Beaufort, principally of the wars after the battle of Poitters 1326. For this purpofe, journeys into the remoteft provinces of France were undertaken by him. In his yet younger years, he had fallen dcfperately in love with a perfon, of whofe beauty and excellence he had fo high an opinion that, as he verfifies concerning her, every emperor, king, prince and count, as far as Conftantinople, would have efteemed himfelf happy if he had been able to obtain her. His love was unfuccefsful ; and from her marriage with another, he. fell into an illnefs of more than three month's duration. To free himfelf from fuch tormenting difquietudes, he went to England 1356, where after a violent ftorm, (during which he neverthelefs compofed a rondeau on his miftrefs,) he happily arrived, and was, by queen Philippa of Hainault, the confort of Edward III. very kindly received, to whom he prefentted a part of his hiftory. Here he endeavoured to conceal his grief, but in vain : all the entertainments which were procured for him, all the manifeftations of favour with which he was loaded, availed nothing. He returned at the queen's expenfe, and went immediately to his miftrefs. But becaufe an intercourfe with her could not long continue, fo he returned again to England, 1361, and was appointed cabinet-fecretary to the queen, who often requefted him to compofe love-fongs. He made many journeys at her expenfe, to colleét materials for his hiftory, and was by her richly rewarded. After five years he went back again. Soon after that, however, the queen, his greateft benefaétrefs, died; on which occafion, he wrote an elegiac poem. Hereupon he journeyed into Italy, and through Germany, but no more into England, and accepted, in his native country, the rcétory of the parilh of Leftines. He now attached himfelf to the duke of Brabant, Wenceflaus of Luxembourg, an admirer of poetry, whofe numerous fongs and poems he formed into a collection. He added fome of his own, and thereby compofed a kind of a romance with the title; * Meliador*, or the Knight of the Golden Sun.' This duke died juft before its completion, 1388 or 1384; but Froiflart found a new -protestor in Guy * So writes CfaaufqM. In Sauvage's édition, and our manufcript, ftuiib Meliador. I* MoQt&ucoo's Bibi. MSS. t. ii. p. 186, comes 1 le Roman de Meliadus,' .alfo before page Wl- J1 105