The Travels of Marco Polo Volume I Part 31

Respecting the further history of the family there is nothing certain, nor can we give unhesitating faith to Ramusio's statement that the last male descendant of the Polos of S. Giovanni Grisostomo was Marco, who died Castellano of Verona in 1417 (according to others, 1418, or 1425),[35] and that the family property then pa.s.sed to Maria (or _Anna_, as she is styled in a MS. statement furnished to me from Venice), who was married in 1401 to Benedetto Cornaro, and again in 1414 to Azzo Trevisan. Her descendant in the fourth generation by the latter was Marc Antonio Trevisano,[36] who was chosen Doge in 1553.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Arms of the Trevisan family.]

The genealogy recorded by Marco Barbaro, as drawn up from doc.u.ments by Ramusio, makes the Castellano of Verona a grandson of our Marco by a son Maffeo, whom we may safely p.r.o.nounce not to have existed, and makes Maria the daughter of Maffeo, Marco's brother--that is to say, makes a lady marry in 1414 and have children, whose father was born in 1271 at the very latest! The genealogy is given in several other ways, but as I have satisfied myself that they all (except perhaps this of Barbaro's, which we see to be otherwise erroneous) confound together the two distinct families of Polo of S. Geremia and Polo of S. Giov. Grisostomo, I reserve my faith, and abstain from presenting them. a.s.suming that the Marco or Marcolino Polo, spoken of in the preceding page, was a near relation (as is probable, though perhaps an illegitimate one), he is the only male descendant of old Andrea of San Felice whom we can indicate as having survived Marco himself; and from a study of the links in the professed genealogies I think it not unlikely that both Marco the Castellano of Verona and Maria Trevisan belonged to the branch of S. Geremia.[37] [See vol. ii., _App. C_, p. 510.]

[49. _bis._--It is interesting to note some of the _reliques_ left by our traveller.

I. The unfortunate Doge of Venice, Marino Faliero, seems to have possessed many souvenirs of Marco Polo, and among them two ma.n.u.scripts, one in the handwriting of his celebrated fellow-citizen(?), and one adorned with miniatures. M. Julius von Schlosser has reprinted (_Die altesten Medaillen und die Antike_, Bd. XVIII., _Jahrb. d. Kunsthist. Samml. d. Allerhochsten Kaiserhauses_, Vienna, 1897, pp. 42-43) from the _Bulletino di arti, industrie e curiosita veneziane_, III., 1880-81, p. 101,[38] the inventory of the curiosities kept in the "Red Chamber" of Marino Faliero's palace in the Parish of the SS. Apostles; we give the following abstract of it:--

Anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Jesu Christi 1351 indictione s.e.xta mensis aprilis. Inuentarium rerum qui sunt in camera rubea domi habitationis clarissimi domini MARINI FALETRO de confinio SS.

Apostolorum, scriptum per me Johannem, presbiterum, dicte ecclesie.

_Item_ alia capsaleta c.u.m ogiis auri et argenti, inter quos unum anulum con inscriptione que dicit: _Ciuble Can Marco Polo_, et unum torques c.u.m multis animalibus Tartarorum sculptis, que res donum dedit predictus MARCUS cuidam Faletrorum.

_Item_ 2 capsalete de corio albo c.u.m variis rebus auri et argenti, quas habuit praedictus MARCUS a Barbarorum rege.

_Item_ 1 ensem mirabilem, qui habet 3 enses simul, quem habuit in suis itineribus praedictus MARCUS.

_Item_ 1 tenturam de pannis indicis, quam habuit praedictus MARCUS.

_Item_ de itineribus MARCI praedicti liber in corio albo c.u.m multis figuris.

_Item_ aliud volumen quod vocatur _de locis mirabilibus Tartarorum, scriptum manu praedicti_ MARCI.

II. There is kept at the Louvre, in the very valuable collection of China Ware given by M. Ernest Grandidier, a white porcelain incense-burner said to come from Marco Polo. This incense-burner, which belonged to Baron Davillier, who received it, as a present, from one of the keepers of the Treasury of St. Mark's at Venice, is an octagonal _ting_ from the Fo-kien province, and of the time of the Sung Dynasty. By the kind permission of M. P. Grandidier, we reproduce it from Pl. II. 6, of the _Ceramique chinoise_, Paris, 1894, published by this learned amateur.--H. C.]

[1] 1. The Will is made in prospect of his voyage to Crete.

2. He had drafted his will with his own hand, sealed the draft, and made it over to Pietro Pagano, priest of S. Felice and Notary, to draw out a formal testament in faithful accordance therewith in case of the Testator's death; and that which follows is the substance of the said draft rendered from the vernacular into Latin. ("Ego Matheus Paulo ...

volens ire in Cretam, ne repentinus casus hujus vite fragilis me subreperet intestatum, mea propria manu meum scripsi et condidi testamentum, rogans Petrum Paganum ecclesie Scti. Felicis presbiterum et Notarium, sana mente et integro consilio, ut, secundum ipsius scripturam quam sibi tunc dedi meo sigillo munitam, meum scriberet testamentum, si me de hoc seculo contigeret pertransire; cujus scripture tenor translato vulgari in latinum per omnia talis est.")

3. Appoints as Trustees Messer Maffeo Polo his uncle, Marco Polo his brother, Messer Nicolo Secreto (or Sagredo) his father-in-law, and Felix Polo his cousin (_consanguineum_).

4. Leaves 20 _soldi_ to each of the Monasteries from Grado to Capo d'Argine; and 150 _lire_ to all the congregations of Rialto, on condition that the priests of these maintain an annual service in behalf of the souls of his father, mother, and self.

5. To his daughter Fiordelisa 2000 _lire_ to marry her withal. To be invested in safe mortgages in Venice, and the interest to go to her.

Also leaves her the interest from 1000 _lire_ of his funds in Public Debt (? _de meis imprest.i.tis_) to provide for her till she marries.

After her marriage this 1000 _lire_ and its interest shall go to his male heir if he has one, and failing that to his brother Marco.

6. To his wife Catharine 400 _lire_ and all her clothes as they stand now. To the Lady Maroca 100 _lire_.

7. To his natural daughter Pasqua 400 _lire_ to marry her withal. Or, if she likes to be a nun, 200 _lire_ shall go to her convent and the other 200 shall purchase securities for her benefit. After her death these shall come to his male heir, or failing that be sold, and the proceeds distributed for the good of the souls of his father, mother, and self.

8. To his natural brothers Stephen and Giovannino he leaves 500 _lire_. If one dies the whole to go to the other. If both die before marrying, to go to his male heir; failing such, to his brother Marco or _his_ male heir.

9. To his uncle Giordano Trevisano 200 _lire_. To Marco de Tumba 100.

To Fiordelisa, wife of Felix Polo, 100. To Maroca, the daughter of the late Pietro Trevisano, living at Negropont, 100. To Agnes, wife of Pietro Lion, 100; and to Francis, son of the late Pietro Trevisano, in Negropont, 100.

10. To buy Public Debt producing an annual 20 _lire ai grossi_ to be paid yearly to Pietro Pagano, Priest of S. Felice, who shall pray for the souls aforesaid: on death of said Pietro the income to go to Pietro's cousin Lionardo, Clerk of S. Felice; and after him always to the senior priest of S. Giovanni Grisostomo with the same obligation.

11. Should his wife prove with child and bear a son or sons they shall have his whole property not disposed of. If a daughter, she shall have the same as Fiordelisa.

12. If he have no male heir his Brother Marco shall have the Testator's share of his Father's bequest, and 2000 _lire_ besides.

Cousin Nicolo shall have 500 _lire_, and Uncle Maffeo 500.

13. Should Daughter Fiordelisa die unmarried her 2000 _lire_ and interest to go to his male heir, and failing such to Brother Marco and his male heir. But in that case Marco shall pay 500 _lire_ to Cousin Nicolo or his male heir.

14. Should his wife bear him a male heir or heirs, but these should die under age, the whole of his undisposed property shall go to Brother Marco or his male heir. But in that case 500 _lire_ shall be paid to Cousin Nicolo.

15. Should his wife bear a daughter and she die unmarried, her 2000 _lire_ and interest shall go to Brother Marco, with the same stipulation in behalf of Cousin Nicolo.

16. Should the whole amount of his property between cash and goods not amount to 10,000 _lire_ (though he believes he has fully as much), his bequests are to be ratably diminished, except those to his own children which he does not wish diminished. Should any legatee die before receiving the bequest, its amount shall fall to the Testator's heir male, and failing such, the half to go to Marco or his male heir, and the other half to be distributed for the good of the souls aforesaid.

The witnesses are Lionardo priest of S. Felice, Lionardo clerk of the same, and the Notary Pietro Pagano priest of the same.

[2] According to Romanin (I. 321) the _lira dei grossi_ was also called _Lira d'imprestidi_, and if the _lire_ here are to be so taken, the sum will be 10,000 ducats, the largest amount by far that occurs in any of these Polo doc.u.ments, unless, indeed, the 1000 _lire_ in -- 5 of Maffeo Junior's Will be the like; but I have some doubt if such lire are intended in either case.

[3] "(Resolved) That grace be granted to the respectable MARCO PAULO, relieving him of the penalty he has incurred for neglecting to have his water-pipe examined, seeing that he was ignorant of the order on that subject." (See _Appendix C_. No. 3.) The other reference, to M.

Polo, of S. Geremia, runs as follows:--

[_MCCCII. indic. XV. die VIII. Macii q fiat gra Guillo aurifici q ipe absolvat a pena i qua dicit icurisse p uno spotono sibi iueto veuiedo de Mestre ppe domu Maci Pauli de Canareglo ui descenderat ad bibendu._]

"That grace be granted to William the Goldsmith, relieving him of the penalty which he is stated to have incurred on account of a spontoon (_spontono_, a loaded bludgeon) found upon him near the house of MARCO PAULO of Cannareggio, where he had landed to drink on his way from Mestre." (See _Cicogna_, V. p. 606.)

[4] _Sansovino, Venezia, Citta n.o.bilissima e Singolare, Descritta_, etc., Ven. 1581, f. 236 v.; _Barbaro, Alberi; Coronelli, Allante Veneto_, I. 19.

[5] The word _Millio_ occurs several times in the Chronicle of the Doge Andrea Dandolo, who wrote about 1342; and _Milion_ occurs at least once (besides the application of the term to Polo) in the History of Giovanni Villani; viz. when he speaks of the Treasury of Avignon:-- "_diciotto_ milioni _di fiorini d'oro_ ec. _che ogni_ milione _e mille migliaja di fiorini d' oro la valuta_." (xi. 20, -- 1; _Ducange_, and _Vocab. Univ. Ital._). But the definition, thought necessary by Villani, in itself points to the use of the word as rare. _Domilion_ occurs in the estimated value of houses at Venice in 1367, recorded in the _Cronaca Magna_ in St. Mark's Library. (_Romanin_, III. 385).

[6] "Also; that Pardon be granted to Bonocio of Mestre for that 152 _lire_ in which he stood condemned by the Captains of the Posts, on account of wine smuggled by him, in such wise: to wit, that he was to pay the said fine in 4 years by annual instalments of one fourth, to be retrenched from the pay due to him on his journey in the suite of our amba.s.sadors, with a.s.surance that anything then remaining deficient of his instalments should be made good by himself or his securities. And his securities are the n.o.bles Pietro Morosini and MARCO PAULO MILION." Under _Milion_ is written in an ancient hand "_mortuus_."

(See _Appendix C_, No. 4.)

[7] Humboldt tells this (_Examen_, II. 221), alleging _Jacopo d'Acqui_ as authority; and Libri (_H. des Sciences Mathematiques_, II. 149), quoting _Doglioni, Historia Veneziana_. But neither authority bears out the citations. The story seems really to come from Amoretti's commentary on the _Voyage du Cap. L. F. Maldonado_, Plaisance, 1812, p. 67. Amoretti quotes as authority _Pignoria, Degli Dei Antichi_.

An odd revival of this old libel was mentioned to me recently by Mr.

George Moffatt. When he was at school it was common among the boys to express incredulity by the phrase: "Oh, what a Marco Polo!"

[8] Thibault, according to Ducange, was in 1307 named Grand Master of the Arblasteers of France; and Buchon says his portrait is at Versailles among the Admirals (No. 1170). Ramon de Muntaner fell in with the Seigneur de Cepoy in Greece, and speaks of him as "but a Captain of the Wind, as his Master was King of the Wind." (See _Ducange, H. de l'Empire de Const. sous les Emp. Francois_, Venice ed. 1729, pp. 109, 110; _Buchon, Chroniques Etrangeres_, pp. lv. 467-470.)

[9] The note is not found in the Bodleian MS., which is the third known one of this precise type.

[10] Messire Jean, the son of Thibault, is mentioned in the accounts of the latter in the _Chambre des Comptes_ at Paris, as having been with his Father in Romania. And in 1344 he commanded a confederate Christian armament sent to check the rising power of the Turks, and beat a great Turkish fleet in the Greek seas. (_Heyd._ I. 377; _Buchon_, 468.)

[11] The doc.u.ment is given in _Appendix C_, No. 5. It was found by Comm.

Barozzi, the Director of the Museo Civico, when he had most kindly accompanied me to aid in the search for certain other doc.u.ments in the archives of the _Casa di Ricovero_, or Poor House of Venice. These archives contain a great ma.s.s of testamentary and other doc.u.ments, which probably have come into that singular depository in connection with bequests to public charities.

The doc.u.ment next mentioned was found in as strange a site, viz., the _Casa degli Esposti_ or Foundling Hospital, which possesses similar muniments. This also I owe to Comm. Barozzi, who had noted it some years before, when commencing an arrangement of the archives of the Inst.i.tution.