(See
Muratori, IX. 583; and Quetif, Script. Ord. Praed. I. 539). We do
not know why Ramusio assigned the translation specifically to 1320,
but he may have had grounds.
[11] See Bianconi, 1st Mem. 29 seqq.
[12] C. Dickens somewhere narrates the history of the equivalents for a
sovereign as changed and rechanged at every frontier on a continental
tour. The final equivalent received at Dover on his return was some 12
or 13 shillings; a fair parallel to the comparative value of the first
and last copies in the circle of translation.
[13] The Ramusios were a family of note in literature for several
generations. Paolo, the father of Gian Battista, came originally from
Rimini to Venice in 1458, and had a great repute as a jurist, besides
being a litterateur of some eminence, as was also his younger brother
Girolamo. G. B. Ramusio was born at Treviso in 1485, and early entered
the public service. In 1533 he became one of the Secretaries of the
Council of X. He was especially devoted to geographical studies, and
had a school for such studies in his house. He retired eventually from
public duties, and lived at Villa Ramusia, near Padua.
