(27-07-2026, 02:18 PM)Jorge_Stolfi wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.The missing pages (that we know about) were removed after the folio numbers were written. According to experts, the style of the numbers says they were written in the 1600s. IF the VMS was acquired by Rudolf from Widemann, that happened in 1599. So, in order for the pages to have been removed before that sale, the timeline would have to be stretched a bit.It could have been in other hands before it reached Widemann. It's possible that whoever numbered the pages already knew that some pages were missing.
But it is possible that the book was taken apart after Widemann and Baresch. At the very least, I'm sure some merchant who liked the book did so. It's unlikely that the Emperor's personal healer or the Prague alchemist would tear out the pages...
(27-07-2026, 02:18 PM)Jorge_Stolfi wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I don't see any evidence of a later owner who could read VoynicheseI really believe that, say, the "second owner" understood a little bit of what was written. It's possible that he was the author of the markings on f17r, f66v, and f116v, but it's not a fact. It's possible that he worked on this manuscript himself, and it may have been inherited by him as the "best employee." In any case, it's highly likely that he could understand Voynichese, even if he didn't leave any traces.