Genlis and the other French officers were desirous that the Prince should abandon the Netherlands for the present, and come to the rescue of the Huguenots, who had again renewed the religious war under Conde and Coligny.  The German soldiers, however would listen to no such proposal.  They had enlisted to fight the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands, and would not hear of making war against Charles IX. in France.  The Prince was obliged to countermarch toward the Rhine.  He recrossed the Geta, somewhat to Alva’s astonishment, and proceeded in the direction of the Meuse.  The autumn rains, however, had much swollen that river since his passage at the beginning of the month, so that it could no longer be forded.  He approached the city of Liege, and summoned their Bishop, as he had done on his entrance into the country, to grant a free passage to his troops.  The Bishop who stood in awe of Alva, and who had accepted his protection again refused.  The Prince had no time to parley.  He was again obliged to countermarch, and took his way along the high-road to France, still watched and closely pursued by Alva, between whose troops and his own daily skirmishes took place.  At Le Quesnoy, the Prince gained a trifling advantage over the Spaniards; at Cateau Cambresis he also obtained a slight and easy-victory; but by the 17th of November the Duke of Alva had entered Cateau Cambresis, and the Prince had crossed the frontier of France.

The Marechal de Cosse, who was stationed on the boundary of France and Flanders, now harassed the Prince by very similar tactics to those of Alva.  He was, however, too weak to inflict any serious damage, although strong enough to create perpetual annoyance.  He also sent a secretary to the Prince, with a formal prohibition, in the name of Charles IX., against his entering the French territory with his troops.

Besides these negotiations, conducted by Secretary Favelles on the part of Marechal de Cosse, the King, who was excessively alarmed, also despatched the Marechal Gaspar de Schomberg on the same service.  That envoy accordingly addressed to the Prince a formal remonstrance in the name of his sovereign.  Charles IX., it was represented, found it very strange that the Prince should thus enter the French territory.  The King was not aware that he had ever given him the least cause for hostile proceedings, could not therefore take it in good part that the Prince should thus enter France with a “large and puissant army;” because no potentate, however humble, could tolerate such a proceeding, much less a great and powerful monarch.  Orange was therefore summoned to declare his intentions, but was at the same, time informed, that if he merely desired “to pass amiably through the country,” and would give assurance, and request permission to that, effect, under his hand and seal, his Majesty would take all necessary measures to secure that amiable passage.

The Prince replied by a reference to the statements which he had already made to Marechal de Cosse.  He averred that he had not entered France with evil intent, but rather with a desire to render very humble service to his Majesty, so far as he could do so with a clear conscience.