town submitting peacefully to him. When he attempted to enter the city, his entry was rebuffed. Negotiations continued until November, Biron and the crown remembering the difficulties the far less well defended city of Saint-Jean-d'Angély had presented, and desiring to avoid a siege. However no agreement would be reached and a siege would be agreed upon when news of La Rochelle's negotiations with the English were reported. To this end men and munitions flooded south to Biron throughout December and into January 1573. Biron's preparations continued slowly, as he had to prepare for both land and sea attacks. By the time Anjou arrived in February, he had completed the investment of the town from land, but the harbour remained only partially closed, and no approach trenches had been dug. Anjou now took over as overall commander, successfully completing the closure at sea. By April the approach trenches had reached the walls. Assaults began in the following months, as the artillery reduced the area into a smouldering ruin. Desertions ran rampant and by the time the outer wall was breached in June Anjou was increasingly tired of the siege. He excoriated Biron for what he felt were his failings in conducting the siege. Concurrently Anjou had been elected king of Poland, and he took the excuse to negotiate a peace. As a term of this settlement, Biron was at last allowed his brief entry into the town. Throughout the siege, Biron's batteries had fired 25,000 rounds. Reign of Henri III Fifth civil war With Henri's return to France from Spain, he was keen to counteract the military influence that Retz had accrued as a favourite of Catherine in the proceeding years. To this end Biron was appointed as a marshal. In response, Retz resigned his role of Constable that he had held in Henri's Polish administration. With civil war resumed in between the crown and the politiques there was fear at court that Condé, who was in Germany, would enter the kingdom with his forces. To prevent this, and allow the crown to focus on subduing Damville in Languedoc, Biron and the young Guise were sent out to monitor the frontier. They arrived at Langres with 8000 men. The king continued to send forces to Langres to bolster the army, for the eventual crossing of Condé, which occurred in October, Guise leading the army that defeated them at Dormans. Informal war