Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

126
JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER
In France they have apples without any seeds in them; also
great Pavies1 (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 2 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 back-
wardlies bears wtout any stones. This has bein practicat.
They le impe 3 any tyme of the year in France.
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,4 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 she was Queen or wife to
Lowis the Just, 13 of that name in France; 3dly, that she
was mother to Lewis the IP, so hopeful a Prince, after she
had bein 23 years barren. Whence he took occasion to show
that tho virginity and coelebat was wery commendable, yet that
it was no wayes so in the succession to crounes. He had also
heir a senselese gasconad which nobody approved of, that
St. Gregoire sould say that as far as Kings are exalted above
other men, that in so far the Kings of France ware above al
other Kings. In the 4th place he fand a large elogium to hir
in that she falling widdow she becam Regent of hir sone and
the Realme during his minority. Hir last and principal com-
1 Sorte de peche, dont la chair est ferme, et qui ne quitte pas le noyau.—
Littre, Diet. 2 Shoot. 3 Graft. 4 Echevins, municipal magistrates.