Paris nunciature despatch, Francia 18 (1586)

At a glanceKnown key applied · complete

The letters: Two Paris nunciature ciphers: R16 (3 March 1586) and R17 (1587), grouped with Lasry’s R15 in catalogue entry 242.
Where: Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, Francia 18 (ff. 206 and 233–235). DECODE’s decryption on R16 is byte for byte the R15 one, filed on the wrong record.
The cipher: R16: two-digit homophones with the second digit odd, 8 a null, and marked two- and three-digit codes. R17 uses Meister’s key no. 40.
How it was read: Lasry’s key applied to the volunteer transcription of R16 gave Italian at once; Meister’s printed 1583 Ragazzoni key cut the unknown groups from 66 to 18. R17 decrypts with Meister’s key.
What it says: R16: the Duke of Guise will not let the King sell church property unless given Metz and money. R17 concerns Lorraine, the Guises and the German reiters.
Still open: Five groups in R17 (Lorraine, the Guises, the reiters, the Queen Mother) and two name codes in R16.
Credit: George Lasry (R15 and its key); Meister (1906).

The head of the R16 despatch: a dated heading and continuous figures — Francia 18 f. 206r (DECODE R16): the heading *7. di Marzo 1586* and the first lines of figures, *Hogi il Duca di Guisa mi ha mandato a dire*. Image: Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, Francia 18 f. 206r, via DECODE R16.

01 The documents and the keys

The three records share the shelfmark Francia 18 and a catalogue line, but not a date or a key: R15 and R16 are in the F18 key, R17 is not.

R15, Francia 18/1 ff. 7r–v. Deciphered by George Lasry (DECODE document D3102), with his reconstruction of the key (D3103): two-digit homophones with the second digit odd, 8 a null, marked two- and three-digit nomenclator codes. Nothing is added here.
R16, Francia 18/2 f. 206r–v, headed in clear 7. di Marzo 1586 (DECODE reads 3). The clear covering letter of the same day, attached to the record (D984–D987, “con cifra duplicata”), does not repeat the cipher, and no contemporary decipherment survives. DECODE shows a decryption (D3104). Its MD5 is that of R15’s decryption, and its text is R15’s. The same key file (D3105) is attached, so the letter was one run of a decoder away from a decryption.
R17, Francia 18/3 ff. 233r–235v, is in another key, Meister p. 393 no. 40, and is written up with Morosini’s despatches (moved there on 14 October 2026).

02 R16: Guise, Metz and the peace, 7 March 1586

The despatch belongs to the quarrel over the bull of 1586 that let Henri III raise money by selling church property. The nuncio reports what the Duke of Guise has sent to tell him, what a well-placed informant heard, and the mood of the clergy’s assembly. The reading, the clerk’s single consonants kept, nomenclator words in full:

Hogi il Duca di Guisa mi ha mandato a dire per questi Ambasciatore di Duca di Ferrara che egli hora tiene per fermo che il Re Christianissimo deba fare la pace con gli Heretici come prima havera riscoso quanti si deve vendere per la bola, ma che eso Duca di Guisa non vi aconsentira mai … Mi viene apreso hora riferito da personagio di molta autorita havere inteso da un gentilhuomo che, ragionando eso gentilhuomo ultimamente con eso Duca di Guisa di questi guerra, e venuto a dir ad eso Duca di Guisa che egli si potrebe contentar che la pace si facese quando se gli dese Metz et una buona soma di denari, et che eso Duca di Guisa rispose che piacese a Dio che cosi si facese. … Et di nuovo ho inteso che deta congreg. inclina ad apelarsi ad [?futurum] concilium, se vedera di non potere otenere quelli che hora tenta …

“Today the Duke of Guise sent word to me through the ambassador of the Duke of Ferrara that he now holds it for certain that the Most Christian King must make peace with the heretics as soon as he has collected what is to be sold under the bull, but that the Duke of Guise will never consent to it … I am now told by a person of great authority that he heard from a gentleman that, when this gentleman lately talked with the Duke of Guise about this war, he came to say to him that he might be content for the peace to be made if he were given Metz and a good sum of money, and the Duke of Guise answered: would to God it were done so. … And I hear again that the congregation is inclined to appeal to a [?future] council if it sees it cannot obtain what it now attempts …” The King shows Guise every sign of confidence, but his heart is thought not to match; Guise is about to leave Paris; the city’s churchmen resent the bull for the alienation as it stands. The nuncio offers to send the clergy’s letters in his own cipher.

03 Method

DECODE’s transcription D1610 (volunteer TimB) was decoded with Lasry’s key file as it stands, reading pairs and treating 8 as the null. That left 66 unknown groups, most of them marked nomenclator codes. Meister p. 324 no. 2 prints Ragazzoni’s key of 1583 for the Paris nunciature: the same letter alphabet, with a table of names and of marked words. In the OCR the names sit in a clean two-column list; the marked words are in one run with each code after its word, an alignment checked against R16 (26¸ che, 36¸ per, 28+ questi, 98+ essere, 20− non, 0̇ con). Unknowns fell to 18, but the decode was still a run-on block with a hole in nearly every clause, and the reading audit of 22 October 2026 classed it decoded, not read.

On 23 October 2026 the record’s attachment D3195 turned out to be Meister pp. 324–325 with the whole Ragazzoni nomenclator: names; the mark families x4+ (Cardinale … denari), stroked x4 (Sua Santità, Sua Maestà), hooked x6 (che, per, come), x8+ (quanti, questi), struck x0 (non, lettere, mente, pace) and dotted x4 (Religione Cattolica, Heretici, Guerra). The first decoder had also taken the 8 of 84+, 86 and 80− as a null. A new beam decoder scored with the it-cinquecento model was run on TimB’s transcription with 16 labels corrected on the images (R16_corrections.tsv); 29 is et (Meister), not che. Every one of the 428 words is carried by the figures, apart from the places listed below.

04 What remains uncertain

R16, [?futurum]: “futu” and a dotted 3 and 9, an abbreviation Meister’s table does not list; and the last eleven digits of f. 206v, before the signature flourish, which give no word.
R16, five letters on look-alike digits (the writer’s 5 closes like an 8 and his 7 takes a hook): si [?e], [?ocorendo], [?l'aleenatione], [?fata], [?vedo]. The alternative gives no word in each case.
The codes 18 and 48, earlier taken for open dukes’ names, were decoder misparses: 70 + 18 is “Ambasciatore di Duca di Ferrara”, and “uers·48” is uerso.

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.

R16, Francia 18/2, f. 206r-v, 7 March 1586

The nuncio in Paris to Rome, 7 March 1586: Guise sends word through the Ferrarese ambassador that the King means to make peace with the heretics once he has the money from the sale under the bull, and that he will never consent; Guise would accept the peace for Metz and a good sum of money; the King's heart does not match his show of confidence, and Guise is about to leave; the clergy's congregation, discontent with the alienation, inclines to appeal to a future council; the nuncio offers to send their letters in his cipher.

Transcription

R16_transcription_decode.txt

#CATALOG NAME: Segr. Stato Francia 18/2/Ciphertext Pictures/
#IMAGE NAME: 206r-206v
##TRANSCRIBER NAME: TimB
#DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION: December 20, 2015 
#TRANSCRIPTION TIME: 60+45=105 mins
#TRANSCRIPTION METHOD: Transcribed by using speech recognition (Google Docs).
#COMMENTS: Special symbols: [0-], [4+], [6¸], [8+]. 

#IMAGE NAME: 206r.jpg
<CLEARTEXT IT 3. di Marzo 1586. H: di Fr.?>
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#IMAGE NAME: 206v.jpg
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4 7 0 7 8 0 1 8 1 2+ 8 4 7 0 3 1 1 4 3 3 5 0 3 8 0 5 0 7 8 2 0- 8 2 5 0 1 3 5 2 1 0 7 8 3 1 0 5 8 1 3 0 1 3 7
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1 5 0 1 8 2 5 0 5 0 1 8 2 1 0 5 1 3 3 7 4 1 8 6 9 4 3 8 5 3 5 9 6 4 <CLEARTEXT SIGNATURE>

Transcription

R16_transcription_corrected.txt

# b24 (23 Oct 2026): TimB's D1610 with the corrections of R16_corrections.tsv read on the DECODE images
#CATALOG NAME: Segr. Stato Francia 18/2/Ciphertext Pictures/
#IMAGE NAME: 206r-206v
##TRANSCRIBER NAME: TimB
#DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION: December 20, 2015 
#TRANSCRIPTION TIME: 60+45=105 mins
#TRANSCRIPTION METHOD: Transcribed by using speech recognition (Google Docs).
#COMMENTS: Special symbols: [0-], [4+], [6¸], [8+]. 

#IMAGE NAME: 206r.jpg
<CLEARTEXT IT 7. di Marzo 1586. H: di Fr.?>
3 3 0 7 2 3 0 5 8 0 5 1 5 8 5 8 8 2 5 0 5 8 3 3 0 1 8 2 5 0 1 3 5 3 1 0 1 5 7 0 7 8 0 1 3 1 0 5 3 7 0 3 8 3 6¸ 2 8+
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3 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 8 1 3 0 1 3 7 0 3 8 1 5 0 1 8 9 0- 8 0^. 8 2 3 1 5 0 5 8 3^. 4 8 8 6¸ 8 1 7 3 7 0 5 2 5 0 1 8 3 3 0 1 0 9 0 3 3 7 0 1 8
3 7 0 5 4 7 2 1 0 7 4 7 0 7 8 1 8+ 4 7 0 5 8 3 1 0 3 3 9 4 3 8 3 9 0 3 3 5 3 1 0 3 3 7 4 3 8 3 6¸ 8 1 5 0 1 8 1 1 0 7 1 5 0 1
2 5 0 1 2 6¸ 8 0 3 4 7 0 7 8 5 8 8 2 0- 8 0 9 0 5 8 0 1 2 1 0 7 3 5 4 7 0 3 3 5 5 7 0 5 3 7 0 1 8 2 5 0 1 0 5 8 2 9 8 2 6¸
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3 4 8 3 3 0 1 1 1 0 5 0 1 8 1 7 0 9 3 7 8 2 8+ 8 1 7 0 3 3 5 4 7 0 5 0 3 3 7 0 7 8 0^. 1 7 3 7 0 3 3 5 3 1 0 7 8 0 1 1 5
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2 9 8 2 5 0 1 4 7 0 5 2 5 0 3 8 3 1 0 1 8 2 8+ 8 1 7 3 7 0 3 1 5 0 1 5 7 0 5 8 3 1 0 3 1 5 0 1 8 0^. 2 3 3 7 0 3 2 3 .
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4 1 8 0- 8 0 5 1 5 8 2 5 0 3 3 1 4 3 4 7 0 5 2 5 0 7 8 0 5 3 5 8 2 1 0 3 3 7 5 7 0 5 8 3 1 0 5 4 7 2 1 0 7 3 7 4 7 0 5
0^. 8 3 6¸ 4 7 0 7 3 5 0 3 8 3 1 0 5 8 0^. 5 7 0 7 8 4 7 0 7 2 3 0 5 0 7 3 5 2 3 0 3 3 5 3 1 0 7 8 2 6¸ 8 0^. 8 1 5 4 5
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4 8+ 4 7 0 5 8 0 3 8 1 5 0 7 1 7 0 5 3 5 4 5 0 7 3 5 0 3 8 0^. 2 5 0 9 3 5 0 3 8 2 6¸ 8 4 7 0 3? 1 1 0 3 3 5 8 0 5 1 5
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3 1 0 5 8 0^. 1 3 0 5 3 1 0 3 3 5 1 9 0 1 8 2 9 8 0 1 2 5 0 7 3 7 0 3 0 9 0 7 1 5 0 3 1 9 0 1 8 2 0- 3 1 0 5 2 5 0 3 3 5 0 7

#IMAGE NAME: 206v.jpg
0 5 1 5 8 2 1 0 9 0 7 3 7 0 3 8 3 1 0 5 8 2 2+ 8 2 0- 8 2 1 0 7 3 7 0 5 4 7 1 7 0 7 3 5 3 1 0 3 3 7 0 3 0 1 1 5 8
0 3 4 7 5 7 3 7 0 5 3 5 4 7 0 3 2 1 0 7 8 2 9 8 1 7 0 1 3 7 0 3 8 2 6¸ 8 3 1 0 3 5 7 0 7 8 5 8 8 0 1 3 5 2 1 0 7
0 3 4 7 0 7 8 4 7 0 5 0 1 8 3 1 0 5 8 2 8+ 8 1 7 0 1 3 7 0 3 3 7 4 3 8 2 9 8 3 6¸ 8 2 8+ 2 1 0 1 2 3 0 5 0 7
3 5 0 3 8 1 7 3 7 0 5 3 5 2 1 0 5 1 7 0 1 1? 5 8 0- 8 4 7 0 5 4 3 8 3 6¸ 8 1 7 0 1 3 7 5 7 0 5 3 7 4 7 0 5 8 3 1 0 5 8
6 8+ 8 2 5 0 7 1 5 5 7 0 7 8 1 7 3 7 0 3 4 7 5 7 6 7 8 2 9 8 4 7 0 3 3 5 1 9 0 1 8 6 0- 8 3 1 0 3 1 5 8 2 5 0 7
3 1 0 7 8 3 6¸ 8 3 7 0 3 4 7 0 5 4 7 5 7 0 3 3 7 0 3 8 0 1 2 3 0 3 3 5 5 7 0 3 8 3 1 0 5 8 1 0 8 0 7 2 1 6 7
3 7 0 3 3 5 3 1 6 7 8 0 5 1 5 8 1 1 0 5 4 7 0 7 2 3 3 5 0 7 8 . 2 0- 8 4 7 0 7 1 5 6 7 8 2 8+ 8 3 1 0 3
1 5 0 1 8 0^. 2 3 3 7 0 3 2 3 . 3 1 0 3 1 5 8 2 1 1 5 0 3 3 7 0 7 8 2 5 0 1 8 5 6¸ 8 2 3 1 5 0 1 1 5 5 7 3 7 0 5 8
0 3 2 1 1 5 0 3 4 7 0 5 0 1 4 7 5 7 0 5 2 1 0 5 8 3 1 0 3 1 5 0 1 8 2 1 0 5 5 7 0 1 8 0 9 0 3 3 1 0 7 8 2 6¸
3 7 0 3 4 7 5 7 0 1 3 5 6 7 8 2 5 0 7 1 5 5 7 0 7 8 2 5 0 1 1 5 8 0^. 5 7 0 3 3 5 5 7 0 5 8 3 1 0 3 1 5 0 1 8
0^. 2 1 0 3 4 7 0 5 0 7 3 5 4 3 8 3 1 0 3 1 5 0 1 8 1 1 0 7 1 5 4 3 8 3 6¸ 8 1 5 0 1 1 5 0 3 0 3 3 5 0 1 5 7 0 5
0 7 3 5 4 3 8 3 5 0 3 1 5 0 1 8 2 5 0 1 3 5 0 5 0? 3 3 7 0 1 8 8 6¸ 8 4 7 5 7 0 1 8 4 7 0 5 8 8 6¸ 8 2 5 0 7
4 7 5 7 3 7 0 1 3 5 0 7 8 2 6¸ 8 2 0- 8 4 7 0 5 8 3 1 0 7 1 5 0 3 3 7 0 3 1 1 4 3 3 7 0 7 8 4 7 0 3 8
1 3 0 7 4 7 0 3 8 4 7 5 7 0 1 5 7 4 1 8 1 3 0 1 5 7 4 1 8 4 7 0 7 1 5 0 1 8 0- 8 3 6¸ 8 1 5 0 1 8 1 7 3 7 0 5 2 5 0 1
3 9 0 3 3 5 3 1 0 5 5 7 0 1 8 2 9 8 3 1 0 5 8 3 5 0 9 6 7 0 9 0 7 8 3 3 0 7 8 0 5 3 5 5 7 0 3 4 7 0 7 8 2 6¸
3 1 0 3 5 7 0 1 8 0^. 2 3 3 7 0 3 2 3 . 0 5 3 5 2 1 1 5 0 5 3 5 0 1 8 0 1 3 1 8 4 1 1 7 0 3 1 5 0 1 3 7 4 7 0 5 8 0 1 3 1
1 3 0 9 5 7 0 9 3^. 9 8 0^. 2 1 0 5 1 5 0 5 0 9 2 5 8 4 7 0 3 8 0 9 0 3 3 1 0 3 3 7 0 1 8 3 1 0 5 8 2 0- 8 1 7 0 7 5 7
0 3 3 7 0 3 8 0 7 5 7 0 3 3 5 4 3 3 7 0 3 8 3 8+ 2 6¸ 8 3 3 0 7? 3 7 0 1 8 5 7 0 3 3 5 5 7 0 1 8 3 5 0 3 8 0 9
0 3 3 1 6 7 8 2 6¸ 8 0 3 4 7 0 1 8 0^. 2 3 3 7 0 3 2 3 . 3 3 0 1 1 1 0 5 0 1 8 2 5 0 7 1 5 5 7 0 1 8 4 7 1 7 0 3 3 7
0 1 3 5 1 9 0 1 8 3 1 0 5 8 9 8+ 8 0 3 4 7 0 1 3 9 3 1 0 5 5 7 0 1 8 3 1 0 1 8 1 4 8 8 8+ 8 3 7 0 5 2 1 0 7 3 7
4 7 0 7 8 0 1 8 1 2+ 8 4 7 0 3 1 1 4 3 3 5 0 3 8 0 5 0 7 8 2 0- 8 2 5 0 1 3 5 2 1 0 7 8 3 1 0 5 8 1 3 0 1 3 7
1 5 0 5 8 0 1 3 5 0 5 2 5 6 7 8 0 5 3 5 8 2 1 0 5 0 7 8 2 9 8 2 5 0 5 8 0 7 1 3 0 3 3 7 0 5 4 7 2 1 0 7 8
3 1 0 5 8 2 5 0 1 3 5 3 1 0 1 3 7 8 1 5 0 3 8 3 0- 8 4 7 0 9 0 3 8 1 3 0 1 5 7 0 3 8 0 1 3 5 2 1 0 7 8 3 5 0 3
1 5 0 1 8 2 5 0 5 0 1 8 2 1 0 5 1 3 3 7 4 1 8 6 9 4 3 8 5 3 5 9 6 4 <CLEARTEXT SIGNATURE>

Transcription

R16_corrections.tsv

line	decode_label	corrected	kind	evidence
L02	3. di Marzo 1586	7. di Marzo 1586	clear	heading on 206r reads "7. di Marzo. 1586."; the covering letter (DECODE D987) is dated Parigi 7 March 1586, "con cifra duplicata"
L04	1 3 0 3 3 1? 2 5 0 7	1 3 0 3 3 7 2 5 0 7	label	image 13 03 37 25 07 "fermo" (DECODE 1? for 7)
L06	0 3 3 5 3 1 0 3 3 1 4 3	0 3 3 5 3 1 0 3 3 7 4 3	label	image 37 "uendere" (DECODE 31, giving "uendede")
L08	1 7 0 1? 3 5	1 7 0 7 3 5	label	image 17 07 35 "rispondere"
L17	8 9? 1 1 7	8 4 1 1 7	label	image a crossed 4: 41 17 37 03 47 07 "apreso"
L34	4 7 0 4 8 0 3 4 7 6 7	4 7 0 7 8 0 3 4 7 6 7	label	image 47 07 8 "uerso" (DECODE 4 for 7; the old decode read 48 Duca di Parma)
L34	8 0 7 2 5 3 3 5 0 5 8	8 0 7 2 3 3 5 0 5 8	label	image 07 23 35 05 "ogni"; DECODE's 5 is an ink blot
L40	4 7 0 5 9? 5 8 3 6¸	4 7 0 5 4 3 8 3 6¸	look-alike	image 47 05 4? 8: the second digit of the pair read 3 (43 = e) for "si e per partirsi"; it can be read 5 (45 = i)
L42	4 7 0^. 5 4 7	4 7 0 5 4 7	label	image 37 03 47 05 47 57 03 37 03 "resistere" (no dot over the 0)
L43	3 1 6¸? 8	3 1 6 7 8	look-alike	image 31 67 "ocorendo": the 7 has the hooked tail DECODE read as 6¸
L44	1 5 0 1 8 0 2 3 3 7	1 5 0 1 8 0^. 2 3 3 7	label	image dotted 0 "con" before 23 37 03 23 "greg." (as at l.52)
L46	0 7 7? 5 5 7	0 7 1 5 5 7	label	image 25 07 15 57 07 "molto"
L47	8 1 8 0 1 1 5 0 3	8 1 5 0 1 1 5 0 3	look-alike	image "1 8|5": the 5 closed like an 8; 15 01 15 03 03 ... "l'aleenatione"
L50	1 3 0 1 8 7 4 1 8	1 3 0 1 5 7 4 1 8	look-alike	image "13 01 87 41": the 5 closed like an 8; 57 41 "fata"
L55	0 3 3 1 6¸? 8	0 3 3 1 6 7 8	look-alike	image 03 31 67 "(u)edo": the hooked 7 again, as at l.43
L54	5 7 0 3 3? 5 5 7 0 1	5 7 0 3 3 5 5 7 0 1	label	image 57 03 35 57 01 "tenta" (the 3 is sure)

Decryption: R16_decode_b24.txt

Decryption

R16_decryption.txt

[IT 3. di Marzo 1586. H: di Fr.?] hogi il [DUCA DI GUISA] mi ha mandato adire perquesti <70> [DUCA DI FERRARA] che egli hora tiene per fe<31?>mo che il [RE CHRISTIANISSIMO] deba fare la <90-> con gli <3^.>[DUCA DI PARMA] <6¸> prima hauera riscoso quantisi deue uendede per la bola mache eso [DUCA DI GUISA] non ui aconsentira mai che che ha anco scrito quelli cheuole risp<01?>nde re al [RE CHRISTIANISSIMO] se gli fara moto di <1?><8+> che lh a fato uedere ad eso <70> sogi<07?>ngen do eso <70> che quelliche era scrito conten eua in sustanza che eso [DUCA DI GUISA] non poteua ne uoleua aconsentire adeta <90-> che il [RE CHRISTIANISSIMO] habia pur questi pensiero conprendo al presente essere creduto anco da altri che masime da questi prelati dela congreg mi uiene <9?>b·reso hora riferito da personagio di molta autorita hauere int eso da un gentilhuomo che ragionan do eso gentilhuomo u<1?>·tima <0-> con eso [DUCA DI GUISA] di questi<4^.>[DUCA DI PARMA]euenuto adir ad eso [DUCA DI GUISA] che egli si potrebe contentar che <1?>·a <90-?> si facese quando se gli dese metz che una buona soma di <4+> cheche eso [DUCA DI GUISA] rispose che piacese adio che cosi si facese inten<3?>·o anco che alcuni piu intrin seche di eso [DUCA DI GUISA] hano acenato asai chear a <0-> il medesimo in certi discorsi con persone di conto sogiongendo che con li <4+> che riceuesero hora potrebero p oi prepararsi a nuoua impresa biso gnando non manca che crede anzi cosi quasi e lopinione conmune che s<03?>ben il [RE CHRISTIANISSIMO] mostra uers·[DUCA DI PARMA]eso [DUCA DI GUISA] omh·i segno di confidenza che amoreuoleza nondimeno il cuore di <22+> non corispondereal estrinseco che pare che deto [DUCA DI GUISA] anco eso sia di questi parere che per questicagio ne principa<1?>[DUCA DI GUISA]<0-> si<9?>[DUCA DI GUISA]per partirsi di qui molto presto che senza <60-> del mo do per rescon[RE DI PORTUGALLO]·tere agente di <10> oco rend<6¸?> il bisogno non solo questi de la ·gregdel clero ma ancora glaltri eclesiastici dela cita uedo che restano mo<7?>·to mal contenti dela concesione dela bole per [DUCA DI FERRARA]aleenati one nela mani<0?>h·a <6¸> sta si <6¸> mo strano che non si dolerebero se fose stata fa [REGINA MADRE][DUCA DI FERRARA]sola <0-> per la prima uendita che di nuouo ho inteso che deta congreginclina ad apelarsi ad futu<3^.>· concilium se uedera di non pot ere otenere quelliche h<07?>ra te<3?>·ta ne u ed<6¸?> che esa congreghabia molta sper anza di essere esaudita da [NOSTRO SIGNORE] <8+> ricor so a <12+> sebene io non manco di far li animo in cio che mi oferisco di mandar le <30-> sue fate anco ne la mia cifra ·[REGINA CATHOLICA][DUCA DI MANTOVA]·n[GRAN DUCA DI TOSCANA]<4>[SIGNATURE]

Reading

R16_reading.md

# R16 — the nuncio in Paris (Ragazzoni, bishop of Bergamo) to Rome, 7 March 1586: reading

Rests on: the figures of ASV Segr. Stato Francia 18/2, f. 206r-v (DECODE R16, images I95-I96) under the Ragazzoni key
as Meister (1906) printed it, p. 324-325 no. 2 — the letter alphabet Lasry reconstructed (D3105) and the **whole
nomenclator**, read from the DECODE record's own attachment D3195 (the Meister pages), which no earlier session had
opened. Decode: `R16_decode_b24.txt` (`research/reading_audit/b24_bg_decode.py`, beam search with the it-cinquecento
model) on TimB's transcription with 16 labels corrected on the images (`R16_corrections.tsv`,
`R16_transcription_corrected.txt`). Code 29 is "et" (Meister), not "che"; 26 with the hook is "che, chi". Nomenclator
names are given as the key words (70 "Ambasciatore di" + 18 "Duca di Ferrara"). Words are divided and v written for
the key's u|v where Italian has a consonant; the clerk's spelling (single consonants, "aleenatione") is kept. No
contemporary decipherment survives on the record; the clear covering letter of the same day (D984-D987, "con cifra
duplicata") does not repeat the cipher. `[?word]` = partly carried, `[…]` = unread.

## Reading

7. di Marzo 1586. H: di Fr.

Hogi il Duca di Guisa mi ha mandato a dire per questi Ambasciatore di Duca di Ferrara che egli hora tiene per fermo che
il Re Christianissimo deba fare la pace con gli Heretici come prima havera riscoso quanti si deve vendere per la bola,
ma che eso Duca di Guisa non vi aconsentira mai, et che ha anco scrito quelli che vole rispondere al Re Christianissimo
se gli fara moto di quanti, et l'ha fato vedere ad eso Ambasciatore; sogiongendo eso Ambasciatore che quelli che era
scrito conteneva in sustanza che eso Duca di Guisa non poteva ne voleva aconsentire a deta pace. Che il Re
Christianissimo habia pur questi pensiero conprendo al presente essere creduto anco da altri et masime da questi
prelati dela congreg. Mi viene apreso hora riferito da personagio di molta autorita havere inteso da un gentilhuomo
che, ragionando eso gentilhuomo ultimamente con eso Duca di Guisa di questi guerra, e venuto a dir ad eso Duca di Guisa
che egli si potrebe contentar che la pace si facese quando se gli dese Metz et una buona soma di denari, et che eso
Duca di Guisa rispose che piacese a Dio che cosi si facese. Intendo anco che alcuni piu intrinsechi di eso Duca di
Guisa hano acenato asai chiaramente il medesimo in certi discorsi con persone di conto, sogiongendo che con li denari
che ricevesero hora potrebero poi prepararsi a nuova impresa bisognando. Non manca chi crede, anzi cosi quasi e
l'opinione conmune, che seben il Re Christianissimo mostra verso eso Duca di Guisa ogni segno di confidenza et
amorevoleza, nondimeno il cuore di Sua Maesta non corispondere al estrinseco; et pare che deto Duca di Guisa anco eso
sia di questi parere, et per questi cagione principalmente si [?e] per partirsi di qui molto presto, et senza
risolutione del modo per resistere a gente di Germania [?ocorendo] il bisogno. Non solo questi dela congreg. del
clero, ma ancora gl'altri eclesiastici dela cita vedo che restano molto mal contenti dela concesione dela bole per
[?l'aleenatione] nela maniera come sta, si come mostrano che non si dolerebero se fose stata [?fata] solamente per la
prima vendita. Et di nuovo ho inteso che deta congreg. inclina ad apelarsi ad [?futurum] concilium, se vedera di non
potere otenere quelli che hora tenta; ne [?vedo] che esa congreg. habia molta speranza di essere esaudita da Nostro
Signore havendo ricorso a Sua Santita, sebene io non manco di farli animo in cio, et mi oferisco di mandar le lettere
sue fate anco nela mia cifra. […]

## Notes

- `[?e]` (l.40: 47 05 4? = "si e"), `[?ocorendo]` (l.43, 67 with a hooked 7), `[?l'aleenatione]` (l.47, 15 written
  like 18), `[?fata]` (l.50, 57 written like 87), `[?vedo]` (l.55, as l.43): the reading takes the look-alike; the
  alternative gives no word.
- `[?futurum]`: "futu" + a dotted 3 and 9 (l.53), an abbreviation the key does not list.
- `[…]`: the last eleven digits of 206v ("8 6 9 4 3 8 5 3 5 9 6 4", before the signature flourish) give no word.
- "per questi Ambasciatore di Duca di Ferrara" (70 + 18): the Ferrarese ambassador in Paris. "Heretici" is the dotted
  34; "denari" 84+; "Sua Maesta" and "Sua Santita" the stroked 24/14 (DECODE "2+"); "mente", "pace", "non", "lettere"
  the struck 80/90/20/30.

Translation

R16_en.md

# R16 — the nuncio in Paris to Rome, 7 March 1586: English

Translation of `R16_reading.md` (same holes).

## Translation

7 March 1586. From France.

Today the Duke of Guise sent word to me through the ambassador of the Duke of Ferrara that he now holds it for certain
that the Most Christian King must make peace with the heretics as soon as he has collected what is to be sold under the
bull, but that the Duke of Guise will never consent to it; and that he has also written what he means to answer the
Most Christian King if he raises it with him, and he showed it to the ambassador, who added that what was written said
in substance that the Duke of Guise neither could nor would consent to that peace. That the Most Christian King really
has this in mind I gather is now believed by others too, and above all by the prelates of the congregation. I am now
told by a person of great authority that he heard from a gentleman that, when this gentleman lately talked with the
Duke of Guise about this war, he came to say to him that he might be content for the peace to be made if he were given
Metz and a good sum of money, and the Duke of Guise answered: would to God it were done so. I also hear that some of
the Duke of Guise's closest people have hinted the same quite clearly in certain talks with persons of standing,
adding that with the money they would now receive they could then prepare for a new enterprise if need be. There are
those who believe, indeed it is almost the common opinion, that although the Most Christian King shows the Duke of
Guise every sign of confidence and affection, His Majesty's heart does not match the outside; and it seems that the
Duke himself is of this opinion, and for this reason chiefly he [?is] about to leave here very soon, and without any
settled plan for resisting German troops [?should] the need arise. Not only the members of the congregation of the
clergy but the other churchmen of the city too, I see, remain very discontented with the grant of the bull for [?the]
alienation as it stands, and show that they would not complain had it been [?made] for the first sale only. And I
hear again that the congregation is inclined to appeal to a [?future] council if it sees it cannot obtain what it now
attempts; nor [?do I see] that the congregation has much hope of being heard by Our Lord when it has recourse to His
Holiness, though I do not fail to encourage them in this, and I offer to send their letters, put in my cipher too. […]

Key: key_F18_lasry.txt, meister324_nomenclator.txt, key_ragazzoni_meister_full.txt

05 Sources

Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, Segreteria di Stato, Francia 18: DECODE records R15, R16 (images on login), with the volunteer transcription D1610, George Lasry’s keys D3103/D3105, and Meister’s pp. 324–325 as attachment D3195. R17 is on Morosini’s page.
Aloys Meister, Die Geheimschrift im Dienste der päpstlichen Kurie (Paderborn 1906), pp. 324–325 no. 2 (Ragazzoni, 1583).
The companion checks of the other Paris-nunciature records on DECODE are in targets/damiata1624/.

Decoder, keys, transcription and the decryption: targets/bergamo1585/. Page images are not reproduced beyond the crop above.

The Paris nunciature to the Secretariat, Francia 18

01 The documents and the keys

02 R16: Guise, Metz and the peace, 7 March 1586

03 Method

04 What remains uncertain

Full texts

R16, Francia 18/2, f. 206r-v, 7 March 1586

05 Sources