The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo and da Pisa Rusticiano

preamble of _Meliadus_, as set forth in the Paris printed edition of 1528, which gives us to understand that Rusticien de Pise had received as a reward for some of his compositions from King Henry III. the prodigal gift of two _chateaux_. I gather, however, from passages in the work of Paulin Paris that this must certainly be one of those confusions of persons to which I have referred before, and that the recipient of the chateaux was in reality Helye de Borron, the author of some of the originals which Rustician manipulated.[17] This supposed incident in Rustician’s scanty history must therefore be given up. We call this worthy _Rustician_ or _Rusticiano_, as the nearest probable representation in Italian form of the _Rusticien_ of the Round-Table MSS. and the _Rustacians_ of the old text of Polo. But it is highly probable that his real name was _Rustichello_, as is suggested by the form _Rustichelus_ in the early Latin version published by the _Société de Géographie_. The change of one liquid for another never goes for much in Italy,[18] and Rustichello might easily Gallicize himself as Rusticien. In a very long list of Pisan officials during the Middle Ages I find several bearing the name of _Rustichello_ or _Rustichelli_, but no _Rusticiano_ or _Rustigiano_.[19] Respecting him we have only to add that the peace between Genoa and Venice was speedily followed by a treaty between Genoa and Pisa. On the 31st July, 1299, a truce for twenty-five years was signed between those two Republics. It was a very different matter from that between Genoa and Venice, and contained much that was humiliating and detrimental to Pisa. But it embraced the release of prisoners; and those of Meloria, reduced it is said to less than one tithe of their original number, had their liberty at last. Among the prisoners then released no doubt Rustician was one. But we hear of him no more. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] _B. Marangone, Croniche della C. di Pisa_, in _Rerum Ital. Script._ of _Tartini_, Florence, 1748, i. 563; _Dal Borgo, Dissert. sopra l’Istoria Pisana_, ii. 287. [2] The list of the whole number is preserved in the Doria archives, and has been published by Sign. Jacopo D’Oria. Many of the Baptismal names are curious, and show how far sponsors wandered from the Church Calendar. _Assan, Alton, Turco, Soldan_ seem to come of the constant interest in the East. _Alaone_, a name which remained in the family for several generations, I had thought certainly borrowed from the fierce conqueror of the Khalif (_infra_, p. 63). But as one Alaone, present at this battle, had a son also there, he must surely have been christened before the fame of Hulaku could have reached Genoa. (See _La Chiesa di S. Matteo_, pp. 250, _seqq._) In documents of the kingdom of Jerusalem there are names still more anomalous, _e.g._, _Gualterius Baffumeth_, _Joannes Mahomet_. (See _Cod. Dipl. del Sac. Milit. Ord. Gerosol._ I. 2–3, 62.) [3] _Memorial. Potestat. Regiens._ in _Muratori_, viii. 1162. [4] See _Fragm. Hist. Pisan._ in _Muratori_, xxiv. 651, _seqq._; and _Caffaro_, _id._ vi. 588, 594–595. The cut in the text represents a striking memorial of those Pisan Prisoners, which perhaps still survives, but which at any rate existed last century in a collection at Lucca. It is the seal of the prisoners as a body corporate: SIGILLUM UNIVERSITATIS CARCERATORUM PISANORUM JANUE DETENTORUM, and was doubtless used in their negotiations for peace with the Genoese Commissioners. It represents two of the prisoners imploring the Madonna, Patron of the Duomo at Pisa. It is from _Manni, Osserv. Stor. sopra Sigilli Antichi_, etc., Firenze, 1739, tom. xii. The seal is also engraved in _Dal Borgo_, _op. cit._ ii. 316. [5] The Abate Spotorno in his _Storia Letteraria della Liguria_, II. 219, fixes on a Genoese philosopher called Andalo del Negro, mentioned by Boccaccio. [6] I quote from Galignani’s ed. of Prose Works, v. 712. This has “Rusticien de _Puise_.” In this view of the fictitious character of the names of Rusticien and the rest, Sir Walter seems to have been following Ritson, as I gather from a quotation in Dunlop’s H. of Fiction. (_Liebrecht’s_ German Version, p. 63.) [7] _Giron le Courtois_, and the conclusion of _Tristan_. [8] The passage runs thus as quoted (from the preamble of the _Meliadus_—I suspect in one of the old printed editions):— “Aussi Luces du Gau (Gas) translata en langue Françoise une partie de l’Hystoire de Monseigneur Tristan, et moins assez qu’il ne deust. Moult commença bien son livre et si ny mist tout les faicts de Tristan, ains la greigneur partie. Après s’en entremist Messire Gasse le Blond, qui estoit parent au Roy Henry, et divisa l’Hystoire de Lancelot du Lac, et d’autre chose ne parla il mye grandement en son livre. Messire Robert de Borron s’en entremist et Helye de Borron, par la prière du dit Robert de Borron, _et pource que compaignons feusmes d’armes longuement_, je commencay mon livre,” etc. (_Liebrecht’s Dunlop_, p. 80.) If this passage be authentic it would set beyond doubt the age of the de Borrons and the other writers of Anglo-French Round Table Romances, who are placed by the _Hist. Littéraire de la France_, and apparently by Fr. Michel, under Henry II. I have no means of pursuing the matter, and have preferred to follow Paulin Paris, who places them under Henry III. I notice, moreover, that the _Hist. Litt._ (xv. p. 498) puts not only the de Borrons but Rustician himself under Henry II.; and, as the last view is certainly an error, the first is probably so too. [9] Transc. from MS. 6975 (now Fr. 355) of Paris Library. [10] _MSS. François_, iii. 60–61. [11] _Ibid._ 56–59. [12] _Introd._ pp. lxxxvi.–vii. note. [13] See _Jour. As._ sér. II. tom. xii. p. 251. [14] “_Seignors Enperaor, & Rois, Dux & Marquois, Cuens, Chevaliers & Bargions_ [for Borgiois] _& toutes gens qe uoles sauoir les deuerses jenerasions des homes_, & les deuersités des deuerses region dou monde, _si prennés cestui liure & le feites lire & chi trouerés toutes les grandismes meruoilles_,” etc. [15] The portrait of Rustician here referred to would have been a precious illustration for our book. But unfortunately it has not been transferred to MS. 6961, nor apparently to any other noticed by Paulin Paris. [16] _Jour. As._ as above. [17] See _Liebrecht’s Dunlop_, p. 77; and _MSS. François_, II. 349,