Re: Why not Dee?

[Zandbergen@xxxxxxxxxxx (Rene Zandbergen)]

Rafal wrote:

> > [me:] The sum of 600 ducats (2 jewel bracelets or 6 printed books) would
> > have been a significant amount of money to Dee (would you agree?)
> 
> I am not so sure. Obviously, it depends on the period. When he
> was in Trebon, they seem to have been quite opulent (no wonder,
> if we trust Arthur's recollections of "silver production").
> I am still not sure whose 2,000 ductas in two sacks were.

I have my own ideas about how lucrative it was for them to make silver
or gold :-) (Assuming for the moment that they couldn't actually really
do it).

> If you still insist on the Dee connection. 

Not really, just toying with the idea...

> [...] But there is nothing
> tangible that would make Dee preferable to anyone else who
> happened to be in Prague during Rudolf's reign (if Rudolf had
> VMS at all) - especially as Clay has now confirmed my
> observations regarding the VMS foliation and Dee's numbers.

I personally do not doubt that Rudolf once bought it. I just see
no reason to believe otherwise. To me, Marci's mentioning the 
600 ducats is a way of impressing Kircher with his generosity.
But that's not enough to say that he just invented it...

Yes, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to alternatives.
One possibility I have not seen mentioned in the list so far
is the colony of miners/metallurgists that came from Italy
before and during Rudolf's reign. In German publications they
are referred to as 'Welsche' (don't ask me why). 
  
> > But I think, for various reasons, (and at the same time realise that
> > it is highly contestible and not easily verifiable) that it would have
> > been much more logical for Dee to sell the MS to count Rozenberg than
> > to Rudolf.
> 
> If Rozmberk was interested, Dee should have given it to him for free
> (or rather in return for his hospitality).

Indeed. Kelly even gave him some of his red powder (if the source for
that piece of info is realiable - Wrany if I recall correctly). One
could
then wonder if it was this sample which Boetius de Boodt later found and
made him a believer in alchemy (although this is generally believed to
be
a legend). In any case, he is another one of the hundreds of candidates.

As an afterthought, isn't it rather odd that all those who were in
possession
of some tincture that supposedly really worked had always just 'found
it'
somewhere (like Kelly for instance).

Oh and by the way, due to popular demand :-) I have just decided to
change
the wording in my annotation of the Baresch letter somewhat, to allow
for
the (unlikely ?) possibility that B really thought the VMs was of
Egyptian
origin.

Cheers, Rene