We walked about two miles from the city to an agreeable solitude, called Du Plessis ((The château of Plessis-lez-Tours, familiar in ch. iii. of Quentin Durward. It was built by Louis XI., who died there in 1483. Nothing but ruins now remain. –AD)), a house belonging to the King. It has many pretty gardens, full of nightingales; and, in the chapel, lies buried the famous poet, Ronsard ((Pierre de Roussard, called Ronsard, 1524-85. He had a living at S. Côme-les-Tours. –AD)).

“Veüe du Chasteau Royal du Plessis Lez Tours” by Louis Boudan?. 1699. Source: BnF.

Returning, we stepped into a Convent of Franciscans, called St. Cosmo ((Probably the Prieuré de Saint-Cosme.  This is now in partial ruins. -GS)), where the cloister is painted with the miracles of their St. Francis à Paula, whose ashes lie in their chapel, with this inscription:

“Corpus Sancti Fran. à Paula 1507, 13 Aprilis, concrematur verò ab Hæreticis anno 1562, cujus quidem ossa et cineres hìc jacent.”

The tomb has four small pyramids of marble at each corner.

“Nightingale” from Illustrations of The Birds of Europe by John Gould, Elizabeth Gould, ill. 1837. Source: BnF