nd now the distance between the Protestant camp and the Roman Catholic
capital was rapidly diminishing. To meet the impending danger, the king
ordered Marshal Cosse, who had succeeded the prince dauphin in command of
the new army, to cross into Burgundy, check the admiral's course, and, if
possible, defeat him. The two armies met on the twenty-fifth of June, in
the neighborhood of the small town of Arnay-le-Duc.[766] Great was the
disparity of numbers. Cosse had four thousand Swiss, six thousand French
infantry, three thousand French, German, and Italian horse, and twelve
cannon. Coligny's army had lost so much during its incessant marches
through a thousand difficult places, and in a country where desertion or
straying from the main body was so easy, that it consisted of but
twenty-five hundred arquebusiers and two thousand horsemen, besides a few
recruits from Dauphiny.

The Germans, who constituted about one-half of the cavalry, were
ill-equipped; but the French horse were as well armed as any corps the
Huguenots had been able to set on foot. All were hardened by toil and
well disciplined. Of artillery the admiral was entirely destitute.

The armies took position upon opposite hills, separated by a narrow
valley, in which flowed a brook fed by some small ponds. Cosse made the
attack, and attempted to cross the stream; but, after an obstinate fight
of seven hours, his troops were compelled to abandon the undertaking with
considerable loss. Next the entrenchments thrown up by the Huguenots in
the neighborhood of the ponds were assaulted. Here the Roman Catholics
were subjected to a galling fire, and began to yield. Afterward, receiving
reinforcements, they seemed to be on the point of succeeding, when Coligny
brought up M. de Piles, the hero of Saint Jean d'Angely, who, supported by
Count Montgomery, soon restored the superiority of the Huguenots. The
enemy was equally unfortunate in the attempt, simultaneously made, to turn
the admiral's position; and, foiled at every point, he retired for the
day. On the morrow, both armies reappeared in the same order of battle,
but neither general was eager to renew a contest in which the advantage
was all with those who stood on the defensive, and, after indulging in a
brief and ineffective cannonade, the order was given to the Roman Catholic
troops to return to camp.[767]

[Sidenote: Coligny approaches Paris.]

After this indecisive combat, Coligny, who had no desire to bring o