[2] In Quaritch’s catalogue for Nov. 1870 there is only one old edition of
    Polo; there are nine of Maundevile.  In 1839 there were nineteen MSS.
    of the latter author catalogued in the British Museum Library.  There
    are now only six of Marco Polo.  At least twenty-five editions of
    Maundevile and only five of Polo were printed 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