history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第20部分

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One　other　Note　we　save；　for　the　sake　of　poor　Major　Kleist；　〃Poet　of　the　Spring；〃　as　he　was　then　called。　A　valiant；　punctual　Soldier；　and　with　a　turn　for　Literature　as　well；　who　wrote　really　pleasant　fine　things；　new　at　that　time　and　rapturously　welcome；　though　too　much　in　the　sentimental　vein　for　the　times　which　have　followed。　Major　Kleist；there　is　a　General　Kleist；　a　Colonel　Kleist　of　the　Green　Hussars　（called　GRUNE　Kleist；　a　terrible　cutting　fellow）：　this　is　not　Grune　Kleist；　this　is　the　Poet　of　THE　SPRING；　whose　fate　at　Kunersdorf　made　a　tragic　impression　in　all　intelligent　circles　of　Teutschland。　Here　is　Kriele's　Note　（abridged）：

〃Christian　Ewald　von　Kleist；　'Poet　of　the　Spring'　＇a　Pommern　gentleman；　now　in　his　forty…fourth　year＇；　was　of　Finck's　Division；　had　come　on；　after　those　Eight　Battalions　took　the　first　Russian　battery　＇that　is；　Muhlberg＇；　and　had　been　assisting；　with　zeal；　at　the　taking　of　three　other　batteries；　regardless　of　twelve　contusions；　which　he　gradually　got。　At　the　third　battery；　he　was　farther　badly　hurt　on　the　left　arm　and　the　right。　Took　his　Colonel's　place　nevertheless；　whom　he　now　saw　fall；　led　the　regiment　MUTHIG　forward　on　the　fourth　battery。　A　case…shot　smashed　his　right　leg　to　pieces；　he　fell　from　his　horse　＇hour　not　given；　shall　we　say　3　P。M。＇；　sank；　exclaiming：　'KINDER；　My　children；　don't　forsake　your　King！'　and　fainted　there。　Was　carried　to　rear　and　leftward；　laid　down　on　some　dry　spot　in　the　Elsbruch；　not　far　from　the　Kuhgrund；　and　a　Surgeon　brought。　The　Surgeon；　while　examining；　was　torn　away　by　case…shot：　Kleist　lay　bleeding　without　help。　A　friend　of　his；　Pfau　＇who　told　Kriele＇；　one　of　Finck's　Generals；　came　riding　that　way：　Kleist　called　to　him；　asked　how　the　Battle　went；　uncommonly　glad　to　hear　we　are　still　progressive。　Pfau　undertook；　and　tried　his　utmost；　for　a　carriage　to　Kleist；　did　send　one　of　Finck's　own　carriages；　but　after　such　delays　that　the　Prussians　were　now　yielding：　poor　Kleist's　had　become　Russian　ground；　and　the　carriage　could　not　get　in。

〃Kleist　lay　helpless；　no　luck　worse　than　his。　In　the　evening；　Cossacks　came　round　him；　stript　him　stark…naked；　threw　him；　face　foremost；　into　the　nearest　swampy　place；　and　went　their　way。　One　of　these　devils　had　something　so　absurd　and　Teniers…like　in　the　face　of　him；　that　Kleist；　in　his　pains；　could　not　help　laughing　at　remembrance　of　it。　In　the　night　some　Russian　Hussars；　human　and　not　Cossack；　found　Kleist　in　this　situation；　took　him　to　a　dry　place；　put　a　cloak　over　him；　kindled　a　watch…fire　for　themselves；　and　gave　him　water　and　bread。　Towards　morning　they　hastened　away；　throwing　an　8…GROSCHEN　STUCK　＇ninepenny　piece；　shilling；　say　half…crown＇　on　his　cloak；with　human　farewell。　But　Cossacks　again　came；　again　stript　him　naked　and　bare。　Towards　noon　of　the　13th；　Kleist　contrived　to　attract　some　Russian　Cavalry　troop　passing　that　way；　and　got　speech　of　the　Captain　（one　Fackelberg；　a　German）；　who　at　once　set　about　helping　him；and　had　him　actually　sent　into　Frankfurt；　in　a　carriage；　that　evening。　To　the　House　of　a　Professor　Nikolai；　where　was　plenty　of　surgery　and　watchful　affection。　After　near　thirty　hours　of　such　a　lair；　his　wounds　seemed　still　curable；　there　was　hope　for　ten　days。　In　the　tenth　night　（22d…23d　August）；　the　shivered　pieces　of　bone　disunited　themselves；　cut　an　artery；which；　after　many　trials；　could　not　be　tied。　August　24th；　at　two　in　the　morning；　he　died。Great　sorrow。　August　26th；　there　was　soldier's　funeral；　poor　Kleist's　coffin　borne　by　twelve　Russian　grenadiers；　very　many　Russian　Officers　attending；　who　had　come　from　the　Camp　for　that　end；　one　Russian　Staff…Officer　of　them　unbuckling　his　own　sword　to　lay　on　the　bier；　as　there　was　want　of　one。　King　Friedrich　had　Kleist's　Portrait　hung　in　the　Garnison　Kirche。　Freemason　Lodge；　in　1788；　set　up　a　monument　to　him；〃　＇Kriele；　pp。　39…43。＇which　still　stands　on　the　Frankfurt　pavement；　and　is　now　in　sadly　ruinous　state。

The　Prussian　loss；　in　this　Battle；　was；　besides　all　the　cannon　and　field…equipages：　6；000　killed；　13；000　wounded　（of　which　latter；　2；000　badly；　who　fell　to　the　Russians　as　prisoners）；　in　all；　about　19；000　men。　Nor　was　the　Russian　loss　much　lighter；　of　Russians　and　Austrians　together；　near　18；000；　as　Tempelhof　counts：　〃which　will　not　surprise　your　Majesty；〃　reports　Soltikof　to　his　Czarina；　〃who　are　aware　that　the　King　of　Prussia　sells　his　defeats　at　a　dear　rate。〃　And　privately　Soltikof　was　heard　to　say；　〃Let　me　fight　but　another　such　Victory；　and　I　may　go　to　Petersburg　with　the　news　of　it　myself；　with　the　staff　in　my　hand。〃　The　joy　at　Petersburg；　striving　not　to　be　braggart　or　immodest；　was　solemn；　steady　and　superlative：　a　great　feat　indeed　for　Russia；　this　Victory　over　such　a　King；though　a　kind　of　grudge；　that　it　was　due　to　Loudon；　dwelt；　in　spite　of　Loudon's　politic　silence　on　that　point；　unpleasantly　in　the　background。　The　chase　they　had　shamefully　neglected。　It　is　said；　certain　Russian　Officers；　who　had　charge　of　that　business　stept　into　a　peasant's　cottage　to　consult　on　it；　contrived　somehow　to　find　tolerable　liquor　there；　and　sat　drinking　instead。　＇Preuss；　ii。　217。＇



Chapter　V。

SAXONY　WITHOUT　DEFENCE：　SCHMETTAU　SURRENDERS　DRESDEN。

Friedrich's　despair　did　not　last　quite　four　days。　On　the　fourth　day；day　after　leaving　Reitwein；there　is　this　little　Document；　which　still　exists；　of　more　comfortable　tenor：　〃My　dear　Major…　General　von　Wunsch；Your　Letter　of　the　16th　to　Lieutenant…General　von　Finck　punctually　arrived　here：　and　for　the　future；　as　I　am　now　recovered　from　my　illness；　you　have　to　address　your　Reports　directly　to　Myself。F。〃　＇〃Madlitz；〃　on　the　road　to　Furstenwalde；　〃17th　August：〃　in　Preuss；　　Friedrich　der　Grosse；　eine　historische　Portrait…Skizze　　（kind　of　LECTURE；　so　let　us　call　it；　if　again　citing　it；　Lecture　delivered；　on　Friedrich's　Birthday；　to　Majesty　and　Staff…Officers　as　Audience；　Berlin；　24th　January；　1855）；　p。　18。＇　Finding　that；　except　Tottleben　warily　reconnoitring　with　a　few　Cossacks；　no　Russians　showed　themselves　at　Reitwein；　that　the　Russians　were　encamping　and　intrenching　on　the　Wine…Hills　south　of　Frankfurt；　not　meaning　anything　immediate；he　took　heart　again；　ranked　his　23；000；　sent　for　General　Kleist　from　Pommern　with　his　Anti…Swedish　handful　（leave　the　Swedes　alone；　as　usual　in　time　of　crisis）；　considered　that　artilleries　and　furnishings　could　come　to　him　from　Berlin；　which　is　but　60　miles；　that　there　still　lay　possibility　ahead；　and　that；　though　only　a　miracle　could　save　him；　he　would　try　it　to　the　very　last。

A　great　relief；　this　of　coming　to　oneself　again！　〃Till　death；　then；rage　on；　ye　elements　and　black　savageries！〃　Friedrich's　humor　is　not　despondent；　now　or　afterwards；　though　at　this　time　it　is　very　sad；　very　angry；　and；　as　it　were；　scorning　even　to　hope：　but　he　is　at　all　times　of　beautifully　practical　turn；　and　has；　in　his　very　despair；　a　sobriety　of　eyesight；　and　a　fixed　steadiness　of　holding　to　his　purpose；　which　are　of　rare　quality。　His　utterances　to　D'Argens；　about　this　time　and　onward；brief　hints；　spontaneous；　almost　unconscious；give　curious　testimony　of　his　glooms　and　moody　humors。　Of　which　the　reader　shall　see　something。　For　the　present；　he　is　in　deep　indignation　with　his　poor　Troops；　among　other　miseries。　〃Actual　running　away！〃　he　will　have　it　to　be；　and　takes　no　account　of　thirst；　hunger；　heat；　utter　weariness　and　physical　impossibility！　This　lasts　for　some　weeks。　But　in　general　there　is　nothing　of　this　injustice　to　those　about　him。　In　general；　nothing　even　of　gloom　is　manifested；　on　the　contrary；　cheerfulness；　brisk　hope；　a　strangely　continual　succession　of　hopes　（mostly　illusory）；　though；　within；　there　is　traceable　very　great　sorrow；　weariness　and　misery。　A　fixed　darkness；　as　of　Erebus；　is　grown　habitual　to　him；　but　is　strictly　shut　up；　little　of　it　shown　to　others；　or　even；　in　a　sense；　to　himself。　He　is　as　a　traveller　overtaken　by　the　Night　and　its　tempests　and　rain…deluges；　but　refusing　to　pause；　who　is　wetted　to　the　bone；　and　does　not　care　farther　for　rain。　A　traveller　grown　familiar　with　the　howling　solitudes；　aware　that　the　Storm…winds　do　not　pity；　that　Darkness　is　the　dead　Earth's　Shadow：a　most　lone　soul　of　a　man；　but　continually　toiling　forward；　as　if　the　brightest　goal　and　haven　were　near　and　in　view。

Once　more　the　world　was　certain　of　Friedrich's　ruin；Friedrich　himself　we　have　seen　certain　of　it；　for　some　few　desperate　hours：　but　the　world　and　he；　as　had　been　repeatedly　the　world's　case；　were　both　disappointed。　Intrinsically　there　could　be　little　doubt　but　Friedrich's　enemies　might　now　have　ruined　him；　had　they　been　diligent　about　it。　Now　again；　and　now　more　than　ever；　they　have　the　winning…post　in　sight。　At　small　distance　is　the　goal　and　purpose　of　all　these　four　years'　battlings　and　marchings；　and　ten　years'　subterranean　plottings　and　intriguings。　He　himself　says　deliberately；　〃They　had　only　to　give　him　the　finishing　stroke　（COUP…DE…GRACE）。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　v。　20。＇　But　they　never　gave　him　that　stroke；　could　not　do　it；　though　heartily　desirous。　Which　was；　and　is；　matter　of　surprise　to　an　observant　public。

The　cause　of　failure　may　be　considered　to　have　been；　in　good　part；　Daun　and　his　cunctations。　Daun's　zeal　was　unquestionable；　ardent　and　continual　is　Daun's　desire　to　succeed：　but　to　try　it　at　his　own　risk　was　beyond　his　power。　He　expected　always　to　succeed　by　help　of　others：　and　to　show　them　an　example；　and　go　vigorously　to　work　himself；　was　what　he　never　could　resolve　on。　Could　play　only　Fabius　Cunctator；　it　would　seem；　and　never　was　that　part　less　wanted　than　now！　Under　such　a　Chief　Figure；　the　〃incoherency　of　action；〃　instead　of　diminishing；　as　Friedrich　had　feared；　rose　daily　towards　its　maximum；　and　latterly　became　extreme。　The　old　Lernean　Hydra　had　many　heads；　but　they　belonged　all　to　one　body。　The　many　heads　of　this　Anti…Friedrich　Hydra　had　withal　each　its　own　body；　and　separate　set　of　notions　and　advantages。　Friedrich　was　at　least　a　unity；　his　whole　strength　going　one　way；　and　at　all　moments；　under　his　own　sole　command。　The　value　of　this　circumstance　is　incalculable；　this　is　the　saving…clause　of　Pitt　and　his　England　（Pitt　also　a　despotic　sovereign；　though　a　temporary　one）；　this；　second　only　to　Friedrich's　great　gifts　from　Nature；　and　the　noble　u