Amongst other, there were two brethren that were Normans, Fouke and William, of the familie and surname of the Paganelles or Painelles, being men of great birth and estimation in their countrie, which brought with them thréescore knights or men of armes, right worthie and valiant in feats of war. These Noble men would faine haue persuaded the king to haue entred into Normandie, for that (as they affirmed) it should be an easie matter for him to subdue the whole countrie: whereto the king would gladlie haue consented, if the earle of Kent had not aduised him otherwise. After this, they besought him at the leastwise to grant them two hundred knights or men of armes of his armie, with whose aid they doubted not to be able (as they said) to expell all the Frenchmen out of Normandie, but neither would this be obteined, so that those Norman lords remained without comfort, whilest the French king caused their castels and manours to be seized vnto his vse. [Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: He tooke the towne and castell of Angiers, saint Jame, Bonneroy, & Belesme. The annales of Aquitaine.] [Sidenote: Poictou and Xantonge.] [Sidenote: The French get the vpper hand.] During this time, king Lewes (who a few daies afore had taken from the duke of Britaine the townes of Ardone, Campanell, and Belesme) being now certified by his espials, of the landing and inuasion made by the king of England, hasted foorth with his armie into the countrie of Aniou, and there by the side of the Loire, incamped, to staie the king of England, that he should not passe ouer the same riuer into Poictou, suspecting least the Poictouins (whom he had alwaie in some gelousie) would revolt vnto him. But the king of England aduertised of his approch, passed that riuer sooner than anie man would haue iudged, and incamped first in the countrie of Poictou, and after drew into the confines of Xantonge, the French king still following, and by the waie destroieng the townes of Fountney, and Villars, perteining to one Guie de Rochfort, a capteine belonging to the earle of March. Afterward also he passed the riuer of Charent, and wasted all the countrie of Xantonge. Where (if we may belieue some writers) the two kings ioined battell, which continued a long time right fierce & cruell: but at length the Englishmen giuing backe, the victorie remained on the French side, a great number of their aduersaries being slaine and taken. [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: Mirabeau.]