Chapter Xxxiv. and Last

CONCLUSION.

And now ye have heard all that we can tell you about the Tartars and the Saracens and their customs, and likewise about the other countries of the world as far as our researches and information extend. Only we have said nothing whatever about the GREATER SEA and the provinces that lie round it, although we know it thoroughly. But it seems to me a needless and useless task to speak about places which are visited by people every day. For there are so many who sail all about that sea constantly, Venetians, and Genoese, and Pisans, and many others, that everybody knows all about it, and that is the reason that I pass it over and say nothing of it.

Of the manner in which we took our departure from the Court of the Great Kaan you have heard at the beginning of the Book, in that chapter where we told you of all the vexation and trouble that Messer Maffeo and Messer Nicolo and Messer Marco had about getting the Great Kaan’s leave to go; and in the same chapter is related the lucky chance that led to our departure. And you may be sure that but for that lucky chance, we should never have got away in spite of all our trouble, and never have got back to our country again. But I believe it was God’s pleasure that we should get back in order that people might learn about the things that the world contains. For according to what has been said in the introduction at the beginning of the Book, there never was a man, be he Christian or Saracen or Tartar or Heathen, who ever travelled over so much of the world as did that noble and illustrious citizen of the City of Venice, Messer Marco the son of Messer Nicolo Polo.

=Thanks be to God! Amen! Amen!=

---------------------------------------------------------------------- This conclusion is not found in any copy except in the Crusca Italian, and, with a little modification, in another at Florence, belonging to the Pucci family. It is just possible that it was the embellishment of a transcriber or translator; but in any case it is very old, and serves as an epilogue.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A.—Geneaology of the House of Chinghiz, to end of Thirteenth Century.

Supreme KAANS in large capitals. KHANS of KIPCHAK, CHAGATAI, and PERSIA in small capitals. Numerals indicate order of succession. * For other sons of Kúblái, see Book II., chapter ix.

Those who are mentioned by Marco Polo have a line under their names.

Seniority runs from right to left.

Yesugai ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ Uchegin or I. CHINGIZ KAAN. Pilgutai. │ │ ┌─────────────────────────┼─────────────┬──┐ │ │ │ │ │ Jintu. TULI. II. OKKODAI KAAN. │ │ │ │ └──────────┐ │ │ │ ┌──────────┼────────────┬───────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Tagajar. Arikbuga I. HULAKU. V. KÚBLÁI* IV.MANGKU │ │ │ │ │ KAAN. KAAN. │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────┼──────┐ └────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Agul. 3. TIGUDAR Tara- 2. ABAKA. Chingkim. │ │ │ │ AHMAD. kai. │ ┌────────┴─────┬───┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────────┘ │ VI. TEMUR KAAN. │ Kanbala. │ │ │ │ │ ┌───┴──────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Tarmabala. │ │ │ Nayan. 6. BAIDU. 5. KAI- 4. ARGHUN. │ │ │ KHATU. │ │ │ │ ┌──────┴───┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ 8. OLJAITU. 7.GHAZAN. │ │ │ │ │ │ Khans of PERSIA. │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌────────┬─────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Shiregi. Kashin. III. KUYUKKAAN. │ │ │ │ │ Kaidu. │ │ │ │ │ Chapar │ │ or │ │ Shabar. │ │ ┌────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ CHAGATAI. │ │ │ ┌─────────┬─────────┬────┴──────┬────────────┬─────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Kadami. Sarban. Paidar. 2. YESSU- Muwatukan. Juji. │ │ │ │ MANGKU, │ │ │ │ │ │ followed by │ │ │ │ │ │ Kara─Hulaku’s │ │ │ │ │ │ widow, 3. ARGUNA. │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌────────────┤ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ 8. TUKA 7. NIK- ALGHUL. Yesan- 1. KARA- Nigudar- │ (or BUKA) PAI. Tewa. HULAKU. Aghul. │ TEMUR. │ │ │ 6. BORRAK. 5. MUBARIK │ │ SHAH. │ │ │ 9. TEWA or DUA. │ │ Khans of ULUS CHAGATAI. │ │ ┌────────┬────────────┬─────────────────────┬─────────┘ │ │ │ │ Tewal. Shaiban. 4. BARKA. 7. BATU. │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────────┬─────┴──────┐ │ │ │ │ │ Tatar. Kaunchi. 3. ULAGHJI. Toghan. 2. SARTAK. │ │ │ ┌──────────────┼───────┐ │ │ │ │ Noghai. 6. TUDAI- 5. MANGKU Bartu. MANGKU. TEMUR. │ │ │ ┌──────────────┬─┘ │ │ │ │ 8. TOKTAI. Abaji. 7. TULABUGA._

Khans of KIPCHAK or ULUS JUJI.

APPENDIX B.—The Polo Families.

(I.) GENEALOGY OF THE FAMILY OF MARCO POLO THE TRAVELLER.

Seniority runs from left to right.

Andrea Polo, of S. Felice. │ Fiordelisa=Felice Polo, │ called Cousins, │ 1280, 1300. │ ┌──────────────────────────┬─┴────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ MARCO, 1. (Marco’s = Nicolò, = 2. (Mother Maffeo, made will, Mother, of S. Giov. of Maffeo. made will in 1280. Name Grisostomo Fiordelisa Feb. 1309; │ unknown.) married twice, Trevisan?) was dead └───┐ d. before 1300. before 1318. │ │ ┌──┴─────────┬─────────┐ └──────────────┬────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ Antonio. Nicolò. Maroca. Donata = MARCO, │ (Illegitimate) │ ——(?) │ of S. Giov. │ │ died after │ Grisostomo, │ Marco, known as 1333 and │ 1254–1324. │ Marcolino (1328) before 1336.│ │ S. Giov. Grisostomo. │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────┴─────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ Matteo, Agnesina. │ │ married Caterina, │ │ daughter of │ │ Giandomenico. │ │ │ │ ┌───────────────┬─────┴──────┐ │ │ │ │ │ Marco Bragadin = Fantina, Bellella, Moreta, = Renuzzo │ of S. Geminiano │ married married married Delfin. │ │ before 1324; to ———— after 1324; │ │ alive in 1379. before 1324; alive in │ │ died before 1336. │ │ 1333. │ Pietro Bragadin │ of S. Giov. Grisostomo, │ was alive in 1388. │ │ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ └────┬─────────────────────────┬─────────────┐ │ │ │ Maffeo = Catarina, Stefano Giovannino made a will, │ d. of Nic. (Illeg.) (Illeg.) 1300. │ Sagredo. alive in alive in │ │ 1321. 1321. │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Pasqua. Fiordelisa. (Illeg.)

APPENDIX B.—continued.

(II.) THE POLOS OF SAN GEREMIA.

The preceding Table gives the Family of our Traveller as far as I have seen sound data for tracing it, either upwards or downwards.

I have expressed, in the introductory notices, my doubts about the Venetian genealogies, which continue the family down to 1418 or 19, because it seems to me certain that all of them do more or less confound with our Polos of S. Giovanni Grisostomo, members of the other Polo Family of S. Geremia. It will help to disentangle the subject if we put down what is ascertained regarding the S. Geremia family.

To the latter with tolerable certainty belonged the following:—

1302. MARCO Polo of Cannareggio, see vol. i. pp. 64–67. (The Church of S. Geremia stands on the canal called Cannareggio.)

Already in 1224, we find a Marco Polo of S. Geremia and Cannareggio. (See Liber Plegiorum, published with Archivio Veneto, 1872 pp. 32, 36).

1319. (Bianca, widow of GIOVANNI Polo?)

1332. 24th March. Concession, apparently of some privilege in connection with the State Lake in San Basilio, to DONATO and HERMORAO (= Hermolaus or Almorò) Paulo (Document partially illegible).

1333. 23rd October. Will of Marchesina Corner, wife of Marino Gradenigo of S. Apollinare, who chooses for her executors “my mother Dona Fiordelisa Cornaro, and my uncle (Barba) Ser Marco Polo.” Another extract apparently of the same will mentions “mia cusina MARIA Polo,” and “mio cusin MARCO Polo” three times.

1349. MARINO Polo and Brothers.

1348. About this time died NICOLO Polo of S. Geremia, who seems to have been a Member of the Great Council. He had a brother MARCO, and this Marco had a daughter AGNESINA. Nicolo also leaves a sister BARBARA (a nun), a son GIOVANNINO (apparently illegitimate), of age in 1351, a nephew GHERARDO, and a niece FILIPPA, Abbess of Sta. Catarina in Mazzorbo.

The executors of Nicolo are GIOVANNI and DONATO Polo. We have not their relationship stated.

DONATO must have been the richest Polo we hear of, for in the Estimo or forced Loan of 1379 for the Genoese War, he is assessed at 23,000 Lire. A history of that war also states that he (“Donado Polo del Canareggio”) presented the Government with 1000 ducats, besides maintaining in arms himself, his son, and seven others. Under 1388 we find Donato still living, and mention of CATARUZZA, d. of Donato: and under 1390 of Elena, widow of Donato.

The Testamentary Papers of Nicolo also speak of GIACOMO [or Jacopo] Polo. He is down in the Estimo of 1379 for 1000 Lire; and in 1371 an inscription in Cicogna shows him establishing a family burial-place in Sta. Maria de’ Servi:

(1353. 2nd June. Viriola, widow of ANDREA or Andrinolo Polo of Sta. Maria Nuova?)

1379. In addition to those already mentioned we have NICOLO assessed at 4000 lire.

1381. And apparently this is the NICOLO, son of Almorò (Hermolaus), who was raised to the Great Council, for public service rendered, among 30 elected to that honour after the war of Chioggia. Under 1410 we find ANNA, relict of Nicolo Polo.

1379. In this year also, ALMORÒ, whether father or brother of the last, contributes 4000 lire to the Estimo.

1390. CLEMENTE Polo (died before 1397) and his wife MADDALUZIA. Also in this year PAOLO Polo, son of Nicolo, gave his daughter in marriage to Giov. Vitturi.

1408 and 1411. CHIARA, daughter of Francesco Balbi, and widow of ERMOLAO (or Almorò) Polo, called of Sta. Trinità.

1416. GIOVANNI, perhaps the Giovannino mentioned above.

1420. 22nd November. BARTOLO, son of Ser ALMORÒ and of the Nobil Donna CHIARA Orio.(?) This couple probably the same as in the penultimate entry.

1474, seqq. Accounts belonging to the Trust Estate of BARTOLOMEO Polo of S. Geremia.

There remains to be mentioned a MARCO POLO, member of the Greater Council, chosen Auditor Sententiarum, 7th March, 1350, and named among the electors of the Doges Marino Faliero (1354) and Giovanni Gradenigo (1355). The same person appears to have been sent as Provveditore to Dalmatia in 1355. As yet it is doubtful to what family he belonged, and it is possible that he may have belonged to our traveller’s branch, and have continued that branch according to the tradition. But I suspect that he is identical with the Marco, brother of Nicolo Polo of S. Geremia, mentioned above, under 1348. (See also vol. i. p. 74.) Cappellari states distinctly that this Marco was the father of the Lady who married Azzo Trevisan. (See Introd. p. 78.)

We have intimated the probability that he was the Marco mentioned twice in connection with the Court of Sicily. (See vol. i. p. 79, note.)

A later Marco Polo, in 1537, distinguished himself against the Turks in command of a ship called the Giustiniana; forcing his way past the enemy’s batteries into the Gulf of Prevesa, and cannonading that fortress. But he had to retire, being unsupported.

It may be added that a Francesco Paulo appears among the list of those condemned for participation in the conspiracy of Baiamonte Tiepolo in 1310. (Dandulo in Mur. XII. 410, 490.)

ANDREA, of San Felice │ ┌─────────────┼────────────┐ │ │ │ Marco Nicolò Maffio of S. Grisostomo, buried at S. Lorenzo. │ ┌────────────┬────────┴───┬────────────┐ │ │ │ │ Marco Steffano Giovanni Maffio (Milioni) │ ┌───────────┬────────┴──┬───────────┐ │ │ │ │ Almorò of Maffio Marco Nicolò San Geremia │ Nicolò of San Geremia made a Nobleman, 4th Sept. 1381 │ ┌────────────────┼────────────────┐ │ │ │ Maffio Marco Marin │ │ Marco + 1418 Governor of Castel Vecchio, at Verona.

Sir Henry Yule writes above (II. p. 507) that Nicolo Polo of S. Geremia had a brother Marco, and this Marco had a daughter Agnesina. I find in the Acts of the Notary Brutti, in the Will of Elisabetta Polo, dated 14th March, 1350:—

BETA = MARCO POLO [MARCOLINO?] of S. Grisostomo │ ┌──────────────────┼─────────────────┐ │ │ │ Agnesina Christina Marina = Nicoleto. = Michaleto in the Monastery of S. Lorenzo.

The Maffio, son of Nicolò of S. Giov. Grisostomo, and father of Pasqua and Fiordelisa, married probably after his will (1300) and had his four sons: Almorò of S. Geremia, Maffio, Marco, Nicolò. Indeed, Cicogna writes (Insc. Ven. II. p. 390):—“Non apparisce che Maffeo abbia avuto figliuoli maschi da questo testamento ; ma per altro non è cosa assurda il credere che posteriormente a questo testamento 1300 possa avere avuti figliuoli maschi; ed in effetto le Genealogie gliene danno quatro, cioè Ermolao, Maffio, Marco, Nicolò. Il Ramusio anzi glien dà cinque, senza nominarli, uno de’ quali Marco, e una femmina di nome Maria; e Marco Barbaro gliene dà sei, cioè Nicolò, Maria, Pietro, Donado, Marco, Franceschino.”—H. C.]

MATTEO, son of MARCOLINO │ ┌────────────────────┴─────────────────────┐ │ │ Maria? Marco married Benedetto died at Verona Cornaro in 1401, and in 1417, 1418, or 1425.] Azzo Trevisan

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Document in Archivio of the Casa di Ricovero, Bundle LXXVII., No. 209.

Registro di Grazie, 4ᵒ c. Comm. by Comm. Berchet.

Arch. Gen. dei Giudici del Proprio, Perg. No. 82, 1st July, 1342, cites this. (Comm. Berchet.)

Arch. dei Procuratori di San Marco, with Testam. 1327, January, marked “N. H. Ser Marco Gradenigo.” (Comm. Berchet.)

Document in Archivio of the Casa di Ricovero, Bundle LXXIV., No. 651.

List (extracted in 1868–9) of Documents in the above Archivio, but which seem to have been since mislaid.

Parchment in the possession of Cav. F. Stefani, containing a decision, dated 16th September, 1355, signed by the Doge and two Councillors, in favour of Giovannino Polo, natural son of the Noble Nicoletto of S. Geremia (qu. Nobilis Viri Nicoleti Paulo).

In Gallicciolli, Delle Mem. Ven. Antiche, Ven. 1795, II. p. 136. In the MS. of Cappellari Campidoglio Veneto, in the Marciana, the sum stated is 3000 only.

Della Presa di Chiozza in Muratori, Script. xv. 785.

Documents seen by the Editor in the Arch. of the Casa di Ricovero.

In Gallicciolli Delle Mem. Ven. Antiche, Ven. 1795, II. p. 136.

Cicogna, I. p. 77.

Arch. Gen. dei Giud. Perg. No. 120.

Cappellari, MS.; Sanuto, Vite de’ Duchi di Ven. in Muratori, XXII. 730.

Documents seen by the Editor in the Arch. of the Casa di Ricovero.

Cappellari.

Libro d’Oro from 1414 to 1497 in Museo Correr. Comm. by Comm. Berchet.