[Sidenote: 1260.]
Marco Polo was a native of Venice, who in the thirteenth century made
a journey to the East, and filled all Christendom with curiosity
by his account of the countries he had visited. He was preceded in
his travels by his father Nicholas, and his uncle, Matteo Polo.
These two brothers were of an illustrious family in Venice, and
embarked, in the year 1260,[2] on a commercial voyage to the East.
Having traversed the Mediterranean and the strait of Bosphorus,
they stopped for a short time at Constantinople. From hence they
proceeded by the Euxine to Armenia, where they remained for a year,
entertained with great favor at the court of a Tartar prince. A war
breaking out between their patron and a neighboring potentate, and
the former being defeated, they were embarrassed how to extricate
themselves from the country, and return home in safety. After
various wanderings, they at length reached Bochara, in the Gulf
of Persia, where they resided for three years. While here, there
arrived an ambassador from one of the inferior Tartar powers, on his
way to the court of the Great Khan. Finding that the two brothers
were well acquainted with the Tartar tongue, he prevailed upon them
to accompany him. After a march of several months, being delayed by
snows and inundations, they arrived at the court of Cublai, otherwise
called the Great Khan, which signifies king of kings, being the
sovereign potentate of the Tartars. This magnificent prince received
them with great distinction. He made inquiries about the countries
and princes of the West, their civil and military government, and the
manners and customs of the Latin nations.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1271-95.]
After one return to the Levant they took a second journey, and this
time took Marco Polo with them. He was gone twenty-four years. On
their return, when they arrived at Venice, they were known by nobody.
So many years had elapsed since their departure, without any tidings
of them, that they were either forgotten or considered dead.
They repaired to their own house, which was a noble palace,
afterwards known by the name of la Corte de la Milione. They found
several of their relatives still inhabiting it; but they were slow
in recollecting the travellers, not knowing of their wealth, and
probably considering them poor adventurers, returned to be a charge
upon their families. The Polos, however, took an effectual mode of
quickening the memories of their friends, and ensuring themselves
a loving reception. They invited them all to a grand banquet. The
guests were lost in astonishment, and could not comprehend
the meaning of this masquerade, when, having dismissed all the
attendants, Marco Polo brought forth the coarse Tartar dresses in
which they had arrived. Slashing them in several places with a knife,
and ripping open the seams and linings, there tumbled forth a vast
quantity of precious jewels, such as rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and
diamonds. The whole table glittered with inestimable wealth, which
they had acquired from the munificence of the Grand Khan, and which
they had conveyed in this portable form through the perils of their
long journey.
[Illustration: GALLEY GOING INTO ACTION]
The company, observes Ramusio, were out of their wits with amazement,
and now clearly perceived what they had at first doubted, that these
in very truth were those honored and valiant gentlemen, the Polos,
and accordingly paid them great respect and reverence.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1295-98.]
Some months after their return, Lampo Doria, commander of the Genoese
navy, appeared in the vicinity of the island of Cuzzola, with seventy
galleys. Andrea Dandolo, the Venetian admiral, was sent against him.
Marco Polo commanded a galley of the fleet. His usual good fortune
deserted him. Advancing the first in the line with his galley, and
not being properly seconded, he was taken prisoner, and thrown in
irons, and carried to Genoa. Here he was detained for a long time
in prison, and all offers of ransom rejected. His imprisonment gave
great uneasiness to his father and uncle, fearing that he might
never return. Seeing themselves in this unhappy state, with so much
treasure, and no heirs, they consulted together. They were both very
old men; but Nicolo, observes Ramusio, was of a galliard complexion.
It was determined he should take a wife, and he did so.
In the meanwhile, the fame of Marco Polo’s travels had circulated in
Genoa. His prison was daily crowded with the nobility, and he was
supplied with everything that could cheer him in his confinement. A
Genoese gentleman, who visited him every day, at length prevailed
on him to write an account of what he had seen. He had his papers
and journals sent to him from Venice, and with the assistance of his
friend produced the book which afterwards made such noise throughout
the world.
“So, you see,” said Uncle Fritz, “that the poor rich man wrote in
prison, far away from home, and with such journals and notes as had
escaped wars, shipwrecks, and travel.”
Bedford and two of the girls seized on one volume of Col. Yule’s
book,--which is a good edition of “Marco Polo,”--and Laura and two of
the boys seized on another. There are very amusing and instructive
pictures; and the young people were delighted as they turned from
chapter to chapter. Meanwhile, Uncle Fritz was questioning the others
about their summer travels; and all the talk was running on adventure.
“This is a very good day for ‘Marco Polo,’” said he; “for what with
Oregon, and Colorado Springs, and the Saguenay River, you have
travelled about as far this summer as the Venetian gentlemen did in all
those years. Bedford, have you found nothing you can read to us?”