No sooner were we seated in our carriage, still deeply moved by what we had seen, than the Prince de Ligne said: ‘When Vienna surrendered to Napoleon at Schönbrunn, when he planned his memorable campaign of Wagram there, when in those spacious courts he reviewed his victorious phalanxes in the presence of the astounded Viennese, little did he foresee that in this same palace the son of the victor and the daughter of the vanquished would be held as hostages by one whose fate was then in his hands. In my long career I have seen many instances of extraordinary glory, and nearly as many of crushing reverses, but nothing to compare to the history of which we have just witnessed a chapter.’ As we were crossing the glacis between the faubourgs and the city, we espied an open carriage, very low on its wheels. There seemed scarcely room enough in it to hold its one huge occupant. ‘Let us stop and perform our salutations,’ said the prince. ‘There goes another majesty by the grace of God and of Robinson Crusoe (Napoleon). There goes the King of Würtemberg. ‘Up to the present,’ he went on, ‘you have only seen royal fêtes. To-morrow I mean to take you to an entertainment for the people. So much has been accomplished through the people that they can well afford to do something for it. I’ll see you to-morrow.’ The people’s fête is one of the most brilliant solemnities of Vienna. It had been eagerly looked forward to for some time. Anxious to profit by the invitation of my illustrious guide, I was at his place before midday. Shortly afterwards we set out for the Augarten, where the fête was to take place. The Augarten is situated on the same island of the Danube as the Prater, by which it is bound on the east. The park, with its thickly-wooded retreats and clumps of trees, presented the most varied and beautiful vegetation, interspersed in all directions by magnificent avenues. The palace, due to Joseph II., is a specimen of simple and elegant architecture. An inscription over the front entrance tells the fact that this amiable prince-philosopher gave up the building for the amusement of the nation. There was an immense crowd; the weather was splendid; the stands erected for the sovereigns and the celebrities of the Congress were filled with most elegantly dressed spectators of both sexes. The Prince de Ligne preferred to mingle with the crowd, and I was glad of it. The Austrian veterans, to the number of four thousand, had been invited to the fête. To the strains of military music they marched past the stand of the sovereigns, and afterwards took possession of a number of spacious tents, set apart for their special use. There were military sports at frequent intervals throughout the day.