The Travels of Marco Polo Volume I Part 12

Examples. 74. Injustice long done to Polo. Singular Modern Example.

XII. CONTEMPORARY RECOGNITION OF POLO AND HIS BOOK.

-- 75. How far was there diffusion of his Book in his own day?

76. Contemporary References to Polo. T. de Cepoy; Pipino; Jacopo d'Acqui; Giov. Villani. 77. Pietro d'Abano; Jean le Long of Ypres.

78. Curious borrowings from Polo in the Romance of Bauduin de Sebourc.

78 _bis._ Chaucer and Marco Polo.

XIII. NATURE OF POLO'S INFLUENCE ON GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE

-- 79. Tardy operation, and causes thereof. 80. General characteristics of Mediaeval Cosmography. 81. Roger Bacon as a Geographer. 82. Arab Geography. 83. Marino Sanudo the Elder. 84. The Catalan Map of 1375, the most complete mediaeval embodiment of Polo's Geography. 85. Fra Mauro's Map. Confusions in Cartography of the 16th Century from the endeavour to combine new and old information. 86. Gradual disappearance of Polo's nomenclature. 87. Alleged introduction of Block-printed Books into Europe by Marco Polo in connexion with the fiction of the invention of Printing by Castaldi of Feltre. 88. Frequent opportunities for such introduction in the Age following Polo's.

XIV. EXPLANATIONS REGARDING THE BASIS ADOPTED FOR THE PRESENT TRANSLATION

-- 89. Texts followed by Marsden and by Pauthier. 90. Eclectic Formation of the English Text of this Translation. 91. Mode of rendering Proper Names.

THE BOOK OF MARCO POLO.

PROLOGUE.

PRELIMINARY ADDRESS OF RUSTICIANO OF PISA

I.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS POLO SET FORTH FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO TRAVERSE THE WORLD

NOTES.--1. Chronology. 2. "The Great Sea." The Port of Soldaia.

II.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS WENT ON BEYOND SOLDAIA

NOTES.--1. Site and Ruins of Sarai. 2. City of Bolghar. 3. Alau Lord of the Levant (i.e. _Hulaku_). 4. Ucaca on the Volga. 5. River Tigeri.

III.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS, AFTER CROSSING A DESERT, CAME TO THE CITY OF BOCARA, AND FELL IN WITH CERTAIN ENVOYS THERE

NOTES.--1. "Bocara a City of Persia." 2. The Great Kaan's Envoys.

IV.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS TOOK THE ENVOYS' COUNSEL, AND WENT TO THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

V.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS ARRIVED AT THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

VI.--HOW THE GREAT KAAN ASKED ALL ABOUT THE MANNERS OF THE CHRISTIANS, AND PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE POPE OF ROME

NOTE.--Apostoille. The name _Tartar_.

VII.--HOW THE GREAT KAAN SENT THE TWO BROTHERS AS HIS ENVOYS TO THE POPE

NOTES.--1. The Great Kaan's Letter. 2. The Seven Arts. 3. Religious Indifference of the Mongol Princes.

VIII.--HOW THE GREAT KAAN GAVE THEM A TABLET OF GOLD, BEARING HIS ORDERS IN THEIR BEHALF

NOTES.--1. The Tablet. 2. The Port of Ayas.

IX.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS CAME TO THE CITY OF ACRE; AND THENCE TO VENICE

NOTES.--1. Names of the deceased Pope and of the Legate. 2. Negropont.

3. Mark's age.

X.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AGAIN DEPARTED FROM VENICE, ON THEIR WAY BACK TO THE GREAT KAAN, AND TOOK WITH THEM MARK, THE SON OF MESSER NICOLO

NOTE.--Oil from the Holy Sepulchre.

XI.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS SET OUT FROM ACRE, AND MARK ALONG WITH THEM

NOTE.--Pope Gregory X. and his Election.

XII.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS PRESENTED THEMSELVES BEFORE THE NEW POPE

NOTES.--1. William of Tripoli. 2. Powers conceded to Missionary Friars.

3. Bundukdar and his Invasion of Armenia; his character. 4. The Templars in Cilician Armenia.

XIII.--HOW MESSER NICOLO AND MESSER MAFFEO POLO, ACCOMPANIED BY MARK, TRAVELLED TO THE COURT OF THE GREAT KAAN

NOTE.--The City of Kemenfu, Summer Residence of Kublai.

XIV.--HOW MESSER NICOLO AND MESSER MAFFEO POLO AND MARCO PRESENTED THEMSELVES BEFORE THE GREAT KAAN

NOTES.--1. Verbal. 2. "Vostre Homme."

XV.--HOW THE LORD SENT MARK ON AN EMBa.s.sY OF HIS

NOTES.--1. The four Characters learned by Marco, what? 2. Ramusio's addition. 3. Nature of Marco's employment.

XVI.--HOW MARK RETURNED FROM THE MISSION WHEREON HE HAD BEEN SENT

XVII.--HOW MESSER NICOLO, MESSER MAFFEO, AND MESSER MARCO, ASKED LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN TO GO THEIR WAY

NOTES.--1. Risks to Foreigners on a change of Sovereign. 2. The Lady Bolgana. 3. Pa.s.sage from Ramusio.

XVIII.--HOW THE TWO BROTHERS AND MESSER MARCO TOOK LEAVE OF THE GREAT KAAN, AND RETURNED TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY

NOTES.--1. Mongol Royal Messengers. 2. Mongol communication with the King of England. 3. Mediaeval Ships of China. 4. Pa.s.sage from China to Sumatra. 5. Mortality among the party. 6. The Lady Cocachin in Persian History. 7. Death of the Kaan. 8. The Princess of Manzi.

BOOK FIRST.