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 alia 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
qua 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 gula; 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 columnae 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.)
[20] My valued friend Sir Arthur Phayre made known to me the passage in
O'Curry's Lectures. I then procured the extracts and further
particulars from Mr. J. Long, Irish Transcriber and Translator in
Dublin, who took them from the Transcript of the Book of Lismore, in
the possession of the Royal Irish Academy. [Cf. Anecdota Oxoniensia.
Lives of the Saints from the Book of Lismore, edited with a
translation ... by Whitley Stokes, Oxford, 1890. - Marco Polo forms
fo. 79 a, 1 - fo. 89 b, 2, of the MS., and is described pp. xxii.-xxiv.
of Mr. Whitley Stokes' Book, who has since published the Text in the
Zeit. f. Celtische Philol. (See Bibliography, vol. ii. p. 573.) -
H. C.]
XI. SOME ESTIMATE OF THE CHARACTER OF POLO AND HIS BOOK.
