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

order by King Lewis of Sicily, directed to the Maestri Procuratori of Messina, which grants to MARCO POLO of Venice, on account of services rendered to the king’s court, the privilege of free import and export at the port of Messina, without payment of customs of goods to the amount annually of 20 ounces. Dated in Catania 13th January, 1346 (1347?). For the former notice I am indebted to the courtesy of Signor B. Cecchetti of the Venetian Archives, who cites it as “transcribed in the _Commemor._ IV. p. 5”; for the latter to that of the Abate Carini of the _Reale Archivio_ at Palermo; it is in _Archivio della Regia Cancellaria_ 1343–1357, f. 58. The mission of this MARCO POLO is mentioned also in a rescript of the Sicilian king Peter II., dated Messina, 14th November, 1340, in reference to certain claims of Venice, about which the said Marco appeared as the Doge’s ambassador. This is printed in F. TESTA, _De Vitâ et Rebus Gestis Federici II., Siciliæ Regis_, Panormi, 1775, pp. 267 _seqq._ The Sicilian Antiquary Rosario Gregorio identifies the Envoy with our Marco, dead long before. (See _Opere scelte del Canon Ros. Gregorio_, Palermo, 1845, 3za ediz., p. 352.) It is possible that this Marco, who from the latter notice seems to have been engaged in mercantile affairs, may have been the Marcolino above mentioned, but it is perhaps on the whole more probable that this _nobilis vir_ is the Marco spoken of in the note at p. _74_. [38] _La Collezione del Doge Marin Faliero e i Tesori di Marco Polo_, pp. 98–103. I have seen this article.—H. C. IX. MARCO POLO’S BOOK; AND THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH IT WAS FIRST WRITTEN. [Sidenote: General statement of what the Book contains.]