JOU~N:AL OF JOHN' LAUDER

8-

theirin, in all which I recommend him to you againe and
againe as give he were my oune sone, assuring you that what
favor or friendship you sall be pleased to show him, I ~sall ever
acknowledge it as done to my selfe. He intends to improve
his tyme in the study of the Laws, and having got some
knowledge of the french tangue, he intends for Poictiers some
moneths hence. Help him to a master that may come to him
once a day and give him a lesson on the Instituts and for the
language I beseich you assist him in it. If their be no accom-
modation for him at your house, I pray you place him wheir
he may be weil used and in good company. Let him~ not
want what he stands in neid of for monyes or other necessaries,
all which I sall make good to you thankfully upon advice
from you. Thus recommending him to your care as my oune.
Kissing your band wt madam Ogilvyes, your daughters, and al
your families,.I rest your real freind and servant,
FRA1>4ClS. Kna.ocH.'

At my arrival heir I fand in pension wt him the Mr. of
Ogilvy 1 wt his servant, a very civil lad: James Hunter, young
Thirlestan wt his man Patrick PoI·tues besides them also
their'ware English, French, and Germans. The city (called
Aurelia ather' a bonitate a:crce, or from Aurelian the emperor
who kéipt a station heir) I fand to be as big as Edinborough
laying wt it also the next greatest citty of Scotlan.d. 1 dis-
covered likewise the city to abound wt such a wast number of
lame folk, bÓth' men and women, but especially women, even
many of them of good qualitÿ, that l verily beleive their are
more lame women their at Orleans then is in all Seotland'or
much of France. Enquiring what the reason of this might be,
the general woice was that it proceeded from the nature of the
Aurelian wine, which they alledge to have such influence on
the sperm of man as to produce a creature imperfect in their

1 Apparently David, afterwards third Earl of Airlie. Bis grandfather was
already dead, and he is afterwards cali cd Lord Ogilvy in the Journal.
2 Probably the servant, though the punctuation is as in the text.
3 Thirlestan, probably Thurston in East Lothian, belonging to the family of
Hunter.