a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1205. 



warre. He was the first Podesta, or Ruler, that the 

 Common wealth of Venice appointed in Constantinople 

 in the yeere 1205 when our state had rule thereof with 

 the French Barons. This Gentleman had a sonne named 

 Messer Pietro, who was the father of the Duke Rinieri, 

 which Duke dying without issue, made his heire M. 

 Andrea, the sonne of M. Marco his brother. This M. 

 Andrea was Captaine Generall and Procurator, a man 

 of great reputation for many rare partes, that were in 

 him. He had a sonne M. Rinieri, a worthy Senatour 

 and prudent Counsellour : of whom descended M. 

 Pietro Captaine Generall of the league of the Christians 

 against the Turkes, who was called Dragon, for that in 

 his shield, in stead of a Manfrone which was his armes 

 at the first, he bare a Dragon. He was father to M. 

 Carlo II grande the famous Procurator and Captaine 

 generall against the Genowayes in those cruell warres, 

 when as almost all the cheife Princes of Europe did 

 oppugne and seeke to overthrow our Empire and 

 libertie, wherein by his great valiancie and prowesse, as 

 Furius Camillus delivered Rome, so he delivered his 

 country from the present perill it was in, being ready 

 to become a pray and spoile unto the enemie: where- 

 fore he was afterward surnamed the Lyon, and for an 

 eternall remembrance of his fortitude and valiant ex- 

 ploits he gave the Lyon in his armes. M. Carlo had 

 two brethren. M. Nicolo, the knight and M. Antonio, 

 the father of M. Dragon, of whom issued M. Caterino, 

 the father M. Pietro da i Grocecchieri. This M. Pietro 

 had sonnes M. Caterino, that died the last yere, being 

 brother unto M. Francisco, M. Carlo, M. Battista, and 

 M. Vincenzo : Which M. Caterino was father to M. 

 Nicolo, that is yet living. 



Now M. Nicolo, the knight, being a man of great 

 courage, after this aforesaid Genouan warre of Chioggia 

 that troubled so our predecessours, entred into a great 

 desire and fansie to see the fashions of the worlde and 

 to travell and acquaint himselfe with the maners of 



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