Deák Antal András: A Duna fölfedezése

Tartalom - III.A DANUBIUS PANNONICO-MYSICUS, 1726

T II E DISCOVERY OF THE DANUBE (weighing 28.6 kg). Tragically, many of the plates from volume III have disappeared. Fifty-nine of the plates, weighing 52.6 kg, were sent. Only seven of them, nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 weighing 26 kg were returned. There are, accordingly 52 missing plates weighing 26.6 kg. Thirty-three plates, weighing 157.10 kg, were sent for volume IV. These plates were returned without loss. Seventy-four plates, weighing 329.6 kg, were taken for volume V

. All were returned. Fifty-three plates, weighing 135.4 kg, were used for volume VI. Seventeen of the plates were returned 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27 and 28, altogether weighing 83 kg. That is, 35 plates, weighing 52.4 kg, are missing. The Dutch wrapped up the plates to be returned with definite anticipation. It seems likely that all this happened with Marsigli's knowledge and consent during his lifetime.

239 A nice volume was actually edited in 1741 under the title La Hongrie et la Danube.

. 240 with 31 figures, maps from the Danubius. It is interesting that the French introduction was written about 10 years earlier, in 1731! This fact seems to support our view that Marsigli was still alive when the edition was planned and it could have been Marsigli himself who asked the author to write the introduction. Because of its beauty, the depiction of the mine from Selmec, published in the Mineral volume in the Danubius (III), was inserted among the maps as figure six, and a French legend was added to it: Map VI represents the interior of the mine in Selmec as the author saw it in 1695.

241 Here, I would like to make small detour to the problem of copper engraving of the 18 Danube sections, those missing from the Bologna list. Probably they were not finished until 1724. It is highly likely that a Dutch copperplate engraver was charged with the task of producing the plates.

242 A similar enterprise was inspired by the copperplates of the birds and the fishes. In Bologna, where the plates of this volume arrived in complete numbers, the eye-catching figures were re-edited without the indicai/o« of the year under the title: L.F. Marsigli: Pesci che nascono nel Danubio e Volatili che vivono lunga d'esso.

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i The edition was intended to be a picture book, the texts were entirely omitted. Curiously enough, the whole work appeared in 1744 in French together with the illustrations! The place of the edition was the same: the Hague, Netherlands. Knowing about the above, we have to ask: how could it happen? There are two possibilities. One is that the plates that had not been returned to Bologna had not been lost but simply retained and the plates that Gabrielli Manfredi

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4 inventorized once more in January 1730 were returned to the Netherlands. However, we could not find anything suggesting this solution and nor did the abovementioned publication refer to anything like that. The other possibility is that the French edition was planned together with the Latin one, the prints being made at the same time, but published only 18 years later 23

9 Archivio di Stato, Assunteria di Istituto - Diversorum - B. 20. n.7. 240 xb

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: La Hongrie et le Danube, par M. le conte de Marsigli, en XXXI. cartes tres-fidelmente gravees d' apres les dessins originaux et les plans leves sur les lieux par lauteur meme...avec un preface...par M.Bruzen de la Martiniere. 24

1 La VI. Carte represente 1' interieur des Mines de Schemnitz, telles que 1' Auteur les vit en 1695. 24

2 Bologna, Archivio di Stato, Assunteria di Istituto, Diversorum, B. n. 7. Fasc. 8. Conditions reciproques pour L'impression de L'ouvrage du Danube, pp. 4. ; II a été excepte du dit renvoi, les planches, que la Compagnie aura fait graver icy... (Condizioni reciproce per L'impressione de L'Opera Danubilale: e sono stati ancora eccetuati dalia dedizione I Rami che la Compagnia avrá fatto intagliare qui, e de quali si é parlato nelli articoli 1. 2. 3., e. 4.) 24

3 Archiginnasio - Bibliotheca -, Bologna; 17. L.I.3. Marsigli, L.F. Diligentemente delineati ed incisi in tavole CVII. In Bologna. Nella Stamperia di Lelio dalla Volpe Impressore dell Instituto delle Scienze". The only texts added to the volumes were: "PESCI Tavole XXXIII." and "VOLATILI Tavole LXXIV." 24

4 Secretario dell Assunteria dell Instituto. 134