Mercvry, or, The secret and svvift messenger shewing, how a man may with privacy and speed communicate his thoughts to a friend at any distance.

CHAP. IX.

Of concealing any written sence under barbarous words, and such as shall not seeme to be of any signification. How all the letters may be expressed by any five, t••ree, or two of them. Of writing with a double Alphabet. How from these two last wayes together, there may be contrived the best kind of se∣cret writing:

ALL the wayes of secrecy by more letters, already specified, doe make the writing appeare under some other sence, then what is in∣tended, and so consequently are more free from suspition: There are likewise some other inventions to expresse any inward sence by barba∣rous words, wherein onely the first, and middle, and last letters shall be significant. As in this exam∣ple.

Fildy, fagodur wyndeeldrare disc ogure rantibrad.

Which in its resolution is no more then this.

Fly for we are discovered.

To this purpose likewise is that other way of expressing the whole Alphabet, by any five, or three, or two of the letters repeated. And though such a writing, to ordinary appearance, will seeme of no signi∣cation at all, and so may seeme of lesse use; Yet because a right appre∣hension of these wayes, may con∣duce to the explication of some other particulars that follow, it will not be amisse therefore to set them down more distinctinly.

All the letters may be expressed by any five of them doubled. Sup∣pose ABCDE.

A

aa

B

ab

C

ac

D

ad

E

ae

F

ba

G

bb

H

bc

I

bd

K

be

L

ca

M

cb

N

cc

O

cd

P

ce

Q

da

R

db

S

dc

T

dd

V

de

W

ea

X

eb

Y

ec

Z

ed

&

ee

According to which, these words, I am betrayed, may bee thus descri∣bed.

Bd aacb abaedddbaaccaead.

Three letters being transposed through three places doe give suffi∣cient difference, whereby to expresse the whole Alphabet.

A

aaa

B

aab

C

aac

D

baa

E

bba

F

bbb

G

bbc

H

caa

I

cca

K

ccb

L

ccc

M

aba

N

abb

O

abc

P

aca

Q

acb

R

acc

S

bca

T

bcb

V

bcc

W

bab

X

cba

Y

cbb

Z

cbc

&

bac

Hasten unto me.

Caa aaa bca bcb bba abb bcc abb bcb abc aba bba.

Two letters of the Alphabet, be∣ing transposed through five places, will yield thirty two differences, and so will more then serve for the foure and twenty letters. Unto which they may be thus applyed.

A.

aaaaa.

B.

aaaab.

C.

aaaba.

D.

aaabb.

E.

aabaa.

F.

aabab.

G.

aabba.

H.

aabbb.

I.

abaaa.

K.

abaab.

L.

ababa.

M.

abaab.

N.

abbaa.

O.

abbab.

P.

abbba.

Q.

abbbb.

R.

baaaa.

S.

baaab.

T.

baaba.

V.

baabb.

W.

babaa.

X.

babab.

Y.

babba.

Z.

babbb.

aababababababba aaaaababaaaaaaababba. f l y a w a y

There is yet another way of secre∣cy by more letters then are natural∣ly required to the inward sence, if we write with a double Alphabet, wherein each letter shall in the fa∣shion of it, beare some such small distinction from the other of the same kind, as is usuall in common, mixed writing.

For Example.

The first Alphabet.

Aa. Bb. Cc. Dd. Ee. Ff. Gg. Hh. Ii. Kk. Ll. Mm. Nn. Oo. Pp. Qq Rr. Sss. Tt. Vuv. Ww. Xx. Yy. Zz

The second Alphabet

Aa. Bb. Cc. Ddd. Ee. Ff. Gg. Hh Ii. Kk. Ll. Mm. Nn. Oo. Pp. Qq. Rr. Sss. Tt. Vuv. Ww. Xx. Yy. Zz

1. Write an Epistle of an ordi∣nary matter, or (if it be needfull) contrary to what you intend. Let the body of it consist chiefely of

the first Alphabet, onely inserting (as you have occasion) such letters of the second, as may expresse that inward meaning which you would reveale to a confederate. For example, from those that are besieged.

Wee prosper still in our af∣faires and shall (without hauing any further helpe) endure the siege.

In which clause, the letters of the second Alphabet are onely sig∣nificant, expressing this inward sence.

Wee perish with hunger helpe us.

But because the differences be∣twixt these two Alphabets may seeme more easily discoverable, since they are both generally of the same kind; the letters of the second being all of them more round and full then the other; Therefore for their better secrecy in this parti∣cular, it were safer to mixe them both by compact, that they might not, in themselves, be distinguisha∣ble.

Now if this kind of writing, be mixed with the latter way of Se∣crecy, by two letters transposed through five places; Wee may then write omnia per omnia, which (as a learned man speakes) is the highest degree of this Cyphering.

For supposing each letter of the first Alphabet to bee instead of the letter A••, and those of the other for B, wee may easily in∣scribe any secret sence in any or∣dinary letter, onely by a quintu∣ple proportion of the writing, in∣folding to the writing infoulded. As for example.

All things do happen ac¦cording to our desires, the particulars you shall vnder¦stand when wee meete at the appointed time and place of which you must not faile by any means The success of our affairs dos much depend vpon the meeting that wee have agreed vpon.

The involved meaning of which clause is this.

Fly, for we are discovered, I am forced to write this.

If you suppose each letter of the first Alphabet to be instead of A, and those of the second for B, then wil the former clause be equivalent to this following description.

F

Aabab

l

ababa

y

babba

f

aabab

o

abbab

abbab

r

baaaa

baaaa

baaaa

w

babaa

e

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

e

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

a

aaaaa

aaaaa

r

baaaa

baaaa

baaaa

e

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

d

aaabb

i

abaaa

s

baaab

c

aaaba

o

abbab

abbab

v

baabb

e

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

r

baaaa

baaaa

baaaa

e

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

aabaa

d,

aaabb

I

abaaa

a

aaaaa

aaaaa

m

ababb

f

aabab

o

abbab

abbab

r

baaaa

baaaa

c

aaaba

e

aabaa

aabaa

d

aaabb

t

baaba

baaba

baaba

o

abbab

abbab

w

babaa

r

baaaa

baaaa

i

abaaa

abaaa

t

baaba

baaba

baaba

e

aabaa

aabaa

t

baaba

baaba

baaba

h

aabbb

i

abaaa

abaaa

s.

baaab.

This way of secrecy may be ser∣viceable for such occasions as these. Suppose a man were taken captive, he may by this meanes discover to his friends the secrets of the enemies Camp, under the outward forme of a letter perswading them to yield. Or suppose such a man were forced by his owne hand writing to betray his cause and party, though the words of it in common appe••rance m••y expresse what the enemie do's desire; yet the involved meaning, (which shall be legible onely to his confederates) may containe any

thing else, which he ha's a mind to discover to them. As in the former example.

But now if there be a threefold Alphabet, (as is easie to contrive,) then the inward writing will beare unto the outward but a triple pro∣portion, which will be much more convenient for inlarging of the pri∣vate intimations.

And this way of writing is justly to be preferred before any of the other, as contavning in it more emi∣nently, all those conditions that are desirable in such kind of inventions. As,

• 1. 'Tis not very laborious, either to write or reade.
• 2. 'Tis very difficult to be decy∣phered by the enemie.
• 3. 'Tis voyd of suspition.

But by the way, 'tis to be general∣ly observed, that the mixture of di∣vers kinds of secret writing toge∣ther (as suppose this with the key-character) will make the inward sence to be much more intricate and perplexed.

Notes

• The whole Alphabet expressed by any two letters in five pla∣ces.
• Writing by a dou∣ble Al∣phabet.
• The best way of se∣cret wri∣ting.
• Bacon. A gment. scient. l. 6. cap. 8.