history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第28部分

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Schmettau's　ill…fortune　was　much　pitied；　as　surely　it　deserved　to　be；　by　all　men。　About　Friedrich's　severity　there　was；　and　still　occasionally　is；　controversy　held。　Into　which　we　shall　not　enter　for　Yes　or　for　No。　〃You　are　like　the　rest　of　them！〃　writes　Friedrich　to　him；　〃when　the　moment　comes　for　showing　firmness；　you　fail　in　it。〃　＇〃Waldau；　10th　September；　1759：〃　in　Preuss；　ii。　URKUNDEN。　p。　44。＇　Friedrich　expects　of　others　what　all　Soldiers　profess；and　what　is　in　fact　the　soul　of　all　nobleness　in　their　trade；but　what　only　Friedrich　himself；　and　a　select　few；　are　in　the　habit　of　actually　performing。　Tried　by　the　standard　of　common　practice；　Schmettau　is　clearly　absolvable；　a　broken　veteran；　deserving　almost　tears。　But　that　is　not　the　standard　which　it　will　be　safe　for　a　King　of　men　to　go　by。　Friedrich；　I　should　say；　would　be　ordered　by　his　Office；　if　Nature　herself　did　not　order　him；　to　pitch　his　ideal　very　high；　and　to　be　rather　Rhadamanthine　in　judging　about　it。　Friedrich　was　never　accused　of　over…generosity　to　the　unfortunate　among　his　Captains。

After　the　War；　Schmettau；　his　conduct　still　a　theme　of　argument；　was　reduced　to　the　Invalid　List：　age　now　sixty…seven；　but　health　and　heart　still　very　fresh；　as　he　pleaded；　complaining　that　he　could　not　live　on　his　retiring　Pension　of　300　pounds　a　year。　〃Be　thankful　you　have　not　had　your　head　struck　off　by　sentence　of　Court…Martial；〃　answered　Friedrich。　Schmettau；　after　some　farther　troubles　from　Court　quarters；　retired　to　Brandenburg；　and　there　lived　silent；　poor　but　honorable；　for　his　remaining　fifteen　years。　Madam　Schmettau　came　out　very　beautiful　in　those　bad　circumstances：　cheery；　thrifty；　full　of　loyal　patience；　a　constant　sunshine　to　her　poor　man；　whom　she　had　preceded　out　of　Dresden　in　the　way　we　saw。　Schmettau　was　very　quiet；　still　studious　of　War　matters；　＇See　　Leben　　（by　his　Son；　〃Captain　Schmettau；〃　a　modest　intelligent　Book）；　pp。　440…447。＇　〃sent　the　King〃　once；in　1772；　while　Polish　Prussia；　and　How　it　could　be　fortified；　were　the　interesting　subject；〃a　JOURNAL；〃　which　he　had　elaborated　for　himself；　〃OF　THE　MARCHES　OF　KARL　TWELFTH　IN　WEST　PREUSSEN；〃　which　was　well　received：　〃Apparently　the　King　not　angry　with　me　farther？〃　thought　Schmettau。　A　completely　retired　old　man；　studious；　social；　the　best　men　of　the　Army　still　his　friends　and　familiars：nor；　in　his　own　mind；　any　mutiny　against　his　Chief；　this　also　has　its　beauty　in　a　human　life；　my　friend。　So　long　as　Madam　Schmettau　lived；　it　was　well；　after　her　death；　not　well；　dark　rather；　and　growing　darker：　and　in　about　three　years　Schmettau　followed　（27th　October；　1775）；　whither　that　good　soul　had　gone。　The　elder　Brother　who　was　a　distinguished　Academician；　as　well　as　Feldmarschall　and　Negotiatorhad　died　at　Berlin；　in　Voltaire's　time；　1751。　Each　of　those　Schmettaus　had　a　Son；　in　the　Prussian　Army；　who　wrote　Books；　or　each　a　short　Book；　still　worth　reading。　＇　Bavarian　War　of　1778；　　by　the　Feldmarschall's　Son；　ad　this　　Leben　　we　have　just　been　citing；　by　the　Lieutenant…　General's。＇　But　we　must　return。

On　the　very　morrow；　September　5th；　Daun　heard　of　the　glorious　success　at　Dresden；　had　not　expected　it　till　about　the　10th　at　soonest。　From　Triebel　he　sends　the　news　at　gallop　to　Lieberose　and　Soltikof：　〃Rejoice　with　us；　Excellenz：　did　not　I　predict　it？　Silesia　and　Saxony　both　are　ours；　fruits　chiefly　of　your　noble　successes。　Oh；　continue　them　a　very　little！〃　〃Umph！〃　answers　Soltikof；　not　with　much　enthusiasm：　〃Send　us　meal　steadily；　and　gain　you；　Excellenz's　self；　some　noble　success！〃　Friedrich　did　not　hear　of　it　for　almost　a　week　later；　not　till　Monday；　10th；as　a　certain　small　Anecdote　would　of　itself　indicate。

Sunday　Evening；　9th　September；　General　Finck；　with　his　new　6；000；　hastening　on　to　join　Wunsch　for　relief　of　Dresden；　had　got　to　Grossenhayn；　and　was　putting　up　his　tents；　when　the　Outposts　brought　him　in　an　Austrian　Officer；　who　had　come　with　a　Trumpeter　inquiring　for　the　General。　The　Austrian　Officer　〃is　in　quest　of　proper　lodgings　for　General　Schmettau　and　Garrison　＇fancy　Finck's　sudden　stare！＇；last　night　they　lodged　at　Gross…Dobritz；　tolerably　to　their　mind：　but　the　question　for　the　Escort　is；　Where　to　lodge　this　night；　if　your　Excellency　could　advise　me？〃　〃Herr；　I　will　advise　you　to　go　back　to　Gross…Dobritz　on　the　instant；〃　answers　Finck　grimly；　〃I　shall　be　obliged　to　make　you　and　your　Trumpet　prisoners；　otherwise！〃　Exit　Austrian　Officer。　That　same　evening；　too；　Captain　Kollas；　carrying　Schmettau's　sad　news　to　the　King；　calls　on　Finck　in　passing；　gives　dismal　details　of　the　Capitulation　and　the　Austrian　way　of　keeping　it；　filling　Finck's　mind　with　sorrowful　indignation。　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　237。＇

Fincklet　us　add　here；　though　in　date　it　belongs　a　little　elsewherepushes　on；　not　the　less；　to　join　Wunsch　at　Torgau；　joins　Wunsch；　straightway　recaptures　Leipzig；　garrison　prisoners　（September　13th）：　recaptures　all　those　northwestern　garrisons；　multitudinous　Reichsfolk　trying；　once；　to　fight　him；　in　an　amazingly　loud；　but　otherwise　helpless　way　（〃ACTION　OF　KORBITZ〃　they　call　it）；　cannonading　far　and　wide　all　day；　and　manoeuvring　about；　here　bitten　in　upon；　there　trying　to　bite；　over　many　leagues　of　Country；　principally　under　Haddick's　leading；　＇HOFBERICHT　VON　DER　AM　21　SEPTEMBER　BEY　KORBITZ　（in　Meissen　Country；　south　of　Elbe；　Krogis　too　is　a　Village　in　this　wide…spread　〃Action〃）　VORGEFALLENEN　ACTION　（Seyfarth；　　Beylagen；　　ii。　621…630）。　Tempelhof；　iii。　248；　258。＇　who　saw　good　to　draw　off　Dresden…ward　next　day；　and　leave　Finck　master　in　those　regions。　To　Daun's　sad　astonishment；in　a　moment　of　crisis；as　we　shall　hear　farther　on！　So　that　Saxony　is　not　yet　conquered　to　Daun；　Saxony；　no；　nor　indeed　will　be：but　Dresden　is。　Friedrich　never　could　recover　Dresden；　though　he　hoped；　and　at　intervals　tried　hard；　for　a　long　while　to　come。



Chapter　VI。

PRINCE　HENRI　MAKES　A　MARCH　OF　FIFTY　HOURS；　THE　RUSSIANS　CANNOT　FIND　LODGING　IN　SILESIA。

The　eyes　of　all　had　been　bent　on　Dresden　latterly；　and　there　had　occurred　a　great　deal　of　detaching　thitherward；　and　of　marching　there　and　thence；　as　we　have　partly　seen。　And　the　end　is；　Dresden；　and　to　appearance　Saxony　along　with　it；　is　Daun's。　Has　not　Daun　good　reason　now　to　be　proud　of　the　cunctatory　method？　Never　did　his　game　stand　better；　and　all　has　been　gained　at　other　people's　expense。　Daun　has　not　played　one　trump　card；　it　is　those　obliging　Russians　that　have　played　all　the　trumps；　and　reduced　the　Enemy　to　nothing。　Only　continue　that　wise　course；and　cart　meal；　with　your　whole　strength；　for　the　Russians！

Safe　behind　the　pools　of　Lieberose；　Friedrich　between　them　and　Berlin；　lie　those　dear　Russians；　extending；　Daun　and　they；　like　an　impassable　military　dike；　with　spurs　of　Outposts　and　cunningly　devised　Detachments；　far　and　wide；from　beyond　Bober　or　utmost　Crossen　on　the　east；　to　Hoyerswerda　in　Elbe　Country　on　the　west；　dike　of　eighty　miles　long；　and　in　some　eastern　parts　of　almost　eighty　broad；　so　elaborate　is　Daun's　detaching　quality；　in　cases　of　moment。　〃The　King's　broken　Army　on　one　side　of　us；〃　calculates　Daun；　〃Prince　Henri's　on　the　other；　incommunicative　they；　reduced　to　isolation；　powerless　either　or　both　of　them　against　such　odds。　They　shall　wait　there；　please　Heaven；　till　Saxony　be　quite　finished。　Zweibruck；　and　our　Detachments　and　Maguires；　let　them　finish　Saxony；　while　Soltikof　keeps　the　King　busy。　Saxony　finished；　how　will　either　Prince　or　King　attempt　to　recover　it！　After　which；　Silesia　for　us；and　we　shall　then　be　near　our　Magazines　withal；　and　this　severe　stress　of　carting　will　abate　or　cease。〃　In　fact；　these　seem　sound　calculations：　Friedrich　is　24；000；　Henri　38；000；　the　military　dike　is；　of　Austrians　75；000；　of　Russians　and　Austrians　together　120；000。　Daun　may　fairly　calculate　on　succeeding　beautifully　this　Year：　Saxony　his　altogether；　and　in　Silesia　some　Glogau　or　strong　Town　taken；　and　Russians　and　Austrians　wintering　together　in　that　Country。

If　only　Daun　do　not　TOO　much　spare　his　trump　cards！　But　there　is　such　a　thing　as　excess　on　that　side　too：　and　perhaps　it　is　even　the　more　ruinous　kind；and　is　certainly　the　more　despised　by　good　judges；　though　the　multitude　of　bad　may　notice　it　less。　Daun　is　unwearied　in　his　vigilantes；　in　his　infinite　cartings　of　provision　for　himself　and　Soltikof；long　chains　of　Magazines；　big　and　little；　at　Guben；　at　Gorlitz；　at　Bautzen；　Zittau；　Friedland；　and　does；　aided　by　French　Montalembert；　all　that　man　can　to　keep　those　dear　stupid　Russians　in　tune。

Daun's　problem　of　carting　provisions；　and　guarding　his　multifarious　posts；　and　sources　of　meal　and　defence；　is　not　without　its　difficulties。　Especially　with　a　Prince　Henri　opposite；　who　has　a　superlative　manoeuvring　talent　of　his　own；　and　an　industry　not　inferior　to　Daun's　in　that　way。　Accordingly；　ever　since　August　11th…13th；　when　Daun　moved　northward　to　Triebel；　and　Henri　shot　out　detachments　parallel　to　him；　〃to　secure　the　Bober　and　our　right　flank；　and　try　to　regain　communication　with　the　King；〃still　more；　ever　since　August　22d；　when　Daun　undertook　that　onerous　cartage　of　meal　for　Soltikof　as　well　as　self；　the　manoeuvring　and　mutual　fencing　and　parrying；　between　Henri　and　him；　has　been　getting　livelier　and　livelier。　Fain　would　Daun　secure　his　numerous　Roads　and　Magazines；　assiduously　does　Henri　threaten　him　in　these　points；　and　try　all　means　to　regain　communication　with　his　Brother。　Daun　has　Magazines　and　interests　everywhere；　Henri　is　everywhere　diligent　to　act　on　them。

Daun　in　person；　ever　since　Kunersdorf　time；　has　been　at　Triebel；　Henri　moved　to　Sagan　after　him；　but　has　left　a　lieutenant　at　Schmottseifen；　as　Daun　has　at　Mark…Lissa：here　are　still　new　planets；　and　secondary　ditto；　with　revolving　moons。　In　short；　it　is　two　interpenetrating　solar　systems；　gyrating；　osculatiug　and　colliding；　over　a　space　of　several　thousand　square　miles；with　an　intricacy；　with　an　embroiled　abstruseness　Ptolemean　or　more！　Which　indeed　the　soldier　who　would　know　his　business（and　not　knowing　it；　is　not　he　of　all　solecisms　in　this　world　the　most　flagrant？）ought　to　study；　out　of　Tempelhof　and　the　Books；　but　which；　except　in　its　results；　no　other　reader　could　endure。　The　result　we　will　make　a　point　of　gathering：　carefully　riddled