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camp to Moritz: the exact spot is not known to me;probably the ground near that Inn of Slatislunz; or Golden…Sun; between the foot of Friedrich's…Berg and that:fact indubitable; though kept dark so long。 Moritz is marching with the centre; or main battle; that way; intending to wheel and turn hillwards; Kreczor…wise; as per order; certain furlongs ahead; when Friedrich (having; so I can conceive it; seen from his Hill…top; how Hulsen had done Kreczor; altogether prosperous there; and what endless capability there was of prospering to all lengths and speeding the general winning; were Hulsen but supported soon enough; were there any safe short…cut to Hulsen) dashed from his Hill…top in hot haste towards Prince Moritz; General of the centre; intending to direct him upon such short…cut; and hastily said; with Olympian brevity and fire; 〃Face to right HERE!〃 With Jove…like brevity; and in such blaze of Olympian fire as we may imagine。 Moritz himself is of brief; crabbed; fiery mind; brief in temper; and answers to the effect; 〃Impossible to attack the enemy here; your Majesty; postured as they are; and we with such orders gone abroad!〃〃Face to right; I tell you!〃 said the King; still more Olympian; and too emphatic for explaining。 Moritz; I hope; paused; but rather think he did not; before remonstrating the second time; neither perhaps was his voice so low as it should have been: it is certain Friedrich dashed quite up to Moritz at this second remonstrance; flashed out his sword (the only time he ever drew his sword in battle); and now; gone all to mere Olympian lightning and thundertone; asks in THIS attitude; 〃WILL ER (Will He) obey orders; then?〃Moritz; fallen silent of remonstrance; with gloomy rapidity obeys。
Prince Franz; the young Nephew of Moritz; alone witnessed this scene; scene to be locked in threefold silence。 In his old age; Franz had whispered it to Berenhorst; his bastard Half…Uncle; a famed military Critic;who is still in the highest repute that way (Berenhorst's KRIEGSKUNST; and other deep Books); and is recognizable; to LAY readers; for an abstruse strong judgment; with equal strength of abstruse temper hidden behind it; and very privately a deep grudge towards Friedrich; scarcely repressible on opportunity。 From Berenhorst it irrepressibly oozed out; '〃Heinrich van Berenhorst 'a natural son of the Old Dessauer's'; in his Betrachtungen uber die Kriegskunst; is the first that alludes to it in print。 (Leipzig; 1797;page in SECOND edition; 1798; is i。 219)。〃' much more to Friedrich's disadvantage than it now looks when wholly seen into。 Not change of plan; not ruinous caprice on Friedrich's part; as Berenhorst; Retzow and others would have it; only excess of brevity towards Moritz; and accident of the Olympian fire breaking out。 Friedrich is chargeable with nothing; except perhaps (what Moritz knows the evil of) trying for a short…cut! Such is now the received interpretation。 Prince Franz; to his last day; refused to speak again on the subject; judiciously repentant; we can fancy; of having spoken at all; and brought such a matter into the streets and their pie…powder adjudications。 'In KUTZEN; pp。 217…237; a long dissertation on it。' For the present; he is Adjutant to Moritz; busy obeying to the letter。
Friedrich; withdrawing to his Height again; and looking back on Moritz; finds that he is making right in upon the Austrian line; which was by no means Friedrich's meaning; had not he been so brief。 Friedrich; doubtless with pain; remembers now that he had said only; 〃Face to right!〃 and had then got into Olympian tempest; which left things dark to Moritz。 〃HALB…LINKS; Half to left withal!〃 he despatches that new order to Moritz; with the utmost speed: 〃Face to right; THEN; forward half to left。〃 Had Moritz; at the first; got that commentary to his order; there had probably been no remonstrance on Moritz's part; no Olympian scene to keep silent; and Moritz; taking that diagonal direction from the first; had hit in at or below Kreczor; at the very point where he was needed。 Alas for overhaste; short…cuts; if they are to be good; ought at least to be made clear! Moritz; on the new order reaching him; does instantly steer half…left: but he arrives now above Kreczor; strikes the Austrian line on this side of Kreczor; disjoined from Hulsen; where he can do no good to Hulsen: in brief; Moritz; and now the whole line with him; have to do as Mannstein and sequel are doing; attack in face; not in flank; and try what; in the proportion of one to two; uphill; and against batteries; they can make of it in that fashion!
And so; from right wing to left; miles long; there is now universal storm of volleying; bayonet…charging; thunder of artillery; case… shot; cartridge…shot; and sulphurous devouring whirlwind; the wrestle very tough and furious; especially on the assaulting side。 Here; as at Prag; the Prussian troops were one and all in the fire; each doing strenuously his utmost; no complaint to be made of their performance。 More perfect soldiers; I believe; were rarely or never seen on any field of war。 But there is no reserve left: Mannstein and the rest; who should have been reserve; and at a General's disposal; we see what they are doing! In vain; or nearly so; is Friedrich's tactic or manoeuvring talent; what now is there to manoeuvre? All is now gone up into one combustion。 To fan the fire; to be here; there; fanning the fire where need shows: this is now Friedrich's function; 〃everywhere in the hottest of the fight;〃 that is all we at present know of him; invisible to us otherwise。 This death…wrestle lasted perhaps four hours; till seven or towards eight o'clock in the June evening; the sun verging downwards; issue still uncertain。
And; in fact; at last the issue turned upon a hair;such the empire of Chance in War matters。 Cautious Daun; it is well known; did not like the aspect of the thing; cautious Daun thinks to himself; 〃If we get pushed back into that Camp of yesternight; down the Kamhayek Heights; and right into the impassable swamps; the reverse way; Heights now HIS; not ours; and impassable swamps waiting to swallow us? Wreck complete; and surrender at discretion!〃 Daun writes in pencil: 〃The retreat is to Suchdol〃 (Kuttenberg way; southward; where we have heights again and magazines); Daun's Aide…de…camp is galloping every…whither with that important Document; and Generals are preparing for retreat accordingly;one General on the right wing has; visibly to Hulsen and us; his cannon out of battery; and under way rearwards; a welcome sight to Hulsen; who; with imperfect reinforcement; is toughly maintaining himself there all day。
And now the Daun Aide…de…camp; so Chance would have it; cannot find Nostitz the Saxon Commandant of Horse in that quarter; finds a 〃Saxon Lieutenant…Colonel B…〃 (〃Benkendorf〃 all Books now write him plainly); who; by another little chance; had been still left there: 〃Can the Herr Lieutenant…Colonel tell me where General Nostitz is?〃 Benkendorf can tell;will himself take the message: but Benkendorf looks into the important Pencil Document; thinks it premature; wasteful; and that the contrary is feasible! persuades Nostitz so to think; persuades this regiment