The Book Switch Theory

[proto57]

OK... I just did a short search... took just a minute or two. And as often happens. I was stunned that, once I did do it, nobody, including myself, had thought to it this way. First I asked Google AI, "When was the name "tepenencz" first mentioned in any printed, published form in history. Did that version of the Horcicky name appear in print before 1910?" And I got the usual, and somewhat expected answer:

   

OK, except for the named spoiler, all is pat and as expected and reported. BUT I thought to try a method I often use to learn what information might have been available to various persons, and often, Wilfrid. So I put "Tepenec", in quotes, in a Google book search, then limited it to between 1/1/1500 and 1/1/1911. So, could Voynich, the well acknowledged book sleuth, have found out who his Ugly Ducking was "signed" by? Look at this, from "You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. - Volume 35 - Page 51, Verein für Geschichte der Deutschen in den Sudetenländern 1897" (Communications - Volume 35 - Page 51, Association for the History of Germans in the Sudetenland · 1897):

   

This is not the only printed, published, pre-1911 reference to Horcicky AS Tepenenc. There are others, among them "Alterhümer und Denkwürdigkeiten Bömens, 1860 - Volume 1 - Page 217":

   

But it gets better... or worse?... with this printed edition of a book I think BY Horcicky, in which he mentions his own ennoblement. It is You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., as "Konfessy Katholicka". Interestingly, this book is mentioned on Horcicky's Wikipedia page, but no one seems to have looked it up and searched it to see if it could have been the source for Voynich's knowledge OF Horcicky as Tepenenc? I didn't, I stand accused. Anyway:

   

This translates... badly but well enough to understand the premise here... to: ""He was called to the Court of Prague, where he could not live long, and he was counted. Here he showed great kindness and affection to the Emperor for his knowledge of the name of the chemist, in which Rudolf was more fond of the name of the chemist. For this reason the Emperor also counted him among his Court, and he was given a predicate by the holy Brchu Tepenec, called Darik. Nothing strange then, he said, is not counted, but he is counted, but he is the Emperor, who is inclined to the Emperor's grace..."

And also, by the way, this copy has his name, in pencil, on one of the first pages:

   

Is that his signature? Probably not, but I don't know. I would guess it was a librarian or collection cataloger. But interesting nonetheless, I think, and I had never seen this before.

Anyway, what I glean from this simple search, and related is this:

1) No, it is not at all correct that Voynich could not have easily known that Horcicky was Tepenenc(z), and vice versa, from various printed and published resources, not the least of which was Horcicky's OWN BOOK.
2) AI is not always correct, as in this case
3) Nobody looked before (or did look, and did know this? Is it already all online somewhere? Google missed it, if so), and my guess is, again, that the very powerful projection of a desired and created Paradigm causes people to not consider looking

At least, knowing this, now, the official claim "he could not and would not have known" will no longer be claimed, right?

Rich