194 memoirs of 'jean Frof start Feb. 8. 



Jean Froifsart was born at Valenciennes, a city of 

 Hainault, about the year 1337. From one part of his 

 poems we may guefs his father's name was Thomas, 

 and that he was a painter of heraldry. He himself 

 was a canon and treasurer of the collegiate church 

 of Chimay . 



His poetry is graceful and easy ; and there is in 

 it, a tendernefs and simplicity, that is very pleasing. 

 His stile is not brilliant, but natural ; — richer in sen- 

 timent, than in wit. 



His eager and impatient temper fliewed itself early 

 in his infancy by an extreme difsipation, and as he 

 grew older, by his love for travelling. To follow 

 the details of his life which M. de la Curne de St. 

 Palaye has publiftied in the memoirs of the acade- 

 my of belles lettres, you never see him long in one 

 place. After many journies into different provin- 

 ces of France, you see him pafs over to England, 

 \vhere he is much courted ; he comes back again to 

 France, and then returns to England, where he stays 

 five years as secretary of the chamber to queen Phi- 

 lippa. 



You find him again in France, at Melun sur Seine, 

 about the 20th of April 1366 ; and the same year at 

 Bourdeaux, when the princefs of Wales was brought 

 to bed of a son who was afterwards Richard 11. of 

 England. 



By order of the prince of Wales, whom he wiihed 

 to follow in his expedition .to Spain, he returned 

 back to queen Philippa; but the next year you see 

 liim running from one court to another in Italy ,At 

 Milan he received from count Amadeus, une cotte 



