"Viz., 20 soldi of Venice grossi to the Monastery of St. Lawrence
where I desire to be buried.
"Also 300 lire of Venice denari to my sister-in-law YSABETA
QUIRINO,[16] that she owes me.
"Also 40 soldi to each of the Monasteries and Hospitals all the way
from Grado to Capo d'Argine.[17]
"Also I bequeath to the Convent of SS. Giovanni and Paolo, of the Order
of Preachers, that which it owes me, and also 10 lire to Friar RENIER,
and 5 lire to Friar BENVENUTO the Venetian, of the Order of Preachers,
in addition to the amount of his debt to me.
"I also bequeath 5 lire to every Congregation in Rialto, and 4 lire
to every Guild or Fraternity of which I am a member.[18]
"Also I bequeath 20 soldi of Venetian grossi to the Priest Giovanni
Giustiniani the Notary, for his trouble about this my Will, and in order
that he may pray the Lord in my behalf.
"Also I release PETER the Tartar, my servant, from all bondage, as
completely as I pray God to release mine own soul from all sin and
guilt. And I also remit him whatever he may have gained by work at his
own house; and over and above I bequeath him 100 lire of Venice
denari.[19]
"And the residue of the said 2000 lire free of tithe, I direct to be
distributed for the good of my soul, according to the discretion of my
trustees.
"Out of my remaining property I bequeath to the aforesaid Donata, my
Wife and Trustee, 8 lire of Venetian grossi annually during her life,
for her own use, over and above her settlement, and the linen and all
the household utensils,[20] with 3 beds garnished.
"And all my other property movable and immovable that has not been
disposed of [here follow some lines of mere technicality] I specially
and expressly bequeath to my aforesaid Daughters Fantina, Bellela, and
Moreta, freely and absolutely, to be divided equally among them. And I
constitute them my heirs as regards all and sundry my property movable
and immovable, and as regards all rights and contingencies tacit and
expressed, of whatsoever kind as hereinbefore detailed, that belong to
me or may fall to me. Save and except that before division my said
daughter Moreta shall receive the same as each of my other daughters
hath received for dowry and outfit [here follow many lines of
technicalities, ending]
"And if any one shall presume to infringe or violate this Will, may he
incur the malediction of God Almighty, and abide bound under the
anathema of the 318 Fathers; and farthermore he shall forfeit to my
Trustees aforesaid five pounds of gold;[21] and so let this my Testament
abide in force. The signature of the above named Messer Marco Paulo who
gave instructions for this deed.
"* I Peter Grifon, Priest, Witness.
"* I Humfrey Barberi, Witness.
"* I John Giustiniani, Priest of S. Proculo, and Notary, have completed
and authenticated (this testament)."[22]
We do not know, as has been said, how long Marco survived the making of
this will, but we know, from a scanty series of documents commencing in
June of the following year (1325), that he had then been some time
dead.[23]
[Sidenote: Place of Sepulture. Professed Portraits of Polo.]
48. He was buried, no doubt, according to his declared wish, in the Church
of S. Lorenzo; and indeed Sansovino bears testimony to the fact in a
confused notice of our Traveller.[24] But there does not seem to have been
any monument to Marco, though the sarcophagus which had been erected to
his father Nicolo, by his own filial care, existed till near the end of
the 16th century in the porch or corridor leading to the old Church of S.
Lorenzo, and bore the inscription: "SEPULTURA DOMINI NICOLAI PAULO DE
CONTRATA S. IOANNIS GRISOSTEMI." The church was renewed from its
foundations in 1592, and then, probably, the sarcophagus was cast aside
and lost, and with it all certainty as to the position of the tomb.[25]
[Illustration: Pavement in front of San Lorenzo, Venice.]
[Illustration: S. Lorenzo as it was in the 15th century]
There is no portrait of Marco Polo in existence with any claim to
authenticity. The quaint figure which we give in the Bibliography, vol.
ii. p. 555, extracted from the earliest printed edition of his book, can
certainly make no such pretension. The oldest one after this is probably a
picture in the collection of Monsignor Badia at Rome, of which I am now
able, by the owner's courtesy, to give a copy. It is set down in the
catalogue to Titian, but is probably a work of 1600, or thereabouts, to
which the aspect and costume belong. It is inscribed "Marcus Polvs
Venetvs Totivs Orbis et Indie Peregrator Primus." Its history
unfortunately cannot be traced, but I believe it came from a collection at
Urbino. A marble statue was erected in his honour by a family at Venice in
the 17th century, and is still to be seen in the Palazzo Morosini-
Gattemburg in the Campo S. Stefano in that city. The medallion portrait on
the wall of the Sala dello Scudo in the ducal palace, and which was
engraved in Bettom's "Collection of Portraits of Illustrious Italians," is
a work of imagination painted by Francesco Griselini in 1761.[26] From
this, however, was taken the medal by Fabris, which was struck in 1847 in
honour of the last meeting of the Italian Congresso Scientifico; and from
the medal again is copied, I believe, the elegant woodcut which adorns the
introduction to M. Pauthier's edition, though without any information as
to its history. A handsome bust, by Augusto Gamba, has lately been placed
among the illustrious Venetians in the inner arcade of the Ducal
Palace.[27] There is also a mosaic portrait of Polo, opposite the similar
portrait of Columbus in the Municipio at Genoa.
![The Travels Of Marco Polo - Volume 1 Of 2 By Marco Polo And Rustichello Of Pisa
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First of all: I will and direct that the proper Tithe be paid.[14] And
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