history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第9部分

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　Wedell　in　the　character　of　ALTER…EGO；　or　〃with　the　powers　of　a　Roman　Dictator；〃　as　the　Order　expressed　it。　＇Given　in　Preuss；　ii。　207；　208；　in　Stenzel；　v。　212；　other　particulars。＇　Dictator　Wedell　is　to　supersede　Dohna；　shall　go；　at　his　own　swift　pace；　fettered　by　nobody；and；　at　all　hazards；　shall　attack　Soltikof　straightway；　and　try　to　beat　him。　〃You　are　grown　too　old　for　that　intricate　hard　work；　go　home　a　little；　and　recover　your　health；〃　the　King　writes　to　Dohna。　And　to　the　Dohna　Army；　〃Obey　this　man；　all　and　sundry　of　you；　as　you　would　myself；〃　the　man's　private　Order　being；　〃Go　in　upon　Soltikof；　attack　him　straightway；　let　us　have　done　with　this　wriggling　and　haggling。〃　Date　of　this　Order　is　〃Camp　at　Schmottseifen；　20th　July；　1759。〃　The　purpose　of　such　high…flown　Title；　and　solemnity　of　nomination；　was　mainly；　it　appears；　to　hush　down　any　hesitation　or　surprise　among　the　Dohna　Generals；　which；　as　Wedell　was　〃the　youngest　Lieutenant…General　of　the　Army；〃　might　otherwise　have　been　possible。

Wedell；　furnished　with　some　small　escort　and　these　Documents；　arrives　in　Camp　Sunday　Evening；　22d　July：poor　Dohna　has　not　the　least　word　or　look　of　criticism；　and　every　General；　suppressing　whatever　thoughts　there　may　be；　prepares　to　yield　loyal　obedience　to　Dictator　Wedell。　〃Wobersnow　was　the　far　better　soldier　of　the　two！〃　murmured　the　Opposition　party；　then　and　long　afterwards；　＇Retzow；　&c。＇all　the　more；　as　Wobersnow's　behavior　under　it　was　beautiful；　and　his　end　tragical；　as　will　be　seen。　Wobersnow　I　perceive　to　have　been　a　valiant　sharp…striking　man；　with　multifarious　resources　in　his　head；　who　had　faithfully　helped　in　these　operations；　and　I　believe　been　urgent　to　quicken　them。　But　what　I　remember　best　of　him　is　his　hasty　admirable　contrivance　for　field…bakery　in　pressing　circumstances；the　substance　of　which　shall　not　be　hidden　from　a　mechanical　age：

〃You　construct　six　slight　square　iron　frames；　each　hinged　to　the　other；　each；　say；　two　feet　square；　or　the　breadth　of　two　common　tiles；　and　shaped　on　the　edges　so　as　to　take　in　tiles；tiles　are　to　be　found　on　every　human　cottage。　This　iron　frame；　when　you　hook　it　together；　becomes　the　ghost　of　a　cubic　box；　and　by　the　help　of　twelve　tiles　becomes　a　compact　field…oven；　and　you　can　bake　with　it；　if　you　have　flour　and　water；　and　a　few　sticks。　The　succinctest　oven　ever　heard　of；　for　your　operation　done；　and　your　tiles　flung　out　again；　it　is　capable　of　all　folding　flat　like　a　book。〃　＇Retzow；　ii。　82　n。＇　Never　till　now　had　Wobersnow's　oven　been　at　fault：　but　in　these　Polish　Villages；　all　of　mere　thatched　hovels；　there　was　not　a　tile　to　be　found；　and　the　Bakery；　with　astonishment；　saw　itself　unable　to　proceed。

Wedell　arrived　Sunday　evening；　22d　July；　had　crossed　Oder　at　Tschischerzig；some　say　by　Crossen　Bridge；　no　matter　which。　Dohna's　Camp　is　some　thirty　miles　west　of　Crossen；　in　and　near　the　small　Town　called　Zullichau；　where　his　head…quarter　is。　In　those　dull　peaty　Countries；　on　the　right；　which　is　thereabouts　the　NORTHERN　（not　eastern）；　bank　of　Oder；　between　the　Oder　and　the　Warta；　some　seventy　miles　south…by…east　of　Landsberg；　and　perhaps　as　far　southwest　of　Posen：　thither　has　Dohna　now　got　with　his　futile　manoeuvrings。　Soltikof；　drawn　up　amid　scrubby　woods　and　sluggish　intricate　brooks；　is　about　a　mile　to　east　of　him。

Poor　Dohna　demits　at　once；　and；　I　could　conjecture；　vanishes　that　very　night；　glad　to　be　out　of　such　a　thing。　Painfully　has　Dohna　manoeuvred　for　weeks　past；　falling　back　daily；　only　anxious　latterly　that　Soltikof；　who　daily　tries　it；　do　not　get　to　westward　of　him　on　the　Frankfurt　road；　and　so　end　this　sad　shuffle。　Soltikof　as　yet　has　not　managed　that　ultimate　fatality；　Dohna；　by　shuffling　back；　does　at　least　contrive　to　keep　between　Frankfurt　and　him；will　not　try　attacking　him；　much　as　Wobersnow　urges　it。　Has　agreed　twice　or　oftener；　on　Wobersnow's　urgency：　〃Yes；　yes；　we　have　a　chance；〃　Dohna　would　answer；　〃only　let　us　rest　till　to…morrow；　and　be　fresh！〃　by　which　time　the　opportunity　was　always　gone　again。

Wedell　had　arrived　with　a　grenadier　battalion　and　some　horse　for　escort；　had　picked　up　150　Russian　prisoners　by　the　way。　Retzow　has　understood　he　came　in　with　a　kind　of　state；　and　seemed　more　or　less　inflated；　conscious　of　representing　the　King's　person；　and　being　a　Roman　Dictator；though　it　is　a　perilously　difficult　office　too；　and　requires　more　than　a　Letter　of　Instructions　to　qualify　you　for　it！　This　is　not　Leonidas　Wedell；　whom　readers　once　knew；　poor　Leonidas　is　dead　long　since；　fell　in　the　Battle　of　Sohr；　soon　after　the　heroic　feat　of　Ziethen's　and　his　at　Elbe…Teinitz　（Defence　of　Elbe　against　an　Army）；　this　is　Leonidas's　elder　Brother。　Friedrich　had　observed　his　fiery　ways　on　the　day　of　Leuthen：　〃Hah；　a　new　Winterfeld　perhaps？〃　thought　Friedrich；　〃All　the　Winterfeld　I　now　have！〃which　proved　a　fond　hope。　Wedell's　Dictatorship　began　this　Sunday　towards　sunset；　and　lastedin　practical　fact；　it　lasted　one　day。


DICTATOR　WEDELL　FIGHTS　HIS　BATTLE　（Monday；　23d　July；　1759）；　WITHOUT　SUCCESS。

Monday　morning　early；　Wedell　is　on　the　heights；　reconnoitring　Soltikof；　cannot　see　much　of　him；　the　ground　being　so　woody；　does　see　what　he　takes　to　be　Soltikof's　left　wing；　and　judges　that　Soltikof　will　lie　quiet　for　this　day。　Which　was　far　from　a　right　reading　of　Soltikof；　the　fact　being　that　Soltikof；　in　long　columns　and　divisions；　beginning　with　his　right　wing；　was　all　on　march　since　daybreak；　what　Wedell　took　for　Soltikof's　〃left　wing〃　being　Soltikof's　rear…guard　and　baggage；　waiting　till　the　roads　cleared。　Wedell；　having　settled　everything　on　the　above　footing；　returns　to　Zullichau　about　10　o'clock；　and　about　11；　Soltikof；　miles　long；　disengaged　from　the　bushy　hollows；　makes　his　appearance　on　the　open　grounds　of　Palzig：　he；　sure　enough　（though　Wedell　can　hardly　believe　it）；five　or　six　miles　to　northeast　yonder；　tramping　diligently　along；　making　for　Crossen　and　the　Oder　Bridge；　and　is　actually　got　ahead　of　us；　at　last！

This　is　what　Wedell　cannot　suffer；　cost　what　it　may。　Wedell's　orders　were；　in　such　case；　Attack　the　Russians。　Wedell　instantly　took　his　measures；　not　unskilfully；　say　judges；　though　the　result　proved　disappointing；　and　Wobersnow　himself　earnestly　dissuaded：　〃Too　questionable；　I　should　doubt！　Soltikof　is　70；000；　and　has　no　end　of　Artillery；　we　are　26；000；　and　know　not　if　we　can　bring　a　single　gun　to　where　Soltikof　is！〃　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　132…134。＇

Wedell's　people　have　already；　of　their　own　accord；　got　to　arms　again；　stand　waiting　his　orders　on　this　new　emergency。　No　delay　in　Wedell　or　in　them。　〃May　not　it　be　another　Rossbach　（if　we　are　lucky）？〃　thinks　Wedell：　〃Cannot　we　burst　in　on　their　flank；　as　they　march　yonder；　those　awkward　fellows；　and　tumble　them　into　heaps？〃　The　differences　were　several…fold：　First；　that　Friedrich　and　Seidlitz　are　not　here。　Many　brave　men　we　have；　and　skilful；　but　not　a　master　and　man　like　these　Two。　Secondly；　that　there　is　no　Janus　Hill　to　screen　our　intentions；　but　that　the　Russians　have　us　in　full　view　while　we　make　ready。　Thirdly；　and　still　more　important；　that　we　do　not　know　the　ground；　and　what　hidden　inaccessibilities　lie　ahead。　This　last　is　judged　to　have　been　the　killing　circumstance。　Between　the　Russians　and　us　there　is　a　paltry　little　Brook；　or　line　of　quagmire；　scarcely　noticeable　here；　but　passable　nowhere　except　at　the　Village…Mill　of　Kay；　by　one　poor　Bridge　there。　And　then；　farther　inwards；　as　shelter　of　the　Russians；　there　is　another　quaggy　Brook；　branch　of　the　above；　which　is　without　bridge　altogether。　Hours　will　be　required　to　get　26；000　people　marched　up　there；　not　to　speak　of　heavy　guns　at　all。

The　26；000　march　with　their　usual　mathematical　despatch：　Manteuffel　and　the　Vanguard　strike　in　with　their　sharpest　edge；　foot　and　horse；　direct　on　the　Head　of　the　Russian　Column；　Manteuffel　leading　on；　so　soon　as　his　few　battalions　and　squadrons　are　across。　Head　means　BRAIN　（or　life）　to　this　Russian　Column；　and　these　Manteuffel　people　go　at　it　with　extraordinary　energy。　The　Russian　Head　gives　way；　infantry　and　cavalry：their　cavalry　was　driven　quite　to　rear；　and　never　came　in　sight　again　after　this　of　Manteuffel。　But　the　Russians　have　abundance　of　Reserves；　also　of　room　to　manoeuvre　in；no　lack　of　ground　open；　and　ground　defensible　（Palzig　Village　and　Churchyard；　for　example）；above　all；　they　have　abundance　of　heavy　guns。

Well　in　recoil　from　Manteuffel　and　his　furies；　the　beaten　Russians　succeed　in　forming　〃a　long　Line　behind　Palzig　Village；〃　with　that　Second；　slighter　or　Branch　Quagmire　between　them　and　us；　they　get　the　Village　beset；　and　have　the　Churchyard　of　it　lined　with　batteries；say　seventy　guns。　Manteuffel；　unsupported；　has　to　fall　back；unwillingly；　and　not　chased　or　in　disorder；towards　Kay…　Mill　again；　where　many　are　by　this　time　across。　Hulsen；　with　the　Centre；　attacks　now；　as　the　Vanguard　had　done；　with　a　will；　he　too：　Wobersnow；　all　manner　of　people　attack；　time　after　time；　for　about　four　hours　coming：　and　it　proves　all　in　vain；　on　that　Churchyard　and　new　Line。　Without　cannon；　we　are　repulsed；　torn　away　by　those　Russian　volcano…batteries；　never　enough　of　us　at　once！

Hulsen；　Wobersnow；　everybody　in　detail　is　repulsed；　or　finds　his　success　unavailing。　Poor　Wobersnow　did　wonders；　but　he　fell；　killed。　Gone　he；　and　has　left　so　few　of　his　like：　a　man　that　could　ill　be　spared　at　present！Day　is　sinking；　we　find　we　have　lost；　in　killed；　wounded　and　prisoners；　some　6；000　men。　〃About　sunset；〃　flaming　July　sun　going　down　among　the　moorlands　on　such　a　scene；　Wedell　gives　it　up；　retires　slowly　towards　Kay　Bridge。　Slowly；　not　chased；　or　molested；　Soltikof　too　glad　to　be　rid　of　him。　Soltikof's　one　aim　is；　and　was；　towards　Crossen；　towards　Austrian　Junction；　and　something　to　live　upon。　Soltikof's　loss　of　men　is　reckoned　to　be　heavier　even　than　Wedell's：　but　he　could　far　better　afford　it。　He　has　gained　his　point；　and　the　price　is　small　in　comparison。　Next　day　he　enters　Crossen　on　triumphant　terms。

Poor　Wedell　had　returned　over　Kay…Mill　Bridge；　in　the　night…time　after　his　Defeat。　On　the　morrow　（Tuesday；　24th；　day　of　Soltikof's　glad　entry）；　Wedell　crosses　Oder；　at　Tschischerzig；　the　old　place　of　Sunday　evening　last；in　how　different　a　humor；　this　time！and　in　a　day　more；　posts　himself　opposite　to　Crossen　Bridge；　five　or　six　mile