n spite of his heavy
heart. A swift courier was despatched on the fifth, with a letter
dated back to July twenty-first, and written as if in ignorance of
events in Spain. He was enjoined to outrun the ordinary news-carriers,
in order that, reaching St. Petersburg before them, he might present
as an offering of friendship to Alexander the promise of a virtual
evacuation of Prussia--even, in certain contingencies, of Warsaw.
Twenty-four hours later another messenger was despatched, conveying
the bad news in the mildest form, and expressing as the Emperor's
greatest concern a hope that the Russian squadron which had been sent
to Lisbon would escape, as he had reassuring news from its commander.
It mattered not to him that this was untrue; the end was gained, and
the real significance of Baylen was thereby largely concealed from the
Czar, or at least the impression made on him by the news was weakened.

Waiting for these communications to produce their effect, the Emperor
forwarded a formal remonstrance to Vienna, in his own name, against
Austria's warlike attitude, and two weeks later categorically demanded
a similar step from the Czar, opening out once more the vista of
indefinite aggrandizement for Russia in the East if only the European
conflagration were not rekindled. The Czar was charmed by the promises
of Napoleon, but when it came to a menacing remonstrance with Austria
he hesitated. The anti-French party in Russia were now repeating, like
parrots, first, Spain is annihilated, then Austria, then we ourselves.
Moreover, as Alexander himself felt, arrangements like those of Tilsit
are but too easily overset by unforeseen circumstances, and in such an
event what would Europe be without the Hapsburgs? In the end a feeble
hint, backed up by a weak menace, was sent to Vienna. Peace, wrote
the Czar, is the best policy for Austria. "May not the peace of
Tilsit, which I made, carry some obligations with it?" The warning
produced a momentary impression in the city on the Danube.[26]

[Footnote 26: See Vandal, Vol. I, Chapitre Preliminaire.]

In this short interval every preparation was hastened for the
interview which had now become indispensable to both parties. Napoleon
had only one object--to draw the alliance closer in the eyes of all
Europe for the conservation of his prestige. Alexander had
several--the mitigation of Prussia's bondage, the successful
occupation of Finland, and, what was the real bond of the