Note 7 — EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME I. (continued 2)
Henry Yule translation
Humboldt tells this (
Examen
, II. 221), alleging
Jacopo d’Acqui
as authority; and Libri (
H. des Sciences Mathématiques
, 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!”