history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第36部分

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ng　still　in　a　fulminant　condition；　none　the　milder；　it　is　likely；　by　Wunsch's　returning　without　result。　〃Go　straight　to　General　Finck；　bid　him　march　at　once！〃　orders　the　King；　and　rapidly　gives　Wunsch　the　instructions　Finck　is　to　follow。　Finck　and　his　Corps　are　near　Nossen；　some　ten　miles　ahead　of　Krogis；　some　twenty　west　from　Dresden。　There；　since　yesterday；　stands　Finck；　infesting　the　left　or　western　flank　of　the　Austrians；what　was　their　left；　and　will　be　again；　when　they　call　halt　and　face　round　on　us：Let　Finck　now　march　at　once；　quite　round　that　western　flank；　by　Freyberg；　Dippoldiswalde；　thence　east　to　Maxen；　plant　himself　at　Maxen　（a　dozen　miles　south　of　Dresden；　among　the　rocky　hills）；　and　stick　diligently　in　the　rear　of　those　Austrians；　cutting　off；　or　threatening　to　cut　off；　their　communications　with　Bohemia；　and　block　the　Pirna　Country　for　them。

Friedrich　calculates　that；　if　Daun　is　for　retreating　by　Pirna　Country；　this　will；　at　lowest；　be　a　method　to　quicken　him　in　that　movement；　or　perhaps　it　may　prove　a　method　to　cut　off　such　retreat　altogether；　and　force　Daun　to　go　circling　by　the　Lausitz　Hills　and　Wildernesses；　exposed　to　tribulations　which　may　go　nigh　to　ruin　him。　That　is　Friedrich's　proud　thought：　〃an　unfortunate　Campaign；　winding　up；　nevertheless；　as　1757　did；　in　blazes　of　success！〃　And　truly；　if　Friedrich　could　have　made　himself　into　Two；　and；　while　flashing　and　charging　in　Daun's　front；　have　been　in　command　at　Maxen　in　Daun's　rear；Friedrich　could　have　made　a　pretty　thing　of　this　waxen　Enterprise；　and　might　in　good　part　have　realized　his　proud　program。　But　there　is　no　getting　two　Friedrichs。　Finck；　a　General　of　approved　quality；　he　is　the　nearest　approach　we　can　make　to　a　second　Friedrich；and　he；　ill…luck　too　super…adding　itself；　proves　tragically　inadequate。　And　sets　all　the　world；　and　Opposition　Retzow；　exclaiming；　〃See：　Pride　goes　before　a　fall！〃

At　3　in　the　afternoon；　Friedrich；　intensely　surveying　from　the　heights　of　Krogis　the　new　Austrian　movements　and　positions；　is　astonished；　not　agreeably　（〃What；　still　only　here；　Herr　General！〃）；　by　a　personal　visit　from　Finck。　Finck　finds　the　Maxen　business　intricate；　precarious；　wishes　farther　instructions；　brings　forward　this　objection　and　that。　Friedrich　at　last　answers；　impatiently：　〃You　know　I　can't　stand　making　of　difficulties　（ER　WEISS　DASS　ICH　DIE　DIFFICULTATEN　NICHT　LEIDEN　KANN；　MACHE　DASS　ER　FORT　KOMMT）；　contrive　to　get　it　done！〃　With　which　poor　comfort　Finck　has　to　ride　back　to　Nossen；　and　scheme　out　his　dispositions　overnight。

Next　morning；　Thursday；　15th；　Finck　gets　on　march；　drives　the　Reichsfolk　out　of　Freyberg；　reaches　Dippoldiswalde：〃Freyberg　is　to　be　my　Magazine；〃　considers　Finck；　〃Dippoldiswalde　my　half…way　house；　Four　Battalions　of　my　poor　Eighteen　shall　stand　there；　and　secure　the　meal…carts。〃　Friday；　16th；　Finck　has　his　Vanguard；　Wunsch　leading　it；　in　possession　of　Maxen　and　the　Heights；　and　on　Saturday　gets　there　himself；　with　all　his　people　and　equipments。　I　should　think　about　12；000　men：　in　a　most　intersected；　intertwisted　Hill　Country；　full　of　gullets；　dells　and　winding　brooks；it　is　forecourt　of　the　Pirna　rocks；　our　celebrated　Camp　of　Gahmig　lies　visible　to　north；　Dohna　and　the　Rothwasser　bounding　us　to　east；in　grim　November　weather；　some　snow　falling；　or　snow…　powder；　alternating　with　sleet　and　glazing　frosts：　by　no　means　a　beautiful　enterprise　to　Finck。　Nor　one　of　his　own　choosing；　had　one　a　choice　in　such　cases。

To　Daun　nothing　could　be　more　unwelcome　than　this　news　of　Finck；　embattled　there　at　Maxen　in　the　inextricable　Hill　Country；　direct　on　the　road　of　Daun's　meal…carts　and　Bohemian　communications。　And　truly　withal；what　Daun　does　not　yet　hear；　but　can　guess；　there　is　gone；　in　supplement　or　as　auxiliary　to　Finck；　a　fierce　Hussar　party；　under　GRUNE　Kleist；　their　fiercest　Hussar　since　Mayer　died；　who　this　very　day；　at　Aussig；　burns　Daun's　first　considerable　Magazine；　and　has　others　in　view　for　the　same　fate。　＇Friedrich's　second　Letter　to　Voltaire；　Wilsdruf；　〃19th　November；　1759。〃＇　An　evident　thing　to　Daun；　that　Finck　being　there；　meal　has　ceased。

On　the　instant；　Daun　falls　back　on　Dresden；　Saturday；　17th；　takes　post　in　the　Dell　of　Plauen　（PLAUEN'SCHE　GRUND）；　an　impassable　Chasm；　with　sheer　steeps　on　both　sides；　stretching　southward　from　Dresden　in　front　of　the　Hill　Country：　thither　Daun　marches；　there　to　consider　what　is　to　be　done　with　Finck。　Amply　safe　this　position　is；　none　better　in　the　world：　a　Village；　Plauen；　and　a　Brook；　Weistritz；　in　the　bottom　of　this　exquisite　Chasm；　sheer　rock…walls　on　each　side；high　especially　on　the　Daun；　or　south　side；head…　quarters　can　be　in　Dresden　itself；　room　for　your　cavalry　on　the　plain　ground　between　Dresden　and　the　Chasm。　A　post　both　safe　and　comfortable；　only　you　must　not　loiter　in　making　up　your　mind　as　to　Finck；　for　Friedrich　has　followed　on　the　instant。　Friedrich's　head…　quarter　is　already　Wilsdruf；　which　an　hour　or　two　ago　was　Daun's：　at　Kesselsdorf　vigilant　Ziethen　is　vanguard。　So　that　Friedrich　looks　over　on　you　from　the　northern　brow　of　your　Chasm；　delays　are　not　good　near　such　a　neighbor。

Daunurged　on　by　Lacy；　they　sayis　not　long　in　deciding　that；　in　this　strait；　the　short　way　out　will　be　to　attack　Finck　in　the　Hills。　Daun　is　in　the　Hills；　as　well　as　Finck　（this　Plauen　Chasm　is　the　boundary…ditch　of　the　Hills）：　Daun　with　27；000　horse　and　foot；　moving　on　from　this　western　part；　3；000　light　people　（one　Sincere　the　leader　of　them）　moving　simultaneously　from　Dresden　itself；　that　is；　from　northward　or　northwestward；　12；000　Reichsfolk；　horse　and　foot；　part　of　them　already　to　southeastward　of　Finck；　other　part　stealing　on　by　the　Elbe　bank　thitherward：　here；　from　three　different　points　of　the　compass；　are　42；000。　These　simultaneously　dashing　in；　from　west；　north；　south；　upon　Finck；　may　surely　give　account　of　his　12；000　and　him！　If　only　we　can　keep　Friedrich　dark　upon　it；　which　surely　our　Pandours　will　contrive　to　do。

Finck；　directly　on　arriving　at　Maxen；　had　reported　himself　to　the　King；　and　got　answer　before　next　morning：　〃Very　well；　but　draw　in　those　Four　Battalions　you　have　left　in　Dippoldiswalde；　hit　with　the　whole　of　your　strength；　when　a　chance　offers。〃　Which　order　Finck；　literally　and　not　too　willingly；　obeys；　leaves　only　some　light　remnant　in　Dippoldiswalde；　and　reinforcement　to　linger　within　reach；　till　a　certain　Bread…convoy　come　to　him；　which　will　be　due　next　morning　（Monday；　19th）；　and　which　does　then　safely　get　home；　though　under　annoyances　from　cannonading　in　the　distance。

SUNDAY；　18th；　Finck　fails　not　to　reconnoitre　from　the　highest　Hill…　top；　to　inquire　by　every　method：　he　finds；　for　certain；　that　the　enemy　are　coming　in　upon　him。　With　his　own　eyes　he　sees　Reichsfolk　marching；　in　quantity；　southeastward　by　the　Elbe　shore：　〃Intending　towards　Dohna；　as　is　like？〃and　despatched　Wunsch；　who；　accordingly；　drove　them　out　of　Dohna。　Of　all　this　Finck；　at　once；　sent　word　to　Friedrich。　Who　probably　enough　received　the　message；　but　who　would　get　no　new　knowledge　from　it；vigilant　Ziethen　having；　by　Austrian　deserters　and　otherwise；　discovered　this　of　the　Reichsfolk；　and　furthermore　that　Sincere　with　3；000　was　in　motion；　from　the　north；　upon　Finck。　Sunday　evening；　Friedrich　despatches　Ziethen's　Report；　which　punctually　came　to　Finck's　hand；　but　was　the　last　thing　he　received　from　Friedrich；　or　Friedrich　from　him。　The　intervening　Pandours　picked　up　all　the　rest。　The　Ziethen　REPORT；　of　two　or　three　lines；　most　succinct　but　sufficient；　like　a　cutting　of　hard　iron；　is　to　be　read　in　many　Books：　we　may　as　well　give　the　Letter　and　it：

FRIEDRICH'S　LETTER　（WILSDRUF；　18th　NOVEMBER；　1759）。　〃My　dear　General…Lieutenant　von　Finck；I　send　you　the　enclosed　Report　from　General　Ziethen；　showing　what　is　the　lie　of　matters　as　seen　from　this　side；　and　leave　the　whole　to　your　disposition　and　necessary　measures。　I　am　your　well…affectioned　King；F。〃　The　Enclosure　is　as　follows：

GENERAL　ZIETHEN'S　REPORT　（KESSELSDORF；　18th　NOVEMBER；　1759）。　〃To　your　Royal　Majesty；　send　＇no　pronoun　〃I〃　allowed＇　herewith　a　Corporal；　who　has　deserted　from　the　Austrians。　He　says；　Sincere　with　the　Reserve　did　march　with　the　Reichs　Army；　but　a　league　behind　it；　and　turned　towards　Dippoldiswalde。　General　Brentano　＇Wehla's　old　comrade；　luckier　than　Wehla＇；　as　this　Deserter　heard　last　night　in　Daun's　head…quarter；which　is　in　the　southern　Suburb　of　Dresden；　in　the　Countess　Moschinska's　Garden；was　yesterday　to　have　been　in　Dohlen　＇looking　into　our　outposts　from　the　hither　side　of　their　Plauen　Dell＇；　but　was　not　there　any　longer；〃　as　our　Deserter　passed；　〃and　it　was　said　that　he　had　gone　to　Maxen　at　three　in　the　afternoon。〃　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　309。＇

Thus　curtly　is　Finck　authorized　to　judge　for　himself　in　the　new　circumstances。　Marginally　is　added；　in　Friedrich's　own　hand：　〃ER　WIRD　ENTWEDER　MIT　DEN　REICHERN　ODER　MIT　SICEREN　EINEN　GANG　HABEN；Either　with　the　Reichers　or　with　Sincere　you　will　have　a　bout；　I　suppose。〃

MAP　FACING　PAGE　350；　BOOK　XIX　GOES　HERE…

Finck；　from　his　own　Hill…top；　on　Sunday　and　Monday；　sees　all　this　of　Ziethen；　and　much　more。　Sees　the　vanguard　of　Daun　himself　approaching　Dippoldiswalde；　cannonading　his　meal…carts　as　they　issue　there；　on　all　sides　his　enemies　encompassing　him　like　bees；　and　has　a　sphinx…riddle　on　his　mind；　such　as　soldier　seldom　had。　Shall　he　manoeuvre　himself　out；　and　march　away；　bread…carts；　baggages　and　all　entire？　There　is　still　time；　and　perfect　possibility；　by　Dippoldiswalde　there；　or　by　other　routes　and　methods。　But　again；　did　not　his　Majesty　expect；　do　not　these　words　〃a　bout〃　still　seem　to　expect；　a　bit　of　fighting　with　somebody　or　other？　Finck　was　an　able　soldier；　and　his　skill　and　courage　well　known；　but　probably　another　kind　of　courage　was　wanted　this　day；　of　which　Finck　had　not　enough。　Finck　was　not　king　of　this　matter；　Finck　was　under　a　King　who　perhaps　misjudged　the　matter。　If　Finck　saw　no　method　of　doing　other　than　hurt　and　bad　service　to　his　King　by　staying　here；　Finck　should　have　had　the　courage　to　come　away；　and　front　the　King's　unreasonable　anger；　expecting　redress　one　day；　or　never　any　redress。　That　was　Finck's　duty：　but　everybody　sees　how　hard　it　was　for　flesh　and　blood。

Finck；　truer　to　the　letter　than　to　the　spirit；　determined　to　remain。　Did；　all　that　Monday；　his　best　to