The Banquet 6i 



didi thoraces," galeaeque^" item et cassides praealtis conis exornatse, 

 indumenta margaritis picta/^ balthei militares^^; postremo prsestantes 

 aliquot gemmae^^ aureis emblematibus insertae, et aureae^* purpureaeque 

 telae ad viriles vestes vis ingens" Is porro convivii apparatus fuit, 

 ut relatae a mensa dapes, decern millibus hominum abunde sufficerent. 



The whole passage is thus rendered by Barnes,^^ who, it will 

 be seen, is indebted in part to Stow : 



Galeache et mosse Barnabo, VII^V flor.' According to this, a suit of this 

 armor would have cost not less than $400 (cf. p. 29). Henry, Earl of 

 Derby, the future Henry IV, in preparation for his combat in the lists 

 with the Duke of Norfolk (Sept. 16, 1398), sent to Gian Galeazzo for 

 special armor (cf. Shakespeare, Richard II i. 3. 28, 'Thus plated in 

 habiliments of war'; i. 3. yz> 'Add proof unto mine armor with thy 

 prayers'). Froissart's account of this is as follows (Kervyn 16. 95-6; 

 cf. ArchcBologia 20. 102; Diet. Nat. Biog. 26. 34; 39. 234; Adam of Usk, 

 p. 2Z) : 'Et envoia le conte d'Erby grans messages en Lombardie devers 

 messire Galleas, due de Milan, pour avoir des armures a son point et 

 a sa voulente. Le dit due descendy moult lyement a la priere du conte 

 d'Erby, et mist a chois ung chevallier, qui se nommoit messire Franchois, 

 que le conte d'Erby avoit la envoie, de toutes ses armures pour servir 

 le dit conte. Avecques tout ce, quant le chevaUier dessus nomme eut 

 advise et choisy entre toutes les armures tant de plates comme de mailles 

 du seigneur Galeas de Milan, le dit seigneur de Milan, d'abondance et 

 pour faire plaisir et amour au conte d'Erby, ordonna a quatre des meilleurs 

 armoieurs qui fuissent en Lombardie, a aller jusques en Angleterre avec 

 le dit chevallier pour entendre a armer a son point le conte d'Erby.' The 

 Milanese armor of this period, it will be seen, included mail as well as 

 plate. 



^•^Cf. pp. 68, 71. 



" Cf. p. 72. 



" Cf . pp. 72, 72>, 74. 



"Cf. p. 72. 



"Cf. pp. 69,73. 



"In the romance (stanzas 71, 72) of The Sege of Melayne (1350-1400) 

 we are told of a gift which included 60 steeds, ridden by as many knights, 

 each bearing a falcon and a cup of gold, and with a greyhound and a 

 rache for each. Cf . also the description in Boccaccio, Teseide 6. 8, 9 : 



A chi prender volea davano assai : 

 Cani, falconi e astor di gran prodezza 



Usavano a diletto 



Vestivan robe per molto oro care, 

 Con gran destrier, cavalli e palaf reni, 

 E nulla si lasciavano a donare, 

 Si eran d'ogni gran larghezza pieni. 



