final victory. Possibly they thought that, hemmed in between the two
great rivers, the army of Edward would be so well caught in a trap that
they need not bestir themselves to consummate the final scene of the
drama. At any rate, Philip remained inactive, save that his army was
rapidly augmenting from all sides; whilst the English finished their
bridge and marched northward, only opposed by a large body of troops
sent out from Amiens to meet them, over which they obtained an easy victory.

Nevertheless the position of the English was becoming exceedingly
critical, and their march certainly partook something of the nature of a
retreat, little as they themselves appeared to be aware of the fact.
Philip with his host was advancing from behind, the great river Somme
lay before them, all its bridges either broken down or so well fortified
as to be practically impassable; and though their allies in Flanders had
raised the siege of Bovines in order to march to the assistance of the
English King, there appeared small chance of their effecting a junction
in time to be of any use.

At Airaines a pause was made in order to try to discover some bridge or
ford by which the river might be passed. But Philip's work had been so
well done that not a whole bridge could anywhere be found; and the
French army was pressing so hard upon the English that in the end they
had to break up their camp in the greatest haste, leaving their cooked
provisions and tables ready spread for their foes to benefit by. They
themselves hastened on to Abbeville, keeping slightly to the west of the
town so as to avoid provoking attack, and be nearer to the coast, though
as no English ships could be looked for in the river's mouth, the
seacoast was of small service to them.

Such is the brief outline of the facts of Edward's well-known march in