The Travels of Marco Polo Volume 1

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The Travels of Marco Polo Volume 1

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Travels of Marco Polo Volume 1
by Marco Polo and Rustichello of Pisa This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Travels of Marco Polo Volume 1
Author: Marco Polo and Rustichello of Pisa
Release Date: January 8, 2004 [EBook #10636]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO
THE COMPLETE YULE-CORDIER EDITION
[Illustration: H. Yule]
Including the unabridged third edition (1903) of Henry Yule's annotated translation, as revised by Henri Cordier; together with Cordier's later volume of notes and addenda (1920)
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOLUME I
_Containing the first volume of the 1903 edition_

DEDICATION.
TO THE MEMORY OF SIR RODERICK I. MURCHISON, BART., K.C.B., G.C.ST.A., G.C.ST.S., ETC. THE PERFECT FRIEND WHO FIRST BROUGHT HENRY YULE AND JOHN MURRAY TOGETHER (HE ENTERED INTO REST, OCTOBER 22ND, 1871,) AND TO THAT OF HIS MUCH LOVED NIECE, HARRIET ISABELLA MURCHISON, WIFE OF KENNETH ROBERT MURCHISON, D.L., J.P., (SHE ENTERED INTO REST, AUGUST 9TH, 1902,) UNDER WHOSE EVER HOSPITABLE ROOF MANY OF THE PROOF SHEETS OF THIS EDITION WERE READ BY ME, I DEDICATE THESE VOLUMES FROM THE OLD MURCHISON HOME, IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE OF ALL I OWE TO THE ABIDING AFFECTION, SYMPATHY, AND EXAMPLE OF BOTH.
TARADALE, AMY FRANCES YULE. ROSS-SHIRE, SEPTEMBER 11TH, 1902. SCOTLAND.
* * * * Ed è da noi sì strano, Che quando ne ragiono I' non trovo nessuno, Che l'abbia navicato, * * * * Le parti del Levante, Là dove sono tante Gemme di gran valute E di molta salute: E sono in quello giro Balsamo, e ambra, e tiro, E lo pepe, e lo legno Aloe, ch' è sì degno, E spigo, e cardamomo, Giengiovo, e cennamomo; E altre molte spezie, Ciascuna in sua spezie, E migliore, e più fina, E sana in medicina. Appresso in questo loco Mise in assetto loco Li tigri, e li grifoni, Leofanti, e leoni Cammelli, e dragomene, Badalischi, e gene, E pantere, e castoro, Le formiche dell' oro, E tanti altri animali, Ch' io non so ben dir quail, Che son sì divisati, E sì dissomigliati Di corpo e di fazione, Di sì fera ragione, E di sì strana taglia, Ch'io non credo san faglia, Ch' alcun uomo vivente Potesse veramente Per lingua, o per scritture Recitar le figure Delle bestie, e gli uccelli....
--From Il Tesoretto di Ser Brunetto Latini (circa MDCCLX.). (_Florence_, 1824, pp. 83 seqq.)
[Illustration]
[Greek: ándra moi hénnepe, Mousa, polytropon, hòs mála pollà Plágchthae . . . . . . . Pollon d' anthrópon íden ástea kaì nóon égno].
_Odyssey_, I.
--"I AM BECOME A NAME; FOR ALWAYS ROAMING WITH A HUNGRY HEART MUCH HAVE I SEEN AND KNOWN; CITIES OF MEN, AND MANNERS, CLIMATES, COUNCILS, GOVERNMENTS, MYSELF NOT LEAST, BUT HONOURED OF THEM ALL."
TENNYSON.
"A SEDER CI PONEMMO IVI AMBODUI V?LTI A LEVANTE, OND' ERAVAM SALITI; CHè SUOLE A RIGUARDAR GIOVARE ALTRUI."
DANTE, _Purgatory_, IV.
[Illustration: Messer Marco Polo, with Messer Nicolo and Messer Maffeo, returned from xxvi years' sojourn in the Orient, is denied entrance to the Ca' Polo. (See _Int._ p. 4)]

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
DEDICATION
NOTE BY MISS YULE
PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION
ORIGINAL PREFACE
ORIGINAL DEDICATION
MEMOIR OF SIR HENRY YULE BY AMY FRANCES YULE, L.A.SOC. ANT. SCOT.
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SIR HENRY YULE'S WRITINGS
SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS
EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. I.
INTRODUCTORY NOTICES
THE BOOK OF MARCO POLO.

NOTE BY MISS YULE
I desire to take this opportunity of recording my grateful sense of the unsparing labour, learning, and devotion, with which my father's valued friend, Professor Henri Cordier, has performed the difficult and delicate task which I entrusted to his loyal friendship.
Apart from Professor Cordier's very special qualifications for the work, I feel sure that no other Editor could have been more entirely acceptable to my father. I can give him no higher praise than to say that he has laboured in Yule's own spirit.
The slight Memoir which I have contributed (for which I accept all responsibility), attempts no more than a rough sketch of my father's character and career, but it will, I hope, serve to recall pleasantly his remarkable individuality to the few remaining who knew him in his prime, whilst it may also afford some idea of the man, and his work and environment, to those who had not that advantage.
No one can be more conscious than myself of its many shortcomings, which I will not attempt to excuse. I can, however, honestly say that these have not been due to negligence, but are rather the blemishes almost inseparable from the fulfilment under the gloom of bereavement