enormoufly fat. The count could no longer mount his horfe, but was always carried in a car when-ever he travelled from one place to another, or took the diverfions of hunting or hacking. As this was well known to the lords of France, a thought ftruck the duke of Touraine, during his refidence at Tours, which he carried into effeâ. The duke had a very large fum of ready money, perhaps a million of florins, lying idle, which he had received from the count de Vertus, on his marriage with the lady Valentina of Milan. This money he wanted to difpofe of to advantage. He knew the great properties of the count de Blois would be difperfed after his death. The county of Blois would fall to John of Brittany, who was his coufin-german ; the lands in Hainault to* the duke of Juliers and duke of Lancafter, excepting Chi-may, which would go to the Conflans in Cham-pagne. . The county of Soiflbns had belonged for-merly to the counts of Blois, but was alienated to the lord de Coucy, for the ranfom of Guy de Blois from England. The lands of Argies and Nouvioa went to other heirs : Holland and Zealand fell to the count of Hainault. Thus would this noble inheritance be difperfed piece-meal, for it was well known it muft happen on the death of the prefent poffeflbr. The. duke of Touraine caft his eyes on this property, as he had money enough to purchafe it, were it fold at a fair price, and de-termined to defire the king, his brother, to treat: with the count de Blois for the county of Blois, which was a valuable property, and very convenient to 336