Nor were the Genoese content, for soon after this victory we find them, led by Lamba Doria, utterly beating the Venetians at Curzola, in the Adriatic, where they took a famous prisoner, Messer Marco Polo, just returned from Asia.  They brought him back to Genoa, where he remained in prison for nearly two years, and wrote his masterpiece.  Whether it was the influence of so illustrious a captive, or merely the natural expression of their own splendid and adventurous spirit, about this time the Doria fitted out two galleys to explore the western seas, and to try to reach India by way of the sunset.  Tedisio Doria and the brothers Vivaldi with some Franciscans set out on this adventure, and never returned.

With the fourteenth century Genoa for a time threw off the yoke of her great nobles, Spinola, Doria, Grimaldi, Fieschi.  The wave of revolt that passed over Europe at this time certainly left Genoa freer than she had ever been.  The people had claimed to name their own “Abbate,” in opposition to the Captain of the People.  They chose by acclamation Simone Boccanegra, who, however, seeing that he was to have no power, refused the office.  “If he will not be Abbate,” cried a voice in the crowd, “let him be Doge”; and seeing the enthusiasm of the people, this great man allowed himself to be borne to S. Siro, where he was crowned first Doge of Genoa for life.  The nobles seem to have been afraid to interfere, so great was the eagerness of the people.  And it was about this time that the Grimaldi, driven out of Genoa, seized Monaco, which by the sufferance of Europe they hold to-day.  It is true, that for a time in 1344 the nobles gathered an army and returned to Genoa, Boccanegra resigning and exiling himself in Pisa; but twelve years later he was back again, ruling with temperance and wisdom that great city, which was now queen of the Mediterranean sea.

To follow the fortunes of the Republic one would need to write a book.  It must be sufficient to say here that by the middle of the century war broke out with Venice, and was at first disastrous for Genoa.  Then once more a Doria, Pagano it was, led her to victory at Sapienza, off the coast of Greece, where thirty-one Genoese galleys fought thirty-six of Venice and took them captive.  But the nobles were never quiet, always they plotted the death of the Doge Giovanni da Morta, or Boccanegra.  It was with the latter they were successful in 1363, when they poisoned him at a banquet in honour of the King of Cyprus—­for they had possessed themselves of a city in that island.  Thus the nobles came back into Genoa, Adorni, Fregosi, Guarchi, Montaldi, this time; lesser men, but not less disastrous for the liberty of Genoa than the older families.  So they fought among themselves for mastery, till the Adorni, fearing to be beaten, sold the city to Charles vi of France, who made them his representative and gave them the government.  And all this time the war with Venice continued.  At first it promised success,—­at Pola, for instance, where Luciano Doria was victorious, but at last beaten at Chioggia, and not knowing where to turn to make terms, the supremacy of the seas passed from Genoa to Venice, peace coming at last in 1381.