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第24章

history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第24章

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 poor devils and their 354 bastards! 'M。(agister) Wilhelm Lebrecht Gotzinger;  Schandau und seine Umgebungen; oder Beschreibung der Sachsischen Schweitz  (Dresden; 1812); pp。 145…148。 Gotzinger; who designates himself as 〃Pastor at Neustadt near Stolpen〃 (northwest border of the Pirna Country); has made of this (which would now be called a TOURIST'S GUIDE; and has something geological in it) a modest; good little Book; put together with industry; clearness; brevity。 Gives interesting Narrative of our present Business too; as gathered from his 〃Father〃 and other good sources and testimonies。'

Bruhl and the Polish Majesty; safe enough they; and snug in the Konigstein; are clear for advancing: 〃Die like soldiers; for your King and Country!〃 writes Polish Majesty; 〃Thursday; two in the morning:〃 that also Rutowski reads; and I think still other Royal Autographs; sent as Postscripts to that。 From the Konigstein they duly fire off the two Cannon…shot; as signal that we are coming; signal which Browne; just in the act of departing; never heard; owing to the piping of the winds and rattling of the rain。 〃Advance; my heroes!〃 counsel they: 〃You cannot drag your ammunitions; say you; your poor couple of big guns? Here are his Majesty's own royal horses for that service!〃and; in effect; the royal stud is heroically flung open in this pressure; and a splashing column of sleek quadrupeds; 〃150 royal draught…horses; early in the forenoon;〃 'Gotzinger; p。 156。' swim across to Ebenheit accordingly; if that could encourage。 And; 〃about noon; there is strong cannonading from the Konigstein; as signal to Browne;〃 who is off。 Polish Majesty looking with his spy…glass in an astonished manner。 In Vain! Rutowski and his Council of War sitting wet in a hut of Ebenheit; with 14;000 starved men outside; who have stood seventy…two hours of rain; for one itemsee nothing for it but 〃surrender on such terms as we can get。〃

〃In fact;〃 independently of weather and circumstances; 〃the Enterprise;〃 says Friedrich; 〃was radically impossible; nobody that had known the ground could have judged it other。〃 Rutowski had not known it; then? Browne never pretended to know it。 Rutowski was not candid with the conditions; the conditions never known nor candidly looked at; and THEY are now replying to him with candor enough。 From the first his Enterprise was a final flicker of false hope; going out; as here; by spasm; in the rigors of impossibility and flat despair。

That column of royal horses sent splashing across the River;that was the utmost of self…sacrifice which I find recorded of his Polish Majesty in this matter。 He was very obstinate; his Bruhl and he were。 But his conduct was not very heroic。 That royal Autograph; 〃General Rutowski; and ye true Saxons; attack these Prussian lines; then; sell your lives like men〃 (not like Bruhl and me); must have fallen cold on the heart; after seventy…two hours of rain! Rutowski's wet Council of War; in the hut at Ebenheit; rain still pouring; answers unanimously; 〃That it were a leading of men to the butchery;〃 that there is nothing for it but surrender。 Bruhl and Majesty can only answer: 〃Well…a…day; it must be so; then!〃 Winterfeld; Prussian Commander hereabouts; grants Armistice; grants liberal 〃wagon…loads of bread〃 first of all; terms of Capitulation to be settled at Struppen to…morrow。

FRIDAY; OCTOBER 15th; Rutowski goes across to Struppen; the late Saxon head…quarter; now Friedrich's;Friday gone a fortnight was the day of Lobositz。 Winterfeld and he are the negotiators there; Friedrich ratifying or refusing by marginal remarks。 The terms granted are hard enough: but they must be accepted。 First preliminary of all terms has already been accepted: a gift of bread to these poor Saxons; their haversacks are empty; their cartridge…boxes drowned; it has rained on them three days and nights。 Last upshot of all terms is still well known to everybody: That the 14;000 Saxons are compelled to become Prussian; and 〃forced to volunteer〃!

That had been Friedrich's determination; and reading of his rights in the matter; now that hard had come to hard。 〃You refused all terms; you have resisted to death (or death's…DOOR); and are now at discretion!〃 Of the question; What is to be done with those Saxons? Friedricb had thought a great deal; first and last; and had found it very intricate;as readers too will; if they think of it。 〃Prisoners of War;to keep them locked up; with trouble and expense; in that fashion? They can never be exchanged: Saxony has now nothing to exchange them with; and Austria will not。 Their obstinacy has had costs to me; who of us can count what costs! In short; they shall volunteer!〃 

〃Never did I; for my poor part; authorize such a thing;〃 loudly asseverated Rutowski afterwards。 And indeed the Capitulation is not precise on that interesting point。 A lengthy Document; and not worth the least perusal otherwise; we condense it into three Articles; all grounding on this general Basis; not deniable by Rutowski: 〃The Saxon Army; being at such a pass; ready to die of hunger; if we did NOT lift our finger; has; so to speak; become our property; and we grant it the following terms:〃   〃1。 Kettle…drums; standards and the like insignia and matters of honor;carry these to the Konigstein; with my regretful respects to his Polish Majesty。 Konigstein to be a neutral Fortress during this War。 Polish Majesty at perfect liberty to go to Warsaw 'as he on the instant now did; and never returned'。   〃2。 Officers to depart on giving their parole; Not to serve against us during this War 'Parole given; nothing like too well kept'。   〃3。 Rest of the Army; with all its equipments; munitions; soul and body (so to speak); is to surrender utterly; and be ours; as all Saxony shall for the present be。〃 'In  Helden… Geschichte;  iii。 920…928; at full lengthwith Briedrich's MARGINALIA noticeably brief。'

That is; in sum; the Capitulation of Struppen。 Nothing articulate in it about the one now interesting point;and in regard to that; I can only fancy Rutowski might interject; interrogatively; perhaps at some length: 〃Our soldiers to be Prisoners of War; then?〃 〃Prisoners; yes; clearly;unless they choose to volunteer; and have a better fate! Prisoners can volunteer。 They are at discretion; they would die; if we did NOT lift our finger!〃 thus I suppose Winterfeld would rejoin; if necessary;and that; in the Winterfeld…Rutowski Conferences; the thing had probably been kept in a kind of CHIAROSCURO by both parties。

Very certain it is; Sunday; 17th October; 1756; Capitulation being signed the night before; Friedrich goes across at Nieder…Raden (where the Pilgrim of the Picturesque now climbs to see the BASTEI; where the Prussians have; by this time; a Bridge thrown together out of those Pontoons);goes across at Nieder…Raden; up that chasmy Pass; rides to the Heights of Waltersdorf; in the opener country behind; and pauses there; while the captive Saxon Army defiles past him; laying down its arms at his feet。 Unarmed; and now under Prussian word of command; these Ex…Saxon soldiers go on defiling; march through by that Chasm of Nieder…Raden; cross to Ober…Raden; and; in the plainer country thereabouts; arein I know not what length of hours; but in an incredibly short length; so swift is the managementchanged wholly into Prussian soldiers: 〃obliged to volunteer;〃 every one of them!

That is the fact; fact loudly censured; fact surely questionable; to what intrinsic degree I at this moment do not know。 Fact much blamable before the loose public of mankind; upon which I leave men to their verdict。 It is not a fact which invites imitation; as we shall see! Fact how accomplished; by what methods? that would be the question with me; but even that is left dark。 〃The horse regiments; three of heavy horse; he broke; and distributed about; a good few in his own Garde…du…Corps。〃 Three other horse regiments were in Poland; the sole Saxon Army now left;of whom; at least of one man among whom; we may happen to hear。 〃Ten foot regiments 'what was reckoned a fault' he left together; in Prussian uniform; with Prussian Officers。 They were scattered up and down; put in garrisons; not easy handling them: they deserted

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