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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
82 INTRODUCTION
The oldest MS. (it is supposed) in any Italian dialect is one
in the Magliabecchian Library at Florence, which is known in
Italy as L'Ottima, on account of the purity of its Tuscan, and as
Della Crusca from its being one of the authorities cited by that
body in their Vocabulary.* It bears on its face the following
note in Italian :
" This Book called the Navigation of Messer Marco Polo, a noble Citizen of Venice, was written in Florence by Michael Ormanni my great grandfather by the Mother's side, who died in the Year of Grace One Thousand Three Hundred and Nine ; and my mother brought it into our Family of Del Riccio, and it belongs to me Pier del Riccio and to my Brother ; 1452."
As far as I can learn, the age which this note implies is
considered to be supported by the character of the MS. itself.t
If it be accepted, the latter is a performance going back to
within eleven years at most of the first dictation of the Travels.
At first sight, therefore, this would rather argue that the original
had been written in pure Tuscan. But when Baldelli came to
prepare it for the press he found manifest indications of its
being a Translation from the French. Some of these he has
noted ; others have followed up the same line of comparison.
We give some detailed examples in a note.+
* The MS. has been printed by Baldelli as above, and again by Bartoli in 1863.
t This is somewhat peculiar. I traced a few lines of it, which with Del Riccio's
note were given in facsimile in the First Edition.
$ The Crusca is cited from Bartoli's edition.
French idioms are frequent, as l'uomo for the French on ; quattro-vinti instead of
ottanta
etc.
~
We have at p. 35, " Questo piano è molto cavo," which is nonsense, but is explained by reference to the French (G. T.) " Voz di qu' il est celle plaingne moot chaue " (chaude).
The bread in Kerman is bitter, says the G. T. " por ce que leive hi est amer," because the water there is bitter. The Crusca mistakes the last word and renders (p. 40) "e questi è per lo mare the vi viene."
" Sachios de voir qe endementiers," know for a truth that whilst , by some
misunderstanding of the last word becomes (p. 129) " Sappiate di vero sanza mentire."
" Mès de sel font-il monoie "—" They make money of salt," becomes (p. 168) " ma fannole da loro," sel being taken for a pronoun, whilst in another place sel is transferred bodily without translation.
" Chevoil," " hair " of the old French, appears in the Tuscan (p. 2o) as cava; li, " horses."—"La Grant Provence Jereraus," the great general province, appears (p. 68) as a province whose proper name is lenaraus. In describing Kúblái's expedition against Mien or Burma, Polo has a story of his calling on the Jugglers at his court to undertake the job, promising them a Captain and other help, " Cheveitain
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