HKB
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.
Verso f. 58: ⍧ Hie endet sich das puch des edelñ Ritters und lañdtfarerz ‖ Marcho polo | das do sagt võ mangerley wunder der landt ‖ vñ lewt | vñ wie er die selbigen gesehen vñ durch faren hat ‖ von dẽ auffgang pisz zu dem nydergang der sũnẽ Seliglich.
⍧ Disz hat gedruckt Fricz Creũszner zu Nurm̃berg Nach cristi ‖ gepurdt Tausent vierhundert vñ im siben vñ sibenczigtē iar.
The copy which I have examined is in the Grenville Library, No. 6787. (Vide Bib. Grenvilliana, Part II. p. 305.) When Marsden edited his Marco Polo, Grenville did not possess this edition. The only known copy was in the Vienna Imperial Library, but was without the portrait. Grenville had made a transcript spoken of by Marsden, pp. lxx.–lxxi., which we describe infra. “When Mr. Marsden,” says Grenville in a MS. note at the beginning of this fine volume, “published his translation of this work, the only known copy of this first German Edition was in the Imperial Library at Vienna, and I had a literal transcript made from it: Since that time a second copy was found and sold by Payne and Foss to Lord Spencer: and now I have purchased from Leipsick a third [the present] beautiful copy. I know of no fourth copy. The copy at Vienna wants the portrait.”
Vide Bib. Spenceriana, vol. vi. p. 176.
Other copies are to be found at the Imperial Library, Vienna, the Royal Library, Berlin, the Germanisches Museum, Nuremberg; a sixth copy was in the Crawford Collection (London, June, 1887, 1359) with the portrait, and was purchased by B. Quaritch. [See H. Cordier, Cent. of Marco Polo, p. 41.]
—The copy we just spoke of has No. LII. in the Grenville collection, British Museum; it is a folio of 114 pages numbered with a pencil; bound with the arms of the Rᵗ. Honbˡᵉ. Thoˢ. Grenville. Page 114, the exactness of this copy is thus certified: “Apographum collatum cum prototypo, quod in Bibliotheca Palatina Vindobonensi adservatur. Illo quidem, qui descripsit, recitante ex prototypo, me vero hoc apographum inspectante. Respondet pagina paginae, versui versus & syllaba syllabae. Vindobonae die 29. Augusti 1817. B. Kopitar, Biblioth. Palatinae Vindobon. scriptor.”
With this manuscript is bound a letter addressed to Mr. Grenville by the Chevalier Scotti, who had the copy made; it is dated “Vienne 20 nmbre 1817,” and ends with this post-scriptum: “N. B. Comme cette Edition fort peu connue du 477. est une édition non seulement précieuse, mais à la vérité fort rare aussi, elle avoit été prise par les François et portée à Paris la dernière fois qu’ils ont été à Vienne. Elle y a été rendue avec tout le reste qu’on avoit emporté à la suite des heureux succès des Coilisés, auxquels L’immortel Wellington a tant contribué en y mettant la dernière couronne dont les lauriers resteront à jamais inflétrissables.”
2.—2. Augsburg ... 1481.