How can we between July 5th and 20th end a negotiation which ought to embrace the whole world ?" He proposed August 20th as the date of its expiration.

To this Metternich demurred because the allies already thought the armistice too long for their interests.
August 10th was finally agreed on, but not without much opposition on the part of the allied generals, who insisted that such a prolongation would greatly embarrass them.
Outwardly, this new arrangement seemed to portend peace: but it is significant that on June 28th Napoleon wrote to Eugene that all the probabilities appeared for war; and on June 30th he wrote his father-in-law a cold and almost threatening letter.[329] Late on that very evening came to hand the first report of the disaster of Vittoria.

Despite all Napoleon's precautions, the news leaked out at Dresden.

Bubna's despatches of July 5th, 6th, and 7th soon made it known to the Emperor Francis, then at Brandeis in Bohemia.

Thence it reached the allied monarchs and Bernadotte on July 12th at Trachenberg in the midst of negotiations which will be described presently.