, of whom six thousand were cavalry.

At the end of January they marched to Toulouse, a city with an evil
fame, as the centre of persecuting bigotry in the south of France.
It was too strong to be attacked; but the country round it was
ravaged, and all the country residences of the members of its
parliament destroyed. Then they marched westward to Nismes, sending
marauding expeditions into the Catholic districts, and even into
Spain, in revenge for the assistance the king had given the
Catholics. De Piles and his party had joined the Admiral at
Montauban, and the former commanded the force that penetrated into
Spain.

Coligny turned north, marched up the Rhone, surmounting every
obstacle of mountain and river; until he reached Burgundy, arriving
at Saint Etienne-sur-Loire on the 26th of May. Here they were met
by messengers from the court, which was in a state of consternation
at the steady approach of an enemy they had regarded as crushed;
and were ready, in their alarm, to promise anything. The Admiral
fell dangerously ill and, at the news, the king at once broke off
the negotiations. He recovered, however, and, advancing, met the
royal army, under Marshal Cosse, in the neighbourhood of the town
of Arnay de Duc.

Coligny's army had dwindled away during its terrible march, and it
consisted now of only two thousand horsemen and two thousand five
hundred arquebusiers, the cannon being all left behind. Cosse had
ten thousand infantry, of whom four thousand were Swiss; three
thousand cavalry, and twelve cannon. The armies took post on the
hills on opposite sides of a valley, through which ran a stream fed
by some small ponds. The Royalists commenced the attack but, after
fighting obstinately for seven hours, were compelled to fall back
with heavy loss.

A fresh body was then directed against an intrenchment the
Huguenots had thrown up, near the ponds. Here again the fighting
was long and obstinate, but at last the Catholics were repulsed.

The next morning both armies drew up in order of battle; but
neither would advance to the attack, as the ground offered such
advantages to those who stood on the defensive; and they
accordingly returned to their camps.

The Admiral, being unwilling to fight till he received
reinforcements, marched away to La Charite; where he was
reorganizing his force, when a truce of ten days was made. At the
end of that time he again marched north and, distributing his
soldiers in the neighb