I'd still wager a great sum on the possibility that the book is an elaborate hoax designed to coax some cash out of some stupid aristocrat. There were a lot of

I'd still wager a great sum on the possibility that the book is an elaborate hoax designed to coax some cash out of some stupid aristocrat. There were a lot of charlatans at the court of that particular period and the Czechs just love to make fun out of Rudolf II. I highly suggest this (socialist-era) movie -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_and_the_Golem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_and_the_Golem -- to join in on the joke.