2<5 4 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 de Lignerac, and the Vicomte de Beaune, 

 governors of the province, make me almoft 

 an annual vifit, in order to ride over my 

 improvements, and they ufually bring a 

 fmall party with them. The Duke de Fitz- 

 James, the Duke de Richelieu, the Marmal 

 D'Armentiers, the Count de Maillebois, 

 the Duke de Noailles, have all been here, 

 and fome of them twice or thrice j and as 

 it feems they think there is fomething un- 

 common in my method of improving wade 

 land, they mention it, I fuppofe, at Paris, 

 in company, and that fends others, who 

 have bufmefs beyond Auvergne, in the 

 fouthern parts of the kingdom. Thefe 

 vifits increafe every year, fo that I have rea- 

 fon to rejoice that I never made any cere- 

 mony of them, otherwife my time and at- 

 tention would be too much taken up to be 

 agreeable to me, or my works. Several of 

 thefe noblemen have fpent two or three days 

 at a time with me, and I am clear they are 

 treated no where with fo little ceremony. 

 My wife, in her plain country drefs, and I 

 in my coarfe farmer's coat, lit down at 

 table, not a bit better drefled than a clean 

 peafaat. Oar fare is not much changed on 



account 



