Re: VMs: Evidence review

[sethm@xxxxxxxxxxx]

On Fri, Jul 09, 2004 at 01:59:32AM +0100, Jeff wrote:
> I have always taken it on trust that the VMS was actually owned by Emperor
> Rudolph. As my current thinking is now based on this I would like to review
> the actual evidence. It seems silly that I haven't already done this. Has
> anyone got any information on this that I could read? I want to be able to
> see for myself and determine whether or not it has just been decided out of
> convenience. Basically I want to see the smoking gun.
> 
> Jeff

I believe that the only solid evidence is the letter from Johannes
Marcus Marci to Anathasius Kircher (19 August 1665 or 1666).
This letter was attached to the manuscript when it came into William
Voynich's posession, but I haven't found any scans of it online.
It doesn't seem like the Beinecke photographed it along with the rest
of the manuscript, although they still have it in their collection.

It reads, in part:

     Retulit mihi D. Doctor Raphael Ferdinandi tertij Regis
     tum Boemiae in lingua boemica instructor dictum librum
     fuisse Rudolphi Imperatoris, pro quo ipse latori qui librum
     attulisset 600 ducatos praesentarit, authorem uero ipsum
     putabat esse Rogerium Bacconem Anglum.

    ("Dr. Raphael, tutor in the Bohemian language to Ferdinand
     III, then King of Bohemia, told me the said book had
     belonged to the Emperor Rudolph and that he presented the
     bearer who brought him the book 600 ducats. He believed
     the author was Roger Bacon, the Englishman.")

The full letter is transcribed here:

http://www.voynich.nu/letters.html#mm66


-Seth
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