The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 / Page 68 (Color Image)

0068	The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1

MEMOIR OF SIR HENRY YULE 1567-72.

belonging specially to this period, three honoured names must be

recalled here : Commendatore (afterwards Baron) C RISTO-

FORO NEGRI, the large-hearted Founder and First President of

the Geographical Society of Italy, from whom Yule received

his first public recognition as a geographer, Commendatore

GUGLIELMO BERCHET (affectionately nicknamed it Bello e

Buono), ever generous in learned help, who became a most

dear and honoured friend, and the Hon. GEORGE P. MARSH,

U.S. Envoy to the Court of Italy, a man, both as scholar and

friend, unequalled in his nation, perhaps almost unique anywhere.

Those who only knew Yule in later years, may like some

account of his daily life at this time. It was his custom to rise fairly

early ; in summer he sometimes went to bathe in the sea,5S or for

a walk before breakfast ; more usually he would write until break-

fast, which he preferred to have alone. After breakfast he looked

through his notebooks, and before ten o'clock was usually walking

rapidly to the library where his work lay. He would work there

until two or three o'clock, when he returned home, read the

Times, answered letters, received or paid visits, and then resumed

work on his book, which he often continued long after the rest of

the household were sleeping. Of course his family saw but little

of him under these circumstances, but when he had got a chapter

ofMas-co into shape, or struck out some new discovery of interest,

he would carry it to his wife to read. She always took great

interest in his work, and he had great faith in her literary instinct

as a sound as well as sympathetic critic.

The first fruits of Yule's Polo studies took the form of a

review of Pauthier's edition of Marco Polo, contributed to the

Quarterly Review in 1868.

In 1870 the great work itself appeared, and received prompt

generous recognition by the grant of the very beautiful gold

medal of the Geographical Society of Italy,59 followed in 1872 by

the award of the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical

Society, while the Geographical and Asiatic Societies of Paris,

the Geographical Societies of Italy and Berlin, the Academy of

Bologna, and other learned bodies, enrolled him as an Honorary

Member.

58 After 1869 he discontinued sea-bathing.

59 This was Yule's first geographical honour, but he had been elected into the Athenaeum Club, under " Rule II.," in January, 1867.

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