âné her eagernefs to receive the florins, aflentecf, and procured every thing they wanted, with the affiftance of another perfon, that is to fay, a valet de Chambre of the couht, called Sohier, who was the fon of a cloth-worker in the town of Mechlin. This Sohier fo completely governed the count, that every thing was done as he ordered, and the count had given him upwards of five hundred francs of yearly revenue for ever. See the mif-chief of fuch cafes, and how fniferably fome lords are governed ; for Sohier had neither prudence nor fenfe worth mentioning, to deferve fuch rewards, except the fooliih pleafure of his lord, who had taken a friendfhip to him. In like manner, the duke of Berry Had a wortfr-Ms fellow, called James Thibaut, that governed him, to whom he had, at different times, given two hundred thoufand francs, which he might as well have thrown into the river. If, therefore, Sohier would have wifhed to have excufed himfelf for this fate taking place, he could not, for, if he had pleafed, it never would have been done ; but to gratify the king, ' the dukes of Touraine and Bourbon, and the lord dé Coucy, as wel as the eountefs de Blois, who, through avarice, had al-ready confented to every thing, he urged on the count in private, and made him totally forget every* thing he had" pronaifed his bailiff, and-the rever-fion of the county of Blois was fold for two hun-dred thoufand francs, and the duke de Touraine was to take on himfelf the payment of the coun-' tsfs de Dunois' jointure of 'fix- thoufand francs.• * There