第 41 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2021-02-18 21:08      字数:9302
  uls or so); lies leant against high ground (White Crags; or whatever it once was) on the eastern or right bank of the Saale; a Town in part flat; in part very steep; the streets of it; or main street and secondaries; running off level enough from the River and Bridge; rising by slow degrees; but at last rapidly against the high ground or cliffs; just mentioned; a stiff acclivity of streets; till crowned by the so…called Castle; the 'Augustus Burg' in those days; the 'Friedrich…Wilhelm Barrack' in ours。 It was on this crown of the cliffs that his Prussian Majesty appeared。
  〃Saale is of good breadth here; has done perhaps two hundred miles; since he started; in the Fichtelgebirge (PINE MOUNTAINS); on his long course Elbe…ward; received; only ten miles ago; his last big branch; the wide…wandering Unstrut; coming in with much drainage from the northern parts:in breadth; Saale may be compared to Thames; to Tay or Beauley; his depth not fordable; though nothing like so deep as Thames's; main cargo visible is rafts of timber: banks green; definite; scant of wood; river of rather dark complexion; mainly noiseless; but of useful pleasant qualities otherwise。〃
  From this Castle or landward side come Friedrich and his Prussians; on Monday morning about eight。 〃The garrison; some 4;000 Reichs folk and a French Battalion or two; shut the Gates; and assembled in the Market…place;〃a big square; close at the foot of the Heights; 〃on the other hand; from the top of the Heights 'KLAMMERK the particular spot'; the Prussians cannonaded Town and Gates; to speedy bursting open of the same; and rushed in over the walls of the Castle…court; and by other openings into the Town: so that the garrison above said had to quit; and roll with all speed across the Saale Bridge; and set the same on fire behind them。〃 This was their remedy for all the Three Bridges; when attacked; but it succeeded nowhere so well as here。
  〃The fire was of extreme rapidity; prepared beforehand:〃 Bridge all of dry wood coated with pitch;〃fire reinforced too; in view of such event; by all the suet; lard and oleaginous matter the Garrison could find in Weissenfels; some hundredweights of tallow… dips; for one item; going up on this occasion。〃 Bridge; 〃worth 100;000 thalers;〃 is instantly ablaze: some 400 finding the bridge so flamy; and the Prussians at their skirts; were obliged to surrender;Feldmarschall Hildburghausen; sleeping about two miles off; gets himself awakened in this unpleasant manner。 Flying garrison halt on the other side of the River; where the rest of their Army is; plant cannon there against quenching of the Bridge; and so keep firing; answered by the Prussians; with much noise and no great mischief; till 3 P。M。; when the Bridge is quite gone (Toll…keeper's Lodge and all); and the enterprise of crossing there had plainly become impossible。
  Friedrich quickly; about a mile farther down the River; has picked out another crossing…place; in the interim; and founded some new adequate plank or raft bridge there; which; by diligence all night; will be crossable to…morrow。 So that; except for amusing the enemy; the cannonading may cease at Weissenfels。 A certain Duc de Crillon; in command at this Weissenfels Bridge…burning and cannonade; has a chivalrous Anecdote (amounting nearly to zero when well examined) about saving or sparing Friedrich's life on this interesting occasion: How; being now on the safe side of the River; he Crillon with his staff taking some refection of breakfast after the furious flurry there had been; there came to him one of his Artillery Captains; stationed in an Island in the River; asking; 〃Shall I shoot the King of Prussia; Monseigneur? He is down reconnoitring his end of the Bridge: sha'n't I; then?〃 To whom Crillon gives a glass of wine and smilingly magnanimous answer to a negative effect。 ' 〃Memoires militaires de Louis &c。 Duc de Crillon  (Paris; 1791); p。 166;〃as cited by Preuss; ii。 88。' Concerning which; one has to remark; Not only; FIRST; that the Artillery Captain's power of seeing Friedrich (which is itself uncertain) would indeed mean the power of aiming at him; but differs immensely from that of hitting him with shot; so that this 〃Shall I kill the King?〃 was mainly thrasonic wind from Captain Bertin。 But SECONDLY; that there is no 〃Island〃 in the River thereabouts; for Captain Bertin to fire from! So that probably the whole story is wind or little more: dreamlike; or at best some idle thrasonic…theoretic question; on the part of Bertin; proper answer thereto (consisting mainly in a glass of wine) from Monseigneur: all which; on retrospection; Monseigneur feels; or would fain feel; to have been not theoretic…thrasonic but practical; and of a rather godlike nature。 Zero mainly; as we said; Friedrich thanks you for zero; Monseigneur。
  〃The Prussians were billeted in the Town that night;〃 says our Syndic; 〃and in many a house there came to be twenty men; and even thirty and above it; lodged。 All was quiet through the night; the French and the Reichs folk were drawn back upon the higher grounds; about Burgwerben and on to Tagwerben; and we saw their watch…fires burning。〃 Friedrich's Bridge meanwhile; unmolested by the enemy; is getting ready。
  Keith; looking across to Merseburg on the morrow morning (Tuesday; Nov。 1st); whither he had marched direct with the other Half of the Army; finds Merseburg Bridge destroyed; or broken; and Soubise with batteries on the farther side; intending to dispute the passage。 Keith despatches Duke Ferdinand to Halle; another twelve miles down; who finds Halle Bridge destroyed in like manner; and Broglio intending to dispute; which; however; on second thoughts; neither of them I did。 Friedrich's new Bridge at Herren…Muhle (LORDSHIPS' MILL) is of course an important point to them; Friedrich's passage now past dispute! 〃Let us fall back;〃 say they; 〃and rank ourselves a little; we are 50 or 60;000 strong; ill off for provisions; but well able to retreat; and have permission to fight on this side of the River。〃
  The combined Army; 〃Dauphiness;〃 or whatever we are to call it; does on Wednesday morning (November 2d) gather in its cannon and outskirts; and give up the Saale question; retire landwards to the higher grounds some miles; and diligently get itself united; and into order of battle better or worse; near the Village of Mucheln (which means Kirk MICHAEL; and is still written 〃SANCT MICHEL〃 by some on this occasion)。 There Dauphiness takes post; leaning on the heights; not in a very scientific way; leaving Keith and Ferdinand to rebuild their Bridges unmolested; and all Prussians to come across at discretion。 Which they have diligently done (2d…3d November); by their respective Bridges; and on Thursday afternoon are all across; encamped at Bedra; in close neighborhood to Mucheln; which Friedrich has been out reconnoitring and finds that he can attack next morning very early。
  Next morning; accordingly; 〃by 2 o'clock; with a bright moon shining;〃 Friedrich is on horseback; his Army following。 But on examining by moonlight; the enemy have shifted their position; turned on their axis; more or less; into new wood…patches; new batteries and bogs; which has greatly mended their affair。 No good attacking them so; thinks Friedrich; and returns to his Camp; slightly cannonaded; one wing of him; from some battery of the enemy; and immoderately crowed over by them: 〃Dare not; you see! Tried; and was defeated!〃 cry their newspapers and they;for one day。 Friedrich lodges again in Bedra this night; others say in Rossbach; shifts his own Camp a little; left wing of it now at Rossbach (HOME…BROOK; or BECK; soon to be a world…famous Hamlet): the effects of hunger on the Dauphiness; so far from her supplies; will; he calculates; be stronger than on him; and will bring her to better terms shortly。 Dauphiness needs bread; one may have fine clipping at the skirts of her; if she try retreat。 That Dauphiness would play the prank she did next morning; Friedrich had not ventured to calculate。
  CATASTROPHE OF DAUPHINESS (Saturday; 5th November; 1757)。
  Meandering Saale is on one of his big turns; as he passes Weissenfels; turning; pretty rapidly here; from southeastward; which he was a dozen miles ago; round to northeastward again or northward altogether; which he gets to be at Merseburg; a dozen farther down。 Right across from Weissenfels; lapped in this crook of the Saale; or washed by it on south side and on east; rises; with extreme laziness; a dull circular lump of country; six or eight miles in diameter; with Rossbach and half a dozen other scraggy sleepy Hamlets scattered on it;which; till the morning of Saturday; 5th November; 1757; had not been notable to any visitor。 The topmost point or points; for there are two (not discoverable except by tradition and guess); the country people do call Hills; JANUS…HUGEL; POLZEN…HUGELHill sensible to wagon…horses in those bad loose tracks of sandy mud; but unimpressive on the Tourist; who has to admit that there seldom was so flat a Hill。 Rising; let us guess; forty yards in the three or four miles it has had。 Might be called a perceptibly pot…bellied plain; with more propriety; flat country; slightly puffed up;in shape not steeper than the mould of