aiding the French lords in their ranfom, although .he had already been at a heavy expenfe in fending his ambaffadors to Hungary and Turkey. Thefe charges, however, he did not regret, fincé his coufins were now fafe at Venice, and with them Ms own knight the lord de Boucicaut. ' The count de Nevers and his companions were ftill at Venice, for it was not his intention to de-part thence until the difcharge of the ranfom Ihould be completed. The merchant of Scio and the two Grecian lords had pledged themfelves to the fultan for the payment, and fuch an immenfe^ film was not readily raifed/ Sir Dinde de Defponde took great pains to ac-complifh the bufinefs from his regard to the king of France and the duke of Burgundy, who had fent him to Venice for the purpofe, and he was more fubde and converfant in fuch bufinefs than any other perfon whatever. • While others were diligendy difpatching the bufi-nefs of their ranfom, the lords fpent their time moft joyoufly at Venice'; but, about this period, an infectious diforder affli&ed that town and neighbourhood, which began in the • month of Auguft, and never ceafed until Saint Andrew's day. Great numbers fell vi&ims to it, and among the reft (the more the pity i) the lord Henry de Bar, eldeft Ton to the duke of Bar, and, in right of his wife, heir to all the eftktes of the late lord dc Coucy, excepting the dower of his widow. Thus were the two ladies de Coucy made widows