Ixxxiii the ratification of the treaty of Bretigny, figned by the Prince of Wales at Calais, after having tranfcribed with his hand upon a copy from the-fame Prince, collated by a " Tréforier des Chartres." If, then, the edition of Sauvage be ftill very imperfeft, it has not any dcfe&s but what the preceing editions have in common with it j to which, however, it is infinitely fuperior. The editor, well verfed in our antiquities and our hiftory, exaft in the ' performance. of his duty, and indefatigable in the purfuit of his objeâ, proves, by the confiant life he makes of the two manulcripts, by the judg-^ ment he gives of their infufficiency, and by the regret he exprefies at not being able to meet with better, that he has been in greater want of affiftance, than of good will, good faith, and capacity. In his time, manufcripts buried in the libraries of ignorant monks, or in the archives of private perfons, and unknown to their pofleflbrs, were loft to the learned world. Times have fince changed ; thanks to the attention of minifters, who negleft nothing for the public good, there isfcarcely a man of letters to whom manufcripts of all ages are not become a fort of property. Nothing would be wanting to the good fortune of this age, if, with fuch abundant fuccours, there could be found men, as laborious as Sauvage, to take advantage of them j for, I have not a doubt, but that, if he had been able to procure accefs to the manufcripts we poflefs, he would have given us an excellent edition of Froiffart. The number of thofe known at this day is fo con* fiderable, that, alter the Bible and the Fathers, I do not believe there is any work of which there have i ι been