inhabitants to lay down their arms, gave his troops license to begin
a more regular and less hazardous plunder of the city. The pillage
continued for three days: the king reserved for his own share the
jewels, plate, silks, fine cloth, and fine linen; and he bestowed all
the remainder of the spoil on his army. The whole was embarked on board
the ships, and sent over to England, together with three hundred of the
richest citizens of Caen, whose ransom was an additional profit, which
he expected afterwards to levy.[*] This dismal scene passed in the
presence of two cardinal legates, who had come to negotiate a peace
between the kingdoms.

The king moved next to Rouen, in hopes of treating that city in the
same manner; but found that the bridge over the Seine was already broken
down, and that the king of France himself was arrived there with his
army. He marched along the banks of that river towards Paris, destroying
the whole country, and every town and village which he met with on his
road.[**] Some of his light troops carried their ravages even to the
gates of Paris; and the royal palace of St. Germains, together with
Nanterre, Ruelle, and other villages, was reduced to ashes within sight
of the capital.

* Froissord, liv. i. chap. 124.

** Froissard, liv. i. chap. 125.

The English intended to pass the river at Poissy, but found the French
army encamped on the opposite banks, and the bridge at that place, as
well as all others over the Seine, broken down by orders from Philip.
Edward now saw that the French meant to enclose him in their country, in
hopes of attacking him with advantage on all sides: but he saved himself
by a stratagem from this perilous situation. He gave his army orders to
dislodge, and to advance farther up the Seine; but immediately returning
by the same road, he arrived at Poissy, which the enemy had already
quitted, in order to attend his motions. He repaired the bridge with
incredible celerity, passed over his army, and having thus disengaged
himself from the enemy, advanced by quick marches towards Flanders. His
vanguard, commanded by Harcourt, met with the townsmen of Amiens, who
were hastening to reenforce their king, and defeated them with great
slaughter;[*] he passed by Beauvais, and burned the suburbs of that
city: but as he approached the Somme, he found himself in the same
difficulty as before; all the bridges on that river were either broken
down or strongly guarded: an