geous peace. But Francis had not changed his nature; he would
await the final decision. His brother Ferdinand would soon arrive from
Poland, and John was already in Hungary. To Frederick William III he
had offered Warsaw if Prussia would only come to his assistance. But
the King of Prussia was stubborn. Fearing lest Austria should secure
German leadership, and expecting in the end to gain more from Russia,
he refused, in spite of the earnest advice of all his ministers, to
assist his rival. It was only when he was assured that Alexander
intended to remain neutral that he consented to a secret armament, but
then it was too late. The insurrection in Westphalia, to assist which
Schill, in disobedience of orders, had led his battalion of hussars
from Berlin, was easily suppressed. This fact, with Napoleon's signal
success in Bavaria, seemed to justify Frederick William, and the
failure of Francis to secure any advantage after Aspern confirmed the
opinion. Such, however, was the temper of the Prussian people that,
under moral compulsion, their King finally proposed formal terms of
alliance. Austria's real spirit appeared in her vague answer. She
first asked England for more assistance, but failing to secure it,
turned ungraciously and with indefinite proposals to Prussia. Her
envoy of course found no response. Thus it was that Charles and
Napoleon lay for weeks watching each other like gladiators, each ready
to take advantage of any false step made by the other, and both
steadily gathering strength to renew the struggle in the same arena.

Napoleon seemed to make his preparations with a determination to risk
all in the next encounter. His line of communication with the west was
abandoned altogether; the Tyrol, too, was virtually evacuated, and
Lefebvre, with the Bavarians, relieved Vandamme and Bernadotte at
Linz, so that both the latter might at once advance within striking
distance. Eugene had reached Bruck in Styria, and was therefore at
hand; Marmont with ten thousand men was called from Illyria. Being
thus safe toward the south, the Emperor sent two divisions to watch
the Austrians at Presburg. Before June tenth he had compacted in and
about Vienna an army of two hundred and forty thousand men. On the
thirteenth the Archduke John, having turned and advanced toward Raab,
was attacked, defeated, and driven back into Hungary by Eugene, who
had learned, if not generalship, at least obedience, and having
carefully obeyed his