And As It
Happened That In The Story, Which He Was Constantly Called On To Repeat,
Of The Magnificence Of
The Great Can, he would speak of his revenues as
amounting to ten or fifteen millions of gold; and in
Like manner, when
recounting other instances of great wealth in those parts, would always
make use of the term millions, so they gave him the nickname of MESSER
MARCO MILLIONI: a thing which I have noted also in the Public Books of
this Republic where mention is made of him.[6] The Court of his House,
too, at S. Giovanni Chrisostomo, has always from that time been
popularly known as the Court of the Millioni.
[Sidenote: Recounts Marco's capture by the Genoese.]
6. "Not many months after the arrival of the travellers at Venice, news
came that LAMPA DORIA, Captain of the Genoese Fleet, had advanced with
70 galleys to the Island of Curzola, upon which orders were issued by
the Prince of the Most Illustrious Signory for the arming of 90 galleys
with all the expedition possible, and Messer Marco Polo for his valour
was put in charge of one of these. So he with the others, under the
command of the Most Illustrious MESSER ANDREA DANDOLO, Procurator of St.
Mark's, as Captain General, a very brave and worthy gentleman, set out
in search of the Genoese Fleet. They fought on the September feast of
Our Lady, and, as is the common hazard of war, our fleet was beaten, and
Polo was made prisoner. For, having pressed on in the vanguard of the
attack, and fighting with high and worthy courage in defence of his
country and his kindred, he did not receive due support, and being
wounded, he was taken, along with Dandolo, and immediately put in irons
and sent to Genoa.
"When his rare qualities and marvellous travels became known there, the
whole city gathered to see him and to speak with him, and he was no
longer entreated as a prisoner but as a dear friend and honoured
gentleman. Indeed they showed him such honour and affection that at all
hours of the day he was visited by the noblest gentlemen of the city,
and was continually receiving presents of every useful kind. Messer
Marco finding himself in this position, and witnessing the general
eagerness to hear all about Cathay and the Great Can, which indeed
compelled him daily to repeat his story till he was weary, was advised
to put the matter in writing. So having found means to get a letter
written to his father here at Venice, in which he desired the latter to
send the notes and memoranda which he had brought home with him, after
the receipt of these, and assisted by a Genoese gentleman, who was a
great friend of his, and who took great delight in learning about the
various regions of the world, and used on that account to spend many
hours daily in the prison with him, he wrote this present book (to
please him) in the Latin tongue.
"To this day the Genoese for the most part write what they have to write
in that language, for there is no possibility of expressing their
natural dialect with the pen.[7] Thus then it came to pass that the Book
was put forth at first by Messer Marco in Latin; but as many copies were
taken, and as it was rendered into our vulgar tongue, all Italy became
filled with it, so much was this story desired and run after.
[Sidenote: Ramusio's account of Marco's liberation and marriage.]
7. "The captivity of Messer Marco greatly disturbed the minds of Messer
Maffio and his father Messer Nicolo. They had decided, whilst still on
their travels, that Marco should marry as soon as they should get to
Venice; but now they found themselves in this unlucky pass, with so much
wealth and nobody to inherit it. Fearing that Marco's imprisonment might
endure for many years, or, worse still, that he might not live to quit
it (for many assured them that numbers of Venetian prisoners had been
kept in Genoa a score of years before obtaining liberty); seeing too no
prospect of being able to ransom him, - a thing which they had attempted
often and by various channels, - they took counsel together, and came to
the conclusion that Messer Nicolo, who, old as he was, was still hale
and vigorous, should take to himself a new wife. This he did; and at the
end of four years he found himself the father of three sons, Stefano,
Maffio, and Giovanni. Not many years after, Messer Marco aforesaid,
through the great favour that he had acquired in the eyes of the first
gentlemen of Genoa, and indeed of the whole city, was discharged from
prison and set free. Returning home he found that his father had in the
meantime had those three other sons. Instead of taking this amiss, wise
and discreet man that he was, he agreed also to take a wife of his own.
He did so accordingly, but he never had any son, only two girls, one
called Moreta and the other Fantina.
"When at a later date his father died, like a good and dutiful son he
caused to be erected for him a tomb of very honourable kind for those
days, being a great sarcophagus cut from the solid stone, which to this
day may be seen under the portico before the Church of S. Lorenzo in
this city, on the right hand as you enter, with an inscription denoting
it to be the tomb of Messer Nicolo Polo of the contrada of S. Gio.
Chrisostomo. The arms of his family consist of a Bend with three birds
on it, and the colours, according to certain books of old histories in
which you see all the coats of the gentlemen of this city emblazoned,
are the field azure, the bend argent, and the three birds sable.
These last are birds of that kind vulgarly termed Pole,[8] or, as the
Latins call them, Gracculi.
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