[Endnote 120: (p. 146). _Marco Polo._--[Azurara, writing this chronicle before 1453, availed himself of a manuscript of the travels of Marco Polo, perhaps the same as the copy which the Infant Don Pedro brought from Venice. The oldest printed edition is of 1484. This book, which exercised great influence on discovery, was not only read in the beginning of the fifteenth century by our learned men, but we may notice that one of the most ancient translations which exists of the same is in Portuguese, published by Valentim Fernandez, with the journey of Nicholas the Venetian, etc., dedicated to the King Don Manuel, Lisbon, 1502, one volume, in folio gothic, a copy of which exists in the public library of Lisbon.]--S. Azurara's reference here is to Marco Polo, ch. lvii (Bk. I); ch. lxxiii (Bk. II). On Valentim Fernandez and the bibliography of the Machin story, see Introduction to vol. ii, p. lxxxiv-v. On the editions of Marco Polo, see Yule's edition, Introduction; Pauthier, _Le Livre de M. P._] [Endnote 121: (p. 147). _Lançarote ... collector of royal taxes_ ( = Almoxarife, p. 62) _in Lagos ... judges ... alcayde ... officials of the corporation._--Another of Azurara's references to "local," "home," or "municipal" affairs in Portugal, at this time. Cf. p. 62 of this Chronicle.] [Endnote 122: (p. 151). _Knight Don Pedro ... Sueiro da Costa ... Monvedro._--On the general history alluded to by Azurara in the first paragraph of ch. li, see _Cronica de D. Alvaro de Luna_, ed. Milan, 1546, Madrid, 1784; _Histoire secrète de Connetable De Lune_, Paris, 1720; Marina, _Ensaio historico-critico_; Cardonne, _Histoire de l'Afrique et de l'Espagne..._; Hallam, _Middle Ages_, ii, 16-17. It may be summarised as follows: The reign of John II of Castille, after his majority, was constantly disturbed by conspiracies and civil wars, headed by his cousins John and Henry, the Infants of Aragon, who possessed large properties in Castille, bequeathed them by their father Ferdinand. They were also assisted often by their brother the King of Aragon. The nominal object of attack was Alvaro de Luna, favourite minister of John II during thirty-five years, a man probably unscrupulous and somewhat rapacious, but of great ability and energy. At last John gave way, withdrew his favour, and the minister was tried and beheaded, meeting his fate "with the intrepidity of Strafford," to whom some have compared him. _Sueiro da Costa, Alcaide of Lagos._--Cf. notes 77, 121, etc. _The King D. Edward_ (Duarte) is, of course, Henry's eldest brother, King of Portugal 1433-1438 (see Introduction to vol. ii, pp. x-xi, and notes 30, 57; and pp. 3, 11, 18, 28, 39, of the text of this version; also Pina's Chronica (D. Duarte), vol. i of the _Ineditos Hist. Port._) The allusions to Portuguese, Castilian, and Aragonese history are so intertwined in these paragraphs that some caution is necessary.