The Washington herald., 1914-07-12
JENRoZEoW5 REzREHzuNS AM2w wE
N0GIN0ED an The EZHND ar Los6U

down the valley in a torrent that over
whelmed all the strongholds on tn,
road TO Vienna, Napoleon was riding
with Berthier and Lannes. when one
day he saw the towers of the old cas-
! tie of Dirnstein lifting skyward from
its rock beside the Danube. AS ht
panions the story of a Hapsburg mon.
arch, who had treacherously imprison-
ed within those castle walls. Richard
Occur de Leon, who like themselves
had fought at the gate Of Acre.
! How far removed are We now from
those barbarous times"' he exclaimed
I have had Princes. Kings and Emper-
ors in my power and. far from taking
away their liberty. I have not exacted
a single sacrifice of their honor-would
| they do as much for me-" The party
rode on in silence, the Emperors gaze
still fixed upon the castled ruin. But in
his reverie he probably did not dream
how much less kind fate could be. even
IN later time, than ii was to Richard
the captive of Dirnstein,
At the opening of the campaign, the
Emperor Francis with his court had
tourneyed to the front to enjoy the con-
fidently expected triumph Of his arms
over the conqueror of Austerlftz. Even
as the army fell back in the first days,
misleading reports Of victories had stim-
uated the. spirits, Of the Viennese and
the imperial family at the capital
When she heard the false news OF vic
Louise. who had already been twice
wrote this pothetic and childish letter
to her father, the Emperor. We have
heard with delight that Napoleon was
present at the great battle which the
French lost. May he lose his head as
well! There are a great many prophe-
cies about his speedy end, and people say
thai the Apocalypse applies TO him. They
say he is going to. die this year at Co
logne in an inn called the Red Crawfish.
/ DO not attach much Importance TO
these prophecies. but how glad I should
m
As the relentless victor drew near
Vienna, however, the imperial family
were awakened from their fond deIusion.
storm, they were driven over the fright
tul road to Hungary. the Empress, who
had urged on the war. groaning in mis-
her suffer So" her stepdaughter, Marie
Louise, wrote to a friend.
Crossing the Danube.
Napoleon had announced to his army
at Ratisbon that he would be in Vienna in
a month In less than three weeks he was
oatlng his orders from Schonbrunn. the
palace OF the Hapsburgs. strolling in the
Ieaty lanes. for which Marie Louise was
signing in her banishment, and Sleep
ing in the very room where in the Vet
yelled future her son and his was TO Ian
guish and die in exile.
he was once more master OF the Aus
trallan capital, as in 1906, but no sooner
had he entered the city than he opened
a campaign that remains UNIQUE in the
history OF warfare. He was still con-
tnronted oy the army Of the Archduke
Charles. but between them flowed the
Danube, the bridges over which had been
DESTROYED by the Austrians as they evac-
uated the city.
Although the enemy outnumbered him.
i was not in NapOleon's temper to sit
down behind the walls of Vienna while
he waited until he could cali to his aid
the troops that were then engaged in
operations in both Germany and Italy, |
for that delay might give Charles an op,
portunty to assemble still greater army.
He determined therefore. with Character
stic promptness and daring, to bridge
one of the broadest and swiftest rivers |
IN the world while IL was vet swollen
with the melted snow of the Alps. pass
over IL in the oface of the enemy and. |
Eith his back to that flood. give battle to |
iOrces superior to his own. And n n Is
to advance. il is disastrous to /
-etreat across the river under fire.
The mountaipous banks Of the upper