e 4 BCA h n u t n l a t a i o y e e i c e q t k o r u l c x u 5 BAC x w a e e e i e e e o h h d b s b r p t v a r r o w k A further Explication of this Table CBA being the first Position W the first letter in the Writing is placed under C in the last Column and E being the second letter is put under B in the next Column and A the third letter under A. CAB being the second Position the fourth Letter in the Writing r falls in the second line under C the fifth Letter e under A and the sixth b under B in its Column all in the same line ACB being the third Position the seventh letter in the Epistle i is put under A in the third line the eighth letter g under C and the ninth letter w in the Column B. And so they go through the writing always beginning again when they are at the end of the Table so long as there is any thing to write The terminal Letters may be so marked to prevent Confusion I have insisted the more upon this Method because the manner of Combining and the way of Writing by such Combining and the way of Writing by such Combinations being once perfectly understood the Rules for Decyphering may be the more succinct and the more easily comprehended SOLUTION 1. If the Figure of the Key be prefix'd to the Epistle expressing the number of Letters combined take as many Letters out of the first places of seeming Words in the Epistle as shall be equal to that number so exprest and you may soon find out their true Order without the trouble of a new Combination tho the trouble of combining be not so very great as the discovery of a treasonable Design may be of Importance to the Publick Thus in the Example given you have â–µ which being supposed to shew that three letters are combined extract the three first letters from the three first seeming words of the Epistle viz. a e. w here at first View you may perceive the Order Then taking out the next three Letters e. b r you have a for the first letter of the word from the first line and e for the last letter and then you are only to consider whether b or r is the middle Letter which is easily determined so b being lest out there must be the first Letter of the next word Thus you may proceed for it 's needless to enlarge in a Case so plain 2. If there be no Key given take the number of Partitions of seeming words in the Epistle and find out their several Divisors which may be performed by the following Rules How to find out the equal Divisors of any Number 1. Divide the Number given by some Prime Number i. e. such a Number that cannot be divided but by it self or Unity and the Quotient by some or other prime Number and the last Quotient again by a prime Number and so go on until the last Quotient of all be one and thus you shall find a certain Number of prime Divisors 2. Make a rectangular Table that shall consist of as many Columns as you have prime Divisors which you must place one after another at the Tops of the Columns and by help of them you will find all the rest of the Divisors viz. By multiplying the first prime Divisor towards the left hand of the Table by the second and writing the Product under the second Next By the third prime Divisor multiplying all the Figures in the Table towards the left Hand setting the several Products in the third Column And so forth throughout all the prime Divisors but with this Caution That one Product be not written twice And in end the several Numbers in your Table will be all the Aliquot Parts or just Divisors of the given Number Example to find out all the Divisors in 450. 450 225 75 25 5 1 2 3 3 5 5 Â The first Line contains the first Dividend and the respective Quotients the lowest line is the several prime Divisors Now 450 the Number given being divided by 2 a prime Divisor the Quotient is 225 which being divided by 3 you have 75 for a new Quotient and that again divided by 3 you have 25 for another Quotient This last divided by 5 gives 5 which being a prime Number you have 1 or Unity in the last Quotient of all So that your prime Divisors are 2 3 3 5 5 all which set down in the Tops of the Columns and multiplying them according to the Rule given the Operation will stand thus 2 3 3 5 5 Â 6 9 10 25 Â Â 18 15 50 Â Â Â 30 75 Â Â Â 45 150 Â Â Â 90 225 Â Â Â Â 450 All the Divisors of 450 are 2 3 5 6 9 10 15 18 25 30 45 50 75 90 150 225 and one of them supposing the Epistle to have consisted of 450 seeming words should have been the number of Letters combined for the Key For the number of seeming words in such an Epistle is equal to the Rectangle made of the Figure of the Key or number of lines and consequently the Figure of the Key or number of Letters combined is some aliquot part or equal Divisor of the number of seeming words But to save all trouble in search of the Key you may take out a certain number of letters out of the first places of the seeming words Write them down in a line next take just as many Letters out of the second places of the same Partitions and then the Letters out of the third fourth fifth places c. placing them directly one under another in order or rather for Dispatch take out the seeming words and write them down in Rows beginning at the first and then proceed to the second third fourth fifth c. until you have gone through them and if the Number be too great take as many as you think fit at a time placing all the Dots you find above the Heads of the letters at their sides E. g. Â 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1. A e. w e. b r i w g. h. i t x e p 2. t c e t i a o t n. n o. k w. o t 3. s e. h c c u e s. s u. y o a h v 4. a h e. w h d. e h t t e r. e. h a 5. s. m r o u. y h v a n e. u e d r 6. k a t n. f e o w r. l. i l e. b r 7. d a e u p y. o o n. a c c i s o 8. e l n. y o t. u n r. t. e x e. b w 9. t. i r y. t b h s e. a q u e. r k 10. y. e I have marked the Lines and Rows with Figures for their more easie distinction Having
The reisn osa fetyb utb y fli ght and afterwards put in Character SOLUTION When you have any suspicion of a Fraud of this nature you may proceed as if there were no Stop used ¶ 5. Of inserting Nulls or Non-significants This Obscurity in Cypher is commonly proposed in Treatises for Secret Writing and amongst other Authors upon that Subject by the Lord ‖ Advancement of Learning l. 6. c. 1. Bacon You will find it put in †See Discov in Scotland Practice too SOLUTION As to this it is necessary 1. That you take the number of the different Characters in the Epistle and if that exceed the Number of the Alphabet 't is probable Mutes are intermix'd with the significant Letters I have said probable because there may be Characters insert to express Relatives Syllables c. of which hereafter 2. Observe the frequency of the several Characters And by this means you may distinguish those Nulls from significant Letters for 't is obvious that if many insignificant Characters be used they shall not be frequent at least most of them shall be but rarely insert which will do no great feats If only a few in number and consequently their places the more frequent they are yet by Supposition distinguishable from the Vowels and Consonants of most use in Writing especially if you consider the Order and Coherence amongst the several Characters This admits of no particular Rules nor will the Judicious need any 3. After you have found out the real Alphabet or all the Mutes there is no new difficulty ¶ 6. Of Secret Writing by the Key Character There is an Invention of Secrecy much insisted on though none of the swiftest by the Author of the Secret and Swift Messenger and others beyond any yet mentioned for Intricacy wherein each particular Line Word or Letter is written by a new Alphabet but the cited Author himself acknowledges it too tedious for a current Correspondence which cannot be entertained this way but at a vast expence of Time and Trouble to put it in or take it out of Cypher even by the Key and secret Information in several Exigencies must be speedy or unprofitable so that in effect it is unpracticable for the end it is design'd for However lest it should obtain too much credit if supposed undecypherable its Difficulties shall be considered But first the way of writing by it is this The Confederates condescend upon some Word or Sentence that shall lock and unlock their Missives or the Key may be sent in the Letter in some Word or Sentence privately marked or by compact agreed on such as the first or last Line c. to serve for the Key Suppose then it should be Policy 's Preheminence there must be several Alphabets framed for each of its Letters in manner following 1 A b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z 2 P q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o 3 O p q r s t v w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n 4 L m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k 5 I k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h 6 C d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b 7 Y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x 8 S t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r 9 P q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o 10 R s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q 11 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 12 H i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g 13 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 14 M n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l 15 I k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h 16 N o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m 17 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d 18 N o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d e f g h i k l m 19 C d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b 20 E f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z a b c d If they agree that the Lines only shall be writ by a new Alphabet the first line shall be made according to the first Alphabet A. P. the second line according to the second Alphabet viz. A. O. the third Alphabet is A. L. c. the first Line being an Index successively to all the rest And when they have gone through the Table they may begin a-new or go backwards again c. If Words are only writ by one Alphabet then every new word is writ by a new Alphabet and so of Letters I have hereunto subjoyned an Example for each viz. 1 Example in the Lines Y pb vdgrts id ztte ixt Hadasytgh idcb wofr rihm obr rihm rxsh dfaawi fd zc espi gtww cpfzwe ez cqn Nwuxg bynnmrtg qibc I am forced to keep the Soldiers upon hard duty and hard diet Supply us or they will revolt to the Enemy speedily Hast SOLUTION 1. When there is only one Alphabet used for a Line the Writing might be discovered as in plain Cypher if you make a new Operation for each line But there may be other ways to decyper any such Writing for 2. If you find out but one Letter in a Line and that may certainly be done by a few Suppositions it will of it self give an Alphabet for that whole Line as you may perceive by the Counter-Table which follows for the Confederates Table being framed so as the first line may be an Index to all the rest of the Lines which are ordered by some Word or Sentence that is the Key every Letter of such a Word or Sentence must be once supposed to stand for A. Now in the Counter Table you see all the Letters in the Alphabet to be once supposed A Therefore you need only to search for I in the upper line of it and try in what line Y is opposite to it and those two Lines give you an Alphabet Or set down the Letter found under the Letter that expresseth its
brought the Writing into this Order 1. Search in the several Lines for some of the Particles of that Language you shall suppose the Epistle to have been writ in If in English make Suppositions E. g. for such little words as the that for of to and c. and the like without some of which no man can well express Business of any moment 2. Having supposed in any of the Lines for some one of those mentioned or the like Particles you may prove the Truth of your Supposition by taking out the opposite Letters of all the other Lines And if they do not make up Words or Syllables or produce such Letters as can probably follow one another in that Order your first Supposition is false and you must suppose anew 3. Having by fresh Suppositions found some usual Word And the letters of the other lines in the same Order agreeing the Words or Syllables arising from them will direct you to some new Row that goes before or after in the true Order And thus you may proceed till you have found out the whole Writing which by this time will be no great difficulty Example In the sixth line you have f once o once and r twice so that probably amongst these Letters you may find the Word for and upon Tryal the Supposition is proved by the other lines e. g. Line 6. by lines 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9. Rows 5 7 9 6. f o r. 1. b i g. 2. i o n. 3. c e s 4. h e t 5. u. h a 7. p o n. 8. o u r. 9. t h e. Here in the fifth line you find u a terminating Letter which must then have before it the Vowel o as in you or e as in Lieu And in this line you have o once and e twice so that in three Suppositions at most you shall have the preceeding Row in its natural order thus supposing it o in the fourth Row that joyns the Vowel u the Writing will stand thus  4. 5. 7. 9. 1 e. b i g. 2 t i o n. 3 c c e s 4 w h e t 5 o u. h a 6 n. f o r 7 u p o n. 8 y o u r. 9 y t h e. Now having ou it is most probable that y is wanting to joyn with it which standing in the sixth Row of the Line write down that Row in order thus  6. 4. 5. 7. 9. 1 r e. b i g 2 a t i o n. 3 u c c e s 4 d. w h e t 5 y o u. h a 6 e n. f o r 7 y. u p o n 8 t. y o u r 9 b y. t h e. And so you may go on until you get through the whole Writing which will in end stand thus W e. a r e. b i g. w i t h. e x p e c t a t i o n. t o k n o w. t h e. s u c c e s s. y o u. h a v e. h a d. W h e t h e r. t h e. A r m s. y o u. h a v e. u n d e r t a k e n. f o r. w i l l. b e. r e a d y. u p o n. o c c a s i o n. L e t. y o u r. n e x t. b e. W r i t. b y. t h e. s q u a r e. K e y.              There are sometimes other helps obvious to discover the sence of an Epistle obscured by this Invention e g you see only two Letters falling in the last Line of the Example whereby I not only conclude that the Epistle ends with them but may also infer from the Supposition of a Regular procedure in Writing it that the Letter began at some of the seeming Words that composed those two Rows viz. Ecehmaaliy or wehertenre The reason is evident c. This Method of Secret writing is at first sight distinguishable from any other Note only by observing the equality in the Division of its Letters There are great variety of Inventions of this kind more easie to the confederates Whereby they only write their secret intentions in a Parallelogram or other Mathematical figure and confound the sense by the Method of extracting it I shall inquire into a few ¶ 3. Of Secret writing by help of a Parallelogram where the Letters are extracted out of that figure Diagonally To perform this a Man needs only form a Parallelogram or Table and without any Combination or other obscurity in the writing insert his secret intentions therein e g let the sense of the Epistle be I suppose that things are so forward by your diligence that we may adventure at all once next week Meet me towards ten to morrow's night at the old place It is first insert in the Table thus I. s u p p o s e. t h a t. t h i n g s. a r e. s o. f o r w a r d. b y. y o u r. d i l i g e n c e. t h a t. w e. m a y. a d v e n t u r e. a t. a l l. o n c e. n e x t. w e e k. m e e t. m e. t o w a r d s. t e n. t o. m o r r o w s. n i g h t. a t. t h e. o l d. p l a c e. b x y f q. Here the last five Letters b x y f q are of no use to fill up the voyd Places in the Table The first Method I have observed in practice of obscuring the meaning of such an Epistle is by Copying it out of the Table Diagonally upon a Paper apart i. e. by supposed Lines extending from the second Letter in the first Row towards the left Hand to the second of those in the uppermost Line and from the third Letter in that Row to the third in the upper Line next from the Letters of the last Line to those in the upper Line that remain and then to the last Row towards the right Hand c. Diagonal is a Mathematical term from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Angle or Corner Example They first write down I. beginning at the upper Corner of the Parallelogram next they take the other two Letters that are next in order to it viz. g s then they extract the next three in order viz. y s u. And so they go on untill they come to the last Corner viz. q. The whole Writing being extracted in this manner will stand thus I. g s y s. u t. o a p t. w u r p m a e. r. e. o t e l m d s s t o. e l. a i o. e. h m t. o y. l f t e. o m n a i o h o r e. c d g r a l r t e. v e w t. d. o o n e n a t p w w e n
c r h l s. a x t e. d. i a n r t. u t b n c i d w r h y. e. g s. e e. a b h t e a x t. e k. y a n f t. q. Rosolution For Resolution of this and the like manner of Secret Writing the only difficulty is to find out the number of the Lines and the number of Rows And here you may observe that the number of Letters in the Epistle is equal to the Rectangle made of the Number of Lines and Rows so that if you take the Divisors or Aliquot parts of the number of Letters you may find out the number of Lines and Rows by a few suppositions and consequently the involved meaning Nay you may soon discover any Writing of this Nature by reducing the Letters of the Epistle into Diagonal Lines as if you had found out its true Figure e g. First you may mark down I. the first Letter in the Writing by it self I. I. s g I. s u g s. y as in the Margine Next write the two following Letters g s by it thus then to these joyn the three following Letters y s. u thus afterwards the following four Letters t o a p thus and so of the following five Letters I. s u p g s. a y o t. c. You will perceive when Words or Syllables appear and withall if you observe the Cohaesion of Words or Letters between the end of the first Line and the beginning of the second you will find out where these two Lines joyn in the sense and consequently where the first line ends thus you shall have the number of Rows by which if you divide the whole Letters the Quotient gives you the number of Lines c. This way of Decyphering may seem to be deluded two ways 1. By beginning when they Copy the Epistle out of the Table at some of the other Angles 2. By inserting Nulls before the Epistle As to the first if they begin at the lower Angle towards the left Hand the Words will discover themselves as before Only the order of the Lines will be reversed in the Operation viz. The first Line last in the true order c. 2. If they begin at the upper Angle of the Parallelogram towards the right Hand the Lines will be in their true order but the Writing must be read backwards 3. If at the lower Angle towards the right Hand the order of Lines will be revers'd and the Writing must also be read backwards This holds by the ordinary Operation but you may frame your Figure for Discovery according to these three Suppositions viz. Beginning it at any Corner c. Yet I judge the ordinary Operation will give the speediest Resolution Note That by the last Supposition viz. By beginning at the lower Corner towards the right Hand You are not to expect Words or Syllables in the beginning of the first Line by your Operation being it is last in the true order and Mutes perhaps may be insert to fill up the void places in the Figure so that you may observe the other Lines As to the second by inserting Nulls before the Epistle they may in process of time be discovered thus When upon Tryal you find the Writing in the Epistle will make nothing of sense lay aside the first Letter and make a new Supposition with those remaining if nothing yet appear lay aside two Letters and proceed as before then leave out three four c. until you perceive Words c. But to leave this ¶ 4. Of Argile 's Method for confounding the sense of an Epistle by altering the places of the Words As by changing the places of Letters so by altering the Natural Order of the Words the sence of an Epistle may be obscured Yet since both are Decypherable by the very same Rules we shall not make any destinction but take either as they come to Hand And therefore have I subjoyned this Method of the late Earl of Argile's to the preceeding Paragraph which is in effect but a new alteration in Copying out the Writing from the Table in which it was at first contrived Perhaps he had in his Eye that way of Writing we have observed before to proceed from the top to the bottom and then upwards again c. Wherein the Rows are instead of Lines and said to be usual in China Taprobane and Japan Of this recent instance we have the following account in the Discoveries made in Scotland P. 18. The words in the long Letter were so Ordered that 254 words in course were interposed betwixt the first and second word in sense and as many between the third and fourth and so forth to the last word of the Letter Then beginning with the second word there were 252 words between that and the next in sense and so forth till they came to the penult word Again beginning with the third word of the Letter bewixt which and the next in sense intervened only 250 words and so forward to the end In the short Letter 62 words were interposed betwixt the first and second and so to proceed as in the other c. The reason of this inequality was his manner of transcribing his Missives from that Parallelogram he contrived them in at first for having distributed them into a certain number of Columns and Lines which numbers were subjoyned to the end of the writing for a Key E g there rest just 32 l. 8 s. i. e. 32 Lines 8 Columns Steganog p. 100. The Total sum is 128 Gild. 8 st c. A piece of Policy taught by Schottus in his Schola Steganographica He begins at the Head of the first Column and proceeds to the Foot of it Account of Discoveries in Scot. ibid. thâ—n beginning at the bottom of the 2d Column he rises to the Head thereof thereafter begins at the top of the third Column c. We need not go far for an Example I know not the grounds our Friends have gone upon which hath occasioned them to offer so little Money as I hear neither know I what assistance they do intend to give and till I know both I will neither refuse my Service nor do so much as object against any thing is resolved till I first hear what Mr Red or any other you send shall say only in the mean time I resolve to let you know as much of the grounds I go on as is possible at this distance and in this way I did truly in my proposition mention the very least sum I thought could do our business effectually not half of what I would have thought requisite in an other juncture c. The Words are Argile's and after his way of obscuring them they will stand thus I gone so I and refuse object first you time much is way the our would have business very I possible of I send hear against my till what little upon know not which Money assistance I service any