his Book to a noble Frenchman in the service of Charles of Valois.
[Sidenote: Polo’s relations with Thibault de Cepoy.]
This Prince, brother of Philip the Fair, in 1301 had married Catharine,
daughter and heiress of Philip de Courtenay, titular Emperor of
Constantinople, and on the strength of this marriage had at a later
date set up his own claim to the Empire of the East. To this he was
prompted by Pope Clement V., who in the beginning of 1306 wrote to
Venice, stimulating that Government to take part in the enterprise. In
the same year, Charles and his wife sent as their envoys to Venice, in
connection with this matter, a noble knight called THIBAULT DE CEPOY,
along with an ecclesiastic of Chartres called Pierre le Riche, and
these two succeeded in executing a treaty of alliance with Venice,
of which the original, dated 14th December, 1306, exists at Paris.
Thibault de Cepoy eventually went on to Greece with a squadron of
Venetian Galleys, but accomplished nothing of moment, and returned to
his master in 1310.[8]
[Illustration: Miracle of S. Lorenzo.]
During the stay of Thibault at Venice he seems to have made
acquaintance with Marco Polo, and to have received from him a copy
of his Book. This is recorded in a curious note which appears on two
existing MSS. of Polo’s Book, viz., that of the Paris Library (10,270
or Fr. 5649), and that of Bern, which is substantially identical in its
text with the former, and is, as I believe, a copy of it.[9] The note
runs as follows:—
“Here you have the Book of which My Lord THIEBAULT, Knight and LORD
OF CEPOY, (whom may God assoil!) requested a copy from SIRE MARC
POL, Burgess and Resident of the City of Venice. And the said Sire
Marc Pol, being a very honourable Person, of high character and
respect in many countries, because of his desire that what he had
witnessed should be known throughout the World, and also for the
honour and reverence he bore to the most excellent and puissant
Prince my Lord CHARLES, Son of the King of France and COUNT OF
VALOIS, gave and presented to the aforesaid Lord of Cepoy the first
copy (that was taken) of his said Book after he had made the same.
And very pleasing it was to him that his Book should be carried
to the noble country of France and there made known by so worthy
a gentleman. And from that copy which the said Messire Thibault,
Sire de Cepoy above-named, did carry into France, Messire John, who
was his eldest son and is the present Sire de Cepoy,[10] after his
Father’s decease did have a copy made, and that very first copy
that was made of the Book after its being carried into France he
did present to his very dear and dread Lord Monseigneur de Valois.
Thereafter he gave copies of it to such of his friends as asked for
them.
“And the copy above-mentioned was presented by the said Sire Marc
Pol to the said Lord de Cepoy when the latter went to Venice, on
the part of Monseigneur de Valois and of Madame the Empress his
wife, as Vicar General for them both in all the Territories of the
Empire of Constantinople. And this happened in the year of the
Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ one thousand three hundred and
seven, and in the month of August.”
Of the bearings of this memorandum on the literary history of Polo’s
Book we shall speak in a following section.
[Sidenote: His marriage and his daughters. Marco as a merchant.]