history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第33部分

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By　Kalish；　by　Czenstochow；　Cracow；　poor　Loudon　had　to　go：　a　dismal　march　of　300　miles　or　more；waited　on　latterly　by　Fouquet；　with　Werner；　Goltz　and　others；　on　the　Silesian　Border；　whom　Friedrich　had　ordered　thither　for　such　end。　Whom　Loudon　skilfully　avoided　to　fight；　having　already；　by　desertion　and　by　hardships；　lost　half　his　men　on　the　road。　Glad　enough　to　get　home　and　under　roof；　with　his　20；000　gone　to　10；000；　and　to　make　bargain　with　Fouquet：　〃Truce；　then；　through　Winter；　neither　of　us　to　meddle　with　the　other；　unless　after　a　fortnight's　warning　given。〃　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　328…331。＇　NOVEMBER　1st；　a　month　before　this；　the　King；　carried　on　a　litter　by　his　soldiers；　had　quitted　Sophienthal；　and；　crossing　the　River　by　Koben；　got　to　Glogau。　＇Rodenbeck；　i。　396。＇　The　greater　part　of　his　force；　13；000　under　Hulsen；　he　had　immediately　sent　on　for　Saxony；　he　himself　intending　to　wait　recovery　in　Glogau；　with　this　Silesian　wing　of　the　business　happily　brought　to　finis　for　the　present。

On　the　Saxon　side；　too；　affairs　are　in　such　a　course　that　the　King　can　be　patient　at　Glogau　till　he　get　well。　Everything　is　prosperous　in　Saxony　since　that　March　on　Hoyerswerda；　Henri；　with　his　Fincks　and　Wunsches；　beautifully　posted　in　the　Meissen…Torgau　region；　no　dislodging　of　him；　let　Daun；　with　his　big　mass　of　forces；　try　as　he　may。　Daun；　through　the　month　of　October；　is　in　various　Camps；　in　Schilda　last　of　all：　Henri　successively　in　two；　in　Strehla　for　some　ten　days；　then　in　Torgau　for　about　three　weeks；　carefully　intrenched；　＇Tempelhof。　iii。　276；　281；　284　（Henri　in　Strehla；　October　4th…17th；　thence　to　Torgau：　22d　October；　Daun　〃quits　his　Camp　of　Belgern〃　for　that　of　Schilda；　which　was　his　last　in　those　parts）。＇where　traces　of　him　will　turn　up　（not　too　opportunely）　next　year。　Daun；　from　whatever　Camp；　goes　laboring　on　this　side　and　on　that；　on　every　side　the　deft　Henri　is　as　sharp　as　needles；　nothing　to　be　made　of　him　by　the　cunning　movements　and　contrivances　of　Daun。　Very　fine　manoeuvring　it　was；　especially　on　Henri's　part；　a　charm　to　the　soldier　mind；given　minutely　in　Tempelhof；　and　capable　of　being　followed　（if　you　have　Maps　and　Patience）　into　the　last　details。　Instructive　really　to　the　soldier；but　must　be；　almost　all；　omitted　here。　One　beautiful　slap　to　Duke　d'Ahremberg　（a　poor　old　friend　of　Daun's　and　ours）　we　will　remember：　〃Action　of　Pretsch〃　they　call　it；　defeat；　almost　capture　of　poor　D'Ahremberg；　who　had　been　sent　to　dislodge　the　Prince；　by　threatening　his　supplies；　and　had　wheeled；　accordingly；　eastward；　wide　away；　but；　to　his　astonishment；　found；　after　a　march　or　two；　Three　select　Prussian　Corps　emerging　on　him；　by　front；　by　rear；　by　flank；　with　Horse…artillery　（quasi…miraculous）　bursting　out　on　hill…tops；　too；　and；　in　short；　nothing　for　it　but　to　retreat；　or　indeed　to　run；　in　a　considerably　ruinous　style：　poor　D'Ahremberg！　＇Seyfarth　（　Beylagen；　　ii。　634…637）；　〃HOFBERICHT　VON　DER　AM　29　OCTOBER；　1759；　BEY　MEURO　＇chiefly　BEY　PRETSCH＇　VORGEFALLENEN　ACTION；〃　ib。　ii。　543　n。＇　On　the　whole；　Daun　is　reduced　to　a　panting　condition；　and　knows　not　what　to　do。　His　plans　were　intrinsically　bad；　says　Tempelhof；　without　beating　Henri　in　battle；　which　he　cannot　bring　himself　to　attempt；　he；　in　all　probability；　will；　were　it　only　for　difficulties　of　the　commissariat　kind；　have　to　fall　back　Dresden…ward；　and　altogether　take　himself　away。　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　287…289。＇

After　this　sad　slap　at　Pretsch；　Daun　paused　for　consideration；　took　to　palisading　himself　to　an　extraordinary　degree；　slashing　the　Schilda　Forests　almost　into　ruin　for　this　end；　and　otherwise　sat　absolutely　quiet。　Little　to　be　done　but　take　care　of　oneself。　Daun　knows　withal　of　Hulsen's　impending　advent　with　the　Silesian　13；000；November　2d；　Hulsen　is　actually　at　Muskau；　and　his　13；000　magnified　by　rumor　to　20；000。　Hearing　of　which；　Daun　takes　the　road　（November　4th）；　quits　his　gloriously　palisaded　Camp　of　Schilda；　feels　that　retreat　on　Dresden；　or　even　home　to　Bohemia　altogether；　is　the　one　course　left。

And　now；　the　important　Bautzen　Colloquy　of　SATURDAY；　SEPTEMBER　15th；　having　here　brought　its　three　or　more　Courses　of　Activity　to　a　pause；we　will　glance　at　the　far　more　important　THURSDAY；　13th；　other　side　the　Ocean：

ABOVE　QUEBEC；　NIGHT　OF　SEPTEMBER　12th…13th；　In　profound　silence；　on　the　stream　of　the　St。　Lawrence　far　away；　a　notable　adventure　is　going　on。　Wolfe；　from　two　points　well　above　Quebec　（〃As　a　last　shift；　we　will　try　that　way〃）；　with　about　5；000　men；　is　silently　descending　in　boats；　with　purpose　to　climb　the　Heights　somewhere　on　this　side　the　City；　and　be　in　upon　it；　if　Fate　will。　An　enterprise　of　almost　sublime　nature；　very　great；　if　it　can　succeed。　The　cliffs　all　beset　to　his　left　hand；　Montcalm　in　person　guarding　Quebec　with　his　main　strength。

Wolfe　silently　descends；　mind　made　up；　thoughts　hushed　quiet　into　one　great　thought；　in　the　ripple　of　the　perpetual　waters；　under　the　grim　cliffs　and　the　eternal　stars。　Conversing　with　his　people；　he　was　heard　to　recite　some　passages　of　Gray's　ELEGY；　lately　come　out　to　those　parts；　of　which；　says　an　ear…witness；　he　expressed　his　admiration　to　an　enthusiastic　degree：　〃Ah；　these　are　tones　of　the　Eternal　Melodies；　are　not　they？　A　man　might　thank　Heaven　had　he　such　a　gift；　almost　as　WE　might　for　succeeding　here；　Gentlemen！〃　＇Professor　Robison；　then　a　Naval　Junior；　in　the　boat　along　with　Wolfe；　afterwards　a　well…known　Professor　of　Natural　Philosophy　at　Edinburgh；　was　often　heard；　by　persons　whom　I　have　heard　again；　to　repeat　this　Anecdote。　See　Playfair；　BIOGRAPHICAL　ACCOUNT　OF　PROFESSOR　ROBISON；in　　Transactions　　of　Royal　Society　of　Edinburgh；　vii。　495　et　seq。＇　Next　morning　（Thursday；　13th　September；　1759）；　Wolfe；　with　his　5；000；　is　found　to　have　scrambled　up　by　some　woody　Neck　in　the　heights；　which　was　not　quite　precipitous；　has　trailed　one　cannon　with　him；　the　seamen　busy　bringiug　up　another；　and　by　10　of　the　clock　stands　ranked　（really　somewhat　in　the　Friedrich　way；　though　on　a　small　scale）；　ready　at　all　poiuts　for　Montcalm；　but　refusing　to　be　over…ready。

Montcalm；　on　first　hearing　of　him；　had　made　haste：　〃OUI；　JE　LES　VOIS　OU　ILS　NE　DOIVENT　PAS　ETRE；　JE　VAIS　LES　E'CRASER　（to　smash　them）！〃　said　he；　by　way　of　keeping　his　people　in　heart。　And　marches　up；　beautifully　skilful；　neglecting　none　of　his　advantages。　Has　numerous　Canadian　sharpshooters；　preliminary　Indians　in　the　bushes；　with　a　provoking　fire：　〃Steady！〃　orders　Wolfe；　〃from　you　not　one　shot　till　they　are　within　thirty　yards。〃　And　Montcalm；　volleying　and　advancing；　can　get　no　response；　more　than　from　Druidic　stones；　till　at　thirty　yards　the　stones　become　vocal；and　continue　so　at　a　dreadful　rate；　and；　in　a　space　of　seventeen　minutes；　have　blown　Montcalm's　regulars；　and　the　gallant　Montcalm　himself；　and　their　second　in　command；　and　their　third；　into　ruin　and　destruction。　In　about　seven　minutes　more　the　agony　was　done；　〃English　falling　on　with　the　bayonet；　Highlanders　with　the　claymore；〃　fierce　pursuit；　rout　total：and　Quebec　and　Canada　as　good　as　finished。　The　thing　is　yet　well　known　to　every　Englishman；　＇The　military　details　of　it　seem　to　be　very　ill　known　（witness　Colonel　Beatson's　otherwise　rather　careful　Pamphlet；　THE　PLAINS　OF　ABRAHAM；　written　quite　lately；　which　we　are　soon　to　cite　farther）；　and　they　would　well　deserve　describing　in　the　SEYFARTH…BEYLAGEN；　or　even　in　the　TEMPELHOF　way；could　an　English　Officer；　on　the　spot　as　this　Colonel　was；　be　found　to　do　it！Details　are　in　Beatson　（quite　another　〃Beatson〃）；　　Naval　and　Military　History；　　ii。　300…308；　in　　Gentleman's　Magazine　　for　1759；　the　Despatches　and　particulars：　see　also　Walpole；　　George　the　Second；　　iii。　217…222。＇　and　how　Wolfe　himself　died　in　it；　his　beautiful　death。

Truly　a　bit　of　right　soldierhood；　this　Wolfe。　Manages　his　small　resources　in　a　consummate　manner；　invents；　contrives；　attempts　and　re…attempts；　irrepressible　by　difficulty　or　discouragement；　How　could　a　Friedrich　himself　have　managed　this　Quebec　in　a　more　artistic　way？　The　small　Battle　itself；　5；000　to　a　side；　and　such　odds　of　Savagery　and　Canadians；　reminds　you　of　one　of　Friedrich's：　wise　arrangements；　exact　foresight；　preparation　corresponding；　caution　with　audacity；　inflexible　discipline；　silent　till　its　time　come；　and　then　blazing　out　as　we　see。　The　prettiest　soldiering　I　have　heard　of　among　the　English　for　several　generations。　Amherst；　Commander…in…chief；　is　diligently　noosing；　and　tying　up；　the　French　military　settlements；　Niagara；　Ticonderoga；　Canada　all　round：　but　this　is　the　heart　or　windpipe　of　it；　keep　this　firm；　and；　in　the　circumstances；　Canada　is　yours。

Colonel　Reatson；　in　his　recent　Pamphlet；　THE　PLAINS　OF　ABRAHAM；which；　especially　on　the　military　side；　is　distressingly　ignorant　and　shallow；　though　NOT　intentionally　incorrect　anywhere；gives　Extracts　from　a　Letter　of　Montcalm's　（〃Quebec；　24th　August；　1759〃）；　which　is　highly　worth　reading；　had　we　room。　It　predicts　to　a　hair's…breadth；　not　only　the　way　〃M。　Wolfe；　if　he　understands　his　trade；　will　take　to　beat　and　ruin　me　if　we　meet　in　fight；〃　but　also；with　a　sagacity　singular　to　look　at；　in　the　years　1775…1777；　and　perhaps　still　more　in　the　years　1860…1863；what　will　be　the　consequences　to　those　unruly　English；　Colonial　and　other。　〃If　he　beat　me　here；　France　has　lost　America　utterly；〃　thinks　Montcalm：　〃Yes；and　one's　only　consolation　is；　In　ten　years　farther；　America　will　be　in　revolt　against　England！〃　Montcalm's　style　of　writing　is　not　exemplary；　but　his　power　of　faithful　observation；　his　sagacity；　and　talent　of　prophecy　are　so　considerable；　we　are　tempted　to　give　the　IPSISSIMA　VERBA　of　his　long　Letter　in　regard　to　those　two　points；the　rather　as　it　seems　to　have　fallen　much　out　of　sight　in　our　day：

MONTCALM　TO　A　COUSIN　IN　FRANCE。

〃CAMP　BEFORE　QUEBEC；　24th　August；　1759。

〃MONSIEUR　ET　CHER　COUSIN；Here　I　am；　for　more　than　three　months　past；　at　handgrips　with　M。　Wolfe；　who　ceases　not　day　or　night　to　bombard　Quebec；　with　a　fury　which　is　almost　unexampled　in　the　Siege　of　a　Place　one　intends　to　retain　after　taking　it。〃　。。。　Will　never　take　it　in　that　way；　however；　by　attacking　from　the　River　or　south　shore；　only　ruins　us；　but　does　not　enrich　himself。　Not　an　inch　nearer　his　object　than　he　was　three　mon