months in order that he might have the
opportunity of becoming reconciled to the church. But Mayenne, who
wished to be elected king by the States General, soon commenced
hostilities. The skirmish at Arques between the forces of Henry and
Mayenne, resulting favorably to the former, was followed by the battle
of Ivry. [Sidenote: Battle of Ivry, March 14, 1590] Henry, with two
thousand horse and eight thousand foot, against eight thousand horse
and twelve thousand foot of the League, addressed his soldiers in a
stirring oration: "God is with us. Behold his enemies and ours; behold
your king. Charge! If your standards fail you, rally to my white
plume; you will find it on the road to victory and honor." At first
the fortune of war went against the Huguenots, but the personal courage
of the king, who, with "a terrible white plume" in his helmet led his
cavalry to the attack, wrested victory from the foe.

[Sidenote: Siege of Paris]

From Ivry Henry marched to Paris, the headquarters of the League. With
thirteen thousand soldiers he besieged this town of 220,000
inhabitants, garrisoned by fifty thousand troops. With their usual
self-sacrificing devotion, the people of Paris held out against the
horrors of famine. The clergy aroused the fanaticism of the populace,
promising heaven to those who died; women protested that they would eat
{226} their children before they would surrender. With provisions for
one month, Paris held out for four. Dogs, cats, rats, and grass were
eaten; the bones of animals and even of dead people were ground up and
used for flour; the skins of animals were devoured. Thirteen thousand
persons died of hunger and twenty thousand of the fever brought on by
lack of food. But even this miracle of fanaticism could not have saved
the capital eventually, but for the timely invasion of France from the
north by the Duke of Parma, who joined Mayenne on the Marne. Henry
raised the siege to meet the new menace, but the campaign of 1591 was
fruitless for both sides.

[Sidenote: Anarchy]

France seemed to be in a state of anarchy under the operation of many
and various forces. Pope Gregory XIV tried to influence the Catholics
to unite against Henry, but he was met by protests from the Parlements
in the name of the Gallican Liberties. The "Politiques" were ready to
support any strong _de facto_ government, but could not find it. The
cities hated the nobles, and the republicans resented the "cour