Note 19 — EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME I. (continued 2)
Henry Yule translation
For a moment I thought I had been lucky enough to light on a part of the missing original of Ramusio in the Barberini Library at Rome. A fragment of a Venetian version in that library (No. 56 in our list of MSS.) bore on the fly-leaf the title “
Alcuni primi capi del Libro di S. Marco Polo, copiati dall esemplare manoscritto di
PAOLO RANNUSIO
.
” But it proved to be of no importance. One brief passage of those which have been thought peculiar to Ramusio, viz., the reference to the Martyrdom of St. Blaize at Sebaste (see
p. 43
of this volume), is found also in the Geographic Latin.
It was pointed out by Lazari, that another passage (vol. i. p. 60) of those otherwise peculiar to Ramusio, is found in a somewhat abridged Latin version in a MS. which belonged to the late eminent antiquary Emanuel Cicogna. (See List in Appendix F, No. 35.) This fact induced me when at Venice in 1870 to examine the MS. throughout, and, though I could give little time to it, the result was very curious.
I find that this MS. contains, not one only, but at least seven of the passages otherwise peculiar to Ramusio, and must have been one of the elements that went to the formation of his text. Yet of his more important interpolations, such as the chapter on Ahmad’s oppressions and the additional matter on the City of Kinsay, there is no indication. The seven passages alluded to are as follows; the words corresponding to Ramusian peculiarities are in italics, the references are to my own volumes.
1. In the chapter on Georgia:
“Mare quod dicitur Gheluchelan vel ABACU”....
“Est ejus stricta via et dubia. Ab una parte est mare quod dixi de ABACU et ab aliâ nemora invia,” etc. (See i. p. 59, note 8.)
2. “Et ibi optimi austures dicti AVIGI” (i. 50).
3. After the chapter on Mosul is another short chapter, already alluded to:
“Prope hanc civitatem (est) alia provincia dicta MUS e MEREDIEN in quâ nascitur magna quantitas bombacis, et hic fiunt bocharini et alia multa, et sunt mercatores homines et artiste.” (See i. p. 60.)
4. In the chapter on Tarcan (for Carcan, i.e. Yarkand):
“Et maior pars horum habent unum ex pedibus grossum et habent gosum in gulâ; et est hic fertilis contracta.” (See i. p. 187.)
5. In the Desert of Lop:
“Homines trasseuntes appendunt bestiis suis capanullas [i.e. campanellas] ut ipsas senciant et ne deviare possint” (i. p. 197.)
6. “Ciagannor, quod sonat in Latino STAGNUM ALBUM.” (i. p. 296.)
7. “Et in medio hujus viridarii est palacium sive logia, tota super columpnas. Et in summitate cujuslibet columnæ est draco magnus circundans totam columpnam, et hic substinet eorum cohoperturam cum ore et pedibus; et est cohopertura tota de cannis hoc modo,” etc. (See i. p. 299.)