Despenser and the Visconti 105 



him, and dispatched a body of troops to Piedmont, under the 

 command of Azino Caymo and Giacomo del Verme. The latter 

 were taken prisoners in an engagement, carried captive to Alba, 

 and only released on the payment of a heavy ransom. Plucking 

 up heart, and obtaining some men-at-arms from Bemabo, Gale- 

 azzo again endeavored to wrest the territories from the English. 

 However, after his capture of Cherasco and some other places, 



siers as seigneurs de Melans et a leurs gens, par le comfort d'aucuns 

 chevaliers et escuiers et archiers d'Engleterre, qu'il avoit avoecq lui, 

 et tint par le guerre les seigneurs de Melans moult court, et rua par 

 pluisseurs fois ses gens jus, et y fu pris, dou coste des seigneurs de 

 Melans, li sires de Montegny-Saint-Christoffle en Haynnau, et ossi 

 messires Aimeris de Namur, fils bastars au conte Guillaumme de 

 Namur, et fissent la li Engles une guerre moult honnerable pour yaux, 

 et rebouterent pluisseurs fois les Lombars et lors aidans.' 



With reference to the suspicions of poison, Gian Galeazzo is reported 

 never to have sat down with the nobles whom he feasted. He took his 

 meals apart, and, 'ne more patrie inticeretur veneno,' first had every dish 

 tasted by twenty of his officers (Religieux de Saint-Denys, ed. Bellaguet, 

 3. 134). On the effects of excess, particularly in relation to Lionel, see 

 Michelet 5. 27; cf. 4. 160; 5. 1 18-120; Lavisse 4.^ 303-5. Chron. Plac. 

 (R. I. S. 16. 546) calls him 'non bene ordinatum,' which probably signifies 

 a certain lack of self-control. 



But a no less valid reason is to be found in the desire of the English 

 to anticipate the birth of a posthumous heir to Lionel, in which event 

 Galeazzo would forfeit his claim upon the towns. This is made clear by 

 a communication addressed to Despenser by Edward III in December, 

 1368, and dispatched by William de Aldeburgh and Robert de Wykford, 

 Archdeacon of Winchester, on the occasion of their going abroad to treat 

 with Pope Urban V, their commission dating Nov. 29, 1368 (Rymer). 

 The earlier part of this letter runs (Kervyn 18. 489-490; see also pp. 

 94, 98, 103) : 



'Premierement ils dirront au sire Le Despenser coment le roi ad bien 

 entendu ses lettres et la credence exposee de sa part a lui et a son 

 conseil par Siffred son esquier, et coment le roi lui remercie du bon 

 service qu'il fist a monseigneur de Clarence en sa vie et de les graunts 

 diligence, peine et travalx, queux il mist pur la salvation del honour 

 du roi et du sien es parties de Lumbardie, et lui ent sciet molt 

 especialment bon gree, et pense par celle cause de lui faire et monstrer 

 si bone seignourie en temps, avenir, es choses qu'il avera affaire devers 

 lui, qu'il soi ent tendra pur content, si Dieu plest. 



Item, ils remercieront par especial a meisme le sire Le Despenser 

 de ce que puis la mort mon dit seigneur de Oarence, il soi ad tenus 

 en pais de Pymond sur le governement des terres qui feurent a mon- 



