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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
CAPTIVITY OF MARCO POLO
53
Marco Polo was restored to the family mansion in S. Giovanni
Grisostomo.
37. Something further requires to be said before quitting this
event in our Traveller's life. For we confess that a critical reader
may have some justification in asking what evidence Grounds on
there is that Marco Polo ever fought at Curzola, and storywhich ofthe
Marco P's
ever was carried a prisoner to Genoa from that unfor. - capture at
olo
Curzola
tunate action ? rests.
A learned Frenchman, whom we shall have to quote freely
in the immediately ensuing pages, does not venture to be more
precise in reference to the meeting of Polo and Rusticiano than
to say of the latter : " In 1298, being in durance in the Prison of
Genoa, he there became acquainted with Marco Polo, whom the
Genoese had deprived of his liberty from motives equally
unknown."*
To those who have no relish for biographies that round the
meagre skeleton of authentic facts with a plump padding of
what might have been, this sentence of Paulin Paris is quite
refreshing in its stern limitation to positive knowledge. And
certainly no contemporary authority has yet been found for the
capture of our Traveller at Curzola. Still I think that the fact
is beyond reasonable doubt.
Ramusio's biographical notices certainly contain many errors
of detail ; and some, such as the many years' interval which he
sets between the Battle of Curzola and Marco's return, are errors
which a very little trouble would have enabled him to eschew.
But still it does seem reasonable to believe that the main fact of
Marco's command of a galley at Curzola, and capture there, was
derived from a genuine tradition, if not from documents.
Let us then turn to the words which close Rusticiano's
preamble (see post, p. 2) :—" Lequel (Messire Marc) puis demo-
rant en le charthre de Jene, fist retraire toutes cestes chouses à
Messire Rustacians de Pise que en celle meissme charthre estoit,
au tens qu'il avoit 1298 anz que Jezu eut vesqui." These words
are at least thoroughly consistent with Marco's capture at
Curzola, as regards both the position in which they present him,
and the year in which he is thus presented.
There is however another piece of evidence, though it is
curiously indirect.
* Paulin Paris, Les 1JIanuscrits Prazzíois de la Bibliothèque du Roi, ii. 355.
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