62 The Banquet 



Duke Galeas in Honour of this his Son-in-Law is said to have 

 spent such abundance of Treasure, as seem'd to surpass the Magnifi- 

 cence of the most Wealthy Monarchs. For not to mention all the 

 Sumptuous Feasts, Balls, Justs, and Tourneaments, and other stately 

 and divertive Spectacles, set forth on this occasion; nor to summ up 

 the great and large Gifts, which were given to the Lord Edward 

 Spencer, and more than 200 other English Gentlemen, who came out 

 of England to wait on the Prince; the Marriage Feast alone was so 

 extraordinary, that We may by that Conjecture the Largeness of 

 Duke Galeas his Soul, the full satisfaction he had in this Match, and 

 the Abundance of his Coffers. For in that One Feast, where Francis 

 Petrarch, the Laureate Poet of Italy, was present, being for Honour 

 of his Learning seated among the Guests of the Highest Quality, 

 there were above 30 Courses of service upon the Table, and between 

 every Course, as many Presents of unusual Magnificence, intermixed; 

 all which John Galeas, the Duke's Son, and Prince of the Chosen 

 Youth, that waited that day, presented unto Prince Lionel, as they 

 were brought up to the Table. . 



In one Course were presented Seventy Good Horses, richly Adorned 

 and Caparizon'd with Silk and Embroider'd Furniture; and in the 

 other Courses, came up Vessels of Silver, Ger-Falcons, Hounds, 

 Armour for Horses, Costly Coats of Mail, shining Breastplates of 

 Massy Steel, Corslets, Helmets, and Burganets adorned with High 

 and Rich Crests and Plumes ; Surcoats embroider'd with costly Jewels, 

 Knights Girdles, and lastly, Pictures of Gold, beset with Gems, and 

 Purple and Qoth of Gold for Mens Apparel in Great Abundance. 

 And such vast Provision was there at this Feast, that the Meats, 

 which were brought from the Table, would have plentifully sufficed 

 loooo Men. 



The second paragraph was thus translated by Stow, Annates, 

 1592, p. 416^': 



There were in one onely course seventy goodly horses, adorned with 

 silke and silver furniture: and in the other silver vessels, falcons, 

 houndes, armour for horses, costly coates of mayle, breastplates 

 glistering of massive Steele, helmets, and corselets [sic] decked with 

 costly crestes, apparell distinct, with costly jewelles, souldiors girdles, 

 and lastly certaine gemmes, by curious art set in golde, and of purple, 

 and cloth of golde for mens apparell in great abundance. And such 

 was the sumptuousnesse of that banquet, that the meates which were 

 brought from the table, woulde sufficiently have served lOOOO. men. 



^' Sandford is indebted to both Stow and Barnes ; thus, for example, 'glis- 

 tering of Massie Steel.' Jovius' account is also the basis for the descrip- 

 tion by G. P. R. James, History of Edward the Black Prince, 2d ed,, 2. 

 311. Cf. Hist. Background, p. 186. 



