第 52 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2021-02-18 21:08      字数:9282
  ps takes up in proportion very little ground; and it shows in the distance; by reason of the mixed uniforms and standards; a totally chaotic mass of men heaped on one another;〃 going in rapid mazes this way and that。 〃But it needs only that the Commander lift his finger; instantly this living coil of knotted intricacies develops itself in perfect order; and with a speed like that of mountain rivers when the ice breaks;〃is upon its Enemy。 'Archenholtz; i。 209。'
  〃Your Enemy is ranked as here; in long line; three or two to one。 You march towards him; but keep him uncertain as to how you will attack; then do on a sudden march up; not parallel to him; but oblique; at an angle of 45 degrees;swift; vehement; in overpowering numbers; on the wing you have chosen。 Roll that wing together; ruined; in upon its own line; you may roll the whole five miles of line into disorder and ruin; and always be in overpowering number at the point of dispute。 Provided; only; you are swift enough about it; sharp enough! But extraordinary swiftness; sharpness; precision is the indispensable condition;by no means try it otherwise; none but Prussians; drilled by an Old Dessauer; capable of doing it。 This is the SCHRAGE ORDNUNG; about which there has been such commentating and controversying among military people: whether Friedrich invented it; whether Caesar did it; how Epaminondas; how Alexander at Arbela; how〃Which shall not in the least concern us on this occasion。
  The four columns rustled themselves into two; and turned southward on the two sides of Borne;southward henceforth; for about two hours; as if straight towards the Magic Mountain; the Zobtenberg; far off; which is conspicuous over all that region。 Their steadiness; their swiftness and exactitude were unsurpassable。 〃It was a beautiful sight;〃 says Tempelhof; an eye… witness: 〃The heads of the columns were constantly on the same level; and at the distance necessary for forming; all flowed on exact; as if in a review。 And you could read in the eyes of our brave troops the noble temper they were in。〃 'Tempelhof; i。 288; 287。' I know not at what point of their course; or for how long; but it was from the column nearest him; which is to be first line; that the King heard; borne on the winds amid their field…music; as they marched there; the sound of Psalms;many…voiced melody of a Church Hymn; well known to him; which had broken out; band accompanying; among those otherwise silent men。 The fact is very certain; very strange to me: details not very precise; except that here; as specimen; is a verse of their Hymn:
  〃Grant that with zeal and skill; this day; I do       What me to do behooves; what thou command'st me to;       Grant that I do it sharp; at point of moment fit;       And when I do it; grant me good success in it。〃        〃Gieb dass ich thu' mit Fleiss was mir zu thun gebuhret;       Wozu mich dein Befehl in meinem Stande fuhret;       Gieb dass ich's thue bald; zu der Zeit da ich's soll;       Und wenn ich's thu'; so gieb dass es gerathe wohl。〃   '〃HYMN…BOOK of Porst〃 (Prussian Sternhold…and… Hopkins); 〃p。 689:〃 cited in Preuss; ii。 107。'
  One has heard the voice of waters; one has paused in the mountains at the voice of far…off Covenanter psalms; but a voice like this; breaking the commanded silences; one has not heard。 〃Shall we order that to cease; your Majesty?〃 〃By no means;〃 said the King; whose hard heart seems to have been touched by it; as might well be。 Indeed there is in him; in those grim days; a tone as of trust in the Eternal; as of real religious piety and faith; scarcely noticeable elsewhere in his History。 His religion; and he had in withered forms a good deal of it; if we will look well; beiug almost always in a strictly voiceless state;nay; ultra…voiceless; or voiced the wrong way; as is too well known。 〃By no means!〃 answered he: and a moment after; said to some one; Ziethen probably: 〃With men like these; don't you think I shall have victory this day!〃
  The loss of their Saxon Forepost proved more important to the Austrians than it seemed;not computable in prisoners; or killed and wounded。 The Height named Scheuberg;〃Borne Rise〃 (so we might call it; which has got its Pillar of memorial since; with gilt Victory atop 'Not till 1854 (Kutzen; pp。 194; 195)。';where Friedrich now is and where the Austrians are not; is at once a screen and a point of vision to Friedrich。 By loss of their Nostitz Forepost; they had lost view of Friedrich; and never could recover view of him; could not for hours learn distinctly what he was about; and when he did come in sight again; it was in a most unexpected place! On the farther side of Borne; edge of the big expanse of open country there; Friedrich has halted; ridden with his adjutants to the top of 〃the Scheuberg (Shy…HILL);〃 as the Books call it; though it is more properly a blunt Knoll or 〃Rise;〃 the nearest of a Chain of Knolls; or swells in the ground; which runs from north to south on that part。
  Except the Zobtenberg; rising blue and massive; on the southern horizon (famous mythologic Mountain; reminding you of an ARTHUR'S SEAT in shape too; only bigger and solitary); this Country; for many miles round; has nothing that could be called a Hill; it is definable as a bare wide…waving champaign; with slight bumps on it; or slow heavings and sinkings。 Country mostly under culture; though it is of sandy quality; one or two sluggish brooks in it; and reedy meres or mires; drained in our day。 It is dotted with Hamlets of the usual kind; and has patches of scraggy fir。 Your horizon; even where bare; is limited; owing to the wavy heavings of the ground; windmills and church…belfries are your only resource; and even these; from about Leuthen and the Austrian position; leave the Borne quarter mostly invisible to you。 Leuthen Belfry; the same which may have stood a hundred years before this Battle; ends in a small tile…roof; open only at the gables:〃Leuthen Belfry;〃 says a recent Tourist; 〃is of small resource for a view。 To south you can see some distance; Sagschutz; Lobetintz and other Hamlets; amid scraggy fir…patches; and meadows; once miry pools; but to north you are soon shut in by a swell or slow rise; with two windmills upon it 'important to readers at present'; and to eastward 'Breslau side and Lissa side'; or to westward 'Friedrich's side'; one has no view; except of the old warped rafters and their old mouldy tiles within few inches; or; if by audacious efforts at each end; to the risk of your neck; you get a transient peep; it is stopt; far short of Borne; by the slow irregular heavings; with or without fir about them。〃 'Tourist's Note; PENES ME。'
  In short; Friedrich keeps possession of that Borne ridge of Knolls; escorted by Cavalry in good numbers; twinkling about in an enigmatic way:〃Prussian right wing yonder;〃 think the Austrians 〃whitherward; or what can they mean?〃and keeps his own columns and the Austrian lines in view; himself and his movements invisible; or worse; to the Austrian Generals from any spy…glass or conjecture they can employ。
  The Austrian Generals are in windmills; on church…belfries; here; there; diligently scanning the abstruse phenomenon; of which so little can be seen。 Daun; who had always been against this adventure; thinks it probable the vanished Prussians are retiring southward: for Bohemia and our Magazines probably。 〃These good people are smuggling off (DIE GUTEN LEUTE PASCHEN AB);〃 said he: 〃let them go in peace。〃 'Muller; p。 36。' Daun; that morning; in his reconnoitrings; had asked of a peasant; 〃What is that; then?〃 (meaning the top of a Village…steeple in the distance; but thought by the peasant to be meaning something nearer hand)。 〃That is the Hill our King chases the Austrians over; when he is reviewing here!〃 Which Daun reported at head…quarters with a grin。 'Nicolai;  Anekdoten;  iv。 34。'
  Lucchesi; on the other hand; scanning those Borne Hills; and the cavalry of Friedrich's escort twinkling hither and thither on them; becomes convinced to a moral certainty; That yonder is the Prussian Vanguard; probable extremity of left wing; and that he; Lucchesi; here at Nypern; is to be attacked。 〃Attacked; you?〃 said one Montazet; French Agent or Emissary here: 〃unless they were snipes; it is impossible!〃 But Lucchesi saw it too well。
  He sends to say that such is the evident fact; and that he; Lucchesi; is not equal to it; but must have large reinforcement of Horse to his right wing。 〃Tush!〃 answer Prince Karl and Daun; and return only argument; verbal consolation; to distressed Lucchesi。 Lucchesi sends a second message; more passionately pressing; to the like effect; also with the like return。 Upon which he sends a third message; quite passionate: 〃If Cavalry do not come; I will not be responsible for the issue!〃 And now Daun does collect the required reinforcement; 〃all the reserve of Horse; and a great many from the left wing;〃and; Daun himself heading them; goes off at a swift trot; to look into Lucchesi and his distresses; three or four miles to right; five or six from where the danger lies。 Now is Friedrich's golden moment。
  Wending always south; on their western or invisible side of those Knolls; Friedrich's people have got to about th