of massariticum shall be held to carry to the legatee all articles
    of common family use except those of gold and silver plate or
    jeweller’s work. (See Ducange, sub voce.) Stracci is still used
    technically in Venice for “household linen.”

[21] In the original aureas libras quinque.  According to Marino Sanudo
    the Younger (Vite dei Dogi in Muratori xxii. 521) this should be
    pounds or lire of aureole, the name of a silver coin struck by
    and named after the Doge Aurio Mastropietro (1178-1192):  “Ancora fu
    fatta una Moneta d’argento che si chiamava Aureola per la casata del
    Doge; e quella Moneta che i Notai de Venezia mettevano di pena sotto
    i loro instrumenti.”  But this was a vulgar error.  An example of the
    penalty of 5 pounds of gold is quoted from a decree of 960; and the
    penalty is sometimes expressed “auri purissimi librae 5.”  A coin
    called the lira d’oro or redonda is alleged to have been in use
    before the ducat was introduced. (See Gallicciolli, II. 16.) But
    another authority seems to identify the lira a oro with the lira
    dei grossi. (See Zanetti, Nuova Racc. delle Monete &c. d’Italia,
    1775.  I. 308)

[22] We give a photographic reduction of the original document.  This, and
    the other two Polo Wills already quoted, had come into the possession
    of the Noble Filippo Balbi, and were by him presented in our own time
    to the St. Mark’s Library.  They are all on parchment, in writing of
    that age, and have been officially examined and declared to be
    originals.  They were first published by Cicogna, Iscrizioni
    Veneziane, III. 489-493.  We give Marco’s in the original language,
    line for line with the facsimile, in Appendix C.

There is no signature, as may be seen, except those of the Witnesses and the Notary.  The sole presence of a Notary was held to make a deed valid, and from about the middle of the 13th century in Italy it is common to find no actual signature (even of witnesses) except that of the Notary.  The peculiar flourish before the Notary’s name is what is called the Tabellionato, a fanciful distinctive monogram which each Notary adopted.  Marco’s Will is unfortunately written in a very cramp hand with many contractions.  The other two Wills (of Marco the Elder and Maffeo) are in beautiful and clear Gothic penmanship.

[23] We have noticed formerly (pp. 14-15, note) the recent discovery
    of a document bearing what was supposed to be the autograph signature
    of our Traveller.  The document in question is the Minute of a
    Resolution of the Great Council, attested by the signatures of three
    members, of whom the last is MARCUS PAULLO.  But the date alone, 11th