Battier to Fagel (1686–1688) — Read with known key, partial

At a glanceKnown key applied · partial (78% of the cipher)

The letters: Pieter Battier, Dutch envoy extraordinary in Madrid, to Grand Pensionary Gaspar Fagel, 1686–1688.
Where: Nationaal Archief 3.01.18, inv. 401, 109 scans. The key is in 1.10.29, inv. 1209, 86 scans; DECODE R2794 gives an obsolete or erroneous inventory number, 5345.
The cipher: A homophonic letter table and an alphabetical Dutch codebook: the same numbers repeat in fifteen blocks distinguished by overhead marks and struck digits.
How it was deciphered: The key headed “Voor den Heer Extraord. Envoye Battier” was applied to the transcribed figures. Separate contemporary decipherments validate three letters, including the four numbered passages on 32R for 19 December 1686, strengthening the identification of inv. 1209 as Battier’s key.
Result: Two letters pass strict sense without a known contemporary decipherment: 24 April 1687, 230/235 = 97.9% conservatively; 8 April 1688, 313/323 = 96.9%, conservatively 312/323 = 96.6%. The 19 December 1686 reading is validation against 32R: four passages, 186 tokens. 4 December 1687 and 12 February 1688, below 95% in that review, were deciphered again as whole letters on 22 October 2026 after their cipher blocks were re-read on the scans; eight more passages located in the volume were deciphered on 23 October.
What it says: Gastanaga may be removed or employed in Peru or Catalonia; the Emperor’s ambassador seeks the Queen’s favour through a nun, the confessor, ministers and friendship with the Countess of Soissons. Madrid delays funding the Netherlands and appointments prompt factional manoeuvres: “brouwen wat met malkander”.
Still open: Six passages decoded, not read (67L, 73R, 80R, 94R after line 5, 99L, 102L); WAINUT’s eight 1687 passages wait on an eye check of 158 machine-read key rows; names, mark choices and several constructions remain uncertain. The volume estimate is about 78%.
Credit: Decipherment by Feyseel Nur (with Claude and Codex). Manuscript images: Nationaal Archief, CC0.

Battier's letter of 8 April 1688, scan 108 right: clear Dutch followed by marked cipher figures — The cipher after “voor den Opperstal Meester te vinden syn” describes a sworn party: the Constable, Osuna(?) and Monterey “brouwen wat met malkander”. Osuna remains speculative. Manuscript image: CC0.

01 The letters and the named key

Battier's correspondence survives in inv. 401 of archive 3.01.18. The key in the Fagel papers, archive 1.10.29, inv. 1209, names him explicitly. DECODE R2794 holds the key but cites “inv. nr. 5345”; that number is absent from the current 1.10.29 inventory. This contribution applies the known key, rather than recovering an unknown system.

The prior-art search covered De Leeuw (2000), DECODE, Tomokiyo, editions and the Nationaal Archief digitised series. No edition was found. De Leeuw's 2000 study discusses Fagel codebooks but does not discuss Battier. The letters are not in DECODE. Contemporary decipherments do exist for 5 December 1686 (28R), 19 December 1686 (32R), 30 January 1687 (42R–43R), and interlinearly on 101R (26 February 1688). The parallel States General set, 1.01.02 inv. 12588.120–125, is not digitised. This is a bounded prior-art finding, not proof that no unpublished reading exists.

02 19 December 1686: third validation letter

Scans 31R and 32L contain 186 cipher tokens. All 186 are key-attested and pass the review's strict sense screen. Scan 32R carries a numbered list 1–4 in a contemporary clerk's hand giving the plaintext of the four cipher passages. The key reading reproduces that list apart from spelling and “niet gedaan” versus “niet afgedaen”. This is a third validation letter, not a new reading, and strengthens the identification of inv. 1209 as Battier's key. The following are the ciphered stretches, with editorial spacing; the surrounding clear text discusses candidates for the Netherlands governorship and the money needed for it.

van de Graaf van Mansfeld, maar sedert het dese laatste eens gemanqueert heeft, is syn persoon weynigh geaestimeert, en syn credit hier aan 't hof seer geringh, en daarom ook voor hem weynigh apparentie.

maar daarom werden de publicqe affairen niet gedaan en blyft alles traineren.

maar soo men die helft vinden kost, soude haastelyk een ander gouverneur de reys na Vlaanderen aannemen.

soo veel impressie, dat men dan soo voorts op geen defensie gedenckt; en wat noch meer is, men mach se ook soecken te desabuseren soo veel men kan, soo syn se soo seer gepersuadeert dat Engelandt en de Staat de Spaansche Nederlanden par raison d'interessen sullen moeten defenderen, dat se weynigh op andere middel gedenken.

The contemporary list confirms 15:325 = wat (32L, token 65) and 12:409 = syn (32L, token 93). The latter retains its legacy C grade for a contextual mark choice, but now has contemporary-plaintext confirmation. On 31R, line L05, tokens 57–59 are 8:721 = niet, 4:294 = gedaan, 4:696 = en; 32L continues “blyft alles traineren”. There is no separate af prefix token in the recorded sequence. The clerk’s “afgedaen” expands the recorded key reading; a token omitted from the transcription cannot be excluded without checking that cipher line against the image.

Mansfeld has little standing at court. Public business drags on. Madrid is so convinced that England and the States must defend the Spanish Netherlands out of self-interest that it gives little thought to other means. Full clear context and token readings are preserved in the repository.

03 24 April 1687: the Queen’s favour

Scans 58R–59L contain 235 cipher tokens (73 and 162). The conservative Codex sense screen is 230/235 = 97.9%. Legacy grades H 212, C 21, M 1, I 1 give H+C 233/235 (99.1%); that total does not establish coherent Dutch sense. No token is 81.

The decipherment-sheet check covered 58L–60R: no interlinear plaintext, numbered list or marginal passage numbers were found. 58L endorses the 10 April letter, 59R is blank, 60L endorses this letter, and 60R begins the next letter. This is the second passing letter without a known contemporary decipherment; the local check does not establish publication novelty.

Gastanaga may be removed before the end of his three years or employed in Peru or Catalonia. His exact condition of departure remains uncertain. The Emperor’s ambassador seeks the advantages enjoyed by his predecessor and

beweeght hemel en aarde om weder in de Koninginne goede gra[tie] te komen

He works through a nun, the confessor and ministers. Renewed friendship with the Countess of Soissons is intended to obtain her good offices; the exact participants in the plural sy remain uncertain. Battier concludes that it appears

Hare Majt. het quaat van den Amb. van den Keyser haar aangedaan noyt niet vergeten sal.

The final sal is encoded at 59L:160–162. The five exclusions are a surplus bare 8 = e (possible encipherment slip), 5:623 gra[tie] (key scan 29R, column 1, partly covered by a pasted slip), and the unresolved meanings of gehelyk, sedert dat and soo als hy. The conservative screen is an editorial assessment, not a confidence probability. The verbatim review qualifies the fluent summaries in the reading files; Mansfeld’s identification is not established by these cipher tokens.

04 8 April 1688: appointments and a sworn party

Scans 107R, 108L, 108R and 109L contain 323 tokens: 322 are key-attested, but only 313/323 = 96.9% pass the strict sense screen; the conservative count is 312/323 = 96.6%. This is one of two focus letters that pass without a known contemporary decipherment. Visual inspection of scans 107–109 found no decipherment list. Inv. 401 has 109 scans; the letter ends on 109 with the signature “Mad. den 8 April 1688”. The reviewed reconstruction below retains repairs and gaps. It is not a diplomatic transcription. Ellipses separate excerpts; brackets mark uncertainty or editorial repair.

Den Grand Maestre aan syn agent geordonneert de oude Koninginne te verseekeren … Oropeza … Melgar sollicitee[r]t noch.

Alleen om Altamira tot vice Roy van [12:6?0 unread] te kunn[e]n maken … De Spaanse mesnagie blyct nu hier uyt klaarlyke … Soo lange als Castanaga gouverneren blyft.

Holsteyn … Oropeza overgegeven … Ondertusschen soo formeert sich een gesworen partye tegen den selven: Connestable van Castille, Os[t]una en Mon[i→t]ere [Monterey?] brouwen wat met malkander.

By Oropeza te willen gaan klagen, waarover Mont[i→e][u→r]ey soo quaat is geworden dat hy met moeyte uyt syn huys heeft kunnen raken. Mont[i→e]rey soude nu ook lichtvaardelyk President d'Italien willen wesen, of gelyk de Flandersche presi[s→d]ence profitabeler is.

Want hy merckt wel, dat als den G[t→r]and Maeist[u→r]e offe een creatuer van Oropesa na Vlaanderen komt, de Nederlandse toestemminge, gelyk in tyt van Grana is geschiedt, door syn handen niet veel sullen passeren.

The agent's instruction, the condition on Gastañaga's tenure, and the formation of a faction are solid within the transcription. The Holsteyn project and Monterey's interest in the Italian or Flemish presidency are plausible. Troop and money figures in the project, and the promise of Imperial letters within fourteen days, are in the clear text.

Osuna remains speculative: the spelling needs deletion of a real t. Holsteyn's identity, the pronouns in the complaint episode, and the exact meaning of toestemminge are unsettled. Translating the latter simply as “Netherlands business” hides the problem. The final clause reads “Grana is geschiedt”, not “Grana's geschiedt”. The review does not independently establish the Grand Master's modern identification.

05 The other letters of the volume

Two focus letters fell below the strict threshold in the October review:

Letter	Tokens	Key-attested	Strict sense (Oct 2026 review)	Generous ceiling
4 December 1687, 91R–92L	211	210	199/211 = 94.3%	96.7%
12 February 1688, 99R and 100R	271	268	250/271 = 92.3%	96.7%

The reading audit of 22 October 2026 classed both cipher blocks decoded, not read: holes in most sentences. The same day they were deciphered again as whole letters (91R, 92L, 92R; 99R, 100L, 100R), the cipher blocks re-read on the Nationaal Archief scans and every doubtful group looked up on the key scans: 12:908 is Turcken (not getwist), 3:352 by, 11:403 secreet, 8:48 minste, 14:455 voordragen, 11:678 soo. Two cipher runs missing from the token files were added (99R “Gravinne van Soissons”, 100L “de Coninginne”). Both now build sentences, with a few groups open (explicit-hole share 0.96 and 0.94; the repository’s modern-Dutch word list cannot score Battier’s spelling). On 4 December the government of the Netherlands is to be deliberated, Melgar and Leganés nearest to it; Novelli sounds out a post for the Palatine son; in Vienna the Grand Master is to be made president of the war council; Gastañaga complains he is left to perish while bills of exchange go out. On 12 February the Count Palatine’s letter to Novelli asks on what conditions the King would give Flanders to his son, and Rougemont, who opened it by mistake, lets the Countess of Soissons know its contents. No decipherment sheet, slip or gloss for either letter is on scans 90–94 or 98–102.

On 23 October 2026 every letter of the volume listed as unread was checked on the full-size scans. Ten have no cipher. Thirteen cipher passages were located and every group read on the scans (1,046 groups; about 150 codes looked up on the key scans). Eight build sentences: 2 January 1687 (35R/36L, aligned with its interlinear decipherment of the time: 30 codes agree), 13 March 1687 (54R and 55R), July 1687 (69L), 11 September 1687 (78R, the second run), 18 December 1687 (93R/94L), 1 January 1688 (95R) and 11 March 1688 (103R: Oropesa to speak for Cogolludo, Melgar and Balbases; Holstein desists). Six are decoded, not read: June 1687 (67L), August 1687 (73R), 25 September 1687 (80R), 18 December 1687 after line 5 of 94R, 99L and 26 February 1688 (102L). The texts are in readings/r2n/. With them the share of the volume’s cipher in letters that build sentences is estimated at about 78%.

06 Method and validation

The letter table covers 2–98, with eight homophones per vowel and three per consonant, on key scans 3–6. The one-part codebook repeats 99–999 in fifteen blocks: none, ~, backslash, ^, slash, e, l, r, bar, two dots, first/second/third digit struck, c/, reversed c/. Block 13 begins at 100. Spanish councils and grandees occur on scan 59; places on scans 78–82. The transcriptions record block and number separately.

The transcriptions were made by LLMs from the Nationaal Archief scans and checked against the key images. The merged key contains 1,417 distinct dictionary codes: 1,393 earlier codes and 24 additions in the 27 rows of key/dict/nw.tsv. Three codes already occur in the repository (15:165, 2:825 and 11:431); the preserved review identifies only the first two duplicates. Software reapplied these values to the transcribed tokens. Contemporary decipherments for 5 December 1686 (369 tokens) and 30 January 1687 (781) give 1113/1132 = 98.3% agreement where comparable, with 94.7% key-alone agreement. Eighteen positions were not comparable. This validation is not a blind holdout claim. The third validation, 19 December 1686, adds four passages, 186 tokens compared with the numbered decipherment on 32R, with spelling differences and the “gedaan”/“afgedaen” distinction above. The earlier percentages describe the first two letters only; they are not an aggregate score for all three.

The shuffle control, run with scripts/control.py in the target folder, finds 72% of spelled runs segment into Dutch words or names, compared with a mean of 1.2% and maximum of 4.1% across 300 permuted letter tables. That supports the structure of the decoding, not every proper name or interpretation. The fixed lexicon and names list influence this result; the original OpenTaal word list is required to reproduce it and is not bundled.

07 What remains uncertain

The volume estimate is about 78% of the cipher in inv. 401 in letters that build sentences (estimated, not measured token by token). The October review counted about 55%; the reading audit of 22 October 2026 took out 4 December 1687 and 12 February 1688 (about 49%); their re-reading the same day and the thirteen passages read on 23 October (section 05) brought it to about 78%. The volume is not a complete decipherment.

24 April 1687: surplus 8=e, partly covered 5:623 gra[tie], and the meaning of gehelyk, sedert dat and soo als hy remain open, including Gastanaga’s exact departure condition.
81 is i in the key. Of 17 occurrences, 14 are interpreted contextually as e and three retain i. None of the three validation letters contains 81; those decipherments do not confirm an 81=e habit.
The 365 alphabetical reversals in the dictionary, 96 touching focus tokens, are not proven misreads. Historical spelling, inflection and thematic lists complicate the check.
12:908, first transcribed as getwist where Turck(en) was inferred, is Turcken on the key scan (22 October 2026).
12:6?0 on 108L is unread. Osuna, precise pronoun referents and the administrative sense of toestemminge remain speculative.
4 December 1687 and 12 February 1688: groups without sense after the re-reading (92L 889 and the letters before “soon”; 91R 11:466 and the end of the Novelli sentence; 99R 431 374 137 512 and 604; 100L four groups; 100R the struck groups after Madrid and after gesoubconneert). Scans 90–94 and 98–102 hold no decipherment sheet for either letter.
Six passages located on 23 October 2026 are decoded, not read: 67L, 73R, 80R, 94R after line 5, 99L and 102L. In 11 September 1687 the first run of nine groups gives no sense with the marks as read; the letter builds coherent sentences elsewhere but reads at 86.3%, under the 95% bar.
The letter of 2 January 1687 (35R, 36L) was listed as having no contemporary decipherment. It has heavy interlinear decipherment over the cipher, so it was deciphered at the time (WAINUT, 21 October 2026). Its groups were transcribed from the scan on 23 October and agree with the interlinear text (30 codes; 10:703 rabat against the clerk’s “een”); a few words rest on the interlinear only. The letter builds coherent sentences but reads at 89.6%, under the 95% bar.
The independent review is software re-decoding, not independent paleography. Digit and mark choices, dictionary variants and shifted annotations still need image checks.

Contributed, 21 October 2026. WAINUT, a Dutch AI company, applied this key to the 1687 letters listed as not read (pull requests #65 and #67): 16 January, 13 and 27 February, 13 March (55L), 10 June (67R), 20 November and 18 December (94R, lines 1–5), 1,389 groups in all, every group checked by eye on the scans and 39 left uncertain. Montalto refused the government of the Spanish Netherlands only for lack of money; Gastañaga is told he will not be removed before his three years are out, while complaints come in that he does nothing but spend and “soigneuslyke borse te maken”; the Countess of Soissons recommends her son for the same post. These readings are not counted in the figures above: 158 of their code values come from a machine read of the key not yet checked row by row, and the language-model control is not in the repository. The texts are in targets/battier1686/wainut/. They also correct one key row: 11:718 is soetjens and 11:719 soetelaars.

The reading TSV grades are legacy labels: H secure key/sense, C contextual mark choice, M conjecture, I unread. They are preserved verbatim and are not repository-grade counts. Under repository terminology, primary-key support is H, contemporary-plaintext support C, uncertainty M and inference I. The conservative semantic screen, rather than a sum of legacy H+C labels, supplies the headline results.

Full texts

The transcription and the decryption of every document on this page, so that the reading can be used and checked. Short files are shown here; all are in the repository.

5 Dec 1686 (scans 30R, 31L)

Battier, Dutch envoy extraordinary in Madrid, to Grand Pensionary Gaspar Fagel; a contemporary decipherment survives on scan 28R and is transcribed beside the key reading as a validation.

Transcription

1686-12-05_groups.txt

4:90 6:95 7 32 31 28 7 30 9 6 15 11:981 8:748 6:374 4:90 11:455 12:577 4:839 11:345 43 3:937 4:90 5:606 13:112 10 49 22 91 19 80 2 8:748 8:721 10:461 8:54 15:764 15 2 29 4:568 8:870 12:409 2:825 72 19 88 3:882 13:112 20 8 83 11 8 44 87 4:696 1:829 12 23 60 64 54 8:870 4:91 7:108 9:594 8:721 11:429 3:898 7 55 89 64 5 32 19 23 83 87 9:405 2:916 1:739 10:640 8 1:415 9:49 8:870 8:718 7 15 4:161 7:891 1:743 12:409 4:635 6:559 33 2 8 28 55 23 84 88 87 9:855 11:994 6:794 6:28 15:515 15:764 7:754 3:926 54 10 3 44 8 6:28 4:90 37 28 19 15 7 44 8 55 89 6 13:112 11:819 8:146 10:687 4:696 11:678 4:92 6:678 69 39 64 2 36 11 28 10:487 4:696 52 25 8 59 86 7 6 49 44 97 54 10 9 12 35 6:5 4:90 5:606 13:112 4 83 53 91 97 45 93 8:721 15:515 1:352 6:54 11:516 6:5 8:748 4:362 54 21 29 64 8 55 15 2 82 6:297 15:165 6:374 31 12:647 2:172 7:721 13:112 1:739 6:807 33 10 49 43 11:361 3:937 14:621 4:696 4:714 8:748 28 11 8 44 54 64 20|28 23 77 9:653 15:325 7:819 11:516 17 6 26 9 2 44 42 54 31 1:215 4:92 11:984 4:92 9:620 54 3 64 82 6 32 1:233 4:90 8 55 63 6 64 54 8 8:55 11:454 6:374 3:323 4:696 6:18 11:951 4:93 7:990 5:769 3:683 19 77 8:721 1:831 13:112 4:696 4:293 3:882 8:748 3:352 3:937 4:92 12:234 13:112 4:90 5:894 69 98 19 82 43 10 77 4:92 14:447 13:112 4:92 9:620 15 2 29 15:604 11:701 6:5 44 10 51 55 5 77 92 11 32 55 10 4:547 4:439 11:489 4:547 4:696 11:499 63 6 33 8 35 54 31 7 15 4:288 5:330 14 19 32 1:215 12 7 31 6:95 3:937 6:5 7:754 21 18 43 15 87 49 4 58 54 6 29 15 13:112 14:621 12:409 4:696 3:937 4:714 15:515 8:44 7:721 7:754 3:894 12:777 5:282 9:620 11:678 7:529 8:721 7:96 54 56 64

Transcription

s030R.txt

# NA 3.01.18 inv. 401 scan 30 right page: letter Battier (Madrid, [27R-28L-30R-31L], closes 31L 'Md. den 5 Xbre 1686'); 2 cipher lines after clear text ending "...kan het dan elck een sonder scrupel aennemen."; continues on 31L (fB). Contemporary decipherment on scan 28R (inserted sheet).
L01: 4:90 6:95 7 32 31 28 7 30 9 6 15 11:981 8:748 6:374 4:90
L02: 11:455 12:577 4:839 11:345 43 3:937 4:90 5:606 13:112 10 49 22

Transcription

s031L.txt

# scan 31 left: end of letter 'Md. den 5 Xbre 1686' (begins on scan 30R). First tokens continue 'Oro-' from 30R.
# Revised by helper hB (all 22 lines re-read in the image; misreads of the first pass corrected against the key).
L01: 91 19 80 2 8:748 8:721 10:461 8:54 15:764 15 2 29 4:568 8:870
L02: 12:409 2:825 72 19 88 3:882 13:112 20 8 83 11 8 44 87
L03: 4:696 1:829 12 23 60 64 54 8:870 4:91 7:108 9:594 8:721 11:429
L04: 3:898 7 55 89 64 5 32 19 23 83 87 9:405 2:916 1:739 10:640 8
L05: 1:415 9:49 8:870 8:718 7 15 4:161 7:891 1:743 12:409 4:635 6:559 33 2
L06: 8 28 55 23 84 88 87 9:855 11:994 6:794 6:28 15:515 15:764 7:754
L07: 3:926 54 10 3 44 8 6:28 4:90 37 28 19 15 7 44 8 55 89 6 13:112
L08: 11:819 8:146 10:687 4:696 11:678 4:92 6:678 69 39 64 2 36 11 28 10:487
L09: 4:696 52 25 8 59 86 7 6 49 44 97 54 10 9 12 35 6:5 4:90
L10: 5:606 13:112 4 83 53 91 97 45 93 8:721 15:515 1:352 6:54 11:516
L11: 6:5 8:748 4:362 54 21 29 64 8 55 15 2 82 6:297 15:165 6:374
L12: 31 12:647 2:172 7:721 13:112 1:739 6:807 33 10 49 43 11:361 3:937 14:621 4:696
L13: 4:714 8:748 28 11 8 44 54 64 20|28 23 77 9:653 15:325 7:819 11:516
L14: 17 6 26 9 2 44 42 54 31 1:215 4:92 11:984 4:92 9:620 54 3 64 82 6 32
L15: 1:233 4:90 8 55 63 6 64 54 8 8:55 11:454 6:374 3:323 4:696 6:18 11:951 4:93
L16: 7:990 5:769 3:683 19 77 8:721 1:831 13:112 4:696 4:293 3:882 8:748 3:352 3:937
L17: 4:92 12:234 13:112 4:90 5:894 69 98 19 82 43 10 77 4:92 14:447 13:112 4:92
L18: 9:620 15 2 29 15:604 11:701 6:5 44 10 51 55 5 77 92 11 32 55 10
L19: 4:547 4:439 11:489 4:547 4:696 11:499 63 6 33 8 35 54 31 7 15 4:288
L20: 5:330 14 19 32 1:215 12 7 31 6:95 3:937 6:5 7:754 21 18 43 15 87 49
L21: 4 58 54 6 29 15 13:112 14:621 12:409 4:696 3:937 4:714 15:515 8:44 7:721 7:754
L22: 3:894 12:777 5:282 9:620 11:678 7:529 8:721 7:96 54 56 64 {Ick blyve}

Decryption

s030R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 30 right page - letter Battier to Fagel, Madrid (begins 27R, continues 28L, 30R, 31L; closing on 31L "Md. den 5 Xbre 1686"; endorsement on 27L reads "21 nov. 1686").
Cipher passage begins after the clear sentence "[... kan het dan elck een sonder scrupel aennemen.]" and runs on to 31L (fork fB).

Key reading (27 tokens, all H):
  De hof intrigues staan noch in de selve termen, evenwel schyn-t dat de graaf van Oro-[peza ... -> 31L: 91 19 80 2 = p e z a]
Normalised: "De Hof-intrigues staan noch in de selve termen; evenwel schynt dat de Graaf van Oropeza [noch niet premier minister werden sal ...]"

Contemporary decipherment: yes - scan 28R (inserted sheet, same cursive hand as the decipherment on scans 42R-43L) deciphers this passage and its continuation on 31L; see reading/s028R_decipherment.txt. Its first words agree token-for-token with the key reading ("De Hoff intrigues staen noch inde selve termen, evenwel ..."); the decipherer's next word is written ambiguously ("segget"/"schynt"); the key gives schyn+t.

English gist: The court intrigues are unchanged; yet it seems that Count Oropesa [will not yet become first minister ...].

Decryption

s031L_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 31 left page - end of letter Battier to Fagel, "Md. den 5 Xbre 1686" (begins 27R; cipher from 30R L01).
22 cipher lines, 342 tokens (H 331, C 11, M 0, I 0); followed by clear "Ick blyve ..." and signature.
Contemporary decipherment: yes, scan 28R (see reading/validation_1686-12-05.txt: 327 agree, 9 chosen by context, 6 differences (2 encipherment slips + 4 trivial)).

Key reading (30R + 31L, normalised; emendations in < >):
[30R] De Hof-intrigues staan noch in de selve termen; evenwel schynt dat de Graaf van Oro-[31L]peza noch niet premier minister worden sal,
eensdeels om dat syn biechtvader hem daar van a<f>raedt, en anderdeels om dat dese Koningh ook niet seer daar toe inclineert;
ondertusschen blyven alle publicqe affairen ongedaan, om dat niemant is die meer als syn eygen interessen waerneemt.
Opper-stalmeester kan hy wel worden, maar dan soude hy de presidence van 't Ryk van Castilien moeten quiteren,
en soo den Cardinaal Salazar president en chef wierde, soude het de Graaf van Oropeza niet wel aanstaan;
hoe sy het noch draayen sullen, sal ick U Wel Ed. Gestr. in 't toekomende bekent maken.
Van alle kanten wort geschreven dat Vrankryk en Engelandt noch raedslaen op wat maniere sy beq<u>a<e>mst aan den Staat
den oorlogh sullen aandoen; de Engelse ministers self in Brussel en hier spreken der met haar confidenten niet anders van,
en doen daar noch by dat den successeur van de heer Scelton den voorbode van den oorlogh sal wesen, soowel als het Downing
anno 1671 geweest is; doch gelooft men aan dit hof dat het maar uitstroysels van Vrankryk syn, en dat Engelandt wel mine maken,
maar daarom tot geen oorlogh soo licht niet komen sal. [Ick blyve ...]

English gist: Oropesa will not yet be made first minister (his confessor dissuades him, the King is not keen); public business stalls
because everyone looks after his own interest; he could become Caballerizo mayor but would then have to give up the presidency of
Castile, and he would not like Cardinal Salazar to become president. Everywhere it is written that France and England are deliberating
how best to make war on the States; English ministers in Brussels and here say so, adding that Skelton's successor will herald war as
Downing did in 1671; but this court believes it is French rumour and that England will make a show but not easily go to war.

Decryption

s028R_decipherment.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 28 right page: contemporary decipherment (cursive hand, same as 42R-43L) of the cipher passage on scans 30R (2 lines) + 31L (22 lines) of Battier's letter closing "Md. den 5 Xbre 1686".
Working transcription by fork fA (hasty hand; [?] = uncertain; NOT a key reading - for validation of 31L by fork fB):

De Hoff intrigues staen noch inde selve termen, evenwel / segget[?schynt] dat de Graef van Oropesa noch niet premier / minister werden sal, eensdeels omdat syn biechtvader hem / daer van afraedt, en anderdeels omdat de[sen?] Coni[n]ck[?] / oock niet seer daer toe inclineert; ondertusschen blyven / alle publycke affairen ongedaen, omdat nyemant is, die / [struck: met de] meer als syn eygen interesse waernempt: Opper- / stalmeester can hy niet werden, maer dan soude hy de / presidentie van 't Ryck van Castilien moeten quiteren, en / so den Cardinael Salazar president en chef wierde, sonder / het de Graeff van Oropesa niet wel aenstaen; hoe / [struck word; interlined 'syn het maer'?] voorvallen[?] sullen, sal ick U. Wel Ed: Gestr. / int toecomende bekent maecken. Van alle canten wert / geschreven dat Vranckryck en Engelant noch vaststaen / op wat maniere sy bequaemst aen den Staet den oorlogh / sullen aendoen; de Engelsche ministers selfs in Brussel / ende [elders?] spreken[?] dien met haer confidenten niet anders / van, en doen daer noch by dat den successeur van den Heer / Skelton[?] de voorbode van den oorlogh sal wesen, so als het / Downingh anno 1671 geweest is; doch gelooft men / aen dit Hoff dat het maer uytstrooysels van Vranck- / ryck syn, en dat Engelant wel mine maecken[?] / maer daerom tot geen oorlogh so licht nyt comen / sal.

English gist: Court intrigues unchanged; Oropesa will not yet be made first minister (his confessor advises against it; the King [?] is not inclined); public business stalls; he cannot become Caballerizo mayor without giving up the presidency of Castile, and if Cardinal Salazar became president and chief, Oropesa would not like it. From all sides it is written that France and England are agreed on how best to make war on the States; English ministers even in Brussels say as much, adding that the successor of Mr Skelton[?] will be the harbinger of war as Downing was in 1671; but at this court it is believed these are French rumours and that England will only make a show and not easily come to war.

Reading

1686-12-05_reading.md

<!-- Reading of the cipher passage of Battier's letter to Fagel, Madrid, 5 Dec 1686 (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scans 30R, 31L), written 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (v7 translation wave) from the key reading in readings/s030R_text.txt and readings/s031L_text.txt (inv. 1209 key), which agrees with the contemporary decipherment on scan 28R (readings/s028R_decipherment.txt; validation_1686-12-05.txt: 327 tokens agree). Spelling as the key gives it; the two encipherer's slips emended in s031L_text.txt ("a<f>raedt", "beq<u>a<e>mst") are given emended. The clear text of the letter before the cipher (scans 27R, 28L) is not transcribed in the repository; the cipher follows the clear sentence "kan het dan elck een sonder scrupel aennemen" and is followed by the clear closing. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 5 December 1686 (cipher passage, scans 30R-31L)

## Reading

De Hof-intrigues staan noch in de selve termen; evenwel schynt dat de Graaf van Oropeza noch niet premier minister
worden sal, eensdeels om dat syn biechtvader hem daar van afraedt, en anderdeels om dat dese Koningh ook niet seer daar
toe inclineert; ondertusschen blyven alle publicqe affairen ongedaan, om dat niemant is die meer als syn eygen
interessen waerneemt. Opper-stalmeester kan hy wel worden, maar dan soude hy de presidence van 't Ryk van Castilien
moeten quiteren, en soo den Cardinaal Salazar president en chef wierde, soude het de Graaf van Oropeza niet wel
aanstaan; hoe sy het noch draayen sullen, sal ick U Wel Ed. Gestr. in 't toekomende bekent maken.

Van alle kanten wort geschreven dat Vrankryk en Engelandt noch raedslaen op wat maniere sy bequaemst aan den Staat den
oorlogh sullen aandoen; de Engelse ministers self in Brussel en hier spreken der met haar confidenten niet anders van,
en doen daar noch by dat den successeur van de heer Scelton den voorbode van den oorlogh sal wesen, soowel als het
Downing anno 1671 geweest is; doch gelooft men aan dit hof dat het maar uitstroysels van Vrankryk syn, en dat Engelandt
wel mine maken, maar daarom tot geen oorlogh soo licht niet komen sal.

⟨Ick blyve ...⟩

Translation

1686-12-05_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/1686-12-05_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026): the cipher passage of the letter, read with the key and confirmed by the contemporary decipherment on scan 28R. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 5 December 1686 (cipher passage): English translation

The court intrigues still stand on the same terms; yet it seems that the Count of Oropesa will not yet become first
minister, partly because his confessor advises him against it, and partly because this King is not much inclined to
it either; meanwhile all public business remains undone, because there is no one who looks after more than his own
interests. He may well become Master of the Horse, but then he would have to give up the presidency of the Realm of
Castile, and if Cardinal Salazar became president and chief, the Count of Oropesa would not much like it; how they will
still turn it, I shall make known to Your Honour in future.

From all sides it is written that France and England are still deliberating in what way they can most conveniently make
war on the State; the English ministers themselves, in Brussels and here, speak of nothing else with their confidants,
and add that the successor of Mr Skelton will be the harbinger of war, just as Downing was in 1671; but at this court it
is believed that these are only rumours spread by France, and that England may well put on a show, but will not for all
that come to war so easily.

⟨I remain ...⟩

19 Dec 1686 (scans 31R, 32L)

Battier to Fagel; the four numbered passages deciphered by a contemporary clerk on scan 32R make this letter the third validation of the key against contemporary plaintext.

Transcription

1686-12-19_groups.txt

13:112 4:90 5:606 13:112 14 2 32 15 13 6 29 12 7:754 11:412 6:5 4:91 7:338 8 4:565 7:829 48 8 19 59 43 5 54 11:521 10:246 15:513 4:820 4:696 11:521 3:854 6:18 1:215 87 6:95 11:429 5:406 4:696 3:894 9:594 14:421 72 23 88 15:513 1:855 7:754 3:894 15:578 4:90 10:640 35 1:415 8:721 4:294 4:696 68 64 58 59 87 1:739 69 12:809 7:754 11:678 14 6 32 4:161 5:939 14:242 67 10 54 43 15 22 21 90 19 5:762 4:547 1:829 5:602 4:90 10:893 8:293 14:274 1:307 11:678 13:171 7 14 65 83 19 54 15 5 6 3:937 42 60 77 3:926 11:678 14:587 9:653 5:282 3:977 63 8 44 19 55 89 34 31 4:696 15:325 8:748 7:891 7 15 42 23 77 88 20 98 25 54 97 9:594 11:708 12:463 90 19 69 1:130 11:678 13:171 88 8 77 6:794 11:678 12:409 54 35 11:678 11:429 10:250 3:937 4:714 4:696 4:90 11:987 4:90 8:600 37 39 83 10:720 44 6:559 54 3 29 64 6 32 8:146 3:975 3:937 54 19 15:513 9:653 1:830 8:4 5:266

Transcription

s031R.txt

# NA 3.01.18 inv. 401 scan 31 right page: new letter Battier to Fagel, "Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / Myn Heer. Voor de Nederlanden is nogh niet geresolveert..."
# (runs on to 32L). Helper hB. Two cipher passages inside clear text.
# Passage 1 after "Nu wort oock gesprocken van de Marquis de Leganes, en sommige seggen"
L01: 13:112 4:90 5:606 13:112 14 2 32 15 13 6 29
L02: 12 7:754 11:412 6:5 4:91 7:338 8 4:565 7:829 48 8 19 59 43 5 54
L03: 11:521 10:246 15:513 4:820 4:696 11:521 3:854 6:18 1:215 87 6:95 11:429
L04: 5:406 4:696 3:894 9:594 14:421 72 23 88 15:513 1:855 {De Heer Graef van Oropeza blyft in groot credit, 's Konings Biechtvader die syn Vrindt niet was, heeft syn dimissie versocht en bekomen en is alreets een ander genomineert:}
# Passage 2 (last line of the page, runs on to 32L)
L05: 7:754 3:894 15:578 4:90 10:640 35 1:415 8:721 4:294 4:696

Transcription

s032L.txt

# NA 3.01.18 inv. 401 scan 32 left page: continuation of the letter begun on 31R (no date seen yet; runs on to 32R). Helper hB.
# L01 continues 31R L05 "... maar daarom werden de publicqe affairen niet gedaan en"
L01: 68 64 58 59 87 1:739 69 12:809 {De Heer Cantelmo}
# L02 clear: Envoyé van de Hr Marquis de Gastañaga, obtineert
L03: {weynigh, hy eyst 800 duysent patacons} 7:754 11:678 14 6
L04: 32 4:161 5:939 14:242 67 10 54 43 15 22 21 90 19 5:762 4:547
L05: 1:829 5:602 4:90 10:893 8:293 14:274 1:307 {Vande project van}
# L06-L14 clear (Vander Haghen; alliance with Brandenburg, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Hesse-Kassel; no money; the King of France, the posts at Namur, the hoped-for amicable accommodation at Dinant)
L15: 11:678 13:171 7 14 65 83 19 54 15 5 6 3:937 42 60 77 3:926 11:678 14:587
L16: 9:653 5:282 3:977 63 8 44 19 55 89 34 31 4:696 15:325 8:748 7:891
L17: 7 15 42 23 77 88 20 98 25 54 97 9:594 11:708 12:463 90 19 69
L18: 1:130 11:678 13:171 88 8 77 6:794 11:678 12:409 54 35 11:678 11:429
L19: 10:250 3:937 4:714 4:696 4:90 11:987 4:90 8:600 37 39 83 10:720 44
L20: 6:559 54 3 29 64 6 32 8:146 3:975 3:937 54 19 15:513 9:653 1:830
L21: 8:4 5:266 {Den Duc d'Arré is van intentie ...}

Decryption

s031R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 31 right page - NEW letter Battier to Fagel (starts here; continues 32L, 32R; date not yet seen - after 5 Dec 1686).
Clear text with 2 cipher passages, 59 tokens (H 59). No contemporary decipherment known.

[Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / Myn Heer. Voor de Nederlanden is nogh niet geresolveert, en sal oock niet konnen geschieden eer men een goede
somme gelt uytvindt ... Men weet oock niet of eene van de gemelte drien het Gouvernement obtineren sal. Den Graef van Melgar hadde goede
hoop, maer sint heeft den Admirante aen Dn. Em. de Lira in sodaenige termes over de disgracie van syn Soon geschreven dat de Koningh daer
over heel qualyck te vreden is. Nu wort oock gesprocken van de Marquis de Leganes, en sommige seggen]
van de Graaf van Mansfeld, maar sedert het dese laatste eens gemanqueert heeft, is syn persoon weynigh geaestimeert, en syn credit
hier aan 't hof seer geringh, en daarom ook voor hem weynigh apparentie.
[De Heer Graef van Oropeza blyft in groot credit, 's Konings Biechtvader die syn Vrindt niet was, heeft syn dimissie versocht en bekomen
en is alreets een ander genomineert:]
maar daarom werden de publicqe affairen niet gedaan en [-> 32L: blyft alles traineren.]

English gist: The governorship of the Spanish Netherlands is undecided (Melgar, Leganés named); some mention Count Mansfeld, but since
he once failed he is little esteemed and has very little credit at court, so little chance. Oropesa stays in favour and the King's
confessor (no friend of his) has been replaced - yet public business is still not done but drags on.

Decryption

s032L_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 32 left page - continuation of the letter begun on 31R (continues 32R). 127 cipher tokens (H 126, C 1).
No contemporary decipherment known.

[31R: maar daarom werden de publicqe affairen niet gedaan en] blyft alles traineren.
[De Heer Cantelmo, Envoyé van de Hr. Marquis de Gastañaga, obtineert weynigh; hy eyst 800 duysent patacons,]
maar soo men die helft vinden kost, soude haastelyk een ander gouverneur de reys na Vlaanderen aannemen.
[Van de project van Vander Haghen wort niet meer gesproocken. De Marquis de Gastañaga proponeert oock nieuwe alliantie met Brandeborgh,
Brunswic Lunenburgh en Hesse Cassel te maecken, maer sonder gelt kan niet gedaen worden, en daer en boven so maeckt het niet alle wel
wesen (: gelyck men hier debiteert :) van de Koningh van Vranckryck, en het weder wegh nemen van de paalen by Namur, mitsgaders de hoop
van 't amiable accommodement te Dinant]
soo veel impressie, dat men dan soo voorts op geen defensie gedenckt; en wat noch meer is, men mach se ook soecken te desabuseren
soo veel men kan, soo syn se soo seer gepersuadeert dat Engelandt en de Staat de Spaansche Nederlanden par raison d'interessen
sullen moeten defenderen, dat se weynigh op andere middel gedenken.
[Den Duc d'Arré is van intentie in weinigh dagen van hier te vertrecken ... (-> 32R)]

English gist: Cantelmo gets little; Gastañaga asks 800,000 patacons, but if even half could be found another governor would quickly
go to Flanders. The French king's 'goodwill', the removal of the posts at Namur and hopes of a settlement at Dinant so impress Madrid
that nobody thinks of defence; however much one tries to disabuse them, they are convinced England and the States must defend the
Spanish Netherlands out of self-interest, so they think of no other means.
Notes: 15:325 = 'wat' (key; dict/fB 'was' is a misreading); 12:409 syn graded C (struck 0/6 ambiguity).

Reading

1686-12-19_reading.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, [19] December 1686 (scans 31R-32L)

## Reading

⟨Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / Myn Heer. Voor de Nederlanden is nogh niet geresolveert, en sal oock niet konnen geschieden
eer men een goede somme gelt uytvindt ... Men weet oock niet of eene van de gemelte drien het Gouvernement obtineren sal.
Den Graef van Melgar hadde goede hoop, maer sint heeft den Admirante aen Dn. Em. de Lira in sodaenige termes over de
disgracie van syn Soon geschreven dat de Koningh daer over heel qualyck te vreden is. Nu wort oock gesprocken van de
Marquis de Leganes, en sommige seggen⟩ van de Graaf van Mansfeld, maar sedert het dese laatste eens gemanqueert heeft,
is syn persoon weynigh geaestimeert, en syn credit hier aan 't hof seer geringh, en daarom ook voor hem weynigh
apparentie.

⟨De Heer Graef van Oropeza blyft in groot credit, 's Konings Biechtvader die syn Vrindt niet was, heeft syn dimissie
versocht en bekomen en is alreets een ander genomineert:⟩ maar daarom werden de publicqe affairen niet gedaan en blyft
alles traineren.

⟨De Heer Cantelmo, Envoyé van de Hr. Marquis de Gastañaga, obtineert weynigh; hy eyst 800 duysent patacons,⟩ maar soo
men die helft vinden kost, soude haastelyk een ander gouverneur de reys na Vlaanderen aannemen.

⟨Van de project van Vander Haghen wort niet meer gesproocken. De Marquis de Gastañaga proponeert oock nieuwe alliantie
met Brandeborgh, Brunswic Lunenburgh en Hesse Cassel te maecken, maer sonder gelt kan niet gedaen worden, en daer en
boven so maeckt het niet alle wel wesen (: gelyck men hier debiteert :) van de Koningh van Vranckryck, en het weder wegh
nemen van de paalen by Namur, mitsgaders de hoop van 't amiable accommodement te Dinant⟩ soo veel impressie, dat men dan
soo voorts op geen defensie gedenckt; en wat noch meer is, men mach se ook soecken te desabuseren soo veel men kan, soo
syn se soo seer gepersuadeert dat Engelandt en de Staat de Spaansche Nederlanden par raison d'interessen sullen moeten
defenderen, dat se weynigh op andere middel gedenken.

⟨Den Duc d'Arré is van intentie in weinigh dagen van hier te vertrecken ...⟩

Translation

1686-12-19_en.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, [19] December 1686 (scans 31R-32L): English translation

⟨Right Honourable Sir, My Lord. For the Netherlands nothing has yet been resolved, nor can it be until a good sum of
money is found ... Nor is it known whether one of the said three will obtain the governorship. The Count of Melgar had
good hopes, but since then the Admiral has written to Don Manuel de Lira in such terms about his son's disgrace that the
King is very ill pleased with it. Now there is also talk of the Marquis of Leganés, and some speak⟩ of the Count of
Mansfeld; but since this last once failed, his person is little esteemed and his credit here at court very slight, and
therefore there is little likelihood for him either.

⟨The Count of Oropesa remains in great credit; the King's confessor, who was not his friend, has asked for and obtained
his dismissal, and another has already been named;⟩ but for all that public business is not done, and everything goes
on dragging.

⟨Mr Cantelmo, envoy of the Marquis of Gastañaga, obtains little; he demands 800 thousand patacoons,⟩ but if half of it
could be found, another governor would soon undertake the journey to Flanders.

⟨Of Vander Haghen's project there is no more talk. The Marquis of Gastañaga also proposes to make a new alliance with
Brandenburg, Brunswick-Lüneburg and Hesse-Kassel, but without money it cannot be done; and besides, the professed
goodwill (as they put it here) of the King of France, the removal again of the posts near Namur, together with the hope
of the amicable settlement at Dinant⟩ make so much impression that people think no further of defence; and what is
more, however much one may try to disabuse them, they are so persuaded that England and the State will have to defend
the Spanish Netherlands for reasons of their own interest that they think little of any other means.

⟨The Duc d'Arré intends to leave here in a few days ...⟩

30 Jan 1687 (scans 41R, 42L, 44R)

Battier to Fagel; the contemporary decipherment on scans 42R-43R (file misdated 16 Jan) deciphers this one letter and is transcribed beside the key reading.

Transcription

1687-01-30_groups.txt

6:297 5:879 11:412 4:90 7:338 6 10:403 7:990 52 2 32 31 6 29 14 4 9:958 6:54 42 8 55 17 19 15 31 14:421 11:798 54 10 9 12 8 6:795 1:875 4:696 15:643 5:880 5:567 14:243 6:5 9:329 4:90 5:811|1:811 12:463 4:293 15:310 1:831 6:5 14:421 11:798 11:245 6:796 12:409 8:870 11:556? 6:18 11:678 4:10 12:409 4:696 8:721 15:681 3:937 4:90 8:296 7:990 5:769 4:318 6 11:216|11:256 15 7 52 25 69 21 82 64 19 77 2:279|10:279 11:854 48 8 6 59 43 1:750 9:904 9:844 3:882 13:112 11:952 4:696 4:90 11:994|5:994 13:112 20 21 83 19 7 15 8:17 7:96 11:431 3:937 6:28 6:374 4:547 14:266 13:112 3:741 6:184|6:104 5:748 3:937 12:414|11:414 6:374 5:10 13:112 11:798 5:748 11:361|11:861 4:696 3:937 88 19 77 6:5 8:721 15:515 77 20 42 6:297 5:879 7:754 1:849 3:937 6:297 19 83 8:721 13:112 33 7 15 31 6 15:310 6:297 5:879 15:515 7:954 3:937 6:28 26 9 2 14 11:757 8:869 15:331 10:738 1:215 11:854 12:463 4:293 6:297 5:879 4:839 15:202 6:297 6:5 8:762 5:879 1:174 1:171? 4:148 4:294 14 4 32 31 6 28 8 36 13:816 3:937 12:409 54 15:630 8:748 8:721 11:18 7 15 4:696 8:106 9:594 8:748 11:688|8:608 8:721 11:18 15:767 11:783 7 15 42 8 59 5 11 77 87 4:696 22 65 18 77 7 2 31 28 8 19 83 87 54 24 98 72 1:743 6:28 42 6 8 55 31 12:463 7:953 3:937 88 6 32 12:493 12:409 15:683|5:603 3:522 15 13:427 33 18 82 4:696 25 8 6 53|59 31 11:788 4:94 7:108 15 5:716|5:756 7:893 3:891 13:592 3:937 6:28 4:319 37 19 90 28 4 4:90 15:878 7:990 5:487|5:407 11:794 25 6 8 59 31 15:681 7:721 4:696 3:894 11:678 4:293 4:90 14:708 13:112 11:798 1:831 8:721 1:743 11:785 6:374 4:90 14 19 85 18 20 77 98 19 12:463 6:197 42 8 55 5:748 11:432 48|40 6 42 13:112 15:972 1:743 14:165 8:293 11:844 12:463 11:460|1:460 6:5 15:548 1:175? 52 6 31 8 28 14:421 25 8 14 54 10 9 44 8 12:409 1:988? 8:794 4:696 12:647 10:403 54 20 64 6:297 8:306 4:148 4:293 14 8 32 15 37 49 19 6 52 34 31 1:831 8:748 13:112 42 19 82 92 93 83 88 22 77 87 56 64 43 4 4:696 11:800 7:754 4:288 11:759|11:459 4:90 8:48 11:449|12:449 4:696 6:533 8:870 5:282|13:282 5:308 14:469 7 15 6:5 11:345|11:845 31 9:594 1:743 8:856 54 5 89 72 11:854 8:748 13 29 2 31 43 6 8 28 44 19 7:754 25 8 19 59 43 6:5 11:784 4:161|3:161 72 19 42 15:430 4:90|90 52 2 32 31 7 55 15 11:211|11:215 4:161 6:28 11:678 12:47 5:80 25 6 19 59 31 11:429 5:791 1:750 4:565 6:795 10:241 11:678 54 2 64 15 6 11:783 9:594 8:794 8:748|10:748 15:515 6:795 4:244 5:769 12:463 5:465|1:465 1:215 25 8 42 8:721 12:463 14:266 10:825 15:209 11:854 4:92 5:119 52 10 3 28 7 6 49 48 19 8 59 31 7:344 1:590 42 8 19 77 87 14 23 55 4:98 12:463 12:409 3:937 6:28 11:807? 12 6 83 4:548 8 10:891 3:352 12:409 3:607|13:607 33 2 54 30|80 6 51 19 35 69 87 4:696 8:721 6:795 44 19 13:682|12:602 9:903 15:325 7:863 72 60 84 85 87 12:318|1:318 3:937 6:5 33 2 15 9:903 4:90 12:958 6:277 7 30 6 12:843 6:374 4:547 14:689 12:463 52 10 77 1:983? 4:696 3:937 14 6 77 6:5 1:180 28 9 89 48 54 13:112 4:446 86 18 82 12 6 4:293 6:28 25 8 19 59 31 8:17 7:338 14:636 8:856 6:297 8:721 51 18 15 31 15:325 8:420 3:882|1:882 13:112 48 5 6 64 12 19 77 6:297 5:879 11:432 13:112 8:721 7:754 3:937 6:297 8:17 7:529 6:796 6:380 3:937 8:420 5:282 1:830 6:558 5:749 1:743 4:90 1:738 5:345 6 11:178 4:696 4:90 11:236 13:112 5:769 8 1:236 4:696 1:743 12:411 14:689 7:991 12:908 14 2 8 52 67 43 19 3:937 3:926 14:621 1:854 29 16 89 67 8:721 15 10 9 12 6 9:367 6:28 7 15 13:572 4:696 17 8 19 64 12 31 15 7 52 25 6:374 3:937 11:454 4:90 14:708 1:215 4:446 4:90 14:167 77 8:721 5:714 4:696 48 6 88 5:287 4:335 15:325 4 6:5 9:594 11:516 4:527 15 2 30 19 77 4:547 4:648 13:112 4:90 12:909 9:620 12:463 7:721 4:696 4:293 14:484 11:235 4:547 4:934 6 89 10 3 49 7 8 28 13:112 15:972 50 21 20 88 33 2 15 6:28 11:678 14:587 1:781 7:754 11:754 15 48 6 8 59 43 14 19 77 13:683 3:937 6:5 1:740 9:903 6:5 1:146 13:112 11:846 7 15

Transcription

s041R.txt

# scan 41 right page: Battier letter p.1 (all cipher, 'Myn Heer.'); continues 42L -> 44R (closing 'Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687' on 44R).
# The 16 Jan 1687 endorsement on 41L belongs to the clear letter on 40R, not to this one. Contemporary decipherment 42R-43R.
# L01-L14 first pass by fC; verified/corrected + L15-L18 by hC. Decipherer's small letters above L14 (monterey) and L16 (fiant, opiniatreerts): not cipher.
# The writer's '1' looks like long-s (also 5); 8 = sigma-shape, 0 = round o.
L01: 6:297 5:879 11:412 4:90 7:338 6 10:403 7:990
L02: 52 2 32 31 6 29 14 4 9:958 6:54 42 8 55 17 19 15 31 14:421
L03: 11:798 54 10 9 12 8 6:795 1:875 4:696 15:643 5:880 5:567 14:243 6:5 9:329
L04: 4:90 5:811|1:811 12:463 4:293 15:310 1:831 6:5 14:421 11:798 11:245 6:796 12:409 8:870
L05: 11:556? 6:18 11:678 4:10 12:409 4:696 8:721 15:681 3:937 4:90 8:296 7:990 5:769
L06: 4:318 6 11:216|11:256 15 7 52 25 69 21 82 64 19 77 2:279|10:279 11:854 48
L07: 8 6 59 43 1:750 9:904 9:844 3:882 13:112 11:952 4:696 4:90 11:994|5:994 13:112
L08: 20 21 83 19 7 15 8:17 7:96 11:431 3:937 6:28 6:374 4:547 14:266 13:112
L09: 3:741 6:184|6:104 5:748 3:937 12:414|11:414 6:374 5:10 13:112 11:798 5:748 11:361|11:861 4:696 3:937
L10: 88 19 77 6:5 8:721 15:515 77 20 42 6:297 5:879 7:754 1:849 3:937
L11: 6:297 19 83 8:721 13:112 33 7 15 31 6 15:310 6:297 5:879 15:515 7:954
L12: 3:937 6:28 26 9 2 14 11:757 8:869 15:331 10:738 1:215 11:854 12:463 4:293
L13: 6:297 5:879 4:839 15:202 6:297 6:5 8:762 5:879 1:174 1:171? 4:148 4:294
L14: 14 4 32 31 6 28 8 36 13:816 3:937 12:409 54 15:630 8:748 8:721 11:18
L15: 7 15 4:696 8:106 9:594 8:748 11:688|8:608 8:721 11:18 15:767 11:783 7 15 42 8
L16: 59 5 11 77 87 4:696 22 65 18 77 7 2 31 28 8 19 83 87 54
L17: 24 98 72 1:743 6:28 42 6 8 55 31 12:463 7:953 3:937 88 6 32
L18: 12:493 12:409 15:683|5:603 3:522 15 13:427 33 18 82 4:696 25 8 6 53|59 31 11:788

Transcription

s042L.txt

# scan 42 left page: Battier letter p.2 (all cipher), continues on 44R; hC. Decipherer's small letters above several letter runs (not cipher).
L01: 4:94 7:108 15 5:716|5:756 7:893 3:891 13:592 3:937 6:28 4:319 37 19 90 28
L02: 4 4:90 15:878 7:990 5:487|5:407 11:794 25 6 8 59 31 15:681 7:721 4:696
L03: 3:894 11:678 4:293 4:90 14:708 13:112 11:798 1:831 8:721 1:743 11:785
L04: 6:374 4:90 14 19 85 18 20 77 98 19 12:463 6:197 42 8 55 5:748
L05: 11:432 48|40 6 42 13:112 15:972 1:743 14:165 8:293 11:844 12:463 11:460|1:460 6:5
L06: 15:548 1:175? 52 6 31 8 28 14:421 25 8 14 54 10 9 44 8
L07: 12:409 1:988? 8:794 4:696 12:647 10:403 54 20 64 6:297 8:306 4:148
L08: 4:293 14 8 32 15 37 49 19 6 52 34 31 1:831 8:748 13:112
L09: 42 19 82 92 93 83 88 22 77 87 56 64 43 4 4:696
L10: 11:800 7:754 4:288 11:759|11:459 4:90 8:48 11:449|12:449 4:696 6:533 8:870 5:282|13:282
L11: 5:308 14:469 7 15 6:5 11:345|11:845 31 9:594 1:743 8:856 54 5 89 72
L12: 11:854 8:748 13 29 2 31 43 6 8 28 44 19 7:754 25 8 19
L13: 59 43 6:5 11:784 4:161|3:161 72 19 42 15:430 4:90|90 52 2 32 31
L14: 7 55 15 11:211|11:215 4:161 6:28 11:678 12:47 5:80 25 6 19 59 31
L15: 11:429 5:791 1:750 4:565 6:795 10:241 11:678 54 2 64 15 6 11:783
L16: 9:594 8:794 8:748|10:748 15:515 6:795 4:244 5:769 12:463 5:465|1:465 1:215 25
L17: 8 42 8:721 12:463 14:266 10:825 15:209 11:854 4:92 5:119 52 10 3
L18: 28 7 6 49 48 19 8 59 31 7:344 1:590 42 8 19 77 87 14
L19: 23 55 4:98 12:463 12:409 3:937 6:28 11:807? 12 6 83 4:548 8
L20: 10:891 3:352 12:409 3:607|13:607 33 2 54 30|80 6 51 19 35 69 87 4:696
L21: 8:721 6:795 44 19 13:682|12:602 9:903 15:325 7:863 72 60 84 85
L22: 87 12:318|1:318 3:937 6:5 33 2 15 9:903 4:90 12:958 6:277 7 30 6 12:843

Transcription

s044R.txt

# scan 44 right page: Battier letter p.3 (all cipher), continuation of 41R+42L; closing below the cipher "Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687", signed Battier.
# Deciphered by the contemporary decipherment 43L line 18 ("in den Vrede te consenteren") to 43R end. hC. Decipherer's letters above L02, L04, L09 (not cipher).
L01: 6:374 4:547 14:689 12:463 52 10 77 1:983? 4:696 3:937 14 6 77 6:5
L02: 1:180 28 9 89 48 54 13:112 4:446 86 18 82 12 6 4:293 6:28
L03: 25 8 19 59 31 8:17 7:338 14:636 8:856 6:297 8:721 51 18 15 31
L04: 15:325 8:420 3:882|1:882 13:112 48 5 6 64 12 19 77 6:297 5:879 11:432 13:112
L05: 8:721 7:754 3:937 6:297 8:17 7:529 6:796 6:380 3:937 8:420 5:282
L06: 1:830 6:558 5:749 1:743 4:90 1:738 5:345 6 11:178 4:696 4:90 11:236
L07: 13:112 5:769 8 1:236 4:696 1:743 12:411 14:689 7:991 12:908 14 2 8 52
L08: 67 43 19 3:937 3:926 14:621 1:854 29 16 89 67 8:721 15 10 9
L09: 12 6 9:367 6:28 7 15 13:572 4:696 17 8 19 64 12 31 15 7 52
L10: 25 6:374 3:937 11:454 4:90 14:708 1:215 4:446 4:90 14:167 77 8:721 5:714
L11: 4:696 48 6 88 5:287 4:335 15:325 4 6:5 9:594 11:516 4:527 15 2
L12: 30 19 77 4:547 4:648 13:112 4:90 12:909 9:620 12:463 7:721 4:696 4:293
L13: 14:484 11:235 4:547 4:934 6 89 10 3 49 7 8 28 13:112 15:972
L14: 50 21 20 88 33 2 15 6:28 11:678 14:587 1:781 7:754 11:754 15
L15: 48 6 8 59 43 14 19 77 13:683 3:937 6:5 1:740 9:903 6:5 1:146
L16: 13:112 11:846 7 15

Decryption

s041R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 41 right page - Battier to Fagel, p.1 of an all-cipher letter ("Myn Heer."), continued on 42L and 44R;
closing on 44R "Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687" (the 16 Jan 1687 endorsement on 41L belongs to the clear letter 40R). Contemporary decipherment 42R-43R.
262 tokens: H 247, C 13, M 0, I 2 (read as sense 260 = 99.2%). 240 tokens agree with the decipherer, 13 needed it to choose.

Reading (key values, normalised lightly; [..] editorial, (?) doubtful):
Ick hebbe sedert de laetste post met Cantelmo overleydt hoe men best voor Castanaga soude konnen arbeyden, en wy hebben goedt
gevonden het onder de handt te doen, want anders het voor Castanaga schadelyke konde syn, om dat [slagen?] hier soo delicaet
syn, en niet willen dat de nabuyren met haar domestycque saken sich sullen bemoeyen. Den Amb. v. den Keyser heeft alrede
over al opentlyk daar van gesproken, en de Stalmeester van A-u-r-e-i-s [name unidentified] [is] my komen seggen, dat hy in een
visite van consideratie gehoort hadde, dat Syne Hoogheyt in faveur van Castanaga hadde geschreven, en dat men het niet wel
nam. Ick hebbe maar geantwoort dat ick er niet van wiste, want ick hebbe wel gemerkt dat hy quam sondeeren, om weder rapport
aan den Amb. v. den Keyser te doen. Ick hebbe evenwel, waar ick het noodigh hebbe geacht, [myne?] devoiren gedaan. Monterey
verseekert, dat syns wetende noch niet geresolveert is, en misschien ook noch soo haast niet geresolveert sal worden. Den
Coningh is mefiant en opiniatreert sich, als hy meent te merken dat men tegen syn wille charges vergeven wil; en heeft [den]
Hertoge van Medina Celi [-> 42L: des Koninghs gunste meest daarmede verloren ...]

Open: L05 11:556 "slagen" (decipherer left a gap); L08 name a-u-r-e-i-s; L13 token read 171 (key achtiende; decipherer "myne").

English gist: Battier and Cantelmo agreed to back Castañaga quietly, because the Spaniards resent foreign meddling in their
domestic affairs; the Imperial ambassador already talks about it openly, and a Master of the Horse reported that the Prince of
Orange ("Syne Hoogheyt") had written in Castañaga's favour, which was resented. Monterrey says nothing has been resolved; the
King is distrustful and obstinate whenever he thinks offices are being given against his will - and Medinaceli thereby ...

Decryption

s042L_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 42 left page - same letter, p.2 (all cipher), continues on 44R (closing "Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687").
304 tokens: H 283, C 18, M 0, I 3 (read as sense 301 = 99.0%). 273 agree with the decipherer, 16 needed it to choose, 7 disagree.

Reading:
[... en heeft den Hertoge van Medina Celi] des Koninghs gunste meest daarmede verloren, dat hy Don Pedro de Arragon met gewelt
President v. Castille heeft willen maken; en daarom soo doen de vrienden van Castanaga anders niet als Syne Majt in de
mefiance te houden. Men hadde geseght hem van Brussel als Vice Roy na Peru te senden, het welk [wel] beter voor hem soude syn.
[? (988)] nu en [de] toekomende post sal ick naarder devoiren doen. Men spreeckt anders noch van Melgar, Montalto en Marquis de
Leganes, maar doch sonder de minste sekerheyt, en insonderheyt om dat geen geldt voor handen is. Het schynt ook als of sich den
Amb. v. den Keyser noch flatteerde; maar heeft het de Coninginne, die hem van wegens de Cantins [Cantons] sake, die hy soo
sterke gefomenteert heeft, seer haat, alrede eens konnen perplex [maken?], soo salse den Coningh ook nu noch wel konnen disponeren,
haar te geval, aan hem niet te visite[ren?]. Reden waarom den Amb. v. den Keyser den Fransche courier heeft laten afsetten,
meent men desselfs te syn, dat hy [? (ſ07)] der eenige reysen by syn commissaris was geweest en niet konde vernemen over wat
materie; heeft gesuspicieert dat het was over de twintigh-jaarige treves [-> 44R: in den vrede te consenteren ...]

Open: L06 1:175 (decipherer "wel"), L07 1:988 (decipherer "intusschen"?), L19 ſ07 (decipherer "sich"); L15 10:241 perplex vs
10:249 persuaderen; L17 14:266 visite vs decipherer "gedencken".

English gist: Medinaceli has lost the King's favour by trying to force Don Pedro of Aragon in as President of Castile, and
Castañaga's friends keep the King distrustful; there was talk of sending Castañaga from Brussels to Peru as viceroy; Melgar,
Montalto and Leganés are named as alternatives but nothing is certain and there is no money. The Imperial ambassador deceives
himself: the Queen hates him over the Swiss-cantons affair and can steer the King. He had the French courier waylaid, suspecting
talks about the Twenty Years' Truce.

Decryption

s044R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 44 right page - same letter, p.3 (all cipher) and end: clear closing "Wel Edel gestrenge Heer, UWelEd. gestr.
ootmoedige en gehoorsame Dienaar Battier", dated "Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687". Deciphered by 43L line 18 - 43R.
215 tokens: H 208, C 2, M 1, I 4 (read as sense 210 = 97.7%; +1 M). 205 agree with the decipherer, 3 needed it, 5 disagree.

Reading:
[... over de twintigh-jaarige treves] in een vrede te con[senteren], en dat men het achter ruchs [rugge] van den Keyser wilde doen.
Hy heeft my laatst [? 14:636; decipherer "gevraeght"] of ick niet wist wat Haere Ho: Mo: daar van hielden; ick hebbe geseght van
niet, maar dat ick my licht konde inbeelden dat Haere Ho: Mo: geen andere interest hadden als de algemeene ruste en de satisfactie
van haare [? 1:236; decipherer "geallieerden"], en als Syne Keyserl. Maj. vrede met de Turken maeckte, dat dan Vrankryk apparentelyck
niet soude ondernemen. Hy is verlegen en beeldt sich in, dat self de vrienden aan den Keyser de victorien niet gunnen, en hem
geerne door wat [o?] het ook sy gedwongen sagen een eynde van de Turksche oorlogh te maken. En doen [= toen] voorleden Saturdagh een
expresse courier van Brussel quam, was hy soo voorts gealarmeert; maar Sondaghs heeft men vernomen dat het alleen over het
accommodement van [11:846 Havana?; decipherer "Philippe Ville"] is.

English gist: The Imperial ambassador suspects a plan to turn the Twenty Years' Truce into a peace behind the Emperor's back and
asked what the States General thought; Battier answered they want only general peace and their allies' satisfaction, and that if
the Emperor made peace with the Turks France would hardly act. The ambassador believes even the Emperor's friends begrudge his
victories and would like him forced to end the Turkish war; an express courier from Brussels alarmed him, but it only concerned the
Philippeville arrangement.

Decryption

decipherment_1687-01-16.txt

# Contemporary decipherment (cursive hand, same as 28R), NA 3.01.18 inv. 401 scans 42R, 43L, 43R - transcribed by hC.
# It deciphers ONE letter: cipher 41R + 42L + 44R. The cipher letter's closing on 44R reads "Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687";
# the endorsement "16 Jan 1687" on 41L belongs to the clear letter on 40R (closing "Madrit den 16 Jan: 1687").
# So this file name (1687-01-16) is the requested one; the letter date is 30 Jan 1687.
# (?) = uncertain reading of the cursive; [..] = editorial. Line breaks as in the MS.
## 42R  (= cipher 41R L01 - 42L L03)
01 Ick hebbe sedert de laetste post met Cantelmo
02 overleyt hoe men best voor Castanaga soude
03 connen arbeyden en wy hebben goet gevonden het
04 onder de hant te doen, want anders het voor Casta-
05 naga schadelycke conde syn, om dat sy — hier          [dash = gap left for 11:556]
06 so delicaet syn en niet willen dat de naebuyren
07 met haer domestyque saecken sich sullen bemoeyen,
08 den Ambassadeur van den Keyser heeft alreede overal
09 opentlyck daer van gesproocken en de Stalmeester
   [interlinear, struck: an attempt at the name]
10 van, [20.21.83.19.7.15. copied as numbers, struck] [struck word] my comen seggen dat hy in een
11 visite van consideratie gehoort hadde, dat S. Hoogh(eyt)
12 in faveur van Castanaga hadde ge[schreven?] [blot] en
13 dat men het niet wel nam, Ick hebbe maer
14 geantwoort, dat ick er niet van wiste, want ick
15 hebbe wel gemerckt, dat hy quam sondeeren, om
16 weder rapport aen den Ambass. van Keyser te doen
17 Ick hebbe evenwel waer ick het noodigh hebbe
18 geacht myne(?) devoiren gedaen, Montrey versekert
19 dat syns wetens noch niet geresolveert is, ende
20 misschien oock noch so haest niet geresolveert
21 sal worden, is mefiant en opiniatreert sich, als     [omits "den Coningh"]
22 hy meent te mercken dat men tegen syn wille
23 charges vergeven wil, en geeft(heeft) den Hertogh van
24 Medina Celi het Conings gunste meest daer mede
25 verloren, dat hy don Pedro de Aragon met geweldt
26 President van Castilien heeft willen maecken, ende
27 daerom so doende vrienden van Castanaga anders
28 niet, als syn Mayt. in de mefiance te houden,
## 43L  (= cipher 42L L04 - L22, then 44R L01ff from line 18 "in den Vrede")
01 men hadde gesegt hem van Brussel als Viceroy naer
02 Peru te senden, het welcke wel beter voor hem soude
03 syn, intusschen(?) in(?) de toecommende post sal ick nader
04 devoiren(?) doen, men spreeckt anders noch van Melgar
05 Montalto en Marquis de Liganés maer noch sonder
06 de minste seeckerheyt, en insonderheyt om dat geen gelt
07 voorhanden is, het schynt oock als of sich den Amb.
08 van Keyser noch flatteerde, maer heeft het de Coninginne
09 die hem van wegen de Cantons saecken, die hy so sterck
10 gefomenteert heeft, seer haet, alreede dus connen bele[e]t-
11 [di]gen(?), so sal se den Coningh oock nu noch wel connen dispo-
12 neren haer te geval aen hem niet te gedencken(?), reden
13 waerom den Ambass. van Keyser den Franschen Courier
14 heeft laten afsetten, meent men dese te syn, dat hy sich
15 de(r) [?] ... eenige(?) reysen(?) by syn Commissaris      [line hard to read]
16 was geweest, en niet conde vernemen onder(over?) wat ma-
17 terie, heeft gesuspicieert, dat het was over de twintigh
18 jarige trefves in den Vrede te consenteren, en dat men
19 het achter rugge van Keyser wilde doen, hy heeft my
20 laetst gevraeght of ick niet wist wat Haer Ho: Mo: daer
21 van hielden, ick hebbe geseyt van niet, maer dat ick my
22 licht conde inbeelden dat Haer Ho: Mo: geen ander intrest
23 hadde als de algemeene ruste en de satisfactie [struck: andere]
24 [struck: interest] van haere(?) geallieerden, en als syne Keys. Mayt.
25 vrede met de Turcken maeckte, dat dan Vranckryck
26 apparentelyck niet soude ondernemen, hy is verlegen(?)
27 en beelde sich in dat seer(?) de vrienden aen den Keyser de
28 victorien niet gunnen, en hem geerne door middel [^wat]
## 43R
01 het oock sy, gedwongen sagen aen syde van de Turckschen
02 oorlogh te maecken, en door voorleden Saturdagh een expresse
03 courier van Brussel quam, was hy so voorts gealarmeert,
04 maer sondagh heeft men vernomen, dat het alleen over
05 het accommodement van Philippe Ville is.

Reading

1687-01-30_reading.md

<!-- Reading of Battier's all-cipher letter to Fagel, Madrid, 30 Jan 1687 (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scans 41R, 42L, 44R), written 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (v7 translation wave) from the key readings in readings/s041R_text.txt, s042L_text.txt and s044R_text.txt (inv. 1209 key), aligned with the contemporary decipherment on scans 42R-43R (readings/decipherment_1687-01-16.txt). Where the key reading leaves a group open the decipherer's word is taken and marked: [?sy] (11:556, the decipherer's dash; s041R gives "slagen?"), myne (L13), [?wel] (1:175), [?intusschen] (1:988), [?sich] (ſ07), [?gevraeght] (14:636), [?geallieerden] (1:236), [?Philippe Ville] (11:846). The name a-u-r-e-i-s is unidentified. Spelling as the key gives it; word division and punctuation editorial. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 30 January 1687 (all cipher, scans 41R, 42L, 44R)

## Reading

Myn Heer. Ick hebbe sedert de laetste post met Cantelmo overleydt hoe men best voor Castanaga soude konnen arbeyden, en
wy hebben goedt gevonden het onder de handt te doen, want anders het voor Castanaga schadelyke konde syn, om dat [?sy]
hier soo delicaet syn, en niet willen dat de nabuyren met haar domestycque saken sich sullen bemoeyen. Den Amb. v. den
Keyser heeft alrede over al opentlyk daar van gesproken, en de Stalmeester van Aureis [is] my komen seggen, dat hy in
een visite van consideratie gehoort hadde, dat Syne Hoogheyt in faveur van Castanaga hadde geschreven, en dat men het
niet wel nam. Ick hebbe maar geantwoort dat ick er niet van wiste, want ick hebbe wel gemerkt dat hy quam sondeeren, om
weder rapport aan den Amb. v. den Keyser te doen. Ick hebbe evenwel, waar ick het noodigh hebbe geacht, myne devoiren
gedaan. Monterey verseekert dat syns wetende noch niet geresolveert is, en misschien ook noch soo haast niet
geresolveert sal worden. Den Coningh is mefiant en opiniatreert sich, als hy meent te merken dat men tegen syn wille
charges vergeven wil; en heeft den Hertoge van Medina Celi des Koninghs gunste meest daarmede verloren, dat hy Don Pedro
de Arragon met gewelt President v. Castille heeft willen maken; en daarom soo doen de vrienden van Castanaga anders niet
als Syne Majt in de mefiance te houden. Men hadde geseght hem van Brussel als Vice Roy na Peru te senden, het welk [?wel]
beter voor hem soude syn. [?intusschen] nu en [de] toekomende post sal ick naarder devoiren doen. Men spreeckt anders
noch van Melgar, Montalto en Marquis de Leganes, maar doch sonder de minste sekerheyt, en insonderheyt om dat geen geldt
voor handen is.

Het schynt ook als of sich den Amb. v. den Keyser noch flatteerde; maar heeft het de Coninginne, die hem van wegens de
Cantins sake, die hy soo sterke gefomenteert heeft, seer haat, alrede eens konnen perplex [maken], soo salse den Coningh
ook nu noch wel konnen disponeren, haar te geval, aan hem niet te visiteren. Reden waarom den Amb. v. den Keyser den
Fransche courier heeft laten afsetten, meent men desselfs te syn, dat hy [?sich] der eenige reysen by syn commissaris
was geweest en niet konde vernemen over wat materie; heeft gesuspicieert dat het was over de twintigh-jaarige treves in
een vrede te consenteren, en dat men het achter ruchs van den Keyser wilde doen. Hy heeft my laatst [?gevraeght] of ick
niet wist wat Haere Ho: Mo: daar van hielden; ick hebbe geseght van niet, maar dat ick my licht konde inbeelden dat
Haere Ho: Mo: geen andere interest hadden als de algemeene ruste en de satisfactie van haare [?geallieerden], en als
Syne Keyserl. Maj. vrede met de Turken maeckte, dat dan Vrankryk apparentelyck niet soude ondernemen. Hy is verlegen en
beeldt sich in, dat self de vrienden aan den Keyser de victorien niet gunnen, en hem geerne door wat [?] het ook sy
gedwongen sagen een eynde van de Turksche oorlogh te maken. En doen voorleden Saturdagh een expresse courier van Brussel
quam, was hy soo voorts gealarmeert; maar Sondaghs heeft men vernomen dat het alleen over het accommodement van
[?Philippe Ville] is.

⟨Wel Edel gestrenge Heer, UWelEd. gestr. ootmoedige en gehoorsame Dienaar Battier. Mad. den 30 Jan: 1687⟩

Translation

1687-01-30_en.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 30 January 1687 (all cipher): English translation

My Lord. Since the last post I have consulted with Cantelmo how best to work for Castañaga, and we have thought it good
to do it underhand, for otherwise it could be harmful to Castañaga, because [?they] are so touchy here and do not want
their neighbours to meddle in their domestic affairs. The Emperor's ambassador has already spoken of it openly
everywhere, and the Master of the Horse of Aureis came to tell me that he had heard, on a visit of consequence, that His
Highness had written in Castañaga's favour, and that it was taken ill. I merely answered that I knew nothing of it, for I
noticed that he had come to sound me out in order to report back to the Emperor's ambassador. I have nevertheless done my
duty wherever I thought it necessary. Monterrey assures me that, to his knowledge, nothing has yet been resolved, and
perhaps will not be resolved so soon either. The King is distrustful and becomes obstinate when he thinks he notices
that people want to give away offices against his will; and the Duke of Medinaceli lost the King's favour chiefly by
wanting to make Don Pedro of Aragon President of Castile by force; and therefore Castañaga's friends do nothing but keep
His Majesty in his distrust. It had been said that he would be sent from Brussels to Peru as viceroy, which would
[?indeed] be better for him. [?Meanwhile], now and by the next post I shall do further duty. Otherwise there is still talk
of Melgar, Montalto and the Marquis of Leganés, but without the least certainty, and above all because there is no money
at hand.

It also seems that the Emperor's ambassador is still flattering himself; but if the Queen, who hates him greatly on
account of the Cantons affair, which he fomented so strongly, has once already been able to [make] him perplexed, she
will now too surely be able to dispose the King, to please her, not to visit him. The reason why the Emperor's
ambassador had the French courier waylaid is thought to be that he [?himself] had been to his commissary several times and
could not learn on what matter; he suspected that it was about consenting to turn the Twenty Years' Truce into a peace,
and that it was to be done behind the Emperor's back. He lately [?asked] me whether I did not know what Their High
Mightinesses thought of it; I said I did not, but that I could easily imagine that Their High Mightinesses had no other
interest than the general peace and the satisfaction of their [?allies], and that if His Imperial Majesty made peace with
the Turks, France would then apparently undertake nothing. He is perplexed and imagines that even the Emperor's friends
begrudge him his victories and would gladly see him forced by whatever [?] it may be to put an end to the Turkish war.
And when an express courier came from Brussels last Saturday, he was at once alarmed; but on Sunday it was learned that
it concerns only the settlement of [?Philippeville].

⟨Right Honourable Sir, Your Honour's humble and obedient servant Battier. Madrid, 30 January 1687⟩

24 Apr 1687 (scans 58R, 59L)

Battier to Fagel from Madrid, with no known contemporary decipherment: Gastanaga may be removed before the end of his three years or employed in Peru or Catalonia; the Emperor's ambassador moves heaven and earth to regain the Queen's good grace, working through a nun, the confessor and ministers, but Battier thinks the Queen will never forget the harm he did her.

Transcription

1687-04-24_groups.txt

4:288 6:794 6:297 15:165 13:815 3:937 11:690 11:798 5:289 8:730 6 10:825 13:112 6:922 8 30 19 23 13 31 11:413 25 35 14 14:421 6:5 4:648 13:112 4:90 4:378 6:278 4:721 15 2 29 10:936 8:857 42 60 77 88 4 52 25 43 84 48 97 42 15:681 6:374 11:844 8:857 15:993 4:689 11:854 12 22 6 43 8:748 739|799 15 15:325 6:28 6:794 8:871 11:455 10:570|4:570 12:463 5:880 743 12:409 14:508 30 6 25 2 43 48 6 8 13 87 4:696 17 19 33|93 23 35 92 72 43 5:954 4:696 1:402 8:869 15:331 6:374 4:90 7:109 5:568 5:623 12:463|11:463 7:96 7:754 3:882 5 69 11:429 15:513 8:857 17 35 87 19 83 12:463|11:463 11:431|1:431 5:893 5:282 4:90 8:48 1:855 11:681 3:352 4:90 7:108 84 14 37 29 4 16 6 19 28 31 6:28 4:547 55 10 77 32 6 3:352 4:90 7:109 4:90 2:825 4:696 4:90 8:55 15 22 60 34 43 6:28 12:463 15:699 7:990|5:990 739 15 15:325 5:948 6:794 7:990 4:90 63 49 11 3 7 32 77 8 13:112 69 4 5 15 41 77 54 5:880 11:516 15:331 8:730 60 14:711 7:722 740 6:374 6:181 4:335 5:769 4:161 11:429 15:515 3:352 4:90 7:109 54 31 11 19 87 5:568 8:866 32 12:463 5:372 7:754 6:5 69 52 25 76 77 43 15:515 7:778 6:5 10:650 13:112 11:854 5:769 1:234 8:793 8:721 13:423|11:423 69 2 64

Transcription

s058R.txt

# scan 58 right page: letter Battier to Fagel, begins "Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / Myn Heer", closing on 59L "Madrit den 24 April 1687". Helper nw.
# [Ick heb dese post anders niet als dat de H. Hartogh van Arco(?) weder na Brussel vertrocken is: Mr vander Hagen is oock mee gegaan ... Voor syn vertreck heeft hy nogh den Graaf van Melgar in 't lange en breede daar van geinformeert; en willen eenige daarom jugeren als of nu weder groote apparentie soude syn dito Graaf aan den Marquis de Gastañaga te doen succederen,]
# cipher = MS lines 13-17 of the page (5 lines). No interlinear decipherment, no marginal numbers.
L01: 4:288 6:794 6:297 15:165 13:815 3:937 11:690 11:798 5:289 8:730 6
L02: 10:825 13:112 6:922 8 30 19 23 13 31 11:413 25 35 14 14:421 6:5 4:648 13:112
L03: 4:90 4:378 6:278 4:721 15 2 29 10:936 8:857 42 60 77 88 4 52 25 43
L04: 84 48 97 42 15:681 6:374 11:844 8:857 15:993 4:689 11:854 12 22 6 43
L05: 8:748 739|799 15 15:325 6:28 6:794 8:871 11:455 10:570|4:570 12:463 5:880 743 12:409

Transcription

s059L.txt

# scan 59 left page: continuation and end of the letter of 24 April 1687 (closing "Madrit den 24 April 1687", signed Battier). Helper nw.
# cipher = first 11 lines of the page, then clear "Ick blyve met respect / Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / U Wel Ed. Gestr. Ootmoedigste en gehoorsaemste Dienaar P. Battier".
L01: 14:508 30 6 25 2 43 48 6 8 13 87 4:696 17 19 33|93 23 35 92
L02: 72 43 5:954 4:696 1:402 8:869 15:331 6:374 4:90 7:109 5:568 5:623
L03: 12:463|11:463 7:96 7:754 3:882 5 69 11:429 15:513 8:857 17 35 87 19 83
L04: 12:463|11:463 11:431|1:431 5:893 5:282 4:90 8:48 1:855 11:681 3:352 4:90 7:108 84 14
L05: 37 29 4 16 6 19 28 31 6:28 4:547 55 10 77 32 6 3:352 4:90 7:109
L06: 4:90 2:825 4:696 4:90 8:55 15 22 60 34 43 6:28 12:463 15:699 7:990|5:990 739
L07: 15 15:325 5:948 6:794 7:990 4:90 63 49 11 3 7 32 77 8 13:112 69
L08: 4 5 15 41 77 54 5:880 11:516 15:331 8:730 60 14:711 7:722 740 6:374
L09: 6:181 4:335 5:769 4:161 11:429 15:515 3:352 4:90 7:109 54 31 11 19 87
# L10: last group written 937, cancelled; 515 with reversed-c/ mark written above it with a caret line = correction (937 not counted)
L10: 5:568 8:866 32 12:463 5:372 7:754 6:5 69 52 25 76 77 43 15:515 {937 cancelled}
L11: 7:778 6:5 10:650 13:112 11:854 5:769 1:234 8:793 8:721 13:423|11:423 69 2 64

Decryption

s058R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 58 right page: letter of Battier to Fagel, p.1 ("Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / Myn Heer"), closing on 59L
"Madrit den 24 April 1687" (endorsement on 60L: "Missive Envoyé Battier Madrid 24 April 1687"). Helper nw.
73 cipher tokens (5 lines), no contemporary decipherment. (?) = C graded; [?] = I/M.

[Ick heb dese post anders niet als dat de H. Hartogh van Arco(?) weder na Brussel vertrocken is: Mr vander Hagen is oock mee gegaan
... Voor syn vertreck heeft hy nogh den Graaf van Melgar in 't lange en breede daar van geinformeert; en willen eenige daarom jugeren
als of nu weder groote apparentie soude syn dito Graaf aan den Marquis de Gastañaga te doen succederen,]
doch kan ick U Wel Ed. Gestr.(?) verseekeren(?) dat, soo hy Castanaga gehelyk nieuwe reden van(?) klaghte [e = slip] geeft, sedert dat
hem voor het eynde van(?) de drie(?) jaren Hare Majt. sal removeren(?), offe(?) men mochte hem willen in Peru offe Catalonie employeren.
Den Amb. van den Keyser doet noch alles(?) wat hy kan om de selve profyt(?) te hebben als syn(?)  [continues 59L]

English gist: Battier can assure Fagel that if Castañaga gives wholly new cause for complaint, Her Majesty will remove him before
the end of his three-year term, or he may be employed in Peru or Catalonia. The Imperial ambassador does all he can to get the same
profit as his predecessor had ...

Decryption

s059L_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 59 left page: end of the letter of 24 April 1687 (see s058R_text.txt). Helper nw.
162 cipher tokens (11 lines), no contemporary decipherment. (?) = C graded; [..] = M.

[58R: Den Amb. van den Keyser doet noch alles wat hy kan om de selve profyt te hebben als syn] voorsaat gehat heeft, en beweeght(?)
hemel en aarde om weder in de Koninginne goede(?) gra[tie] te(?) komen; maar daar is seer weynigh, offe beter te(?) seggen(?),
heelendeal geen de minste apparentie, soo als hy by de Koningh; employeert hy een nonne by de Koninginne; de biecht-vader en de
ministers soekt hy te(?) winnen met(?) alles wat helpen kan; met de Gravinne van(?) Soissons hebben sy weder nieuwe vriendschap gemaakt,
alleen in hope door haar(?), die seer wel by de Koninginne staet, goede officien te genieten; maar het schynt wel, Hare Majt. het quaat
van(?) den Amb. van den Keyser haar aangedaan, noyt niet vergeten(?) sal.
[Ick blyve met respect, Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer, U Wel Ed. Gestr. Ootmoedigste en gehoorsaemste Dienaar P. Battier. Madrit den 24 April 1687]

English gist: The Imperial ambassador (Mansfeld) moves heaven and earth to regain the Queen's favour, but has no chance at all, as
with the King; he employs a nun close to the Queen, courts the confessor and ministers, and has renewed friendship with the Countess
of Soissons, hoping through her (who stands very well with the Queen) to obtain good offices; but it seems the Queen will never forget
the harm the ambassador did her.

Decryption: review_1687-04-24.md

Reading

1687-04-24_reading.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 24 April 1687 (scans 58R, 59L)

## Reading

⟨Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer / Myn Heer. Ick heb dese post anders niet als dat de H. Hartogh van Arco weder na Brussel
vertrocken is: Mr vander Hagen is oock mee gegaan ... Voor syn vertreck heeft hy nogh den Graaf van Melgar in 't lange
en breede daar van geinformeert; en willen eenige daarom jugeren als of nu weder groote apparentie soude syn dito Graaf
aan den Marquis de Gastañaga te doen succederen,⟩ doch kan ick U Wel Ed. Gestr. verseekeren dat, soo hy Castanaga
gehelyk nieuwe reden van klaghte geeft, sedert dat hem voor het eynde van de drie jaren Hare Majt. sal removeren, offe
men mochte hem willen in Peru offe Catalonie employeren.

Den Amb. van den Keyser doet noch alles wat hy kan om de selve profyt te hebben als syn voorsaat gehat heeft, en
beweeght hemel en aarde om weder in de Koninginne goede gra[tie] te komen; maar daar is seer weynigh, offe beter te
seggen, heelendeal geen de minste apparentie, soo als hy by de Koningh; employeert hy een nonne by de Koninginne; de
biecht-vader en de ministers soekt hy te winnen met alles wat helpen kan; met de Gravinne van Soissons hebben sy weder
nieuwe vriendschap gemaakt, alleen in hope door haar, die seer wel by de Koninginne staet, goede officien te genieten;
maar het schynt wel, Hare Majt. het quaat van den Amb. van den Keyser haar aangedaan, noyt niet vergeten sal.

⟨Ick blyve met respect, Wel Edele Gestrenge Heer, U Wel Ed. Gestr. Ootmoedigste en gehoorsaemste Dienaar P. Battier.
Madrit den 24 April 1687⟩

Translation

1687-04-24_en.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 24 April 1687 (scans 58R, 59L): English translation

⟨Right Honourable Sir, My Lord. I have nothing else by this post than that the Duke of Arco has gone back to Brussels;
Mr vander Hagen has also gone with him ... Before his departure he informed the Count of Melgar about it at length; and
some therefore wish to judge that there would now again be great likelihood of making the said Count succeed the Marquis
of Gastañaga,⟩ but I can assure Your Honour that, if he gives Castañaga wholly new cause for complaint, since Her Majesty
will remove him before the end of the three years, or they might wish to employ him in Peru or Catalonia.

The Emperor's ambassador still does everything he can to have the same profit as his predecessor had, and moves heaven
and earth to come back into the Queen's good gra[ce]; but there is very little, or better said, absolutely not the
least likelihood of it, as with the King; he employs a nun close to the Queen; he tries to win the confessor and the
ministers with everything that can help; they have made a new friendship again with the Countess of Soissons, only in
the hope of enjoying good offices through her, who stands very well with the Queen; but it seems indeed that Her Majesty
will never forget the harm the Emperor's ambassador has done her.

⟨I remain with respect, Right Honourable Sir, Your Honour's most humble and obedient servant P. Battier. Madrid, 24 April
1687⟩

4 Dec 1687 (scans 91R, 92L)

Battier to Fagel; the clear close on 92R reports that Leganés wants service and lodging money for 14 men and that the Prince of Parma has arrived with a train of 140 persons.

Transcription

1687-12-04_groups.txt

6:374 12:496 8:186|8:106 32 4 9 6 29 64 7 11:757 6:100|6:108 14:421 4:90 15 4 22 77 13:112 10:125 4:696 14:600?|14:608 8:306 876 13:112 10:127 12:409 894? 4:696 3:897 9:594 10:125 5:282 10:505 15:681 5:95 14:779 14:699 3:937 747 5:282 2 12 9 20 32 31 11 30 6 15 4 3 12 8 12:463 8:837 12:409 4:696 3:899 34 22 14 31 8:748 14 8 32 15 2 29 6:18 11:466? 8:721 11:429 10:489 8:870 8:722 8:748 12:601 5:375 5 15 7:754 9:594 8:870 14 19 77 10:125 12:601 5:469 33 7 82 15 7 52 25 15:515 12:463 2:55 8:384 743 4:90 14:689 7:990 4:90 12:969? 15 7 52 25 11:614 33 4 28 31 4:696 352 3:734 4:446 4:696 4:461 5:769 12:876 6:374 4:468 8:721 8:762 5:880 747 8:656 215 4:461 9:934 8:857 7:990 4:446 4:696 4:445 4:548 6 3:678 6:374 12:463 5:178 7:754 8:870 6:297 11:450 33 6 8 31 3:937 889? 4:92 2 3 31 4 28 7 15 3:92 15 4 10 55 13:112 10:125 11:777 5:600 12:463 7:721 3:937 9:895 11:484 6:5 10:125 6:555 37 4 9 15 15 6 6 28 31 3:937 14 6 32 739 15 14:421 11:448 403? 25 4 9 31 9:661 4:90 5:119 11:678 13:171 8:47 5:484

Transcription

s091R.txt

# scan 91 right page: letter Battier to Fagel, "Mad. den 4 Decemb. 1687" (closing 92R), p.1 "Myn Heer." Helper hD.
# [Men wil nu absolut dat het Gouvernement van Nederland sal geconsulteert worden, dat daar toe den Graef van Melgar en den Marq. de Leganez de naesten souden syn, en dat, soo Leganez prevaleert, alsdan de H. Marq. de Gastañaga de Vice-Royauté van Cattalogne soude bekomen, maar alles sonder de minste seeckerheit:]
L01: 6:374 12:496 8:186|8:106 32 4 9 6 29 64 7
L02: 11:757 6:100|6:108 14:421 4:90 15 4 22 77 13:112 10:125 4:696 14:600?|14:608 8:306 876 13:112
L03: 10:127 12:409 894?
# [De Spaensen hebben tot nu toe sich niet veel willen blootgeven, omdatse niet souden geobligeert syn de conditien te verbeteren,]
L04: 4:696 3:897 9:594 10:125 5:282
L05: 10:505 15:681 5:95 14:779 14:699 3:937 747 5:282 2 12 9 20 32 31 11 30
L06: 6 15 4 3 12 8 12:463 8:837 12:409 4:696 3:899 34 22 14 31 8:748
# [Datmen tot Weenen arbeit den Grand Maistre President van de krygsraat te maaken, en den Marq. van Baden na Regensburch te senden, ofte soodat niet aangaat, den Grand Maistre dan als principalen Keyserl. Commissaris aan te stellen.]
L07: 14 8 32 15 2 29 6:18 11:466? 8:721 11:429 10:489 8:870 8:722
L08: 8:748 12:601 5:375 5 15 7:754 9:594 8:870 14 19 77 10:125 12:601 5:469

Transcription

s092L.txt

# scan 92 left page: letter Battier to Fagel, "Mad. den 4 Decemb. 1687", p.2. Helper hD. (continues the cipher ending 91R "... geven -")
L01: 33 7 82 15 7 52 25 15:515 12:463 2:55
# [Ondertusschen worden geene remises na de Nederlanden gesonden, en klaagt den H. Marq. de Gastañaga seer, datmen hem laat vergaan, en evenwel heeft S. Ex.tie verleden post 50m en met dese post noch andere 80m f. als een provenu van verkochte charges met wisselbrieven op een Nederlandschen koopman overgesonden. Ooch hebben de Heeren Spaensen noch de oude speculatien over de Nederlanden, sonder datmen recht penetreren kan, oft ernst is of niet.]
L02: 8:384 743 4:90 14:689 7:990 4:90 12:969? 15 7 52 25 11:614 33 4
L03: 28 31 4:696 352 3:734 4:446 4:696 4:461 5:769 12:876 6:374 4:468
L04: 8:721 8:762 5:880 747 8:656 215 4:461 9:934 8:857 7:990 4:446
L05: 4:696 4:445 4:548 6 3:678 6:374 12:463 5:178 7:754 8:870 6:297
L06: 11:450 33 6 8 31 3:937 889? 4:92 2 3 31 4 28 7 15 3:92 15 4 10 55
L07: 13:112 10:125 11:777 5:600 12:463 7:721 3:937 9:895 11:484 6:5 10:125 6:555
L08: 37 4 9 15 15 6 6 28 31 3:937 14 6 32 739 15 14:421 11:448 403? 25
L09: 4 9 31 9:661 4:90 5:119 11:678 13:171 8:47 5:484
# [en dat de H. Graef van Oropeza niet contrarieert, soo is probabel dat men sich niet verhaasten sal. Men spreeckt noch van twee andere mariages in de Paltz, als met Toscane en Parma ...]

Transcription

s092R.txt

# scan 92 right page: end of letter "Mad. den 4 Decemb. 1687", signed Battier. ENTIRELY CLEAR TEXT - no cipher tokens. Helper hD.
# [Leganez voor 14 man servicie en logement gelder wil hebben ... Den Prins van Parma is met een treyn van 140 personen aangekomen ... Den H. Valenzuela geniet nu meer vryheit ... Men arbeit continuellement aan 't redresseeren van de Monarchie ...]

Decryption

s091R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 91 right page: letter of Battier to Fagel, p.1 ("Myn Heer."), closing on 92R "Mad. den 4 Decemb. 1687"
(91L = endorsement "Missive Extraord. Envoyé Battier ... 26 Novemb. 1687" of the PRECEDING letter, not this one). Helper hD.
92 cipher tokens in 3 passages; no contemporary decipherment. (?) = C graded; [?] = unread (I).

[Men wil nu absolut dat het Gouvernement van Nederland sal geconsulteert worden; dat daar toe den Graef van Melgar en den Marq.
de Leganez de naesten souden syn, en dat, soo Leganez prevaleert, alsdan de H. Marq. de Gastañaga de Vice-Royauté van Cattalogne
soude bekomen, maar alles sonder de minste seeckerheit:]
in tegendeel Monsieur(?) Nouelli [name?] sondeeren Hofmeester(?) voor de soon van [de] Paltz, en [?] naarder gearbeydt van
[de] Churf. vande Paltz syn(?) [?].
[De Spaensen hebben tot nu toe sich niet veel willen blootgeven, omdatse niet souden geobligeert syn de conditien te verbeteren,]
en daartegen ook Paltz geen pretensie willen formeren, uyt vreese dat alsdan geen advantagie soude te obtineren syn(?);
en daer en tusschen komt noch
[Datmen tot Weenen arbeit den Grand Maistre President van de krygsraat te maaken, en den Marq. van Baden na Regensburch te senden,
ofte soodat niet aangaat, den Grand Maistre dan als principalen Keyserl. Commissaris aan te stellen.]
Men sal hier(?) [?] niet seer(?) presseren, om dat niet alleen noch tyt(?) genoegh is, maar ook om dat men [de] Paltz tyt(?) geven
[continues 92L:] wil, sich wel te bedenken.

English gist: The Spanish government of the Netherlands is to be decided (Melgar or Leganés; Gastañaga then viceroy of Catalonia),
all uncertain. Someone ("Monsieur Nouelli"?) is sounding things out for the son of the Elector Palatine (the Grand Master); but the
Palatine side will make no claim for fear it would gain nothing, while Vienna works to make the Grand Master president of the war council.
Madrid will not press the matter: there is still time enough, and one wants to give the Palatinate time to think it over well.

Decryption

s092L_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 92 left page: letter of Battier to Fagel, p.2, "Mad. den 4 Decemb. 1687" (closing 92R). Helper hD.
119 cipher tokens (1 line at top + 8-line block); no contemporary decipherment. (?) = C graded; [?] = unread (I); [x?] = M.

[... om dat men (de) Paltz tyt geven (91R)] wil, sich wel te bedenken.
[Ondertusschen worden geene remises na de Nederlanden gesonden, en klaagt den H. Marq. de Gastañaga seer, datmen hem laat vergaan,
en evenwel heeft S. Ex.tie verleden post 50m en met dese post noch andere 80m f. als een provenu van verkochte charges met wisselbrieven
op een Nederlandschen koopman overgesonden. Ooch hebben de Heeren Spaensen noch de oude speculatien over de Nederlanden, sonder datmen
recht penetreren kan, oft ernst is of niet:]
namentlyk(?), als de vrede(?) met de [Turck(en)?] sich gesloten wort, en [?] consequentie den Keyser en Churf. van Beyeren haar
troupen(?) in Hungarien niet noodigh hebben, alsdan de Militie in Sp. Nederl. aan [den] Churf. van Beyeren(?) [te] overgeven, offe met
den Keyser(?) en [het] Roomsche Ryke eenighe conditie in te gaan; maar om dat ick sekerlyk weet dat [?] den autoris[?] [?] soon van
[de] Paltz gesoubconneert(?) gouverneren(?) te maken, dat [dat] oude Sex(e)(?) het Paltz intercessie(?) pousseert, dat men alles
voor(?) seker(?) [?] houdt, op dat de Fransche soo veel(?) minder gewaar worden;
[en dat de H. Graef van Oropeza niet contrarieert, soo is probabel dat men sich niet verhaasten sal. Men spreeckt noch van twee andere
mariages in de Paltz, als met Toscane en Parma. Ooch vreesen de factien in Weenen den Paltzgraef en den Grand Maistre ...]

English gist: The old Spanish speculation about the Netherlands: once peace with the Turks is concluded and the Emperor and the Elector
of Bavaria no longer need their troops in Hungary, the army of the Spanish Netherlands would be handed to the Elector of Bavaria, or
some arrangement made with the Emperor and the Empire. But Battier knows for certain that [the son of the Elector Palatine is meant
to be made governor ?], that the "old sex" (the Queen Mother?) pushes the Palatine intercession, and that it is all kept quiet so the
French notice it less; if Oropeza does not oppose it, Madrid will not hurry.

Decryption

s092R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 92 right page: end of the letter, "Mad. den 4 Decemb. 1687", signed "Ootmoedighsten ongehoorsaemsten
Dienaar Battier". Helper hD. NO CIPHER on this page (entirely clear Dutch): Leganés wants service and lodging money for 14 men
(where before he had no 4 men in effective service); the Prince of Parma arrived with a train of 140 persons and receives 1000 pistoles
a month plus the charge of prince de la mer; Maria de la O.'s husband given a post in Granada; Valenzuela enjoys more freedom and
better treatment; "men arbeit continuellement aan 't redresseeren van de Monarchie" without much progress.

Reading

1687-12-04_reading.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 4 December 1687

## Reading

### 91R

Men wil nu absolut dat het Gouvernement van Nederland sal geconsulteert worden; dat daar toe den Graef van Melgar en den
Marq. de Leganez de naesten souden syn, en dat, soo Leganez prevaleert, alsdan de H. Marq. de Gastañaga de Vice-Royauté
van Cattalogne soude bekomen, maar alles sonder de minste seeckerheit. In tegendeel Monsieur Novelli sondeeren
Hofmeester voor de soon van Paltz, en [?verwacht] naarder gearbeydt van Churf. vande Paltz syn [?gearmeert].

De Spaensen hebben tot nu toe sich niet veel willen blootgeven, omdatse niet souden geobligeert syn de conditien te
verbeteren, en daartegen ook Paltz geen pretensie willen formeren, uyt vreese dat alsdan geen advantagie soude te
obtineren syn; en daer en tusschen komt noch datmen tot Weenen arbeit den Grand Maistre President van de krygsraat te
maaken, en den Marq. van Baden na Regensburch te senden, ofte soodat niet aangaat, den Grand Maistre dan als principalen
Keyserl. Commissaris aan te stellen. Men sal hier [11:466] niet seer presseren, om dat niet alleen noch tyt genoegh is,
maar ook om dat men Paltz tyt geven

### 92L

wil, sich wel te bedenken. Ondertusschen worden geene remises na de Nederlanden gesonden, en klaagt den H. Marq. de
Gastañaga seer, datmen hem laat vergaan, en evenwel heeft S. Ex.tie verleden post 50m en met dese post noch andere 80m f.
als een provenu van verkochte charges met wisselbrieven op een Nederlandschen koopman overgesonden. Ooch hebben de Heeren
Spaensen noch de oude speculatien over de Nederlanden, sonder datmen recht penetreren kan, oft ernst is of niet:
namentlyk, als de vrede met de Turcken sich gesloten wort, en by consequentie den Keyser en Churf. van Beyeren haar
troupen in Hungarien niet noodigh hebben, alsdan de Militie in Sp. Nederl. aan Churf. van Beyeren overgeven, offe met
den Keyser en Roomsche Ryke eenighe conditie in te gaan. Maar om dat ick sekerlyk weet dat [889] den [?autorisg] soon
van Paltz gesoubconneert gouverneren te maken, dat oude Sex het Paltz intercessie pousseert, dat men alles voor
[?seker] [?secreet] houdt, op dat de Fransche soo veel minder gewaar worden, en dat de H. Graef van Oropeza niet
contrarieert, soo is probabel dat men sich niet verhaasten sal. Men spreeckt noch van twee andere mariages in de Paltz,
als met Toscane en Parma. Ooch vreesen de factien in Weenen den Paltzgraef en den Grand Maistre, terwylen dat S. C. V.
Doorl. het Electoraet aan den Ceur Prins wilde cederen en afstaan, niet om als Vice Rey in Ongarien te gouverneren, maar
tot Weenen sich op te houden en daar 't directorium te voeren, insonderheit soo den Grand Maistre het
krygsraatspresidentschap quam te obtineren. Cattalogne is noch vol disordre; de Steden klagen dat

### 92R

Leganez voor 14m man service en logement gelder wil hebben, daar doch na haar voorgeven gheen 4m man effectif in dienst
syn. Den Prins van Parma is met een treyn van 140 personen aangekomen, en of S. Ex.tie gelyck 1000 pistolen s'maends van
de regerende Vorst syn broeder wel betaalt bekomt, en oock van syn Charge van prince de la mer noch 40m stucken van 8 op
de Cruzade geassigneert te ontfangen heeft, soo gelooft men doch niet, dat dese treyn, al ist winter, ongesmolten sal
blyven. Aan de man van syn Maistresse Maria de la O. heeft S. Mt. een charge in Granada gegeven, en belast de vrouw met
sich te nemen, soo datse voor de aankomst van den Prins alreets vertrokken was. Den H.r Valenzuela geniet nu meer vryheit
en beter tractament, daarom meynen eenige, dat S. Ed. weder in S. Mts gratie sal komen. Men arbeit continuellement aan 't
redresseeren van de Monarchie, sonder evenwel veel te avanzeeren, eensdeels omdat het seer swaar is tout à coup een oude
blessure te genesen, en anderdeels omdat in 't trouble water beeter als in 't klaere te vissen is, en datter meer
visschers als genesers sich aan dit hoff bevinden. Ick blyve, Wel Edele gestrenge Heer, U Wel Ed. gestr. ootmoedighsten
en gehoorsaemsten dienaar, Battier. Mad.t den 4 Decemb. 1687.

## Notes

- Corrections against the earlier decode (readings/1687-12-04_corrections.tsv): 92L L02 9?9 = 12:908 Turcken (the
middle digit is struck, block 12, the last is Battier's struck-o 8; key scan 64R: 907 Turkyen, 908 turken); L03 352
carries a backslash mark: 3:352 = by (key scan 18R), "by consequentie"; L08 403 = 11:403 Secreet (key scan 57) read
with the struck-first-digit mark of the group before it, doubtful; L06 the second 92 has no mark: the letter g.
- Not resolved: 92L L06 889 (1:889 Arles, no sense; no mark seen) and the letters a-u-t-o-r-i-s-g before "soon" (the son
of the Elector Palatine is meant; the letters do not make a known word); 91R 11:466 (sententie, no sense), 14:6ø
(14:60 verwendinge / 14:68 verwacht) and ø94 (1:894 gearmeert).
- "dat oude Sex": 11:484 is "Sex" in the key (scan 58, between Servituit and Sesmaal); Battier's phrase for the
Queen Mother is the earlier editor's interpretation, not the key's.

Translation

1687-12-04_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/1687-12-04_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 22 Oct 2026, REREAD_BRIEF batch b17). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 4 December 1687

## Translation

### 91R

It is now absolutely intended that the government of the Netherlands shall be deliberated upon; that the Count of Melgar
and the Marquis of Leganés would be the nearest to it, and that, if Leganés prevails, the Marquis of Gastañaga would then
receive the viceroyalty of Catalonia; but all without the least certainty. On the contrary, Monsieur Novelli [is]
sounding out [the post of] Hofmeister for the son of the Palatinate, and [?expects] further work [from the] Elector
Palatine [...] [?armed].

The Spaniards have so far not wished to show their hand much, so as not to be obliged to improve the conditions, and the
Palatinate for its part will form no claim, for fear that no advantage would then be obtained; and meanwhile there comes
the news that in Vienna they are working to make the Grand Master president of the council of war and to send the
Margrave of Baden to Regensburg, or, if that does not come off, to appoint the Grand Master as principal Imperial
commissioner. Here they will not press [11:466] much, not only because there is still time enough, but also because they
want to give the Palatinate time

### 92L

to think it over well. Meanwhile no remittances are sent to the Netherlands, and the Marquis of Gastañaga complains
greatly that he is being left to perish; and yet His Excellency sent last post 50,000 and by this post another 80,000
guilders, the proceeds of offices sold, in bills of exchange on a Netherlands merchant. The Spanish gentlemen also still
have the old speculations about the Netherlands, without one being able to make out whether they are in earnest or not:
namely, when peace with the Turks is concluded, and consequently the Emperor and the Elector of Bavaria no longer need
their troops in Hungary, then to hand over the army in the Spanish Netherlands to the Elector of Bavaria, or to enter
into some arrangement with the Emperor and the Roman Empire. But because I know for certain that [889] the [?...] son of
the Palatinate [...] suspected [...] to govern, that the old "Sex" (the key's word; perhaps the Queen Mother) pushes the Palatine intercession, that
everything is kept [?certainly] [?secret] so that the French notice it the less, and that the Count of Oropesa does not
oppose it, it is probable that they will not hurry. There is also talk of two other marriages in the Palatine house, with
Tuscany and Parma. The factions in Vienna also fear the Count Palatine and the Grand Master, since His Electoral Highness
would cede and give up the electorate to the Electoral Prince, not to govern as viceroy in Hungary, but to stay in Vienna
and direct affairs there, especially if the Grand Master should obtain the presidency of the council of war. Catalonia is
still full of disorder; the towns complain that

### 92R

Leganés wants service and lodging money for 14,000 men, whereas by their account there are not 4,000 men actually in
service. The Prince of Parma has arrived with a train of 140 persons; and although His Excellency is well paid 1,000
pistoles a month by the reigning Duke his brother, and also has 40,000 pieces of eight assigned on the Cruzada to receive
from his office of prince de la mer, it is not believed that this train, winter though it is, will stay unmelted. His
Majesty has given the husband of his mistress María de la O a post in Granada and charged him to take his wife with him,
so that she had already left before the Prince arrived. Señor Valenzuela now enjoys more freedom and better treatment,
so some think His Excellency will come back into His Majesty's favour. They work continually at setting the monarchy to
rights, without making much progress, partly because it is very hard to heal an old wound all at once, and partly because
it is better fishing in troubled water than in clear, and there are more fishermen than healers at this court. I remain,
Right Honourable Sir, your most humble and obedient servant, Battier. Madrid, 4 December 1687.

29 Jan 1688 (scan 97R)

Battier to Fagel from Madrid; no contemporary decipherment recorded.

Transcription

1688-01-29_groups.txt

4:90 10:505 13:112 4:90 30 28 2 32 12 14 11 7 15 31 28 6 8:748 8:721 5:893 1:183? 7 15 6:5 15:548 6:297 13:112 5:958 5:194 4:319 14 2 28 52 15 12 6 9 6 64 11 15 52 4 9:594 11:542? 3:803? 4:696 4 13 85 6 28 6 81 49 31 3:900 12:128? 11:194 4:161 4:547 2:692? 11:747 5:469 33 7 64

Transcription

s097R.txt

# scan 97 right page: end of letter "Mad. den 29 Jan: 1688". Orchestrator.
# [... soo is licht te presumeren dat]
L01: 4:90 10:505
L02: 13:112 4:90 30 28 2 32 12 14 11 7 15 31 28 6 8:748 8:721 5:893 1:183? 7 15 6:5
L03: 15:548 6:297 13:112 5:958
# [als syn brieven van credentie en syn instructie komen, wel sal vernemen. Ondertussen heeft de]
L04: 5:194 4:319 14 2 28 52 15 12 6 9 6 64 11 15 52 4 9:594 11:542? 3:803? 4:696
L05: 4 13 85 6 28 6 81 49 31 3:900 12:128? 11:194
# [desgelyks presenteert sich noch een ander Heer]
L06: 4:161 4:547 2:692? 11:747 5:469 33 7 64

Decryption

s097R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 97 right page: end of letter Battier -> Fagel "Mad. den 29 Jan: 1688". Orchestrator. 67 cipher tokens, no decipherment.

[Van 't Gouvernement van de Nederlanden wort nu seer weynigh gesproocken en hoopen de Vrienden van de Hr. Marqs. de Gastañaga dat S.Exc.
noch drie jaeren sal gecontinueert worden. Maer omdat met dese post de Hr. Ceurvorst van Pals aan de Hr. Novelli het ministerium aan
dit hoff offereert, en segt toekomende post brieven van credentie aan S.Ed. te willen oversenden, soo is licht te presumeren dat]
de pretensie van de Grand Maistre noch niet heelendeal [?] is, het welk ick van hem [als syn brieven van credentie en syn instructie
komen wel sal vernemen. Ondertussen heeft de] garde du corps(?) Don Marc(o)s de Velasco ook [? ?] en offereert daar voor(?) [?]
Ryksdaalders; [desgelyks presenteert sich noch een ander Heer] die een [?] somme geven wil. [Maar eer hy eenige effective poursuites
doet, wil men my syn name niet bekent maken ...]

English gist: Since the Elector Palatine offers Novelli the ministry at Madrid, the Grand Master's pretension is evidently not yet
abandoned; meanwhile Don Marcos de Velasco (of the guard?) also [bids] and offers rixdollars for it, and another gentleman offers a
sum - i.e. the governorship of the Spanish Netherlands is being solicited for money.

Reading

1688-01-29_reading.md

<!-- Reading of the end of Battier's letter to Fagel, Madrid, 29 Jan 1688 (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 97R), written 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (v7 translation wave) from readings/s097R_text.txt: clear text as transcribed there (in ⟨ ⟩), the cipher (67 tokens) in the key reading of the inv. 1209 key in plain type; no contemporary decipherment. [?] = unread group. The earlier pages of the letter are not transcribed in the repository. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 29 January 1688 (end of the letter, scan 97R)

## Reading

⟨Van 't Gouvernement van de Nederlanden wort nu seer weynigh gesproocken en hoopen de Vrienden van de Hr. Marqs. de
Gastañaga dat S.Exc. noch drie jaeren sal gecontinueert worden. Maer omdat met dese post de Hr. Ceurvorst van Pals aan
de Hr. Novelli het ministerium aan dit hoff offereert, en segt toekomende post brieven van credentie aan S.Ed. te willen
oversenden, soo is licht te presumeren dat⟩ de pretensie van de Grand Maistre noch niet heelendeal [?] is, het welk ick
van hem ⟨als syn brieven van credentie en syn instructie komen wel sal vernemen. Ondertussen heeft de⟩ garde du corps Don
Marcos de Velasco ook [?] [?] en offereert daar voor [?] Ryksdaalders; ⟨desgelyks presenteert sich noch een ander Heer⟩
die een [?] somme geven wil. ⟨Maar eer hy eenige effective poursuites doet, wil men my syn name niet bekent maken ...⟩

Translation

1688-01-29_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/1688-01-29_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026), with the same holes. Clear text in ⟨ ⟩, cipher in plain type. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 29 January 1688 (end of the letter): English translation

⟨Of the government of the Netherlands there is now very little talk, and the friends of the Marquis of Gastañaga hope
that His Excellency will be continued for three more years. But since by this post the Elector Palatine offers Mr
Novelli the ministry at this court, and says he will send letters of credence to His Honour by the next post, it is easy
to presume that⟩ the Grand Master's pretension is not yet entirely [?], which I shall surely learn from him ⟨when his
letters of credence and his instructions come. Meanwhile the⟩ guard Don Marcos de Velasco has also [?] [?], and offers
[?] rixdollars for it; ⟨likewise yet another gentleman presents himself⟩ who is willing to give a [?] sum. ⟨But before he
makes any effective suit, they will not tell me his name ...⟩

12 Feb 1688 (scans 99R, 100R)

Battier to Fagel from Madrid; separate decipherment sheets near this letter have not been checked.

Transcription

1688-02-12_groups.txt

10:126 1:215 8:186 32 4 9 6 29 64 7 15:430 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 11 7 15 31 28 6 10:129 5:958 4 28 12 10 32 55 6 81 28 31 11:785 6:5 5:603 13:112 14:274 1:215 12:409 15 4 10 32 33 7 29 12 19 9:920 4:696 3:937 10:129 48 10 22 91 31 19 3:937 4:90 7:338 6 11:431? 3:374? 6:181? 1:512? 12:409 15 4 10 32 6:374 5:604? 10:993 4:696 3:854 15 10 9 12 81 5:880 3:250 3:937 11:785 3:882 9:653 9:594 15 4 3 44 81 10:848 7:721 7:754 11:759 6:5 8:408? 5:150 2 3 52 4 32 31 28 11 5 28 19 5 69 89 25 16 31 3:937 14 20 77 69 21 19 82 87 44 5 43 1:739 15 25 6 6 13 31 7:344 3:944 8:869 4:92 6:882 10:521 12:463 4:293 8:293 7:720 11:710? 6:5 1:588? 1:839? 8:749 8:721 1:242 6:794 6:297 14 4 6 31 3 15:515 4:535 30 6 15 43 49 8:748|8:738 11:431 3:937 4:92 63 49 11 55 44 14 2 6 7 31 28 6 7:990 4:90 7:338 6 3:260 11:777 11:159? 69 81 98 72 71 19 21 22 77 87 8:869 7:990 12:409 5:894 12:978 12:463 9:957 6:54 42 81 55 68 81 54 43 93 4:91 11:215 4:335 4:92 4:446 1:215 11:805 54 10 3 44 81 34 9 32 32 6 77 7:455? 12:670? 3:937 54 52 25 16 32 31 3:937 6:5 8:794 4:796 7 69 4:696 3:937 7:990 4:92 4:573 4:90 6:882 6 3:260 12:463 30 81 42 10 19 87 15:578 11:508

Transcription

s099R.txt

# scan 99 right page: letter Madrid 12 Feb 1688 (ends 100R), first cipher passage. Orchestrator.
# [Sint myn onderdanigst jongste hebb ick gelesen den brief, die den]
L01: 10:126 1:215 8:186 32 4
L02: 9 6 29 64 7 15:430 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 11 7 15 31 28 6
# [heeft geschreeven, bestaende hier inne dat]
L03: 10:129 5:958 4 28 12 10
L04: 32 55 6 81 28 31
# [te sonderen op wat voet en conditie]
L05: 11:785
L06: 6:5 5:603 13:112 14:274 1:215 12:409 15 4 10 32 33 7 29 12 19 9:920 4:696
L07: 3:937 10:129 48 10 22 91 31 19 3:937 4:90 7:338 6 11:431? 3:374? 6:181? 1:512?
L08: 12:409 15 4 10 32 6:374 5:604? 10:993 4:696 3:854 15 10 9 12 81 5:880
L09: 3:250 3:937 11:785 3:882 9:653 9:594 15 4 3 44 81 10:848 7:721
# [Maar omdat S. Doorl. in desen brief hem Novelli oock offereert de Residents plaets aan dit hoff ...] (clear)

Transcription

s100R.txt

# scan 100 right page: end of letter Madrid 12 Feb 1688, cipher block. Orchestrator.
# [... van principe de Asturias, en sekere alimentatie als presumptive heritier wilde hebben]
L01: 7:754 11:759 6:5 8:408? 5:150 2 3 52
L02: 4 32 31 28 11 5 28 19 5 69 89 25 16 31 3:937 14 20 77 69
L03: 21 19 82 87 44 5 43 1:739 15 25 6 6 13 31 7:344 3:944 8:869
L04: 4:92 6:882 10:521 12:463 4:293 8:293 7:720 11:710? 6:5 1:588? 1:839? 8:749 8:721
L05: 1:242 6:794
L06: 6:297 14 4 6 31 3 15:515 4:535 30 6 15 43 49 8:748|8:738 11:431 3:937 4:92
L07: 63 49 11 55 44 14 2 6 7 31 28 6 7:990 4:90 7:338 6 3:260 11:777 11:159?
L08: 69 81 98 72 71 19 21 22 77 87 8:869 7:990 12:409 5:894 12:978 12:463
L09: 9:957 6:54 42 81 55 68 81 54 43 93 4:91 11:215 4:335 4:92 4:446 1:215
L10: 11:805 54 10 3 44 81 34 9 32 32 6 77 7:455? 12:670? 3:937 54 52 25
L11: 16 32 31 3:937 6:5 8:794 4:796 7 69 4:696 3:937 7:990 4:92 4:573 4:90
L12: 6:882 6 3:260 12:463 30 81 42 10 19 87 15:578 11:508

Decryption

s099R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 99 right page: first page of letter Battier -> Fagel "Mad. den 12 Febr: 1688" (ends 100R). Orchestrator.
99 cipher tokens; no contemporary decipherment.

[Myn Heer. Sint myn onderdanigst jongste hebb ick gelesen den brief, die den] Paltzgraaf aan Monsieur Novelli van wegens den Grand
Maistre [heeft geschreeven, bestaende hier inne dat] Syne Churf. Doorl. hem ordonneert [te sonderen op wat voet en conditie] Syne Majt.
het gouvernement van Vlaanderen aan syn soon wilde overdragen(?); en dat Syne Churf. Doorl. hoopte dat de laatste [? ? ? ?] syn soon
in groote(M) reputatie en credit soude hebben gebraght, dat Syne Majt. daar op ook soude reflexie maken. [Maar omdat S. Doorl. in desen
brief hem Novelli oock offereert de Residents plaets aan dit hoff, die veel jaeren ... door den Hr. van Rougemont bekleet is ...]

English gist: Battier has read the letter which the Elector Palatine wrote to Monsieur Novelli on behalf of the Grand Master (his son
Ludwig Anton): the Elector orders him to sound out on what terms the King would hand the governorship of Flanders to his son, hoping
that [the last campaign?] had brought his son such reputation and credit that the King would take it into account.
Open: 4 tokens after 'de laatste' unread (431-stroke, 374\, 181e, 512); 5:604 not 'groot' in key.

Decryption

s100R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 100 right page: end of a letter of Battier to Fagel, "Mad. den 12 Febr: 1688" (date at foot of 100R; endorsed 101L "12 February 1688"). Orchestrator.
172 cipher tokens; no contemporary decipherment. (?) = C/M graded; [?] = unread (I).

[... (the Emperor/Grand Master?) ... van principe de Asturias, en sekere alimentatie als presumptive heritier wilde hebben,]
maar sonder het [?] fundament; au contraire, is ('t) schynt dat Mansvelt dit alles heeft laten debiteren, om den Keyserlyken
Prince te doen na Madrid [?] het afgeseyt(?) [?] nochtans niet aangaan kan.
Ick moet U Wel Ed. Gestr. noch(?) seggen dat den Grand Maistre met de laatste brieven gesoubconneert [?] sich bevont, om met syn
Heer Vader te overleggen hoe men best a(?) dese sake door den Keyser aan den Raad van Nederlandt soude kunnen [?] toemaken(?);
dat schynt dat het nu ernst is, en dat met den eerste de Keyserlyke brieven te gemoet werden gesien.

English gist: [The claim that someone wanted the title of Prince of Asturias with an allowance as heir presumptive is] without
foundation: Mansfeld had it put about in order to bring the Imperial prince to Madrid, which cannot be done. The Grand Master
(Ludwig Anton of Pfalz-Neuburg), [suspected?] in the last letters, was to consult his father (the Elector Palatine) how best to have
this business sent by the Emperor to the Council of the Netherlands - it now seems serious, and the Imperial letters are expected
by the first post. (Context: candidature of the Grand Master for the governorship of the Spanish Netherlands, spring 1688.)

Reading

1688-02-12_reading.md

<!-- Reading of the letter of 12 Feb 1688 (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scans 99R, 100L, 100R) built 22 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch b17). The cipher follows the key decode of tokens/s099R.txt and tokens/s100R.txt with the inv. 1209 key (readings/s099R.tsv, s100R.tsv), re-checked on the NA scans and, for every doubtful group, on the key scans (readings/1688-02-12_corrections.tsv); two cipher runs missing from the token files (99R last line, 100L line 3) were transcribed and decoded here. Clear text transcribed from scans 99 and 100. No contemporary decipherment (scans 98-102 checked). Spelling as written or as the key gives it. [?word] = a group whose value is doubtful; [431] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [word] = supplied. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 12 February 1688

## Reading

### 99R

Myn Heer. Sint myn onderdanigst jongste hebb ick gelesen den brief, die den Paltzgraaf aan Monsieur Novelli van wegens
den Grand Maistre heeft geschreeven, bestaende hier inne dat Syne Churf. Doorl. hem ordonneert te sonderen op wat voet en
conditie Syne Majt. het gouvernement van Vlaanderen aan syn soon wilde overgedragen, en dat Syne Churf. Doorl. hoopte
dat de laatste [431] [374] [137] [512] syn soon in [604] reputatie en credit soude hebben gebraght, dat Syne Majt. daar
op ook soude reflexie maken. Maar omdat S. Doorl. in desen brief hem Novelli oock offereert de Residents plaets aan dit
hoff, die veel jaeren, en noch door den H.r van Rougemont bekleet is, en gedachten Rougemont by abus Novellis brief heeft
geopent, en nu overall vrinden soeckt om dese streeck te prevenieren (niet tegenstaende hy als een sieck man, die anders
niet subsisteren kan, van de Oude Coninginne seer geprotegeert wort), soo heeft de selve oock gheen difficulteit
gemaackt aen de Gravinne van Soissons, die hem door eene

### 100L

van haer domestiquen haer credit heeft laten offereren, den inhout van voorsz. brief te laten weten. En omdat dit werck
tot nu toe aan de [867] de Coninginne om [826] is [296] [765], soo kan men licht afnemen, dat dese beyde daar wat tussen
werpen sullen. Soo voort als ick er kennis van bekomen sal ick niet manqueren U. Wel Ed. Gestr. omstandelick te
adviseren. Den anderen Heer laet noch onder de handt arbeyden, en hoope ick over 14 daghen U. Wel Ed. Gestr. wat naders
daar van te kunnen bekent maken. In de saecke van de H.r Robiano is verders niet voorgevallen. Den Heer Amb.r van
Vranckryck heeft voor omtrent 14 daghen een memorie gepresenteert, en die in Bilbao gevangen gewesen fransche
vluchtelingen in naeme van Syn Coning gereclameert, opdatse souden kunnen tot de Catholique religie gebracht worden. Aen
S. Ex.tie wierde doemaels getoont de attestatie die den Corregidor heeft overgesonden, hoe dat de selve waeren in een
Engels schip gelevert, en sal soo Syn Ex.tie presseert dese antwoort oock schriftelick gegeven worden. Daar heeft een
geruchte gelopen als of voorsz. H.r Amb.r van Vranckryck een memorie hadde gepresenteert, offe doch mondelick hadde
voorgedragen, dat Syn Coning de successie van dese Monarchie op den Duc de Bourgogne wilde verseeckert weeten, en tot dien
einde een Coningl. declaratie, en tot volbrenginge van dien Pampelonna en Barcelone, item den titul

### 100R

van principe de Asturias, en sekere alimentatie als presumptive heritier wilde hebben; maar sonder het minste
fundament; au contraire, is ['t] schynt dat Mansvelt dit alles heeft laten debiteren, om den Keyserlyken Prince te doen
na Madrid [11:719] het [?afsetten] [?animatie] nochtans niet aangaan kan.

Ick moet U Wel Ed. Gestr. noch seggen dat den Grand Maistre met de laatste brieven gesoubconneert [11:759] sich bevont,
om met syn Heer Vader te overleggen hoe men best [?a] dese sake door den Keyser aan den Raad van Nederlandt soude kunnen
voordragen; soo dat schynt dat het nu ernst is, en dat met den eersten de Keyserlyke brieven te gemoet werden gesien.
Ick blyve met respect, Wel Edele gestrenge Heer, U Wel Ed. gestr. ootmoedighsten en gehoorsaemsten dienaar, Battier.
Mad.t den 12 Febr. 1688.

## Notes

- Corrections against the earlier decode (readings/1688-02-12_corrections.tsv): 100R L01 "4ø" with r-mark = 8:48 minste
  (key scan 42: 46 mineurs, 47 minder, 48 minste), not 8:408; L10 455 carries the c/ mark = 14:455 voordragen (key scan
  72L), not 7:455 geleeght; L10 "ꝕ7ø" first digit struck = 11:678 soo (Battier's ø = 8; 11:679 sooals possible), not
  12:670 toemaken; L01 5:150 fundament checked on key scan 27. L02 "ischyt" are the letters i-s-c-h-y-t; "schynt" without
  its n, a cipher slip.
- 99R, last cipher line (not in tokens/s099R.txt): 30 49 11 9 7 32 77 81 117 15 4 5 69 10 55 = g-r-a-u-i-n-n-e van
  s-o-i-s-s-o-n: "Gravinne van Soissons" (81 for e, as Battier writes it).
- 100L, cipher line (not in the token files): 215 aan, 9ø de, ø67 [1:867 approberen, no sense], 12 6 d-e, 11:784 de
  Coninginne (key scan 59: 782 Spaigne, 783 den Coningh, 784 de Coninginne, 785 Syne Majt), ø69 8:869 om, ø26 [826],
  7 15 i-s, 29ø [296/298], 765 [1:765 Algarbe]: the Queen is named, the rest gives no sense.
- Not resolved: 99R L07 431 374 137 512 (1:431 afbrandinge, 3:374 bylegger, 1:512 afkomste: no sense; the marks are
  faint), L08 604 (5:604 grabbelen; 'groote' expected, not found under the visible digits); 100R L04 the struck group
  after Madrid (11:719 soetelaars / 11:718 soetjens) and 59ø, ø39 (1:590 afsetten, 1:839 animatie); L07 the struck
  group after gesoubconneert (11:759 sonder, as on L01, no sense here).

Translation

1688-02-12_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/1688-02-12_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 22 Oct 2026, REREAD_BRIEF batch b17). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 12 February 1688

## Translation

### 99R

Sir. Since my most humble last letter I have read the letter that the Count Palatine wrote to Monsieur Novelli on behalf
of the Grand Master, to this effect: His Electoral Highness orders him to sound out on what footing and conditions His
Majesty would hand over the government of Flanders to his son, and His Electoral Highness hoped that the last [431] [374]
[137] [512] would have brought his son into [604] reputation and credit, so that His Majesty would also take it into
account. But because His Highness in this letter also offers Novelli the post of Resident at this court, which for many
years has been, and still is, held by Monsieur de Rougemont, and the said Rougemont opened Novelli's letter by mistake and
now seeks friends everywhere to forestall this move (although, as a sick man who cannot otherwise subsist, he is much
protected by the Old Queen), he has also made no difficulty about letting the Countess of Soissons, who through one

### 100L

of her servants had offered him her credit, know the contents of the said letter. And since this business has so far
[...] the Queen [...], it is easy to infer that these two will throw something in the way. As soon as I learn more of it
I shall not fail to advise Your Honour in detail. The other gentleman is still having work done under hand, and I hope
in a fortnight to be able to tell Your Honour something more about it. In the matter of Monsieur Robiano nothing further
has happened. The French ambassador presented a memorial about a fortnight ago and, in his King's name, reclaimed the
French refugees who had been held prisoner in Bilbao, so that they could be brought to the Catholic religion. His
Excellency was then shown the attestation the Corregidor sent, that they had been delivered onto an English ship, and,
as His Excellency presses for it, this answer will also be given in writing. A rumour has run that the said French
ambassador had presented a memorial, or at least put forward orally, that his King wished to have the succession of
this monarchy secured to the Duke of Burgundy, and to that end a royal declaration, and for its execution Pamplona and
Barcelona, as well as the title

### 100R

of Prince of Asturias and a certain allowance as presumptive heir; but without the least foundation; on the contrary,
it seems that Mansfeld had all this put about in order to have the Imperial prince come to Madrid [11:719], [which]
[?...] nevertheless cannot be done.

I must also tell Your Honour that the Grand Master, by the last letters, found himself [suspected] [11:759], [and is] to
consult his lord father how best [?...] this matter could be put forward by the Emperor to the Council of the
Netherlands; so it seems that it is now in earnest, and that the Imperial letters are expected with the first post.
I remain with respect, Right Honourable Sir, Your Honour's most humble and obedient servant, Battier. Madrid,
12 February 1688.

26 Feb 1688 (scan 101R)

Battier to Fagel from Madrid, partly deciphered interlinear at the time (scan 101R).

Transcription

1688-02-26_groups.txt

7:990 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 4:161 12:463 16:159 4:908? 54 58 55 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 25 81 42 6:374 4:92 33 6 52 25 15 4 9 12 6 11:981 1:621? 69 10 98 72 4 37 65 10 32 6 28 81 55 69 20 82 4:696? 11:703? 8:748 1:215 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 35 48 11 44 12 19 11:678 30 6 8 13 31 69 5 98 72 9:594 1:215 4:92 8:894? 4:471 4:161 4 13 59 19 28 6 81 49 31 9:594 12:128? 11:194

Transcription

s101R.txt

# scan 101 right page: letter Madrid 26 Feb 1688, first page; interlinear contemporary decipherment present. Orchestrator.
L01: 7:990 4:92 30 28 2 32 12
L02: 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 4:161 12:463 16:159 4:908? 54 58 55
L03: 4:92 30 28 2
L04: 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 25 81 42 6:374 4:92 33 6 52 25
L05: 15 4 9 12 6 11:981 1:621? 69 10 98 72 4 37 65 10 32
L06: 6 28 81 55 69 20 82 4:696? 11:703?
L07: 8:748 1:215 4:92 30 28 2
L08: 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 35 48 11 44 12 19 11:678 30 6 8 13 31
L09: 69 5 98 72 9:594 1:215 4:92 8:894? 4:471
L10: 4:161 4 13 59 19 28 6 81 49 31 9:594 12:128? 11:194

Decryption

s101R_text.txt

NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 101 right page: first page of a letter of Battier to Fagel, Madrid 26 Feb 1688 (date at foot of 102R; continues 102L-102R).
117 cipher tokens; contemporary interlinear decipherment present (quick cursive above the cipher; partly legible: "met den Grand
maistre", "die te Heydelbergh geexpedieert syn", "hem in de wegh ... staen", "de Mq: sich opponeren sal", "noch aen den Grand
maistre ... hadde, soo geeft"); key decode made first, then compared. Orchestrator.

Myn Heer. [cipher] Met den Grand Maistre [blyft noch alles soo staen, omdat de Keyserlyke brieven] die te Heydelbergh geexpedieert(?)
syn [eerst verwacht worden; maar soo haest se komen, salmen de saeck in deliberatie stellen, en S. Keyserl. Mt. antwoorden. Ondertussen
heeft den Heer van syn pretensie gedesisteert, omdat hy vernomen heeft dat] den Grand Maistre hem in den wech soude staan.
[Niettemin omdat eenige sich inbeelden dat nu 't bynae publicq is] de Marquis(?) sich(?) opponeren sal, en [?] [om soo veel eer
resolveren een anderen te nemen, als of men] noch aan den Grand Maistre(?) hadde [gegeven]; soo geeft sich ook aan den [?] Hertogh
van Holsteyn, die offereert ook [?] Ryksdaalders [en dat hy middlen weet uyt te vinden 25m man te onderhouden, sonder gelt van Spanien
te bekomen; en schynt dat Robiano ...]

English gist: The Grand Master's affair waits for the Imperial letters sent from Heidelberg; another candidate withdrew on learning
the Grand Master stood in his way; as it is almost public, the Marquis [Gastañaga?] will oppose it. The Duke of Holstein also offers
himself, offering [?] rixdollars and saying he can maintain 25,000 men without Spanish money.

Reading

1688-02-26_reading.md

<!-- Reading of the first page of Battier's letter to Fagel, Madrid, 26 Feb 1688 (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, scan 101R), written 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (v7 translation wave) from readings/s101R_text.txt: the cipher (117 tokens) in the key reading of the inv. 1209 key in plain type, checked against the partly legible contemporary interlinear decipherment; the words that s101R_text.txt gives in [ ] (clear text of the letter and the decipherer's legible words around the cipher) in ⟨ ⟩. [?] = unread group; [gegeven] = supplied there, not carried. The letter continues on 102L-102R, not transcribed. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 26 February 1688 (first page, scan 101R)

## Reading

Myn Heer. Met den Grand Maistre ⟨blyft noch alles soo staen, omdat de Keyserlyke brieven⟩ die te Heydelbergh
geexpedieert syn ⟨eerst verwacht worden; maar soo haest se komen, salmen de saeck in deliberatie stellen, en S. Keyserl.
Mt. antwoorden. Ondertussen heeft den Heer van syn pretensie gedesisteert, omdat hy vernomen heeft dat⟩ den Grand
Maistre hem in den wech soude staan. ⟨Niettemin omdat eenige sich inbeelden dat nu 't bynae publicq is⟩ de Marquis sich
opponeren sal, en [?] ⟨om soo veel eer resolveren een anderen te nemen, als of men⟩ noch aan den Grand Maistre hadde
[gegeven]; soo geeft sich ook aan den [?] Hertogh van Holsteyn, die offereert ook [?] Ryksdaalders ⟨en dat hy middlen
weet uyt te vinden 25m man te onderhouden, sonder gelt van Spanien te bekomen; en schynt dat Robiano ...⟩

Translation

1688-02-26_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/1688-02-26_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026), with the same holes. Cipher in plain type; the surrounding words given in ⟨ ⟩ in the reading are in ⟨ ⟩ here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 26 February 1688 (first page): English translation

My Lord. With the Grand Master ⟨everything still stands as it was, because the Imperial letters⟩ which have been sent off
at Heidelberg ⟨are awaited first; but as soon as they come, the matter will be put to deliberation and His Imperial
Majesty answered. Meanwhile the gentleman has desisted from his pretension, because he has learned that⟩ the Grand
Master would stand in his way. ⟨Nevertheless, because some imagine that now that it is almost public⟩ the Marquis will
oppose it, and [?] ⟨so as to resolve all the sooner to take another, as if one⟩ still had [given] it to the Grand
Master; so the [?] Duke of Holstein also offers himself, who also offers [?] rixdollars ⟨and [says] that he knows means to
maintain 25,000 men without getting money from Spain; and it seems that Robiano ...⟩

8 Apr 1688 (scans 107R-109L)

Battier to Fagel from Madrid, with no contemporary decipherment: the Grand Maestre has ordered his agent to reassure the old Queen, and a sworn party forms against him (the Constable of Castile, Os[t]una and Monterey?); the reviewed reconstruction (codex_review/april_reading.md) supersedes the earlier fluent reading.

Transcription

1688-04-08_groups.txt

4:92 63 28 93 77 90 88 47 23 69 87 28 60 1:215 12:409 1:719 9:875 4:90 9:895 7:109 12:463 13:815 53 49 78 37 60 80 47 88 19 82 92 93 83 15 53 29 64 40 52 18 87 6 97 43|49 31 8:748 1:740 8:869 39 82 43 93 88 5 28 2 12:777 14:165 13:112 12:6?0? 12:463 34 3 32 77 81 55 7:721 4:90 15 91 93 55 54 23 7:933 17 29 16 52 31 8:794 6:18|6:10 14:779 6:933 11:694 1:743 11:798 5:600? 71 82 76 85 31 6:119 4 49|43 10 37 6 80 20 9:935 9:405 11:678 59 53 83 14 19 97 28 87 54 81 52 25 4:547 12:401? 10:167 12:493 4:92 11:455 11:791 41 15 87 3 32 75 4:696 88 22 77 40 23 28 97 3:303 15:325 7:990 7:795 3:352 61 28 4 65 84 80 75 12:463 15:681 5:178 6:920 15:212 14 53 77 43 81 3 97 16 11:678 10:650 5 69 15:765 3:937 6:28 7:990 8:147 14:779 12:409 6:237 25 6 97 13 31 34 9 77 55 19 32 10:708 14 78 77 87 81 28 23 16 69 10 95 12 6 8:794 9:594 7:540 10:487 12 6:673 15:681 15:604 8:856 5:319 4:90 59 29 56 77 44 35 83 54 60 37 28 97 15 81 69 6 55 52 19 10:571 97 28 5 15 15:310 25 76 88 84 28 89 67 31 15:515 3:937 1:743 4:92 30 43 20 55 44 88 93 97 96 54 43 21 60 8:857 4:547|3:547 52 28 19 11 43 3 23 28 13:112 41 28 22 37 35 54 47 8:293 14:274 34 4 88 87 4:90 55 35 12 19 28 29 56 77 54 8 12:716 5:319 6:374 12:601 13:112 30 83 47 55 47 5 54 5:421 4:335 12:409 5:812 8:721 13:171 54 38 64 29 60 77 10:179

Transcription

s107R.txt

# scan 107 right: first page of letter Madrid 8 April 1688 (continues 108L-109). Orchestrator.
# P1 [... en met dese laetste post heeft] ... [dat over 14 daghen sonder faute de Keyserlyke brieven souden hier syn]
L01: 4:92 63 28 93 77 90 88 47 23 69 87 28
L02: 60 1:215 12:409 1:719 9:875 4:90 9:895 7:109 12:463 13:815
# P2 [... J'ay peur que nostre longeur donnera le temps à] X [de nous gagner la main.] Y [en soo]
L03: 53 49 78 37 60 80 47
L04: 88 19 82 92 93 83 15 53 29 64 40 52 18 87 6 97 43|49 31 8:748

Transcription

s108L.txt

# scan 108 left: letter Madrid 8 April 1688 (signed 109L), 3 cipher passages in clear Dutch text. Orchestrator.
# P1 [Den Graef Cifuentes aande welcke men] ... [de vice Royauté van Peru hadde gegeven]
L01: 1:740 8:869 39 82 43 93 88 5 28 2
L02: 12:777 14:165 13:112 12:6?0? 12:463 34 3 32 77 81 55 7:721
# P2 [Dn Gaspar de Silva Vice Rex van Mexico] ... [Portocarrero heeft aen S.Mt. gekort 60m stuck van 8]
L03: 4:90 15 91 93 55 54 23 7:933 17 29 16
L04: 52 31 8:794 6:18|6:10 14:779 6:933
# P3 [Nae de Nederlanden sal gheen gelt geremitteert worden] ... [ter minsten is dit de opinie van allen]
L05: 11:694 1:743
L06: 11:798 5:600? 71 82 76 85 31

Transcription

s108R.txt

# scan 108 right: same letter (8 April 1688). Orchestrator.
# PA [bovendien heeft verleden Maendagh] - A1 - [noch een project geformeert en] A2 [dat men met de opkomsten van de Nederlanden nevens de 75m stuck van 8 's maents ... 30m man sal kunnen onderhouden]
L01: 6:119
L02: 4 49|43 10 37 6 80 20 9:935
# PB [... offe daer moste nu wat beters voor den Opperstalmeester te vinden syn] + cipher
L03: 9:405 11:678 59 53 83 14
L04: 19 97 28 87 54 81 52 25 4:547 12:401? 10:167 12:493 4:92 11:455 11:791 41 15 87
L05: 3 32 75 4:696 88 22 77 40 23 28 97 3:303 15:325 7:990 7:795
# PC [... en in woorden vervallen synde heeft de Selve gemenaceert] + cipher to end of page
L06: 3:352 61 28 4 65 84 80 75 12:463 15:681
L07: 5:178 6:920 15:212 14 53 77 43 81 3 97 16 11:678 10:650 5 69 15:765 3:937
L08: 6:28 7:990 8:147 14:779 12:409 6:237 25 6 97 13 31 34 9 77 55 19 32
L09: 10:708 14 78 77 87 81 28 23 16 69 10 95 12 6 8:794 9:594 7:540
L10: 10:487 12 6:673 15:681 15:604 8:856 5:319 4:90 59 29 56 77 44 35 83
L11: 54 60 37 28 97 15 81 69 6 55 52 19 10:571 97 28 5 15

Transcription

s109L.txt

# scan 109 (single page, verso): end of letter Madrid 8 April 1688 ("Ick blyve met respect ... Md. den 8 April 1688 ... Battier"). Orchestrator.
L01: 15:310 25 76 88 84 28 89 67 31 15:515 3:937 1:743 4:92 30 43
L02: 20 55 44 88 93 97 96 54 43 21 60 8:857 4:547|3:547 52 28 19 11
L03: 43 3 23 28 13:112 41 28 22 37 35 54 47 8:293 14:274 34 4
L04: 88 87 4:90 55 35 12 19 28 29 56 77 54 8 12:716 5:319 6:374
L05: 12:601 13:112 30 83 47 55 47 5 54 5:421 4:335 12:409 5:812 8:721 13:171
L06: 54 38 64 29 60 77 10:179

Decryption

april_reading.md

# April 8, 1688: reading and claim grading

This is a reconstruction from decoded.txt. Brackets mark uncertainty or necessary repair. Word spacing, punctuation and ordinary u/v or ae spellings are normalized. It is not a diplomatic transcription of the manuscript. Clear-text contextual material is explicitly identified.

**s107R.** “Den Grand Maestre aan syn agent geordonneert de oude Koninginne te verseekeren … Oropeza … Melgar sollicitee[r]t noch.”

The cipher independently supplies the instruction and the old Queen; the fourteen-day Imperial-letter promise and French warning occur in the supplied clear-text context. **SOLID as the contents of these transcriptions.** Identifying the Grand Master by a full modern name is not derived from these tokens.

**s108L.** “Alleen om Altamira tot vice Roy van [12:6?0 unread] te kunn[e]n maken … De Spaanse mesnagie blyct nu hier uyt klaarlyke … Soo lange als Castanaga gouverneren blyft.”

The appointment mechanism and conditional continuation in office are **SOLID**; the vacant viceroyalty is **SPECULATIVE/unread**. “No money will be remitted to the Netherlands” is supplied CLEAR text, followed by the securely reconstructed condition. The narrative is coherent with that context.

**s108R.** “Holsteyn … Oropeza overgegeven … Ondertusschen soo formeert sich een gesworen partye tegen den selven: Connestable van Castille, Os[t]una en Mon[i→t]ere [Monterey?] brouwen wat met malkander.”

Faction formation and the Constable are **SOLID**. Monterey is **PLAUSIBLE**, helped by later variants of the name. Osuna needs deletion of a real t and is **SPECULATIVE** as a precise identification. “Against Oropesa” is **PLAUSIBLE**, not independently established merely by den selven without resolving the preceding clear-context referent. Holsteyn is an attested word, but which person is meant remains **SPECULATIVE**. A Holsteyn project handed to Oropesa is **PLAUSIBLE** from the combined cipher and supplied clear context; its troop and money figures are clear text.

“By Oropeza te willen gaan klagen, waarover Mont[i→e][u→r]ey soo quaat is geworden dat hy met moeyte uyt syn huys heeft kunnen raken. Mont[i→e]rey soude nu ook lichtvaardelyk President d'Italien willen wesen, of gelyk de Flandersche presi[s→d]ence profitabeler is.”

The complaint/anger episode and Italy/Flanders presidency comparison are **PLAUSIBLE**, with explicit name/spelling repairs. The supplied English's “a creditor” and the claim that Monterey himself could hardly leave his house are **SPECULATIVE**: the excerpt does not securely identify the complainant or resolve hy/syn. The person escaping difficulty could be the complainant.

**s109L.** “Want hy merckt wel, dat als den G[t→r]and Maeist[u→r]e offe een creatuer van Oropesa na Vlaanderen komt, de Nederlandse toestemminge, gelyk in tyt van Grana is geschiedt, door syn handen niet veel sullen passeren.”

This yields a **PLAUSIBLE** forecast of diminished mediation/influence, but the exact object toestemminge and its administrative interpretation remain **SPECULATIVE**. Rendering it broadly as “Netherlands business” conceals the difficulty. The decoded letters granais naturally segment as “Grana is”; the supplied “Grana's” genitive is unnecessary and harms the clause.

Overall, the passage is recognizably coherent Dutch of the proposed register after disclosed corrections. Its broad political account survives adversarial reading. Specific people, pronoun assignments and administrative meanings are less certain than the fluent English précis suggests.

Decryption

s108-109_text.txt

Letter Battier -> Fagel, Madrid 8 April 1688 (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401 scans 107R, 108L, 108R, 109). Cipher passages decoded with key NA 1.10.29 inv.1209.
No contemporary decipherment present. Clear context in [brackets]; cipher in plain; (?) = graded C/M; [?] = unread.

107R
[Sint verleden post ... den Bisschop van Bresslau en den Opper Marschal nae Wenen gesonden ... en met dese laetste post heeft] den Grand Maestre aan syn agent geordonneert de oude Koninginne te verseekeren(?) [dat over 14 daghen sonder faute de Keyserlyke brieven souden hier syn ... J'ay peur que nostre longeur donnera le temps à] Oropeza [de nous gagner la main.] Melgar solliciteert noch(?), en soo [108L: Leganes ...]
108L
[Den Graef Cifuentes, aande welcke men] alleen om Altamira tot vice Roy van [?] te kunnen maken [de vice Royauté van Peru hadde gegeven ...]
[... Dn Gaspar de Silva Vice Rex van Mexico] de Spaanse mesnagie blyckt nu hier(?) uyt klaarlyke. [Portocarrero heeft aen S.Mt. gekort 60m stuck van 8 ...]
[Nae de Nederlanden sal gheen gelt geremitteert worden] soo lange als Castanaga gouverneren(?) blyft; [ter minsten is dit de opinie van allen ...]
108R
[bovendien heeft verleden Maendagh] - Holsteyn(?) - [noch een project geformeert en] Oropeza overgegeven, [dat men met de opkomsten van de Nederlanden nevens de 75m stuck van 8 's maents ... 30m man sal kunnen onderhouden ...]
[... offe daer moste nu wat beters voor den Opperstalmeester te vinden syn.] Ondertusschen soo formeert sich een geswooren(?) partye tegen den selven: Connestable [v. Castille], Os(t)una(?) en Mon(t)ere(y)(?) brouwen wat(?) met malkander.
[... in woorden vervallen synde heeft de Selve gemenaceert] by Oropeza te willen gaan klagen, waarover Monterey soo quaat is geworden dat hy met moeyte uyt syn huys heeft kunnen raken. Monterey soude nu ook lichtvaardelyk President d'Italien willen wesen(?), of gelyk de Flandersche presidence profitabeler is.
109
Want hy merckt wel, dat als den Grand Maistre offe een creatuer van Oropesa na Vlaanderen komt, de Nederlandse toestemminge(?), gelyk in tyt van Grana's geschiedt, door syn handen niet veel sullen passeren. [Ick blyve met respect ...]

English gist: By the last post the Grand Master [Ludwig Anton] ordered his agent to assure the Queen Mother that the Emperor's letters would arrive within 14 days; Melgar is still soliciting [the Netherlands government]. No money will go to the Netherlands as long as Gastañaga remains governor. A project (by "Holstein"?) to maintain 30,000 men
in the Netherlands from local revenues plus 75,000 pieces of eight a month was handed to Oropesa. A sworn party is forming against
Oropesa - the Constable of Castile, Osuna(?) and Monterey are plotting together. A creditor threatened Monterey he would complain to
Oropesa; Monterey became so angry he could hardly leave his house; he now fancies the presidency of (the Council of) Italy, or that of
Flanders, which is more profitable - for he sees that if the Grand Master [Ludwig Anton of Pfalz-Neuburg] or a creature of Oropesa goes
to Flanders, little of the Netherlands business will pass through his hands, as happened in Grana's time.

Decryption

s107R.tsv

1	L01	4:92	den	key	H	
2	L01	63	g	letter	H	
3	L01	28	r	letter	H	
4	L01	93	a	letter	H	
5	L01	77	n	letter	H	
6	L01	90	d	letter	H	
7	L01	88	m	letter	H	
8	L01	47	a	letter	H	
9	L01	23	e	letter	H	
10	L01	69	s	letter	H	
11	L01	87	t	letter	H	
12	L01	28	r	letter	H	
13	L02	60	e	letter	H	
14	L02	1:215	aan	key	H	
15	L02	12:409	syn	key	H	
16	L02	1:719	agent	key	H	
17	L02	9:875	geordonneert	key	H	
18	L02	4:90	de	key	H	
19	L02	9:895	oude	key	H	
20	L02	7:109	Koninginne	key	H	
21	L02	12:463	te	key	H	
22	L02	13:815	verseekeren	key	C	struck digit read as third (13:815 verseekeren); 12:815 getranslateert no sense
23	L03	53	o	letter	H	
24	L03	49	r	letter	H	
25	L03	78	o	letter	C	written 7(8): 78=o (8 as phi)
26	L03	37	p	letter	H	
27	L03	60	e	letter	H	
28	L03	80	z	letter	H	
29	L03	47	a	letter	H	
30	L04	88	m	letter	H	
31	L04	19	e	letter	H	
32	L04	82	l	letter	H	
33	L04	92	g	letter	H	
34	L04	93	a	letter	H	
35	L04	83	r	letter	H	
36	L04	15	s	letter	H	
37	L04	53	o	letter	H	
38	L04	29	l	letter	H	
39	L04	64	l	letter	H	
40	L04	40	i	letter	H	
41	L04	52	c	letter	H	
42	L04	18	i	letter	C	written 1(8); 18=i adopted (solliciteert)
43	L04	87	t	letter	H	
44	L04	6	e	letter	H	
45	L04	97	e	letter	H	
46	L04	43|49	t	letter	C	43=t / 49=r ambiguous; r required (solliciteert)
47	L04	31	t	letter	H	
48	L04	8:748	noch	key	C	written 740 or 748 (0/8); 8:748 noch adopted (8:740 nieuwigheyt no sense)

Reading

1688-04-08_reading.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 8 April 1688 (scans 107R-109)

## Reading

⟨Sint verleden post ... den Bisschop van Bresslau en den Opper Marschal nae Wenen gesonden ... en met dese laetste post
heeft⟩ den Grand Maestre aan syn agent geordonneert de oude Koninginne te verseekeren ⟨dat over 14 daghen sonder faute
de Keyserlyke brieven souden hier syn ... J'ay peur que nostre longeur donnera le temps à⟩ Oropeza ⟨de nous gagner la
main.⟩ Melgar solliciteert noch, en soo ⟨Leganes ...⟩

⟨Den Graef Cifuentes, aande welcke men⟩ alleen om Altamira tot vice Roy van [?] te kunnen maken ⟨de vice Royauté van
Peru hadde gegeven ... Dn Gaspar de Silva Vice Rex van Mexico⟩ — de Spaanse mesnagie blyckt nu hier uyt klaarlyke.
⟨Portocarrero heeft aen S.Mt. gekort 60m stuck van 8 ... Nae de Nederlanden sal gheen gelt geremitteert worden⟩ soo
lange als Castanaga gouverneren blyft; ⟨ter minsten is dit de opinie van allen ...⟩

⟨bovendien heeft verleden Maendagh⟩ Holsteyn ⟨noch een project geformeert en⟩ Oropeza overgegeven, ⟨dat men met de
opkomsten van de Nederlanden nevens de 75m stuck van 8 's maents ... 30m man sal kunnen onderhouden ... offe daer moste
nu wat beters voor den Opperstalmeester te vinden syn.⟩ Ondertusschen soo formeert sich een geswooren partye tegen den
selven: Connestable ⟨v. Castille⟩, [?Ostuna] en [?Monterey] brouwen wat met malkander. ⟨... in woorden vervallen synde
heeft de Selve gemenaceert⟩ by Oropeza te willen gaan klagen, waarover Monterey soo quaat is geworden dat hy met moeyte
uyt syn huys heeft kunnen raken. Monterey soude nu ook lichtvaardelyk President d'Italien willen wesen, of gelyk de
Flandersche presidence profitabeler is. Want hy merckt wel, dat als den Grand Maistre offe een creatuer van Oropesa na
Vlaanderen komt, de Nederlandse toestemminge, gelyk in tyt van Grana is geschiedt, door syn handen niet veel sullen
passeren. ⟨Ick blyve met respect ...⟩

Translation

1688-04-08_en.md

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 8 April 1688 (scans 107R-109): English translation

⟨Since the last post ... the Bishop of Breslau and the High Marshal sent to Vienna ... and by this last post⟩ the Grand
Master has ordered his agent to assure the old Queen ⟨that in 14 days without fail the Imperial letters would be here ...
I fear that our slowness will give⟩ Oropesa ⟨time to get ahead of us.⟩ Melgar is still soliciting, and so ⟨Leganés ...⟩

⟨Count Cifuentes, to whom⟩ only so as to be able to make Altamira viceroy of [?] ⟨they had given the viceroyalty of Peru
... Don Gaspar de Silva, Viceroy of Mexico⟩ — Spanish thrift now shows itself here clearly. ⟨Portocarrero has cut His
Majesty short by 60,000 pieces of eight ... No money will be remitted to the Netherlands⟩ as long as Castañaga remains
governor; ⟨at least this is the opinion of everyone ...⟩

⟨Moreover, last Monday⟩ Holstein ⟨formed yet another project and⟩ handed it to Oropesa, ⟨[saying] that with the revenues
of the Netherlands together with the 75,000 pieces of eight a month ... 30,000 men could be maintained ... or something
better would now have to be found for the Master of the Horse.⟩ Meanwhile a sworn party is forming against the same: the
Constable ⟨of Castile⟩, [?Osuna] and [?Monterrey] are brewing something together. ⟨... having fallen into words, the same
threatened⟩ to go and complain to Oropesa, at which Monterrey became so angry that he could hardly get out of his house.
Monterrey would now also lightly wish to be President of Italy, or, as the Flanders presidency is more profitable [that
of Flanders]. For he sees well that if the Grand Master or a creature of Oropesa comes to Flanders, the Netherlands
consents, as happened in Grana's time, will not pass through his hands much. ⟨I remain with respect ...⟩

2 Jan 1687 (scans 35R, 36L) read in part

Battier to Fagel: nobody at court thinks of remedying affairs; the King could not find a thousand pistoles for the Queen's New Year; Spain will not let its neighbours force it to change the pragmatic, yet will have to.

Builds coherent sentences, but under the read bar of 95% of words read as sense (90% here); the holes are marked in the reading.

Transcription

s035R_r2n.txt

# scan 35R-36L, letter of 2 Jan 1687 . r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): groups read on the NA scan at native size, interlinear decipherment of the time in a second hand over most groups (read where legible, quoted in {}).
# [Myn Heer. De affaires van dit Hoff blyven in eene staet] (clear text 35R)
# [Verleden donderdagh soude men een nieuwe Gouverneur voor de Nederlanden kiesen, maer by mangel van gelt is het niet geschiedt: 160 duisent stucken van 8 syn uyt Sevilla hier aengekomen, doch schynt het dat de Koningh het minste daer by heeft; want Mt.] (clear text before L03)
L01: 3:937 7 15 12:463 11:431 6:374 10:703 {interlinear 'dat is te seggen in een', margin word unread}
L02: 4:696? 5 54 8:718 4:161 9:653 6:5 10:925 30 6 12 8 32 52 34 31 {interlinear '.. niemant die op [het] [remedieren] gedenckt'; 696 mark not seen; 653 bar under a paper repair}
L03: 4:161 1:215 4:90 7:109 4:439 10:278 14:421 4:547 {interlinear '.. de Coninginne duysent pistolen voor'}
L04: 8:733 33 4 9 12 6 5:469 25 8 19 13 31 11:678 13:171 8:721 34 4 32 55 {interlinear 'nieuwjaer woude geven, heeft soo veel niet konnen'}
L05: 6 77 14:242 273 8:721 14:175 10:278 14:421 4:547? 437 254 7 32 55 6 {interlinear 'vinden [?] niet vierhondert pistolen voor sy persoon in..'}
L06: 77 361 448? 6 33 8 12 3 51 19 4:161? 12:413 1:738 14:421 11:484 {interlinear '.. weduwe dat syn Majt al voor sy[n]'}
L07: 405 308? 2 28 32? 92 6 25 2 44 43 8:748? 6:5 7 15 8:721 12:463 {interlinear '.. jaeren gehadt hadde .. [het] is niet te'}
L08: 1 121 54 577 1:739 216 35 409 {interlinear '.. alle soorten ..'}
L09: 4:696 8:748 {4:547 struck through by Battier} 3:937 14 8 32 8:721 30 2 28 32 15 7 {interlinear 'en noch dat men niet gaern sich'}
L10: 63 48 13:112 4:90 8:296 4:526 7:336 4:90 37 28 2 30 14 11 31 7 52 {interlinear 'van de nabuyren dwingen laet de pragmatica'}
L11: 20 12:463 13:226 8:725 5:331 6:297 13:144 3:937 15 6 6:5 280? 761 15 9 {interlinear 'te veranderen niettemin gelooft ick vast dat se het [?] ook sullen'}
L12: 29 64 6 55 8:146 4:293 {interlinear 'moeten doen'}

Decryption

1687-01-02_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s035R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). An interlinear decipherment of the time, in a second hand, stands over most groups; it was read where legible and the reading follows the key where the two agree (30 codes and the letter runs) and the interlinear where the key gives no sense (marked in the notes). The clear text of 35R before the second run was read on the scan. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 2 January 1687 (scans 35R, 36L)

## Reading

Myn Heer. De affaires van dit Hoff blyven in eene staet, dat is te seggen in [?een] [703], en is niemant die op
het remedieren gedenckt.

Verleden donderdagh soude men een nieuwe Gouverneur voor de Nederlanden kiesen, maer by mangel van gelt is het niet
geschiedt: 160 duisent stucken van 8 syn uyt Sevilla hier aengekomen, doch schynt het dat de Koningh het minste daer by
heeft; want Mt., die aan de Koninginne duysent pistolen voor een nieuwjaar woude geven, heeft soo veel niet konnen
vinden, [?als] niet vierhondert pistolen voor [?sy] [?persoon] innen. [361] [448] eweduwe, die Syne Majesteyt al voor
ses [?jaeren] gehadt [...], noch het is niet te [?begrypen] [...] alle [?saecken] [...] [409].

[36L] (…) en noch dat men niet gaern sigh van de nabuyren dwingen laat, de pragmatica te veranderen; niettemin geloof
ick vast dat se het [?ook] altemaal sullen moeten doen.

## Notes

- Interlinear and key agree on: dat is te seggen in, niemant die op het remedieren gedenckt, die aan de Koninginne
  duysent pistolen voor een nieuwjaar woude geven, heeft soo veel niet konnen vinden, niet vierhondert pistolen voor,
  weduwe, Syne Majesteyt al voor ses, gehadt, het is niet te, alle, en noch dat men niet gaern sigh van de nabuyren dwingen
  laat de pragmatica te veranderen, niettemin geloof(t) ick vast dat se het ... altemaal sullen moeten doen.
- Key against interlinear: 10:703 is "rabat" in the key (scan 54L), the clerk wrote "een" and a word in the margin that I
  cannot read; 5:331 "geloof" (the clerk "gelooft"). 11:484 is 'Sex.' in the key transcription (the clerk "ses jaeren"): ses.
- From the interlinear only: [?als] (key 273 gives no sense in blocks 1 and 14), [?sy] [?persoon] (437, 254: no block
  checked gives persoon; 10:254 is pertinentelyke), [?jaeren] (405 308 + letters arn), [?begrypen], [?saecken]; 361, 448 and
  the end of the run (1 121 54 577 ... 216 35 409) remain without a reading.

Reading

1687-01-02_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s035R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). An interlinear decipherment of the time, in a second hand, stands over most groups; it was read where legible and the reading follows the key where the two agree (30 codes and the letter runs) and the interlinear where the key gives no sense (marked in the notes). The clear text of 35R before the second run was read on the scan. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 2 January 1687 (scans 35R, 36L)

## Reading

Myn Heer. De affaires van dit Hoff blyven in eene staet, dat is te seggen in [?een] [703], en is niemant die op
het remedieren gedenckt.

Verleden donderdagh soude men een nieuwe Gouverneur voor de Nederlanden kiesen, maer by mangel van gelt is het niet
geschiedt: 160 duisent stucken van 8 syn uyt Sevilla hier aengekomen, doch schynt het dat de Koningh het minste daer by
heeft; want Mt., die aan de Koninginne duysent pistolen voor een nieuwjaar woude geven, heeft soo veel niet konnen
vinden, [?als] niet vierhondert pistolen voor [?sy] [?persoon] innen. [361] [448] eweduwe, die Syne Majesteyt al voor
ses [?jaeren] gehadt [...], noch het is niet te [?begrypen] [...] alle [?saecken] [...] [409].

[36L] (…) en noch dat men niet gaern sigh van de nabuyren dwingen laat, de pragmatica te veranderen; niettemin geloof
ick vast dat se het [?ook] altemaal sullen moeten doen.

## Notes

- Interlinear and key agree on: dat is te seggen in, niemant die op het remedieren gedenckt, die aan de Koninginne
  duysent pistolen voor een nieuwjaar woude geven, heeft soo veel niet konnen vinden, niet vierhondert pistolen voor,
  weduwe, Syne Majesteyt al voor ses, gehadt, het is niet te, alle, en noch dat men niet gaern sigh van de nabuyren dwingen
  laat de pragmatica te veranderen, niettemin geloof(t) ick vast dat se het ... altemaal sullen moeten doen.
- Key against interlinear: 10:703 is "rabat" in the key (scan 54L), the clerk wrote "een" and a word in the margin that I
  cannot read; 5:331 "geloof" (the clerk "gelooft"). 11:484 is 'Sex.' in the key transcription (the clerk "ses jaeren"): ses.
- From the interlinear only: [?als] (key 273 gives no sense in blocks 1 and 14), [?sy] [?persoon] (437, 254: no block
  checked gives persoon; 10:254 is pertinentelyke), [?jaeren] (405 308 + letters arn), [?begrypen], [?saecken]; 361, 448 and
  the end of the run (1 121 54 577 ... 216 35 409) remain without a reading.

Translation

1687-01-02_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1687-01-02_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 2 January 1687 (scans 35R, 36L)

## Translation

Sir. The affairs of this court remain in a state, that is to say in [?a] [703], and there is nobody who thinks of
remedying them.

Last Thursday a new governor for the Netherlands was to be chosen, but for lack of money it was not done: 160 thousand
pieces of eight have arrived here from Seville, yet it seems that the King has the least share of them; for His Majesty,
who wished to give the Queen a thousand pistoles for the New Year, could not find so much, [?but] not four hundred pistoles
for [?her] [?person]. [361] [448] [the] widow, whom His Majesty has had already for six [?years] [...], still it is not to
be [?understood] [...] all [?affairs] [...] [409].

[36L] [...] and also that one does not willingly let oneself be forced by the neighbours to change the pragmatic; none
the less I firmly believe that they will [?also] have to do it all.

13 Mar 1687, first letter (scan 54R)

Oropesa is to speak for Cogolludo, Melgar and Balbases: Cogolludo's son to be sent to Rome and Naples, Melgar if that fails, Balbases to get him away.

Transcription

s054R_r2n.txt

# scan 54R, first of the two letters of 13 March 1687 (inventory, 52R-55R). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan at native size; marks above the groups; Battier's 8 is the struck o.
L01: 7:754 14 6 32 33 7 29 3:937 4 28 10 37 8 36 2 14:421 52 4 30 10
L02: 64 82 9 12 4 14:421 14 19 29 63 11 49 4:696 14:421 17 20 29 68 39 89
L03: 19 15 9:594 8:748 11:951 54 47 82 14:421 98 41 63 22 64 29 38 90
L04: 61 8:869 1:747 14 23 29 30 11 28 15 12:978 12:463 3:776 4:90 69 4 10 55
L05: 4:288 8:293 6:676 12:463 11:460 4:696 25 6 14 886 4:90 15:428 8:293 6:704
L06: 12:463 11:460 14:421 42 8 64 63 20 83 11:678 6:5 4:573 8:721 2 6 32 63
L07: 11 19 87 4:696 14:421 71 93 82 17 47 98 97 69 11:678? 4:90 2:750?
L08: 8:721 1:242 8:869 72 8 14 12:463 4:810

Decryption

1687-03-13a_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s054R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 13 March 1687, first letter (scan 54R)

## Reading

Maar men wil dat Oropeza voor Cogolludo, voor Melgar en voor Balbaces ook noch spreken sal: voor Cogolludo, om
alsdan Melgars Vader te contenteren, de soon doch na Romen te senden en hem [886] de wegh na Napels te senden; voor
Melgar, soo het eerste niet aengaet; en voor Balbaces, soo de [?beyde] niet aangaan, om hem te esloigneren.

## Notes

- 886 carries a mark not settled (1:886 arghlistigh, 8:886 give no sense).
- 2:750 beyde: the mark over 750 read as a tilde; 8:750 nodigen gives no sense.
- Cogolludo, Melgar, Balbaces and Oropeza are spelled out in cipher letters.

Reading

1687-03-13a_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s054R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 13 March 1687, first letter (scan 54R)

## Reading

Maar men wil dat Oropeza voor Cogolludo, voor Melgar en voor Balbaces ook noch spreken sal: voor Cogolludo, om
alsdan Melgars Vader te contenteren, de soon doch na Romen te senden en hem [886] de wegh na Napels te senden; voor
Melgar, soo het eerste niet aengaet; en voor Balbaces, soo de [?beyde] niet aangaan, om hem te esloigneren.

## Notes

- 886 carries a mark not settled (1:886 arghlistigh, 8:886 give no sense).
- 2:750 beyde: the mark over 750 read as a tilde; 8:750 nodigen gives no sense.
- Cogolludo, Melgar, Balbaces and Oropeza are spelled out in cipher letters.

Translation

1687-03-13a_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1687-03-13a_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 13 March 1687, first letter (scan 54R)

## Translation

But it is intended that Oropesa shall also speak for Cogolludo, for Melgar and for Balbases: for Cogolludo, so as
then to content Melgar's father, yet to send the son to Rome and [886] to send him the way to Naples; for Melgar, if the
first does not come off; and for Balbases, if [?both] do not come off, to get him away.

13 Mar 1687, second letter (scan 55R)

The Empress says it matters little whether Spain, in so poor a state, joins or not; for the consequence Spain will not be brought to it.

Transcription

s055R_r2n.txt

# scan 55R, second letter of 13 March 1687 (inventory); continues the 55L cipher block (WAINUT r24 55L: "... en by den Amb. v. Venetien en"). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan at native size. The mark like a slashed c above 513 and 6ø3 is the reversed c/ (block 15): 15:513 weynigh, 15:683 wille.
L01: 69 6 30 48 31 4:90 6:880 3:937
L02: 8 49 3:892 15:513 1:215 7:442 7
L03: 54 8:856 11:782 4:161 4:288 6:374 11:678 11:581 11:984 7 15 54 24
L04: 98 72 3:891 2:888? 8:856 8:721 7:754 8:871 3:734? 15:683 15 2 29
L05: 54 5 89 48 11:782 3:898 8:721 3:249 7:344

Decryption

1687-03-13b_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s055R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Continues the 55L block (WAINUT, wainut/r24_1687/tokens/s055L.txt: "... en by den Amb. v. Venetien en"). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 13 March 1687, second letter (scan 55R)

## Reading

(…) seght de Keyserinne dat er daarnaar weynigh aan gelegen is, of Spaigne, die doch in soo slechten Staat is,
sich daarmede [888] of niet; maar om de consequentie wille sal sich Spaigne daar toe niet brengen laten.

## Notes

- 2:888 is a blank row in the key (scan 16R2); a verb such as bemoeyt is expected. 15:513 weynigh and 15:683 wille
  carry the reversed-c mark.

Reading

1687-03-13b_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s055R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Continues the 55L block (WAINUT, wainut/r24_1687/tokens/s055L.txt: "... en by den Amb. v. Venetien en"). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 13 March 1687, second letter (scan 55R)

## Reading

(…) seght de Keyserinne dat er daarnaar weynigh aan gelegen is, of Spaigne, die doch in soo slechten Staat is,
sich daarmede [888] of niet; maar om de consequentie wille sal sich Spaigne daar toe niet brengen laten.

## Notes

- 2:888 is a blank row in the key (scan 16R2); a verb such as bemoeyt is expected. 15:513 weynigh and 15:683 wille
  carry the reversed-c mark.

Translation

1687-03-13b_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1687-03-13b_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 13 March 1687, second letter (scan 55R)

## Translation

[...] the Empress says that it matters little whether Spain, which is in any case in so poor a state, [888] itself
with it or not; but for the sake of the consequence Spain will not let itself be brought to it.

June 1687 (scan 67L) decoded, not read

One is oppressed on all sides and cannot act against the subjects (67L; 67R is WAINUT's).

A mechanical decode with holes in most sentences: shown so that the transcription and the key can be checked and improved, not as a reading.

Transcription

s067L_r2n.txt

# scan 67L, letter of 10/19 June 1687 (66R-68L; 67R lines 1-3 and 4-11 are WAINUT's). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): the 67L passage (3 lines, 39 groups) read on the NA scan at native size.
L01: 14 6 32 7 15 11:679
L02: 13:377? 1:215 1:739 6:807 3:937 42 8 77 11:454 8:721 12:493 4:90 9:336 11:212? 31
L03: 19 15 42 10 30 77 23 28 60 55 6:794 4:696 3:894

Decryption

1687-06-10_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s067L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). The 67R passages are WAINUT's (wainut/r24_1687). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, June 1687 (scan 67L)

## Reading

(…) men is sooals verdrucken aan alle kanten, dat men self niet tegen de onderdanen met sak en pak [?tesmogneren]
kan, en daarom (…)

## Notes

- The letters after 11:212 (met sak en pak) spell t-e-s-m-o-g-n-e-r-e-n; perhaps te(s)moigneren; not settled.
- 13:377 verdrucken: the struck third digit is faint.

July 1687 (scan 69L)

One could not be content with the declaration and must insist in England; agreement with the articles of the Indies; the explanation to the Emperor.

Transcription

s069L_r2n.txt

# scan 69L, letter "letter of July 1687 (r2j; inventory 1687-08-05)" (68R-69L), the only cipher passage. r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): re-read on the NA scan at native size; supersedes s069L_r2j_draft.txt. Marks stand above the groups.
# L03 of the draft: 843 is struck (block 11 or 12: 11:843 de Indien taken, 12:843 trevis gives no sense); 925 carries the bar (9:925 overeenkomen), not a tilde.
# [Van dagh worden des Conings gedachten]
L01: 3:937 14 19 55 8:384 7:990 4:91 3:964 8:721 6:796 12:478?
L02: 4:696 6:374 4:714 88 94 69 87 97 1:274 8:869 1:306 6 4:696
L03: 7:991 1:913 13:112 11:843? 9:925 90 19 4:921 12:463 5:880
# [aen S. Keyserl.] (clear text continues; r2j)

Decryption

1687-07_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s069L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Supersedes the r2j draft (tokens/s069L_r2j_draft.txt): l. 3 re-read (843 struck, 925 with the bar). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, July 1687 (scan 69L)

## Reading

Van dagh worden des Conings gedachten dat men namentlyke met dese declaratie niet konde te vrede zyn, en in
Engelandt moste aanhouden om aangemoedight [e] en met de articulen van de Indien overeenkomen de explicatie te hebben,
aen S. Keyserl. (…)

## Notes

- A stray cipher letter 6 (e) stands after aangemoedight.
- 11:843 de Indien: the struck digit is the middle one on the scan, but 12:843 (trevis) gives no sense; taken as block 11.

Reading

1687-07_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s069L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Supersedes the r2j draft (tokens/s069L_r2j_draft.txt): l. 3 re-read (843 struck, 925 with the bar). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, July 1687 (scan 69L)

## Reading

Van dagh worden des Conings gedachten dat men namentlyke met dese declaratie niet konde te vrede zyn, en in
Engelandt moste aanhouden om aangemoedight [e] en met de articulen van de Indien overeenkomen de explicatie te hebben,
aen S. Keyserl. (…)

## Notes

- A stray cipher letter 6 (e) stands after aangemoedight.
- 11:843 de Indien: the struck digit is the middle one on the scan, but 12:843 (trevis) gives no sense; taken as block 11.

Translation

1687-07_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1687-07_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, July 1687 (scan 69L)

## Translation

Today the King's thoughts are [...] that one could namely not be content with this declaration, and must insist in
England, to be encouraged [e] and to agree with the articles of the Indies, to have the explanation, to His Imperial
[Majesty] [...]

Aug 1687 (scan 73R) decoded, not read

The Hofmeister is very changeable and will have trouble maintaining himself unless the Jesuits make it their business.

A mechanical decode with holes in most sentences: shown so that the transcription and the key can be checked and improved, not as a reading.

Transcription

s073R_r2n.txt

# scan 73R, letter of 14 or 28 Aug 1687 (inventory, 70R-77R). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan at native size.
L01: 4:696 3:90? 6:100
L02: 11:429 13:229 7 15 13:178 8:147 92 5:880
L03: 54 18 52 48 12:463 7:810 11:678
L04: 4:90 5:895 18 19 69 21 7 87 19 77 5:769 15:567 6:18 8:721 13:112? 7:721

Decryption

1687-08_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s073R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, August 1687 (scan 73R)

## Reading

(…) en [?de] Hofmeester seer veranderlyke is, veeltyts moeyte [?g] hebben sich te mainteneren, soo de heeren
Iesuiten haar werk hier niet van maken.

## Notes

- 90 carries a backslash-like mark (3:90 is not in the key transcription); de taken.
- A single cipher letter 92 (g) stands between moeyte and hebben.

11 Sept 1687 (scan 78R) read in part

The President and the Constable of Castile, formerly against him, now speak for him, since Spain is thinking of the son of the Palatine.

Builds coherent sentences, but under the read bar of 95% of words read as sense (86% here); the holes are marked in the reading.

Transcription

s078R_r2n.txt

# scan 78R, letter of 11 Sept 1687 (inventory). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): two cipher passages read on the NA scan at native size.
# [... Met het Gouvernement van de Nederlanden staat het ... en worden noch]
L01: 4:260? 11:117? 11:555? 4:696? 1:779? 12 6 10:125 8:60?
# [Daer is ...] (clear text, not transcribed here)
L02: 4:696 3:937 11:454 15 11:794 4:696 12 19 32 11:791 4:161 25 8 14 42 6 8
L03: 15 43 12:493? 33 11 6 28 8 32 8:794 14:421 40 19 88 11:951
# [Jae men seght dat]
L04: 15 5 32 43 11:782 9:653 4:90 15 4 10 32 13:112 10:125
L05: 90 8 32 89 34 87
# [eenige na Brussel geschreven hebben ...]

Decryption

1687-09-11_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s078R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Two cipher runs. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 11 September 1687 (scan 78R)

## Reading

(…) en worden noch [260] [117] [?geslagen] en [779] de Paltz [60].

Daer is (…) en dat self s[?de] president v. Castille en den Connestable v. Castille, die hem meest tegen waeren, nu
voor [?h]em spreken; Jae men seght dat, sint Spaigne op de soon van Paltz denckt, eenige na Brussel geschreven hebben
(…)

## Notes

- First run (9 groups): 4:260 gedissipeert, 11:117 noemen, 1:779 allyckewel and 8:60 minnaar give no sense; marks not
  settled. Not read.
- 'iem' (40 19 88) for hem: 40 is i in the letter table.

Reading

1687-09-11_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s078R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Two cipher runs. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 11 September 1687 (scan 78R)

## Reading

(…) en worden noch [260] [117] [?geslagen] en [779] de Paltz [60].

Daer is (…) en dat self s[?de] president v. Castille en den Connestable v. Castille, die hem meest tegen waeren, nu
voor [?h]em spreken; Jae men seght dat, sint Spaigne op de soon van Paltz denckt, eenige na Brussel geschreven hebben
(…)

## Notes

- First run (9 groups): 4:260 gedissipeert, 11:117 noemen, 1:779 allyckewel and 8:60 minnaar give no sense; marks not
  settled. Not read.
- 'iem' (40 19 88) for hem: 40 is i in the letter table.

Translation

1687-09-11_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1687-09-11_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 11 September 1687 (scan 78R)

## Translation

[...] and [260] [117] are still [?struck] and [779] the Palatinate [60].

There is [...] and that even the President of Castile and the Constable of Castile, who were most against him, now speak
for him; indeed it is said that, since Spain is thinking of the son of the Palatine, some have written to Brussels [...]

25 Sept 1687 (scan 80R) decoded, not read

Letters from Vienna and the Palatinate delayed; if the Emperor proposed the Palatine's son Spain would agree; if Medinaceli came in by one gate, [the President of Castile] would go out by another.

A mechanical decode with holes in most sentences: shown so that the transcription and the key can be checked and improved, not as a reading.

Transcription

s080R_r2n.txt

# scan 80R, letter of 25 Sept 1687 (inventory). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): four cipher runs read on the NA scan at native size.
# [... verwachte brieven]
L01: 13:112 4:482 4:696 12 6 {77 struck through} 10:125
# [tarderen, en ... een wenck gegeven, dat soo]
L02: 4:446 14:421 44 8 55 15 4 10 32
L03: 13:112 10:125 11:783 1:349 4:696 {46c^ struck through} 10:126 {1ø9 struck/smudged} 5:894? 9x9? 4:548? 6
L04: 1:247 14:531 90 19 44 6
# [Spanien licht daer toe resolveren ... op anders niet als op defensive alliances gedencken. Oock Ook is nu weder heel en al stil van de komste van de H. Hartogh van Medina Celi;]
L05: 11:794? 5:880 90 19 432? 1:215 11:785 3:937 10:422?
L06: 11:788 4:335 4:547 10:367 7 55 50 3 2 14
# [hy soo voort een andere wilde uyttrecken: want anders niet als confusies en continuele menées souden gemachineert worden]
L07: 1:743 1:767 2:379? 7:720 7:756?
# [Ook is weyniger apparentie als ooyt, dat men ...]

Decryption

1687-09-25_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s080R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Four cipher runs with clear text between them (read on the scan). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 25 September 1687 (scan 80R)

## Reading

(…) verwachte brieven van Weenen en de Paltz tarderen, en (…) een wenck gegeven, dat soo den Keyser voor den
soon van Paltz den Coninge [?aanspraak] en Paltzgraaf [894] [9x9] eenighe aangenaam voorslagen dede, Spanien licht daer
toe resolveren soude. (…) Oock is nu weder heel en al stil van de komste van de Hr. Hartogh van Medina Celi;
[?president v. Castille] hebben de [432] aan Syne Majesteyt dat [422] Hertogh van Medina Celi door een poort inquam, hy
soo voort een andere wilde uyttrecken: want anders niet als confusies en continuele menées souden gemachineert worden
als allebeyde [379] Madrid [756]. Oock is weyniger apparentie als ooyt, dat men (…)

## Notes

- Struck groups 77 (L01) and 46c^ (L03) omitted, as Battier struck them.
- Open: 894, 9x9 (smudged), 432, 422 (10:422 gepractiseert), 379, 756; 1:349 aanspraak doubtful; 11:794 with the
  struck first digit doubtful; 'hebben' (5:880) does not agree with a single subject.

18 Dec 1687 (scans 93R, 94L)

The Grand Master wrote to his agent Don Pedro Alvares that he would go to Vienna; he was unwell and could not follow the Emperor to Pressburg; he is thought to hold back on the Netherlands to see whether he gets the presidency of the war council.

Transcription

s093R_r2n.txt

# scan 93R, letter of 18 Dec 1687 (inventory) (93R-95L), p. 1. r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan (bands at about 0.8 native size; doubtful groups at native size). Battier's ø is 8 (0 in 9ø = 4:90 de).
# [Myn Heer.]
L01: 4:92 30 28 2 32 12
L02: 14 11 7 15 87 83 8 25 6 8 13 43
# [Voor 8 daghen met de Italiaanse post]
L03: 13:112 888? 4 2 215 12:409 719 8 77 12 4 32 37 8
L04: 44 28 22 11 29 9 20 83 19 15
# [die in syn naem de eerste tentative hadde gedaan, en door den Hr. Dn. M. de Lira tot antwoort bekomen, dat als de propositie]
L05: 13:112 4:446? 4:294
L06: 33 5 19 83 12 6
# [S. Mt. alsdan de saecke in consideratie wilde nemen, geschreven, dat]
L07: 12:409 12 4 10 49 29 3 52 25 31 7
L08: 89 48 72 6 7 87 8:302 12:409 10:872 5 15:703?
# [quartier soude hebben genomen]
L09: 37 8 28 10:403 8:293 4:482 33 7 82 44 6 178?
L10: 4:696? 4:447 11:708
# [daer toe te disponeren: Maer met de laetste Vlaenderse post heeft men vernomen, dat]
L11: 15 12 15:515 12:463
L12: 4:482 51 11 15 2:883? 7:754 15 5 52 72 15:325 4 32 37 2 15 54 6
L13: 29 7 98 34 17 6 9 4 32 31
# [en daarom den Keyser nae Presborgh niet hadde kunnen volgen,]
L14: 678? 3:937 15 12 4:572
# [met de naeste post soude nader schryven: En omdat men schryft, dat den Hr. Marckgraef van Baden tot principalen Keyserl. Commissaris na Regensburg gedestineert is, soo wort gelooft]
L15: 3:937 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6

Transcription

s094L_r2n.txt

# scan 94L, letter of 18 Dec 1687 (93R-95L), p. 2, top: continues the 93R cipher ("... soo wort gelooft dat den Grand Maistre"). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5). The 3-shaped mark over 5 is the e-mark: 6:5 het.
L01: 7:990 6:5 5:603 13:112 4:90 8:416 6 32 31 28 2 7 32 6 8 31 8:869
L02: 4:572 12:463 11:507? 8:856 4:448? 8:721 4:90 37 28 6 54 5 12 8 32 52 6
L03: 13:112 4:90 7:248 15 10:710 1:215 15 12 51 7 29 9:675
# [want men twyffelt]
L04: 8:856 15 12 4:90 11:455 14:421 6:5 5:603 13:112 4:90 8:416 6 55 15 2 29
L05: 10:445 8:725 7 15 8:748 2:212 8:856 11:785 2:256 4:696 15:174 8:856 35
L06: 15 7 52 25 11:456
# [ondertussen de Hr. Melgar, Leganez, of iemand anders tot Successeur van de Hr. Gastañaga destineren sal.]

Decryption

1687-12-18_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s093R_r2n.txt and tokens/s094L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Clear text between the runs read on the scan. 94R ll. 1-5 are WAINUT's; 94R after l. 5 is a separate entry. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 18 December 1687 (scans 93R, 94L)

## Reading

Myn Heer. Den grand maistre heeft voor 8 daghen met de Italianse post van [888] [oa] aan syn agent en Don Pedro
Alvares, die in syn naem de eerste tentative hadde gedaan, en door den Hr. Dn. M. de Lira tot antwoort bekomen, dat als
de propositie van den Keyser gedaan wierde, S. Mt. alsdan de saecke in consideratie wilde nemen, geschreven dat syn
doorluchtigheit, nadat syn regiment i[n] winter quartier soude hebben genomen, per post na Weenen wilde [178] en [?den
Keyser] soecken daer toe te disponeren.

Maer met de laetste Vlaenderse post heeft men vernomen, dat sd wel te Weenen was [883], maar sich wat onpasselick
bevont, en daarom den Keyser nae Presborgh niet hadde kunnen volgen, [?soo] dat sd eerst met de naeste post soude nader
schryven.

En omdat men schryft dat den Hr. Marckgraef van Baden tot principalen Keyserl. Commissaris na Regensburg gedestineert is,
soo wort gelooft dat den grandmaistre met het gouvernement van de Nederlandt en traineet, om eerst te sien of [?den
Keyser] niet de presidence van de krygh s raadt aan sd wil opdragen; want men twyffelt of sd de selve voor het gouvernement
van de Nederlandt en sal preferéren. Niettemin is noch [212] of Syne Majesteyt [256] en [?wachten] of [e] sich selven,
ondertussen de Hr. Melgar, Leganez, of iemand anders tot Successeur van de Hr. Gastañaga destineren sal.

## Notes

- sd = S.D. (syn Doorluchtigheit), spelled in cipher letters. 'onpasselick' and 'traineet' as the letters give them.
- Open: 888 (with mark) and the letters o a after it; 178; 883 (2:883 blaakt); 212
  (2:212 beladen); 256 (2:256 beloert).
- [?den Keyser]: the groups read 4:447 and 4:448 (both 'idem' in the key); 4:446 den Keyser, the row above, fits both
  places; a misread or a slip, not settled.
- 12:409 syn (read 489 on the scan in three places: Battier's 0 and 8 run together; the key has 12:409 syn, confirmed by
  the 32R contemporary list).

Reading

1687-12-18_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s093R_r2n.txt and tokens/s094L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Clear text between the runs read on the scan. 94R ll. 1-5 are WAINUT's; 94R after l. 5 is a separate entry. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 18 December 1687 (scans 93R, 94L)

## Reading

Myn Heer. Den grand maistre heeft voor 8 daghen met de Italianse post van [888] [oa] aan syn agent en Don Pedro
Alvares, die in syn naem de eerste tentative hadde gedaan, en door den Hr. Dn. M. de Lira tot antwoort bekomen, dat als
de propositie van den Keyser gedaan wierde, S. Mt. alsdan de saecke in consideratie wilde nemen, geschreven dat syn
doorluchtigheit, nadat syn regiment i[n] winter quartier soude hebben genomen, per post na Weenen wilde [178] en [?den
Keyser] soecken daer toe te disponeren.

Maer met de laetste Vlaenderse post heeft men vernomen, dat sd wel te Weenen was [883], maar sich wat onpasselick
bevont, en daarom den Keyser nae Presborgh niet hadde kunnen volgen, [?soo] dat sd eerst met de naeste post soude nader
schryven.

En omdat men schryft dat den Hr. Marckgraef van Baden tot principalen Keyserl. Commissaris na Regensburg gedestineert is,
soo wort gelooft dat den grandmaistre met het gouvernement van de Nederlandt en traineet, om eerst te sien of [?den
Keyser] niet de presidence van de krygh s raadt aan sd wil opdragen; want men twyffelt of sd de selve voor het gouvernement
van de Nederlandt en sal preferéren. Niettemin is noch [212] of Syne Majesteyt [256] en [?wachten] of [e] sich selven,
ondertussen de Hr. Melgar, Leganez, of iemand anders tot Successeur van de Hr. Gastañaga destineren sal.

## Notes

- sd = S.D. (syn Doorluchtigheit), spelled in cipher letters. 'onpasselick' and 'traineet' as the letters give them.
- Open: 888 (with mark) and the letters o a after it; 178; 883 (2:883 blaakt); 212
  (2:212 beladen); 256 (2:256 beloert).
- [?den Keyser]: the groups read 4:447 and 4:448 (both 'idem' in the key); 4:446 den Keyser, the row above, fits both
  places; a misread or a slip, not settled.
- 12:409 syn (read 489 on the scan in three places: Battier's 0 and 8 run together; the key has 12:409 syn, confirmed by
  the 32R contemporary list).

Translation

1687-12-18_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1687-12-18_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 18 December 1687 (scans 93R, 94L)

## Translation

Sir. Eight days ago, by the Italian post, the Grand Master wrote from [888] [oa] to his agent Don Pedro Alvares, who
had made the first attempt in his name and had received as answer from Don M. de Lira that, if the proposal were made by
the Emperor, His Majesty would then take the matter into consideration, that His Highness, after his regiment had gone
into winter quarters, would go [178] by post to Vienna and seek to dispose [?the Emperor] to it.

But by the last Flanders post one has learnt that His Highness was indeed at Vienna [883], but found himself somewhat
unwell, and therefore had not been able to follow the Emperor to Pressburg, [?so] that His Highness would write more
fully by the next post.

And since it is written that the Margrave of Baden is destined as principal Imperial Commissioner to Regensburg, it is
believed that the Grand Master is dragging his feet over the government of the Netherlands, to see first whether [?the
Emperor] will not entrust the presidency of the war council to His Highness; for it is doubted whether His Highness would
prefer it to the government of the Netherlands. Nevertheless it is still [212] whether His Majesty [256] and [?waits]
whether [e] himself, meanwhile [whether he] will destine Melgar, Leganés or someone else as successor to Gastañaga.

18 Dec 1687 (scan 94R after l. 5) decoded, not read

French refugees: Mr Schonenberg; the main cause; orders given. Letter runs in part only.

A mechanical decode with holes in most sentences: shown so that the transcription and the key can be checked and improved, not as a reading.

Transcription

s094R_r2n.txt

# scan 94R after line 5 (L01-L05 are WAINUT's, wainut/r24_1687/tokens/s094R.txt), letter of 18 Dec 1687. r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan.
# [arme miserable luyden, die een Asylum in dit Coningryk soecken, aan haar rage abandonnére]
L06: 4:696? 7 15
L07: 3:882 9:653 6:406? 2:202? 13:112 11:706 4:94 5:894 69 52 25 4 32 6 55 17 8
L08: 83 63 15 238? 4:90 7:893 9:624 7 15 3:937 14 6 32 8:722 9:875 25 6 8
L09: 13 31 91 116? 6 32 653? 6:724 6 6:349 12:463 34 8:857 8:293 312? 13:112 11:216?
L10: 12:463 4:293 19 21 2 12 8 49 6 32 7:754 9:594 6:374 31 4 6 67 10 14 6
L11: 32 12 6 1:215 1:739 830? 6:596
# [het welck ick dan aan de selve in antwoort hebbe te wete gedaan]

Decryption

1687-12-18b_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s094R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 18 December 1687 (scan 94R after l. 5)

## Reading

(…) aan haar rage abandonnére en is daar op [406] [?bekraghtigen] van [706] des heer schonenbergs [238] de meeste
oorsaak is dat men niet alleen geordonneert heeft [116] en [653] [724] e [?geimagineert] te k offe na [312] van saken te
doen euaderen maar ook in toekomende aan alle andere [830] introduceren. Het welck ick dan aan de selve in antwoort hebbe
te wete gedaan.

## Notes

- Decoded, not read: 406 (6:406 incommodabel), 706 (11:706 soberheyt), 238, 116, 653, 724, 312, 830 give no sense;
  'te k offe na' and 'euaderen' are letter runs without a settled word.

1 Jan 1688 (scan 95R)

Battier could not learn what the Grand Master [did] by this post, the holy days having prevented him from speaking to everyone.

Transcription

s095R_r2n.txt

# scan 95R, letter of 1 Jan 1688 (inventory). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan.
# [... S. Mt. dese materie met de Hr. Graaf van Oropesa nader overleggen wil. Ick hebbe niet kunnen vernomen]
L01: 15:325 4:92 30 28 2 32 12 14 11 7 15 31 83 8 7:990 4:91 10:403
L02: 11:861? 25 6 8 13 43
# [want de Heylige daghen hebben belet dat men elckeen niet heeft kunnen spreecken]

Decryption

1688-01-01_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s095R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 1 January 1688 (scan 95R)

## Reading

Ick hebbe niet kunnen vernomen wat den grandmaistre met dese post [861] heeft, want de Heylige daghen hebben belet
dat men elckeen niet heeft kunnen spreecken.

## Notes

- 861 with the struck first digit: the key row (scan 59R2) is not legible on the crop.

Reading

1688-01-01_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s095R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 1 January 1688 (scan 95R)

## Reading

Ick hebbe niet kunnen vernomen wat den grandmaistre met dese post [861] heeft, want de Heylige daghen hebben belet
dat men elckeen niet heeft kunnen spreecken.

## Notes

- 861 with the struck first digit: the key row (scan 59R2) is not legible on the crop.

Translation

1688-01-01_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1688-01-01_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 1 January 1688 (scan 95R)

## Translation

I have not been able to learn what the Grand Master [861] by this post, for the holy days have prevented one from
speaking to everyone.

Jan 1688 (scan 99L) decoded, not read

60 thousand guilders, not pounds Flemish; the confessor, Nuñez Botello and Carnero did most; the Councils made no mention of the money.

A mechanical decode with holes in most sentences: shown so that the transcription and the key can be checked and improved, not as a reading.

Transcription

s099L_r2n.txt

# scan 99L, letter of Jan/Feb 1688 (98R-99L; the 26 Jan/29 Jan letter ends 99L). Scan 99 downloaded in b17 (scratchpad battier/), copied to r2n. r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): three cipher runs read on the NA scan.
# [... soo sal gevonden worden, dat ick niet van 60m ponden Vlaems maer wel van 60m guldens hebb geschreven.]
L01: 5 15:548? 9:594 4:90 33 2
L02: 6 28 25 8 16 31 7 15
# [Ick wist wel dat den Biechtvader van S. Mt., de welcke voor desen met den Bisschop heeft gestudeert, en syn goede vrint is,]
L03: 32 19 9 8 32 69 17 4 31 43 6 29 82 10 4:696? 52 11
L04: 28 32 6 28 22
# [het meeste daer by hebben gedaan; dat noch den Raet van Staet, noch den Raet van Vlaenderen in haer consulte aan S. Mt. van 't gelt gheen mentie hebben gemaeckt]
L05: 4:696 3:937 14 10 22 43 19 28 6 16 6 5:319 14 6 32 17 25 6 8 13
L06: 87 11:886? 14:421 15 5 89 25 25 6 19 59 43 15:688? 11:876? 7:754 8:878? 7
L07: 52 34 14:421 4:547 6:214 13:112 8:439 2:202 3:741 2:154 12:463 5:980?
# [Soo hebb ick liever simplement in een publique (brief) willen setten, wat selfs de beste vrinden van de Staten gedebiteert hebben]

Decryption

1688-01-29b_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s099L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Scan 99 (not downloadable in r2j) was the b17 copy. Three cipher runs; clear text between them read on the scan. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, January 1688 (scan 99L)

## Reading

(…) dat ick niet van 60m ponden Vlaems maer wel van 60m guldens hebb geschreven, [i] welk ook de waerheyt is.
Ick wist wel dat den Biechtvader van S. Mt., de welcke voor desen met den Bisschop heeft gestudeert, en syn goede vrint
is, neuens bottello en carnero het meeste daer by hebben gedaan; dat noch den Raet van Staet, noch den Raet van
Vlaenderen in haer consulte aan S. Mt. van 't gelt gheen mentie hebben gemaeckt, en dat mootereye gelyk men b heeft [886]
voor sich heeft [688] Spargement, maar [878] ick voor een [214] van [?Syne Hoogheyt] [?bekraghtigen] consideratie [154]
te [980].

## Notes

- Decoded, not read as a whole: the third run (33 groups) has 886, 688, 878, 214, 154, 980 without sense; runs 1-2 read.
- neuens bottello, carnero, mootereye as the letters give them (Nuñez Botello? Carnero; Monterey?).

26 Feb 1688 (scan 102L) decoded, not read

The confessor, a Theatine; conferences with ministers on behalf of the Grand Master.

A mechanical decode with holes in most sentences: shown so that the transcription and the key can be checked and improved, not as a reading.

Transcription

s102L_r2n.txt

# scan 102L, letter of 26 Feb 1688 (101R-102R). Two cipher passages with a faint interlinear decipherment in a second hand. r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): read on the NA scan; supersedes s102L_r2j_draft.txt.
# [... soo veel weet ick voor seecker dat]
L01: 4:471? 215 420 10 65 6 15 2 335 499 2:825 4:547 31 25 6 2 31 7 32 {interlinear '... dan de Biechtvader de Theatin'}
# [de propositie sonder de naem bekent te maecken, heeft laten doen ... en dat hy eerst eenige conferentien met]
L02: 4:90 114? 8:55 9:903 {interlinear 'de Coll(?) ...'}
L03: 12 7 31 603 14 4 15 31 6 800 15:540 11:760 7 15 15:430 4:90 {interlinear '... gesworen ... Colly(?) ... '}
L04: 505 13:112 4:90 30 28 2 32 12 14 2 7 15 31 28 6 {interlinear '... de Grand Maistre'}
# [en dat hy in weynigh dagen een antwoort geven soude]

Decryption

1688-02-26b_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s102L_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). A faint interlinear decipherment of the time stands over both runs; only scattered words are legible (dan, Biechtvader, Theatin, Grand Maistre). Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 26 February 1688 (scan 102L)

## Reading

(…) soo veel weet ick voor seecker dat [?die] Hertogh van Holsteyn aan [420] opesa [335] [499] Biecht-Vader een
Theatin (…) eerst eenige conferentien met de [114] ministers over dit [603] moste [800] welsprekende sonder twyffel is
van wegens de [505] van de grandmaistre, en dat hy in weynigh dagen een antwoort geven soude.

## Notes

- Decoded, not read: 420, 335, 499, 114, 603, 800, 505 without sense; the interlinear is too faint to supply them.
- 2:825 Biecht-Vader agrees with the interlinear 'Biechtvader'; the letters 31 25 6 2 31 7 32 'theatin' with 'Theatin'.

11 Mar 1688 (scan 103R)

The Grand Master affair is off again; Melgar offers money; the Duke of Holstein desists; or the Grand Master is to marry the Infanta and receive the government of the Netherlands.

Transcription

s103R_r2n.txt

# scan 103R, letter of 11 Mar 1688 (inventory). r2n 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5): three short cipher runs read on the NA scan.
# [Men heeft my gisteren willen doen geloven dat het]
L01: 7:990 4:92 63 83 47 55 90 88 93
L02: 81 69 87 28 23 15:331 20 85 81 54
# [dat den Graef van Melgar nu oock een somme gelt offereert, en dat daerom den]
L03: 4:471
# [desisteert, als vreesende niet te obtineren, maer omdat oock geseyt wordt, dat den Spaansen Amb.r tot Lissabon met Mr. Nevelly correspondeert en voorstelt aan den prins Charle het Grand Maisterschap te cederen, of voor den Grand Maistre dan dispensatie van de Paus te eysschen om de Infante te trouwen]
L04: 4:696 5:958 6:5 5:603 13:112 4:90 8:416
L05: 9:653 12:463 4:357
# [soo kan ick U Wel Ed. Gestr. noch niet eygentlick seggen, wat van beyden waer is]

Decryption

1688-03-11_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s103R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Three short cipher runs; clear text read on the scan. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 11 March 1688 (scan 103R)

## Reading

Men heeft my gisteren willen doen geloven dat het met den grandmaistre weder af is, dat den Graef van Melgar nu oock
een somme gelt offereert, en dat daerom den Hertogh van Holsteyn desisteert, als vreesende niet te obtineren, maer omdat
oock geseyt wordt, dat den Spaansen Amb.r tot Lissabon met Mr. Novelly correspondeert en voorstelt aan den prins Charle
het Grand Maisterschap te cederen, of voor den Grand Maistre dan dispensatie van de Paus te eysschen om de Infante te
trouwen, en hem het gouvernement van de Nederlandt op te dragen, soo kan ick U Wel Ed. Gestr. noch niet eygentlick
seggen, wat van beyden waer is.

## Notes

- All 30 groups decode; 4:471 Hertogh van Holsteyn (caret).

Reading

1688-03-11_reading.md

<!-- Built 23 Oct 2026 by Claude Opus 5.5 (REREAD_BRIEF, batch r2n) from tokens/s103R_r2n.txt (NA 3.01.18 inv. 401, read group by group on the full-resolution NA scan) decoded with the inv. 1209 key (key/letters.py, key/dict/*.tsv; new rows in key/dict/r2n.tsv, each looked up on the key scans). Three short cipher runs; clear text read on the scan. No contemporary decipherment. Spelling as the key and the letter table give it; word division editorial. [?word] = doubtful mark or digit, or carried only in part; [word] = supplied; [123] = a group whose key value gives no sense; [...] = unread; (…) = clear text not transcribed here. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 11 March 1688 (scan 103R)

## Reading

Men heeft my gisteren willen doen geloven dat het met den grandmaistre weder af is, dat den Graef van Melgar nu oock
een somme gelt offereert, en dat daerom den Hertogh van Holsteyn desisteert, als vreesende niet te obtineren, maer omdat
oock geseyt wordt, dat den Spaansen Amb.r tot Lissabon met Mr. Novelly correspondeert en voorstelt aan den prins Charle
het Grand Maisterschap te cederen, of voor den Grand Maistre dan dispensatie van de Paus te eysschen om de Infante te
trouwen, en hem het gouvernement van de Nederlandt op te dragen, soo kan ick U Wel Ed. Gestr. noch niet eygentlick
seggen, wat van beyden waer is.

## Notes

- All 30 groups decode; 4:471 Hertogh van Holsteyn (caret).

Translation

1688-03-11_en.md

<!-- English translation of readings/r2n/1688-03-11_reading.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026, batch r2n). Same holes; modern spelling. -->

# Battier to Fagel, Madrid, 11 March 1688 (scan 103R)

## Translation

Yesterday I was given to believe that it is off again with the Grand Master, that the Count of Melgar is now also
offering a sum of money, and that the Duke of Holstein therefore desists, fearing not to obtain it; but since it is also
said that the Spanish ambassador at Lisbon is corresponding with Mr Novelly and proposing to Prince Charles to cede the
Grand Mastership, or else to ask a dispensation from the Pope for the Grand Master to marry the Infanta, and to entrust
him with the government of the Netherlands, I cannot yet tell Your Honour exactly which of the two is true.

08 Sources and reproducible files

Nationaal Archief 3.01.18, inv. 401: target cipher scans 31R, 32L; 58R, 59L; 91R, 92L; 99R, 100L, 100R; 107R, 108L, 108R, 109L; and 35R/36L, 54R, 55R, 67L, 69L, 73R, 78R, 80R, 93R, 94L, 94R, 95R, 99L, 102L, 103R. Validation decipherments: 28R, 32R, 42R–43R; interlinear check: 101R. Lead image: scan 108, right page; CC0.
Nationaal Archief 1.10.29, inv. 1209: Battier's named key, 86 scans; DECODE R2794's “5345” citation is corrected here.
K. M. M. de Leeuw, Cryptology and statecraft in the Dutch Republic (University of Amsterdam, 2000). Citation only; thesis PDF not copied.
Codex review: verbatim reviews, including 24 April 1687, audit notes, 8 April 1688 reconstruction, conservative metrics and semantic adjustments.
Readings and validation texts. The January validation filename still says 16 January; the inventory corrects it to 30 January. The 8 April 1688 reviewed reconstruction supersedes the original fluent précis; the 24 April 1687 review qualifies the two new reading summaries.

Transcriptions, key tables, inventory, scripts, limitations and review evidence: targets/battier1686/. The independent review checks software decoding; unresolved digit and mark choices still require image checks.

Battier to Fagel: a court divided

01 The letters and the named key

02 19 December 1686: third validation letter

03 24 April 1687: the Queen’s favour

04 8 April 1688: appointments and a sworn party

05 The other letters of the volume

06 Method and validation

07 What remains uncertain

Full texts

5 Dec 1686 (scans 30R, 31L)

19 Dec 1686 (scans 31R, 32L)

30 Jan 1687 (scans 41R, 42L, 44R)

24 Apr 1687 (scans 58R, 59L)

4 Dec 1687 (scans 91R, 92L)

29 Jan 1688 (scan 97R)

12 Feb 1688 (scans 99R, 100R)

26 Feb 1688 (scan 101R)

8 Apr 1688 (scans 107R-109L)

2 Jan 1687 (scans 35R, 36L) read in part

13 Mar 1687, first letter (scan 54R)

13 Mar 1687, second letter (scan 55R)

June 1687 (scan 67L) decoded, not read

July 1687 (scan 69L)

Aug 1687 (scan 73R) decoded, not read

11 Sept 1687 (scan 78R) read in part

25 Sept 1687 (scan 80R) decoded, not read

18 Dec 1687 (scans 93R, 94L)

18 Dec 1687 (scan 94R after l. 5) decoded, not read

1 Jan 1688 (scan 95R)

Jan 1688 (scan 99L) decoded, not read

26 Feb 1688 (scan 102L) decoded, not read

11 Mar 1688 (scan 103R)

08 Sources and reproducible files