Farnese, on arriving at Meaux, had resolved to seek the enemy and take the hazards of a stricken field.  He had misgivings as to the possible result, but he expressly announced this intention in his letters to Philip, and Mayenne confirmed him in his determination.  Nevertheless, finding the enemy so eager and having reflected more maturely, he saw no reason for accepting the chivalrous cartel.  As commanderin-chief—­for Mayenne willingly conceded the supremacy which it would have been absurd in him to dispute—­he accordingly replied that it was his custom to refuse a combat when a refusal seemed advantageous to himself, and to offer battle whenever it suited his purposes to fight.  When that moment should arrive the king would find him in the field.  And, having sent this courteous, but unsatisfactory answer to the impatient Bearnese, he gave orders to fortify his camp, which was already sufficiently strong.  Seven days long the two armies lay face to face—­Henry and his chivalry chafing in vain for the longed-for engagement—­and nothing occurred between those forty or fifty thousand mortal enemies, encamped within a mile or two of each other, save trifling skirmishes leading to no result.

At last Farnese gave orders for an advance.  Renty, commander of the vanguard, consisting of nearly all the cavalry, was instructed to move slowly forward over the two hills, and descending on the opposite side, to deploy his forces in two great wings to the right and left.  He was secretly directed in this movement to magnify as much as possible the apparent dimensions of his force.  Slowly the columns moved over the hills.  Squadron after squadron, nearly all of them lancers, with their pennons flaunting gaily in the summer wind, displayed themselves deliberately and ostentatiously in the face of the Royalists.  The splendid light-horse of Basti, the ponderous troopers of the Flemish bands of ordnance under Chimay and Berlaymont, and the famous Albanian and Italian cavalry, were mingled with the veteran Leaguers of France who had fought under the Balafre, and who now followed the fortunes of his brother Mayenne.  It was an imposing demonstration.

Henry could hardly believe his eyes as the much-coveted opportunity, of which he had been so many days disappointed, at last presented itself, and he waited with more than his usual caution until the plan of attack should be developed by his great antagonist.  Parma, on his side, pressed the hand of Mayenne as he watched the movement, saying quietly, “We have already fought our battle and gained the victory.”  He then issued orders for the whole battalia—­which, since the junction, had been under command of Mayenne, Farnese reserving for himself the superintendence of the entire army—­to countermarch rapidly towards the Marne and take up a position opposite Lagny.  La Motte, with the rearguard, was directed immediately to follow.  The battalia had thus become the van, the rearguard the battalia, while the whole cavalry corps by this movement had been transformed from the vanguard into the rear.  Renty was instructed to protect his manoeuvres, to restrain the skirmishing as much as possible, and to keep the commander-in-chief constantly informed of every occurrence.  In the night he was to entrench and fortify himself rapidly and thoroughly, without changing his position.