VMs: Re: Yet more about Baresch

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

Rene Zandbergen wrote:

> below, I enclose the Latin text about Baresch in
> Marci's Philosophia Vetus Restituta.

Wow! So he really existed!

> We learn that at the time of writing (which could be
> 1662 but also earlier), Marci knew Baresch already
> 40 years, i.e. they met in 1622 or earlier. This is
> when Jacobus de Tepenec died, and 17 years before
> Baresch wrote to Kircher (the letter we still have).
> I need to check Marci's CV to know what he was
> doing at the time (and more particularly where).

He studied in Olomouc until 1618 and then moved to Prague, where
he was nominated extraordinary professor of the Charles
University in 1626 (and ordinary in 1630). He had two
powerful protectors at that time: Zdenek Popel z Lobkovic
and cardinal Arnost Vojtech (not Vojnich!) z Harrachu. 
The latter was his younger schoolmate from the Jesuit college
in Jindrichovy Hradec, where Marci was in 1608-1612.
Harrach became the archibishop of Prague in 1622 (at the age
of 24!) and cardinal in 1626.

> We also learn that Baresch died at the age of
> 70 (or thereabouts) which puts his birth year at
> 1592 or earlier, i.e. a bit older than Marci.
> Marci inherited his chemical library and also
> a collection of sorts.
> Also, the M. in M. Georgius Baresch seems to be
> some civil title, as it is contrasted to the R.P.
> he uses for Santinus. Maybe it means 'Magister'
> (cf. Master or MSc).

Yes, I am quite sure it does (this is, in fact, what
we still use in Polish for the MA or MSc).

> The reference to Achates means that Marci
> considers Baresch a true and faithful friend.

So perhaps other friends and acquitances of Marci may
also mention him? Servit says that William Harvey
mentions meeting Marci in Prague in 1636 - in his
book _De generatione animalium_ (1651). He also says
that important members (patrons) of Marci's cirle in Prague
were count Bernard Ignac z Martinic (Marci wrote Kircher
that he presented him the book _De arte magnetica_) and
duke Auersberg, the debates with whom lead Marci to write
_Philosophia vetus_. Another friend was Jeronym (Hieronim)
Hirnhaim, later abbout of the Strahov monastery (!), whose
book _De typho generis humani_ developed Marci's natural
philosophy (and was places on the _Index librorum prohibitorum_).
His other friends included Jan Caramuel z Lobkovic and
(already known to us) mathematician G. A. Kinner.
Servit also confirms that Dionisio Misseroni was Marci's
brother-in-law (but the first name of his wife is unknown,
Laura was his mother-in-law). 

All of this comes from the six pages I copied in haste from 
Servit's book without index! But, in fact, most of it is 
about optics...

Best regards,

Rafal