history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第7部分
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ast; if readers remember; and; during those tedious weeks; is admitted to a great deal of conversation with the King。 Readers will consent to this Note on Guichard; and this shall be our ultimatum on the wearisome Three Months at Landshut。
MAJOR QUINTUS ICILIUS。 〃Guichard is by birth a Magdeburger; age now thirty…four; a solid staid man; with a good deal of hard faculty in him; and of culture unusual for a soldier。 A handy; sagacious; learned and intelligent man; whom Friedrich; in the course of a year's experience; has grown to see willingly about him。 There is something of positive in Guichard; of stiff and; as it were; GRITTY; which might have offended a weaker taste; but Friedrich likes the rugged sense of the man; his real knowledge on certain interesting heads; and the precision with which the known and the not rightly known are divided from one another; in Guichard。
〃Guichard's business about the King has been miscellaneous; not worth mention hitherto; but to appearance was well done。 Of talk they are beginning to have more and more; especially at Landshut here; in these days of waiting; a great deal of talk on the Wars of the Ancients; Guichard's Book naturally leading to that subject。 One night; datable accidentally about the end of May; the topic happened to be Pharsalia; and the excellent conduct of a certain Centurion of the Tenth Legion; who; seeing Pompey's people about to take him in flank; suddenly flung himself into oblique order 'SCHRAGE STELLUNG; as we did at Leutheu'; thereby outflanking Pompey's people; and ruining their manoeuvre and them。 'A dexterous man; that Quintus Icilius the Centurion!' observed Friedrich。 'Ah; yes: but excuse me; your Majesty; his name was Quintus Caecilius;' said Guichard。 'No; it was Icilius;' said the King; positive to his opinion on that small point; which Guichard had not the art to let drop; though; except assertion and counter…assertion; what could be made of it there? Or of what use was it anywhere?
〃Next day; Guichard came with the book 'what 〃Book〃 nobody would ever yet tell me'; and putting his finger on the passage; 'See; your Majesty: Quintus CAEcilius!' extinguished his royal opponent。 'Hm;' answered Friedrich: 'so?Well; you shall be Quintus Icilius; at any rate!' And straightway had him entered on the Army Books 'as Major Quintus Icilius;' his Majorship is to be dated '10th April; 1758' (to give him seniority); and from and after this '26th May; 1759;' he is to command the late Du Verger's Free…Battalion。 All which was done:the War…Offices somewhat astonished at such advent of an antique Roman among them; but writing as bidden; the hand being plain; and the man an undeniable article。 Onward from which time there is always a 'Battalion Quintus' on their Books; instead of Battalion Du Verger; by degrees two Batallions Quintus; and at length three; and Quintus become a Colonel:at which point the War ended; and the three Free…Battalions Quintus; like all others of the same type; were discharged。〃 This is the authentic origin of the new name Quintus; which Guichard got; to extinction of the old; substantially this; as derived from Quintus himself; though in the precise details of it there are obscurities; never yet solved by the learned。 Nicolai; for example; though he had the story from Quintus in person; who was his familiar acquaintance; and often came to see him at Berlin; does not; with his usual punctuality; say; nor even confess that he has forgotten; what Book it was that Quintus brought with him to confute the King on their Icilius…Caecilius controversy; Nicolai only says; that he; for his part; in the fields of Roman Literature and History; knows only three Quintus…Iciliuses; not one of whom is of the least likelihood; and in fact; in the above summary; I have had to INVERT my Nicolai on one point; to make the story stick together。 'Nicolai; Anekdoten; vi。 129…145。'
〃Quintus had been bred for the clerical profession; carefully; at various Universities; Leyden last of all; and had even preached; as candidate for license;I hope with moderate orthodoxy;though he soon renounced that career。 Exchanged it for learned and vigorous general study; with an eye to some College Professorship instead。 He was still hardly twenty…three; when; in 1747; the new Stadtholder;〃 Prince of Orange; whom we used to know; 〃who had his eye upon him as a youth of merit; graciously undertook to get him placed at Utrecht; in a vacancy which had just occurred there; whither the Prince was just bound; on some ceremonial visit of a high nature。 The glad Quintus; at that time Guichard and little thinking of such an alias; hastened to set off in the Prince's train; but could get no conveyance; such was the press of people all for Utrecht。 And did not arrive till next day;and found quarter; with difficulty; in the garret of some overflowing Inn。
〃In the lower stories of his Inn; solitary Guichard; when night fell; heard a specific GAUDEAMUS going on; and inquired what it was。 'A company of Professors; handselling a newly appointed Professor;'appointed; as the next question taught; to the very Chair poor Quintus had come for! Serene Highness could not help himself; the Utrechters were so bent on the thing。 Quintus lay awake; all night; in his truckle…bed; and gloomily resolved to have done with Professorships; and become a soldier。 'If your Serene Highness do still favor me;' said Quintus next day; 'I solicit; as the one help for me; an ensign's commission!'And persisted rigorously; in spite of all counsellings; promises and outlooks on the professorial side of things。 So that Serene Highness had to grant him his commission; and Quintus was a soldier thenceforth。 Fought; more or less; in the sad remainder of that Cumberland…Saxe War; and after the Peace of 1748 continued in the Dutch service。 Where; loath to be idle; he got his learned Books out again; and took to studying thoroughly the Ancient Art of War。 After years of this; it had grown so hopeful that he proceeded to a Book upon it; and; by degrees; determined that he must get to certain Libraries in England; before finishing。 In 1754; on furlough; graciously allowed and continued; he came to London accordingly; finished his manuscript there (printed at the Hague 1757 ' Memoires Militaires sur les &c。 (a La Haye; 1757: 2 vols。 4to);was in the 5th edition when I last heard of it。'): and new War having now begun; went over (probably with English introductions) as volunteer to Duke Ferdinand。 By Duke Ferdinand he was recommended to Friedrich; the goal of all his efforts; as of every vagrant soldier's in those times:and here at last; as Quintus Icilius; he has found permanent billet; a Battalion and gradually three Battalions; and will not need to roam any farther。
〃They say; what is very credible; that Quintus proved an active; stout and effectual soldier; in his kind; and perhaps we may hear of some of his small…war adventures by and by: that he was a studious; hard…headed; well…informed man; and had written an excellent Book on his subject; is still abundantly clear。 Readers may look in the famous Gibbon's Autobiography; or still better in the Guichard Book itself; if they want evidence。 The famous Gibbon was drilling and wheeling; very peaceably indeed; in the Hampshire Militia; in those wild years of European War。 Hampshire Militia served as key; or glossary in a sort; to this new Book of Guichard's; which Gibbon eagerly bought and studied; and it; was Guichard; ALIAS Quintus Icilius; who taught Gibbon all he ever knew of Ancient War; at least all the teaching he ever had of it; for his renowned DECLINE AND FALL。〃 'See Gibbon's Works (4to; London; 1796: Memoirs of my Life and Writings ); i。 97; and ( Extraits de mes Lectures ); ii。 52…54; of dates May 14th…26th; 1762;during which days Gibbon is engaged in actual reading of the Memoires Militaires; and already knows the Author by his ALIAS of Quintus Icilius; 〃a man of eminent sagacity and insight; who was in the Dutch; and is now; I believe; in the Prussian service。〃
It was in the last days of June that Daun; after many litchings; got into more decisive general movement northward; and slowly but steadily planted himself at Mark…Lissa in the Lausitz: upon which; after some survey of the phenomenon; Friedrich got to Schmottseifen; opposite him; July 10th。 Friedrich; on noticing such stir; had ridden down to Trautenau (June 29th…30th); new Horse… Artillery attending; to look closer into Daun's affairs; and; seeing what they were; had thereupon followed。 Above a month before this; Friedrich had detached a considerable force against the Russians;General Dohna; of whom in next Chapter:and both Daun and he again sit waiting; till they see farther。 Rapid Friedrich is obliged to wait; watching Daun and the Dohna… Russian adventure: slow Daun will continue to wait and watch there; long weeks and months; after that is settled; that and much else; fully to his mind! Each is in his impregnable Camp; and each; Daun especially; has his Divisions and Detachments hovering round him; near or far; on different strategic errands; each Main…Camp like a planet with various moonsMark…Lissa especially; a kind of sun with planets and comets and planetary moons:of whose intricate motions and counter…motions; mostly unimportant to us; we promised to take no notice; in face of such a crisis just at hand。
By the 6th of July; slow Daun had got hitched into his Camp of Mark…Lissa; and four days after; Friedrich attending him; was in Schmottseifen: where again was pause; and there passed nothing mentionable; even on Friedrich's score; and till July was just ending; the curtain did not fairly rise。 Panse of above two weeks on Friedrich's part; and of almost three months on Daun's。 Mark…Lissa; an impregnable Camp; is on the Lausitz Border; with Saxony; Silesia; Bohemia all converging hereabouts; and Brandenburg itself in the vicinity;there is not a better place for waiting on events。 Here; accordingly; till well on in September; Daun sat immovable; not even hitching now;only shooting out Detachments; planetary; cometary; at a great rate; chiefly on his various Russian