[1] The French king himselfe hearing that the king of England would inuade his realme, make his ge|nerall assemblie of his armie at Peronne; and when he heard that he was entred France, he remooued towards him with his whole power, being at the point of an hundred thousand men,The French kings armie. as in the French chronicle yee may read more at large. The king of England had not pas [...] thréescore thousand in his ar|mie at the most: Iacob. Meir. but whilest he laie there vpon the borders of France, his people did much hurt, making roads abroad beyond the water of Some, burning [page 356] and spoiling abbies,Townes burnt by the Englishmen in France. towns, and villages, as Orignie, saint Benoit, Rib [...]mont in Thi [...]rasse, saint Gouan, Marle, and Cressie. Also the lord Beaumont of Hei|nault burnt the towne of Guise, though his daugh|ter was as then within the same towne wife vnto Lewes earle of Blois:The towne of Guise burnt. his brother William earle of Heinault was latelie before deceassed,The earle of Heinault. leauing the earledome to his sonne named also William, who continued with the king of England so long as he laie before Cambrie, & kept him within the bounds of the empire, as though his allegiance had bound him to no lesse, but after the said king was passed the riuer of Lescault, otherwise called the Skell, and in Latine Scaldis, which diuideth the empire from the kingdome of France, he would no longer serue the king of England, but departed from him for feare to offend the French king, accounting that the matter perteined not now to the empire, but to the priuate quarell and businesse of the king of England: not|withstanding his vncle the said sir Iohn like a faith|full gentleman continued still in king Edward his seruice.