t to them the constable,
Raoul d'Eu, and the Count of Tancarville; but, after three days of petty
fighting around the city and even in the streets themselves, Edward
became master of it, and on the entreaty, it is said, of Godfrey
d'Hareourt, exempted it from pillage. Continuing his march, he occupied
Louviers, Vernon, Verneuil, Mantes, Meulan, and Poissy, where he took up
his quarters in the old residence of King Robert; and thence his troops
advanced and spread themselves as far as Ruel, Neuilly, Boulogne, St.
Cloud, Bourg-la-Reine, and almost to the gates of Paris, whence could be
seen "the fire and smoke from burning villages." "We ourselves," says a
contemporary chronicler, "saw these things; and it was a great dishonor
that in the midst of the kingdom of France the King of England should
squander, spoil, and consume the king's wines and other goods." Great
was the consternation at Paris. And it was redoubled when Philip gave
orders for the demolition of the houses built along by the walls of
circumvallation, on the ground that they embarrassed the defence. The
people believed that they were on the eve of a siege. The order was
revoked; but the feeling became even more intense when it was known that
the king was getting ready to start for St. Denis, where his principal
allies, the King of Bohemia, the Dukes of Hainault and of Lorraine, the
Counts of Flanders and of Blois, "and a very great array of baronry and
chivalry," were already assembled. "Ah! dear sir and noble king," cried
the burghers of Paris as they came to Philip and threw themselves on
their knees before him, "what would you do? Would you thus leave your
good city of Paris? Your enemies are already within two leagues, and
will soon be in our city when they know that you are gone; and we have
and shall have none to defend us against them. Sir, may it please you to
remain and watch over your good city." "My good people," answered the
king, "have ye no fear; the English shall come no nigher to you; I am
away to St. Denis to my men-at-arms, for I mean to ride against these
English, and fight them, in such fashion as I may." Philip recalled in
all haste his troops from Aquitaine, commanded the burgher-forces to
assemble, and gave them, as he had given all his allies, St. Denis for
the rallying-point. At sight of so many great lords and all sorts of men
of war flocking together from all points, the Parisians took fresh
courage. "For many a long d