts　of　excellent　fighting；　tumbled　the　Russians　well　back；　stormed　many　batteries；　and　taken　in　all　180　cannon。

At　this　stage；　it　appears；　Finck　and　many　Generals；　Seidlitz　among　the　others；　were　of　opinion　that；　in　present　circumstances；　with　troops　so　tired；　and　the　enemy　nearly　certain　to　draw　off；　if　permitted；　here　had　been　enough　for　one　day；　and　that　there　ought　to　be　pause　till　to…morrow。　Friedrich　knew　well　the　need　of　rest；　but　Friedrich；　impatient　of　things　half…done；　especially　of　Russians　half…beaten；　would　not　listen　to　this　proposal；　which　was　reckoned　upon　him　as　a　grave　and　tragic　fault；　all　the　rest　of　his　life；　though　favorable　judges；　who　were　on　the　ground；　Tempelhof　for　one；　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　194。＇　are　williug　to　prove　that　pausing　hereat　the　point　we　had　really　got　to；　a　little　beyond　the　Kuhgrund；　namely；　and　not　a　couple　of　miles　westward；　at　the　foot　of　the　Jew　Hill；　where　vague　rumor　puts　uswas　not　feasible　or　reasonable。　Friedrich　considers　with　himself；　〃Our　left　wing　has　hardly　yet　been　in　fire！〃　calls　out　the　entire　left　wing；　foot　and　horse：　these　are　to　emerge　from　their　meshwork　of　Lakes　about　Kunersdorf；　and　bear　a　hand　along　with　us　on　the　Russian　front　here；especially　to　sweep　away　that　raging　Battery　they　have　on　the　Big　Spitzberg；　and　make　us　clear　of　it。　The　Big　Spitzberg　lies　to　south　and　ahead　of　the　Russian　right　as　now　ranked；　fatally　covers　their　right　flank；　and　half　ruins　the　attack　in　front。　Big　Spitzberg　is　blown　irrecognizable　in　our　time；　but　it　was　then　an　all…important　thing。

The　left…wing　Infantry　thread　their　lake…labyrinth；　the　soonest　possible；　have　to　rank　again　on　the　hither　side；　under　a　tearing　fire　from　that　Spitzberg；　can　then　at　last；　and　do；　storm　onwards；　upwards；　but　cannot；　with　their　best　efforts；　take　the　Spitzberg：　and　have　to　fall　back　under　its　floods　of　tearing　case…shot；　and　retire　out　of　range。　To　Friedrich's　blank　disappointment：　〃Try　it　you；　then；　Seidlitz；　you　saved　us　at　Zorndorf！〃　Seidlitz；　though　it　is　an　impossible　problem　to　storm　batteries　with　horse；　does　charge　in　for　the　Russian　flank；　in　spite　of　its　covering　battery：　but　the　torrents　of　grape…shot　are　insufferable；　the　Seidlitz　people；　torn　in　gaps；　recoil；　whirl　round；　and　do　not　rank　again　till　beyond　the　Lakes　of　Kunersdorf。　Seidlitz　himself　has　got　wounded；　and　has　had　to　be　carried　away。

And；　in　brief；　from　this　point　onwards　all　goes　aback　with　the　Prussians　more　and　more。　Repeated　attempts　on　that　Spitzberg　battery　prove　vain；　to　advance　without　it　is　impossible。　Friedrich's　exertions　are　passionate；　almost　desperate；　rallying；　animating；　new…ordering；　everywhere　in　the　hottest　of　the　fire。　〃Thrice　he　personally　led　on　the　main　attack。〃　He　has　had　two　horses　shot　down　under　him；　mounting　a　third；　this　too　gets　a　bullet　in　an　artery　of　the　neck；　and　is　about　falling；　when　two　Adjutants　save　the　King。　In　his　waistcoat…pocket　some　small　gold　case　（ETUI）　has　got　smitten　flat　by　a　bullet；　which　would　otherwise　have　ended　matters。　The　people　about　him　remonstrate　on　such　exposure　of　a　life　beyond　value；　he　answers　curtly；　〃We　must　all　of　us　try　every　method　here；　to　win　the　Battle：　I；　like　every　other；　must　stand　to　my　duty　here！〃　These；　and　a　second　brief　word　or　two　farther　on；　are　all　of　articulate　that　we　hear　from　him　this　day。

Friedrich's　wearied　battalions　here　on　the　Heights；　while　the　Spitzberg　to　left　goes　so　ill；　fight　desperately；　but　cannot　　prevail　farther；　and　in　spite　of　Friedrich's　vehement　rallyings　　and　urgings；　gradually　lose　ground；back　at　last　to　Kunersdorf　and　the　Kuhgrund　again。　The　Loudon　grenadiers；　and　exclaimed　masses　of　fresh　Russians；　are　not　to　be　broken；　but　advance　and　advance。　Fancy　the　panting　death…labors；　and　spasmodic　toilings　and　bafflings；　of　those　poor　Prussians　and　their　King！　Nothing　now　succeeding；　the　death…agony　now　come；　all　hearts　growing　hopeless；　only　one　heart　still　seeing　hope。　The　Spitzberg　is　impossible；　tried　how　often　I　know　not。　Finck；　from　the　Alder　Waste；　with　his　Infantry；　attacks；　and　again　attacks；　without　success：　〃Let　the　Cavalry　go　round；　then；　and　try　there。　Seidlitz　we　have　not；　you　Eugen　of　Wurtemberg　lead　them！〃　Eugen　leads　them　（cuirassiers；　or　we　will　forget　what）；　round　by　the　eastern　end　of　the　Muhlberg；　then　westward；　along　the　Alder　Waste；　finally　southward；　against　the　Russian　flank；　himself　foremost；　and　at　the　gallop　for　charging：Eugen；　〃looking　round；　finds　his　men　all　gone；〃　and　has　to　gallop　the　other　way；　gets　wounded　to　boot。　Puttkammer；　with　Hussars；　then　tried　it；　Puttkammer　was　shot　dead；　and　his　Hussars　too　could　do　nothing。

Back；　slowly　back；　go　the　Prussians　generally；　nothing　now　succeeds　with　them。　Back　to　the　Kuhgrund　again；　fairly　over　the　steep　brow　there；　the　Russians　serrying　their　ranks　atop；　rearranging　their　many　guns。　There；　once　more；　rose　frightful　struggle；　desperate　attempt　by　the　fordone　Prussians　to　retake　that　Height。　〃Lasted　fifteen　minutes；　line　to　line　not　fifty　yards　asunder；〃　such　musketry；our　last　cartridges　withal。　Ardent　Prussian　parties　trying　to　storm　up；　few　ever　getting　to　the　top；　none　ever　standing　there　alive　one　minute。　This　was　the　death…agony　of　the　Battle。　Loudon；　waiting　behind　the　Spitzberg；　dashes　forward　now；　towards　the　Kuhgrund　and　our　Left　Flank。　At　sight　of　which　a　universal　feeling　shivers　through　the　Prussian　heart；　〃Hope　ended；　then！〃　and　their　solid　ranks　rustle　everywhere；　and　melt　into　one　wild　deluge；　ebbing　from　the　place　as　fast　as　it　can。

It　is　towards　six　o'clock；　the　sweltering　Sun　is　now　fallen　low　and　veiled；　gray　evening　sinking　over　those　wastes。　〃N'Y　A…T…IL　DONC　PAS　UN　BOUGRE　DE　BOULET　QUI　PUISSE　M'ATTEINDREE　（Is　there　no　one　b　of　a　ball　that　can　reach　me；　then）？〃　exclaimed　Friedrich　in　despair。　Such　a　day　he　had　never　thought　to　see。　The　pillar　of　the　State；　the　Prussian　Army　itself；　gone　to　chaos　in　this　manner。　Friedrich　still　passionately　struggles；　exhorts；　commands；　entreats　even　with　tears；　〃Children；　don't　forsake　me；　in　this　pinch　（KINDER；　VERLASSET　HEUTE　MICH；　EUREN　KONIG；　EUREN　VATER；　NICHT）！〃　＇Kriele；　p。　169。＇but　all　ears　are　deaf。　On　the　Muhlberg　one　regiment　still　stood　by　their　guns；　covering　the　retreat。　But　the　retreat　is　more　and　more　a　flight；　〃no　Prussian　Army　was　ever