A VISIT TO ASPERN AND WAGRAM. 
609 
noise of their cannon, momentarily growing louder as their attack 
made progress, rudely startled Napoleon from the carefully laid scheme 
he had spent the night in arranging. It had been intended by the 
Archduke that his right, where the preponderance of numbers was 
immensely in his favour, should commence the engagement, and that 
his left should not make their effort until later in the day, when it 
seemed a certainty that his brother would be upon the spot to co-operate 
with it. The immense distance over which his forces were scattered 
may possibly have been the cause of this arrangement miscarrying, for 
it is impossible to realise how difficult communication must have been 
over the wide level stretch between Wag ram and the Danube until one 
has walked over the actual ground. Even now roads, as we know them 
in England, can hardly be said to exist, and after rain one sinks ankle 
deep into the soft ploughed land, or muddy cart tracks at every step. 
From whatever cause, however, it is certain that the Austrian attack 
on Glinzendorf was premature, and being unsupported died away in 
the manner in which such isolated enterprises always must. But at 
first they were successful enough to cause serious alarm to the Emperor. 
The Guard which was with him in front of Raasdorf, and which was 
to have been used to crown the success of his great central movement, 
was hurried by him to the threatened point, and the reserve cavalry and 
a powerful artillery were likewise brought up to stem the torrent. 
But the danger was half averted ere they arrived. The Archduke, 
aware by this time that his brother was not near enough to co-operate 
with him, sent orders to put an end to the hasty movement of his 
lieutenant, and the Austrians were arrested just in front of Glinzendorf 
by an order to fall behind the Russbach to their original positions. 
The cup of triumph was thus rudely dashed from their lips by the hands 
of their own leader, and disappointed, and a good deal mauled by the 
French Cuirassiers and artillery during their retreat, they reluctantly 
retraced their steps. Scarcely had this menace died away on his right, 
however, when Napoleon's attention was called about 10 o'clock to what 
appeared the even more critical situation on his left and centre. 
Massena, as has been said, had been ordered to move from left to right 
during the night so that he might take part in Napoleon's projected 
attack on the Austrian centre. Unaware of the heavy blow that was 
impending from the advance of the Austrian right, he zealously over¬ 
stepped his exact instructions, pushed boldly on, and vigorously attacked 
Aderklaa. His leading division under St. Cyr carried the village with 
great gallantry, but, without waitiug for support, it rushed rashly on and 
soon was brought to a stand-still by a heavy fire from Wagram and the 
high ground beyond the Russbach. The Austrian cavalry seized a 
moment of hesitation to charge the French in flank, and the divi¬ 
sion quickly became demoralised and fell back in confusion on Aderklaa. 
Then the Austrians, led by the Archduke himself, vigorously followed 
up their success, and not only drove their former assailants out of the 
village, but pursued them for some distance on the other side. 
Napoleon, who had noticed from a distance what had occurred, per¬ 
ceiving that the opportunity for his contemplated attack was not yet 
ripe, quickly determined to alter his plan of action, and to try and turn 
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