History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 13Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 13
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Blustering Broglio might have guessed that HE now would have to look to
himself. But he did not; his eyes naturally dim and bad, being dazzled
at this time, by "an ever-glorious victory" (so Broglio thinks it)
of his own achieving. Broglio, some couple of days after Czaslau, had
marched hastily out of Prag for Budweis quarter, where Lobkowitz and the
Austrians were unexpectedly bestirring themselves, and threatening
to capture that "Castle of Frauenberg" (mythic old Hill-castle among
woods), Broglio's chief post in those regions. Broglio, May 24th, has
fought a handsome skirmish (thanks partly to Belleisle, who chanced to
arrive from Frankfurt just in the nick of time, and joined Broglio):
Skirmish of Sahay; magnified in all the French gazettes into a Victory
of Sahay, victory little short of Pharsalia, says Friedrich;--the
complete account of which, forgotten now by all creatures, is to be read
in him they call Mauvillon; [_Guerre de Boheme,_ ii. 204.] and makes a
pretty enough piece of fence, on the small scale. Lobkowitz had to give
up the Frauenberg enterprise; and cross to Budweis again, till new force
should come.
"Why not drive him out of Budweis," think the Two French Marshals, "him
and whatever force can come? If those lucky Prussians would co-operate,
and those unlucky Saxons, how easy were it!"--Belleisle sets off to
persuade Friedrich, to persuade Saxony (and we shall see him on the
route); Broglio waiting sublime, on the hither side of the Moldau, well
within wind of Budweis, till Belleisle prevail, and return with said
co-operation, What became of Broglio, waiting in this sublime manner,
we shall also have to see; but perhaps not for a great while yet (cannot
pause on such absurd phenomena yet),--though Broglio's catastrophe is
itself a thing imminent; and, within some ten days of that astonishing
Victory of Sahay, astonishes poor Broglio the reverse way. A man born
for surprises!
Chapter XIV. -- PEACE OF BRESLAU.
In actual loss of men or of ground, the results of that Chotusitz Affair
were not of decisive nature. But it had been fought with obstinacy; with
great fury on the Austrian side (who, as it were, had a bet upon it ever
since February 25th), Britannic George, and all the world, looking on:
and, in dispiritment and discredit to the beaten party, its results
were considerable. The voice of all the world, declaring through its
Gazetteer Editors, "You cannot beat those Prussians!" voice confirmed by
one's own sad thoughts:--in such sounding of the rams horns round one's
Jericho, there is always a strange influence (what is called panic, as
if Pan or some god were in it), and one's Jericho is the apter to fall!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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