"And So Messers Nicolaus And Maffeus, With Certain Tartars, Were Sent A
Second Time To These Parts; But Marcus Pauli Was Retained By The Emperor
And Employed In His Military Service, Abiding With Him For A Space Of 27
Years.
And the Cham, on account of his ability despatched him upon
affairs of his to various parts of Tartary and India and the Islands, on
which journeys he beheld many of the marvels of those regions.
And
concerning these he afterwards composed a book in the French vernacular,
which said Book of Marvels, with others of the same kind, we do
possess." (Thesaur. Nov. Anecdot. III. 747.)
[Sidenote: Curious borrowings from Polo in the Romance of Bauduin de
Sebourc.]
78. There is, however, a notable work which is ascribed to a rather early
date in the 14th century, and which, though it contains no reference to
Polo by name, shows a thorough acquaintance with his book, and borrows
themes largely from it This is the poetical Romance of Bauduin de Sebourc,
an exceedingly clever and vivacious production, partaking largely of that
bantering, half-mocking spirit which is, I believe, characteristic of many
of the later mediaeval French Romances.[14] Bauduin is a knight who, after
a very wild and loose youth, goes through an extraordinary series of
adventures, displaying great faith and courage, and eventually becomes
King of Jerusalem. I will cite some of the traits evidently derived from
our Traveller, which I have met with in a short examination of this
curious work.
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