ording to certain books of old histories in
which you see all the coats of the gentlemen of this city emblazoned,
are the field _azure_, the bend _argent_, and the three birds _sable_.
These last are birds of that kind vulgarly termed _Pole_,[8] or, as the
Latins call them, _Gracculi_.

[Sidenote: Ramusio's account of the Family Polo and its termination.]

8. "As regards the after duration of this noble and worthy family, I
find that Messer Andrea Polo of San Felice had three sons, the first of
whom was Messer Marco, the second Maffio, the third Nicolo. The two last
were those who went to Constantinople first, and afterwards to Cathay,
as has been seen. Messer Marco the elder being dead, the wife of Messer
Nicolo who had been left at home with child, gave birth to a son, to
whom she gave the name of Marco in memory of the deceased, and this is
the Author of our Book. Of the brothers who were born from his father's
second marriage, viz. Stephen, John, and Matthew, I do not find that any
of them had children, except Matthew. He had five sons and one daughter
called Maria; and she, after the death of her brothers without
offspring, inherited in 1417 all the property of her father and her
brothers. She was honourably married to Messer AZZO TREVISANO of the
parish of Santo Stazio in this city, and from her sprung the fortunate
and honoured stock of the Illustrious Messer DOMENICO TREVISANO,
Procurator of St. Mark's, and valorous Captain General of the Sea Forces
of the Republic, whose virtue and singular good qualities are
represented with augmentation in the person of the Most Illustrious
Prince Ser MARC' ANTONIO TREVISANO, his son.[9]

"Such has been the history of this noble family of the Ca' Polo, which
lasted as we see till the year of our Redemption 1417, in which year
died childless Marco Polo, the last of the five sons of Maffeo, and so
it came to an end. Such be the chances and changes of human affairs!"

[Illustration: Arms of the Ca' Polo.]

[1] The Preface is dated Venice, 7th July, 1553. Fracastorius died in the
same year, and Ramusio erected a statue of him at Padua. Ramusio
himself died in July, 1557.

[2] The Geography of De Barros, from which this is quoted, has never been
printed. I can find nothing corresponding to this passage in the
Decades.

[3] A grievous error of Ramusio's.

[4] See the decorated title-page of this volum