05/09/2020

An Unsolved Cipher to Cardinal Mazarin? (1649)

I added an unsolved letter from Henri Brasset, a French resident in The Hague, to "Vostre Eminence" (Mazarin?), in "Unsolved Historical Ciphers". The figures with diacritics probably represent syllables alphabetically arranged and some words and names, as with other ciphers at the time (see here).
There are many interesting patterns, but my attempt has not been successful.
For example, there are many instances of "S 7:" (in my transcription). I guessed this might be "qu e". If so, "S 7: 34 S 7:" is "quelque". "n+", which appears some characters after "mesmes" in clear, might be "s". The pattern AxyA may be "de ma n de" or "re n d re" etc. All these guesses led nowhere.



For what it is worth, my provisional (rather inaccurate) transcription is given below. The original image should be consulted, in which even word breaks may be apparent in some cases.


BnF Clair 421
(f.160)
Je luy parlay en suite de 60 S 3 z+ 37 78' S 86~ 14 m m, 22 16
(f.160v)
B 31' q 80' llp 2: q= 66: 2+ 43~ 62: 34 ty* z+ p 63~ 42~
n+ 5 17^ 61: 46~ y- z+ 27 87~ 43~ 80' q= S 7: L: 87~ * p 54~ *
p 91~ r w 57~ y- n+ m, x n+ m, 4: nn 2: z+ 37: 62' m, ttp
43~ 88~ m, a m- 2: 80' 2+ x 28' 60' S 7: 87~ 62: 33: 8~ n+ *
m- 34' 16 14 h- w 31: 47: p- 16 85~ 36' 43~ 59~ p- 14 m, 4~
q= 62' 65: y- m, 16 B p 91~ r 33: 2+ s 22 10 S 7: 87~ n+
n+ q= 62: 65: y- m, 16 B p 91~ r 35: 2+ s 22 w S 7: 8*
63: 75' 86' 36: 30' w 18' 80' 83' 2+ 45~ 66: 2+ 3~ S *
85~ 59~ p- 14 m, x 52: 2+ 65: y- 37 14 a+ 43~ 29' 14
84' J 66: m, x 62: [ 65: y- m- ] 40: 35 50: 78' p- a+
86~ 57~ m, 63^ 27 60' q= x w 35 62: 31' 64' 3~ 25' *
w 47: 66: vi 58: q= 65 43~ 80' 4 53~ g S 8~ w q- n+
7: 82' y x selon que Vostre Eminence aura veu par
premiere de mes deux precedentes.
Mais Monseigneur 17: 37: S 7: y 14 34 62' nn
ξ m, 86~ h- 80' x r ξ δ 14 w S 7: n 63: 3 14 m,
47: 51: q- 62: y- 2+ x 28' 43~ 7: q- 2+ 14 n 63: 8*~
63: C'est que J'ay este adverty par 63: 59' 6: 5*
43~ 60' S 7: y n+ 31: 16 q y 91~ p- 2+ 32 w S 7 91~
7: 87' 12: 14 w 63 77 x 80' z+ 86~ m, 87~ n 63: 14' *
53~ 14 43~ 60' x 7 91 2: 54~ q= 81' n- 63: r h- 3~ 2*
w 75' 16 59~ y m- z+ nn w n+ s 45~ y- n- x 2: 7*'
27 2+ 1~ m, x S 7: 63: q 80' 58~ 14 q= y- m, 2: 80' z+
w 5 δ 37 34 r n- 55~ q= 28' 43~ 59' 88~ m, 16 4: 81
S 7: w 63: y nn 59: 75' 32' n+ 2+ 79' 80' q= S 7*
27 3~ 81~ p 91~ r 3 25' 43~ 62: 40: n+ m, x 80' 50: 43~
62' nn 82' m 75' 2+ 28' 60' S 7: 34 S 7: 62: 34' y-
85~ 36~ 2: 62: 44: 37 4: nn 2: 86 86~ 56~ n+ 43~ 55~
(f.161)
n+ q= n+ m, 62' 80' 2+ 62: 59~ y- 3~ n+ 56: 79' nn S 8 80' 2*
2: 43~ 58~ 55~ 60' n+ m, 60' 78' p- 2+ w 60' S 8 86~ 85~ **
y- 75' q= 60' 33' 43~ 47~ m, s a+ n+ m, 62' 3 m 91~ o 63: 51: q z+
m, x 62: 39: 34 62: y- m, z+ 27 66: n+ w 63: 8~ n+ m, x
43~ 51: 53 25' q- 4: nn x g 85~ y 2+ p 53~ 14 nn m, 34 q- 62:
a 87~ q= n+ B x 80' z+ 66: n+ m, 60' S 7: 4: nn 2: 2+ 50:
44~ 55~ 59: m, 60' 2+ 28' 51: 36: 14 2+ 14 x 28' 86~ 2+ r 58~
a+ 80~ m x 79' nn n+ 3 79' 2+ p 53~ q= S 7: w 63: 71' y-
x 36: 78' z+ 86~ q- 24' x 80' x 62: 80' 56: p 3~ 25' 34 x
85~ y h- 2: 66 m, z+ 34 52~ nn w x a+ q g 58: 61' n+ q-
z+ 43~ w 13~ n+ ... avoir peril le preratoir du
75' 31' 8~ 87~ 25' 43~ p 52~ q- 59' 2+ θ qug 58: 60' 2+
60' 91 h- n+ x 2: 31' 8~ m, 60' 2: 71' m, x 14 m- 52: 62: y
75' 60' nn B S 8~ p- p 91~ q- 80' 2: m, 45~ y- n+ m, x *
56~ m, 45~ 50: m y- 55~ 59: q- r 57: 9: 81' 86~ q= 88~ m, y n
2: m, 3~ 25' 8 5 60' 80' m, 27 x 80' 15 S 7: 4 w x 60 *
S 7: 60' nn B 8 25' x 15 49: 5 61: p- 62: 2+ 60' m, 42~ m *
63: 7: nn 63: m, x 83~ nn 2+ 68 91~ z+ n+ q- y- ξ 2+ S 7:
16 27' nn x
Je le priay la dessu de 35: 27 q 80' m, 5 q- n+ r 2+ 8 r
q= S 7: 62: 80' 88~ nn q= 60' S 7: w 63: q- 80' 2 m, f 91~ 28'
62: 56: 80' n+ 43~ 62: 40: n+ m, x 80' 50: 42: nn B 62'
nn 82' m, 75' 2+ 75' 51: n+ 2+ p 52~ 79' 82' y- x 30' 28'
62: nn 82' m, 75' 51 n+ 2+ p 52~ 79' 82' y- x 30' 28' 62:
34' 35 S 7: 86~ 57~ m, 63: 86~ m, 3~ 14' S 7: 36' y- n+ nn q-
2+ 47~ y- 2+ n+ w 63: 65: 2: 2+ 59~ y 3 75' y- r 15' 8 91~
60' x 7 91~ 2: 34' 71~ ξ 85~ 56 80' 87~ B 59~ p 2+ 45' S
7: w 32: 80~ 27 m 63: m, 60' 63: 40: 27 x 80' 60' x 37 Lx
(f.161v)
q θ S 7: 28' 1 m, x a 37 y- 66: 82' y- a+ S 7: 28
26~ 43~ ξ 82' y- x n+ 3 q- 57~ p- n+ 4: nn 2: 2+ 80~
5 86 ξ 86~ 2+ 27' 35: 28' 63' q= 25~ n+ m, 88~ 4*
16 B 3 2: S 7: 60' nn B 61 48~ 2+ 86= m, x f n- 55~
43~ 33 75' q- 50: 65: y- m, 2+ r 62: 34' w 15' [55~
Monseigneur, 60' m, 37 78' S 60' S g: m, 46~ y- o x
74' 80' q= 43~ 63: nn q= 27 56: y- p 2: ainsy que je
represente par plusieurs de mes precedentes.
En surcte Je 28' 62: p- x 2+ q= n δ 43~ 12' 63:
w 43~ 5~ 80' 2+ 75' n+ 6 91~ w 63: 75' 65: 46~
80~ 63: 7^ 9^ 5^ 14' 62 24' 3~ 2: 57 nn p 53~ 89~
n- 62: 2+ 65: 43~ 88~ m, 31' 60' 43 q= S 7: w
43~ 2: S 7 52~ nn 2: 34*' 1~ m, x 16 80' 49~ q= *
60' S 8~ y 43~ 9: y- x 16 86~ q= 8~ 60' 63~ 95:
2+ 65: 5 91~ y- 37 n+ a+ S b: w 537 y- 66: 25*
r m, 60' θ r 58~ 3~ n+ S 7: nn uo n+ δ 16 f *
27' 51:
27~ 45~ ξ 2^ y- 81' n+ 80' 65 2: 2+ 59~ y- J 71'
y- q= 66: 2+ 66: 55' 16 62' nn q- 36' 43~ 2: m, *
86~ le monstant mesme 79' q= 89~ r 43~ n+ S 9:*
nn 2+ x 36 41: 4 q= x 16 32 87~ n+ nn q= 65: q=
51: 88~ nn 2+ x 85~ y- 86, Ce fut son mot, 63: 27
43~ 14' 43~ w 13~ 14 27' 43~ S 87~ 3 q- 50: 88~ nn
m, 2+ Et suraque ce luy exageray la 87~ m,
n+ 80' 37 66: 6 r g 46~ o 3 25' S 7: ξ X n
y- x 14 ξ 14 27' 51: 5 w 63: r m, 43~ 66: ξ 85~ *
7: 63: 86~ h 80' 7~ y- 80' 51: 16 w y- x 36: n+ m,
s 86 S 7: 8 91~ 60' 71: 9: y- n+ m, x 37 n+ S 7: 34 r
m, 60' 2+ θ S 7: ξ u n+ S 86~ 2+ 4: y- x 88~ nn
(f.162)
43~ m 62: 80' n+ 75' 32' 44' 35: 27' 51: 87~ w 75' m 52~
m 59: q- y x 43~ 80' 55~ 60: 25' w y- 14 66: 59~ S 6: p-
43~ 60' 2+ 2; y- 3 q- 80' 2+ 87~ 25' 43~ 62: S 7: w 63
toutes foys je veoy bien que 60' [m B] ξ r S 8~ 87~ m,
2: 80 2+ 86~ m, x 27' 51: 86~ 7: nn 63' m, x 86~ q= 8~ q=
Si Dieu nous faict la grace ....
....

... a leurs passion 60' 86~ y- 9 76'
nn q= 16 85~ 13: 36' n+ m, q- 56~ 2+ 2 58 3: 9' 79' m, 3 q=
43~ 88~ m, n+ 3 29' 2: 14.
Je plains bien Monseigneur le γ 57~ m, 51~ n+ nn q-
2+ θ 41~ 58: 41~ w 2: a+ S 7: 12' 43~ 50~ m, 54' a+ x 52*
nn 75' r 100~ 3 2+ x 80' 42~ 3 θ 9: nn s 82 y **
27 r 81' 58' n+ q= S 7: w n- nn n+ m 54~ 86~ 27' 57: 5*
55~ 2: q= 84' 75' 50~ 61' r 3~ 25' 15 50~ h- 80' 32 37 43
q= x 47~ p- n- 63 n+ m, 2: w 50: 65 3~ n+ 80' 2+ θ 65
q- 80' 86~ m, 60' quil sembloit desirer soit par
civilite ou autrement 71' ξ 82' y- x 86~ q= 8~ S 6: 16
J 66 m, 2: q= 50: h- 62: x 43~ 60' x 7 91~ 2: r 35: S 8
75' m, r 34 y- r S 7: x 82' q- 15' n+ 6 91~ w 63: 37
43~ 62 71' 5~ 80' 43~ 60' w 50: S 9: m, 75' 79' w 91~
nn w x 27 56: y- 80' 45' 78' 2+ 66~ q- 28' 44~ 7: q-
86~ 2+ 57' m 33~ 2+ S 8~ 4: nn x n+ 2+ 50~ m, x q-
r 2+ nn n+ 100~ 2+ 49~ 63: 44~ 2+ p 80' 3~ 25'
Monseigneur, En acheverant cette lettre J'en recey une
(f.162v)
d'Amstredam qui me faict Scavoir que M de Mo*
est party 45' p- 16 f p- q= 79' nn 44' n+ g 46~ p 4*
e h. L'on adjouette....
...
... 62: nn 82' y- n+
82' nn 7: q= 24 r 12' 43~ 86~ q= 8~ n+ 8 91~ m, 9: y 8*
3 n+ S 8~ w 16 82' y- x y- nn 59: 27' 63: 58~ n+ m
75' 50: q- 80' m, s 80' n+ m, 86~ q= 56~ o' S 6: nn 2: 5*
7: w 50: 2+ 43+ nn 82' m, x 37 80' 55~ 60' m, 3~ n+ e 2*
m, 43~ 50: q- 80' m, s 80' 4: nn 2: 2+ n+ m, ξ m, 62' q= p-
47: ξ 16 85~ [2: 3 a+] 4: nn x 57~ p- 57~ q= 43~ L
7: 3 91~ f y q= r 50: n+ m, 49~ 39: 14' θ 59~ o 87~ 2+
28' s 16 x 80' 2+ 59~ p- n+ m, 2+ S 7: 60' nn B *
x n+ m, 65: y- m, 2+ 63: 32 87~ n+ nn q= 43~ 59~ m
q- 80' 89~ 83~ 86~ 57~ q= 2+ Dieu aura permi...

2 comments:

  1. In June 2023, George Lasry solved this, as I reported here.

    My guess "S 7:" might be "qu e" turned out to be correct. But this is all that I got right.
    "S 7: 34 S 7:" is not "quelque", but "que des que" in "par ce que des que la paix ...."
    I thought "n+", which appears some characters after "mesmes" in clear, might be "s", but it was "e".
    The pattern AxyA I thought might be "de ma n de" or "re n d re" etc. turned out to be "la force des la ([ma]ins conme ....)"

    ReplyDelete
  2. The above comment was mine. (I don't know why it became Anonymous.)

    ReplyDelete