e great reactionary party in France.
The effect was to raise the elements. He declared, besides, that the
Spanish war had absorbed so much of Napoleon's effective military
strength that not more than two hundred thousand men were available
for use in central Europe, and that Austria alone, with her new
armaments, would be a match for any army the French emperor could lead
against her, at least in the first stages of a war. Austria had been
negotiating for an English subsidy, without which her troops, fine as
they were, could not be maintained; but Great Britain refused a grant
until they should actually take the field. This fact was an inducement
so strong as to put a climax on the already hostile inclinations of
the Emperor Francis; and as his minister Stadion had long felt that
Napoleon's power must not be allowed time for further consolidation,
the government concluded to strike while the difficulties in Spain
were at their height.

Although the Czar had left Erfurt in an anxious mood, he was
nevertheless clear in his mind that through Napoleon alone could his
ambitions be gratified. He was equally convinced that, while the
European system should not be further upturned, it must for the
present be maintained as it now was. On his homeward journey he had
time to reflect on the situation, and as he passed through Koenigsberg
the warlike temper of Prussia was so manifest that he thought
Frederick William, for a while at least, should be removed from its
influence. Accordingly he pressed the King to pay a visit to St.
Petersburg. The invitation was accepted, and the Czar's efforts were
so successful that when his visitor left for home his feeling was as
unwarlike as it had ever been. He informed Austria that his interests
were those of Russia, that there should be no offensive warfare, and
that any conflict must be confined to repelling an attack. The Czar
declared on March second, in response to an inquiry from Vienna, that
if Austria should begin a war he would fulfil his obligations to
Napoleon; but six weeks later, seeing how determined was the war
sentiment at Vienna, and how complete were the preparations of
Francis, it seemed best to throw an anchor to windward, and he so far
modified his attitude as to explain that in the event of war he would
not put his strength into any blow he might aim at Austria.

The cabinet of Vienna was perfectly aware that neither Alexander nor
Frederick William represented the nation