For Phillip's Library

1
The Vatican is releasing the documents pertaining to the trial of the Knights Templar over 700 years ago. The documents were known to exist, but were apparently mis-catalogued or "misplaced" as the Vatican stated. Detailed reproductions have been published that include minutia such as the stains that are on the originals. Scholars are excited and Phillip can own his copy for a mere 5,900 Euros (about $8,333 US). Then he can made pdf copies and post it here for Skyscript members who are fluent in Latin.

Here is the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071012/ts_ ... emplars_dc

Tom

You couldn't possibly mean this Philip, Tom?

2
Hi Tom!

Thanks for the link!

If you mean this Philip, then as you might have guessed (and I suspect you were posting in jest), 5900 Euros is unfortunately a lot more money than I could afford to spend on a single 16th century or earlier rare astrological work at the present time, let alone a mere 21st century reprint of a medieval manuscript of only tangential relevance to astrology, of which 798 other pristine reprints are also extant. It looks very interesting but the price is outrageous in my estimation. It's over twice as much as the $3375 I had to pay Krown and Spellman for my two-volume 1581-3 set of Guintini's 'Speculum Astrologiae' just under 12 months ago. Admittedly, that was something of a bargain buy at the price for what it is, even though it's the most expensive book I've ever bought, but still, if I had 5900 Euros to spare I'd be using it on more 16th and 17th century astrological classics.

In fact at the present time I have no positive balance of money, no stocks or shares, no house or mortgage on one (not that that matters so much), no car and no extravagant lifestyle by any normal measure (no meals or entertainments out, no travel, etc.).

Having recently completed the 490,000+ word first draft of the first volume of a projected multi-volume fantasy novel with my wife, I'm looking forward currently to making headway with the second and third volumes and then seeing if we can sell the whole series to a mainstream publisher. If it is wildly successful, then our first priority will be to purchase a house in the countryside (where they are more affordable per unit of space than in Stockholm), preferably one that has room for the book collection to be opened up to visiting scholars.

So I'm going to have to restrict myself in the meantime to taking up extremely rare opportunities to purchase important but rare 19th and 20th century originals to have escaped me so far if I get the chance, as well as essential new releases that will only become much more expensive if bought later such as the Project Hindsight series and Ben Dykes's translations, and look on sadly as 17th century classics remain out of my reach (although I do have some of those already too)!

Best wishes,

Philip

3
Hi Phillip,

Yes I was kidding. I thought 5900 Euros was a bit steep for a reprint myself. The price is justified based on the parchment used, the duplication of the current condition of the original, other artistic touches and the fact there are fewer than 800 printed, the first of which will go to Pope Benedict, who will not have to pay for it. Still I'd like to see it.

I wish you well on your novel and may you enjoy the wildest of successes with it. A home in the countryside sounds good to me. I hope you get it.

Tom