at Tarbes, as I have heard from thofe who have feen him/ They now called for wine, of which when brought we all drank, and Ballot de Maule-on faid to me, * Well, fir John, what do you fay? Have 1 well told you my life? I have had many more adventures, but of which I neither can nor will fpeak.' € Yes, that you have, by my faith/ added I : and, wifhing him to continue his con-versation, I afked what was become of a gallant fquire, called Louis Raimbaut, whom I had met once at Avignon. € I will tell you/ replied he. 4 At the time when fir Sequin de Batefol, who had poffeflion of Brioude in Vèlay, ten leagues from Puy in Auvergne, after having carried on the war in that country with much fuccefs, was returning to Gafcony, he gave to Louis Raim-baut and to a companion of his, called Limon-fin, Brioude and Ance on the Saone. The country at that time was fo defolated and harraf-fcd, and fo full of free companies in every part, that none dared to venture out of their houfes. I muft inform you, that between Brioude and Arice, the country is mountainous, and the dif-f ance from one of thofe towns to the other twen-ty-fix leagues. However, when Louis Raimbaût was pleafed to ride from one of thefe places to the other, he made nothing of it; for he had lèverai forts in Forêts and elfe where, .to halt and refrefh- himfelf. The gentlemen of Auvergne, Forêts, and Vèlay, had been fo opprefled byran-foms to regain their liberty, they dreaded to take up arms again; and there were no great lords in r«*ance who raifed any men.: The king of France was 22S