[Fwd: Caramuel, Lobkowitz y Chinese]

["Rafal T. Prinke" <rafalp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Oops, I sent it to Rene only...

"Rafal T. Prinke" wrote:
> 
> Rene Zandbergen wrote:
> 
> > Jorge Stolfi wrote:
> >
> > > You are taking it as a fact that the VMS did belong to Rudolf and
> > > Jacobus.
> >
> > I am in favour of believing it. For one thing, all other details
> > of Marci's letter were confirmed by the Baresch letter. Also his
> > bringing forward of (and suspension of judgment on) the alternative
> > Baconian origin fits in the scenario. Raphael was a lawyer, which
> > in those days probably meant that he was a very trustworthy
> > character.
> 
> I would still be a little cautious of jumping to a conclusion
> that the first part of the story is "proven". Marci simply repeated
> what he had heard from Baresch - and we know nothing about him
> and/or his reliability.
> 
> A friend in Prague asked the university information service
> to find out if a person of that name (in variant spellings)
> had been attached to the university - and they found nothing
> (or so they said!).
> 
> I must apologize for not contacting the specialist on
> the Zodiac in Cracow yet - forgot about it but will do that
> next week.
> 
> In the meantime, I remembered I had seen something like
> the VMS Sagittarius somewhere in the astrological books.
> And I have found it on the Web - have a look at:
> 
>   http://www.englib.cornell.edu/mhh4/planets/jupiter.html
> 
> This is from an early (15th c.) German "Planets' Children"
> blockbooks (the planets' children theme was also found in
> some of the Books of Hours - eg. the most beautiful one of
> Duc de Berry). The crossbow man looks *very much* like
> the VMS Sagittarius to me. Also note that the actual
> Sagittarius in a small circle at the feet of Jupiter
> above is represented as a man - not a traditional centaur
> (even though he holds a standard bow).
> 
> I think this confirms the 15th c. German origin as
> stated by Panofsky (a great authority, after all)
> - at least until a better argument is put forward
> (I am not convinced by the humanist hand argument
> and still less by the other Italian origin arguments
> recently presented by Dana - people were coming
> to study in Italy from all over Europe and thus
> were heavily influenced by Renaissance culture
> and art).
> 
> May I take this opportunity to wish all of the VMS-community
> a happy New Year/Century/Millennium. Hopefully
> the VMS will be cracked in one of those time periods <g>.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Rafal