01 The letters and the keys
| Record | Folios | Date and content (Lasry) | Language | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R785 | 213–215 | St Germain, 1 Sept 1645: “the Queen is perfectly recovered”; half the money already given; a letter from the Duke of Orléans; Ned Progers arrived | English | TNA SP 106 |
| R787 | 216–217 | Duplicate of 19/29 July 1645: war news from the Low Countries and Germany (Linck, Piccolomini, Enghien), perhaps Goffe’s letter sent on from France | French | SP106-2 |
| R790 | 230–232 | St Germain, 22 Sept 1645: Sir Kenelm Digby at Rome, no papal money except on terms: repeal of the penal laws against Catholics and toleration in England | English | TNA SP 106 |
| R923 | 233–234 | St Germains, 29 Sept 1645: the Duke of Lorraine’s “little remote hopes”; the writer fears a battle for a relief and wants the advantage of winter | English | TNA SP 106 |
| R924 | 235–236 | Paris, January 1646: Sir H. Compton’s embassy and the treaty for Prince Charles’s marriage | English | SP106-8 |
| R929 | 247 | Paris, 26 January [1646]: thanks for weekly news of the King’s affairs, “how bad so ever”; the embassy and the marriage | English | SP106-5 |
The systems are numerical homophonic alphabets of one- and two-digit values, with up to five signs for a vowel, and a nomenclator. Three-digit numbers stand for names and words (in Lasry’s September 1645 key, 126 the King, 127 the Queen, 279 and). The key of January 1646 (SP106-5) writes its nomenclator as a letter and a digit (n3 the, k1 of). Lasry notes no nulls in any of the four keys. The signatures are numbers: 120 in R785 and R923, 316 440 on f. 247.
02 The reading
The plaintexts are Lasry’s and are on the DECODE records. The openings of three letters give their tone:
ST GERMAIN 1 SEPT. I HAVE VERY LITTLE TO ADD TO MY LAST MORE THAN TO TELL YOU THE <295> OF THE <498>S <326> ADVANCE EXCELLENTLY, HALF THE MONEY BEING ALREADY GIVEN … A LETTRE ALSO FROM THE DUKE OF ORLEANS WRIT AS WEE COULD HAVE WISHED IS IN THE QUEEN’S HANDS (R785)
I HAVE RECEIVED THIS WEEK A LARGE <330> FROM <491> K DIGBY. THE SUBSTANCE IS THAT <528> IS NO HOPE OF MONEY FROM THENCE BUT UPON NEW TERMES PROPOSED … A TOTAL TAKEING AWAY OF AL THE PENALL LAWES AGAINST PAPISTS AND TOLERATION OF RELIGION SETTLED IN ENGLAND (R790)
THE DUKE OF LORRAIN PUTS US IN SOME LITTLE REMOTE HOPES BUT THAT OUGHT NOT TO BE BUILT UPON … THE RELEIF OF THE PLACE WILL GIVE US THAT WHICH WEE ONLY OUGHT NOW TO LOOK FOR AFTER SO MANY DISASTERS, THE ADVANTAGE OF WINTER (R923)
03 The check made here
Lasry’s SP106-5 alphabet was applied mechanically to Pettersson’s raw transcription of f. 247 (R929), without his plaintext file. It gives “…ARIS … IAN … SR … RECEIVED <425>S … DECEMB … IANVARY … THANKES … CONTINUATI[ON] … WEKLY ADVERTISEMENTS … STATE … AFFAIRES HOW BAD … EVER … DESPERATE … ABLE … SUBS[IS]T … WITHOUT FARTHER LOSSES … TILL OUR ENDEAVOURS … RELEIF … BROUGHT … EFFECT … LIKEWISE CONCERNING THE EMBASSAGE AND MARRIAGE”. The gaps are the letter-and-digit nomenclator groups, which the alphabet does not cover. The result agrees with his plaintext. The images themselves were not viewed.
04 What stays open
- The three-digit nomenclator numbers left in brackets in Lasry’s plaintexts (for example <425>, <241> and <502>). Most look like persons, and many could be recovered from the context and the other letters of the run.
- Who the writers are: “120” at St Germain, probably of the queen’s secretariat (Jermyn is Lasry’s guess for the second Paris letter on ff. 245–246), and “316 440” at Paris.
- Tomokiyo’s unsolved list still carries these letters.
05 Sources
- The National Archives, Kew, SP 106/10 ff. 207–247, via DECODE: R785, R787, R790, R923, R924, R929 (images and files need a login).
- George Lasry, reconstructed keys “TNA SP 106”, “SP106-2”, “SP106-5” and “SP106-8”, with plaintexts and dating notes, DECODE, 23 Oct 2020.
- Sofia Pettersson, manual transcriptions, DECODE, July–Oct 2019.
- Satoshi Tomokiyo, Unsolved historical ciphers (Henrietta Maria, 1645–46).
Notes and profile in hm1645/. The DECODE files are not redistributed.