a congregation of Protestant worshippers. First war of religion Failure outside Rouen In May 1562 after the fall of Dieppe to a Protestant coup, Aumale was dispatched with a special commission to restore order in Normandie. Bouillon was furious that his government was being undermined by this extraordinary commission, and he besieged Aumale's deputy Matignon in his residence. Having achieved successes elsewhere in Normandy Aumale moved on Rouen. Aumale appeared before the walls of Rouen on 28 May 1562, in the previous month the city had joined the Protestant rebels under the overall authority of the Prince of Condé. Keen to avoid a costly siege he demanded the city open its gates to him. The rebels inside, confident of their defences refused his entreaties. Aumale was therefore forced to begin a siege. He lacked the forces to fully invest the city, however the 3000 soldiers under his command were able to spend the next month harassing the surrounding area as a means of putting pressure on the inhabitants, meanwhile the city continued to fill with reinforcing Protestant forces. Withdrawing from the siege in June, Aumale brought his forces to the main royal army under Guise which was facing off in a stalemate with Condé near Orléans. Aumale's forces were gathered at Beaugency, between those of his allies Navarre and Guise. Condé stalled, unwilling to meet the growing royal army in an open battle, as he waited it continued to grow until such time as he felt it necessary to disperse his army and retreat inside Orléans. This gave the royal army the freedom of action to reduce the other towns that had fallen to the Protestants in the early months of the war. As a result the army was divided into four, with Aumale to deal with Rouen, Saint-André to seize Lyon, Montpensier to head south to Guienne and the main body under Navarre to confront Condé. A little while after Condé's deteriorating forces retreated into the city Aumale seized Honfleur on 21 July. This accomplished Aumale returned again to the walls of Rouen on 29 July with 6500 men, and set up batteries, however his forces were again able to do little against the walls with their small number. Blocking effort Having been unable to achieve success at Rouen, Aumale was tasked by the chiefs of the royal army with responsibility for blocking Andelot in his attempt to bring