had diftmguifhed themfelves in combats or lit tournaments* Their converfations folely ran on attacks of places, furprifes, fieges, aflaults, fkirmifhes and battles. Their amufements were games- of addrefs and ftrength, tilts, tournaments and the chafe* more laborious and hardly lefe dangerous than war itfelf- Thefe details deferve to be read in Froiflart : I can only imperfeéfcly trace what he has fo excellendy painted. The count de Foix having learnt from ûr Efpaing du Lyon the arrival of Froiflart., who was well known at the court of Ortez, by the two firft volumes of his Chronicle, fent to feek him at the houfe of one of his efquiresf who had received and lodged him; and, feeing him at a diftance, laid to* him fmiling, and in good French, 'that he was perfeétiy weE acquainted! with him although he had never feen him before, but that he had heard, much talk of him, and he retained him iahishoufehokL* This exprefBon, as I have before faid, does not mean that Froiflart was lodged in the caftle, but only that his expenfes were defrayed by the count during the winter he paflèd at his court. His moft ufual occupation, during that time, was to amufe Gafton, after his fupper, by reading to him the romance of Meliador, which he had brought with him. Every evening he repaired to the caftle at midnight, which was the hour the count fat down to table, and none dared, to- interrupt the reading. Gafton himfelf, who liftened with, the greateft attention, only fpoke to afk queftions concerning the book; and he never fent him away before he had made him. drink. aE the wine which had remained on the table from his own cup. Sometimes this prince took pleafure to inform him of thofe particulars of the wars in which, he had dittinguifhed himfelf. Froiflart did not gain Ms information from his frequent conversations with the knights and elquires whom he found affembied at Ortez, more elpecially from the knights of Arragon and of England, attached to the houlëhold of the duke of Lancafter, who at that time refided at Bordeaux. They related to him all they knew of the batdes of the kings John of Caftille and John of Portugal, and their allies. Among others, the famous Ballot de Mauléon, in giving him the hiftory of his own life, related ta him. alio the particulars of almoft all the wars which had taken place in the different provinces of France,. 12