Parma refreshed his army by a fortnight’s repose, and early in November determined on his return to the Netherlands.  The Leaguers were aghast at his decision, and earnestly besought him to remain.  But the duke had given them back their capital, and although this had been accomplished without much bloodshed in their army or his own, sickness was now making sad ravages among his troops, and there was small supply of food or forage for such large forces as had now been accumulated, in the neighbourhood of Paris.  Moreover, dissensions were breaking out between the Spaniards, Italians, and Netherlanders of the relieving army with their French allies.  The soldiers and peasants hated the foreigners who came there as victors, even although to assist the Leaguers in overthrowing the laws, government, and nationality of France.  The stragglers and wounded on Farnese’s march were killed by the country people in considerable numbers, and it was a pure impossibility for him longer to delay his return to the provinces which so much against his will he had deserted.

He marched back by way of Champagne rather than by that of Picardy, in order to deceive the king.  Scarcely had he arrived in Champagne when he heard of the retaking of Lagny and Corbeil.  So soon as his back was turned, the League thus showed its impotence to retain the advantage which his genius had won.  Corbeil, which had cost him a month of hard work, was recaptured in two days.  Lagny fell almost as quickly.  Earnestly did the confederates implore him to return to their rescue, but he declined almost contemptuously to retrace his steps.  His march was conducted in the same order and with the same precision which—­had marked his advance.  Henry, with his flying camp, hung upon his track, harassing him now in front, now in rear, now in flank.  None of the skirmishes were of much military importance.  A single cavalry combat, however, in which old Marshal Biron was nearly surrounded and was in imminent danger of death or capture, until chivalrously rescued by the king in person at the head of a squadron of lancers, will always possess romantic interest.  In a subsequent encounter, near Baroges on the Yesle, Henry had sent Biron forward with a few companies of horse to engage some five hundred carabineers of Farnese on their march towards the frontier, and had himself followed close upon the track with his usual eagerness to witness or participate in every battle.  Suddenly Alphonse Corse, who rode at Henry’s aide, pointed out to him, not more than a hundred paces off, an officer wearing a felt hat, a great ruff, and a little furred cassock, mounted on a horse without armour or caparisons, galloping up and down and brandishing his sword at the carabineers to compel them to fall back.

This was the Duke of Parma, and thus the two great champions of the Huguenots and of the Leaguers—­the two foremost captains of the age—­had met face to face.  At that moment La Noue, riding up, informed the king that he had seen the whole of the enemy’s horse and foot in battle array, and Henry, suspecting the retreat of Farnese to be a feint for the purpose of luring him on with his small force to an attack, gave orders to retire as soon as possible.