They said, ‘To Corbie,’ and the king caused them to be brought thither without peril.  That night the king lodged in the town of Poix.  They of the town and of the castles spake that night with the marshals of the host, to save them and their town from brenning, and they to pay a certain sum of florins the next day as soon as the host was departed.  This was granted them, and in the morning the king departed with all his host except a certain that were left there to receive the money that they of the town had promised to pay.  When they of the town saw the host depart and but a few left behind, then they said they would pay never a penny, and so ran out and set on the Englishmen, who defended themselves as well as they might and sent after the host for succour.  When sir Raynold Cobham and sir Thomas Holland, who had the rule of the rearguard, heard thereof, they returned and cried, ‘Treason, treason!’ and so came again to Poix-ward and found their companions still fighting with them of the town.  Then anon they of the town were nigh all slain, and the town brent, and the two castles beaten down.  Then they returned to the king’s host, who was as then at Airaines and there lodged, and had commanded all manner of men on pain of death to do no hurt to no town of Arsyn,[4] for there the king was minded to lie a day or two to take advice how he might pass the river of Somme; for it was necessary for him to pass the river, as ye shall hear after.

[4] A mistranslation.  The original is ’(Il avoit) deffendu sus le hart que nuls ne fourfesist rien a le ville d’arsin ne d’autre cose,’ ’he had commanded all on pain of hanging to do no hurt to the town by burning or otherwise.’  The translator has taken ‘arsin’ for a proper name.

HOW THE FRENCH KING FOLLOWED THE KING OF ENGLAND IN BEAUVOISINOIS

Now let us speak of King Philip, who was at Sant-Denis and his people about him, and daily increased.  Then on a day he departed and rode so long that he came to Coppegueule, a three leagues from Amiens, and there he tarried.  The king of England being at Airaines wist not where for to pass the river of Somme, the which was large and deep, and all bridges were broken and the passages well kept.  Then at the king’s commandment his two marshals with a thousand men of arms and two thousand archers went along the river to find some passage, and passed by Longpre, and came to the bridge of Remy,[1] the which was well kept with a great number of knights and squires and men of the country.  The Englishmen alighted afoot and assailed the Frenchmen from the morning till it was noon; but the bridge was so well fortified and defended, that the Englishmen departed without winning of anything.  Then they went to a great town called Fountains on the river of Somme, the which was clean robbed and brent, for it was not closed.  Then they went to another town called Long-en-Ponthieu; they could not win the bridge, it was so well kept and defended.  Then they departed and went to Picquigny, and found the town, the bridge, and the castle so well fortified, that it was not likely to pass there:  the French king had so well defended the passages, to the intent that the king of England should not pass the river of Somme, to fight with him at his advantage or else to famish him there.