It Was Written In Clear Gothic Text, And In The Old
French Tongue Of The Early 14th Century.
Was it possible that he had
lighted on the long-lost original of Ramusio's Version?
No; it proved to
be different. Instead of the tedious story of the northern wars, which
occupies much of our Fourth Book, there were passages occurring in the
later history of Ser Marco, some years after his release from the Genoese
captivity. They appeared to contain strange anachronisms certainly; but we
have often had occasion to remark on puzzles in the chronology of Marco's
story![7] And in some respects they tended to justify our intimated
suspicion that he was a man of deeper feelings and wider sympathies than
the book of Rusticiano had allowed to appear.[8] Perhaps this time the
Traveller had found an amanuensis whose faculties had not been stiffened
by fifteen years of Malapaga?[9] One of the most important passages ran
thus: -
"Bien est voirs que, apres ce que Messires Marc Pol avoit pris fame et
si estoit demoure plusours ans de sa vie a Venysse, il avint que
mourut Messires Mafes qui oncles Monseignour Marc estoit: (et mourut
ausi ses granz chiens mastins qu'avoit amenei dou Catai,[10] et qui
avoit non Bayan pour l'amour au bon chievetain Bayan Cent-iex);
adonc n'avoit oncques puis Messires Marc nullui, fors son esclave
Piere le Tartar, avecques lequel pouvoit penre soulas a s'entretenir
de ses voiages et des choses dou Levant. Car la gent de Venysse si
avoit de grant piesce moult anuy pris des loncs contes Monseignour
Marc; et quand ledit Messires Marc issoit de l'uys sa meson ou Sain
Grisostome, souloient li petit marmot es voies dariere-li courir en
cryant Messer Marco Milion!
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 12 of 1256
Words from 3012 to 3304
of 342071
