midday on the 9th of March
For the moment Henry IV represented in the eyes of Europe the Protestant cause . He was supported by the Huguenots of France and by some of the Catholic noblemen and gentry . Against him were arrayed the greater portion of the Catholic nobles , the whole faction of the Guises and the Holy League , supported by Philip of Spain . The party from Holland disembarked at midday on the 9th of March . Hearing rumours that a battle was expected very shortly to take place , Sir Ralph Pimpernel started at once with his mounted party for Dreux , which town was being besieged by Henry , leaving the two companies of foot to press on at their best speed behind him . The distance to be ridden was about sixty miles , and late at night on the 10th they rode into a village eight miles from Dreux . Here they heard that the Duke of Mayenne , who commanded the force of the League , was approaching the Seine at Mantes with an army of ten thousand foot and four thousand horse .