Jablonski to Ráday (1705–1707)

At a glanceKey from adjacent plaintext · partial

The letters: Five letter drafts of Daniel Ernst Jablonski, Berlin, to Pál Ráday: 13 Mar, 18 Apr and 11 Sep 1705, 7 Dec 1706 and 14 Feb 1707. Red number groups are written above the Latin words they encipher.
Where: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – PK, Nachlass A. H. Francke 11,2/15 nos 8, 13, 33 and 11,2/16 nos 42, 44 (digitised, Public Domain Mark). Leads 2169 and 2170; not on DECODE.
The cipher: A one-part numeric syllabary in alphabetical order: single letters with homophones, two- and three-letter syllables, eleven code words for rulers and countries, and nulls. The same table serves 1705 and 1706–07.
How it was rebuilt: From 350 number-and-word pairs (1,368 groups) of four drafts, then frozen and measured once on the draft of 14 Feb 1707, its 541 groups transcribed with the Latin masked: 0.930 of characters against 0.247 for the best of 200 shuffled keys. Re-run here with the same result.
What it says: In the held-out draft Ilgen, in the King of Prussia’s name, urges the Hungarians to make peace with the Emperor before the Franco-Imperial peace; a postscript is about two casks of wine passed on to the King. The content is Jablonski’s own Latin, not new.
Still open: Two number runs that Jablonski quotes from Ráday’s letter and says come from another cipher; groups 171 and 278; whether Révay (1974) already prints this key.
Credit: Daniel Bourdeau’s Kalliope sweep found the drafts (leads 2169, 2170). Brice Dudout (Europe chiffrée) transcribed the pairs and the held-out draft, rebuilt and tested the key, working with Claude Opus 5.5 agents (10 Nov 2026); integrated through PR #385 (11 Nov 2026). The plaintext is Jablonski’s.

01 The drafts

Jablonski kept copies of his outgoing letters in draft books, now in the Francke papers at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. In the letters to Pál Ráday, envoy of Ferenc Rákóczi II, he wrote the Latin in clear and set the red number groups above the words to be enciphered, so each draft holds both the cipher and its plaintext.

Draft	Date	SBB scans	Role here
11,2/15 no 8	13 Mar 1705	PPN1853543950, 23–24	training pairs
11,2/15 no 13	18 Apr 1705	PPN1853543950, 37–39	training pairs
11,2/15 no 33	11 Sep 1705	PPN1853543950, 71–72	training pairs; two unglossed runs
11,2/16 no 42	7 Dec 1706	PPN1853544159, 86–87	training pairs
11,2/16 no 44	14 Feb 1707	PPN1853544159, 91–92	held out: all 541 groups, measured once

No image is shown here: the contributor kept the scans out of the repository, and the SBB image server could not be reached from the session that integrated the work. The scans are public in the SBB viewer (links under Sources).

02 The key and its test

The table (key.tsv, CC BY 4.0) runs in alphabetical order:

single letters with homophones, 30–70 (30 a, 31 b, 32 c, 33 d, 34 e, 35 a … 64 t … 70 u), and round numbers 110 u, 120 t, 130 s, 140 r, 160 p, 180 n, 190 m, 210 l, 220 i, 250 f, 260 e, 270 d, 280 c, 290 b, 300 a;
syllables in alphabetical order, 84 ab, 85 ac, 86 ad … 97 ba, 98 be … 185 qua … 201 ta … 223 ut;
code words 225 imperator/Caesar, 226 Hungaria, 227 Prussia, 228 Polonia, 229 Suecia, 231 Anglia, 232 and 237 Gallia, 233 Hispania, 234 Italia, 236 Elector, 241 Rex;
nulls below 30 and 301–310, 390, 401.

It was built from 350 figure/plaintext pairs (1,368 groups) of the four training drafts by an iterated segmentation, then corrected by hand along the alphabetical order. Of its 213 groups, 146 are sure (seen twice or more), 38 probable (seen once) and 29 nulls; 171 and 278 are unresolved and left out.

The test was fixed in writing before the held-out draft was looked at: every number group on scans 91–92 of 11,2/16 (no 44, 14 Feb 1707), letter body and postscript. The groups were transcribed blind from renderings that showed only the red ink, 541 groups, and decoded with the frozen key; only then was the Latin under them read. Score: one minus the edit distance over the length of the reference, on letters, with j→i and v→u (the script also folds w→u and y→i, which the protocol does not name; declared by the contributor). The frozen key renders 0.930 of the characters (958 decoded letters against 952 reference letters); the best of 200 keys made by shuffling its values renders 0.247 (mean 0.198). The thresholds, 0.85 and a margin of 0.30, were met. Nine groups count as wrong: 2 illegible and 7 outside the key (215, 15, 61, 178, 113, 53, 40). The key was not changed after the measurement.

When the work was integrated (11 Nov 2026), the contributor’s measuring script was run again on the frozen key, transcription and reference: it gives the same 0.9296 against 0.2468, and the SHA-256 hashes of all seven frozen files match the recorded ones.

The key also agrees with the letter as Ráday received it on 3 Aug 1705, with his glosses (Wikimedia Commons, from Révay 1974): 191 ra, 208 vi, 203 ti, 170 o, and bello gallico, armorum, principes spelled as the table gives them. That letter is glossed and printed, so this is a check, not a measurement.

03 The held-out draft

The draft of 14 Feb 1707 starts and stops the cipher inside sentences. Read with the key, the enciphered runs of the letter body say (italics where the decode slips and the Latin under the groups is followed):

… per Cracoviam … Dantiscum. Exc. Dn. Ilgen nihil a milite Saxonico timendum esse, ut qui universus a Belgis parata pecunia conductus adversus Gallos proxima aestate est militaturus; sed metuenda esse arma Caesaris, quandoquidem Pax cum Rege Galliae prorsus vicina sit … Monet itaque et obtestatur Exc. Ilgen nomine Regis, qui pio corde vobis, ut ante Pacem Gallicam vos, cupit quam optime Pacem pangatis, ne mox mole Belli opprimamini.

“His Excellency Herr Ilgen [says] that nothing is to be feared from the Saxon soldiery, since the whole of it, hired with money provided by the Dutch, will serve against the French next summer; but the arms of the Emperor are to be feared, since peace with the King of France is quite near … His Excellency Ilgen therefore advises and implores you, in the name of the King, who with a sincere heart wishes for you that you make peace on the best terms you can before the French peace, lest you be crushed soon by the weight of the war.”

The postscript recalls the two small casks of noble wine received through Ráday’s kindness a year and a half before, which Jablonski judged too fine for a private man and offered to the King, who accepted them graciously, and asks that one or two more be sent by way of Cracow to the postmaster or Breslau to Schiller. The full decode, line by line beside the Latin of the draft, and the English translation are under Full texts.

Of about 176 words in the enciphered runs, 8 hold a hole (the 9 groups illegible or outside the key) and 16 more carry a clerk’s slip or a misread group (militaturut, paax, grandm, uile for vina, exse) or the code word 225, which gives imperator where the draft says Caesar.

04 What remains uncertain

The two “ex aliena Cifra” runs. On 11,2/15 no 33 (scan 72) Jablonski quotes two runs from Ráday’s incoming letter, unglossed, saying they seem to come from another cipher: 204.155.275.30.147.111.18.213.8.205.7 and 95.137.112.15.48.137.12.178.144.187.16.90.85.45 (25 groups). They do not read with this key, which bears out his remark. They may belong to Ráday’s own key; Benda (1954) mentions a clavis for the Jablonski correspondence in the Ráday archive, not seen.
Values. 38 values are seen only once; 171 and 278 are unresolved; 15, 40, 53, 61, 113, 178 and 215 are not in the table.
Prior key. Révay’s book of 1974 reproduces the received letter of 3 Aug 1705; no open text of it was found, so whether it prints this key could not be checked. If it does, the key is his and the work here is an independent rebuild and its test.
Heading. The two red heading lines of scan 23 (no 8) read illustris domine with the key; outside the measured portion.
One reader. An agent transcribed the groups from the SBB images; no human palaeographer has checked them, and the images were not seen in the integrating session.
Not compared. The 1704 drafts (lead 2168), whose numbers run lower and may use another system, and the 1712 letter to Rákóczi (lead 2171), a different system, are separate leads. R483’s rebuilt syllabic key (Rákóczi 1711) is a different system: of 81 groups valued in both keys, 2 agree.

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.

Training drafts (11,2/15 nos 8, 13, 33, 1705; 11,2/16 no 42, 1706): 350 figure/plaintext pairs not prose

The number groups of four enciphering drafts with the Latin words Jablonski wrote under them, the material the key was learnt from: Prussian mediation between Rákóczi's Hungarians and the Emperor in 1705-06.

Transcription

pairs.tsv

# scan	plaintext(as written under the figures)	groups	note
72	pace	179.5.103	
72	praelij apud leopoldipolim	49.192.154.54.92.78.38.153.175.172.109.183	underlined praelij + Leopoldipolim; 153 or 158
72	cladem hungarorum	32.152.108.56.230.219.131.194.195.96	
72	professoribus	59.194.126.63.199.193.101.68	possibly + mathematicis
72	relationem illam vram	133.278.144.132.165.48	margin; split uncertain
72	excellentissimo algenio	5.192.6.133.25	margin; ? read of words
72	hungariam	226.190	
72	regem	25.192.132.27	
72	nostrum	227.260	written 'nrum'
72	carolum inter et augustum	102.194.156.56.25.146.202.62.122.96.135.63.64.218	
72	regem	24.192.52.117	
72	galliae	237.39	237 or 232
72	pacem	160.85.117	
72	?	210.145	margin, line 2, plaintext not identified
71	rawitij	191.208.203.220	
71	lesnam	153.130.47.89	written 'Leinam'
71	rawitium	25.191.208.23.203.218	25 may belong to 'unde'/'equidem'
71	warsawiam	206.67.196.208.89	
71	vina	208.25.163	
71	regi et comiti	192.133.122.105.159.203	alignment unclear
71	de wartenberg	108.206.67.202.180.98.62.42	
71	principali	49.62.146.104.179.154	
71	rege	25.192.132.122	
71	dno	270	
71	de ilgen	108.144.52.118	
71	srm	130.140.190	S.R.M.
71	rege sueciae	140.229.39	
71	anglia et belgio	231.122.98.210.133.48	
71	pax	179.90	
71	pro hungaria	49.194.226	
71	aula	96.152	
71	imperatoria	225.149	
71	srm	63.62.46	S.R.M.
71	hungara	25.226	
71	pacis	179.104.68	
71	legibus pacis	153.133.31.222.49.85.149	
71	rege sueciae ad imperatorem	24.192.132.25.229.260.86.225.117	
71	vestri	207.130.64.193	maybe + causa
71	austriaci	96.68.64.193.300.104	300 read
71	legato suo	153.131.204	
71	baroni de	97.194.165.108	
71	bartholdi	97.62.204.55.109	
71	viennam	208.118.163.56	
71	rex	24.241.25	
71	causam vestram	102.70.68.89.207.63.69.67.89	
23	?	310.144.156.130.120.193.63.28	red, heading line 1, no plaintext under it (UNGLOSSED)
23	?	27.111.29.159.164.302	red, heading line 2, no plaintext (UNGLOSSED)
23	ad	86	
23	serenissimum	197.192	abbrev.
23	regem	241	
23	regia	241	
23	majestas mediationem	158.109.300.203.170.164.190	190 maybe Majestas placed at end
23	suam	200.89	
23	cum	106.46	
23	subsecutura	200.31.197.106.205.191	
23	garantia	131.8.191.47.203.30	
23	majestati caesareae	225.210	
23	exercitu	123.119.104.205	
23	in	146	
23	italiam	234	written 23/4?
23	non	166.47	
23	ducendo	112.103.57.111	
23	angliae et belgii legatis	231.115.98.210.133.44.153.131.203.130	
23	prussicam	301.227.24	
24	imperatore	303.225	
24	svecicam	229.304	
24	caesarea	304.225.27	
24	anglos	91.42.45.177	
24	belgasque	98.210.131.130	'que' written in clear
24	ad svecum	241.310.229	241 = Rex? (ad Regem Svecum)
24	svecus	28.29.229	
24	polonia	29.228	
37	gedanensi	25.132.24.107.164.47.198	
37	cyfrae	301.104.250.191.34	
37	agriae	309.300.42.193.35.39	
37	cracovia	37.191.25.105.208.30	
37	wratislavia	70.191.203.170.152.208.35	
37	guilielmi	249.208.154.116.159	
37	ross	194.63	
37	cracoviensis	32.191.105.24.208.118.198.68.305	
37	forbes	128.140.98.130	
37	laniena eperiesiensi	25.152.165.200.163.26.39.181.193.41.198.118.198.28	
37	legibus	153.133.101.130.301	
37	manifesto	157.165.126.68.204	
37	hungarica	301.226.304	
37	hungaria	226.305.303	
37	caesareanis	25.225.149	
37	hungariam	24.226.56	
37	turcicam	205.140.104.102.46	
37	imperatoris	24.225.23.149	
37	hungariae christianae	226.390.260.280.230.193.130.203.30.163.34	
38	proceres hungariae	160.194.103.192.130.26.226.39	
38	imperator	308.225.24	
38	hungarica	29.226.34	
38	haereditarium	137.192.109.201.193.218	
38	domui austriacae	111.28.162.44.96.130.64.193.35.102.34	34 in margin
38	imperatorem	308.28.225	
38	hungaros	141.47.131.194.68	
38	jus haereditarium	54.222.137.192.109.201.193.218	
38	angliae	27.231.260	
38	belgii	98.210.133.54	
38	legati	303.153.131.203.306	
38	imperatore	225.39	
38	jus mediationis	54.222.158.109.35.203.170.165.63	
38	garantiae	131.191.180.203.35.34	1311 read as 131
38	regi prussiae	241.229.227.306	229 doubtful
38	anglis	91.52.154.68.301	
38	belgis	98.55.133.63.306	
38	mediationem	302.158.303.109.300.203.174.117	
38	regem prussiae	192.132.190.227.205	
38	angli	24.231	
38	belgae	36.116.131.39	
38	pacem	179.103.56	
38	maturandam	157.205.191.180.107.46	
38	cum gallo	401.237.306	
38	debellatum	28.108.98.45.152.205.56	
39	gedanum	132.25.107.24.167.190.306	
39	wratislaviam	110.25.191.203.170.152.208.89.301	
86	novissimam	166.208.63.198.157.46	
86	dominationis	111.159.163.203.174.149	
86	vestrae	207.68	abbrev. Vrae
86	epistolam	34.182.63.204.152.56	
86	per	181.62	
86	quam eodem die in	185.190.39.171.117.109.260.146	margin; alignment loose
86	duplo obtinui	112.49.155.168.203.167.44	margin
86	dom	111.190	
86	ilgenium	144.132.165.211	
86	regi	192.133	
86	exhibui	123.138.101.220	
86	dolet	111.153.64	
86	aula	96.152	
86	tractatum	64.62.85.201.205.46	
86	pacis	179.32.149	
86	ruptum	195.49.64.211	
86	fuisse	129.149.197	
86	quod	188.33	
86	videtur	208.108.205.62	
86	deberi artibus	108.98.193.93.203.31.222	third group read 103/193
86	jesuitarum	44.34.206.151.93.218	line break after 206?
86	qui	187	
86	ex	123	
86	utraque	223.191.186	
86	parte	179.62.202	
86	animos	91.145.177	
86	a	300	
86	pace	179.103	
86	sibi	198.99	
86	funesta	129.164.63.201	
86	futura	129.205.191	
86	abalienarunt	84.30.154.118.93.219.64	
86	utrinque	223.193.47.186	
86	mutua odia	162.205.35.48.109.35	
86	et diffidentiam	122.109.41.127.108.57.203.89	
86	inspirando	146.68.182.191.57.111	
86	deinde	108.146.109	
86	multum	162.45.64.218	
86	hac	136.32	
86	in	146	
86	parte	179.67.202	
86	debemus	108.98.162.63	
86	gen	132.47	
86	starenbergio	68.201.192.47.98.62.133.48	
86	cujus	106.50.222	
86	intererat	146.202.192.191.64	
86	bellum	31.116.55.218	
86	conti	105.47.203	word continues next line
86	nuari	167.35.193	
86	ne	164	
86	generalatu	132.164.191.152.205	
86	privaretur	49.193.206.192.205.62	
86	caeterum	102.34.202.195.46	
86	quia	187.30	
86	imperator	225	
86	ad	86	
86	instantiam	146.130.201.47.203.89	
86	angliae	231.39	
86	et	122	
86	belgii	98.45.133.220	220 at start of next line
86	ad	86	margin, start of line
86	tractatum	120.191.32.201.64.218	
86	pacis	179.32.149	
86	reassumendum	192.94.200.158.180.112.190	
86	se	197	
86	pronum	59.194.167.46	
86	exhibet	123.138.98.120	98.120 on next line
86	rex	241	
86	noster vehementer	166.130.202.140.207.137.158.180.202.67	
86	vobis	209.99.63	
86	suadet moderata	130.206.270.122.161.108.191.201	alignment loose
86	consilia	105.47.198.154.35	
86	ut	223	
86	mature	157.205.192	
86	quid	187.38	
86	e	260	
86	re	192	
86	vestra	207.130.120.191	
86	sit	198.69	
86	cogitetis	105.133.202.203.130	
86	rex	24.25.241	
86	galliae	232.34	
86	pacem	49.85.117	
86	primo	59.193.161	
86	tecte	202.32.202	
86	nunc	167.180.280	
86	vero	207.194	
86	etiam	34.203.89	
86	publice	184.31.154.103	
86	et	122	
86	manifesto	157.165.126.130.204	
86	quaerit	185.34.193.64	
86	eaque	34.35.186	
86	de	108	
86	re	192	
86	elector	236	
86	ad	86	
86	ordines	176.109.57.121	
86	belgii	98.24.45.133.21.220	
86	scripsit	130.280.193.160.198.120	
86	ilgenius	144.132.165.222	
86	mihi	159.138	
86	affirmavit	87.51.148.157.208.64	
86	regem	192.52.117	
86	galliae	232.39	
86	toto	204.22.204	
86	belgio	290.116.133.48	
86	totaque italia	204.26.201.186.234	
86	et	122	
86	sicilia	198.104.154.300	
86	cedere	103.108.192	
86	paratum	179.191.205.46	
86	esse	121.197	
86	dummodo	112.190.161.111	
86	hispania	233	
87	cum	106.56	
87	annexa	91.164.212	
87	india	146.109.35	
87	philippo	160.138.154.49.138	last group read 138, doubtful
87	servetur	197.67.207.205.67	
87	sed	68.114	
87	foederatis	126.108.191.203.68	
87	ne	164	
87	hoc	139.37	
87	quidem	187.108.190	
87	placet	59.152.103.64	
87	et	24.27.122	
87	nihilominus	165.138.155.159.167.63	
87	dom	111.190	
87	ilgenius	144.23.132.1.165.222	
87	intra	146.64.191	
87	decem	108.103.56	
87	menses	158.47.197.68	
87	certo	103.67.204	204 after a symbol
87	pacem	179.103.56	
87	promittit	59.194.46.171.64.151	struck word, replaced by augurat; doubtful
87	rex	20.1.241	
87	sueciae	229.39	
87	cum	106.56	
87	augusto	96.135.63.204	
87	transegit	69.191.57.63.39.133.64	
87	jamque	81.89.186	
87	abdicato	84.109.102.204	
87	augusto	96.14.135.63.2.204	
87	et	122	
87	stanislao	130.201.165.68.152.48	
87	con	105.47	continues
87	firmato	41.148.157.204	
87	expeditionem	123.181.109.203.174.117	
87	proximo	59.194.214.161	
87	vere	207.192	
87	in	146	
87	moscum	161.63.106.46	written Mosc(h)um
87	parat	179.191.64	
87	itaque	25.1.44.201.186	
87	vestri	207.65.120.193	figures stand over 'maxime'; order swapped?
87	maxime	157.214.158	figures stand over 'Vestri'
87	interest	146.202.140.121.120	
87	ut	223	
87	praesenti	160.191.39.197.47.203	
87	hyeme	138.260.158	
87	pax	179.72	
87	vos	209.68	
87	inter	146.202.67	
87	et	122	
87	caesarem	225.117	
87	coalescat	105.88.121.162.64	
87	secus	197.106.68	
87	universa	219.54.207.67.196	
87	belli	98.45.154	
87	moles	161.153.130	
87	in	146	
87	vos	209.130	
87	recidet	192.104.108.64	
87	cui	106.54	
87	sustinendae	200.68.203.164.47.107.39	
87	an	91	
87	pares	179.192.63	
87	sitis	198.120.149	
87	vos	110.177	
87	ipsi	147.198	
87	judicabitis	83.78.109.102.99.203.130.12.23.1	
87	sane	196.164	
87	interpositio	146.202.62.183.198.203.48	
87	angliae	231.39	
87	et	122	
87	belgii	98.45.133.54	
87	bello	290.116.155	
87	gallico	133.210.154.105	
87	composito	105.56.183.198.204	
87	tantum	201.47.205.46	
87	apud	35.184.38	
87	caesarem	225.1.117	
87	non	166.180	
87	valebit	206.153.99.120.1	
87	quantum	185.57.205.56	
87	valet	206.153.69	
87	illo	144.155	
87	durante	112.191.57.202	
87	statum	68.201.205.56	
87	europae	124.194.179.39	
87	modernum	161.108.62.167.46	4th group read 176, taken as 167
87	ex	123	
87	adjuncta	86.81.219.32	one smudged group after 32 not counted
87	brevi	31.192.208	
87	narratione	163.140.191.203.58.164	
87	perspicietis	181.67.63.182.104.122.149.12.3	
87	ac	85	
87	propterea	59.194.49.202.192.30	
87	optat	175.201.120	
87	rex	241	
87	ut	223	
87	in	146	
87	legibus	153.133.101.130	
87	pacis	179.104.68	
87	sanciendis	196.47.104.118.109.63	
87	moderatos	161.108.191.204.63	
87	et	122	
87	faciles	125.104.153.130	
87	vos	209.63	
87	praestetis	59.191.39.68.202.69.149	
87	ne	164	
87	praesens	49.191.39.197.57.68	
87	elabatur	116.84.95.221	
87	ejus	34.50.222	
87	pangendae	160.91.52.118.107.39	
87	opportunitas	175.183.140.205.165.201.68	
87	quae	185.39	
87	videtur	208.108.205.67	
87	futura	129.205.191	
87	esse	121.197	
87	novissima	166.208.68.198.157

Decryption

pairs.tsv

# scan	plaintext(as written under the figures)	groups	note
72	pace	179.5.103	
72	praelij apud leopoldipolim	49.192.154.54.92.78.38.153.175.172.109.183	underlined praelij + Leopoldipolim; 153 or 158
72	cladem hungarorum	32.152.108.56.230.219.131.194.195.96	
72	professoribus	59.194.126.63.199.193.101.68	possibly + mathematicis
72	relationem illam vram	133.278.144.132.165.48	margin; split uncertain
72	excellentissimo algenio	5.192.6.133.25	margin; ? read of words
72	hungariam	226.190	
72	regem	25.192.132.27	
72	nostrum	227.260	written 'nrum'
72	carolum inter et augustum	102.194.156.56.25.146.202.62.122.96.135.63.64.218	
72	regem	24.192.52.117	
72	galliae	237.39	237 or 232
72	pacem	160.85.117	
72	?	210.145	margin, line 2, plaintext not identified
71	rawitij	191.208.203.220	
71	lesnam	153.130.47.89	written 'Leinam'
71	rawitium	25.191.208.23.203.218	25 may belong to 'unde'/'equidem'
71	warsawiam	206.67.196.208.89	
71	vina	208.25.163	
71	regi et comiti	192.133.122.105.159.203	alignment unclear
71	de wartenberg	108.206.67.202.180.98.62.42	
71	principali	49.62.146.104.179.154	
71	rege	25.192.132.122	
71	dno	270	
71	de ilgen	108.144.52.118	
71	srm	130.140.190	S.R.M.
71	rege sueciae	140.229.39	
71	anglia et belgio	231.122.98.210.133.48	
71	pax	179.90	
71	pro hungaria	49.194.226	
71	aula	96.152	
71	imperatoria	225.149	
71	srm	63.62.46	S.R.M.
71	hungara	25.226	
71	pacis	179.104.68	
71	legibus pacis	153.133.31.222.49.85.149	
71	rege sueciae ad imperatorem	24.192.132.25.229.260.86.225.117	
71	vestri	207.130.64.193	maybe + causa
71	austriaci	96.68.64.193.300.104	300 read
71	legato suo	153.131.204	
71	baroni de	97.194.165.108	
71	bartholdi	97.62.204.55.109	
71	viennam	208.118.163.56	
71	rex	24.241.25	
71	causam vestram	102.70.68.89.207.63.69.67.89	
23	?	310.144.156.130.120.193.63.28	red, heading line 1, no plaintext under it (UNGLOSSED)
23	?	27.111.29.159.164.302	red, heading line 2, no plaintext (UNGLOSSED)
23	ad	86	
23	serenissimum	197.192	abbrev.
23	regem	241	
23	regia	241	
23	majestas mediationem	158.109.300.203.170.164.190	190 maybe Majestas placed at end
23	suam	200.89	
23	cum	106.46	
23	subsecutura	200.31.197.106.205.191	
23	garantia	131.8.191.47.203.30	
23	majestati caesareae	225.210	
23	exercitu	123.119.104.205	
23	in	146	
23	italiam	234	written 23/4?
23	non	166.47	
23	ducendo	112.103.57.111	
23	angliae et belgii legatis	231.115.98.210.133.44.153.131.203.130	
23	prussicam	301.227.24	
24	imperatore	303.225	
24	svecicam	229.304	
24	caesarea	304.225.27	
24	anglos	91.42.45.177	
24	belgasque	98.210.131.130	'que' written in clear
24	ad svecum	241.310.229	241 = Rex? (ad Regem Svecum)
24	svecus	28.29.229	
24	polonia	29.228	
37	gedanensi	25.132.24.107.164.47.198	
37	cyfrae	301.104.250.191.34	
37	agriae	309.300.42.193.35.39	
37	cracovia	37.191.25.105.208.30	
37	wratislavia	70.191.203.170.152.208.35	
37	guilielmi	249.208.154.116.159	
37	ross	194.63	
37	cracoviensis	32.191.105.24.208.118.198.68.305	
37	forbes	128.140.98.130	
37	laniena eperiesiensi	25.152.165.200.163.26.39.181.193.41.198.118.198.28	
37	legibus	153.133.101.130.301	
37	manifesto	157.165.126.68.204	
37	hungarica	301.226.304	
37	hungaria	226.305.303	
37	caesareanis	25.225.149	
37	hungariam	24.226.56	
37	turcicam	205.140.104.102.46	
37	imperatoris	24.225.23.149	
37	hungariae christianae	226.390.260.280.230.193.130.203.30.163.34	
38	proceres hungariae	160.194.103.192.130.26.226.39	
38	imperator	308.225.24	
38	hungarica	29.226.34	
38	haereditarium	137.192.109.201.193.218	
38	domui austriacae	111.28.162.44.96.130.64.193.35.102.34	34 in margin
38	imperatorem	308.28.225	
38	hungaros	141.47.131.194.68	
38	jus haereditarium	54.222.137.192.109.201.193.218	
38	angliae	27.231.260	
38	belgii	98.210.133.54	
38	legati	303.153.131.203.306	
38	imperatore	225.39	
38	jus mediationis	54.222.158.109.35.203.170.165.63	
38	garantiae	131.191.180.203.35.34	1311 read as 131
38	regi prussiae	241.229.227.306	229 doubtful
38	anglis	91.52.154.68.301	
38	belgis	98.55.133.63.306	
38	mediationem	302.158.303.109.300.203.174.117	
38	regem prussiae	192.132.190.227.205	
38	angli	24.231	
38	belgae	36.116.131.39	
38	pacem	179.103.56	
38	maturandam	157.205.191.180.107.46	
38	cum gallo	401.237.306	
38	debellatum	28.108.98.45.152.205.56	
39	gedanum	132.25.107.24.167.190.306	
39	wratislaviam	110.25.191.203.170.152.208.89.301	
86	novissimam	166.208.63.198.157.46	
86	dominationis	111.159.163.203.174.149	
86	vestrae	207.68	abbrev. Vrae
86	epistolam	34.182.63.204.152.56	
86	per	181.62	
86	quam eodem die in	185.190.39.171.117.109.260.146	margin; alignment loose
86	duplo obtinui	112.49.155.168.203.167.44	margin
86	dom	111.190	
86	ilgenium	144.132.165.211	
86	regi	192.133	
86	exhibui	123.138.101.220	
86	dolet	111.153.64	
86	aula	96.152	
86	tractatum	64.62.85.201.205.46	
86	pacis	179.32.149	
86	ruptum	195.49.64.211	
86	fuisse	129.149.197	
86	quod	188.33	
86	videtur	208.108.205.62	
86	deberi artibus	108.98.193.93.203.31.222	third group read 103/193
86	jesuitarum	44.34.206.151.93.218	line break after 206?
86	qui	187	
86	ex	123	
86	utraque	223.191.186	
86	parte	179.62.202	
86	animos	91.145.177	
86	a	300	
86	pace	179.103	
86	sibi	198.99	
86	funesta	129.164.63.201	
86	futura	129.205.191	
86	abalienarunt	84.30.154.118.93.219.64	
86	utrinque	223.193.47.186	
86	mutua odia	162.205.35.48.109.35	
86	et diffidentiam	122.109.41.127.108.57.203.89	
86	inspirando	146.68.182.191.57.111	
86	deinde	108.146.109	
86	multum	162.45.64.218	
86	hac	136.32	
86	in	146	
86	parte	179.67.202	
86	debemus	108.98.162.63	
86	gen	132.47	
86	starenbergio	68.201.192.47.98.62.133.48	
86	cujus	106.50.222	
86	intererat	146.202.192.191.64	
86	bellum	31.116.55.218	
86	conti	105.47.203	word continues next line
86	nuari	167.35.193	
86	ne	164	
86	generalatu	132.164.191.152.205	
86	privaretur	49.193.206.192.205.62	
86	caeterum	102.34.202.195.46	
86	quia	187.30	
86	imperator	225	
86	ad	86	
86	instantiam	146.130.201.47.203.89	
86	angliae	231.39	
86	et	122	
86	belgii	98.45.133.220	220 at start of next line
86	ad	86	margin, start of line
86	tractatum	120.191.32.201.64.218	
86	pacis	179.32.149	
86	reassumendum	192.94.200.158.180.112.190	
86	se	197	
86	pronum	59.194.167.46	
86	exhibet	123.138.98.120	98.120 on next line
86	rex	241	
86	noster vehementer	166.130.202.140.207.137.158.180.202.67	
86	vobis	209.99.63	
86	suadet moderata	130.206.270.122.161.108.191.201	alignment loose
86	consilia	105.47.198.154.35	
86	ut	223	
86	mature	157.205.192	
86	quid	187.38	
86	e	260	
86	re	192	
86	vestra	207.130.120.191	
86	sit	198.69	
86	cogitetis	105.133.202.203.130	
86	rex	24.25.241	
86	galliae	232.34	
86	pacem	49.85.117	
86	primo	59.193.161	
86	tecte	202.32.202	
86	nunc	167.180.280	
86	vero	207.194	
86	etiam	34.203.89	
86	publice	184.31.154.103	
86	et	122	
86	manifesto	157.165.126.130.204	
86	quaerit	185.34.193.64	
86	eaque	34.35.186	
86	de	108	
86	re	192	
86	elector	236	
86	ad	86	
86	ordines	176.109.57.121	
86	belgii	98.24.45.133.21.220	
86	scripsit	130.280.193.160.198.120	
86	ilgenius	144.132.165.222	
86	mihi	159.138	
86	affirmavit	87.51.148.157.208.64	
86	regem	192.52.117	
86	galliae	232.39	
86	toto	204.22.204	
86	belgio	290.116.133.48	
86	totaque italia	204.26.201.186.234	
86	et	122	
86	sicilia	198.104.154.300	
86	cedere	103.108.192	
86	paratum	179.191.205.46	
86	esse	121.197	
86	dummodo	112.190.161.111	
86	hispania	233	
87	cum	106.56	
87	annexa	91.164.212	
87	india	146.109.35	
87	philippo	160.138.154.49.138	last group read 138, doubtful
87	servetur	197.67.207.205.67	
87	sed	68.114	
87	foederatis	126.108.191.203.68	
87	ne	164	
87	hoc	139.37	
87	quidem	187.108.190	
87	placet	59.152.103.64	
87	et	24.27.122	
87	nihilominus	165.138.155.159.167.63	
87	dom	111.190	
87	ilgenius	144.23.132.1.165.222	
87	intra	146.64.191	
87	decem	108.103.56	
87	menses	158.47.197.68	
87	certo	103.67.204	204 after a symbol
87	pacem	179.103.56	
87	promittit	59.194.46.171.64.151	struck word, replaced by augurat; doubtful
87	rex	20.1.241	
87	sueciae	229.39	
87	cum	106.56	
87	augusto	96.135.63.204	
87	transegit	69.191.57.63.39.133.64	
87	jamque	81.89.186	
87	abdicato	84.109.102.204	
87	augusto	96.14.135.63.2.204	
87	et	122	
87	stanislao	130.201.165.68.152.48	
87	con	105.47	continues
87	firmato	41.148.157.204	
87	expeditionem	123.181.109.203.174.117	
87	proximo	59.194.214.161	
87	vere	207.192	
87	in	146	
87	moscum	161.63.106.46	written Mosc(h)um
87	parat	179.191.64	
87	itaque	25.1.44.201.186	
87	vestri	207.65.120.193	figures stand over 'maxime'; order swapped?
87	maxime	157.214.158	figures stand over 'Vestri'
87	interest	146.202.140.121.120	
87	ut	223	
87	praesenti	160.191.39.197.47.203	
87	hyeme	138.260.158	
87	pax	179.72	
87	vos	209.68	
87	inter	146.202.67	
87	et	122	
87	caesarem	225.117	
87	coalescat	105.88.121.162.64	
87	secus	197.106.68	
87	universa	219.54.207.67.196	
87	belli	98.45.154	
87	moles	161.153.130	
87	in	146	
87	vos	209.130	
87	recidet	192.104.108.64	
87	cui	106.54	
87	sustinendae	200.68.203.164.47.107.39	
87	an	91	
87	pares	179.192.63	
87	sitis	198.120.149	
87	vos	110.177	
87	ipsi	147.198	
87	judicabitis	83.78.109.102.99.203.130.12.23.1	
87	sane	196.164	
87	interpositio	146.202.62.183.198.203.48	
87	angliae	231.39	
87	et	122	
87	belgii	98.45.133.54	
87	bello	290.116.155	
87	gallico	133.210.154.105	
87	composito	105.56.183.198.204	
87	tantum	201.47.205.46	
87	apud	35.184.38	
87	caesarem	225.1.117	
87	non	166.180	
87	valebit	206.153.99.120.1	
87	quantum	185.57.205.56	
87	valet	206.153.69	
87	illo	144.155	
87	durante	112.191.57.202	
87	statum	68.201.205.56	
87	europae	124.194.179.39	
87	modernum	161.108.62.167.46	4th group read 176, taken as 167
87	ex	123	
87	adjuncta	86.81.219.32	one smudged group after 32 not counted
87	brevi	31.192.208	
87	narratione	163.140.191.203.58.164	
87	perspicietis	181.67.63.182.104.122.149.12.3	
87	ac	85	
87	propterea	59.194.49.202.192.30	
87	optat	175.201.120	
87	rex	241	
87	ut	223	
87	in	146	
87	legibus	153.133.101.130	
87	pacis	179.104.68	
87	sanciendis	196.47.104.118.109.63	
87	moderatos	161.108.191.204.63	
87	et	122	
87	faciles	125.104.153.130	
87	vos	209.63	
87	praestetis	59.191.39.68.202.69.149	
87	ne	164	
87	praesens	49.191.39.197.57.68	
87	elabatur	116.84.95.221	
87	ejus	34.50.222	
87	pangendae	160.91.52.118.107.39	
87	opportunitas	175.183.140.205.165.201.68	
87	quae	185.39	
87	videtur	208.108.205.67	
87	futura	129.205.191	
87	esse	121.197	
87	novissima	166.208.68.198.157

11,2/16 no 44, 14 Feb 1707, scans 91-92: the 541 held-out groups

Ilgen, in the King of Prussia's name, urges the Hungarians to make peace with the Emperor before the coming Franco-Imperial peace frees the Emperor's armies; P.S. on two casks of noble wine from Ráday passed on to the King, and on sending more via Cracow or Breslau.

Transcription

transcription.txt

# Blind transcription of the red figure groups, PPN1853544159 scans 91-92 (11,2/16 : 44), from red-only renderings.
# '?' = illegible group, '215?' = doubtful reading. 'F' = insertion mark (not a group). '|' = column/marginal break.
S91 L01 181.140.32.191.105.208.89
S91 L02 107.47.203.63.106.56
S91 L03 123.37.116.144.132.47.165.138.45.35.159.154.202
S91 L04 196.215?.165.105.203.158.47.112.46.121.197.223.187.70.165.207.62.200.68.30.98.55.133.130.179.191.201
S91 L05 181.106.165.35.105.47.112.32.64.222.86.207.62.200.63.232.46.49.194.214.157.300.34.63.201.202.121.120
S91 L06 159.154.201.205.195.69.197.33.158.205.118.107.121.197.93.157.225.149.185.57.111.187.108.190
S91 L07 179.90.280.218.192.132.232.34.49.194.62.200.63.208.104.163.190.120.188.202.46.183.192.225
S91 L08 122.59.194.49.193.219.123.119.104.205.56.52.191.47.33.46.136.98.99.64.122.30.159.166.193.101.68 | 109.159.63.199.?
S91 L09 145.181.193.44.130.201.203.31.222.179.154.202.130.37.174.112.103.192.183.202.193.64.161.180.12
S91 L10 44.201.186.122.168.202.63.201.64.221.123.22.37.116.12.144.301.132.47.166.159.164.192.133.130.187.182.170
S91 L11 105.140.108.209.36.149 F 223.91.202.179.103.46.131.45.154.102.56.209.68 F 106.59.151.185.46.175 | 15?
S91 L12 179.32.117.179.57.131.203.63.164.161.72.161.153.31.116.154.175.61.193.157.159.165.208
S91 L13 108.203.130.196.164.165.138.45.65.177.64.178.91.165.63.49.194.126.104.130.197.165.198.188.38
S91 L14 179.64.193.89.207.63.120.62.89.157.52.149.185.46.139.68.203.45.121.202.140.191.130.108.206.63.201?
S91 L15 207.193.203.130.198.207.194.225.123.119.104.205.96.37.120.222.129.119.151.113.187.38
S91 L16 108.209.99.63.129.205.67.218.121.197.184.201.203.130
S92 L01 179.202.192 | 223 | 146
S92 L02 132.164.194.196 | 144.152 | 208.153 | 186 | 207.63.64.194 | 98.164.127.104.48 | 91.202 | 197.68.187?
S92 L03 91.47.218 | 136.101.44 | 39.187.33.117 | 112.58 | 159.166.191 | 206.196 | 188.270
S92 L04 144.156.38 | 132.164.194.198.222 | 208.47.218 | 123.197 | 93.99.64.191.192.140 | 185.190 | 188.33 | 158
S92 L05 139.159.47.117 | 160.193.206.205.46 | 108.103.192.64 | 192.133 | 141.159.45.154.158 | 166.205 | 154?
S92 L06 30 | 188 | 39.203.89 | 42.191.203.48.197 | 85.103.59.205.46 | 129.151 | 157.220.48.191.112.170
S92 L07 219.218 | 207.210 | 112.48 | 206.63
S92 L08 106.152.159.166.191 | 208.165 | 132.164.194.198 | 207.45 | 32.191.105.208.89 | 86 | 183.63.201.34
S92 L09 157.133.68.104.62.218 | 207.210 | 290.192.130.192.208.89 | 86 | 63.32.53.144.153.105.40 | 54.201.?
S92 L10 109.193.132.192 | 193.52.164.205.140 | 223 | 84 | 145.64.149 | 208.67.149

Decryption

decryption.txt

# jablonski1705 - decode of the held-out draft, SBB PPN1853544159 scans 91-92 (Nachl. Francke 11,2/16 no 44,
# Jablonski -> Ráday, Berlin, 14 Feb 1707), with the frozen key (frozen/03_KEY.json). Per line: our decode with word
# spaces inserted (letters exactly as frozen in frozen/05_DECODE.txt; "?" = illegible group or group outside the frozen
# key), then "=" the Latin written under the groups in the draft (Jablonski's own plaintext, read after the decode was frozen).
# Slips: 225 gives "imperator" where the draft has "Caesar" (the code word serves both); 232 "gallia" for Gallos/Galliae;
# 208.153 "uile" for "vina"; S92 L05 "notu li" for "obtuli". Scan 91 is the letter body, scan 92 the P.S.
S91 L01  per cracouiam
         = per Cracowiam
S91 L02  dantiscum
         = Dantiscum
S91 L03  excel ilgen nihil a milite
         = Exc. Dn. Ilgen nihil a milite
S91 L04  sa?nico timendum esse ut qui uniuersus a belgis parata
         = Saxonico timendum esse ut qui universus a Belgis parata
S91 L05  pecunia conductus aduersus galliam proxima aestate est
         = pecunia conductus adversus Gallos proxima aestate est
S91 L06  militaturut sed metuenda esse arma imperatoris quandoquidem
         = militaturus sed metuenda esse arma Caesaris quandoquidem
S91 L07  paax cum rege galliae prorsus uicinamt quo tempore imperator
         = Pax cum Rege Galliae prorsus vicina sit quo tempore Caesar
S91 L08  et propriun exercitum grandm habebit et a minoribus dimisso?
         = et proprium Exercitum grandem habebit et a minoribus dimissos
S91 L09  imperii statibus palites conducere poterit mon
         = Imperii Statibus milites conducere poterit Monet
S91 L10  itaque et obtestatur excel ilgen nomine regis qui pio
         = itaque et obtestatur Exc. Ilgen nomine Regis qui pio
S91 L11  corde uobis ut ante pacem gallicam uos cupit quam op ?
         = corde vobis ut ante Pacem Gallicam vos cupit quam optime
S91 L12  pacem pangatis ne moax mole belli op?rimamini ui
         = Pacem pangatis ne mox mole Belli opprimamini vi
S91 L13  detis sane nihil sos t? annis profecisse nisi quod
         = detis sane nihil vos tot annis profecisse nisi quod
S91 L14  patriam uestram magis quam hostiles terras deuasta
         = Patriam Vestram magis quam hostiles terras devasta
S91 L15  ueritis si uero imperator exercitu auctus fuerit ? quid
         = veritis si vero Caesar Exercitu auctus fuerit ecquid
S91 L16  de uobis futurum esse putatis
         = de vobis futurum esse putatis
S92 L01  patere ut in
         = Patere ut in
S92 L02  generosa illa uile que uestro beneficio ante sesqui
         = generosa illa vina quae Vestro beneficio ante sesqui
S92 L03  annum habui equidem duo minora uasa quod
         = annum habui equidem duo minora vasa quod
S92 L04  illud generosius uinum exse arbitrarer quam quod me
         = illud generosius vinum esse arbitrarer quam quod me
S92 L05  hominem priuatum deceret regi humillime notu li
         = hominem privatum deceret Regi humillime obtuli
S92 L06  a quo etiam gratiose acceptum fuit maiora duo
         = a quo etiam gratiose acceptum fuit majora duo
S92 L07  unum uel duo uas
         = unum vel duo Vas
S92 L08  cula minora uini generosi uel cracouiam ad postae
         = cula minora vini generosi vel Cracowiam ad Posta
S92 L09  magiscirum uel bresreuiam ad sc?illeco? ita?
         = magistrum vel Breslaviam ad Schillerum ita
S92 L10  dirigere rignetur ut ab imtis uiris
         = dirigere dignetur ut ab istis viris

Reading

reading.md

# jablonski1705 - reading of the measured portion (11,2/16 no 44, scans 91-92), as sentences

Our decode (`decryption.txt`) read as Latin, normalised. Where the decode slips (a cipher-clerk error, a doubtful group or
a group outside the frozen key) the word follows the Latin that Jablonski wrote under the groups; such words are in
*italics*. The draft starts and stops the cipher inside sentences (the clear words around the groups are not part of the
portion), so the stretches below are the enciphered runs, in order.

**Scan 91 (letter body).** ... per Cracoviam ... Dantiscum. Exc. Dn. Ilgen nihil a milite *Saxonico* timendum esse, ut qui
universus a Belgis parata pecunia conductus adversus Gallos proxima aestate est *militaturus*; sed metuenda esse arma Caesaris,
quandoquidem *Pax* cum Rege Galliae prorsus *vicina sit*, quo tempore Caesar et *proprium* Exercitum *grandem* habebit et a
minoribus *dimissos* Imperii Statibus *milites* conducere poterit. *Monet* itaque et obtestatur Exc. Ilgen nomine Regis, qui pio
corde vobis, ut ante Pacem Gallicam vos, cupit quam *optime* Pacem pangatis, ne *mox* mole Belli *opprimamini*. Videtis
sane nihil *vos tot* annis profecisse, nisi quod Patriam Vestram magis quam hostiles terras devastaveritis. Si vero Caesar
Exercitu auctus fuerit, *ecquid* de vobis futurum esse putatis?

**Scan 92 (P.S.).** ... Patere ut in ... generosa illa *vina* quae Vestro beneficio ante sesquiannum habui (equidem duo minora
vasa), quod illud generosius vinum *esse* arbitrarer quam quod me hominem privatum deceret, Regi humillime *obtuli*, a quo etiam
gratiose acceptum fuit ... maiora duo ... unum vel duo vascula minora vini generosi vel Cracoviam ad *Postamagistrum* vel
*Breslaviam* ad *Schillerum* ... ita dirigere *dignetur* ut ab *istis* viris ...

Words in italics: 24 of about 176 words of the runs. Eight words of the decode hold a "?" (the 9 groups that are
illegible or outside the frozen key: Saxonico, dimissos, optime, opprimamini, tot, ecquid, Schillerum, ita);
the rest are clerk's slips or misread groups (militaturut, paax, grandm, propriun, uile, exse, notu li, imtis) or the code word 225 = Caesar/imperator.
read_share (hole rate) = 1 - 8/176 = 0.955.

Translation

translation.md

# jablonski1705 - English translation of the measured portion (11,2/16 no 44, Berlin, 14 Feb 1707)

The enciphered runs of Jablonski's draft to Pál Ráday, after `reading.md`. "..." marks clear words outside the runs.

**Letter body (scan 91).** ... by way of Cracow ... Danzig. His Excellency Herr Ilgen [says] that nothing is to be feared from
the Saxon soldiery, since the whole of it, hired with money provided by the Dutch, will serve against the French next summer;
but the arms of the Emperor are to be feared, since peace with the King of France is quite near, and at that time the Emperor
will have a great army of his own and will be able to hire the soldiers dismissed by the lesser Estates of the Empire.
His Excellency Ilgen therefore advises and implores you, in the name of the King, who with a sincere heart wishes for you
that you make peace on the best terms you can before the French peace, lest you be crushed soon by the weight of the war.
You surely see that in so many years you have achieved nothing except to lay waste your own country more than the enemy's
lands. But if the Emperor's army is increased, what do you think will become of you?

**Postscript (scan 92).** ... Allow that ... those noble wines which, by your kindness, I received a year and a half ago
(two smaller casks indeed): since I judged that wine too noble for a private man like me, I most humbly offered it to the King,
by whom it was also graciously accepted ... two larger ... one or two smaller casks of noble wine, either to Cracow to the
postmaster or to Breslau to Schiller ... may he deign to send them so that by those men ...

Key: key.tsv

05 Sources

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – PK, Nachl. A. H. Francke 11,2/15 (draft book 1705), PPN1853543950, scans 23–24, 37–39, 71–72: SBB viewer. Public Domain Mark 1.0.
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – PK, Nachl. A. H. Francke 11,2/16 (draft book 1706–1707), PPN1853544159, scans 86–87, 91–92: SBB viewer. Public Domain Mark 1.0.
Kalliope records DE-611-HS-2910535, -2910540, -2910560 (11,2/15) and DE-611-HS-2910627, -2910629 (11,2/16).
Wikimedia Commons, “File:Partially encrypted letter 1705-08-03.jpg” (the received letter of 3 Aug 1705, from Révay 1974).
Z. Révay, II. Rákóczi Ferenc és korának rejtjelezése (XVIII. század), Budapest, 1974 (not seen).
Benda, Levéltári Közlemények 25 (1954), on a clavis in the Ráday archive (not seen).
Brice Dudout, key, pairs, held-out transcription and validation (10 Nov 2026), integrated through PR #385 (11 Nov 2026).

Working notes, the key, the pairs, the frozen test and its scripts: targets/jablonski1705/.

Cite this page

Daniel Bourdeau and Brice Dudout, “Jablonski to Pál Ráday, 1705–1707: the key of the numeric syllabary”, Cyphersolver, posted 11 November 2026, https://cyphersolver.com/jablonski1705.html.