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0075 The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 / Page 75 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

New!Citation Information

doi: 10.20676/00000269
Citation Format: Chicago | APA | Harvard | IEEE

OCR Text

Note 3.—(G. T.) "Hi est le couiereque dou Grant Sire, ce est cils qe recevrent la
rente dou Seignor." Pauthier has convert. Both are, I doubt not, misreadings or
misunderstandings of comereque or comerc. This word, founded on the Latin com-
mercium, was widely spread over the East with the meaning of customs-duty or
custom-house. In Low Greek it appeared as κομμέρκιον and κονμέρκιον, now κουμέρκι ;
in Arabic and Turkish as قمرق and كمرك (kumruk and gyumruk), still in use ; in
Romance dialects as comerchio, comerho, comercgio, etc.

Note 4.—The word in Pauthier's text which I have rendered pieces of gold is pois,
probably equivalent to saggi or miskáls.* The G. T. has "is well worth 1000 bezants
of gold," no doubt meaning daily, though not saying so. Ramusio has "100 bezants
daily." The term Bezant may be taken as synonymous with Dînâr, and the statement
in the text would make the daily receipt of custom upwards of 500l., that in Ramusio
upwards of 50l. only.

Note 5.—I have recast this passage, which has got muddled, probably in the
original dictation, for it runs in the G. text : "Et de ceste cité se part l'en et