preamble of _Meliadus_, as set forth in the Paris printed edition of
1528, which gives us to understand that Rusticien de Pise had received
as a reward for some of his compositions from King Henry III. the
prodigal gift of two _chateaux_. I gather, however, from passages in
the work of Paulin Paris that this must certainly be one of those
confusions of persons to which I have referred before, and that the
recipient of the chateaux was in reality Helye de Borron, the author of
some of the originals which Rustician manipulated.[17] This supposed
incident in Rustician’s scanty history must therefore be given up.
We call this worthy _Rustician_ or _Rusticiano_, as the nearest
probable representation in Italian form of the _Rusticien_ of the
Round-Table MSS. and the _Rustacians_ of the old text of Polo. But
it is highly probable that his real name was _Rustichello_, as is
suggested by the form _Rustichelus_ in the early Latin version
published by the _Société de Géographie_. The change of one liquid for
another never goes for much in Italy,[18] and Rustichello might easily
Gallicize himself as Rusticien. In a very long list of Pisan officials
during the Middle Ages I find several bearing the name of _Rustichello_
or _Rustichelli_, but no _Rusticiano_ or _Rustigiano_.[19]
Respecting him we have only to add that the peace between Genoa and
Venice was speedily followed by a treaty between Genoa and Pisa. On the
31st July, 1299, a truce for twenty-five years was signed between those
two Republics. It was a very different matter from that between Genoa
and Venice, and contained much that was humiliating and detrimental to
Pisa. But it embraced the release of prisoners; and those of Meloria,
reduced it is said to less than one tithe of their original number,
had their liberty at last. Among the prisoners then released no doubt
Rustician was one. But we hear of him no more.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] _B. Marangone, Croniche della C. di Pisa_, in _Rerum Ital. Script._
of _Tartini_, Florence, 1748, i. 563; _Dal Borgo, Dissert. sopra
l’Istoria Pisana_, ii. 287.
[2] The list of the whole number is preserved in the Doria archives,
and has been published by Sign. Jacopo D’Oria. Many of the
Baptismal names are curious, and show how far sponsors wandered
from the Church Calendar. _Assan, Alton, Turco, Soldan_ seem to
come of the constant interest in the East. _Alaone_, a name which
remained in the family for several generations, I had thought
certainly borrowed from the fierce conqueror of the Khalif
(_infra_, p. 63). But as one Alaone, present at this battle, had a
son also there, he must surely have been christened before the
fame of Hulaku could have reached Genoa. (See _La Chiesa di S.
Matteo_, pp. 250, _seqq._)
In documents of the kingdom of Jerusalem there are names still more
anomalous, _e.g._, _Gualterius Baffumeth_, _Joannes Mahomet_. (See
_Cod. Dipl. del Sac. Milit. Ord. Gerosol._ I. 2–3, 62.)
[3] _Memorial. Potestat. Regiens._ in _Muratori_, viii. 1162.
[4] See _Fragm. Hist. Pisan._ in _Muratori_, xxiv. 651, _seqq._; and
_Caffaro_, _id._ vi. 588, 594–595. The cut in the text represents
a striking memorial of those Pisan Prisoners, which perhaps
still survives, but which at any rate existed last century in a
collection at Lucca. It is the seal of the prisoners as a body
corporate: SIGILLUM UNIVERSITATIS CARCERATORUM PISANORUM JANUE
DETENTORUM, and was doubtless used in their negotiations for peace
with the Genoese Commissioners. It represents two of the prisoners
imploring the Madonna, Patron of the Duomo at Pisa. It is from
_Manni, Osserv. Stor. sopra Sigilli Antichi_, etc., Firenze, 1739,
tom. xii. The seal is also engraved in _Dal Borgo_, _op. cit._ ii.
316.
[5] The Abate Spotorno in his _Storia Letteraria della Liguria_, II.
219, fixes on a Genoese philosopher called Andalo del Negro,
mentioned by Boccaccio.
[6] I quote from Galignani’s ed. of Prose Works, v. 712. This has
“Rusticien de _Puise_.” In this view of the fictitious character of
the names of Rusticien and the rest, Sir Walter seems to have been
following Ritson, as I gather from a quotation in Dunlop’s H. of
Fiction. (_Liebrecht’s_ German Version, p. 63.)
[7] _Giron le Courtois_, and the conclusion of _Tristan_.
[8] The passage runs thus as quoted (from the preamble of the
_Meliadus_—I suspect in one of the old printed editions):—
“Aussi Luces du Gau (Gas) translata en langue Françoise une
partie de l’Hystoire de Monseigneur Tristan, et moins assez qu’il
ne deust. Moult commença bien son livre et si ny mist tout les
faicts de Tristan, ains la greigneur partie. Après s’en entremist
Messire Gasse le Blond, qui estoit parent au Roy Henry, et divisa
l’Hystoire de Lancelot du Lac, et d’autre chose ne parla il mye
grandement en son livre. Messire Robert de Borron s’en entremist
et Helye de Borron, par la prière du dit Robert de Borron, _et
pource que compaignons feusmes d’armes longuement_, je commencay
mon livre,” etc. (_Liebrecht’s Dunlop_, p. 80.) If this passage be
authentic it would set beyond doubt the age of the de Borrons and
the other writers of Anglo-French Round Table Romances, who are
placed by the _Hist. Littéraire de la France_, and apparently by
Fr. Michel, under Henry II. I have no means of pursuing the matter,
and have preferred to follow Paulin Paris, who places them under
Henry III. I notice, moreover, that the _Hist. Litt._ (xv. p. 498)
puts not only the de Borrons but Rustician himself under Henry II.;
and, as the last view is certainly an error, the first is probably
so too.
[9] Transc. from MS. 6975 (now Fr. 355) of Paris Library.
[10] _MSS. François_, iii. 60–61.
[11] _Ibid._ 56–59.
[12] _Introd._ pp. lxxxvi.–vii. note.
[13] See _Jour. As._ sér. II. tom. xii. p. 251.
[14] “_Seignors Enperaor, & Rois, Dux & Marquois, Cuens, Chevaliers
& Bargions_ [for Borgiois] _& toutes gens qe uoles sauoir les
deuerses jenerasions des homes_, & les deuersités des deuerses
region dou monde, _si prennés cestui liure & le feites lire & chi
trouerés toutes les grandismes meruoilles_,” etc.
[15] The portrait of Rustician here referred to would have been a
precious illustration for our book. But unfortunately it has not
been transferred to MS. 6961, nor apparently to any other noticed
by Paulin Paris.
[16] _Jour. As._ as above.
[17] See _Liebrecht’s Dunlop_, p. 77; and _MSS. François_, II. 349,