HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



157 



naparte, with the centre, consisting 

 ol the corps of Lannes and Soult, to- 

 gether with the imperial guards, 

 moved forward to attack the front. 



On the 8th Davoust's division 

 fei! in with a corps of Austrians 

 under general Mecrfeldt, marching 

 for Xeiistddt, to cover Vienna on 

 that side. They attacked them 

 ■with- great impetuosity, at a few 

 leagues from Meninzel. The ac- 

 tion was obstinate and bloody. The 

 French, however, succeeded, after 

 an engagement of some hours, in 

 routing their opponents. They took 

 three standards, sixteen pieces of 

 cannon, and three thousand pri- 

 soners. The remainder, in great 

 disorder, took the direction of 

 Hungary. Davoust pursued his 

 march, the day following, along 

 the great road leading to Vienna. 



Bernadotte and Marmont re- 

 mained on the right, to observe the 

 archduke Charles, Avho was now 

 retiring before Massena. 



The Russians, who were posted 

 at St. Polten, thinking their situa- 

 tion too critical to attempt to 

 maintain it, and fearful lest their 

 retreat should be cut off, formed 

 the resolution of passing the Danube, 

 and on the 9(h they crossed that ri- 

 ver at Krems, and destroyed the 

 bridge. 



Bonaparte's head-quarters were 

 now at the abbey of Moelk, and the 

 road to the Austrian capital open to 

 the French army. At this place he 

 ■was waited upon by a deputation 

 from the magistracy of Vienna, im- 

 ploring him " to treat their city with 

 lenity, as the unfortunate inhabi- 

 tants were not the cause of the 

 war." He returned for answer 

 *' that the inhabitants of Vienna 

 must take c&ra not to opea their 



gates to the Austrians or Russians, 

 but only to the French army." 



On the 7th, the emperor Francis, 

 finding all the means in his power 

 insufficient to defend his capital 

 against a superior and victorious 

 army, retired with his court to 

 Brunn, in Moravia, and at the same 

 time the greater part of the nobility 

 fled from Vienna into Hungary. — 

 The bulk of the inhabitants waited 

 patiently the arrival of the French, 

 and indeed they were prepared to 

 look forward to that event from the 

 period of the disastrous capitulation 

 of Ulm. The people of the Aus- 

 trian states had been long weary of 

 the war. The supplies which they 

 were called upon to contribute, 

 pressed hardly upon them, -whilst 

 the depreciation of the currency had 

 amounted to a most serious evil. In 

 addition to these causes of dissatis- 

 faction, the complaints of the pea- 

 santry against the conduct of the 

 Russian troops were eagerly listen- 

 ed to, so that little exertion was ne- 

 cessary to induce the inhabitants to 

 submit to the commands of the con- 

 queror. A national guard was 

 hereupon appointed, in aid of the 

 police, so that the peace of the city 

 was scarcely disturbed 



On the 



of the French army appeared before 

 Vienna, and took up their quarters 

 in the suburbs of the city. 



On the day following the main 

 body arrived, and were lodged in 

 the suburbs, where they conducted 

 themselves in an orderly and quiet 

 manner. Bonaparte fixed his head- 

 quarters at Rukersdorir, two Ger- 

 man miles distant from Vienna. 



The French did not enter the city 

 until the 13th, when they found it 

 totally evacuated by the Austrian 



troops, 



11th, the advanced guard 



