the city of Antwerp to add it to his dominion. The attempt was a disaster, and his force was trapped in the city and destroyed during the French Fury, Biron and Montpensier were uninvolved in his attempt on the city. Bellièvre was sent to the Netherlands to smooth things other with the States. He achieved great success and the States invited Biron to relieve the siege of Eindhoven which was under attack by the Spanish. In April however Eindhoven capitulated and Biron moved his forces to Roosendaal. Increasingly out of cash Biron begged for funds almost daily but without result, his army disintegrated from desertions before his eyes. Biron angrily blamed the estates for the failure of his expedition. Money was at last advanced from France to pay for the remnants of Biron's army to withdraw from the Netherlands. With the death of Alençon the following year, Biron accompanied his body back to Paris for the lavish funeral overseen by Henri. Ligue Compelled by the Ligue to make war on the politiques in 1585, Henri tasked Matignon and Biron with prosecuting the war against Navarre in Guyenne. The two Marshals prosecuted the campaign half heartedly, and only the forces directly loyal to the Ligue under Mercœur conducted the war with any vigour. Biron secretly negotiated with Navarre in July 1586 and in the following month a truce was established by the two. In 1587, with a German army invading in support of the Protestants under Casimir a council was held by Henri to decide how to proceed. Henri announced to the assembled nobles his desire to lead the French army out to destroy the invader, explaining it would allow him to regain authority from the Ligue. Biron and all the other councillors except Nevers expressed their horror at this idea. Day of the Barricades By 1588 the situation in Paris was tense, the Ligue, increasingly dominant, orchestrated a coup in the city, with Guise at its head. Those out on the barricades threatened bloody violence on the loyalists, unless the royal and Swiss troops were removed from the city. Henri ordered the troops withdrawn to the Louvre, and tasked François d'O, Jean VI d'Aumont and Biron with leading them off the streets. Small fights would break out however, and the lives of the Swiss were at risk from the crowd. The king sent Biron to meet with the duke of