At a glanceKnown key applied · complete
- The letter
- A short slip headed in clear Brusselles 9 ott.re 1721, probably sent from Brussels to the nuncio at Cologne (nothing on the leaf proves this; sender and recipient are not named). It asks for news of someone at Tournai and offers to write to a correspondent.
- Where
- Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5, f. 26r, DECODE R24 (item 238). DECODE gave it as unknown sender, unknown recipient, dated 1 January 1721; the date is only the year it was given.
- The cipher
- A homophonic cipher with one to three digits per letter or syllable, nulls 2, 22 and 222 between words, and four-digit codes in the 9300s and 9400s for words or names.
- How it was read
- Already deciphered: in November 2020 George Lasry attached a reconstructed key (“ASV – C15”) and a segmented decryption to the record, and Paolo Bonavoglia a decipherment with English translation. Checked against the image the transcription is right; three values were added from context.
- What it says
- It mentions “the Cologne affair” and says the writer will gladly write to a correspondent but awaits orders.
- Still open
- Three short tokens (45, 9441, 43) and four nomenclator codes (9336, 9485, 9356, 76) have no confirmed value. Added here: 18 is qu, 55 is gli, 67 is probably g.
- Credit
- Key and segmented decryption by George Lasry (2020); decipherment and translation by Paolo Bonavoglia.
01 The document and the key
The leaf carries a clear dateline and nine lines of figures, 189 tokens separated by commas, with no address or signature. Brussels was then the capital of the Austrian Netherlands, and ecclesiastical business there went through the nunciatures, so the slip was probably sent by someone at Brussels to the nuncio at Cologne, in whose archive it is kept. Nothing on the leaf proves this.
The key, as Lasry rebuilt it, gives letters and a few syllables fixed homophones of one to three digits (a 6|77, e 04|40, i 17|71, o 16|61, r 14|41, s 01|38, che 35, di 53, ma 74). The nulls 2, 22 and 222 stand between words, and four-digit codes in the 9300s and 9400s stand for words or names. Because the groups are separated by commas, the text divides into units without ambiguity.
02 The decipherment
Brusselles 9 ott.re 1721.
Sopra il curato [45] [9441] [43]te divinis, g(rat)s di sapere qualche cosa di [9336] [9485] di Tournai. Sopra l’affare di Colonia, ma egli, a quel che vedo, ne è informato. Se stima a proposito che io [76] scriva in [9356] ad un suo corrispondente, lo farò volentieri, ma attendo i suoi ordini in questo.
“About the curate […] a divinis [suspended from his office?], [I would be] glad to know something of [9336 9485] of Tournai. About the Cologne affair: he, as far as I see, is informed of it. If you think it right that I write [76] in [9356] to a correspondent of yours, I will gladly do so, but I await your orders on this.”
Bonavoglia’s decipherment is the same, except where the values below change it.
03 Values added
- 18 = qu, not que. It occurs in qu-a-l-che, a qu-e-l che and in qu-e-st-o. With que every one of the three has a doubled e. Grade C.
- 55 = gli: “ma e-55, a quel che vedo, ne è informato”, ma egli. Grade C.
- 67 = g?: “67-r-a-t-s di sapere”, most likely grato with a slip in the last figure. Grade M.
- Lasry’s three queried values, 81 ne, 86 se and 88 st, each fit their context (ne è informato, se stima, questo) and are kept.
04 What remains open
- 45, 9441, 43 in “curato 45 9441 43-te divinis”. The phrase must be a suspension a divinis, perhaps with the curate’s parish, but none of the three occurs again, so no value can be confirmed.
- 9336 9485 in “di [9336] [9485] di Tournai”: probably a title and a name, perhaps the bishop.
- 9356 in “scriva in [9356]”: a place or a word such as cifra.
- 76 in “che io [76] scriva”: ne, le or gli would all fit.
- The sender and recipient are not named on the leaf. The other contents of Colonia 5 might identify them.
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.
R24, Brussels 9 Oct 1721 read in part
An unsigned slip headed Brussels 9 Oct 1721, probably from the internuncio at Brussels (Austrian Netherlands) to the nuncio at Cologne: news wanted of a suspended parish priest and of a person at Tournai, the Cologne affair, and an offer to write to a correspondent of the recipient, awaiting orders. READING.md is the project's reading with three key values added; the two DECODE files are Lasry's segmented decryption (2020) and Bonavoglia's reading with translation, kept for comparison.
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
01 16 05 14 6 1 58 06 14 77 2 03 61 45 9441 43 03 04 53 06 17 66 71 38 2 67 14 77 03 38 53 38 77 22 05 04 14 40 18 77 15 35 58 16 38 77 53 9336 9485 53 03 16 06 14 66 77 17 38 16 05 14 77 222 15 77 73 2 73 77 41 04 53 58 61 15 16 66 17 77 74 04 55 77 18 04 15 35 06 40 46 61 81 40 17 66 22 73 16 14 08 77 03 16 86 88 17 74 77 05 14 16 50 61 38 17 03 61 35 17 16 76 38 58 14 17 06 77 65 9356 77 46 06 66 75 16 58 16 14 41 22 17 38 05 61 66 47 66 03 04 15 16 73 77 14 16 06 61 15 04 66 03 17 04 14 17 74 77 03 03 04 66 46 16 17 38 60 16 71 61 14 46 17 66 71 65 18 04 88 61
Transcription
#CATALOG NAME: Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5:1 #IMAGE NAME: 026r.jpg #TRANSCRIBER NAME: Callum, edited by BM #DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION: Summer and December 2015 #COMMENTS: Revised, George Lasry, November 2020 #COMMENTS: code group #IMAGE NAME: 026r.jpg <CLEARTEXT IT Brusseles 9 Oct. 1721> 01,16,05,14,6,1,58,06,14,77,2,03,61,45,9441,43,03,04,53,06,17, 66,71,38,2,67,14,77,03,38,53,38,77,22,05,04,14,40,18,77,15,35,58, 16,38,77,53,9336,9485,53,03,16,06,14,66,77,17,38,16,05,14,77,222, 15,77,73,2,73,77,41,04,53,58,61,15,16,66,17,77,74,04,55,77,18,04,15, 35,06,40,46,61,81,40,17,66,22,73,16,14,08,77,03,16,86,88,17,74,77, 05,14,16,50,61,38,17,03,61,35,17,16,76,38,58,14,17,06,77,65,9356,77, 46,06,66,75,16,58,16,14,41,22,17,38,05,61,66,47,66,03,04,15,16,73, 77,14,16,06,61,15,04,66,03,17,04,14,17,74,77,03,03,04,66,46,16,17, 38,60,16,71,61,14,46,17,66,71,65,18,04,88,61,
Decryption
# Brussels, 9 Oct 1721 (ASV Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5, f. 26r; DECODE R24) Deciphered with Lasry's key ASV-C15 (DECODE, Nov 2020) and the three values added in NOTES.md; Bonavoglia's reading on DECODE agrees except where noted there. [nnnn] = unread group. Heading in clear: Brusselles 9 ott.re 1721. ## Reading Sopra il curato [45] [9441] [43]te divinis, g(rat)s(?) di sapere qualche cosa di [9336] [9485] di Tournai. Sopra l'affare di Colonia, ma egli, a quel che vedo, ne è informato. Se stima a proposito che io [76] scriva in [9356] ad un suo corrispondente, lo farò volentieri, ma attendo i suoi ordini in questo.
Decryption
################ asv\transc\colonia005.txt #CATALOG NAME: Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5:1 #IMAGE NAME: 026r.jpg #TRANSCRIBER NAME: Callum, edited by BM #DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION: Summer and December 2015 #COMMENTS: Revised, George Lasry, November 2020 #COMMENTS: code group #IMAGE NAME: 026r.jpg <CLEARTEXT IT Brusseles 9 Oct. 1721> 01 16 05 14 6 1 58 06 14 77 2 03 61 45 9441 43 03 04 53 06 17 | S O P R A IL C U/V R A _ T O 45? <9441> 43? T E DI U/V I | 66 71 38 2 67 14 77 03 38 53 38 77 22 05 04 14 40 18 77 15 35 58 | N I S _ 67? R A T S DI S A _ P E R E QUE A L CHE C | 16 38 77 53 9336 9485 53 03 16 06 14 66 77 17 38 16 05 14 77 222 | O S A DI <9336> <9485> DI T O U/V R N A I S O P R A _ | 15 77 73 2 73 77 41 04 53 58 61 15 16 66 17 77 74 04 55 77 18 04 15 | L A F _ F A R E DI C O L O N I A MA E 55? A QUE E L | 35 06 40 46 61 81 40 17 66 22 73 16 14 08 77 03 16 86 88 17 74 77 | CHE U/V E D O NE? E I N _ F O R M A T O SE? ST I MA A | 05 14 16 50 61 38 17 03 61 35 17 16 76 38 58 14 17 06 77 65 9356 77 | P R O P O S I T O CHE I O 76? S C R I U/V A IN <9356> A | 46 06 66 75 16 58 16 14 41 22 17 38 05 61 66 47 66 03 04 15 16 73 | D U/V N SU O C O R R _ I S P O N DE N T E L O F | 77 14 16 06 61 15 04 66 03 17 04 14 17 74 77 03 03 04 66 46 16 17 | A R O U/V O L E N T I E R I MA A T T E N D O I | 38 60 16 71 61 14 46 17 66 71 65 18 04 88 61 | S U/V O I O R D I N I IN QUE E ST O |
Decryption
(by Paolo Bonavoglia, based on key obtained with simulated annealing) sopra il curato ? te divinis ?? rats di sapere qualche cosa di ? ? di Tournai sopra l'affare di Colonia mae? quel che vedo ne? e informato Se? stima proposito che io scriva in ? ad un suo corrispondente lo farò volentieri m'attendo i suoi ordini per questo About the parish priest? ??? ? te divinis? ??? ? rats to know something ??? ??? by Tournai About the Cologne affair mae? as far as I see you are informed If you think for this purpose that I write for ??? to a correspondent of yours, I will gladly do so but I await your orders for this
Reading
# Brussels, 9 Oct 1721 (ASV Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5, f. 26r; DECODE R24) Deciphered with Lasry's key ASV-C15 (DECODE, Nov 2020) and the three values added in NOTES.md; Bonavoglia's reading on DECODE agrees except where noted there. [nnnn] = unread group. Heading in clear: Brusselles 9 ott.re 1721. ## Reading Sopra il curato [45] [9441] [43]te divinis, g(rat)s(?) di sapere qualche cosa di [9336] [9485] di Tournai. Sopra l'affare di Colonia, ma egli, a quel che vedo, ne è informato. Se stima a proposito che io [76] scriva in [9356] ad un suo corrispondente, lo farò volentieri, ma attendo i suoi ordini in questo.
Translation
<!-- English translation of READING.md (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026), with the same holes: [nnnn] unread code groups kept; "g(rat)s(?)" rendered [?grateful]. --> # Brussels, 9 October 1721 (ASV Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5, f. 26r; DECODE R24): English translation Heading in clear: Brussels, 9 October 1721. About the curate [45] [9441] [43]te divinis, [?grateful] to know something of [9336] [9485] of Tournai. About the affair of Cologne; but he, from what I see, is informed of it. If you think it fitting that I [76] write in [9356] to a correspondent of yours, I shall do it gladly, but I await your orders on this.
Key: decrypt.py
05 Sources
- Archivio Apostolico Vaticano, Arch. Nunz. Colonia 5, f. 26r, via DECODE R24 (one image; transcription by Callum, edited by BM, 2015, revised by Lasry, 2020).
- George Lasry, reconstructed key “ASV – C15” and segmented decryption, DECODE, November 2020.
- Paolo Bonavoglia, decipherment and English translation “based on key obtained with simulated annealing”, attached to DECODE R24.
The figures, the decryption script with Lasry’s key and the added values, and the decipherment are in targets/colonia1721/.