Diego de Ibarra from Paris, 10 July 1593

ct68.txt

# BnF fr. 3984 no. 68, f. 145 (canvas 268), Ibarra, Paris, 10 July 1593. Feria-Mansfeld cipher.
# Transcribed 5 Oct 2026 from the 3600-px crop img3984/r0268_pct25_24_61_48_w3600.jpg (half-width strips b145_*).
# Lines 1-3 of the leaf are clear. One cipher line per row, numbered as on the leaf. Diacritics dropped
# (they add finals or doubling); runs of digits split into pairs; letters and word groups kept as written.
# Single signs: x = a, 3 = e, r = o, n = e?, 2 = a, ∂ = y, ∆ = s, ʃ = e? (long s), ʒ = a? ; three-letter words = nomenclature.
L04	66 x 54 x 10 25 84 59 97 x ∂ xen 66 58
L05	93 13 ∆ x 56 71 11 ∇ 12 x 67 6 ∂ 43 28 92 44 x pra 3 ∆ 59 11 5 3 91 u 42 72 58 92 ʃ 41 3 28 99
L06	97 r ∂ 25 72 43 11 x n 12 x 11 x 58 50 73 43 rom 66 x 85 98 27 82 13 70 mon ∂ ca 88 11 73 r 66
L07	83 ∆ 50 pra 11 dur 66 x 42 48 x 56 x 17 27 r 40 13 ∂ x 48 11 91 x 56 ʒel 11 hes dur 66 pra
L08	73 64 58 43 26 r 66 24 10 40 97 x 58 50 73 x 23 x 81 ∂ 72 43 94 82 ʃ 73 x 54 40 3 78 74 3
L09	90 20 ʃ 75 93 66 3 23 83 58 79 98 27 ʃ 73 76 11 74 57 28 3 59 91 50 pra 76 27 ʃ 93 66 56 66 ʃi
L10	28 98 64 48 41 91 66 3 91 46 gar 26 25 ∂ 66 n pun 79 92 28 ∂ 11 28 17 x 25 66 82 r 3 12 x 64
L11	3 ʃol 11 11 23 x 41 48 12 13 91 40 800 ∇ 51 73 47 ∂ 200 vul ∂ 800 denp 66 59 25
L12	84 58 97 x 43 59 82 r xur 66 58 11 12 x 73 97 x 26 25 11 ʒ 47 cil ∂ 28 98 ʃi 95 ∂ 13 11 66
L13	71 23 76 94 ʃ 74 x 47 43 48 79 98 26 66 75 ʃ 11 28 3 90 mon
L14	59 98 54 x 48 79 98 26 59 que gar 3 sil 11 vis 77 11 cle 66 75 ʃ 11 64 13 73 ∂ 66 var 3 93 84 59
L15	73 64 11 76 41 93 13 56 66 73 75 ʃ 11 ∂ 76 4 2 54 25 71 26 r 83 41 46 3 ʃ 59 ∂ da 64 13 46 56 66 76 11 46
L16	∂ 73 78 73 83 99 72 ʒ ron 3 n 92 46 x 57 3 93 ∂ 72 3 59 x 79 98 27 x ∂ 79 59 24 11 ʃu 73 75 12 ʃ
L17	73 64 13 2 54 15 10 48 93 ce 43 3 90 46 11 73 78 99 13 11 78 73 91 bel 11 pus 71 56 43 11 77 90 8
L18	93 10 3 90 vel 3 78 57 53 3 66 3 90 vir xur 3 78 96 3 12 66 64 11 x 29 12 x 56 66 3 90 ∆
L19	11 70 vis 22 x 76 28 ʃul xas cel 56 66 pra 12 13 xur 70 75 ʃ 93 3 44 48 96 11 73 tel 3
L20	ʃon 79 98 26 97 x 66 83 42 x x 20 10 91 gur var n 40 tor ∂ 59 25 84 58 97 x ∂ xen ∂ en x
L21	43 73 97 x 15 ʃ 99 11 los ʒa pra 48 31 74 83 73 79 50 49 43 76 70 mos 11 56 72 43 x ∂ 50 12
L22	27 n ∇ 21 42 82 97 11 44 48 96 11 mon 66 66 72 83 66 72 56 64 13 ʒa 70 ʃ 58 59 xen x 56 48
L23	43 43 79 98 26 72 43 hus 73 99 90 11 tor

no68_decryption.md

# BnF fr. 3984 no. 68, f. 145: output of `python dec68.py fill68.json` (Tomokiyo's Feria-Mansfeld table keyM.tsv plus 57 = li), saved 22 Oct 2026. Cipher lines 4-23 (ll. 1-3 are clear); [bracketed] groups have no value (three-letter word codes and unread numbers). The hand reading of ll. 4-10, with the clear opening, is in reading68.md.

```
L04 que a gu a da ca va la ri a y [xen] que le
L05 to do s a lo so de o di a quo u y no co ti nu a [pra] e s la de · e te u ni si le ti e ne e co ra
L06 ri o y ca si no de a e di a de a le ga se no [rom] que a ya re ci vi do su [mon] y [ca] yo de se o que
L07 ve s ga [pra] de [dur] que a ni me a lo a fi ci o na do y a me de te a lo [ʒel] de [hes] [dur] que [pra]
L08 se [64] le no ce o que ba da na ri a le ga se a be a [81] y si no tu vi e se a gu na e pe sa e
L09 ta bu e pu to que e be ve le pa re ci e se po de sa li co e la te ga [pra] po ci e to que lo que [ʃi]
L10 co re [64] me ne te que e te mo [gar] ce ca y que e [pun] pa ti co y de co fi a ca que vi o e di a [64]
L11 e [ʃol] de de be a ne me di do te na [800] o ge se mi y [200] [vul] y [800] [denp] que la ca
L12 va le ri a no la vi o [xur] que le de di a se ri a ce ca de a mi [cil] y co re [ʃi] [95] y do de que
L13 so be po tu e sa a mi no me pa re ce que pu e de co e ta [mon]
L14 la re gu a me pa re ce la [que] [gar] e [sil] de [vis] [77] de [cle] que pu e de [64] do se y que [var] e to va la
L15 se [64] de po ne to do lo que se pu e de y po a a gu ca so ce o ve ne mo e e la y [da] [64] do mo lo que po de mo
L16 y se pe se ve ra si a [ron] e e ti mo a li e to y si e la a pa re ci a y pa la ba de [ʃu] se pu di e
L17 se [64] do a gu fu da me to [ce] no e ta mo de se pe ra do de pe se te [bel] de [pus] so lo no de [77] ta de
L18 to da e ta [vel] e pe li go e que e ta [vir] [xur] e pe ro e di que [64] de a cu di a lo que e ta s
L19 de su [vis] bi a po co [ʃul] [xas] [cel] lo que [pra] di do [xur] su pu e to e nu me ro de se [tel] e
L20 [ʃon] pa re ce ri a que ve ni a a bu da te [gur] [var] e na [tor] y la ca va le ri a y [xen] y [en] a
L21 no se ri a fu e ra de [los] [ʒa] [pra] me [31] sa ve se pa ga ma no po su [mos] de lo si no a y ga di
L22 ci e o bo ni vi ri de nu me ro de [mon] que que si ve que si lo [64] do [ʒa] su e le la [xen] a lo me
L23 no no pa re ce si no [hus] se ra ta de [tor]
tokens 598
```

reading68.md

# fr. 3984 no. 68, f. 145 (canvas 268) — Don Diego de Ibarra, Paris, 10 July 1593

**A different cipher from the other three.** This leaf uses the *Cipher between the Count of Mansfeld and the
Duke of Feria (1593)*, which Tomokiyo published as `spanish3mansfeld.png` and cites at fr. 3984 ff. 130 and
145. Its numbering is unrelated to the 1592-93 cipher: here ba = 24, ca = 25, da = 10, la = 59, ma = 49,
na = 40, pa = 79, ra = 99, sa = 74, ta = 90, va = 84, ya = 85, que = 66, and *de* is the single figure 8.
Letters: a = x / 2, e = p / 3, o = r, u = n, y = ∂. Marks: `~` doubles the consonant, `+` final -l,
`v` final -n, `.` final -r, `°` final -s, bar = the number itself. Transcribed to `keyM.tsv`; `decodeM.py`
applies it.

The letter opens **in clear** and drops into cipher mid-sentence:

> *“… a la venida del mensagero que despache, porque espero que me dara V.S.a mas claridad de las
> cossas, porque en la primera me dise V.S.a …”*

| line | cipher | reading |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 66 x 54 x. 10 25 84 59 97 x ∂ xen 66 58 | **que aguarda cavallería y** · **que le** |
| 5 | ʃ93 13∆ x 56 71 11 ∇12 x 67 6 ∂43 28 92 44 x pra 3∆ 59 11 ʒ 3̊91 u 42 72 58 92ʃ41 ʒ 2899 | **todos a lo so de** · **a** · **y no continua** · **es la de** · **ni si le ti**· |
| 6 | 97r ∂2572 43 ï ï x n12 x 11 x 58 50. 73 43 rom 66 x 85 98 27 82 13 70 mon ∂ca 88 1173r 66 | **rio y casi si no** · **a ni di a de alegan se no** · **que aya recivido su** · **yo** · **que** |

| 7 | 83∆ 50 pra 11 dur 66 x 42 48 x 56 x 11 27 7r 40 13 ∂ x 48 11 ï 91 x 56̊ ʒel 11 hes dur 66 pra | **tos ga** · **de** · **que a ni me a lo a de ci** · **na do y a lo de** · · **de** · · **que** · |
| 8 | 73 64 58 43 2̄6r 66 2̄4 10 40 97 x 58 50. 73 x 23 x 81∂ 72 43 94 82 ʃ73 | **se na le no** [26]**r que** [24] **da na ria le gan se a be a te y si no tuvi**· |
| 9 | 90^ 20 ʃ^ 75 93 66 3^ 2̄3 83 58 79 98 27 ʃ 73 76 11. 74 57. 28 3̊ 59 91 ʃ 50 pra | **tas bu**· **pu to que es** [23] **to le pa re ci** [en] **se po den** · **la te** [en] **ga** · |
| 10 | 28 98 64 48 41 91. 66 3̊ 91 46 8̊ gar 26. 25 ∂66 n̂ pun 7 99 22 8 ∂ 11 28 17 x 25 66 82r | **co re na me ne ten que e te mo** · · **cen ca y que es** · **ra bi** [de] **y de co ci a ca que vio** |

## The limit on this letter

Lines 7-10 decode to clean syllables but not to continuous Spanish, and the reason is structural rather than
palaeographic: this cipher's **nomenclature is not published anywhere**. Its three-letter groups — *pra, dur,
hes, ʒel, gar, pun, rom, mon, xen, vul, cil, denp* — carry much of the sense, and Tomokiyo notes only one of
them in passing (*vas* = *segnor*) without tabulating the rest.

**Checked and excluded:** BnF fr. 3995 f. 101 (canvas 194), the large multi-column nomenclature on the leaves
adjacent to the Spanish office key, is **Italian, not Spanish** — *Austria, Ambasciatore, Assemblea,
Battaglia, Bisogno, Borbone, Borgo o Sobborgo, Cardinale di, Castello, Cattolici, Concilio generale,
Congregazione generale, Corte di* — so it belongs to another correspondence and does not serve this cipher.
The Feria-Mansfeld nomenclature has still to be found.

## Sense

Ibarra writes from Paris on 10 July 1593, at the height of the Estates, about **the coming of the messenger
he is despatching**, hoping for **more clarity on matters**; **cavalry being awaited**; something that **does
not continue**; and **that he may have received his** …