第 63 节
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n have been brought to give battle。 As Fabins Cunctator he is here in his right place; taking impregnable positions; no man with better skill in that branch of business; pushing out parties on the Troppau road; and patiently waiting till this dangerous Enemy; with such endless shifts in him; come in sight perhaps of his last cartridge; or perhaps make some stumble on the way towards that consummation。 Daun is aware of Friedrich's surprising qualities。 Bos against Leo; Daun feels these procedures to be altogether feline (FELIS… LEONINE); such stealthy glidings about; deceptive motions; appearances; then such a rapidity of spring upon you; and with such a set of claws;destructive to bovine or rhinoceros nature: in regard to all which; Bos; if he will prosper; surely cannot be too cautious。 It was remarked of Daun; that he was scrupulously careful; never; in the most impregnable situations; neglecting the least precaution; but punctiliously fortifying himself to the last item; even to a ridiculous extent; say Retzow and the critics。 It was the one resource of Daun: truly a solid stubborn patience is in the man; stubborn courage too; of bovine…rhinoceros type; stupid; if you will; but doing at all times honestly his best and his wisest without flurry; which character is often of surprising value in War; capable of much mischief; now and then; to quicker people。 Rhinoceros Daun did play his Leo a bad prank more than once; and this of barring him out from Olmutz was one of them; perhaps the worst after Kolin。
Daun's management of this Olmutz business is by no means reckoned brilliant; even in the Fabius line; but; on the contrary; inert; dim…minded; inconclusive; and in reality; till almost the very last; he had been of little help to the besieged。 For near three weeks (till May 23d) Daun sat at Leutomischl; immovable on his bread…basket there; forty or more miles from Olmutz; and did not see that a Siege was meant。 May 27th…28th; Balbi opened his first parallel; in that mistaken way; four days before which; Daun does move inwards a march or so; to Zwittau; to Gewitsch (still thirty miles to west of Olmutz); still thinking of Bohemia; not of any siege; still hanging by the mountains and the bread…basket。 And there;about Gewitsch; siege or no siege; Daun sits down again; pretty much immovable; through the five weeks of bombardment; and;except that Loudon and the Light Horse are very diligent to do a mischief; 〃attempting our convoys; more than once; to no purpose; and alarming some of our outposts almost every night; but every night beaten off;〃does; in a manner; nothing; sits quiet; behind his impenetrable veil of Pandours; and lets the bombardment take its course。 Had not express Order come from Vienna on him; it is thought Daun would have sat till Olmutz was taken; and would then have gone back to Leutomischl and impregnable posts in the Hills。 On express order; he But gather; first; these poor sparks in elucidation:
〃The 'destructive sallies' and the like; at Olmutz; were principally an affair of the gazetteers and the imagination: but it is certain; Olmutz this time was excellently well defended; the Commandant; a vigorous skilful man; prompt to seize advantages; and Garrison and Townsfolk zealously helping: so that Friedrich's progress was unusually slow。 Friedrich's feelings; all this while; and Balbi's (who 'spent his first 1;220 shots entirely in vain;' beginning so far off); may be judged of;the sound of him to Balbi sometimes stern enough! As when (June 9th) he personally visits Balbi's parallels (top of the Tafelberg yonder); and inquires; 'When do you calculate to get done; then?' West side of Olmutz and of the River (east side lies mostly under water); there is the bombarding; seventy…one heavy guns; Keith; in his expertest manner; doing all the captaincies: Keith has about 8;000 of foot and horse; busy and vigilant; with their faces to the east。 In a ring of four camps; or principally three (Prossnitz; Littau; and Neustadt; which is across the River); all looking westward or northwestward; some; ten or twenty miles from Keith; Friedrich (head…quarters oftenest Prossnitz; the chief camp) stands facing Daun; who lies concentric to him; at the distance of another ten or twenty miles; in good part still thirty or forty miles from Olmutz; veiled mostly under a cloud of Pandours。
〃Of Friedrich's impatiences we hear little; though they must have been great。 Prince Henri is ready for Prag; many things are ready; were Olmutz but done! May 22d; Prince Henri had followed Mayer in person; with a stronger corps; to root out the Reichsfolk;and is now in Bamberg City and Country。 And is even in Baireuth itself; where was lately the Camp of the new Reichs General; Serene Highness of Zweibruck; and his nascent Reichs Army; who are off bodily to Bohemia; 'to Eger and the Circle of Saatz;' a week before。 ' Helden…Geschichte; v。 206…209。 Wilhelmina's pretty Letter to Friedrich (〃Baireuth; 10th May〃); Friedrich's Answer (〃Olmutz; June; 1758〃); in OEuvres de Frederic; xxvii。 i。 313…315。' Fancy that visit of Henri's to a poor Wilhelmina; the last sight she ever had of a Brother; or of the old Prussian uniforms; clearing her of Zweibrucks and sorrowful guests! Our poor Wilhelmina; alas she is sunk in sickness this year more than ever; journeying towards death; in fact; and is probably the most pungent; sacredly tragic; of Friedrich's sorrows; now and onwards。 June 12th; Friedrich's pouting Brother; the Prince of Prussia; died; this also he had to hear in Camp at Olmutz。 'What did he die of?' said Friedrich to the Messenger; a Major Something。 'Of chagrin;' said the Major; 'AUS GRAM。' Friedrich made no answer。
〃On the last night of May; by beautiful management; military and other; Duke Ferdinand is across the Rhine; again chasing the French before him; who; as they are far more numerous; cannot surely but make some stand: so that a Battle there may be expected soon;let us hope; a Victory; as indeed it beautifully proved to be; three weeks after。 'Battle of Crefeld; 23d June。' On the other hand; Fermor and his Russians are astir; continually wending towards Brandenburg; in their voluminous manner; since June 16th; though at a slow rate。 How desirable the Siege of Olmutz were done!〃
On express from Vienna; Daun did bestir himself; cautiously got on foot again; detached; across the River; an expert Hussar General (〃Be busy all ye Loudons; St。 Ignons; Ziskowitzes; doubly now!〃); expert Hussar General; one item of whose force is 1;100 chosen grenadiers;and himself cautiously stept southward and eastward; nearer the Siege Lines。 The Hussar General's meaning seemed to be some mischief on our Camp of Neustadt and the outposts there; but in reality it was to throw his 1;100 into Olmutz (useful to the Commandant); whichby ingenious manoeuvring; and guidance from the peasants 〃through bushy woods aud by…paths〃 on that east side of the Riverthe expert Hussar General; though Ziethen was sent over to handle him; did perfectly manage; and would not quit for Ziethen till he saw it finished。 Which done; Daun keeps stepping still farther southward; nearer the Siege Lines; and; at Prossnitz; morning of June 22d; Friedrich; with his own eyes; sees Daun taking post on the opposite heights; says to somebody near him; 〃VOILA LES AUTRICHIENS; ILS APPRENNENT A MARCHER; There are the Austrians; they are learning to march; though!〃getting on their feet; like infants in a certain stage (〃MARCHER〃 having that meaning too; though I know not that the King intended it);they have learned a great many things; since your Majesty first met them。 Friedrich took Daun to be; now at last; meaning Battle for Olmutz; and made some slight arrangements accordingly; but that is not Daun's intention at all; as Friedrich will find to his cost; in few days。 That very day; Daun has vanished again; still in the southerly direction; again under veil of Pandours。
Meanwhile; in spite of all things; the Siege makes progress; 〃June 22d; Balbi's sap had got to their glacis; and was pushing forward there;〃June 22d; day when Daun made momentary appearance; and the reinforcement stole in:within a fortnight more; Balbi promises the thing shall be done。 But supplies are indispensable: one other convoy from Troppau; and let it be a big one; 〃between 3 and 4;000 wagons;〃 meal; money; iron; powder; Friedrich hopes this one; if he can get it home; will suffice。 Colonel Mosel is to bring this Convoy; a resolute expert Officer; with perhaps 7;000 foot and horse: surely sufficient escort: but; as Daun is astir; and his Loudons; Ziskowitzes and light people are gliding about; Friedrich orders Ziethen to meet this important Convoy; with some thousands of new force; and take charge of bringing it in。 Mosel was to leave Troppau June 26th; Ziethen pushes out to meet him from the Olmutz end; on the second day after; and; one hopes; all is now safe on that head。
The driving of 3;000 four…horse wagons; under escort; ninety miles of road; is such an enterprise as cannot readily be conceived by sedentary pacific readers;much more the attack of such! Military science; constraining chaos into the cosmic state; has nowhere such a problem。 There are twelve thousand horses;