第 11 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2021-02-18 21:08      字数:9282
  t where he fell。 A late Tourist says:
  〃At first there was a monument of wood 'TREE planted; I will hope'; which is now all gone; round this Kaiser Joseph II。 once; in the year 1776; holding some review there; made his grenadier battalions and artilleries form circle; fronting the sky all round; and give three volleys of great arms and small; Kaiser in the centre doffing hat at each volley; in honor of the hero。 Which was thought a very pretty thing on the Kaiser's part。 In 1824; the tree; I suppose; being gone to a stump; certain subscribing Prussian Officers had it rooted out; and a modest Pyramid of red…veined marble built in its room。 Which latter the then King of Prussia; Friedrich Wilhelm III。; determined to improve upon; and so; in 1839; built a second Pyramid close by; bigger; finer; and of Prussian iron; this one; purchasing also; from the Austrian Government; a rood or two of ground for site; and appointing some perpetual Peculium; or increase of Pension to an Austrian Veteran of merit for taking charge there。 All which; perfectly in order; is in its place at this day。 The actual Austrian Pensioner of merit is a loud…voiced; hard…faced; very limited; but honest little fellow; who has worked a little polygon ditch and miniature hedge round the two Monuments; keeps his own cottage; little garden; and self; respectably clean; and leads stoically a lone life;no company; I should think; but the Sterbohol hinds; who probably are Czechs and cannot speak to him。 He was once 'of the regiment Hohenlohe;' suffers somewhat from cold; in the winter…time; in those upland parts (the 'cords of wood' allowed him being limited); but complains of nothing else。 Two English names were in his Album; a military two; and no more。 'EHRET DEN HELD (Honor the Hero)!' we said to him; at parting。 'Don't I?' answered he; glancing at his muddy bare legs and little spade; with which he had been working in the Polygon Ditch when we arrived。 I could wish him an additional 'KLAFTER HOLZ' (cord more of firewood) now and then; in the cold months!
  〃Sterbohol Farmstead has been new built; in man's memory; but is dirty as ever。 Agriculture; all over this table…land of the Ziscaberg; I should judge to be bad。 Not so the prospect; which is cheerfully extensive; picturesque in parts; and to the student of Friedrich offers good commentary。 Roads; mansions; villages: Prossik; Kyge; Podschernitz; from the Heights of Chaber round to Nussel and beyond: from any knoll; all Friedrich's Villages; and many more; lie round you as on a map;their dirt all hidden; nothing wanting to the landscape; were it better carpeted with green (green instead of russet); and shaded here and there with wood。 A small wild pink; bright…red; and of the size of a star; grows extensively about; of which you are tempted to pluck specimens; as memorial of a Field so famous in War。〃 'Tourist's Note (September; 1858)。'
  Chapter III。
  PRAG CANNOT BE GOT AT ONCE。
  What Friedrich's emotions after the Battle of Prag were; we do not much know。 They are not inconceivable; if we read his situation well; but in the way of speech; there is; as usual; next to nothing。 Here are two stray utterances; worth gathering from a man so uncommunicative in that form。
  FRIEDRICH A MONTH BEFORE PRAG (From Lockwitz; 25th March; to Princess Amelia; at Berlin)。〃My dearest Sister; I give you a thousand thanks for the hints you have got me from Dr。 Eller on the illness of our dear Mother。 Thrice…welcome this; and reassures me 'alas; not on good basis!' against a misfortune which I should have considered very great for me。
  〃As to us and our posture of affairs; political and military; place yourself; I conjure you; above every event。 Think of our Country and remember that one's first duty is to defend it。 If you learn that a misfortune happens to one of us; ask; 'Did he die fighting?' and if Yes; give thanks to God。 Victory or else death; there is nothing else for us; one or the other we must have。 All the world here is of that temper。 What! you would everybody sacrifice his life for the State; and you would not have your Brothers give the example? Ah; my dear Sister; at this crisis; there is no room for bargaining。 Either at the summit of glorious success; or else abolished altogether。 This Campaign now coming is like that of Pharsalia for Rome; or that of Leuctra for the Greeks;〃a Campaign we verily shall have to win; or go to wreck upon! ' OEuvres de Frederic;  xxvii。 i。 391。'
  FRIEDERICH SHORTLY AFTER PRAG (To his Mother; Letter still extant in Autograph; without date)。〃My Brothers and I are still well。 The whole Campaign runs risk of being lost to the Austrians; and I find myself free; with 150;000 men。 Add to this; that we are masters of a Kingdom 'Bohemia here'; which is obliged to furnish us with troops and money。 The Austrians are dispersed like straw before the wind。 I will send a part of my troops to compliment Messieurs the French; and am going 'if I once had Prag!' to pursue the Austrians with the rest of my Army。〃 'Ib。 xxvi。 75。'
  Friedrich; who keeps his emotions generally to himself; does not; as will be seen; remain quite silent to us throughout this great Year; but; by accident; has left us some rather impressive gleanings in that kind;and certainly in no year could such accident have been luckier to us; this of 1757 being; in several respects; the greatest of his Life。 From nearly the topmost heights down to the lowest deeps; his fortunes oscillated this year; and probably; of all the sons of Adam; nobody's outlooks and reflections had in them; successive and simultaneous; more gigantic forms of fear and of hope。 He is on a very high peak at this moment; suddenly emerging from his thick cloud; into thunderous victory of that kind; and warning all Pythons what they get by meddling with the Sun…god! Loud enough; far…clanging; is the sound of the silver bow; gazetteers and men all on pause at such new Phoebus Apollo risen in his wrath;the Victory at Prag considered to be much more annihilative than it really was。 At London; Lord Holderness had his Tower…guns in readiness; waiting for something of the kind; and 〃the joy of the people was frantic。〃 ' Mitchell Papers and Memoirs  (i。 e the PRINTED Selection; 2 vols。 London; 1850;which will be the oftenest cited by us; 〃Papers AND MEMOIRS〃); i。 249: 〃Holderness to Mitchell; 20th May; 1757。〃 Mitchell is now attending Friedrich; his Letter from Keith's Camp; during the thunder of 〃Friday; May 6th;〃 is given; ib。 i。 248。'
  Very dominant; our 〃Protestant Champion〃 yonder; on his Ziscaberg; bidding the enormous Pompadour…Theresa combinations; the French; Austrian; Swedish; Russian populations and dread sovereigns; check their proud waves; and hold at mid…flood。 It is thought; had he in effect; 〃annihilated〃 the Austrian force at Prag; that day (Friday; 6th May; as he might have done by waiting till Saturday; 7th); he could then; with the due rapidity; rapidity being indispensable in the affair; have become master of Prag; which meant of Bohemia altogether; and have stormed forward; as his program bore; into the heart; of an Austria still terror…stricken; unrallied;in which case; it is calculated; the French; the Russians; Swedes; much more the Reich and such like; would all have drawn bridle; and Austria itself have condescended to make Peace with a Neighbor of such quality; and consent to his really modest desire of being let alone! Possible; all this;think Retzow and others。 'See RETZOW; i。 100…108; &c。 ' But the King had not waited till to…morrow; no persuasion could make him wait: and it is idle speculating on the small turns which here; as everywhere; can produce such deflections of course。
  Beyond question; Prag is not captured; and may; as now garrisoned; require a great deal of capturing:and perhaps it is but a PEAK; this high dominancy of Friedrich's; not a solid table…land; till much more have been done! Friedrich has nothing of the Gascon: but there may well be conceivable at this time a certain glow of internal pride; like that of Phoebus amid the piled tempests;like that of the One Man prevailing; if but for a short season; against the Devil and All Men: 〃I have made good my bit; of resolution so far: here are the Austrians beaten at the set day; and Prag summoned to surrender; as per program!〃
  Intrinsically; Prag is not a strong City: we have seen it; taken in few days; in one night;and again; as in Belleisle's time; we have seen it making tough defence for a series of weeks。 It depends on the garrison; what extent of garrison (the circuit of it being so immense); and what height of humor。 There are now 46;000 men caged in it; known to have considerable magazines; and Friedrich; aware that it will cost trouble; bends all his strength upon it; and from his two camps; Ziscaberg; Weissenberg; due Bridges uniting; Keith and he batter it; violently; aiming chiefly at the Magazines (which are not all bomb…proof); and hope they may succeed before it is too late。
  The Vienna people are in the depths of amazement and discouragement; almost of terror; had it not been for a few; or especially for one high heart among them。 Feldmarschall Daun; on the news of May 6th; hastily fell back; joined by the wrec