García de Toledo to Philip II, Messina, 16 July 1565

01 The document

The Archivo General de Simancas, Estado, legajo 1394, no. 247, is catalogued on PARES as Duplicado de carta cifrada de García de Toledo, capitán general del Mar, a Felipe II, rey de España, 16 July 1565. It is two leaves: four pages of text (ff. 1r–2v) and an address leaf, sealed and inscribed En manos del señor Franco de Erasso, for the King’s secretary Francisco de Eraso. The first page is docketed Dupp.do in the upper left. A duplicate was a second copy sent by another route in case the first was lost, and this one is a clerk’s copy: it carries copying slips that the original presumably does not (quesido for querido, puddo for puedo, lonze for onze).

PARES serves the six images (four text pages and the address leaf twice) as plain JPEGs about 915 pixels wide. That is the largest size the viewer gives; asking for any zoom other than the default returns a smaller image. At that size the figures are legible when a line is cropped and enlarged two and a half to five times, which is how every figure here was read.

The letter is written in running Spanish, and the figures stand in the line wherever a word was thought sensitive: the relief, the Grand Master, the galleys, the signals, sums of money, place names, the enemy. Figure runs are written without word breaks, so a run such as 3618243616241829 is one or several words run together.

02 The cipher

A homophonic substitution on two-digit figures, in which the values 12 to 43 are assigned to the letters in alphabetical order. The five vowels and u/v have three figures each, every consonant one:

The alphabet has no j, k or w, and u and v are one letter, as in the clear hand. The table uses exactly the thirty-two values from 12 to 43, and no figure outside that range occurs in the letter: no nulls, and no code groups for names or words. Names are spelt out letter by letter, Caragoca (Syracuse), Augusta, Cabo Bono, Argel, Maltta, Mecina, Mosiur de Lenni.

The homophones are not used evenly. Of the three a figures, 13 occurs about 140 times, 14 about 95 and 12 about 50; of the e figures, 19 is used twice as often as 18 and nearly four times as often as 20; of the o figures, 31 about a hundred times against 40 for 30 and 13 for 32. The clerk had favourites. The overall letter frequencies are ordinary Spanish: a and e first, then s, r and o.

Four things about the hand need to be known before the decode reads cleanly. ñ is written nn (sennales, Espanna, campanna). Double letters are sometimes written single (en tiera) and sometimes doubled where the word has one (spantaado, quinta[a]les). The duplicado has its own copying slips, listed above. And the confusable pairs in this hand are 17/19, 35/36, 35/38 (a long-tailed 3 against a dotted 8) and 13/14.

03 How it fell

Two cribs from the clear text. The second line of f. 1r has los followed by the run 36 18 24 36 16 24 18 29 37 30 36 and, on the next line, 36 30 27 17 13 17 31 36. Eleven figures with the first repeated at the fourth and eleventh places, standing after an article, fit seiscientos, and the next run then reads soldados. A few words on, the run after don Juan de Cardona puso is 19 29 37 25 19 35 14, en tiera, “put ashore”, spelt with one r. Together these fix a c d e i l n o r s t, with two figures each for a, e, i and o.

The table closes itself. Set out by value, the recovered figures were already in alphabetical order: 13 14 a, 16 c, 17 d, 18 19 e, 24 25 i, 27 l, 29 n, 30 31 o, 35 r, 36 s, 37 t. Once that was seen the gaps did not need solving. Each could be predicted from its position and then checked on a word: 21 f, 41 x, 42 y and 43 z were filled that way and confirmed on 18212118373136 effetos, 15124119271836 baxeles, 42151329 yban and 332712431935 plazer.

Transcribe, decode, correct. The whole letter was then transcribed digit for digit with the clear text around the runs, and decoded by script. Nonsense in the output points to a misread figure, almost always one of the confusable pairs above, and every correction to the transcription was found that way rather than by re-reading at random.

The audit. All 1,930 figure groups fall inside 12–43; all thirty-two values occur; no run has an odd number of digits. An out-of-range value or an odd run would be the mark of a transcription error, and none is left.

04 The check

A key built from the clear text could in principle only reproduce what the clear text already implies. The check is a name the clear text does not contain. On f. 1v, after the Grand Master’s signal not to enter, the clear hand writes y ansi lo dize and then the run 2830362539 35 1719 271929 2925, which decodes to Mosiur de Lenni: Monsieur de Leinì, that is Andrea Provana di Leinì, the Savoyard commander whose galleys sailed in the relief squadron, and exactly the man who would report whether the signals were made. Nothing in the clear text points to him.

The rest of the ciphered matter is consistent in the same way: Don Juan de Cardona’s 600 soldiers, the pilot Don Juan Çanoguera, the Conde de Módica serving at his own cost, Gian Andrea Doria’s claim on the viceroy’s funds, and the fortification of Syracuse and Augusta.

05 The reading

Clear text roman, figures in italic; spelling of the leaf kept (nn = ñ, u/v as written); word division inside a figure run is editorial, since the cipher writes none; square brackets are editorial

f. 1r

Llevo tan ruyn nueua a V. Mag. el correo passado que no me ha parescido detener este para que en parte la mejore. Los seiscientos soldados que don Juan de Cardona puso en tiera fue Dios servido de guiallos tanbien que todos entraron en el burgo a saluamento.

Dizeme este que ha salido que fue tan grande la alegria del maestre, abracando la gente sin podello hablar, que lloraua de plazer; y tanbien dize que otro dia salio la misma gente a dar en los Turcos y que mataron mas de dozientos, aunque estas salidas en ningun caso queria que las hiziese, y por muchas letras se lo tengo scripto con mucho encarescimiento.

Del maestre no tengo carta, que estoy spantado [ms. spantaado] dello, pero no tengo por mala seña olvidarse de mi, aunque no creo que tardara a dos o tres dias a venir; y conforme a lo que scriuiere uere de proueer lo mas que por el se pudiere.

El estar sin galeras me destruye, porque se po-

f. 1v

-drian hazer algunos effetos en baxeles suyos que van y vienen, pero trayendo las que aca ay ocupadas en iuntar la gente no se puede proueer a todo. Si [u]iniessen las de Spanna me darian mucha ayuda.

Las galeras que yban a entrar por el puerto llegaron a quatro millas del, con muy buena orden y gran determinacion, y aquella noche, que sera lunes, vna hora antes que amaneciesse, viniendo el martes, entro a saluamento la uarqueta que yo hauia embiado para auisar al maestre de las sennales, con la qual tuuo auiso de lo que hauia de hazer; y tornando las galeras el martes en la noche a otras quatro millas del puerto, el maestre les hizo las sennales del fuego clarissimas para que no entrassen, y ansi lo dize Mosiur de Lenni y todos los demas; y dentro de la hora sennalada las continuo la segunda vez, y las galeras se tornaron a meter a la mar por no ser descubiertas, y han llegado aqui esta mannana.

El don Juan Çanoguera, que es el que las guiaua, lo hizo muy bien, y todos los demas. Y este no sabe que[r]ido [ms. quesido] el maestre aceptar estas galeras; aunque podria ser por parescelle la entrada muy dificultosa, no dexo de tenella por buena senal.

Dizen todos los nuestros que, en acabando de hazer el maestre las sennales, vieron y oyeron vna gran cantidad de arcabuzeria, y que juzgauan ellos que sera salua para mostrarnos que nuestra gente sera dentro.

Este ombre que es venido salio del burgo el mismo lunes a los diez y nueue, y no trae nueua de la uarqueta que entro, porque no sera aun llegada; la qual puso el que yo embie a do le mande, y de alli

f. 2r

hauia de yr a nado hasta el burgo, y ansi llego saluo, como a la clara se ve por las sennales; y la ciudad hizo el mismo fuego, que tanbien es indicio que llego el que por aquella parte embie con el duplicado.

Los tiempos son tales y las necessidades tan grandes, que aunque se tuuiesse mucho dinero no osaria deshazerme de vn rreal para pagar deudas; y aunque es justissimo lo que V. Mag. manda de Juan Andrea, se podra hazer poco con el, pero lo que se pudiera no se dexara de hazer como V. Mag. lo manda, que cierto yo desseo dalle toda satisfacion, y el solo sera en este tiempo el que de mi cobrara alguna quantidad.

Es necessario poner luego mano en comencar a fortificar, por todo lo que podria suceder, la fruente que Caragoca tiene en tierra firme, y en leuantar vn cavallero en la mar que corresponde —çierto es secanos donde podria ser assaltada. Tanbien es necessario comencar al fin de octubre la fortificacion de Augusta, por que la ocasion no mostrasse a los enemigos el segundo salto. Para estas casas es menester dinero, y en este reyno no ay si no infinitas deudas.

V. Mag. mande echar quenta de los ytalianos que se han de leuantar, y de los spannoles que se han de pagar, y del sueldo de las naues, que cada mes importa quarenta mil escudos sin dos mesadas que se les deuen; y vease tanbien el uizcocho que de nueuo es menester hazer, que aunque despues se desquente a las galeras su parte, todavia este dinero sale del que V. Mag. me ha embiado. Hanse comprado quinientos quintales de artilleria de peso

f. 2v

de Espanna, mucha xarcia y madera para las yaretas [jaretas]; y aunque esta xarcia y madera puede seruir para las galeras que se huuieren de hazer, y lo del metal es dinero que no se pierde, todavia cuesta buen pedaço. Tanbien se haze armamento para las ocho galeras que vienen de Espanna, y otros gastos de botas, barriles, murriones y coracinas que no se pueden escusar.

Y si se quenta esto, y se añade el sueldo de la ynfanteria, contando tanbien el gasto de [l]onze galeras que se arman de nueuo, vera V. Mag. que la prouision echa no basta para tantas casas, ni yo pu[e]do [ms. puddo] sustentar con ella los gastos que V. Mag. apunta en su carta, tanto mas si esto se fuesse nada alargando. Y los quarenta y ocho mil ducados que venieron para las galeras ya estaua comido la mitad, y otra buena parte se deue a la gente. Y considerado esto, suplico a V. Mag. mande proueer como mas se paresciere que conuiene a su seruicio, y en el gastallos se terna el miramiento que V. Mag. manda.

Dize este que ha salido que todos los turcos que estan en tierra, demas de los bastiones a do tienen sus baterias, estan todos circundados de trincheas siete, ocho y diez palmos altas, assi a la parte de los nuestros como a la parte de la campanna; y que quando el partio no hauia otros que no las tuuiessen si no mil y quinientos turcos que estauan al agua. Confirma que hauian perdido mucha gente, y que en el campo corrian dolencias de que morian.

Por essos auisos vera V. Mag. los nauios que hallo sobre Cabo Bono el baxel que yua con uino a la Goleta. Tengo por cierto que son los de Argel que se uienen a iuntar con la armada; y esto creo por no saber que de Maltta aya salido cantidad dellos, porque dize este que del armada no se hauia desmandado nauio ninguno quando el partio, ni tan poco lo escriue el gouernador de la ciudad, como vera V. Mag. por su carta original que yra con esta.

Cuya vida guarde Nuestro Señor por tan largos años como sus criados y vassallos desseamos y la christiandad ha menester. De Mecina, a XVJ. de Julio 1565.

Postscript (entirely in the clear)

Ya tengo scripto a V. Mag. por otras quan bien le sirue el conde de Modica, y a su costa; y hauiendole agora scripto el almirante su padre la muerte de la duquesa su madre, y llamandole que vaya a España, no obstante que esto le ymporte mucho, no ha querido hazello ni yrse deste reyno hasta ver el sucesso de las cosas de aca. Hame parescido muy justo auisar dello a V. Mag., para que tenga entendido su voluntad y el seruicio que haze en ello a V. Mag.

English

García writes from Messina on 16 July 1565, about two months into the siege and some days after the relief known as the Piccolo Soccorso reached the Borgo (Birgu) at the start of July. Everything below that is in italics in the Spanish was in figures.

1. The relief got in. He had sent the King bad news by the last courier and writes now to soften it: the six hundred soldiers Don Juan de Cardona put ashore all entered the Borgo safely. A man just out of the Borgo says the Grand Master embraced them, unable to speak, and wept for joy; and that the next day the same men sortied against the Turks and killed more than two hundred, though García had written many times that there were to be no sorties. He has no letter from the Grand Master himself and expects one within two or three days.
2. A second run turned back. The galleys meant to enter the harbour came within four miles of it, in good order. That night, an hour before dawn on Tuesday, the barqueta he had sent ahead to arrange the signals with the Grand Master got in. On Tuesday night the galleys came again to four miles off, and the Grand Master made the fire-signals, very clear, that they were not to enter, and repeated them within the appointed hour, as Monsieur de Leinì and all the others report. The galleys put back out to sea so as not to be seen, and reached Messina this morning. Çanoguera, who guided them, did it very well. Nobody knows why the Grand Master would not take the galleys in; perhaps the entry looked too hard, but García takes it for a good sign. As the signals ended the galleys heard a great volley of arquebus fire, which they judged a salute to show that the men were inside.
3. The messengers. The man who left the Borgo that Monday has no news of the barqueta, which had not arrived when he left. The barqueta landed García’s messenger where it was ordered, and from there he was to swim to the Borgo; the signals show he arrived. La ciudad, Mdina, made the same fire, a sign that the man sent by that route with the duplicate had arrived too.
4. Money. Even with money in hand he would not dare part with a real to pay debts. He will do what he can for Gian Andrea Doria, as ordered, and Doria will be the only one paid anything. He asks the King to reckon the Italians to be raised, the Spaniards to be paid, and the ships, which cost forty thousand escudos a month with two months’ pay already owed; biscuit to be baked; five hundred quintals of artillery by Spanish weight, cordage and timber for the jaretas; fitting out the eight galleys coming from Spain and eleven more being armed; casks, barrels, morions and cuirasses; and the infantry’s pay. The provision sent does not cover it: half the 48,000 ducados sent for the galleys is already spent and much of the rest is owed to the men. “Being without galleys ruins me.”
5. Fortification. Work should begin at once on the landward front of Syracuse and on a cavalier facing the sea, where the ground would let it be stormed; and on the fortification of Augusta at the end of October, so that the occasion should not show the enemy “the second leap”. For this money is needed, and in this kingdom there is nothing but infinite debts.
6. The besiegers. The man from the Borgo says all the Turks ashore, besides the bastions where they have their batteries, are ringed with trenches seven, eight and ten palms high, facing both the Christians and the open country; when he left, only fifteen hundred Turks at the water were without them. The Turks have lost many men, and sickness is killing men in their camp.
7. At sea. The ships that a vessel carrying wine to La Goleta found off Cape Bon, García is sure, are the Algiers squadron coming to join the fleet. No ship had left the fleet at Malta when his man came away, and the governor of la ciudad says none either, as his original letter, sent with this one, will show.
8. Postscript, in clear. The Conde de Módica serves well and at his own cost; summoned to Spain by his father the Admiral after his mother’s death, he will not leave Sicily until he sees how things end here.

The letter was written during the worst of the siege, while García was still gathering the force that landed on Malta as the Gran Soccorso on 7 September; the siege was raised days later. In July he had few galleys to spare, and this letter shows what they could do: put small parties into the Borgo by night and watch for the Grand Master’s fires.

06 What remains uncertain

• yaretas (f. 2v, line 1): the figures are unambiguous, 42 12 35 20 37 14 36. It is read as jaretas, the netting rigged over a galley’s deck; with the 41/42 confusion it could be xaretas, the same word.
• secanos (f. 2r): “çierto es secanos donde podria ser assaltada” is taken as shoals or dry ground that would let the sea-facing cavalier be stormed. The figures read; the sense is a guess.
• “salio del burgo el mismo lunes a los diez y nueue”: taken as the hour, not the day of the month, since 19 July is after the letter’s date.
• Which duplicate went by way of Mdina (f. 2r, el que por aquella parte embie con el duplicado) is not said; it is presumably a second copy of García’s own message to the Grand Master.
• The original despatch, which this is the duplicate of, and the Mdina governor’s letter that went with it have not been found on PARES; a search for the ciphered Toledo letters of 1565 returns only this item. The original could carry a contemporary decipherment in the secretariat’s hand, and that would be the independent check on this reading. Until it is found, the check is internal: the self-consistency of the table, the audit, and the names.
• No published text of the letter was found in web searches for the document and for editions of the Simancas Malta correspondence (18 September 2026). That is not the same as a search of the printed literature on the siege, and an edition may exist that the searches missed.

07 Sources

• Archivo General de Simancas, Estado, leg. 1394, no. 247, Duplicado de carta cifrada de García de Toledo … a Felipe II, 16 July 1565: PARES, description 3576569, images 1–6.
• S. Tomokiyo, cryptiana, which treats the Malta cipher letters of 1565 as undeciphered and does not list this one.
• Context: the Great Siege of Malta (18 May – September 1565), the Piccolo Soccorso of late June and early July and the Gran Soccorso of September, in the standard accounts of the siege.

The digit-for-digit transcription (transcription.txt), the key (key.json), the decode and render scripts, the raw and edited readings and the notes are in the repository (toledo1565/), with the six PARES images in toledo1565/img/.