In the comoedy when the King stood very scrupulously on his word, his sister fel to to convince him that it was a shame to a King to be slave of his word, which was the great maxim of Cardinal Mazarini, as I was informed.  Having sent to consult the oracle of Delphos, and it not deigning to answer him, in a rage he cried furth, flectere si superos nequeo, etc.

When a person dies in France they are very careful to mark in what posture after their death their feet are in; for if they be unaequally laying, on of them drawen up, they strongly beleive that by that the dead calls his or hir neirest friend let it be wife, father, or brother, on of which wil dy shortly after.

Its the faschion of the grandees when they die that they are exposed for 3 days after in a chamber hung all in doole[334] in their bed, also of dool, in the bests cloaths which they wor when they ware in life, so that al may come to sy them in that space.  Their is holy water in the roome.  The Dutchesse of Montamor, whiles I was at Poictiers, was thus exposed.

    [334] Mourning.

The bairnes of France have the excercise of the tap, the pery,[335] the cleking,[336] and (instead of our gouf, which they know not) they have shinyes.

    [335] Peg top.

    [336] Clekin or Clackan, a small wooden bat in shape like a racquet.

In France they have apples without any seeds in them; also great Pavies[337] (which is the best sort of Peach) wtout any stone, which they informed me the curious does thus:  they graft a peach in a old stock, the bow the end of the imp[338] and causes it to enter in a other rift made in the stock, leaves it like a halfe moon or bow til they think it hes taken, and then cut it in 2.  That halfe imp that was grafted first wt the head upmost bears peaches according course of nature wt stones in them, the other, which growes as give ye would say backwardlies bears wtout any stones.  This has bein practicat.  They’le impe[339] any tyme of the year in France.

    [337] Sorte de peche, dont la chair est ferme, et qui ne quitte pas le
        noyau.—­Littre, Dict.

    [338] Shoot.

    [339] Graft.

About the mids of February was receaved a new fencing master, whom we saw give his trials:  the Mair made a assaut against him first, then the fencing masters, then some schollers.

A litle after was the Queen mothers panegyrick or funebre oraison made at St. Pierre in a prodigious confluence of peeple of al ranks; the Intendant, the President and the Conseillers, the Mair, the Eschiwines,[340] and the Maison de Ville assisting; also many of the religious orders.  The Cordelier who preached the Advent before and the caresme after made the harangue.  He deduced hir glory and commendation, lo, from that she was Anne of Austria, which is the province in which standes Vienne, the Metropolis of Germany; that she was Philip the 3d of Spaines daughter; next that