590 
A VISIT TO AS PERN AND WAG RAM. 
and the movement down the Danube of Davout’s corps. All the 
signs pointed to a grand effort to be made in front of Kaiser Ebersdorf, 
and he soon determined on a plan to entrap his enemy. A narrow 
roadway, such as the French possessed across the river, would only 
allow a very slow passage of troops, the least accident or check might 
block it for a considerable time, and the stability and even the 
very existence of the bridge, which formed their only line of com¬ 
munication and retreat, might be interfered with or even totally 
destroyed. The enterprise to which the headlong spirit of Napoleon 
had again committed his army was in truth a most hazardous one. 
The safety of, at any rate, half his force miles away from France 
depended on the stability of a long crazy structure of timber and 
cordage swaying and groaning in the rush of a swollen river, while a 
powerful enemy in his front stood ready to crush the head of his attack 
ere the rear could come to its assistance. The Austrians, too, collected 
heavy barges and fire-ships above the Lobau, and while they determined 
to strike heavily at the French troops on their side of the river, hoped 
by floating these down the stream to destroy the bridge of boats to 
which they must look both for succour and retreat. 
On the morning of the 21st of May, when it was seen that a large 
proportion of the French was across, while the remainder were still 
hurrying after them, many voices urged the Austrian commander to lose 
no time in making his spring. Although a General with vast knowledge 
of the theory of war, and one who has undoubted claims to the high 
reputation as a commander which he bears, the Archduke Charles seems 
hardly to have been gifted with that quick decision which has ever 
marked the successful leader of men. Especially when opposed to 
Napoleon, for whom he had an admiration which exercised an over¬ 
awing effect upon him, he seems to have acted as if not completely sure 
of his purpose, or confident of his ability. On the 21st he was haunted 
by the same apprehension as to his right, that Wellington experienced 
at Waterloo, and delayed until the movement of his foes was well 
pronounced ere he began his advance about noon. 
His force, which probably amounted to 80,000 men, but has been 
placed as high as 95,000 by some French authors, of whom 14,000 were, 
excellent cavalry, with 288 guns, came sweeping over the Marchfeld in 
five broad columns. 
As we look across the plain this March morning we see a vast 
monotonous stretch of ploughed land, soft and deep with rain and 
melting snow, but in the spring it was doubtless covered with rising 
crops, and movement would everywhere have been easy. The French 
force as time v r ent on was fed by the stream of men hurrying forward 
from the rear, and by two o’clock in the afternoon may perhaps have 
numbered 50,000 men, without, however, as strong a force of artillery 
as the Austrians. Most French accounts place the total considerably 
lower, but, if the German auxiliaries be added in, their force can 
scarcely have been much below what I have stated. They were, how¬ 
ever, at any computation so inferior as to be compelled to act on the 
defensive, and set to work to strengthen the two villages in every 
possible way, and to throw up what entrenchments time allowed round 
