14-01-2023, 04:26 PM
There is also a different angle to the story: what did Kircher understand by "600 ducatos"?
The Marci letter was fairly informal, a note between scholars. But it's one thing to be sent a mysterious book that the sendee claims is worth several year's salary, and one that is only worth a large yet still token amount amongst gentlemen.
You would assume that if he thought it was worth a number of year's salary then he would have given it a higher profile than he did, or even hand it over to the Jesuits in order not to be accused of hoarding.
There's also the question of receiving a book in the post that the sender reckons a Emperor paid 50K for - I don't know about Kircher, but it would give me pause for thought about how it came into Marci's possession and whether somebody important might want it back!
The Marci letter was fairly informal, a note between scholars. But it's one thing to be sent a mysterious book that the sendee claims is worth several year's salary, and one that is only worth a large yet still token amount amongst gentlemen.
You would assume that if he thought it was worth a number of year's salary then he would have given it a higher profile than he did, or even hand it over to the Jesuits in order not to be accused of hoarding.
There's also the question of receiving a book in the post that the sender reckons a Emperor paid 50K for - I don't know about Kircher, but it would give me pause for thought about how it came into Marci's possession and whether somebody important might want it back!