history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第38部分

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l；　or　in　good　part；　but　symbolizing　a　case　that　is　conceivable　to　everybody。　Or　would　readers　care　to　glance　into　the　very　fact　with　their　own　eyes？　As　happens　to　be　possible。


1。　BEFORE　MAXEN：　FRIEDRICH　TO　D'ARGENS　AND　OTHERS。

TO　D'ARGENS　（Krogis；　15th　November；　order　for　Maxen　just　given）。　〃Yesterday　I　joined　the　Army　＇day　before　yesterday；　but　took　the　field　yesterday＇；　and　Daun　decamped。　I　have　followed　him　thus　far；　and　will　continue　it　to　the　frontiers　of　Bohemia。　Our　measures　are　so　taken　＇Finck；　to　wit＇；　that　he　will　not　get　out　of　Saxony　without　considerable　losses。　Yesterday　cost　him　500　men　taken　at　Korgis　here。　Every　movement　he　makes　will　cost　him　as　many。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xix。　101。＇

TO　VOLTAIRE　（Wilsdruf；　17th　November）。　〃We　are　verging　on　the　end　of　our　Campaign：　and　I　will　write　to　you　in　eight　days　from　Dresden；　with　more　composure　and　coherency　than　now。〃　＇Ib。　xxiii。　66。＇

TO　THE　SAME　（Wilsdruf；　19th　November）。　〃The　Austrians　are　packing　off　to　Bohemia；where；　in　reprisal　for　the　incendiary　operations　they　have　done　in　my　countries；　I　have　burnt　them　two　big　magazines。　I　render　the　beatified　Hero's　retreat　as　difficult　as　possible；　and　I　hope　he　will　come　upon　some　bad　adventures　within　a　few　days。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxiii。　66。＇

SAME　DAY　AND　PLACE；　TO　D'ARGENS。　A　volley　of　most　rough…paced　off…hand　Rhyming；　direct　from　the　heart；　〃Ode　＇as　he　afterwards　terms　it；　or　irrepressible　extempore　LILT＇　TO　FORTUNE：〃

〃MARQUIS；　QUEL　CHANGEMENT；　what　a　change！　I；　a　poor　heretic　creature；　never　blessed　by　the　Holy　Father；　indeed；　little　frequenting　Church；　nor　serving　either　Baal　or　the　God　of　Israel；　held　down　these　many　months；　and　reported　by　more　than　one　shaven　scoundrel　＇priest…pamphleteer　at　Vienna＇　to　be　quite　extinct；　and　gone　vagabond　over　the　world；see　how　capricious　Fortune；　after　all　her　hundred　preferences　of　my　rivals；　lifts　me　with　helpful　hand　from　the　deep；　and　packs　this　Hero　of　the　Hat　and　Sword；whom　Popes　have　blessed　what　they　could；　and　who　has　walked　in　Pilgrimage　before　now　＇to　Marienzell　once；　I　believe；　publicly　at　Vienna＇；out　of　Saxony；　panting；　harassed　goes　he；　like　a　stranger　dog　from　some　kitchen　where　the　cook　had　flogged　him　out！〃　＇Ib。　xix。　103…106。＇　。。。　（A　very　exultant　Lilt；　and　with　a　good　deal　more　of　the　chanticleer　in　it　than　we　are　used　to　in　this　King！）


2。　AFTER　MAXEN。

TO　D'ARGENS　（Wilsdruf；　22d　November）。　〃Do　with　that　＇some　small　piece　of　business＇　whatever　you　like；　my　dear　Marquis。　I　am　so　stupefied　（E'TOURDI）　with　the　misfortune　which　has　befallen　General　Finck；　that　I　cannot　recover　from　my　astonishment。　It　deranges　all　my　measures；　it　cuts　me　to　the　quick。　Ill…luck；　which　persecutes　my　old　age；　has　followed　me　from　the　Mark　＇Kunersdorf；　in　the　Mark　of　Brandenburg＇　to　Saxony。　I　will　still　strive　what　I　can。　The　little　ODE　I　sent　you；　addressed　TO　FORTUNE；　had　been　written　too　soon！　One　should　not　sing　victory　till　the　battle　is　over。　I　am　so　crushed　down　by　these　incessant　reverses　and　disasters；　that　I　wish　a　thousand　times　I　were　dead；　and　from　day　to　day　I　grow　wearier　of　dwelling　in　a　body　worn　out　and　condemned　to　suffer。　I　am　writing　to　you　in　the　first　moment　of　my　grief。　Astonishment；　sorrow；　indignation；　scorn；　all　blended　together；　lacerate　my　soul。　Let　us　get　to　the　end；　then；　of　this　execrable　Campaign；　I　will　then　write　to　you　what　is　to　become　of　me；　and　we　will　arrange　the　rest。　Pity　me；ad　make　no　noise　about　me；　bad　news　go　fast　enough　of　themselves。　Adieu；　dear　Marquis。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xix。　107。＇

All　this；　of　course；　under　such　pressing　call　of　actualities；　had　very　soon　to　transform　itself　into　silence；　into　new　resolution；　and　determinate　despatch　of　business。　But　the　King　retained　a　bitter　memory　of　it　all　his　days。　To　Finck　he　was　inexorable：　ordered　him；　the　first　thing　on　his　return　from　Austrian　Captivity；　Trial　by　Court…Martial；　which　（Ziethen　presiding；　June；　1763）　censured　Finck　in　various　points；　and　gave　him；　in　supplement　to　the　Austrian　detention；　a　Year's　Imprisonment　in　Spandau。　No　ray　of　pity　visible　for　him；　then　or　afterwards；　in　the　Royal　mind。　So　that　the　poor　man　had　to　beg　his　dismissal；　get　it；　and　go　to　Denmark　for　new　promotion　and　appreciation。〃Far　too　severe！〃　grumbled　the　Opposition　voices；　with　secret　counter…severity。　And　truly　it　would　have　been　more　beautiful　to　everybody；　for　the　moment；　to　have　made　matters　soft　to　poor　Finck；had　Friedrich　ever　gone　on　that　score　with　his　Generals　and　Delegates；　which；　though　the　reverse　of　a　cruel　man；　he　never　did。　And　truly；　as　we　often　observe；　the　Laws　of　Fact　are　still　severer　than　Friedrich　was：so　that；　in　the　long…run；　perhaps　it　is　beautifulest　of　all　for　a　King；　who　is　just；　to　be　rhadamanthine　in　important　cases。

Exulting　Daun；　instead　of　Bohemia　for　winter…quarters；　pushes　out　now　for　the　prize　of　Saxony　itself。　Daun　orders　Beck　to　attack　suddenly　another　Outpost　of　Friedrich's；　which　stands　rearward　of　him　at　Meissen；　under　a　General　Dierecke；the　same　whom；　as　Colonel　Dierecke；　we　saw　march　out　of　flamy　Zittau；　summer　gone　two　years。　Beck　goes　in　accordingly；　3d　December；　attacks　Dierecke；　not　by　surprise；　but　with　overwhelming　superiority；　no　reinforcement　possible：　Dierecke　is　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　Elbe；　no　retreat　or　reinforcement　for　him；　has　to　fight　fiercely　all　day；　Meissen　Bridge　being　in　a　broken　state；　then；　at　night；　to　ship　his　people　across　in　Elbe　boats；　which　are　much　delayed　by　the　floating　ice；　so　that　daylight　found　1；500　of　them　still　on　that　northern　side；　all　of　whom；　with　General　Dierecke　himself；　were　made　prisoners　by　Beck。　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　321：　〃3d…4th　December；　1759。〃＇　A　comfortable　supplement　to　Maxen；　though　not　of　the　same　magnificence。

After　which；　Daun　himself　issued　minatory　from　the　Plauen　Chasm；　expecting；　as　all　the　world　did；　that　Friedrich；　who　is　36；000　of　Unfortunate　against；　say；　72；000　of　Triumphant；　will；　under　penalty；　take　himself　away。　But　it　proved　otherwise。　〃If　you　beat　us；　Excellency　Feldmarschall；　yes；　but　till　then！〃　Friedrich　draws　out　in　battalia；　Leo　in　wild　ragged　state　and　temper；　VERSUS　Bos　in　the　reverse：　〃Come　on；　then！〃　Rhinoceros　Bos；　though　in　a　high　frame　of　mind；　dare　not；　on　cool　survey；　but　retires　behind　the　Plauen　Chasm　again。　Will　at　least　protect　Dresden　from　recapture；　and　wait　here；　in　the　interim；　carting　his　provision　out　of　Bohemia；which　is　a　rough　business；　with　Elbe　frozen；　and　the　passes　in　such　a　choked　wintry　state。　Upon　whom　Friedrich；　too；　has　to　wait　under　arms；　in　grim　neighborhood；　for　six　weeks　to　come：　such　a　time　as　poor　young　Archenholtz　never　had　before　or　after。　＇Archenholtz；　ii。　11…13。＇　It　was　well　beyond　New…year's　day　before　Friedrich　could　report　of　himself；　and　then　only　in　a　sense；　as　will　be　seen：　〃We　retired　to　this　poor　cottage　＇cottage　still　standing；　in　the　little　Town　of　Freyberg＇；　Daun　did　the　like；　and　this　unfortunate　Campaign；　as　all　things　do；　came　actually　to　an　end。〃

Daun　holds　Dresden　and　the　Dell　of　Plauen；　but　Saxony；　to　the　world's　amazement；　he　is　as　far　as　ever　from　holding。　〃Daun's　front　is　a　small　arc　of　a　circle；　bending　round　from　Dresden　to　Dippoldiswalde；　Friedrich　is　at　Freyberg　in　a　bigger　concave　arc；　concentric　to　Daun；　well　overlapping　Daun　on　that　southward　or　landward　side；　and　ready　for　him；　should　he　stir　out；　Kesselsdorf　is　his　nearest　post　to　Daun；　and　the　Plauen　Chasm　for　boundary；　which　was　not　overpassed　by　either。〃　In　Dresden；　and　the　patch　of　hill…country　to　the　southeastward　of　it　by　Elbe　side；　which　is　instep　or　glacis　of　the　Pirna　rock…country；　seventy　square　miles　or　so；　there　rules　Daun；　and　thiswith　its　heights　of　Gahmig；　valuable　as　a　defence　for　Dresden　against　Austria；　but　not　otherwise　of　considerable　valuewas　all　that　Daun　this　year；　or　pretty　much　in　any　coming　year；　could　realize　of　conquest　in　Saxony。

Fabius　Cunctator　has　not　succeeded；　as　the　public　expected。　In　fact；　ever　since　that　of　Hochkirch　and　the　Papal　Hat；　he　has　been　a　waning　man；　more　and　more　questionable　to　the　undiscerning　public。　Maxen　was　his　last　gleam　upwards；　a　round　of　applause　rose　again　on　Maxen；　feeble　in　comparison　with　Hochkirch；　but　still　arguing　hope；which；　after　this；　more　and　more　died　out；　so　that　in　two　years　more；　poor　Madam　Daun；　going　to　Imperial　Levee；　〃had　her　state…carriage　half　filled　with　nightcaps；　thrown　into　it　by　the　Vienna　people；　in　token　of　her　husband's　great　talent　for　sleep。〃　＇Archenholtz　（Anno　1762；　〃last　Siege　of　Schweidnitz〃）。＇



Chapter　VIII。

MISCELLANEA　IN　WINTER…QUARTERS；　1759…1760。

Friedrich　was　very　loath　to　quit　the　field　this　Winter。　In　spite　of　Maxen　and　ill…luck　and　the　unfavorablest　weather；　it　still　was；　for　about　two　months；　his　fixed　purpose　to　recapture　Dresden　first；　and　drive　Daun　home。　〃Had　I　but　a　12；000　of　Auxiliaries　to　guard　my　right　flank；　while　trying　it！〃　said　he。　Ferdinand　magnanimously　sent　him　the　Hereditary　Prince　with　12；000；　who　stayed　above　two　months；　＇〃Till　February　15th；〃　List　of　the　Regiments　（German　all）；　in　SEYFARTH；　ii。　578　n。＇　and　Friedrich　did　march　about；　attempting　that　way；　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　v。　32。　Old　Newspaper　rumors：　in　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　xxix。　605；　〃29th　December；〃　&c。＇pushed　forward　to　Maguire　and　Dippoldiswalde；　looked　passionately　into　Maguire　on　all　sides；　but　found　him；　in　those　frozen　chasms；　and　rock…labyrinths　choked　with　snow；　plainly　unattackable；　him　and　everybody；　in　such　frost…　element；and　renounced　the　passionate　hope。

It　was　not　till　the　middle　of　January　that　Friedrich　put　his　troops　into　partial　cantonments；　Head…quarter　Freyberg；　troops　still　mainly　in　the　Villages　from　Wilsdruf　and　southward；　close　by　their　old　Camp　there。　Camp　still　left　standing；　guarded　by　Six　Battalions；　six　after　six；　alternating　week　about：　one　of　the　grimmest　camps　in　Nature；　the　canvas　roofs　grown　mere　ice…plates；　the　tents　mere　sanctuaries　of　frost：never　did　poor　young　Archenholtz　see　such　industry　in　dragging　wood…fuel；　such　boiling　of　biscuits　in　broken　ice；　such　crowding　round　the　embers　to　roast　one　side　of　you；　while　the　other　was　freezing。　＇Archenholtz　（UT　SUPRA）；　ii。　11…15。＇　But　Daun's　people；　on　the　opposit