Unsolved ciphers / write-up and files
Brussels, Algemeen Rijksarchief, Secrétairerie d'État Allemande, inv. 540 · DECODE R954, R1889, R1890 · Latin, homophonic alphabet with a syllabary
Two ciphered letters between the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, governor of the Spanish Netherlands, and his cousin Ferdinand, King of Hungary and from 1637 Emperor. In November 1635 the Cardinal-Infante declines to let the imperial army winter in Trier. In February 1640 the Emperor asks him for a hundred thousand florins to raise troops against the Elector of Cologne's levies in Westphalia. Read with an alphabet recovered from the surviving Latin draft of the first letter and a syllabary recovered from the second.
Both letters substantially read · glyph and copying problems explicitThe 1635 letter answers one of 14 October in which the King had asked for winter quarters for the imperial army, then advancing on the Saar, in the archbishopric and city of Trier. The Cardinal-Infante would gladly oblige, but Trier has stood under the King of Spain's protection for two hundred years and has been garrisoned by his troops whenever necessary, as when the French seized it; the garrison and the Elector, whose upkeep has hitherto come from the Spanish treasury, need the city and its surroundings. Imperial troops can only with difficulty be quartered there, and he trusts the King will take that in good part.
The 1640 letter, from Vienna, says the Spanish ambassador, the Marquis of Castañeda, will explain the new levies begun in the Westphalian Circle by the Elector of Cologne and the estates, and the harm the Emperor fears from them. The only remedy is to raise a larger force there at once, so that the Circle does not fall under another's control; Count Hatzfeld has been ordered to Cologne. Lacking the money, the Emperor asks again, most urgently, that the hundred thousand florins previously requested be paid to his commissioners at Cologne, to be spent only on his express order or on Hatzfeld's assignment.
DECODE catalogues R954, a partly ciphered draft of the 1635 letter with its Latin in clear, beside R1889, the cipher copy. Aligning the two gave a 42-symbol alphabet from the first cipher paragraph; the next paragraph, held out, then read at 87 of 95 letter positions, while the fully assessed key and transcription give 93 of 95 in the comparison passage. The frozen-key holdout is the independent check; the 93-of-95 result includes evidence from that passage. Applied unchanged to the 1640 letter, that alphabet covers 416 of 779 units. The rest fell to a syllabary found in the 1640 text itself: sixty values in regular families (pla ple pli plo plu for ta te ti to tu, 41–54 for le li lo lu na ne ni no nu ra re ri ro ru), with all fifty-one assignments of the 1635 alphabet retained. Work of 18 September 2026 by a native Codex agent; everything is reproducible from the published files with python3 verify.py.
In 1635, one sign yields e where four words need m, and a 7 yields c where civitas needs a. On the photograph, checked on 18 September 2026, the four m-position signs have the same form as the e-position signs and the 7s are plain 7s, so these are the copy's own inconsistencies, not two glyphs conflated in transcription; the reading marks every such place rather than switching the key. The photographed signs in hiberna read 1 11; the word decodes without repair. The draft and the copy differ in wording at several points. In 1640 there is no plaintext witness at all: the reading rests on the alphabet carrying over and on the syllabary making sustained Latin sense across both pages. One sign at an obscured line end and the symbol 14 in Hatzfeld's name are unmapped; igitua, materi and expredse are apparent copying errors.
The draft-and-copy relationship is recorded in the DECODE catalogue, and no earlier reading of either letter was found in the sources checked, but novelty is not established: the Belgian archive lists nineteenth-century copies of this correspondence that were not inspected. No historical key sheet has been recovered.
Left: the cipher rows as transcribed, braces for clear writing. Middle: the Latin, with the editor's word division, capitals and punctuation; square brackets mark a reading supplied or repaired with the draft's help, superscript numbers point to the apparatus. Right: an English translation of that Latin, restorations included. The fold-out under each passage gives the literal decoder output row by row, which is the authority for what the key actually produces. Grades per cipher unit (C draft-derived, M contextual, I amended on review) are in the checks below.
Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand to the future Ferdinand III · Brussels, 16 November 1635 · DECODE R1889, with the Latin draft R954
R1889 · In clear
P1.L01 {Serenissime Rex Dne Consobrine charissime. Lrae Regiae Dig.tis}
P1.L02 {ac Dil.nis Vrae. decima quarta proxime elapsi mensis Octobris datae, mihi}
P1.L03 {fuerunt gratissimae, ob laeta quae ex ijs de ulteriori exercitus Caesarei}
P1.L04 {ad Saram fluvium facto felici progressu, percepi nuntia.}
Serenissime Rex, Domine Consobrine charissime,
Litterae Regiae Dignitatis ac Dilectionis Vestrae, decima quarta proxime elapsi mensis Octobris datae, mihi fuerunt gratissimae, ob laeta quae ex iis de ulteriori exercitus Caesarei ad Saram fluvium facto felici progressu percepi nuntia.
Most serene King, my lord and dearest cousin,
Your letter dated the fourteenth of last October was most welcome to me, for the good news it brought of the imperial army's further successful advance to the River Saar.
| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.L01 | {Serenissime Rex Dne Consobrine charissime. Lrae Regiae Dig.tis} | {Serenissime Rex Dne Consobrine charissime. Lrae Regiae Dig.tis} |
| P1.L02 | {ac Dil.nis Vrae. decima quarta proxime elapsi mensis Octobris datae, mihi} | {ac Dil.nis Vrae. decima quarta proxime elapsi mensis Octobris datae, mihi} |
| P1.L03 | {fuerunt gratissimae, ob laeta quae ex ijs de ulteriori exercitus Caesarei} | {fuerunt gratissimae, ob laeta quae ex ijs de ulteriori exercitus Caesarei} |
| P1.L04 | {ad Saram fluvium facto felici progressu, percepi nuntia.} | {ad Saram fluvium facto felici progressu, percepi nuntia.} |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
R1889 · Cipher rows 5–9, clear 9–11
P1.L05 0 4 10 h 8 m c 22 n . y p i f . 33 23 l 3 . z 37 34 15 32 p 34 {quae Regia}
P1.L06 {Dig.tas ac Dil.o vra.} g q l . 24 t d . 3 15 x 34 f p 39 m q 7 15 37 38
P1.L07 x z m 31 t q 6 a 15 22 n c 7 1 h m g 11 25 x f 20 t 37 38 z 7
P1.L08 x 12 35 15 37 n 34 p . 37 q m 38 11 c 6 32 31 15 5 15 p i 24 .
P1.L09 3 p 26 15 4 m q n 37 . {Desuper Regiam Dig.tem ac Dil.m vram celare}
P1.L10 {nequeo, quod uti nihil mihi optabilius, quam eidem in omnibus grati-}
P1.L11 {ficare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem. Verum cum} x 12 y 15 37 7 31
Ad hiberna vero quod attinet, quae Regia Dignitas ac Dilectio Vestra pro iam dicto exercitu Caesareo in archiepiscopatu ac civitate Trevirensi fieri desiderat: desuper Regiam Dignitatem ac Dilectionem Vestram celare nequeo, quod, uti nihil mihi optabilius quam eidem in omnibus gratificare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem.
As for the winter quarters that you wish to have established for the aforesaid imperial army in the archbishopric and city of Trier, I cannot conceal from you that, just as nothing would please me more than to oblige you in everything, I would gladly do so in this matter too.
x 12 y 15 37 7 31 → ciuitcs; arc below final signs also noted by XZ. Draft main column ciuitas. Image, 18 Sept 2026: the sign is a plain 7 of the same form as the 7s that read c elsewhere, not a z (this hand's z has a long tail) and not a y; the arc sits under 7 31 and is unexplained. [civitas]; the sign is an inherited enciphering mistake or a correction the arc marks, not a transcription ambiguity.| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.L05 | 0 4 10 h 8 m c 22 n . y p i f . 33 23 l 3 . z 37 34 15 32 p 34 {quae Regia} | adhiberna.uero.quod.attinet{quae Regia} |
| P1.L06 | {Dig.tas ac Dil.o vra.} g q l . 24 t d . 3 15 x 34 f p 39 m q 7 15 37 38 | {Dig.tas ac Dil.o vra.}pro.iam.dictoexercitu |
| P1.L07 | x z m 31 t q 6 a 15 22 n c 7 1 h m g 11 25 x f 20 t 37 38 z 7 | caesareoinarchiepiscopatuac |
| P1.L08 | x 12 35 15 37 n 34 p . 37 q m 38 11 c 6 32 31 15 5 15 p i 24 . | ciuitate.treuirensifieri. |
| P1.L09 | 3 p 26 15 4 m q n 37 . {Desuper Regiam Dig.tem ac Dil.m vram celare} | desiderat.{Desuper Regiam Dig.tem ac Dil.m vram celare} |
| P1.L10 | {nequeo, quod uti nihil mihi optabilius, quam eidem in omnibus grati-} | {nequeo, quod uti nihil mihi optabilius, quam eidem in omnibus grati-} |
| P1.L11 | {ficare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem. Verum cum} x 12 y 15 37 7 31 | {ficare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem. Verum cum}ciuitcs |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
R1889 · Cipher rows 11–26
P1.L11 {ficare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem. Verum cum} x 12 y 15 37 7 31
P1.L12 34 q 6 35 15 i p 22 31 24 26 . 12 t 6 11 22 4 m z 4 y 7 p 32 -
P1.L13 34 15 25 . t 32 22 24 25 31 38 8 {Regiae suae Cat.ca matis,} 31 37 m 34
P1.L14 g c a 37 p x 34 15 l 22 m . t 37 30 y 6 {eo nomine} 0 9 6 15 y 25 e 11 19
P1.L15 12 34 p {semper quando id necessitas postulavit} 2 35 p c 15 37 20 c o m =
P1.L16 26 12 4 24 f . d 23 22 11 34 z . {uti etiam fuit cum} 17 n 18 19 y 25
P1.L17 23 m 39 15 19 18 0 q p 16 11 t . 31 38 g 6 q 0 22 31 p z 22 4 m e
P1.L18 f 7 x y g t i m 37 ; {Conveniens esse arbitror, ut} g c z m 31 12
P1.L19 4 15 23 6 . 10 f 7 i p 16 24 y m 12 32 4 11 x 34 t 7 15 23 z
P1.L20 34 m . 18 f x 12 31 30 7 p 7 15 q x 35 d 12 n x p^ 22 34 11
P1.L21 9 23 31 {conservetur, ex quibus} 26 y d m 37 n 18 11 e m 22 34 0
P1.L22 32 p x m 26 31 n c 11 z {tum ad} 25 y 11 24 g 26 15 35 31 . 23 34 15
P1.L23 7 l 22 38 m 32 15 34 37 35 6 . g c 11 22 32 7 15 20 24 25
P1.L24 m 19 p x 37 f i 15 26 ( x y 15 10 7 34 m 22 38 31 p 39
P1.L25 z m c t q 12 l {Regiae suae Cat.ca matis} 9 q f y 12 26 35 e 5 38 15 34 . )
P1.L26 25 38 26 37 p 22 34 t 37 11 f 32 6 d . {Quibus, aliisque bene perpensis}
Verum cum [civitas]¹ Trevirensis [iam]² inde a ducentis annis sub Regiae Suae Catholicae Maiestatis stet protectione, atque eo nomine ab eius milite semper, quando id necessitas postulavit, fuerit praesidio³ munita, uti etiam fuit cum Gallus vexilla regia superans eandem occuparet;⁴ conveniens esse arbitror, ut [praesidium]² hoc [regium]⁵ in dicta [civitate],⁶ [locisque]⁷ [circumiacentibus]⁸ conservetur, ex quibus sumet⁹ alimenta necessaria, tum ad sui ipsius, uti convenit, [tum]² [principis]¹⁰ electoris (cui [hactenus]¹¹ ex aerario Regiae Suae Catholicae Maiestatis [provisum]¹² fuit) sustentationem.
But since the city of Trier has stood under His Catholic Majesty's protection for two hundred years, and on that account has always been fortified with a garrison of his troops whenever necessity required it, as was also the case when the French, overcoming the royal forces, occupied it, I think it appropriate that this royal garrison should be maintained in the said city and the surrounding places. From these it will obtain the necessary supplies, both for its own support and, as is fitting, for the support of the prince-elector, for whom provision has hitherto been made from His Catholic Majesty's treasury.
x 12 y 15 37 7 31 → ciuitcs; arc below final signs also noted by XZ. Draft main column ciuitas. Image, 18 Sept 2026: the sign is a plain 7 of the same form as the 7s that read c elsewhere, not a z (this hand's z has a long tail) and not a y; the arc sits under 7 31 and is unexplained. [civitas]; the sign is an inherited enciphering mistake or a correction the arc marks, not a transcription ambiguity.6 yields e in training Caesareo/Trevirensi, but m would be required in iam, praesidium, tum, militi. Image, 18 Sept 2026: at 3× the four m-position signs (L12 iam, L19, L23, P2.L02) have the same form as the e-position signs (L07, L08, L12 Trevirensis, L14): a tall stroke to the upper right on a closed bowl. XZ's 1635 transcription never uses the label b, but no second glyph is there to be conflated. Mark restorations. The b/6 hypothesis is not supported on this copy: the copy writes the e sign where m is meant, four times. Main decoder retains the frozen e-value.20 c o m, as does the draft margin; the sequence gives praesidio. XZ transcribes 20 0 0 m. The transcription follows the image. The o=a assignment uses comparison-passage evidence (F04), so it is excluded from the frozen-key holdout score.gallus uexilla regia superans eandem occuparet. Retained. Not replaced with the draft's cancelled cum Gallo construction. Gallus is collective “the Frenchman/French.”regiue, final m gives e under the otherwise stable key. Draft regium. [regium]. Cannot be repaired by the separate b/6 hypothesis.ciua/te → civate, not civitate. [civitate], supplying it from the draft/grammar. The draft additionally specifies Trevirensi here; the cipher does not.locisqce, with 7-like sign producing c. Draft locisq. Image, 18 Sept 2026: both 7s in 30 7 p . 7 15 are plain 7s of the same form; neither is a y. [locisque]; an inherited c for u, or the 7 doing duty for the -que abbreviation stroke, which it resembles. Not a transcription ambiguity.circumiac⟦p^⟧ntibus; target uses a p-like sign with a mark. Reading circumiacentibus is likely. Draft main column instead has circumuicinatibus. The mark is retained; no null is invented.sumet vs draft main-column sumat. Preserve target's sumet (“will obtain”), a plausible wording difference.prinncipis, extra n (22 32). Draft Principis. [principis], one n omitted editorially, not removed from cipher data.cuihctenus, lacks a letter for a. Draft has inserted hactenus. Image, 18 Sept 2026: x y 15 10 7 34 with nothing between 10 and 7; the omission is the encipherer's. [hactenus], supplied a. No invisible cipher symbol added.9 q f... → brouisum, but initial sign could be g (p). Draft margin appears g q f...; main draft provisum. [provisum]. Target working 9 retained pending an independent glyph adjudication.| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.L11 | {ficare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem. Verum cum} x 12 y 15 37 7 31 | {ficare, sic et in hac re lubenter vellem. Verum cum}ciuitcs |
| P1.L12 | 34 q 6 35 15 i p 22 31 24 26 . 12 t 6 11 22 4 m z 4 y 7 p 32 - | treuirensis.iaeindeaducen- |
| P1.L13 | 34 15 25 . t 32 22 24 25 31 38 8 {Regiae suae Cat.ca matis,} 31 37 m 34 | tis.annissub{Regiae suae Cat.ca matis,}stet |
| P1.L14 | g c a 37 p x 34 15 l 22 m . t 37 30 y 6 {eo nomine} 0 9 6 15 y 25 e 11 19 | protectione.atque{eo nomine}abeiusmil |
| P1.L15 | 12 34 p {semper quando id necessitas postulavit} 2 35 p c 15 37 20 c o m = | ite{semper quando id necessitas postulavit}fueritprae= |
| P1.L16 | 26 12 4 24 f . d 23 22 11 34 z . {uti etiam fuit cum} 17 n 18 19 y 25 | sidio.munita.{uti etiam fuit cum}gallus |
| P1.L17 | 23 m 39 15 19 18 0 q p 16 11 t . 31 38 g 6 q 0 22 31 p z 22 4 m e | uexillaregia.superanseandem |
| P1.L18 | f 7 x y g t i m 37 ; {Conveniens esse arbitror, ut} g c z m 31 12 | occuparet;{Conveniens esse arbitror, ut}praesi |
| P1.L19 | 4 15 23 6 . 10 f 7 i p 16 24 y m 12 32 4 11 x 34 t 7 15 23 z | diue.hocregiueindictaciua |
| P1.L20 | 34 m . 18 f x 12 31 30 7 p 7 15 q x 35 d 12 n x p^ 22 34 11 | te.locisqcecircumiac⟦p^⟧nti |
| P1.L21 | 9 23 31 {conservetur, ex quibus} 26 y d m 37 n 18 11 e m 22 34 0 | bus{conservetur, ex quibus}sumetalimenta |
| P1.L22 | 32 p x m 26 31 n c 11 z {tum ad} 25 y 11 24 g 26 15 35 31 . 23 34 15 | necessaria{tum ad}suiipsius.uti |
| P1.L23 | 7 l 22 38 m 32 15 34 37 35 6 . g c 11 22 32 7 15 20 24 25 | conuenittue.prinncipis |
| P1.L24 | m 19 p x 37 f i 15 26 ( x y 15 10 7 34 m 22 38 31 p 39 | electoris(cuihctenusex |
| P1.L25 | z m c t q 12 l {Regiae suae Cat.ca matis} 9 q f y 12 26 35 e 5 38 15 34 . ) | aerario{Regiae suae Cat.ca matis}brouisumfuit.) |
| P1.L26 | 25 38 26 37 p 22 34 t 37 11 f 32 6 d . {Quibus, aliisque bene perpensis} | sustentationem.{Quibus, aliisque bene perpensis} |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
R1889 · Cipher rows P2.2–4, clear to the end
P1.L26 25 38 26 37 p 22 34 t 37 11 f 32 6 d . {Quibus, aliisque bene perpensis}
P2.L01 {rationibus ac circumstantiis, nullatenus dubito, Regiam Dig.tem ac Dil.m vram}
P2.L02 {quod} 6 12 19 11 34 24 x n m 26 z c p l 15 22 3 12 7 37 11 25 .
P2.L03 18 f x 24 31 4 15 5 2 12 7 y 19 34 m q . 1 11 9 p q 32 z . 7 f 22
P2.L04 x 6 3 15 20 f 31 26 12 22 37 {aeque bonique laturam: Cui de caetero}
P2.L05 {diuturnam incolumitatem, et optatos apprecor rerum omnium successus.}
P2.L06 {Datae Bruxellis XVI. mensis Novembris. Anno MDCXXXV.}
P2.L07 {Regiae Dig.tis ac Dil.nis Vrae.}
Quibus aliisque bene perpensis rationibus ac circumstantiis, nullatenus dubito Regiam Dignitatem ac Dilectionem Vestram, quod [militi]² Caesareo in dictis locis difficulter hiberna¹³ concedi possint, aeque bonique laturam; cui de caetero diuturnam incolumitatem et optatos apprecor rerum omnium successus.
Datae Bruxellis XVI mensis Novembris, anno MDCXXXV.
Regiae Dignitatis ac Dilectionis Vestrae [subscription not completed in this copy].
Having duly weighed these and the other reasons and circumstances, I have no doubt that you will take it in good part that winter quarters can only with difficulty be granted to the imperial troops in these places. I pray for your lasting well-being and for the desired success of all your affairs.
Given at Brussels, 16 November 1635.
6 yields e in training Caesareo/Trevirensi, but m would be required in iam, praesidium, tum, militi. Image, 18 Sept 2026: at 3× the four m-position signs (L12 iam, L19, L23, P2.L02) have the same form as the e-position signs (L07, L08, L12 Trevirensis, L14): a tall stroke to the upper right on a closed bowl. XZ's 1635 transcription never uses the label b, but no second glyph is there to be conflated. Mark restorations. The b/6 hypothesis is not supported on this copy: the copy writes the e sign where m is meant, four times. Main decoder retains the frozen e-value.i u 9 p q 32 z → r⟦u⟧berna. Draft hiberna. Image evidence, 18 Sept 2026: the first sign carries the top-left flag of this hand's digit 1 and has no i-dot (compare 1 in L07 and the dotted i in L12); the u-shape is two flagged strokes joined at the foot, the digit 11 written without lifting the pen (compare the separate 11 in P2.L02). The image supports 1 11 9 p q 32 z; XZ's transcription is documented in the file header. hiberna is literal output under the key (1=h, 11=i). Both units are graded C from the draft alignment.| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.L26 | 25 38 26 37 p 22 34 t 37 11 f 32 6 d . {Quibus, aliisque bene perpensis} | sustentationem.{Quibus, aliisque bene perpensis} |
| P2.L01 | {rationibus ac circumstantiis, nullatenus dubito, Regiam Dig.tem ac Dil.m vram} | {rationibus ac circumstantiis, nullatenus dubito, Regiam Dig.tem ac Dil.m vram} |
| P2.L02 | {quod} 6 12 19 11 34 24 x n m 26 z c p l 15 22 3 12 7 37 11 25 . | {quod}eiliticaesareoindictis. |
| P2.L03 | 18 f x 24 31 4 15 5 2 12 7 y 19 34 m q . 1 11 9 p q 32 z . 7 f 22 | locisdifficulter.hiberna.con |
| P2.L04 | x 6 3 15 20 f 31 26 12 22 37 {aeque bonique laturam: Cui de caetero} | cedipossint{aeque bonique laturam: Cui de caetero} |
| P2.L05 | {diuturnam incolumitatem, et optatos apprecor rerum omnium successus.} | {diuturnam incolumitatem, et optatos apprecor rerum omnium successus.} |
| P2.L06 | {Datae Bruxellis XVI. mensis Novembris. Anno MDCXXXV.} | {Datae Bruxellis XVI. mensis Novembris. Anno MDCXXXV.} |
| P2.L07 | {Regiae Dig.tis ac Dil.nis Vrae.} | {Regiae Dig.tis ac Dil.nis Vrae.} |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
Ferdinand III to Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand · Vienna, 22 February 1640 · DECODE R1890, no plaintext witness
R1890 · Heading and salutation in clear, then cipher columns 1–9
P1.C01 op fu 47 ap tis 34 hi 41 x pli 21 47 23 m 25 34 c o m f 50 plo ?
P1.C02 en 51 47 25 in ci 51 it 26 ap plo 42 ip ca c 7 gi a ap 31 pla
P1.C03 16 46 pli m t 30 23 z p ip c ap 48 y 35 d n g au 50 plu d
P1.C04 ci 42 pli 26 12 22 ip c up 43 38 m 31 37 20 ga 42 op t 9
P1.C05 m 41 7 plo 51 op 43 47 t m p 34 25 pla pli tus 26 12 19
P1.C06 42 23 31 ip c up 42 15 22 ep 20 plu d n x 33 23 n p 24 22
P1.C07 he 15 22 20 q z 6 15 35 hi ip y e tos 47 uu 8 42 ip m 37 p pli
P1.C08 o b ko cu 26 32 21 26 34 c z m y p 51 n cu q 24 22 op e co
P1.C09 ha en up e mu in 38 26 op 32 plu 42 cu 26
Ferdinandus Tertius, divina favente clementia electus Romanorum Imperator, semper Augustus, etc.
Reverendissime ac Serenissime Princeps, frater et consobrine charissime.
Comunicabit Dilectioni Vestrae orato[r] Serenissimi Regis Catolici, marchio Castagneti, ea quae circa novum apparatum militis in circulo Westphalico ab electore Coloniae et statibus illius circuli inceptum, ac quae inde in praeiudicium boni publici et etiam domus nostrae vereamur incommoda, secum fusius contulimus.
Ferdinand III, by the favour of divine clemency elected Roman Emperor, ever august, etc.
Most reverend and most serene prince, dearest brother and cousin,
The ambassador of the Most Serene Catholic King, the Marquis of Castagneti, will inform you of the matters we have discussed with him at greater length concerning the new preparations for raising troops in the Westphalian Circle, begun by the Elector of Cologne and the estates of that Circle, and of the harm which we fear may result to the public good and also to our own house.
op fu 47 ap tis 34 → comunicabit; fu occurs only here. Single m retained. fu=mu is provisional; mmu would also fit classical spelling. No extra m inserted into decoder output.... f 50 plo ? → orato⟦?⟧; right edge is obscured. Supply [r]. No value assigned to ?.ap 31 pla / 16 46 pli → castagneti. Retain this Latin title spelling, without replacing it by a modern Spanish spelling. The ambassador is plausibly the Marquis of Castañeda; that historical identification was not needed to select the syllabary.| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.C01 | op fu 47 ap tis 34 hi 41 x pli 21 47 23 m 25 34 c o m f 50 plo ? | comunicabitdilectioniuestraeorato⟦?⟧ |
| P1.C02 | en 51 47 25 in ci 51 it 26 ap plo 42 ip ca c 7 gi a ap 31 pla | serenissimiregiscatolicimarchiocasta |
| P1.C03 | 16 46 pli m t 30 23 z p ip c ap 48 y 35 d n g au 50 plu d | gnetieaquaecircanouumapparatum |
| P1.C04 | ci 42 pli 26 12 22 ip c up 43 38 m 31 37 20 ga 42 op t 9 | militisincirculouestphalicoab |
| P1.C05 | m 41 7 plo 51 op 43 47 t m p 34 25 pla pli tus 26 12 19 | electorecoloniaeetstatibusil |
| P1.C06 | 42 23 31 ip c up 42 15 22 ep 20 plu d n x 33 23 n p 24 22 | liuscirculiinceptumacquaein |
| P1.C07 | he 15 22 20 q z 6 15 35 hi ip y e tos 47 uu 8 42 ip m 37 p pli | deinpraeiudiciumbonipublicieteti |
| P1.C08 | o b ko cu 26 32 21 26 34 c z m y p 51 n cu q 24 22 op e co | amdomusnostraeuereamurincommo |
| P1.C09 | ha en up e mu in 38 26 op 32 plu 42 cu 26 | dasecumfusiuscontulimus |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
R1890 · Cipher columns 10–24
P1.C10 up d 12 17 24 plu t 15 19 44 4 46 ot pli y d ep 41 52 51
P1.C11 ce hi f 12 22 hi et t 34 32 m 30 35 p t 42 23 25 g 53 m f
P1.C12 lx up c q t 37 co hu 25 30 35 t b 23 37 m 34 48 26 me 25
P1.C13 pli 45 32 ple c op 18 41 x pli 21 46 e ci 42 pli 25 30 23 11
P1.C14 15 32 ou ple 22 pli f 51 e 49 ce 54 e 33 y t b hi x plu 26
P1.C15 o g au 50 plu 31 en m 39 ple 32 ha 37 12 22 15 19 42 26
P1.C16 au c pli tus 31 15 32 26 pli plu n cu 25 in o 42 t 31 42 tes
P1.C17 50 e hi 25 ou in pli f 46 d 12 tis he e en c 23 t 51 m 37
P1.C18 20 c t p ap 35 m 51 38 6 42 cu 31 46 15 18 41 ip c up 44 31
P1.C19 n 42 m 48 t c tis 37 52 f un 9 11 15 ip o plu q f c hi 45
P1.C20 35 24 cu 26 p t 20 53 g ple c 33 35 n pli 49 26 op ce 25
P1.C21 ga 14 me 19 hi 35 31 en op 32 me 25 37 24 d op 43 47 o e
P1.C22 37 50 32 25 me c q m n 37 30 35 p 10 38 12 x 21 eu 52
P1.C23 33 23 t ca 24 f 51 ou ple 25 37 ep 41 52 pla ple ca 49 d
P1.C24 t 4 co y p 51 he tes z 34 . he mi ip m 32 pli tus 26 y m 53
Cum [igitur] illud negotium celeri remedio indigeat neque alius pro eo occurrat modus quam ut et nos festinanter collectionem militis, qui in potentiorem numerum quam dictus apparatus se extendat, in illis partibus instituamus, si alias liberam dispositionem ibidem servare et praecavere velimus ne ille circulus alieno arbitrio subiiciatur, ordinavimus ea propter quatinus comes [Hatzfeldius] se confestim Coloniam transferre atque huic operi, qua maiore potest celeritate, manum admovere debeat.
Since this affair therefore requires a speedy remedy, and no other course presents itself than for us also to undertake promptly the raising of troops in those parts, in greater numbers than the said preparations envisage, if we are to retain freedom of action there and prevent that Circle from being subjected to another's control, we have accordingly ordered Count [Hatzfeld] to proceed immediately to Cologne and take this work in hand with all possible speed.
12 17 24 plu t → igitua. [igitur]. Final t produces a, unlike expected r. No t/r key switch.ple/i?, visually closer to pli, yields quatinus. Retain variant quatinus. Review is logged and context-assisted.ga 14 me 19 hi 35 31 / ga 14 me 18 hi 12 → ha⟦14⟧feldius/ii. [Hatzfeldius/ii], probable name identification. 14 remains unassigned: z versus tz, a spelling variant, or another glyph requires better evidence. Two occurrences of the same name are not independent lexical evidence.lx=oc in occurrat, li=xi in existentium. Contextual singleton group values, provisional. Source labels preserved; these are not claims that both glyph labels are palaeographically final.| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.C10 | up d 12 17 24 plu t 15 19 44 4 46 ot pli y d ep 41 52 51 | cumigituailludnegotiumcelerire |
| P1.C11 | ce hi f 12 22 hi et t 34 32 m 30 35 p t 42 23 25 g 53 m f | medioindigeatnequealiusproeo |
| P1.C12 | lx up c q t 37 co hu 25 30 35 t b 23 37 m 34 48 26 me 25 | occurratmodusquamutetnosfes |
| P1.C13 | pli 45 32 ple c op 18 41 x pli 21 46 e ci 42 pli 25 30 23 11 | tinantercollectionemmilitisqui |
| P1.C14 | 15 32 ou ple 22 pli f 51 e 49 ce 54 e 33 y t b hi x plu 26 | inpotentioremnumerumquamdictus |
| P1.C15 | o g au 50 plu 31 en m 39 ple 32 ha 37 12 22 15 19 42 26 | apparatusseextendatinillis |
| P1.C16 | au c pli tus 31 15 32 26 pli plu n cu 25 in o 42 t 31 42 tes | partibusinstituamussialiaslibe |
| P1.C17 | 50 e hi 25 ou in pli f 46 d 12 tis he e en c 23 t 51 m 37 | ramdispositionemibidemseruareet |
| P1.C18 | 20 c t p ap 35 m 51 38 6 42 cu 31 46 15 18 41 ip c up 44 31 | praecauereuelimusneillecirculus |
| P1.C19 | n 42 m 48 t c tis 37 52 f un 9 11 15 ip o plu q f c hi 45 | alienoarbitriosubiiciaturordina |
| P1.C20 | 35 24 cu 26 p t 20 53 g ple c 33 35 n pli 49 26 op ce 25 | uimuseapropterquatinuscomes |
| P1.C21 | ga 14 me 19 hi 35 31 en op 32 me 25 37 24 d op 43 47 o e | ha⟦14⟧feldiusseconfestimcoloniam |
| P1.C22 | 37 50 32 25 me c q m n 37 30 35 p 10 38 12 x 21 eu 52 | transferreatquehuicoperi |
| P1.C23 | 33 23 t ca 24 f 51 ou ple 25 37 ep 41 52 pla ple ca 49 d | quamaiorepotestceleritatemanum |
| P1.C24 | t 4 co y p 51 he tes z 34 . he mi ip m 32 pli tus 26 y m 53 | admoueredebeat.deficientibusuero |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
R1890 · Cipher columns 24–P2.13
P1.C24 t 4 co y p 51 he tes z 34 . he mi ip m 32 pli tus 26 y m 53
P1.C25 48 tis 31 g 53 p l un e 20 pli tus 25 46 ep 25 an 52 12 31
P1.C26 eu pli cu 25 o hi 41 x pli 21 46 23 p 26 37 50 he 49 21
P2.C01 eu c 12 32 26 pla 22 ple c 30 y o ple 49 25 12 24 31 30 y o m
P2.C02 in tis 20 c t m hi 7 plu 26 f 50 plo q 15 32 ga 7 ca ple 52
P2.C03 hi 26 pli 32 7 pli 23 26 p 36 ou in plu 54 31 p 26 37 f d 47
P2.C04 co ha d mi he d ga tes 51 p 37 op 32 in he 50 pla 51 15
P2.C05 17 50 23 15 pla ple he in he 50 plo 31 ga 7 ple 49 25
P2.C06 ep 22 plu d ci 19 41 5 43 51 48 25 op 43 47 t e up 26
P2.C07 plo hi z m 48 25 37 53 54 d 15 tis he d m li 31 ple 32
P2.C08 pli y e op e ci 25 an 52 f 54 d ( 30 y 12 tus 31 p 39 g 51 3
P2.C09 en 12 32 15 35 22 it cu 25 46 33 23 12 4 30 38 t d m 39
P2.C10 24 18 42 25 g c z p ple c p 36 g 51 25 un d ca 22 ha
P2.C11 plu e 48 31 37 54 e z 23 37 op ci pli 26 ga 14 me 18 hi 12
P2.C12 t 26 in 17 45 pli f 46 e m 36 eu 22 ha 32 37 ) op 32 in 17
P2.C13 45 52 up 50 51 23 m 42 37 {De catero eidem Dil^{oi} Vra}
Deficientibus vero nobis pro eo sumptibus necessariis, petimus a Dilectione Vestra denuo perinstanter quatenus iis quae sibi praedictus orator in [materia] distinctius expositurus est omnimodam fidem habere et, considerata rei gravitate, desideratos hactenus centum mille florenos Coloniam custodiae nostrorum ibidem existentium commissariorum (quibus [expresse] iniungimus ne quidquam ex illis praeter expressum mandatum nostrum aut comitis [Hatzfeldii] assignationem expendant) consignari curare velit.
As we lack the funds necessary for this, we again ask you most urgently to place full confidence in what the aforesaid ambassador will explain to you more distinctly on this subject and, considering the gravity of the matter, to arrange for the hundred thousand florins previously requested to be delivered to Cologne into the custody of our commissioners residing there. We expressly instruct them to spend none of those funds except under our express command or Count [Hatzfeld]'s authorization.
ga 14 me 19 hi 35 31 / ga 14 me 18 hi 12 → ha⟦14⟧feldius/ii. [Hatzfeldius/ii], probable name identification. 14 remains unassigned: z versus tz, a spelling variant, or another glyph requires better evidence. Two occurrences of the same name are not independent lexical evidence.... ca ple 52 / hi... → materi / di.... [materia] supplies absent final a; no invisible token inserted.p 39 g 51 3 / en → expred/se. Last sign is at dark right edge. [expresse]; final visible 3 may conceal a following 1, which would yield 31=s. Retain source 3 until that reading is established.lx=oc in occurrat, li=xi in existentium. Contextual singleton group values, provisional. Source labels preserved; these are not claims that both glyph labels are palaeographically final.| Row | Cipher row as transcribed | Literal decoder output, no repairs |
|---|---|---|
| P1.C24 | t 4 co y p 51 he tes z 34 . he mi ip m 32 pli tus 26 y m 53 | admoueredebeat.deficientibusuero |
| P1.C25 | 48 tis 31 g 53 p l un e 20 pli tus 25 46 ep 25 an 52 12 31 | nobisproeosumptibusnecessariis |
| P1.C26 | eu pli cu 25 o hi 41 x pli 21 46 23 p 26 37 50 he 49 21 | petimusadilectioneuestradenuo |
| P2.C01 | eu c 12 32 26 pla 22 ple c 30 y o ple 49 25 12 24 31 30 y o m | perinstanterquatenusiisquae |
| P2.C02 | in tis 20 c t m hi 7 plu 26 f 50 plo q 15 32 ga 7 ca ple 52 | sibipraedictusoratorinhacmateri |
| P2.C03 | hi 26 pli 32 7 pli 23 26 p 36 ou in plu 54 31 p 26 37 f d 47 | distinctiusexpositurusestomni |
| P2.C04 | co ha d mi he d ga tes 51 p 37 op 32 in he 50 pla 51 15 | modamfidemhabereetconsideratarei |
| P2.C05 | 17 50 23 15 pla ple he in he 50 plo 31 ga 7 ple 49 25 | grauitatedesideratoshactenus |
| P2.C06 | ep 22 plu d ci 19 41 5 43 51 48 25 op 43 47 t e up 26 | centummilleflorenoscoloniamcus |
| P2.C07 | plo hi z m 48 25 37 53 54 d 15 tis he d m li 31 ple 32 | todiaenostrorumibidemexisten |
| P2.C08 | pli y e op e ci 25 an 52 f 54 d ( 30 y 12 tus 31 p 39 g 51 3 | tiumcommissariorum(quibusexpred |
| P2.C09 | en 12 32 15 35 22 it cu 25 46 33 23 12 4 30 38 t d m 39 | seiniungimusnequidquamex |
| P2.C10 | 24 18 42 25 g c z p ple c p 36 g 51 25 un d ca 22 ha | illispraeterexpressummanda |
| P2.C11 | plu e 48 31 37 54 e z 23 37 op ci pli 26 ga 14 me 18 hi 12 | tumnostrumautcomitisha⟦14⟧feldii |
| P2.C12 | t 26 in 17 45 pli f 46 e m 36 eu 22 ha 32 37 ) op 32 in 17 | assignationemexpendant)consig |
| P2.C13 | 45 52 up 50 51 23 m 42 37 {De catero eidem Dil^{oi} Vra} | naricurareuelit{De catero eidem Dil^{oi} Vra} |
Mechanical output of the published key files with no editorial repair. Braces are clear writing; double brackets mark a unit the key does not cover. From results/.
R1890 · In clear; not part of the cipher transcription
The heading, salutation, closing and signature are in clear and are not part of the cipher transcription.
De caetero eidem Dilectioni Vestrae a Deo praepotente omnia ad votum prospera ac felicia desideramus. Dabantur in civitate nostra Viennensi die vigesima secunda mensis Februarii, anni salutis millesimi sexcentesimi quadragesimi, regnorum nostrorum Romani quarto, Hungarici decimo quinto et Boemici decimo tertio.
Eiusdem Dilectionis Vestrae benevolus consobrinus et frater,
Ferdinandus.
For the rest, we wish you, from Almighty God, every prosperity and happiness according to your wishes. Given at our city of Vienna on 22 February 1640, the fourth year of our Roman reign, the fifteenth of our Hungarian reign, and the thirteenth of our Bohemian reign.
Your affectionate cousin and brother,
Ferdinand.
l/z?→z, joined c/1?o/0?→co. Original imported token stream remains unchanged. The reviewed stream and its literal output are separate. Some choices use plaintext context and must not be counted as independent validation.Transliterated glyph labels, not a facsimile of a historical key. The 1635 alphabet has two to five signs per letter; forty-two assignments were frozen from the first paragraph and nine added from the held-out and final passages with their evidence recorded. Plaintext u and v are one letter. The 1640 supplement keeps all fifty-one and adds sixty syllable values; b is m there, which bears on the 1635 e/m problem without settling it.
| Plain | Cipher signs (1635) |
|---|---|
| a | 0, n, z, t, o |
| b | 8, 9 |
| c | x, 7 |
| d | 4, 3 |
| e | m, p, 6 |
| f | 5, 2 |
| g | 17, 16 |
| h | 10, 1 |
| i | h, 15, 24, 11, 12 |
| l | 18, 19 |
| m | d, e |
| n | 22, 32 |
| o | f, l, a |
| p | g, 20 |
| q | 33, 30 |
| r | c, i, q |
| s | 31, 25, 26 |
| t | 37, 34 |
| u | y, 23, 38, 35 |
| x | 39 |
The 1640 syllabary, by family. Unused grid cells are omitted; the four singletons in the last row are provisional.
| Cipher family | Plaintext values |
|---|---|
41 42 43 44 | le li lo lu |
45 46 47 48 49 | na ne ni no nu |
50 51 52 53 54 | ra re ri ro ru |
pla ple pli plo plu | ta te ti to tu |
ap ep ip op up | ca ce ci co cu |
ca ce ci co cu | ma me mi mo mu |
ha he hi hu | da de di du |
an en in un | sa se si su |
tes tis tos tus | be bi bo bu |
au eu ou uu | pa pe po pu |
me mi mu | fe fi fu |
ga gi | ha hi |
it ot et | gi go ge |
21 36 b | o x m |
ko fu lx li | do mu oc xi (singletons, provisional) |
From KEY.md; occurrence-level evidence in key-evidence.tsv and key-1640-evidence.tsv.
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| Frozen key, 1635 | 42 assignments from cipher rows 5–9 aligned to the draft; file hash recorded |
| Held-out paragraph, 1635 | 87 of 95 letter positions agree with the draft; 5 positions unknown, 3 mismatch (the civitas, iam and praesidio signs) |
| Final comparison passage, 1635 | 93 of 95 with the image-checked transcription and o=a; this uses evidence from the comparison passage, whose two remaining signs sit in securely readable words |
| Unchanged transfer to 1640 | 416 of 779 imported units read with the 1635 alphabet alone |
| 1640 supplement | 60 syllable values supplement the unchanged 1635 alphabet; 779 of 782 reviewed units covered. Coverage, not verified accuracy |
| Grades, 1635 (R1889) | 447 C · 16 M · 0 I |
| Grades, 1640 (R1890, reviewed stream) | 416 C · 347 M · 19 I |
C means the value came from the 1635 draft alignment; it is not a claim of an independent 1640 witness. The sixty contextual 1640 values are graded M throughout, including the well-corroborated syllable families, because no matched-control cryptanalytic claim is made for them. I marks the nineteen 1640 units affected by the sixteen review amendments. Grades attach to literal units, not to the editorial restorations in the Latin.
There is no matched control here in the sense of the repository's conventions: the 1635 reading is a documentary alignment, checked on held-out text, and the 1640 reading is contextual. The per-unit grade files are R1889-token-grades.tsv and R1890-token-grades.tsv; the full audit is in VALIDATION.md.
p sign in circumiacentibus, apparent omissions and a doubled n.14 in Hatzfeld's name; a few singleton syllable values; the copying errors igitua, materi, expredse.