After à journey of fix days, they arrived at Ortez. This town, one of the moil confiderable in Beam, was the ordinary refidence of Gaftqn count de Foix and vifcount de Beam, fumamed Phœbus, on account of his beauty. Froiffart could not have . chofen a court mote fuitable to his views. Thç count.de Foix, at the age of fifty-nine, was the moil vigorous, the handfomeil, and beil-made man of that period. Adroit at all exercifes, valorous, an accompdifhed captain, noble and magnificent, he never fuffered any warrior who was his gueft to depart without carrying away proofs of his liberality ; his caftle was the rendezvous of all thofe l?rave captains who had diftinguiihed themfelves in combats, or in tournaments* Their converfations folely ran on attacks of places, furprizes, fieges, aflaults, flrirmifhes, and battles. Their amufements were games of addrefs and ilrength, tilts, tournaments, and the chace, more laborious and hardly lefs dangerous than war itfelf. Thefe details deferve to be read in Froiflart : I can only imperfeûly trace what he has fo excellently painted. The count de Foix, having learnt from fir Efpaing du Lyon the arrival of Froiflart, who was weU known at the court of Ortez by the two firfl volumes of his Chronicle* fent to feek him at the houfe of one of his efquires, who had received and lodged him ; and, feeing him at a diflance, faid to him ftniling, and in geod French, " that he was peri € fe&ly well acquainted with him, although he had " never feen him before ; but that he had heard VOL. I. b " much