ith 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