Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 1, 1851).djvu/65

German. The oldest German translation was printed at Nürnberg by Fricz Creussner. Its title is as follows—

Hie hebt sich an das Puch des edeln̄ Ritters vn̄ Landtfarers Marcho Polo. In dem er schreibt die grossen wunderlichen Ding dieser Welt. Sunderlichen von den grossen Künigen vnd Keysern die da herschen in den selbigen landen, vnd von irem volck vnd seiner gewonheit da selbs. Disz hat gedruckt Fricz Creüszner zu Nurmberg Nach cristi gepurdt Tausent vierhundert vn̄ im sibenvn̄sibenczigtn̄ iar (1477); fol.

First edition, of extreme rarity, in the Grenville Library. The following note is in Mr. Grenville’s handwriting: “The volume agrees with Dr. Dibdin’s description of Lord Spencer’s copy (see Bibl. Spenc., vol. vi, p. 176), having fifty-seven leaves of text; but the wood-cut, representing a full length figure of Marco Polo on the reverse of the first leaf, is supplied in this copy by an admirable fac-simile. The present is a very fine rubricated copy. When Mr. Marsden 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 Leipsic the present beautiful copy. I know of no fourth copy. The copy at Vienna wants the portrait.”

See also respecting this edition, Panzer’s “Annalen der älterem deutschen Litteratur,” i, 99-100.