1477. The first Printed Edition is in German. We give a reduced Facsimile of its Frontispiece. (See [p. 555].)
1481. A reproduction of the preceding at Augsburg, in the same volume with the History of Duke Leopold and his Son William of Austria.
About 1490. Pipino’s Latin; the only printed edition of that version. Without place, date, or printer’s name. (See [p. 558].)
1496. Edition in Venetian Dialect, printed by J. B. da Sessa.
1500. The preceding reproduced at Brescia (often afterwards in Italy).
1502. Portuguese version from Pipino, along with the Travels of Nicolo Conti. Printed at Lisbon by Valentym Fernandez Alemao (see vol. ii. of this work, p. 295). Stated to have been translated from the MS. presented by Venice to Prince Pedro (vol. i. p. 135.)
1503. Spanish version by Rodrigo de Santaella. Sevilla.
1529. Ditto. Reprinted at Logroño.
1532. Novus Orbis—Basileæ. (See vol. i. p. 95.)
1556. French version from the Novus Orbis.
1559. Ramusio’s 2nd volume, containing his version of Polo, of which we have spoken amply.
1579. First English Version, made by John Frampton, according to Marsden, from the Spanish version of Seville or Logroño.
1625. Purchas’s Pilgrims, vol. iii. contains a very loose translation from Ramusio.
1664. Dutch Version, from the Novus Orbis. Amsterdam.
1671. Andreas Müller of Greiffenhagen reprints the Latin of the Novus Orbis, with a collation of readings from the Pipino MS. at Berlin; and with it the book of Hayton, and a disquisition De Chataiâ. The Editor appears to have been an enthusiast in his subject, but he selected his text very injudiciously. (See vol. i. p. 96.)
1735. Bergeron’s interesting collection of Mediæval Travels in Asia, published in French at the Hague. The Polo is a translation from Müller, and hence is (as we have already indicated) at 6th hand.
1747. In Astley’s Collection, IV. 580 seqq., there is an abstract of Polo’s book, with brief notes, which are extremely acute, though written in a vulgar tone, too characteristic of the time.
1818. Marsden’s famous English Edition.
1824. The Publication of the most valuable MS. and most genuine form of the text, by the Soc. de Géographie of Paris. (See vol. i. p. 83.) It also contains the Latin Text (No. 24 in our list of MSS. App. F.).
1827. Baldelli-Boni published the Crusca MS. (No. 40), and republished the Ramusian Version, with numerous notes, and interesting dissertations. The 2 volumes are cumbered with 2 volumes more containing, as a Preliminary, a History of the Mutual Relations of Europe and Asia, which probably no man ever read. Florence.
1844. Hugh Murray’s Edition. It is, like the present one, eclectic as regards the text, but the Editor has taken large liberties with the arrangement of the Book.
1845. Bürck’s German Version, Leipzig. It is translated from Ramusio, with copious notes, chiefly derived from Marsden and Ritter. There are some notes at the end added by the late Karl Friedrich Neumann, but as a whole these are disappointing.
1847. Lazari’s Italian edition was prepared at the expense of the late Senator T. Pasini, in commemoration of the meeting of the Italian Scientific Congress at Venice in that year, to the members of which it was presented. It is a creditable work, but too hastily got up.
1854. Mr. T. Wright prepared an edition for Bohn’s Antiq. Library. The notes are in the main (and professedly) abridged from Marsden’s, whose text is generally followed, but with the addition of the historical chapters, and a few other modifications from the Geographic Text.
1854–57. Voyageurs Anciens et Modernes, &c. Par M. Ed. Charton. Paris. An interesting and creditable popular work. Vol. ii. contains Marco Polo, with many illustrations, including copies from miniatures in the Livre des Merveilles. (See list in App. F. [p. 528].)
1863. Signor Adolfo Bartoli reprinted the Crusca MS. from the original, making a careful comparison with the Geographic Text. He has prefixed a valuable and accurate Essay on Marco Polo and the Literary History of his Book, by which I have profited.
1865. M. Pauthier’s learned edition.
1871. First edition of the present work.
1873. First publication of Marco Polo in Russian.
1875. Second edition of this work.
1882. Facsimile of the French Stockholm MS. by Baron A. E. Nordenskiöld.
II.—Bibliography of Printed Editions.[1]
A.—German Editions.
1.—1. Nuremberg ... 1477.
The first translation of Marco Polo’s Book was printed in German, at Nuremberg, in 1477.
Collation: 58 ff. folio without pagination and without signatures.
Verso f. 1: Frontispiece: Portrait of Marco Polo with this inscription round the border: [Top] Das ist der edel Ritter. Marcho polo von [right] Venedig der grost landtfarer. der vns beschreibt die grossen wunder der welt [Foot] die er selber gesehenn hat. Von dem auffgang [left] pis zu dem nydergãg der sunnẽ. der gleychẽ vor nicht meer gehört seyn. [See [p. 555].]
Recto f. 2, begins:
Hie hebt sich an das puch dés edelñ Ritters vñ landtfarers ‖ Marcho polo. In dem er schreibt die grossen wunderlichen ‖ ding dieser welt. Sunderlichen von den grossen kũnigen vnd ‖ keysern die da herschen in den selbigen landen | vnd von irem ‖ volck vnd seiner gewonheit da selbs.