An enciphered passage in the memoirs of Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield (Wikipedia), was kindly brought to my attention by Richard Merriman (image).
The memoirs, titled "some short notes for my remembrance of things and actidents, as they yearly happened to mee", is preserved in Add MS 19253 in the British Library (catalog, another catalog) and its main parts are printed in Letters of Philip, Second Earl of Chesterfield (1829) (Google).
The enciphered passage belongs to the year 1659. According to Letters (p.20, 105-106) (different from the narrative in Wikipedia), he killed a certain Wollies in a duel in January 1659 and fled to the Continent. In February, he wrote to Charles II in Brussels to obtain a royal pardon. For some time during this travel, he stayed in Paris, where he waited on Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Henriette, Charles II's youngest sister (who was to wed the Duke of Orleans in 1661). In 1659, Lord Chesterfield was 25, and Henriette was 15. The short ciphertext is something the latter did or said when he took leave. The following is my provisional transcription:
AYE25YALY9v4v5H21Y3Y545YAvLE&2TA2E85Y928T5.
16vTEvL+cc+8S1+2T9++8Y&93t9gFv1cATv93+EY93Y&Fv5Ev62T2vT.
Even before I completed the transcription, the cipher was solved by George Lasry. By filling a few blanks left by him, the paragraph can now be read (the deciphered text is in italics):
... but missing mee I went in to France and from thence in to Holland
and waited on the King at Breda where I had his Majesties pardon,
from thence, I went back againe through Flanders in to France
where I stayd some time at Paris and waited on Queen Mother
and her Daughter the Dutches of Orleans who when I took my
leave
desired me to forgive her fredoms & indiscretion
upon so small acquaintance & that [I] would not have the wors[e] opinion[.]
from Paris I went to Bourbon and after the having taken
the waters there, I went to Callis and meeting the King as hee was
comming from Holland on the sea I went in to his Majesties ship
and waited on him in to England.
(March 2024) There was another correspondent with whom Henriette used a cipher. A letter of Henriette to Lord Fitzharding (in French), dated 19 December 1664, asks if he understands the cypher which she sent. (Google), p.279
I am extremely grateful to you both for the speed and efficiency of your deciphering. I am eternally grateful for you. The cracking of the code has opened a new avenue of research for me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for your research!
ReplyDelete