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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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APP. F.

LIST OF MSS. OF POLO'S BOOK.   135

II., p. 542.

FLORENCE, Riccardian Library, Catalan.

This manuscript has been discovered by Prof. Giovanni VACCA, who has kindly sent me the following information regarding this curious document not mentioned by Yule, Amat di S. Filippo, or Uzielli : MS., 2048 cartac. sec. XV. (?), bearing the following faulty title : Storia del Catay in lingua spaá nuola ; 66 leaves, the last of which with a note by Piero Vaglienti. Writing is pretty clear, much like that of the Catalan Map of 1375.

The text begins with the description of the city of Lop, and ends with Georgia.

Fol. 65 y : " anaquesta provencia sisfa molta de seda evy ciutatz e viles e castels assaiz e ay moltz bons azcos. Caire no se queus pusca dir er perque fas vos si anaquest libre veus na sra benefit."

Somewhat similar to the end of MS. 2207, Ottob., sec. XIV., membr. of the Vatican Library (reproduced by Amat di S. Filippo) :

En ycelle province fait on moult de soyt. Et si y a moult de villes, cites et chasteaux, moult bons et beau. Autre chose ne vous en scay dire par quoi je vous fais fins en ce livre."

Generally the text is correct ; one does not find the great errors contained in the Italian text given by Bartoli ; it seems to follow very closely the French text of the Société de Géographie edited in 1824.

Here is a description of the city of Gambalech (fol. 20 r-20 v) reproducing very closely a legend of the Catalan Map of 1375.

" Les ver que costa la ciutat de Camalech avia una grant Ciutat antichament qui avi a nom garimbalu qui vol dir la Ciut del seyor e lo

gran cham troba per los strologians que aquesta ciutat se devia revelar

contra el axi que feila desabitar a feu fer la ciutat de Sambaleth e axi .1.

flum al miq evay fer venir poblar tota la jent que y staba, e ha entorn

a questa ciutat de Gambalech. XXI I I J. legues e es ben muralla e es acayre

sique ha de cascun cayre. VI. legues e a dalt lo mur XX. paces e es de terre e ha. X. paces de gros e son totz los murs tant blanchs con a neu e a en cascun cayre. 'U. J. portes & en cascuna porta ha .1. palau dela semblansa de les. XII. que ditz vos aven e en cascun palau ha de beles cambres e sales plenes darmatures ops da quells qui garden la ciutat los carres son amples e lonchs e ayi que anant de la .1. porta alantre troba horn de bells alberchs e de bels palaus qui son de gran seyors ayi que ela es abitada de bells alberchs E en miss loch de la ciutat a 1. gran palau en que ha • I n. gran torra enquesta

.1. gran seny I sona ho abans axique pus que ha sonat no gosa anar ne

gun per la vila si dons gran ops non ha e ab lum e a cascuna porta

garden. M. homes no per temensa que nayen mes per honor del seyor

e per latres e malfeitos.

" Per gardar la granea del seyor alo poder ell se fa gardar a XI J'n.

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