Chronicle and Romance | Page 9

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 à 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 Longpré, 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.
[1] Pont-à-Remy, corrupted here into 'bridge of Athyne.'
When these two marshals had assayed in all places to find passage and
could find none, they returned again to the king, and shewed how they
could find no passage in no place. The same night the French king
came to Amiens with more than a hundred thousand men. The king of
England was right pensive, and the next morning heard mass before the
sun-rising and then dislodged; and every man followed the marshals'
banners and so rode in the country of Vimeu approaching to the good
town of Abbeville, and found a town thereby, whereunto was come
much people of the country in trust of a little defence that was there;
but the Englishmen anon won it; and all they that were within slain, and
many taken of the town and of the country. The king took his lodging
in a great hospital[2] that was there. The same day the French king
departed from Amiens and came to Airaines about noon; and the
Englishmen were departed thence in the morning. The Frenchmen
found there great provision that the Englishmen had left behind them,
because they departed in haste. There they found flesh ready on the

broaches, bread and pasties in the ovens, wine in tuns and barrels, and
the tables ready laid. There the French king lodged and tarried for his
lords.
[2] That is, a house of the knights of Saint John.
That night the king of England was lodged at Olsemont. At night when
the two marshals were returned, who had that day overrun the country
to the gates of Abbeville and to Saint-Valery and made a great skirmish
there, then the king assembled together his council and made to be
brought before him certain prisoners of the country of Ponthieu and of
Vimeu. The king right courteously demanded of them, if there were any
among them that knew any passage beneath Abbeville, that he and his
host might pass over the river of Somme: if he would shew him thereof,
he should be quit of his ransom, and twenty of his company for his love.
There was a varlet called Gobin Agace who stepped forth and said to
the king: 'Sir, I promise you on the jeopardy of my head I shall bring
you to such a place,