A.D. 1202.] ANIMOSITY OF THE TWO KINGS. 203 Of a disagreement which arose between the French unii English kings, A.I). 1202. King John kept this festival of Christmas at Argentan in Normandy ; anil in the following Lenì, a eonferenee was held between the French and English kings near the castle of dilettine. At this interview the French king, urged by deadly hatred against the king of Fughimi, indignantly ordered him immediately to givi; up to Arthur count of lirittanv, all the possessions which he held on that side of the sea, namely, Normandy, Tours, Anjou, and l'oictou. and required many otelir things from him, which the English king refused to comply with. The French king, not succeeding in his purpose at the interview, on the following day made a sudden attack on the castle of ISutavant, and levelled it with the ground ; and marching on from thence he by force took possession of the town of Augi, with the castle of Linns, and several other fortresses; he also besieged the castle of I'adeptlllt for eight days, but, on the king of the English coming upon him, he retired from that place in confusion, liut after a few days he turned off to Gournaye, and by breaking through the lake, caused such a rush of water, that a great part of the wails which surrounded the city wenknocked down ; on this all the garrison lied, and the king of the French entered and subdued the city without any one to oppose him. He then returned to Paris, and placed Arthur in charge of safe persons, giving him two hundred French soldiers to accompany him into l'oictou, that by warlike incursions they might subdue those districts for Arthur. Hut as this troop wan marching forth with a pompous noise, word was brought them that queen Eleanor was staying in the castle of Mirabeau, attended by a small garrison; they therefore by common consent directed the fury of their attacks against that castle, and laid siege to it; as there was-not strength in the garrison to resist them, the castle was surrendered to them except a tower into which queen Kleanor had thrown herself with a few soldiers, and this they could not gain possession of. They therefore directed their attacks against the tower; and at this place there came to the n^-istance of Arthur all the nobles and soldiers of rank in Poictoti, and one in particular was Hugh, surnamed Le Urini, carl of March, who was a declared enemy of the English king, on