25-01-2016, 05:27 PM
Did Rudolf II really buy the Voynich MS for 600 ducats? Would that not have been an unrealistic price?
We don't know the answer yet, but we can see some of his other acquisitions, showing that the price would not have been unrealistic, as has sometimes been suggested. (This only works for those who can read German).
Here, he pays 600 Taler to Jacopo Strada for some books:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
(Note that the silver Taler was worth a little more than a gold florin, and a little less than a gold ducat).
From other references, this seems to concern 6 printed books.
Here is a contract with Sambucus for 2500 ducats for a collection of Latin and Greek classics:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
This concerns 500 books. There was some haggling about the price: 5 or 6 ducats a piece. Not so funny: Sambucus died before being paid and his widow is asking for the money afterwards. A nice list of debts after Rudolf's death:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
But I digress.
Here some herbal books of Clusius. He is not sure what is their usefulness, but still pays 200 Taler.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
1350 Taler to the Dutch trader Emanuel Sweerts for flower bulbs (making up 700 Taler) and a book:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
There's a curious book (but only 150 florins):
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
My favourite: 500 Taler to Carolus Widemann for books. These are almost certainly paracelsan and/or alchemical works. Several are still preserved in the Vossius collection in Leiden (NL):
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
On a side note, here's a list of people receiving a monthly stipend of some 20 florins. Who can spot Jacobus de Tepenec?
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
We don't know the answer yet, but we can see some of his other acquisitions, showing that the price would not have been unrealistic, as has sometimes been suggested. (This only works for those who can read German).
Here, he pays 600 Taler to Jacopo Strada for some books:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
(Note that the silver Taler was worth a little more than a gold florin, and a little less than a gold ducat).
From other references, this seems to concern 6 printed books.
Here is a contract with Sambucus for 2500 ducats for a collection of Latin and Greek classics:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
This concerns 500 books. There was some haggling about the price: 5 or 6 ducats a piece. Not so funny: Sambucus died before being paid and his widow is asking for the money afterwards. A nice list of debts after Rudolf's death:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
But I digress.
Here some herbal books of Clusius. He is not sure what is their usefulness, but still pays 200 Taler.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
1350 Taler to the Dutch trader Emanuel Sweerts for flower bulbs (making up 700 Taler) and a book:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
There's a curious book (but only 150 florins):
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
My favourite: 500 Taler to Carolus Widemann for books. These are almost certainly paracelsan and/or alchemical works. Several are still preserved in the Vossius collection in Leiden (NL):
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
On a side note, here's a list of people receiving a monthly stipend of some 20 florins. Who can spot Jacobus de Tepenec?
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.