Ἂνδρα μοι ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ Πλάγχθη . . . . . . . Πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω. _Odyssey_, I. ————“I AM BECOME A NAME; FOR ALWAYS ROAMING WITH A HUNGRY HEART MUCH HAVE I SEEN AND KNOWN; CITIES OF MEN, AND MANNERS, CLIMATES, COUNCILS, GOVERNMENTS, MYSELF NOT LEAST, BUT HONOURED OF THEM ALL.” TENNYSON. “_A SEDER CI PONEMMO IVI AMBODUI VÔLTI A LEVANTE, OND’ERAVAM SALITI; CHÈ SUOLE A RIGUARDAR GIOVARE ALTRUI._” DANTE, _Purgatory_, IV. [Illustration: Messer Marco Polo, with Messer Nicolo and Messer Maffeo, returned from xxvi years’ sojourn in the Orient, is denied entrance to the Ca’ Polo. (See _Int._ p. _4_)] CONTENTS OF VOL. I. page DEDICATION iii NOTE BY MISS YULE v PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION vii PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION xi ORIGINAL PREFACE xxi ORIGINAL DEDICATION xxv MEMOIR OF SIR HENRY YULE BY AMY FRANCES YULE, L.A.SOC. ANT. SCOT. xxvii A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SIR HENRY YULE’S WRITINGS lxxv SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS lxxxiii EXPLANATORY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. I. xcvii INTRODUCTORY NOTICES _1–144_ THE BOOK OF MARCO POLO. NOTE BY MISS YULE. I desire to take this opportunity of recording my grateful sense of the unsparing labour, learning, and devotion, with which my father’s valued friend, Professor Henri Cordier, has performed the difficult and delicate task which I entrusted to his loyal friendship. Apart from Professor Cordier’s very special qualifications for the work, I feel sure that no other Editor could have been more entirely acceptable to my father. I can give him no higher praise than to say that he has laboured in Yule’s own spirit. The slight Memoir which I have contributed (for which I accept all responsibility), attempts no more than a rough sketch of my father’s character and career, but it will, I hope, serve to recall pleasantly his remarkable individuality to the few remaining who knew him in his prime, whilst it may also afford some idea of the man, and his work and environment, to those who had not that advantage.