history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第4部分
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Gates:and poor Frankfurt finds itself tied hand and foot; almost before it is out of bed! Done with great exactitude; with the minimum of confusion; and without a hurt skin to anybody。 The Inhabitants stood silent; gazing; the Town…guard laid down their arms; and went home。 Totally against Law; but cleverly done; perhaps Soubise's chief exploit in the world; certainly the one real success the French have yet had。
〃Soubise made haste to summon the Magistrates: 'Law of Necessity alone; most honored Sirs! Reichs Law is clear against me。 But all the more shall private liberties; religions; properties; in this Imperial Free…Town; be sacred to us。 Defence against any aggression: and the strictest discipline observed。 Depend on me; I bid you!'And kept his word to an honorable degree; they say; or in absence; made it be kept; during the Four Years that follow。 Most Frankfurters are; at heart; Anti…French: but Soubise's affability was perfect; and he gave evening parties of a sublime character; the Magistrates all appearing there; in their square perukes and long gowns; with a mournful joy。〃 'Tempelhof; iii。 7…8; Stenzel; v。 198…200。'
Soubise soon went home; to assist in important businesses; Invasion of England; no less; let England look to itself this Summer!and Broglio succeeded him; as Army…Captain in the Frankfurt parts; with laurels accruing; more or less。 Soubise; like Broglio; began with Rossbach; Soubise ends with Frankfurt; for the present; where Broglio also gains his chief laurels; as will shortly be seen。 Frankfurt is a great gain to France; though an illicit one。 It puts a bar on Duke Ferdinand in that quarter; secures a starting…point for attacks on Hessen; Hanover; for co…operation with Contades and the Lower Rhine。 It is the one success France has yet had in this War; or pretty much that it ever had in it。 Due to Prince de Soubise; in that illegal fashion。 A highly remarkable little Boy; now in his tenth year; Johann Wolfgang Goethe; has his wondering eyes on these things: and; short while hence; meets daily; on the stairs and lobbies at home; a pleasant French Official Gentlemen who is quartered there; page 195 Book XIX…^ 'sic'…
between whom and Papa occur rubs;as readers may remember; and shall hear in April coming。
GRAND CORDON DISRUPTED: ERFURT COUNTRY; 16th FEBRUARY…2d MARCH。 〃About six weeks after this Frankfurt achievement; certain Reichsfolk and Austrian Auxiliaries are observed to be cutting down endless timber; '18;800 palisades; 6;000 trees of 60 feet;' and other huge furnishings; from the poor Duke of Gotha's woods; evidently meaning to fortify themselves in Erfurt。 Upon which Prince Henri detaches a General Knobloch thitherward; Duke Ferdinand contributing 4;000 to meet him there; which combined expedition; after some sharp knocking and shoving; entirely disrooted the Austrians and Reichsfolk; and sent them packing。 Had them quite torn out by the end of the month; and had planned to 'attack them on two sides at once' (March 2d); with a view of swallowing them whole;when they (these Reichs Volscians; in such a state of flutter) privately hastened off; one and all of them; the day before。〃 'Narrative; in Helden…Geschichte; v。 1022 et seq。'
This was BREAKAGE FIRST of the Grand Cordon; an explosive hurling of it back out of those Erfurt parts。 Done by Prince Henri's people; in concert with Duke Ferdinand's;who were mutually interested in the thing。
BREAKAGE SECOND: ERFURT…FULDA COUNTRY; 31st MARCH…8th APRIL。 〃About the end of March; these intrusive Austrian Reichsfolk made some attempt to come back into those Countries; but again got nothing but hard knocks; and gave up the Erfurt project。 For; close following on this FIRST; there was a SECOND still deeper and rougher Breakage; in those same regions; the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick dashing through; on a special Errand of Ferdinand's own 'of which presently'; with an 8 or 10;000; in his usual fiery manner; home into the very bowels of the Reich (April 3d; and for a week onward); and returning with 'above 2;000 prisoners' in hand; especially with a Reich well frightened behind him;still in time for Duke Ferdinand's Adventure 'in fact; for his Battle of Bergen; of which we are to hear'。 Had been well assisted by Prince Henri; who 'made dnngerous demonstrations in the distance;' and was extremely diligentthough the interest was chiefly Ferdinand's this time。〃 'Tempelhof; iii。 19…22。'Contemporary with that FIRST Erfurt Business; there went on; 300 miles away from it; in the quite opposite direction; another of the same;too curious to be omitted。
ACROSS THE POLISH FRONTIER: FEBRUARY; 24th…MARCH 4th。 〃In the end of February; General Wobersnow; an active man; was detached from Glogau; over into Poland; Posen way; To overturn the Russian provision operations thereabouts; in particular; to look into a certain high…flying Polack; a Prince Sulkowski of those parts; who with all diligence is gathering food; in expectation of the Russian advent; and indeed has formally 'declared War against the King of Prussia;' having the right; he says; as a Polish Magnate; subject only to his own high thought in such affairs。 The Russians and their wars are dear to Sulkowski。 He fell prisoner in their cause; at Zorndorf; last Autumn; was stuck; like all the others; Soltikoff himself among them; into the vaulted parts of Custrin Garrison: 'I am sorry I have no Siberia for you;' said Friedrich; looking; not in a benign way; on the captive Dignitaries; that hot afternoon; 'go to Custrin; and see what you have provided for yourselves!' Which they had to do; nothing; for certain days; but cellarage to lodge in; King inexorable; deaf to remonstrance。 Which possibly may have contributed to kindle Sulkowski into these extremely high proceedings。
〃At any rate; Wobersnow punctually looks in upon him: seizes his considerable stock of Russian proviants; his belligerent force; his high person itself; and in one luckless hour snuffs him out from the list of potentates。 His belligerent force; about 1;000 Polacks; were all compelled; 'by the cudgel; say my authorities; to take Prussian service 'in garrison regiments; and well scattered about; I suppose'; his own high person found itself sitting locked in Glogau; left to its reflections。 Sat thus 'till the War ended;' say some; certainly till the Sulkowski War had been sufficiently exploded by the laughter of mankind。〃 Here are; succinctly; the dates of this small memorability:
〃End of February; Wobersnow gathers; at Glogau; a force of about 8;000 horse and foot。 Marches; 24th FEBRUARY; over Oder Bridge; straight into Poland; that same night; to the neighborhood of Lissa and Reisen (Sulkowski's dominion); about thirty miles northeast of Glogau。 Sulkowski done next day;part of the capture is 'fifteen small guns。' Wobersnow goes; next; for Posen; arrives; 28th FEBRUARY; destroys Russian Magazine; ransoms Jews。 Shoots out other detachments on the Magazine Enterprise;detaches Platen along the Warta; where are picked up various items; among others 'eighty tuns of brandy;'but himself proceeds no farther than Posen。 MARCH 4th; sets out again from Posen; homewards。〃 'NACHRICHT VON DER UNTERNEHMUNG DES GENERAL…MAJORS VON WOBERSNOW IN POLEN; IM FEB。 UND MARZ。 1759: in Seyfarth; Beylagen; ii。 526…529。 Helden…Geschichte; v。 829。' We shall hear again of Wobersnow; in a much more important way; before long。
To the Polish Republic so called; Friedrich explained politely; not apologetically: 〃Since you allow the Russians to march through you in attack of me; it is evident to your just minds that the attacked party must have similar privilege。〃 〃Truly!〃 answered they; in their just minds; generally; and I made no complaint about Sulkowski (though Polish Majesty and Primate endeavored to be loud about 〃Invasion〃 and the like):and indeed Polish Republic was lying; for a long while past; as if broken…backed; on the public highway; a Nation anarchic every fibre of it; and under the feet and hoofs of travelling Neighbors; especially of Russian Neighbors; and is not now capable of saying much for itself in such cases; or of doing anything at all。
FRANKFURT COUNTRY; APRIL 13th: DUKE FERDINAND'S BATTLE OF BERGEN。 〃Duke Ferdinand; fully aware what a stroke that seizure of Frankfurt was to him; resolved to risk a long march at this bad season; and attempt to drive the French out。 Contades was absent in Paris;no fear of an attack from Contades's Army; Broglio's in Frankfurt; grown now to about 35;000; can perhaps be beaten if vigorously attacked。 Ferdinand appoints a rendezvous at Fulda; of various Corps; Prince Ysenburg's and others; that lie nearest; Hessians many of them; Hanoverians others; proceeds; himself; to Fulda; with a few attendants 'a drive of about 200 miles';having left Lord George Sackville 'mark the sad name of him!'Sackville; head of the English; and General Sporken; a Hanoverian;to take charge in Munster Country; during his absence。 It was from Fulda that he shot out the Hereditary Prince on that important Errand we lately spoke of; under the head of 'BREAKAGE SECOND;'namely; to clear his right flank; and scare the Reich well off him; while he should be marching on Frankfurt。 All which; Henri assisting from the distance; the Hereditary Prince performed to perfection;and was back (APRIL 8th) in excellent time for the Battle。
〃Ferdinand stayed hardly a day in Fulda; ranking himself and getting on the road。 Did his long march of above 100 miles without accident or loss of time;of course; scaring home the Broglio Outposts in haste enough; and awakening Broglio's attention in a high degree;and arrives; Thursday; April 12th; at Windecken; a Village about fifteen miles northeast of Frankfurt; where he passes the night under arms; intending Battle on the morrow。 Broglio is all assembled; 35;000 strong; his Assailant; with the Hereditary Prince come in; counts rather under 30;000。 Broglio is posted in; and on both sides of; Bergen; a high…lying Village; directly on Ferdinand's road to Frankfurt。 Windecken is about fifteen miles from Frankfurt; Bergen about six:idle Tourists of our time; on their return from Homburg to that City; leave Bergen a little on their left。 The ground is