OPERATIONS OF THE HOSTILE ARMIES-NAPOLEON EXCOMMUNICATED-PASSAGE OF THE DANUBE BATTLE OF WAGRAM-ARMISTICE-THE ENGLISH EXPEDITION TO THE SCHELDT -BATTLE OF TALAVERA-THE POPE CARRIED TO FRANCE-ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE NAPOLEON-PEACE OF VIENNA.

ON the morning of the 22nd of May, Napoleon was cooped up, with his wearied and diminished forces and all his wounded, in the Island of Lobau, and another smaller island adjoining, which was divided from the left bank of the Danube by a narrow channel, not above forty yards in width,-while his communication with Davoust and the rest of the army, was entirely cut off. At this moment, the Archduke Charles had an opportunity of driving him to the last extremity by a vigorous

attack; but no such attack was made. The Archduke remained stationary. Napoleon acted vigorously. By the second day after the battle, he had repaired the broken bridge so thoroughly as to defy further danger of accident; had re-established his line of communication; set on foot the necessary measures for procuring reinforcements; converted the Isle of Lobau into an entrenched camp of extraordinary strength, defended by battering cannon; and had actually commenced

the construction of three floating bridges, which he destined to serve as the means of passing his whole army across the river, from Lobau to the left bank, at a point lower down the stream than that which he had chosen on the 20th. The Archduke Charles, who never suspected this new plan, employed himself in entrenching his army strongly in the villages of Entzerdorf, Essling, and Asperne, and erecting fortifications of immense strength, to oppose any attempt to cross by the original bridge. In this manner elapsed the whole month of June.

Meanwhile, all the powers of Europe, now coalesced against France, had conceived fresh hopes from the doubtful event of the battle of Essling. English squadrons threatened the coast of Italy, and a strong British armament was prepared to effect a descent on the coasts of Holland and Belgium. The Tyrolese resumed their arms; and, under the command of Hofer, once more drove the French from their country. Finally, Pope Pius VII. fulminated a bull of excommunication against the Emperor of France. It is possible that his Holiness, seeing Napoleon in a dangerous position, and anticipating his fall, was anxious to have it attributed to the maledictions of the church.

Napoleon paid so little regard to the spiritual terrors of the court of Rome, that he laid aside the consideration of his further proceedings with regard to his Holiness, till he had settled the more arduous struggle with Austria. His army now numbered one hundred and fifty thousand men, with four hundred pieces of cannon. His last reinforcement had been completed by the junction of the army of Italy under Prince Eugene, who had pursued the Archduke John to the frontiers of Hungary, after defeating him in a pitched battle at Raab, on the 14th of June. The Archduke John crossed the Danube, at Presburg, and advanced with the intention of forming a junction with the Archduke Charles; but Napoleon did not give him the opportunity.

The operation of establishing the bridges between the French camp and the left bank of the Danube, commenced on the night of the 30th of June; and during the night of the 4th of July, the whole French army debouched on the plain of Marchfeld. Napoleon was on horseback, and in the midst of them, by daylight: all the Austrian fortifications, erected to defend the passage at the former bridge, were turned; the villages occupied by their army were quickly taken, and the Archduke Charles found himself menaced both in flank and rear, the French line of battle being formed upon the extremity of his left wing. Under these circumstances, the archduke attempted to outflank the French right, while Napoleon bore down upon his centre, stationed at Wagram. This village became the scene of a sanguinary struggle, and one house only remained standing when night closed The archduke sent courier after courier to hasten the advance

in.

of his brother.

Napoleon passed the whole night in concentrating the mass of his forces upon his centre, and forming the disposition of his different divisions. At six o'clock on the morning of the 6th of July, he commanded the attack in person. This was one of those decisive occasions on which he disregarded all risk, and appeared throughout the day in the hottest of the fire, mounted on a snowwhite charger, called Euphrates, a present from the Shah of Persia.

Wherever he appeared he became a stimulus to energy among his own soldiers, and a mark to the enemy; yet he remained unhurt. The Archduke Charles, in the very commencement of the action, committed that error which the enemies of Napoleon had not even yet learned was invariably fatal to them: he extended his line too great a length, and weakened his centre, but at the same time opening a tremendous attack on the extremities of the French line, which suffered dreadful loss at both points. Napoleon formed his plan on the instant. He ordered Lauriston to advance upon the Austrian centre, with a hundred pieces of artillery at the same time, he formed two whole divisions of infantry in column. The artillery rapidly traversed the ground, and opened a

murderous fire, within half cannon-shot of the opposing army. The steady charge of infantry, led by Macdonald, followed: the Austrian line was broken, and the centre driven back in confusion. The right, sharing the sudden panic, commenced a retrograde motion: the French cavalry then bore down upon them. The fate of the battle was decided from that moment, though it raged for two hours afterwards; but the archduke only fought to secure his retreat, which he at length effected in good order. It was then only ten o'clock in the morning; by twelve, the whole Austrian army was by degrees abandoning the contest. Their defeat was so irretrievable, that the Archduke John, who came up before the battle was over, was glad to retire with the rest, unnoticed by the enemy. By evening, the field of Wagram was possessed solely by the conquerors.

The whole population of Vienna had watched the progress of the battle, from the roofs and ramparts of the city; and saw the retreat of their army with fear and gloom. Between three and four hundred thousand men, in all, had been engaged, and the loss on both sides was very great, and nearly equal. About twenty thousand dead, and thirty thousand wounded, strewed the ground. The wounded were all carefully conveyed to the hospitals of Vienna. The French generals, Lasalle, Gauthier, and Lacour, were killed; and Bessières together with twenty commanders of high rank were wounded. Napoleon saw Bessières struck from his horse, in the heat of the action; but his mind reverting to the death of Lannes, he turned away, saying hurriedly, "Let us go; I have no time to weep: let us avoid another painful scene." He was soon, however, informed that the hurt was not serious.

The loss of Bessières as a leader, and the absence of Murat, were severely felt by the army, and visibly affected the operations of the cavalry. Twenty thousand Austrians were taken prisoners, but the number would have been greatly higher, had the French cavalry acted with their usual spirit. Bernadotte behaved as ill as he had done at Auerstadt, and afterwards issued a boastful bulletin, almost assuming to himself the merit of the victory. He was in consequence removed from his command. Macdonald was created a marshal of the empire, on the morning after the battle: he had been in a kind of disgrace for some years, but the splendid charge which decided the victory of Wagram, entirely made his peace with the Emperor. "Shake hands, Macdonald," said he; "no more animosity between us; we must

henceforth be friends."

The conquered army retreated in the direction of Znaim, followed by the French; but all attempt at further resistance was now abandoned by the Emperor of Austria. The Archduke Charles solicited an armistice on the 9th, which was granted. Hostilities ceased, and