国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
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The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 | |
マルコ=ポーロ卿の記録 : vol.1 |
lviii
MEMOIR OF SIR IIENRY YULE 1864-C6
In the spring of 1864, Yule took a spacious and delightful old
villa, situated in the highest part of the Bagni di Lucca,55 and
commanding lovely views over the surrounding chestnut-clad
hills and winding river.
Here he wrote much of what ultimately took form in
Cathay, and the Way Thither. It was this summer, too, that
Yule commenced his investigations among the Venetian
archives, and also visited the province of Friuli in pursuit of
materials for the history of one of his old travellers, the Beato
Odorico. At Verona then still Austrian he had the amusing
experience of being arrested for sketching too near the fortifica-
tions. However, his captors had all the usual Austrian bonhomie
and courtesy, and Yule experienced no real inconvenience. He
was much more disturbed when, a day or two later, the old
mother of one of his Venetian acquaintances insisted on em-
bracing him on account of his supposed likeness to Garibaldi !
As winter approached, a warmer climate became necessary
for Mrs. Yule, and the family proceeded to Sicily, landing at
Messina in October, 1864. From this point, Yule made a very
interesting excursion to the then little known group of the
Lipari Islands, in the company of that eminent geologist, the
late Robert Mallet, F.R.S., a most agreeable companion.
On Martinmas Day, the Yules reached the beautiful capital
of Sicily, Palermo, which, though they knew it not, was to be
their home —a very happy one for nearly eleven years.
During the ensuing winter and spring, Yule continued the
preparation of Cathay, but his appetite for work not being
satisfied by this, he, when in London in 1865, volunteered to
make an Index to the third decade of the Journal of the Royal
Geographical Society, in exchange for a set of such volumes as he
did not possess. That was long before any Index Society
existed ; but Yule had special and very strong views of his own
as to what an Index should be, and he spared no labour to
realise his ideal.55 This proved a heavier task than he had
anticipated, and he got very weary before the Index was
completed.
55 Villa Mansi, nearly opposite the old Ducal Palace. With its private chapel, it formed three sides of a small place or court.
56 He also at all times spared no pains to enforce that ideal on other index-makers, who were not always grateful for his sound doctrine !
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