Re: VMs: Marci 1640 letter to Kircher

["J HALEY" <j.haley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Anthony

Thanks. That is exactly what I wanted. BTW I haven't forgotten about the
Armada Beacons but just haven't had the time to pursue it yet.

I believe I have a lead but need a synopsis of the known chronology of
the Marci, Baresch and Kircher correspondence. For instance, did
Baresch first contact Marci or Kircher and when? Did Marci see only
copies of VMS pages or is he known to have been shown the original
by Baresch? Gans is the critical character here but I need to follow up
on this more to come to a definite conclusion. Now here is the
controversial part and I know this won't be accepted. I believe that Marci
had a partial knowledge of what the VMS contained but only found this
out after Kircher had become involved. Baresch was probably not party
to this and Marci for motives unknown at present did not want to give
this information to Kircher. I know that no one will accept this at opinion
but the tone of the letter appears at first glance to confirm my suspicions.
Kircher must then have been told the information and is why the VMS
then disappears from history and is later found by Voynich amongst the
items of Kircher taken to Mondragone. I feel that the identity of Baresch
is now irrelevant for reasons that I won't go into until I have confirmed my
suspicions.

The history of the VMS shows no further mention of the VMS by Kircher
and the trail is then dead for about 300 years. It was simply buried and I
do not believe for one moment that this is because Kircher gave up.
Almost everyone connected with the VMS gets hooked by its mystery
and I don't believe Kircher was any different. The simplest explanation is
that he did not need to proceed further. He simply wanted to bury the VMS
to avoid complicating his life. It can be argued that he may have thought it
just another hoax. So why is it not in the record? We have information on
the other hoaxes perpetrated so the VMS would have become just another
anecdote. Just because the VMS did not have a known culprit to pin the rap
on does not explain this discrepancy.

Jeff

ajb wrote on 29 July 2005

>
> In message <001901c593c5$b58108a0$0100a8c0@jeff>, J HALEY
> <j.haley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
> >Hi
> >
> >Does anyone have an English translation of the first two paragraphs
> >of this Marci letter. In the pursuit of Baresh these have not been done
> >and I think that the identity of Gans may well be more important than
> >has at first been thought.
> >
> >Jeff
> >
> >
>
> Hello Jeff
>
> You mean this one?
>
> It's on one of my web-sites at
>
> http://www.sphynx.demon.co.uk/Marci_Kircher_1640.doc
>
> TTFN
>
> Anthony
>
>
> ===================================================
>
>
> Johannes Marci to Athanasius Kircher,  September the 12th 1640.
>
>
> Dear Reverend Father and Master in Christ and most critical friend,
>
> I have written to your reverend community of priests at Ratisbon
> informing them that the matters which had been entrusted to me had been
> dealt with as desired at the Court of His Imperial Majesty. I sincerely
> trust that my letters to which I referred have been received by the
> illustrious Counts of Martinitz. And since six weeks have quickly passed
> I eagerly await a reply. The Reverend Father Gans wrote to me [but] I do
> not know what lawsuits the Reverend Father Vestra is involved in. [?].
> Since in general terms the situation is said by him to be excessively
> trying, he has made me greatly disturbed. And because it may throw some
> light on some aspects of all this I have copied out a part of the
> letter. The Illustrious Count Bernard anxiously asked me about why he
> had had no response to his letters. I myself, since I have many times
> benefited by what he has done for me and since I know the Reverend
> Father Vestra to be very learned, and that he has done far more at the
> Court of His Imperial Majesty than was expected--something which will
> happen in the matter we are concerned with--I would hope to rejoice in a
> measure of goodwill and a declaration of mutual affection. [Illegible
> word here. Was it "quo"? I have guessed at his meaning here(!). W.B.].
> The same applies to what my friend Master Georg Barschius would have
> wanted to have through me as the scribe [?] and he will understand the
> notes [?] I have added here. He is certainly an excellent man and very
> experienced in chemistry [and] he does not yet understand how to arrive
> at the desired conclusion which His Imperial Majesty earnestly seeks--
> not for gold but in the interests of medical science--. He was asking me
> specially intently about that heliotrope, [wanting to know] whether I
> knew about it or at least whether I had seen the complete method of its
> manufacture. I said I knew the answer to neither. I told the Abbot (to
> his surprise) that I had not dared [to tell him this] [?] when we first
> became friends and he considered enquiring into it a matter of the
> utmost secrecy. If it is not too much trouble for him and he does not
> hurry over what concerns its outward appearance [?] I would at least
> like to find out whether the substance is natural or artificial, mineral
> or vegetable and whether it is found in our own country. Whatever may be
> said I will offer my services under the same seal which I shall have had
> to use. I am especially looking for particulars of that dark liquid [or:
> substance?] and of the linctus [?] in its varied forms [?]. One or the
> other was promised me in Rome. If anything particularly useful is known
> [I hope] it will not be troublesome to add it. One more item: I need to
> know if it means [?] that the Arabic-Coptic Dictionary with Arabic
> lettering should be published [or: prepared for publication]. According
> to what the next Month of the Bear [?] foretells [?] those type-moulds
> for Eastern languages are satisfactory. So if in all this there is
> anything worth publishing we do not lack the necessary tools. May I add
> this?--I beg the Reverend Father Vram to keep well and in excellent
> spirits and to visit us as soon as he can. Please offer my greetings to
> the Reverend Father Ferrarium he will have recognised from my seal that
> it is I, his servant Joannes Marci.
>
>         Prague September 12 in the year 1640.
>         Johannes Marci, the faithful servant of the Reverend Father
> Vestrae.
>
>
> [Rendered into English from the transcription given by René Zandbergen
> at http://www.voynich.nu/letters.html#mm40 by Rev William Barber.
> Gloucester, January 2003.]
>


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