CHAPTER L. THE ENGLISH COMMIT GREAT DEPREDATIONS IN NORMANDY.--SIR GODFREY DE HARCOURT ENCOUNTERS THE MEN AT ARMS OF AMIENS, ON THEIR WAY TO PARIS, AND KING EDWARD MARCHES INTO PICARDY. When the king had finished his business in Caen, and had sent his fleet to England loaded with cloths, jewels, gold and silver plate, and a quantity of other riches, and upward of sixty knights, with three hundred able citizens, prisoners; he then left his quarters, and continued his march as before, his two marshals on his right and left, burning and wasting all the flat country. They pushed forward until they came to Poissy, where the bridge was also destroyed; but the beams and other parts of it were lying in the river. The king remained here five days, while they were repairing the bridge, so that his army might pass over without danger. His marshals advanced very near to Paris, and burnt St. Germain-en-Laye, La Montjoie, St. Cloud, Boulogne near Paris, and Bourg la Reine. The Parisians were much alarmed, for Paris at that time was not enclosed. King Philip upon this began to stir; and, having ordered all the pent-houses in Paris to be pulled down, went to St. Denis, where he found the King of Bohemia, the Lord John of Hainault, the Duke of Lorraine, the Earl of Flanders, the Earl of Blois, and great multitudes of barons and knights, ready to receive him. When the Parisians learned that the king was on the point of quitting Paris, they came to him, and, falling on their knees, said, “Ah, sire and noble king, what are you about to do? to leave your fine city of Paris?” The king replied, “My good people, do not be afraid: the English will not approach you nearer than they have done.” He thus spoke in answer to what they had said,--that “our enemies are only two leagues off: as soon as they shall know you have quitted us, they will come hither directly; and we are not able to resist them ourselves, nor shall we find any to defend us. Have the kindness, therefore, sire, to remain in your good city of Paris to take care of us.” The king replied, “I am going to St. Denis, to my army; for I am impatient to pursue the English, and am resolved to fight with them at all events.”