io6 Despenser and the Visconti 



a truce was arranged; the Marquis of Montferrat, Giovanni 

 II (1338-1372), was invited to act as arbiter; and Despenser 

 repaired to Pavia, where a treaty was to be negotiated. Just 

 at this moment, the Marquis of Montferrat left for Pisa, to 

 obtain certain privileges from Charles IV, and nothing further 

 was done for the time being. Upon the Emperor's return to 

 Bohemia in 1369, war again broke out between the Marquis and 

 Galeazzo. With the assistance of Bernabo and Can Signorio della 

 Scala of Verona, Galeazzo sent troops in July and August to the 

 vicinity of Alessandria, and laid waste grain-fields and vine- 

 yards. By way of retaliation, the Marquis, assisted by the 

 English, whom he had taken into his pay and persuaded still 

 longer to retain the towns of Violante's dowry, burnt Blan- 

 drate and Garlascho, and carrie:d off abundance of cattle. 

 Luchino del Verme, in command of Galeazzo's army, took fright 

 and ran away.* While these things were in progress, Despenser 

 found himself in need of money to defray the cost of the occupa- 

 tion, and, on Oct. 2y, 1369, borrowed 26,000 golden florins from 

 the Marquis of Montferrat,* with the condition that he was to 

 repay the sum in eight months. All the Piedmontese places 

 were pledged as security, with the stipulation that the revenues 

 derived from them in the meantime should be used to defray 



seigneur le due illoeques, et lui prie aussi de remercier depar le roi 

 les gents demorants sur meismes les terres de la bone affection qu'ils 

 ont au roi et de ce qu'ils desirent d'estre desous la seignourie et 

 governement de lui, sicome lui estoit monstres parmy la dite credence, 

 et dirront au dit sire Le Despenser coment le roi lui sciet graunts 

 grees et se tient bien pur content de ce qu'il y ad ensi demores, et 

 voet et lui prie qu'il demoere sur le governement de meismes les terres 

 sicome il ad fait, tanque Ten puisse savoir si madame la duchesse 

 soit enceynte ou nom et tanque le dit sire Le Despenser en eit autre 

 mandement du roi.' 



From this letter it is plain (i) that Despenser had done Lionel good 

 service in the duke's lifetime; (2) that Edward III approved of his 

 having held the Piedmontese lordships; (3) and that the king was pre- 

 pared to yield the properties as soon as it was established beyond doubt 

 that Lionel was to have no posthumous heir by Violante. 



^The basic account is that by Petrus Azarius, quoted by Benvenuto 

 Sangiorgio (M. H. P., pp. 1337-9 = R. L S. 23. 559-56o, cf . 554) ; cf. 

 Galeotto del Carretto (M. H. P., pp. 1212-4) ; Gioffredo della Chiesa 

 (M. if. P., p. 1013). 



'' Benvenuto (M. H. P., p. 1337) says 'Secundoto,' but wrongly. 



