ed in the 15th century.

[3] I have made personal enquiry at the National Libraries of Naples and
Palermo, at the Communal Library in the latter city, and at the
Benedictine Libraries of Monte Cassino, Monreale, S. Martino, and
Catania.

In the 15th century, when Polo's book had become more generally
diffused we find three copies of it in the Catalogue of the Library of
Charles VI. of France, made at the Louvre in 1423, by order of the
Duke of Bedford.

The estimates of value are curious. They are in _sols parisis_, which
we shall not estimate very wrongly at a shilling each:--

"No. 295. _Item_. Marcus Paulus; _en ung cahier escript de lettre
formee en francois, a deux coulombes. Commt. ou ii'e fo._ 'deux freres
prescheurs,' _et ou derrenier_ 'que sa arrieres.' _X. s. p._

"No. 334. _Item_. Marcus Paulus. _Couvert de drap d'or, bien escript &
enlumine, de lettre de forme en francois, a deux coulombes. Commt. ou
ii'e fol._; 'il fut Roys,' _& ou derrenier_ 'propremen,' _a deux
fermouers de laton. XV. s. p._

"No. 336. _Item_. Marcus Paulus; _non enlumine, escript en francois,
de lettre de forme. Commt. ou ii'e fo._ 'vocata moult grant,' _& ou
derrenier_ 'ilec dist il.' _Couvert de cuir blanc, a deux fermouers de
laton. XII. s. p._"

(_Inventaire de la Bibliotheque du Roi Charles VI._, etc.
Paris, Societe des Bibliophiles, 1867.)

[4] See _Del Reggimento e de' Costumi delle donne di Messer Francesco da
Barberino_, Roma, 1815, pp. 166 and 271. The latter passage runs thus,
on _Slavery_:--

"E fu indutta prima da Noe,
E fu cagion lo vin, perche si egge:
Ch' egli e un paese, dove
Son molti servi in parte di Cathay:
Che per questa cagione
Hanno a nimico il vino,
E non ne beon, ne voglion vedere."

The author was born the year before Dante (1264), and though he lived
to 1348 it is probable that the poems in question were written in his
earlier years. _Cathay_ was no doubt known by dim repute long before
the final return of the Polos, both through the original journey of
Nicolo and Maffeo, and by information gathered by the Missionary
Friars. Indeed, in 1278 Pope Nicolas III., in consequence of
information said to have come from Abaka Khan of Persia, that Kublai
was a baptised Christian, sent a party of Franciscans with a long
letter