[346] Eight lines erased in MS.

We came this night to Faux, a litle village standing upon the Lindre, about 7 leagues from Portpile, wher I played one of the Gascons a pret[347] in the boat; wheir also I saw a reservoire of fisches.  Heir I was wery sick, so that I suped none, as I had not dined, my Poictiers rant incapacitating me.  Yea, I was distempered al the way after, so that I cost not wery dear to my Messenger for my diet.

    [347] Trick.

Nixt morning be 4 howers, having taken horse and riden the water, I came to Amboise.  My heart began to lift in me for Joy when I came to places I had sein before, for I being wery sick, I fancied now I was almost at the end of my journy.  Amboise is 5 leagues from Faux.  We dined at the Cheval rouge, in the fauxbourgs, this syde of the Loire.  I went and saw the Chasteau, having taken a French Gentleman of Quercy (of which Cahors is the Capital toune, and Dordogne the cheife river), and another of Thosose[348] wt me, whose brother, a boy not above 20 years, had already been at the wars against the Mores of Barbary, and had bein taken prisoner, and was ransoned by his father for 300 crounes, and was coming in to Paris to get some employment in the army:  such stirring spirits are the French.  The Castle I fand werie strong.  I saw their arsenal, wheirs layes the canon of the fort, the greatest of them carrieng only 10 pound ball.  Their best peices ware transported during the seige of the Rochel; they have never bein brought back yet.  Theirs in the entry King Dagobert and his Queens statues, wt 2 great sheep done a l’antique.

    [348] Probably for Tholose, Toulouse.

The most considerable thing we saw was the Harts hornes, hung up in the corner of a chapelle, of a monstrous bignesse, if they be natural.  It was taken some many 100 years ago in a forest of Lorraine towards Allemagne, wt a collet,[349] about whilk the flesch was so growen that it covered it, bearing that it belonged to Caesar.  It bit to be wery old when it was taken.  Also we saw some rib bons of it monstrouslie great.  Also, I saw the chamber wheir Mr. Fouquet[350] was detained prisoner when the King brought him from Nantes.

    [349] Collar.

    [350] Nicolas Fouquet, 1615-1680, finance minister of Louis XIV.,
        fell out of favour, and was arrested at Nantes, 1661.

From Amboise we came to Blois 10 short leagues, wheir I went straight to the Castle (my remarks of which are elsewheir) to sie these verses of Faustus above the 1 gate of the castle, which are as followeth: 

  Hic ubi natus erat dextro Ludovicus Olympo
    Sumpsit honorata regia[351] sceptra manu,
  Foelix quae tanti fulsit lux nuntia regis,
    Gallia non alio principe digna fuit.

1498.

    [351] Regia for regia.  At best the line does not scan.

Next morning we came to St. Laurens, a pretty litle toune, wheir we dined.  In the afternoone we passed by Clery, a litle village 4 leagues from Orleans, wheir I subscrived my name in the great book of all passengers (wheir I did read several Scots names, as Liddell, Douglas, etc.).  I payed a collation, which cost me a croune.