At a glanceKey recovered from adjacent plaintext · partial (45% of the cipher)
- The letters
- Eight letters of Lope Hurtado de Mendoza, Charles V’s agent at the papal court, 1523–24.
- Where
- Salazar volume, DECODE R9667 and R9846 among eight records; Bergenroth calendared two of them (CSP Spain ii nos. 548, 617).
- The cipher
- The 1522 system: three-letter code groups and an alphabet of cursive signs, with the key changed between 1522 and 1524.
- How it was read
- The clerk’s clear version of the first third of the February 1524 letter (f. 133r), aligned against 38 cipher lines, gives 105 values, 65 confirmed.
- What it says
- Beaurain’s mission to Clement VII, the Pope’s wish to see France ruined or a truce made, the Emperor’s want of money, Hurtado’s unpaid salary.
- Still open
- The six uncalendared letters are one quarter to two thirds deciphered; about thirty code groups and look-alike signs remain.
zil con- and the spelled letters t-r-i-b-u-c-i-o-n. Image: Real Academia de la Historia, Colección Salazar y Castro A-30 (9/30) f. 130r, via DECODE R9846.01 The eight records
The dates come from the date lines, the dockets and, for R9867, from the date spelled out in cipher at the foot. DECODE’s dates, addressees and volume are wrong for several records; the corrections are in the last column.
| DECODE | ff. | date | to | state | DECODE says |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R9667 | 9/28 ff. 6–9 | Rome, 5 May 1523 | Emperor | clear with cipher runs; CSP ii 548 | June 1523, unknown recipient |
| R9683 | 9/28 f. 171 | Rome, June 1523 (docket 10 June) | Emperor | clear with 8 cipher lines | unknown recipient |
| R9695 | 9/28 ff. 339–340 | Rome, 8 July 1523 | Emperor | autograph draft, much struck through | June 1523 |
| R9846 | 9/30 ff. 130–133 | Rome, 3 and 5 Feb 1524 | Emperor | almost all cipher; clear of the first third on f. 133r; CSP ii 617 | 1523, 9/28 |
| R9866 | 9/30 ff. 285–286 | Rome, 28 Feb 1524 | Grand Chancellor Gattinara | half cipher | 1523, 9/28, unknown recipient |
| R9867 | 9/30 f. 351 | Rome, 4 Jan 1524 | Emperor | wholly cipher, 30 lines | 1523, 9/28 |
| R9868 | 9/30 ff. 430–431 | Rome, 20 Mar 1524 | Grand Chancellor Gattinara | half cipher | 1523, 9/28, unknown recipient |
| R9869 | 9/30 ff. 444–445 | Rome, 28 Mar 1524 | Emperor | half cipher | 1523, 9/28 |
The Calendar check went through Bergenroth’s CSP Spain vol. 2, pp. 547–709, by the Salazar folio numbers he prints. Only ff. 6–9 of A-28 (no. 548) and ff. 130–133 of A-30 (no. 617) are calendared. The other six letters are not.
R9667 has a leaf headed “Claro” bound beside it, which looks like a crib. It is not one. The leaf is imaged mirrored, and its docket reads “Del abbad de Najera a dos de mayo”: it is the clear of the Abbot of Nájera’s letter of 2 May 1523, not of Hurtado’s of 5 May. For R9667 the content comes from Bergenroth’s abstract, which he made from a contemporary deciphering that is not among the images.
02 The key, from the clear of 5 February 1524
The clear on f. 133r covers the cipher of ff. 130r–130v from “para lo de contribucion” to “el buen animo”, and every clause has its cipher counterpart. Most of the letter alphabet came out of spelled runs whose length matches the plaintext word exactly, with known code groups on both sides: contribucion, ayuda, menester, salida, pensar, determinacion. The alignment gave 105 values, 65 of them confirmed (grade C). It also corrected six words of the first transcription of the clear: señorear, poco daño, concierte, deudas, seguir, conservar.
The 1522 key is the starting point, and 25 of its code groups and the signs for n, e, a and o hold in 1524. Some values changed. tef is paz in 1522 and nec- (necesidad, necesario) three times in 1524. The sign L is i in 1522 and r here. So the 1522 key cannot be applied unchanged.
03 What the letters say
Notation: […] marks a passage not yet deciphered. Coverage is the share of cipher tokens that have a value, which is an upper bound: many of them are single letters in runs that do not yet make words. The “reads as Spanish” column is the better measure. Gists are graded M unless stated.
| DECODE | tokens with a value | reads as Spanish | gist |
|---|---|---|---|
| R9667 | fragments | little | benefices for the Pope’s servants (list on f. 7); CSP 548 has the content |
| R9683 | 67/91 | fragments | the Pope well disposed since Volterra’s arrest; restore the benefices of the chamberlain and Francisco (clear) |
| R9695 | 184/249 | almost none | rumoured poisoning; the Duke of Camerino’s men still in prison; naturalisations for the Pope’s intimates (clear) |
| R9846 | first third from the clear | first third (C) | Beaurain’s coming; the Pope wants France ruined, or else a truce |
| R9867 | 418/467 | about 60% | Beaurain has left the Pope content; the Emperor must not show need of money |
| R9866 | 561/649 | a quarter to a third | to Gattinara: the French mean to stay this side of the Alps; the writer’s unpaid salary |
| R9868 | 328/353 | f. 430r mostly | to Gattinara: Capua gone, all business hangs on the Datary, who must be satisfied |
| R9869 | 310/339 | about two thirds | the Pope’s money offer through Beaurain; Florence undecided; Capua to be well received |
5 February 1524, to the Emperor (R9846, CSP 617)
The clerk’s clear, which the cipher of ff. 130r–130v matches clause for clause (grade C), with spelling and punctuation normalised from the line-by-line transcription r9846_clear.txt:
El papa ha holgado con la nueva de la venida de mossior de Beuvre; spera le con desseo, sera provechosa su venida aqui en esta coyuntura generalmente para todos los negocios y particular para lo de contribucion, que segun hay pocos dineros toda ayuda es menester, fasta ver si la salida del visorey haze retirar los franceses, que donde agora estan haze pensar lo que ha de ser, como quiera que la determinacion del papa es que bayan fuera de Italia. […] Dize me su Sd. que querria una de dos cosas: teniendo v. mad. aparejo, lo que mas dessea es que el Rey de Francia se destruya […]; no pudiendo ser esto, dessea que se tomasse assiento de tregua o paz antes que las cosas de v. mad. veniessen a necessidad.
The Pope is glad of Beaurain’s coming, since money is short and every help is needed until the Viceroy’s march makes the French withdraw; he is resolved that they leave Italy. If the Emperor has the means, what he most wants is for the King of France to be destroyed; if not, a truce or peace before the Emperor’s affairs come to necessity. The rest of the cipher (ff. 131r–132v) is not deciphered here; Bergenroth’s abstract no. 617 gives its content.
4 January 1524, to the Emperor (R9867; decoded, not read)
Wholly in cipher, with no clear. The date and signature are spelled at the foot, “de Roma a quatro de enero — Lope Hurtado”, eleven signs for l-o-p-e-h-u-r-t-a-d-o, all but one already in the key. About half its sentences hold; the rest break on open code groups (partial reading R9867_reading.md):
Mussiur de Beure [?dexa] al papa contento de lo que le ha dicho de parte de V. Mt. … No deve mostrar necessidad, porque […]emos […] que aqui son poco[s] para sacar dineros; y que estar sin [?dezir] aprovechara […] para que los buscasen los que […] dizen que no los tienen. … De Roma a quatro de enero. Lope Hurtado.
On 22 October 2026 the three letters below were transcribed again sign by sign on the full-resolution DECODE images (look-alike signs resolved word by word, corrections in <record>_corrections.tsv) and decoded with the key; their clear text with the cipher runs (in italics) now builds Spanish sentences, with holes at the open code groups.
28 February 1524, to Gattinara (R9866)
The letter builds coherent sentences but reads at 91.4% of its words, under the 95% bar.
Los franceses desean por maña o por fuerça quedar desta parte de los montes, segun el credito que [?an] [?allanado], en no los aver ofendido por esas partes los exercitos de su V. Mt., y el que sea perdido en no poder hazer nada.
Beaurain’s coming was timely, and Hurtado has briefed him. The French want to stay this side of the Alps; the Emperor must not grant peace or truce while they hold a palm of ground, and must drive them out: “que si no son vencidos, quedan vencedores, y lo de aca esta perdido”. Naples should be made to pay the army. Hurtado asks Gattinara to read a chapter he wrote to Soria and to help him get paid what he is owed.
20 March 1524, to Gattinara (R9868)
A copy of Hurtado’s letter of 11 March to the Emperor goes with it. The archbishop of Capua has left, and in his absence all business hangs on the Datary, Giberti:
A Su Mt. tengo escrito por otras la necesidad que ay de [?gratificarle], porque de lo passado era mal contento, segun el lugar que tiene. Tengolo por inconveniente, y cada dia me parece mas necessario [?cunplir] con el.
Naturalisations would help two or three of those closest to the Pope; the protectorship would be better with Colonna, whom Vespasiano “obedecele como al Prospero su padre”, and who could complain with cause if forgotten.
28 March 1524, to the Emperor (R9869)
The letter builds coherent sentences but reads at 92.7% of its words, under the 95% bar.
The Pope has sent Beaurain money proposals and told Hurtado he would fulfil the rest, pleading his need; Florence has not yet decided; Fuenterrabía is held lost by the French. If the archbishop of Capua finds the army ready to sustain the war, his report will match the Pope’s offer. “La voluntad y palabras del papa no pare[ce] que hera[n] mejores […] […]. Quiera Dios que tales sean las obras.” Easter news, Hungary and the Turk are in the clear.
June and July 1523 (R9683, R9695)
Both letters are mostly in the clear, and little of their cipher lines is deciphered. R9683 says the Pope has been well disposed since the arrest of Cardinal Soderini of Volterra, and asks the Emperor to restore the benefices of the Pope’s chamberlain and of Francisco and to pay what is owed to the Pope. R9695, an autograph draft of 8 July, reports that the rumoured poisoning could not be verified, that the Duke of Camerino’s men are still in prison and that the Pope eats apart, served by old servants; it asks naturalisations for the Pope’s intimates.
04 What remains open
- About thirty code groups, among them
rub,ʃug,zid,tol,tid,zib,xer,xir,xal,ʃal,yab,tas,toc,yic: they leave the holes in R9866, R9868 and R9869 and most of R9867 unread. There is no crib for them. - R9667, R9683 and R9695 (1523): decoded, not read. The 1523 hand uses letter signs of the 1522 notation that are not in the 1524 key, and there is no 1523 crib; R9667’s contemporary decipherment, from which Bergenroth worked, is not imaged.
- Look-alike signs: ∂ and barred ∂, two- and three-bar crosses, and a barred m that is f in some places and c in others. Most were resolved word by word on the full-resolution crops on 22 October 2026; a few stay ambiguous.
- R9846 ff. 131r–132v: not deciphered here. The rest of the clerk’s clear is probably on f. 133v, which is not imaged; the RAH Biblioteca Digital copy of Salazar A-30 would give more of the key.
- R9667: no crib. Its content is known only through CSP 548.
- R9683: the docket’s sender reading and the date line (“[x]vi de junio” against the docket’s “diez de junio”) are not settled.
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.
R9667, Rome, 5 May 1523, to Charles V (9/28 ff. 6-9) decoded, not read
Clear letter with cipher runs on the Pope's servants and the benefices the Pope wants for them; CSP Spain ii no. 548 abstracts it from a lost contemporary decipherment (the Pope has not yet declared his alliance, the French have lost hope, Theodorico was most suspected). Only fragments of the cipher runs are deciphered; the 'Claro' leaf beside it is the Abbot of Nájera's clear of 2 May 1523, not Hurtado'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
# R9667 cipher runs, Lope Hurtado de Mendoza to Charles V, Rome 5 May 1523. Transcribed 2026-09-21 # from IMG_R9667_I45535_P1 (right = f.6r) and _P2 (left = f.6v). Clear text in [brackets]. # Symbols follow targets/lopehurtado/key_codes.tsv. Latin-letter trigrams are legible; single signs are # eye-transcriptions at ~2x zoom and are NOT reliable (see 1522 NOTES, 2026-09-20 downgrade). # Legend of new/approximate symbols: # ℋ = the looped "H/&"-like sign opening run A (same shape as 1522 ℋ before zarᵹ ɣᵹb) # ɛ = small "ε/3-with-tail" sign ∂ = "d/ẟ" looped sign (distinct from latin d?) # tt = crossed double-t sign ff = long double-s/f ligature sign # & = "&/8 with open loop" sign 6/ɣ/8/7/4/L/x/m as in 1522 # ɋ = "y/g"-like descender sign (1522 ɋ = y) # Note: faint mirrored writing at the top of f.6r (above "de la presion de bulterra") is show-through # of f.6v's first cipher lines (run E), not a separate run. ## f.6r RUN A (margin "A"): [...no se tiene por servidor de V. Mt sino por esclavo] ℋ zo yub taf tu fu | zar ɋ ɛ ʃ ʈ ʒ xon yuc ɋ L ∞ tt ti yuc tudd ɋ 8 x 7 7 ton xm | ton 4 ff rab [y ya estan sin ninguna esperança de bien suyo. Al presente todo lo de aca va muy bien encaminado como entendera V. Mt mas largo por las letras del duque. En estas cosas] RUN B: ∂ ɋ yuc yof6 | ɋ md tt ɛ xu4 xard ztt ff x & xuld ɋ tt ∂ 7 x & d zar ʃu | xeg d ra ff xuL7 yun 8d ton L 8 8 4 d 7 L tto xard [porque todos estan tan alegres de lo que el papa ha hecho como yo, y lo mismo Theodorico] RUN C: ton 8ʃ7 zar ɛ tin xon ʃu zar d ɋ 8 d ɋ tt ∂ 7 L ff [Razon es que lo que el papa ha hecho y su voluntad meresca que V. Mt les haga merced de mandar hazer naturales destos reynos a los que son mas cerca de su Sd, el memorial de los quales va con esta (= slip f.7), ... dar al camarero y a Francisco los beneficios que el papa les dio en Flandes ... Pedro de Roma diziendo que no era natural. y que en Flandes] RUN D: xiLd ff rab | 4 ʃ L ∂ 8 7 x m rab xul ton t 7 x tto ∂ ff xiLd zun L 7 ɋ zi t8- (hyphen: continues on f.6v) ## f.6v RUN E (continuation): yiq ton yub taf xic yo ton rab 4 ʃ L ∂ 8 ɛ oo ton zar Bens. [a sus criados.] RUN F: tu ton ɛ L yuc xm yiLɛ t8Lɛɋ oo6 ff xul d | fedz md yuc ʃedd tas6 [. al pressente me parece que esta provision seria necessaria para que mejor esten en lo que son obligados al servicio de V. Mt ...] (No further cipher on f.6v; the rest of the letter, to "De Roma a cinco de mayo MDxxiij", is clear.)
Decryption
# R9667 alignment (2026-09-21)
## The Claro leaf cannot be aligned
The "A . Claro / B . Claro" leaf imaged on P1 left is the clear of the **Abbot of Najera's letter of
2 May 1523** (docket "Al Rey — Del abbad de Najera a dos de mayo"), bound beside Lope Hurtado's letter.
Its image is mirrored. Section A is about Alonso Sanchez's letters from Venice, the articles of the
agreement with the Venetians sent to the Infante, and the army's pay; section B is blank. None of
the six cipher runs on f.6r/6v can be its ciphertext (no Venice/Infante context, run A sits inside
a sentence about the Pope's servants). **No exact-count slot exists for R9667**; everything below is
context-only and at best *probable*.
## Runs vs. context (codes read with the 1522 key)
| run | cipher (codes read) | context / gist |
|---|---|---|
| A | ℋ zo **yub taf tu** fu · **zar** ɋɛʃʈʒ **xon yuc** ɋL∞tt ti **yuc** tudd ɋ8x77 **ton** xm **ton** 4ff **rab** | "...[?] el papa no [fue?] de [.....] mas en [...] en [tod-?] ... que [d-o] que ... V. Mt" — then clear "y ya estan sin ninguna esperança de bien suyo" (the servants). Gist: something the Pope did/didn't do for his servants; not readable. |
| B | ∂ɋ **yuc yof6** · ɋ md tt ɛ xu4 xard ztt ff x& xuld ɋ tt∂7x&d **zar** ʃu · xeg d ra ff xuL7 yun 8d **ton** L884d7Ltto xard | "en esta[s] ... de su [Sd?] ... que ..." — then "porque todos estan tan alegres de lo que el papa ha hecho como yo". Unread. |
| C | **ton** 8ʃ7 **zar** ɛ tin **xon** ʃu **zar** dɋ8dɋtt∂7Lff | after "y lo mismo Theodorico": "que ... de ... mas s[e?] de ..." Unread. |
| D+E | xiLd ff **rab** 4ʃL∂87xm **rab xul ton** t7xtto∂ff xiLd zun L7ɋ zi t8- / yiq **ton yub taf** xic yo **ton rab** 4ʃL∂8ɛ oo **ton zar** Bens. [a sus criados] | after "y que en Flandes": "... V. Mt [4ʃL∂8-7xm] V. Mt lo que ... y que el papa ... que V. Mt [4ʃL∂8ɛ] ... que de beneficios a sus criados". Strong contextual reading: **that V. Mt provide (provea) benefices to the Pope's servants**. |
| F | **tu ton** ɛL **yuc** xm yiLɛ t8Lɛɋ oo6 ff **xul** d · fedz md **yuc** ʃedd tas6 | "no que ... en ... lo ..." then clear "al pressente me parece que esta provision seria necessaria". Unread. |
## Derived values (all PROBABLE, context only)
- `4ʃL∂8ɛ` = **provea** (6 signs, 6 letters), slot "que V. Mt ___ ... de beneficios a sus criados"; the stem recurs in D as `4ʃL∂87xm` = prove-a-d-o? (**proveado**/"proveydo"; ends 7xm = a-d-o as in 1522 honrrado/approvechado). CONTRADICTION: 1522 key has `4` = n and ⊃ = p; here `4` would be p. Either the 1523 alphabet differs, or my `4` is a different sign from the 1522 `4` (likely; eye-transcription). Flagged, not adopted.
- `Bens.` = **beneficios**, apparently a clear abbreviation left inside the cipher line (probable).
- Codes simply re-used with the 1522 value, sense-consistent in context: yub=el, taf=papa, tu=no, ton=que, rab=V. Mt, zar=de, xon=mas, yuc=en, yof=esta, xul=lo, ʃu=se/su. None contradicted; none newly confirmed (no exact slot).
- New, unread groups: zo, fu, ti, tudd, xic, yo, yiq, xeg, xard, xuld, xiLd, tin, tas6, fedz, md, oo.
## Crib not usable
The f.7 slip of papal servants (Pedro el camarero, Francisco, el decano, Pedro de Roma, Juanin de
Embers, Adrian, Juanin, Girart, the confessor, Antonio, maestre Pedro barbier, maestre Pedro
cubiculario) is the "memorial" named in clear on f.6r ("el memorial de los quales va con esta");
the names are spelled out in clear there, and no cipher run has the length/shape of a name list.
The only spelled Pedro in 1522 (`⊃8xʒm`) does not appear in any run.Decryption
# Retry step, 2026-09-21: merged key, open code groups, regrade
Files: `key_merged.tsv` (built by `decode_merged.py --build`), `key_retry.tsv` (this step's values, one of the
merge sources), `decode_merged.py` (decoder, `--kwic`, `--open`). NOTES.md not edited.
## 1. The merged key
Sources, by priority (an earlier source wins; a later one that differs goes in the `conflicts` column):
key_1524_additions > key_1524 > key_1523_additions > key_1523_r9667 > key_retry > 1522 re-read in 1524
notation (`key_1522_from1524.tsv`) > 1522-B > 1522 `key_codes.tsv` (1522 files: code groups only, since the
1522 letter signs use another notation). 175 entries. Conflicts that remain:
| code | kept | conflicting value | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| tef | nec- (1524, 3 contexts) | paz (1522, confirmed) | **both are right, by context**: tef standing alone = *paz* (R9846 v09 crib "tregua o paz", R9866 R3 "de paz ni tregua", R9866 R14 "la paz les"); tef + e-s-i-d-a-d = *nec*-. The decoder cannot tell them apart and prints nec- |
| ʒ | p (1524 add.) | c (1522 glosses) | R9866 also has m̶ reading both f and c; not resolved at DECODE resolution |
| yub | el | duque? (1522, possible) | el kept; `yib` = duque (1522-B) fits R9683 a4 "el yib esta bienquisto" |
| ʃil | toma | tomas- | same value |
| ʃid | Sad | Sa | same value |
| xu | ha- | hara | same (hara = xu + ra) |
| xod | fe | he-/fe- | same |
| oo | n (1522 R9656) | e (1522-B R9649) | 1522 notation only; does not occur in the 1524 letters |
| ti | ni (retry) | ni (1522-B probable) | upgraded |
Two token aliases were found and applied: `T̄` (R9866, 9x) is the key's `⊤` = u/v ("venda", "deve", "evitar"),
and `⁝φ` (R9866/R9868, 13x) is the key's `ʑφ` = y ("muy dañosos", "mas obligado y quanto antes",
"los franceses y lo de aca").
## 2. Code groups: evidence
Confirmed = at least two independent contexts agree (a crib slot counts as one). Contexts are from
`decode_merged.py --kwic`.
| code | value | grade | contexts |
|---|---|---|---|
| xun | Magestad (su xun = su Mt) | confirmed | R9866 R3 "si su xun puede en", R9 l7 "su xun provea", R13 "por parte de su xun", R14, R9 l3; R9868 R17 "que su xun mande tomar". Always after ʃed/clear "su", only in the two letters to Gattinara, where the clear says "su Mt" for the Emperor |
| xor | mu- | confirmed | R9869 R6 "xor-dado de proposito" (mudado); R9868 R17 "es xor-i provechoso" (mui); R9866 R14 "xor y dañosos" (muy). 1522-B had mu/mo |
| ʃub | si (ʃub+n = sin) | confirmed | R9846 c17 so-ʃub-e-g-o = sossiego (crib l.12); R9866 "tregua ʃub los franceses", "que ʃub no son"; R9868 "ʃub entienden"; R9867 l12 "estar ʃub n" (sin). Homophone of sub; 1522 ʃubʒ = sin |
| ʃom | tregua | confirmed | R9846 v09 crib "de tregua o paz antes"; R9866 R3 l10 "de tef ti ʃom" = de paz ni tregua |
| ti | ni | confirmed | R9866 R3 l10 "paz ni tregua"; R9695 B03 struck cipher "en Francia ti c…" rewritten in clear "ni cosa del Rey de Francia" |
| ʃif | tan | confirmed | R9846 c14 crib "tanbien" (ʃif zef); R9866 R5 "ʃif t-o" (tanto); R9866 R14 "paresca ʃif provech-" |
| zef | bien | confirmed | R9846 c14 crib, the other half of "tanbien" once ʃif = tan stands on its own; R9867 l05 "xed zef" (muy bien); R9695 B01 "el zef" |
| ʃob | segun | confirmed | R9846 v05 crib "sostener segun las deudas" (exact); R9867 l05 "muy bien ʃob estavan". R9846 v10 (clear "veniessen") does not fit: a different or misread group there |
| ʃal | esta | probable (2 agree) | R9866 R9 "lo de aca ʃal perdido"; R14 "no ʃal-rian" (estarian). R9867 l18 and R9868 R10 do not read. Kept probable because it would be a third "esta" beside yof |
| xed | muy | probable | only before zef, twice |
| yac | ello(s) | probable | R9846 c13 clear "ayudar a ello" (slot not exact); R9866 R7 "de yac c" (dellos) |
| zic | aqui (or alli) | probable | "el exercito que zic tiene"; "lo de zic es escusado"; "lo que sucediere zic"; "porque zic no". A place adverb; aqui vs alli not decided |
| ʃon | son | probable | R9867 l11 "que aqui ʃon poco[s] para sacar dineros", l18 |
| tul | quando | probable | R9869 R8 "lo que el papa envio a ofrecer a V.Md tul [o] fue elegido" (Clement VII, Nov 1523); R9868 "su padre tul era". R9867 l05, R9866 R4 do not read |
| ʃec | pero | probable | R9867 l14 "si los franceses quedan en Italia, ʃec lo de aca estara…"; R9869 R2 "cumplira el resto … ʃec dize su necesidad" |
| zur | assi (look-alike of zuc) | probable | R9867 l04 "y zur mismo" = y assimismo |
| ʃul | Beatitud | probable | R9868 R11 "los que son mas cerca de su ʃul", the phrase R9695's clear writes "mas cerca de Su Bt" |
| xel | les (= xil c) | probable | R9868 R5 "porque no xel c tomara" |
| tur | obra(s) | probable | R9869 R12 "quiera dios que tales sean las tur c" |
| xac | guerra (= xax) | probable | R9869 R7 "aparejo para sostener la xac aca" |
| yiz | dizen (yi + z) | probable | R9867 l13 "los que zet yiz que no los tienen" |
| to | no | probable | R9866 R14 "to ʃal-rian" = no estarian |
| ʃer | ser | probable | R9695 A11 "que con ʃer para" |
| tar | Rey de Francia (tor misread?) | probable | R9695 B03 vs clear rewrite |
| yib | duque (1522-B) | probable, now fits | R9683 a4 "el yib esta bienquisto": the clear around it is about the Duke of Sessa's letters |
### Still open, and why
| code | n | contexts | why open |
|---|---|---|---|
| rub | 1 | R9867 l10 "porque rub-emos" | a verb stem (ten-/sab-/v-emos); not yub = el. The R9683/R9695 "rub" readings are yub in this transcription |
| zad | 3 | R9868 "el ausencia del zad de aqui" (the absent one who must come back "mas obligado", i.e. the archbishop of Capua?); R9867 l16 "Beure zad a p…", l18 "bien zad-ado" | the three contexts need different values (a name, a verb stem) |
| xer | 5 | "aprovechara xer para que los buscasen", "xer del cardenal", "con xer p-a-l-m-o" | "mucho" or "algo" fit two; the R9866 contexts do not read |
| zm | 4 | "V.Md zm Roma", "lo que suelo zm V.Md me lo ha mandado", "proveer zm ha se aparado" | "como" or "y" fit two of four; ʃm = tiempo is a look-alike |
| zub | 3 | "de lo que zub se me deve", "la costa de zub", "con zub-oso" | ya/hasta agora fit only the first |
| tal | 3 | R9846 c24 "para tal-io sostener" (podello), R9869 "tal cardenal", R9683 | the c24 slot is not exact; the others do not agree |
| tol | 2 | "el arçobispo con el tol", "al a tol suplico" | the datario? no second fit |
| ʃug, zid | 2, 1 | R9868 "sobre el zid de ʃug" (a see the Pope held a pension on?); R9867 "rub-emos ʃug que aqui son pocos" | no agreement |
| xir, ʃeg, xeg, zer, ʃag, ʃef, xuc, xal, co, zet, ʃr, toc, tid, xab, ʒal, ʒul, zib, yob, ʒσ, ʃin, ʃen, tap, tuc, tuzun | 1-4 | single or non-agreeing contexts | not enough context; most sit in lines whose letter signs also do not read (R9695, R9869 R1/R7) |
The residue of unread text is now mostly **letter-sign strings** that do not make Spanish (R9866 R3-R7, R9868
R11-R17, R9869 R1/R5/R7, R9695 as a whole), not code groups. That is the look-alike sign problem (∂ vs ∂̶,
m̶ = f or c, ʒ = p or c, ʇʇ vs ʇʇʇ), which needs better images, not more context.
## 3. R9667 against the CSP Spain ii no. 548 abstract
548 is a short English abstract of a lost contemporary decipherment, so it gives the order of topics, not wording.
Laid against the runs (R9667 is transcribed in the 1522 sign notation, so its letter signs decode badly with the
1524 key and are not trusted):
| run | clear around it | 548 topic it falls under | what the codes say |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | before "y ya estan sin ninguna esperança" | "Although the Pope has not yet declared himself about his alliance, the French have already lost all hope" | "… el papa no fu[…] de … mas en …": fits "el papa no [se ha declarado]"; `fu`/`zo` open |
| B | before "porque todos estan tan alegres de lo que el papa ha hecho" | "the servants of the Pope were not so much French partisans as it was feared" | `yun` (fran-) in the run fits "franceses"; the rest unread |
| C | after "y lo mismo Theodorico" | "especially Theodoric, who was most suspected" | "que [8ʃ7] de [ɛ tin] mas se de[…]": fits "que era de quien mas se [sospechava]"; not an exact slot |
| D-E | "y que en Flandes … a sus criados" | "the preferment the Pope conferred on them, to which Madame Margaret has objected"; "reward them" | "que el papa ha dicho que V.Md provea … de beneficios": the NOTES reading holds |
| F | before "al presente me parece que esta provision seria necessaria" | "accept as subjects those nearest the Pope" | unread |
The crib confirms the topic order and the reading of runs D-E, but it gives no exact slot, so **no value is
confirmed from it** and R9667's coverage does not move. A real gain would need the contemporary decipherment
the CSP editor used, which is not among the DECODE images.
## 4. Updated readings (excerpts; `<>` = probable)
- R9846 c14: "**tan bien** me a dicho esto el arçobispo" (crib; now read from the codes).
- R9867 l04-l05: "y **assi**mismo lo que … Sad que … **muy bien segun** estavan <**quando**> …"; l11: "…que <**aqui**>
<**son**> poco[s] para sacar dineros, y que estar **sin** dezir aprovechara…"; l14: "si los fran[ceses] quedan en
Italia, <**pero**> lo de aca estara con…".
- R9866 R3: "en no poder hazer nada; si su **Magestad** puede en … [de] **paz ni tregua**, **si** los franceses
quedan aca…"; R5: "…su **Magestad** …"; R9: "que **si** no son …, lo de aca <**esta**> perdido, su **Magestad**
provea de dineros…"; R14: "…necesidad **y** la **paz** les paresca **tan** provech[osa] … no <estarian> **muy
dañosos** … su **Magestad**" [como musiur de Beurre traera].
- R9868 R9: "…que venga mas obligado **y** quanto antes bolviere lo terna por mejor"; R11: "…que son mas cerca de
su <**Beatitud**>"; R17: "es **muy** provechoso … **si** entienden que su **Magestad** mande tomar…".
- R9869 R6: "[las nuevas …] avian **mudado** de proposito a todos"; R7: "aparejo para sostener la <**guerra**> aca";
R8: "lo que el papa envio a ofrecer a V.Md <**quando** fue elegido>"; R12: "quiera Dios que tales sean las
<**obras**>".
## 5. Coverage (cipher tokens with a value / all tokens; upper bound on what reads)
"Before (NOTES)" is the figure in NOTES.md. "Before (merged)" is the merged key with none of this step's values or
aliases (the 1522-B/1522 code groups alone add a few). "After" is the merged key with `key_retry.tsv` and the two
aliases. Token counts differ slightly from NOTES because the parser counts every token of every transcription.
| rec | before (NOTES) | before (merged) | after | change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R9667 | fragments | 81/152 (53%) | 82/152 (54%) | none of substance; 1523 transcription is in 1522 notation |
| R9683 | 67/91 (74%) | 71/91 (78%) | 72/91 (79%) | yib = duque fits |
| R9695 | 184/249 (74%) | 197/249 (79%) | 208/249 (84%) | ti, tar, ʃer, zef, ʃub; still reads little |
| R9846 | crib third | 739/764 (97%) | 749/764 (98%) | ʃif zef, ʃob, ʃom now read from codes |
| R9867 | 418/467 (90%) | 431/467 (92%) | 449/467 (96%) | assimismo, muy bien segun, aqui son, sin, pero |
| R9866 | 561/649 (86%) | 568/624 (91%) | 613/624 (98%) | xun (7x), ⁝φ = y (12x), T̄ = u (9x), paz ni tregua |
| R9868 | 328/353 (93%) | 340/353 (96%) | 347/353 (98%) | ⁝φ = y, muy, Beatitud, les |
| R9869 | 310/339 (91%) | 317/339 (94%) | 321/339 (95%) | mudado, guerra, quando, obras |
Token coverage is now close to complete everywhere but R9667 and R9695. What reads as Spanish went up more
modestly: R9866 from a quarter–third to about half (R3, R9, R14 now make sentences), R9867 from ~60% to ~70%,
R9868 f. 430r complete bar `zad`/`zid`/`ʃug`, R9869 about three quarters. Status stays **read in part**.
## 6. What would move it further
- Better images (RAH Biblioteca Digital, Salazar A-28/A-30) to separate ∂/∂̶, m̶ = f/c, ʒ = p/c, ʇʇ/ʇʇʇ: the
remaining unread stretches are letter strings, not code groups.
- f. 133v of R9846 (rest of the clerk's clear) would give exact slots for zad, zm, zub, xer if they recur there.
- R9667: the contemporary decipherment CSP 548 was made from is not imaged; without it the runs stay at
topic-level alignment.Reading
# R9667 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 5 May 1523 (RAH Salazar A-28 ff. 6-9) — partial reading Rests on: the clear text, transcribed on the DECODE images (IMG_R9667_I45535_P1 right = f. 6r, P2 left = f. 6v; first transcribed in the main checkout's `trans_R9667.md`, checked here on full-resolution crops); the six cipher runs re-read on the images in the sign notation of the 1522 key (this 1523 hand writes the 1522 letter forms: `&` = o, `H` = e, `ɭb` = p, `∠` = v, `x` = d, `ɣ` = c; `targets/lopehurtado/key_1522_r9634.tsv`) with the code groups of the merged key. CSP Spain ii no. 548 (Bergenroth 1866) abstracts this letter from a contemporary decipherment that is not among the DECODE images; its topics are used only to bracket two words (`[?…]`, named below). Cipher in *italics*; `[?word]` partly carried, `[word]` supplied, `[…]` unread. Re-read 22 Oct 2026, batch b07 (`R9667_reread_log.md`). ## Reading S. C. C. Mat. De la prision de Vulterra ha sucedido grandissimo favor a las cosas de V. Mt. y a todos sus servidores, y el Cardenal de Medicis parece que no le ha faltado el papa Leon. Su Sd. esta contento del, dize que le ha de tratar y honrar mucho, y el Cardenal esta satisfecho de Su Btud. Han recevido tan gran reves los contrarios que no saben donde estan. El duque ha llevado muy bien esta negociacion, y trata al Cardenal de manera que no se tiene por servidor de V. Mt. sino por sclavo. *[…] el papa no se declare; mas en […] ni en otra cosa […] que […] V. Mt.,* y ya estan sin ninguna sperança de bien suyo. Al presente todo lo de aca va muy bien encaminado, como entendera V. Mt. mas largo por las letras del duque. En estas cosas *[…] en esta […] [?franceses] que [?pensava] […],* porque todos estan tan alegres de lo que el papa ha hecho como yo, y lo mismo Theodorico, *que era del que mas se [?sospechava].* Razon es que lo que el papa ha hecho y su voluntad meresca que V. Mt. les haga merced de mandar hazer naturales destos reynos a los que son mas cerca de Su Sd., el memorial de los quales va con esta. Y assi mismo devria V. Mt. mandar dar al Camarero y a Francisco los beneficios que el papa les dio en Flandes, porque Madama se los avia offrecido, recomendando la persona de Su Sd. para que lo reciviessen de V. Mt. como patronazgo; porque todos estan mal contentos de saber que en estos reynos no quisieron dar un beneficio a Pedro de Roma diziendo que no era natural, y que en Flandes *les […] V. Mt. […]; V. Mt. lo que […] les da[?ra] […]. […] que el papa ha dicho que V. Mt. […] que de beneficios* a sus criados. *No que […] en […] lo […] en su […].* Al pressente me parece que esta provission seria necessaria para que mejor esten en lo que son obligados de servir de V. Mt. El papa holgo mucho de averle pagado Bormediano y de saber que las casas le pagara. V. Mt. lo mande proveer, y assi mismo darle algo mas de la bulla de Sant Pedro, pues las cosas que se han despachado ha seido a tan poca costa, seyendo hordinarias de buena composicion. A V. Mt. scrivi los dias passados que aqui devria tener el duque algun credito para las necessidades que se offreciessen. V. Mt. me respondio que al visorrey mandava que diesse recabdo. El duque dize que no sabe de tal provission que V. Mt. aya hecho, sino solo para que fuesse pagado de lo que oviesse gastado hasta aquella provision de V. Mt. Cosa es que V. Mt. deve mandar proveer, que aqui cada dia se offrecen cosas nuevas y el duque no tiene aqui sobrado lo que es menester con sus necessidades, y porque tiene harto que hazer en entretenerse. V. Mt. devria hazer merced de mandarle socorrer, que el salario de embaxador es poco para su gasto, que es mucho y muy honrado. De mi ya tengo scripto a V. Mt. que no tengo aqui en que servir. V. Mt. se acuerde de embiarme a mandar lo que haga y de mandarme proveer de lo del papa de mi salario, como lo tengo suplicado por otras a que me remitto, y en esta no digo mas. Guarde Nuestro Señor y acreciente la muy real persona y stado de V. Mt. De Roma a cinco de mayo M.D.xxiii. [subscription, autograph:] Lope Hurtado [enclosed slip, f. 7, clear:] Pedro el camarero. Francisco. El dean de […] su camarero. Pedro de Roma. Juanin de Embers su trinchante. Adrian. Juanin su credencero. Girart su mayordomo. El confessor. Antonio. Maestre Pedro barbier el capellan. El otro maestre Pedro cubiculario.
Translation
# R9667 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 5 May 1523 — English (partial) Translation of `R9667_reading.md`, with the same holes. Cipher passages in *italics*. Not a reading: the clear text reads, the cipher runs only in fragments. Sacred Catholic Caesarean Majesty, From the arrest of Volterra the greatest favour has come to Your Majesty's affairs and to all your servants, and it seems that Pope Leo has not been lacking to the Cardinal de' Medici. His Holiness is content with him and says he must treat and honour him greatly, and the Cardinal is satisfied with His Beatitude. The adversaries have received such a reverse that they do not know where they are. The Duke has handled this negotiation very well, and treats the Cardinal so that he holds himself not Your Majesty's servant but your slave. *[…] the Pope does not declare himself; but in […] nor in any other thing […] that […] Your Majesty,* and they are now without any hope of good for themselves. At present everything here is well on its way, as Your Majesty will understand at more length from the Duke's letters. In these matters *[…] in this […] [?French] that [?was thought] […],* because all are as glad of what the Pope has done as I am, and so is Theodoric, *who was the one most [?suspected].* It is reasonable that what the Pope has done and his good will should earn that Your Majesty do them the favour of having those closest to His Holiness made naturals of these kingdoms; the memorial of them goes with this. Likewise Your Majesty ought to have the benefices that the Pope gave in Flanders granted to the chamberlain and to Francisco, because Madame had offered them to them, commending the person of His Holiness, so that they should receive them from Your Majesty as patronage; for all are displeased to learn that in these kingdoms they would not give a benefice to Pedro de Roma, saying he was not a native, and that in Flanders *[…] them […] Your Majesty […]; Your Majesty what […] will [?give] them […]. […] that the Pope has said that Your Majesty […] that of benefices* to his servants. *No that […] in […] the […] in his […].* At present it seems to me that this provision would be necessary so that they may be better disposed in what they are bound to, the service of Your Majesty. The Pope was very glad to have been paid Bormediano and to know that the houses would be paid him. May Your Majesty have it provided, and also give him somewhat more of the bull of Saint Peter, since the things despatched have cost so little, being ordinary ones of good settlement. I wrote to Your Majesty some days ago that the Duke ought to have some credit here for the needs that might arise. Your Majesty answered me that you ordered the viceroy to see to it. The Duke says he knows of no such provision made by Your Majesty, except only that he be repaid what he had spent up to that provision of Your Majesty. It is a thing Your Majesty must order to be provided, for new things arise here every day and the Duke has no surplus of what he needs for his necessities, and has trouble enough keeping himself. Your Majesty ought to do him the favour of having him helped, for the ambassador's salary is little for his expense, which is great and very honourable. As for me, I have already written to Your Majesty that I have nothing here in which to serve. May Your Majesty remember to send me orders on what I am to do, and to have me provided with my salary from what is the Pope's, as I have begged in other letters to which I refer; and in this one I say no more. May Our Lord keep and increase Your Majesty's most royal person and estate. From Rome, 5 May 1523. Lope Hurtado [enclosed list:] Pedro the chamberlain. Francisco. The dean of […], his chamberlain. Pedro de Roma. Juanin of Antwerp, his carver. Adrian. Juanin, his credenzer. Girart, his steward. The confessor. Antonio. Master Pedro, barber, the chaplain. The other Master Pedro, cubicularius.
R9683, Rome, June 1523, to Charles V (9/28 f. 171) decoded, not read
The Duke of Sessa's letters report the Pope's good will after the arrest of Cardinal Soderini of Volterra; the Emperor should restore the benefices of the chamberlain Pedro and Francisco and pay the Pope what is owed him. Most of the cipher passages are not deciphered.
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
# R9683, f.171r, cipher runs in a clear letter. Symbols as r9846_cipher.txt; ~x~ = struck through; & = &-like sign; H = H-like sign; ï = i with diaeresis-like dots. a1 zar ∂ 3 8 y 9 & a2 eo α f m ton ʃad ε yub ʃag ʇʇ 9 σʇʇ ♀ ~ß~ ze yof xon zal a3 ß ʃag zef xin teg tal L ʃibL [con el] ʑφ zil xul ∂ tod c ∂ 8 a4 xic zun σ y ʇʇ L yuc ~ß~ ʃ ʇʇo 4 9 7 yub yib a5 ∂ 8 sid 8 zer ʑ teg zil c H ʇʇ ω ~ß~ ω & ∂ b1 teg ton xug ʃʇ ʇʇ ⊤ ï 7 σ ~ß~ tuf c D ß zar xug 9 8 H
Decryption
# R9683 — f. 171r, Rome [x]vi June 1523, to the Emperor (read in part; cipher mostly unread)
**Image:** img/IMG_R9683_I45594_P.jpg. Right = f.171r (modern foliation 171, older 173).
**Docket (left page, written vertically):** "Al Rey — 1523 — de Roma / Del Protonotario [Lope Hurtado?] / diez de junio" (my first reading "Caracciolo" withdrawn — see cross-check).
Read as "Protonotario Caracciolo" (Marino Caracciolo?) — reading of the surname uncertain. NB the letter itself is
signed at the foot with an autograph subscription ending "…Lope Hurtado"(?) under a holograph courtesy formula;
the docket's sender and the signature need checking against each other (not resolved here). Docket date "diez de
junio" vs the letter's "vi de junio" (a digit before vi may be lost: xvi?).
## Clear text (f.171r)
S. C. C. Md. / Por las letras del Duque y despacho que embia entendera V. Md. las cosas de aca en el estado que estan
y la buena voluntad que Su Bt tiene a los negocios de V. Md. Spero que seran tales las obras y assi se ha visto en lo
que se offresce despues de la prision de Volterra, tanto que ya lo conocen todos en esta corte, y estan las cosas en
ella como conviene al servicio de V. Md. Los criados del papa muestran la voluntad que son obligados **[cipher a1–a5]**
esta bienquisto **[a4 cont.]** aprovecharia que V. Md. mandasse remediar lo de los beneficios del camarero y Francisco,
porque ha perado[?] mucho a su Santidad que V. Md. gelos haya quitado, y ellos y los otros estan agraviados. Asimismo
sera muy bien que V. Md. mande pagar al papa lo que se le deve alla, que contentando a su Bt en esto podria aprovechar
**[cipher b1]** y para otras cosas que V. Md. quiere. Y porque por otras tengo scripto a V. Md. largo, aqui no digo mas.
N. S. guarde la muy real persona de V. A. con acrescentamiento de muchos reynos y señorios. En Roma [x]vi de junio 1523.
(autograph subscription and signature, not transcribed)
## Cipher, token by token (`r9683_cipher.txt`) and mechanical decode
```
a1 de <t> <h> e o d ?&
a2 ?eo <i> c o que so l el ?ʃag r d ?σʇʇ x a ?ze esta mas ?zal
a3 a ?ʃag ?zef ?xin para ?tal <r> ?ʃibL y con lo <t> ?tod s <t> e
a4 <ha> da d o r <r> en a ?ʃ ?ʇʇo n d a el ?yib
a5 <t> e ?sid e ?zer ?ʑ para con s ?H r i/j a i/j ?& <t>
b1 para que la ?ʃʇ r u ?ï a d a <Roma> s ?D a de la d e ?H
coverage 67/91 = 74%
```
## Best reading
…que son obligados, de […] que sol[o] el […] esta mas […] para […] y con los otros […] el […] esta bienquisto
[…] aprovecharia … / …podria aprovechar para que la […] de la […] y para otras cosas…
Recognisable only: "que solo el", "esta mas", "para", "con los otros" (tod c = otros, 1522 key), "el [name] esta
bienquisto", "para que la". `yub yib` = "el" + an unknown group, probably a person (subject of "esta bienquisto").
`tuf` in b1 would be "Roma" if the R9867 value holds — it does not fit well here ("Romas"?), so tuf = Roma stays probable.
## English gist
Clear: the Duke [of Sessa]'s letters report the Pope's good will after the arrest of [Cardinal Soderini of] Volterra;
the papal household is well disposed; the Emperor should restore the benefices of the chamberlain [Pedro] and
Francisco, and pay the Pope what is owed him. The cipher passages (who is well liked, what the payment would serve)
are not read.
## Coverage
67 / 91 tokens (74 %) by script, but as words: under a third of the cipher reads. Read in part (clear text only).
## Cross-check with the other session's trans_R9683.md (C:\Users\dbour\cypher\lopehurtado1523, read-only)
- Docket: they read "Del Protonotario Lope Hurtado de diez de junio"; I first read the surname as "Carrazolo/Caracciolo".
Theirs fits the signature (Lope Hurtado was protonotary) — adopted as probable. Letter date: they read "x de junio",
I read "[x]vi"; the docket's "diez" favours x (10 June 1523).
- Tokens agree on ~85 %: a1 they `zar ∂ z 8 ɣ 9 &` vs mine `zar ∂ 3 8 y 9 &` (sign 3 vs z); a2 they `rub?` vs mine `yub`,
`o#` (one sign) vs my `σʇʇ`; a4 `ʃ#o?` vs `ʃ ʇʇo`; a5 their first group `dd-e?` = my `∂ 8`; b1 their `gJ` = my `ʃʇ`,
`Tb` = my `⊤`. Their count 84 tokens vs my 91 (they join some pairs). None of the disagreements changes a reading.Reading
# R9683 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, June 1523 (RAH Salazar A-28 f. 171r) — reading Rests on: the clear text, transcribed on the DECODE image (IMG_R9683_I45594_P, right page, full resolution); the two cipher runs (6 lines) decoded with the merged key (`key_merged.tsv`) and re-read on the image. No contemporary decipherment on the leaf, no clear copy, not in CSP Spain ii. This 1523 letter uses a few letter signs not in the 1524 key; their values here rest on one word each (`Theodorico`, `cruzada`, `servi[ci]o`; see `R9683_corrections.tsv`), so those words are marked `[?…]` where the sign is new. Cipher in *italics*; `[?word]` partly carried, `[word]` supplied, `[…]` unread. Re-read 22 Oct 2026, batch b07 (`R9683_reread_log.md`). ## Reading S. C. C. Md. Por las letras del Duque y despacho que embia entendera V. Md. las cosas de aca en el estado que estan, y la buena voluntad que Su Bt. tiene a los negocios de V. Md. Spero que seran tales las obras, y assi se ha visto en lo que se offresce despues de la prision de Volterra, tanto que ya lo conocen todos en esta corte; y estan las cosas en ella como conviene al servicio de V. Md. Los criados del papa muestran la voluntad que son obligados, *de [?Theodorico], que sol[o] el […] esta mas […]; […] bien […] para […] con el y con los otros […]. […] ha dado […] en […]; el [?duque]* esta bienquisto *de Su Sd., […] para con su [?servicio].* Aprovecharia que V. Md. mandasse remediar lo de los beneficios del camarero y Francisco, porque ha [?pesado] mucho a Su Santidad que V. Md. gelos haya quitado, y ellos y los otros estan agraviados. Assimismo sera muy bien que V. Md. mande pagar al papa lo que se le deve alla, que contentando a Su Bt. en esto podria aprovechar *para que la [?cruzada] […] de la […],* y para otras cosas que V. Mt. quiere. Y porque por otras tengo scripto a V. Md. largo, aqui no digo mas. Nuestro Señor guarde la muy real persona de V. A. con acrescentamiento de muchos reynos y señorios. En Roma [?x] de junio 1523. [subscription, autograph:] Lope Hurtado
Translation
# R9683 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, June 1523 — English (partial) Translation of `R9683_reading.md`, with the same holes. Cipher passages in *italics*. Not a reading: the clear text reads, the cipher passage does not. Sacred Catholic Caesarean Majesty, By the Duke's letters and the despatch he sends, Your Majesty will understand the state of things here and the good will His Beatitude has towards Your Majesty's business. I hope the deeds will be such, and so it has been seen in what has come up since the arrest of Volterra, so much so that everyone at this court already knows it; and things here stand as befits Your Majesty's service. The Pope's servants show the good will they owe, *of [?Theodoric], that only he […] is more […]; […] well […] for […] with him and with the others […]. […] has given […] in […]; the [?Duke]* is well liked *by His Holiness, […] towards his [?service].* It would help if Your Majesty ordered the matter of the benefices of the chamberlain and of Francisco to be put right, because it has [?grieved] His Holiness greatly that Your Majesty has taken them from them, and they and the others feel wronged. Likewise it would be very well for Your Majesty to order that the Pope be paid what is owed him there, for by contenting His Beatitude in this it could help *so that the [?crusade] […] of the […],* and for other things that Your Majesty wants. And because I have written at length to Your Majesty in other letters, I say no more here. May Our Lord keep Your Majesty's most royal person with increase of many kingdoms and lordships. In Rome, [?10] June 1523. Lope Hurtado
R9695, Rome, 8 July 1523, autograph draft to Charles V (9/28 ff. 339-340) decoded, not read
The Pope was pleased with the Emperor's letter; the rumoured poisoning could not be verified, the Pope guards his person and eats apart, and Hurtado asks for naturalisations for the Pope's intimates (Pedro de Roma, Francisco, Theodorico). The clear text is transcribed in part; the cipher lines are not deciphered.
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
# R9695 autograph draft, 8 July 1523. Symbols as r9846_cipher.txt; ~x~ = struck through (whole token); ʃ̄ = long s with overbar (as in 1522 'ʃ̄'), H = H-like sign, & = &-like sign, B = B-like sign. # Page A = P3 left page (body of the draft, begins "gran manera mostro su Bt contentamiento"); page B = P1/P2 right page (insertion "A" and struck passages). Transcription at 1.45x; faint and uncertain. A01 xed zef xuc 8 L ßʇʇ A02 ʃub 9 m ton rab ⊃ ʃop H ʇʇ 7 yeg ♀ & tad ʃic xug ω ω ⊤ ∂ A03 b L ʃ̄ xuc z zar σʇʇ L 9 ∂ ω ω ρ ~ß~ A04 yef ʃ̄ ʇʇo ∂ ω A05 ton ʃef ω ⊤ ⊃ m ʇʇ 9 7 A06 zed zar ~ʇʇ~ ʇʇo ʇʇ α A07 ʃu tap ʃer ʇʇ | yef ʃed xic xul tog 4 7 tog tuc | xul ʃad & ∂ A08 ton xic xod ʃ̄ 3 ω A09 teg ʃel ʑ tif ∂ ∂ H zil m α b ʑ xug ʃop tuzun zar yun A10 yaf yuc xig tep 9 xic ʑ ton tu ~ʃu~ ~ßʇʇ~ tog ton b 8 ω ton A11 tu xuc yaf ω ω yub ρ D ʃ̄ ß σʇʇ ~σ~ ω ton zil ʃer teg A12 9 H ʃub ∂ 9 ω ω & ʑ A13 ~f~ ~rab~ ~zar~ ~♀~ ~D~ ~xar~ ~∂~ ~b~ ~ʇʇ~ ~ʇʇo~ ~ʇʇ~ ~xul~ ~z~ ~zed~ ~yaf~ ~zar~ ~xul~ A14 ~ρ~ ~ω~ ~ω~ ~⊃~ ~σʇʇ~ ~∂3~ ~9~ ~ω~ ~f~ ~7~ A15 ~ʃ~ ~xer~ ~zar~ ~ε~ ~zuf~ ~zar~ ~1~ ~ʑ~ ~σ~ ~ω~ ~9~ ~ω~ ~∂~ B01 ~xug~ ~ʃb~ ~ω~ ~D~ ~ω~ ~zun~ ~q~ ~ʃu~ ~L~ ~yub~ ~zef~ B02 ~yub~ ~taf~ ~tu~ ~top~ ~ton~ ~ʋ~ ~y~ ~ï~ ~yuc~ B03 ~ß~ ~8~ ~yuc~ ~yon~ ~ti~ ~f~ ~ω~ ~∂~ ~ß~ ~zar~ ~tar~ B04 ~ʃ~ ~yin~ ~xer~ ~zef~ ~zun~ ~ʇʇ~ ~6~ ~L~ ~ß~ ~f~ ~rab~ ~∂~ ~tog~ ~xul~ ~ton~ ~xic~ ~ʇʇo~ B05 ~σʇʇ~ ~ω~ ~ʇʇ~ ~8~ ~9~ ~α~ ~6~ ~m~ ~ʃid~ ~xug~ ~tu~ ~ß~ ~9~ ~xic~ ~z~ ~zar~ ~ʃin~ ~ʃen~
Decryption
# R9695 — ff. 339–340, Rome 8 July 1523, autograph draft to the Emperor (clear read in part; cipher not read)
**Images:** P1/P2 = opening with f.339 on the right (P2 = same with the paper patch lifted); P3 = next opening:
left page = the draft's main body (heading "S. C. C. Md.", ends "…Nuestro Señor guarde la muy real persona de V. Md.
con mayor crescimiento de reynos y señorios. En Roma viij de julio MDxxiij"); right page = f.340r, a separate
petition leaf, signed autograph "Lope Hurtado", addressed on the fold "A la S. C. C. Md. / del Emperador nuestro señor".
**Correction to the brief:** the ciphered lines at the top of the P1/P2 right page ("gran manera… xed zef xuc…") are
show-through of P3's left page, not text on f.339r. Page A below = P3 left; page B = the insertion "A" and struck
passages written on the P1/P2 right page.
## Clear text (principal passages, P3 left; my reading, unchecked words with ?)
[struck: gran manera mostro] su Bt contentamiento de la letra de V. Md. y la ovo de muy bien scripta a muchos
**[A01–A03]** / estamos spantados de aver tardado tanto letras de V. Md. sobre **[A04–A05]** Desde a poco que llego la
carta de V. Md. partio de aqui […] **[A06]** con quien le embie a dezir lo que V. Md. me embio a mandar / scripto ha que
**[A07a]** pienso que llegado **[A07b]** todavia estamos en oppinion que seria bueno y provechoso **[A07c–A08]**
entendera V. Md. por la carta del Duque **[A09–A12]** y en este caso me remitto a lo que scrivi a V. Md. a los doze
del passado. […] [struck clear + cipher A13–A15] …y siempre que venga correo le devria V. Md. mandar screvir y
favorecello, que a mi parecer el merece todo lo que puede un buen servidor. Y pues el Duque scrive largo no digo yo
aqui mas de suplicar a V. Md. lo que en las otras. N. S. guarde… En Roma viij de julio MDxxiij.
Postdata: Despues de haver scripto a V. Md. he sabido que Vincencio de Benedictis siciliano no fue condenado…
Page B (insertion A): Recebi la letra de V. Md. de xxi de abril. Por las que tengo scriptas esta respondido a lo que
V. Md. dize. […] En lo del veneno no creo que devio ser cierto, y si fue algo no se ha podido averiguar, aunque se
hizieron hartas diligencias; los del Papa [y] del camarero todavia estan presos. El papa pone muy buen recaudo en su
persona. De solos los criados viejos se sirve y come siempre retirado **[cipher]** … En lo de las naturalezas, no
pudiendo scusar el inconveniente en essos reynos, me parece pues seria necessario a lo menos a los que son mas cerca
de Su Bt, que es el camarero, Pedro de Roma, Francisco y Theodorico, que agora estos y los otros merecen toda merced
por que muestran la voluntad que son obligados al servicio de V. Md., para que **[struck cipher B01–B05]** …
[rewritten clear:] …queriendo beneficios en Francia ni cosa del Rey de Francia; parece que hay alguna causa [para
que] V. Md. pudiera como mas sea servido. — Fue mucho bien dar gracias por lo que ha favorescido Su Santidad la negociacion…
f.340r: …en la prisoneria de Palermo, de que yo havia embiado a suplicar a V. Md. me hiziesse merced; agora suplico en
lugar de la prisoneria me haga merced de la casa de Federico emperador o de otros bienes de los condenados que valga
la quantidad de la prisoneria, o lo que V. Md. fuere servido, para ayuda de costa.
## Cipher, token by token (`r9695_cipher.txt`, struck tokens marked ~x~) and mechanical decode
```
A01 ?xed ?zef ?xuc e <r> ?ßʇʇ
A02 ?ʃub d o que vuestra magestad p bi ?H r a <España> x ?& ?tad <sobre> la i/j i/j u <t>
A03 t <r> ?ʃ̄ ?xuc n de ?σʇʇ <r> d <t> i/j i/j ?ρ a
A04 <este> ?ʃ̄ ?ʇʇo <t> i/j
A05 que ?ʃef i/j u p o r d a
A06 arçobispo de r ?ʇʇo r <i>
A07 se ?tap ?ʃer r <este> su <ha> lo <por> n a <por> ?tuc lo so ?& <t>
A08 que <ha> <fe> ?ʃ̄ <h> i/j
A09 para <toda> ?ʑ <parte> <t> <t> ?H con o <i> t ?ʑ la bi ?tuzun de ?yun
A10 es en Italia <quiera> d <ha> ?ʑ que no se ?ßʇʇ <por> que t e i/j que
A11 no ?xuc es i/j i/j el ?ρ ?D ?ʃ̄ a ?σʇʇ d i/j que con ?ʃer para
A12 d ?H ?ʃub <t> d i/j i/j ?& ?ʑ
A13 c vuestra magestad de x ?D <mo> <t> t r ?ʇʇo r lo n arçobispo es de lo
A14 ?ρ i/j i/j p ?σʇʇ ?∂3 d i/j c a
A15 ?ʃ ?xer de l ?zuf de ?1 ?ʑ d i/j d i/j <t>
B01 la ?ʃb i/j ?D i/j da <l> se <r> el ?zef
B02 el papa no ?top que m o ?ï en
B03 a e en Francia ?ti c i/j <t> a de ?tar
B04 ?ʃ ?yin ?xer ?zef da r ?6 <r> a c vuestra magestad <t> <por> lo que <ha> ?ʇʇo
B05 ?σʇʇ i/j r e d <i> ?6 o Sad la no a d <ha> n de ?ʃin ?ʃen
coverage 184/249 = 74%
```
## Reading of the cipher
Not read. Only fragments: A02 "…do que V. Md. …"; A10 "es en Italia … que no …"; B02 "el papa no por que…"
(top = por, 1522 key); B03 "…en Francia…" — and here the struck cipher is followed by a clear rewrite "queriendo
beneficios en Francia ni cosa del Rey de Francia", which confirms `yuc yon` = en Francia (already in key) and suggests
`tar`/`tor` = Rey de Francia (key_1524: tor), i.e. B03 `zar tar` is probably zarε tor misread by me.
The draft's cipher is written small and fast over show-through; my sign transcription is the weak point, so the
74 % token coverage (184/249, by script) is mostly single letters that do not assemble into words.
The cipher gaps coincide with the struck/rewritten passages, so a better transcription of page B against its own
clear rewrites is the best route to more values.
## English gist
Lope Hurtado to Charles V, 8 July 1523: the Pope was pleased with the Emperor's letter; complaint that letters have
been so slow; the rumoured poisoning could not be verified, the Pope's and chamberlain's men are still in prison, the
Pope guards his person and eats apart served by old servants; asks that naturalisations/benefits be given to the
Pope's intimates (the chamberlain Pedro de Roma, Francisco, Theodorico); Vincencio de Benedictis not condemned;
on f.340 Hurtado asks for the house of "Federico emperador" or confiscated goods in lieu of the Palermo prisoner.
## Coverage
Clear text read in part; cipher 184/249 tokens by script but effectively unread. Read in part.
## Cross-check with trans_R9695.md (other session, read-only)
- Page B clear: they read "Recebi la letra de V. Md. de **xxvi** de abril" (I had xxi) and "los del **Duque de Camarino**
todavia estan presos" (I had "del Papa y del camarero") — theirs is better; adopt both.
- They also treat the top-of-f.339r cipher as show-through from the verso — agrees with my correction.
- Struck cipher on page B: agreement on `ɣub taf tu top ton V ii ɣuc` (B02) and `& dd ɣuc ɣon ti f ob dd B zar tar` (B03);
their B01 `ʃʃʃo? E od tu xuɡ Lb al D co zun 4 ʃu E rub zef` differs from my B01 in the first half (I missed the line
start under "para que"); B04/B05 agree in outline (`k ɣm xer zeʃ zun …`, `… ʃid xuɡ ta … zar ʃun ʃen`).
Their `rub` recurs (R9683, R9695, and my R9867 l10) — a real code group, not a misreading of ɣub.R9846, Rome, 3 and 5 Feb 1524, to Charles V (9/30 ff. 130-133)
The Pope is glad of the coming of Monsieur de Beaurain; on the contribution, money is short and every help is needed; the Pope wants France ruined or a truce (CSP Spain ii no. 617). The first third is deciphered by aligning the cipher with the clerk's clear on f. 133r; the rest of the clear (f. 133v) is not imaged.
Transcription
# R9846, RAH Salazar A-30 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome 3/5 Feb 1524 — cipher transcription # Tokens separated as the scribe spaces them; [..] = clear words in the cipher; (?) = doubtful sign. # Alphabet follows targets/lopehurtado/key_codes.tsv where a sign matches (7 8 4 m x ʒ ∞ ⊃ ɣ ℔ ʃ). NEW SIGNS: # ω loop sign like "oo"/"∞" joined (probably = 1522 ∞; value i) # ʇʇ double-crossed tt / "#"-like sign (value r; the scribe writes 2 and 3 crossbar variants — # a triple-crossed form ʇʇʇ occurs in "sobervia" and may be b/v; not separated with certainty) # ∂ d-like sign with loop to left, looks like Greek delta (TWO values seen: p in capua/poco/aparejo, # t in tribucion/temen -> probably two distinct forms I cannot separate at this zoom) # φ phi / q with crossbar (u/v) # σ small o with horizontal stroke (d) # ß sharp-s / beta-like sign (a) # ⊤ T with overbar, descender (u) # ʑφ z-with-tail joined to phi, written as one sign (y, the conjunction and letter) # ρρ double p-like looped sign (r) # ♀ circle over cross (x) # ⁝ dotted colon-like mark after xu (z, in "xu⁝8" haze) # ( open bracket / c-with-dot (f in afloxando) # ε epsilon (l) # q q-shaped sign (l in salida) # α alpha / "a" with open loop (i in salida) # 9 9-shaped sign (d) # b b-shaped sign (t) [NB not the letter-b] # c c-shaped letter-sign (s) # f f-shaped letter-sign when standing alone (c) # z z / "2"-shaped sign standing alone (n) # y y-shaped sign standing alone (o) # ʋ upsilon / "v" with curl (m) # L L-sign (r in remedio — CONTRADICTS 1522 L = i) # ℮ e-like sign in "re|tirar" (r?) # D D-shaped sign after ʃop8r (in "biesse" slot; value unknown) # Codes are the three-letter latin-looking groups (ton, zar, xul ...), read as they look. # Clear-text lines are given in full in [brackets]. == f. 130r (img P1, right page) == c01 [Sacra Catolica Cesarea Magestad] (heading) c02 [El ppa a holgado con la nueva dela venida de mussiur de beure] c03 [esperale con deseo sera provechosa su venida aqui en esta] c04 [coyuntura general mente para todos los negocios y particular] c05 [para] xul zar xug zil ∂ ʇʇ ω ∂ φ f ω y 4 ton ʃu ɣʇʇ ⊤ z 7 p ∂ɣ c06 f y r yeb r ʃel ℔ ʑφ ⊤ σ ß yaf ʋ 8 z 8 c b 8 ʇʇ xuc b ℔ c07 ʃφ sub xug ∂ 7 q α 9 ß zarε ʃur xu⁝ 8 ℮8 b ω φ ß ʇʇ c08 xul c ɣun 8 c ton 9 y z zar zᵉ ɣof 4 xu⁝ 8 ⊃ 8 4 c 7 ʇʇ c09 xul ton ℔ zar ʃu ʇʇ zam tep ton xug zar b 8 ʇʇ xuq xur c10 f ω y z zarε taf yaf ton ʃan ʑφ 7 z ɣin ʇʇ ß zar xyg 8 c11 sub ʃop 8 r D ℔ ∂ 7 ⊃ ρ ω m teg ℔ ʇʇ ß ♀ 7 ʇʇ xug ʃad ʇʇʇ 8 ʇʇ c12 ʇʇ ω 7 zarε tor ʑφ yuɣ ɣʇʇ ʇʇ 7 z zar f 8 ʇʇ ℔ rab ß ʋ 8 c13 yo ʃid ton xul ton ω ʃʃ 8 7 ʑφ φ σ ß ʇʇ ω 7 ℔ yac ʑφ c14 ʃif zef ʋ 8 7 yo yif yub zed zar f ℔ ∂ ⊤ 7 8 y z ton c15 ℔ zun σ y ʃed ʇʇ y b y zu taf ton xul zar φ 8 xu⁝ 8 ʇʇ c16 ye yur 9 y ton teg ρρ 8 c ω c b ω ʇʇ zu b φ ʇʇ f y teg ʇʇ 8 ʋ 8 c17 9 ω ʃʃ ʇʇ xul zar ε ⊤ b 8 ρρ ω y teg yub ʃad ʃub 8 ʃʃʇʇ m zar c18 xig ʋ 8 xar ʇʇ ω ʃ ß zar ʃed f 7 c ß yaf yub xiq L 8 ʋ 8 9 ω y c19 yuc xob zar f 8 ʇʇ ℔ rab [es ton en esto pero Como an visto los] c20 xob 9 8 c xic zar rab ʑφ yub ∂ m f m zun 4 y ton ʃu ℔ c21 xod f z y yuc yon tog tif zar yol ʑφ zar yeg ʑφ yub xip c22 ʇʇ 8 f 7 φ 9 y ton za 7 ω zar yeb c ʑφ xug xob f m c b 7 teg c23 ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ yub yal ∂ 8 ʋ 8 4 ton rab tu ʃig xap ko(?) c24 tal ω m ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ ʑφ ton ℔ ( ε y ♀ ß z 9 y yub ter c25 ʃu f ß z c 8 ∂ zil f ω 8 ʇʇ b 8 ʑφ ton xul c yun 8 c ℔ ∂ ʇʇ ω z b 8 z # end of f.130r == f. 130v (img P3, left page) == # extra signs on this page: ∂̶ = the ∂-sign WITH a crossbar (p; the plain ∂ = t — see alignment); # ɣ̶ = ɣ with crossed tail, written "ɣʇʇ" on f.130r (g); m̲ = underlined m (f?, in "se funde"); # ⁞ = triple-dot / slash punctuation mark between phrases (no value) v01 ℔ ʃu 4 y ʇʇ 8 7 ʇʇ xul zar za yi ʋ 8 ʃed zaf ton un ʇʇe(?) 7 zar v02 9 y c f m c 7 c ∂ 8 4 ω 8 z 9 m rab ℔ ∂̶ 7 ʇʇ 8 ω m xul ton xon zar v03 ʃu 7 yaf ton yub tor ʃu zar c b ʇʇ φ ʑφ ℔ <∂8ʇʇo underlined> ton teg yif tu v04 ʃu m̲ φ z 9 8 rab ʃic ʃed c yeb c ton yi ton xob ʃm ʃu ∂̶ φ 8 9 8 v05 ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ ʃob xug c zar ⊤ 9 7 c ʑφ ton yof ∂̶ 8 ʇʇ 9 ω 9 ℔ v06 yof xug rac ∂̶ 8 ʇʇ ʑφ f ʇʇ m ton sub ʃop 8 c 8 xap teg ton v07 rab ∂̶ φ 8 9 7 ʃu ɣ̶ φ ω ʇʇ yif ton ℔ ʑφ φ 9 7 ʇʇ ω ß ʃab ʑφ v08 zi ∂̶ φ ʇʇʇ ω f y ⁞ tu ∂̶ φ 9 ω 8 z 9 y ʃu ʇʇ yif zar c 8 ß ton ʃu v09 ʃil c 8 zuc 8 z b y zar ʃom z φ tef zec ton xug c f y r 7 c zar v10 rab ʃob z ω 8 c 8 4 ℔ tef 8 c ω 9 ß σ tog ton xiq tof 9 m ʃu z ω f ω v11 8 c 8 ʑφ zil xon ʇʇ 8 ∂̶ φ b 7 f ω y 4 yub maz zarε taf yaf v12 yef ʃad ʇʇʇ ʇʇ 8 yof zar b 8 ʇʇ ʋω(?) z 7 f ω y z rab φ 8 ß [lo que] v13 [mas conviene a su servicio] ⁞ [y v. Mt mande ordenar Como vengan] v14 [mas despachos porque el] taf [tiene por muy grande] ω ʃ m z φ ʇʇ(?) v15 z ω 8 z b 8 [que en tiempo de tanta] tef 8 c ω 9 ß σ [saber tan pocas vezes] v16 zar rab ⁞ sub xug xax ʃu ℔ zar ʃu ɣ̶ φ ω ʇʇ teg zil c 8 ʇʇ φ(?) 7 ʇʇ(?) v17 ʑφ ʃu ɣ̶ φ ʇʇ 7 ℮o(?) yub ʇʇʇ ⊤ 8 z ℔ 4 ω ʋ y zarε taf yub xiq # (the clear on f.133r ends at "el buen animo"; transcription stopped here. v12-v16 middle and # v16 end read at 2x only; v12 "ʋω" and v14 end are doubtful)
Decryption
# R9846, RAH Salazar A-30 f. 133r — contemporary clear decipherment of Lope Hurtado's letter of 3/5 Feb 1524 # Diplomatic, line by line. Abbreviations kept (v. mad = vuestra magestad, su Sad = su Santidad). # (?) = uncertain reading; <struck> = struck through in MS. Image: img/IMG_R9846_I45958_P4.jpg, right page. # Header (top): Al Rey — de Lope hurtado de v de hebrero MDxxiiij 01 El papa ha holgado con la nueva dela venida de mossior de beuvre 02 spera le con desseo sera provechosa su venida aqui en esta coyuntura 03 generalmente para todos los negocios y particular para lo de con 04 tribucion que segun hay pocos dineros toda ayuda es menester 05 fasta ver si la salida del visorey haze retirar los franceses 06 que donde agora estan haze pensar lo que ha de ser como quiera 07 que la determinacion del papa es que bayan fuera de Italia 08 e si biesse aparejo para abaxar la sobervia del Rey de francia y 09 engrandecer a v. mad. ha me dicho su Sad. querria ayudar a ello (?"ayudarlo") 10 dello y tanbien me ha dicho esto el arçobispo de capua o dize (?) (last word/sign unclear, "o dize q") 11 ha dado su voto al papa que lo deve hazer diziendo que para 12 resistir al turco para remediar lo de Luterio para el sossiego 13 de Italia memoria de su casa es el mejor remedio engrandecer 14 a v. mad. estan en esto (cipher-page clear: "es ton en esto") pero como han visto los grandes ha de 15 v. mad. y el poco daño (cipher: ∂mfm zun4y) que se ha fecho en francia por parte 16 de flandes y de spaña y el mal recaudo (cipher spells r-e-c-a-u-d-o) que aca <flandes> 17 <y de spaña> hay de dineros y la gran costa para sostener 18 el exercito temen que v. mad. no tenga manera para 19 podello sostener y que afloxando el Rey de ynglaterra se 20 canse o concierte (cipher: zil+f-i-e-r-t-e) y que los franceses aprieten a señorear lo de aca 21 dize me su Sd. que querria una de dos cosas temiendo v. mad. appa 22 rejo lo que mas dessea es que el Rey de francia se destruya 23 que para esto no se funde (?; cipher ʃu m̲ φ z 9 8) v. mad. sobre sus dineros que dize 24 que gran tiempo (?) se puede sostener segun las deudas y quanto (cipher: de-u-d-a-s) 25 esta perdida esta la yglesia pero creo que si biesse manera para 26 v. mad. pueda seguir esto que ayudaria dinero (cipher: seguir spelled; ʃab) y assim(ismo) 27 publico (? cipher ∂̶φʇʇʇωfy) no pudiendo ser esto dessea que se tomasse assiento de 28 tregua o pazantes (?"paz antes") que las cosas de v. mad. veniessen a ne 29 ssidad por el mejor partido se hiziesse y con mas reputa 30 cion. el fin del papa es este sobre esto determinacion 31 v. mad. vea lo que mas conviene a su servicio y v. mad. 32 mande ordenar como vengan mas despachos porque el papa 33 tiene por muy grande inconveniente que en tiempo de tanta 34 <nec> necessidad saber tan pocas vezes de v. mad. y si la guerra 35 sera de seguir para conservar (cipher zil+s-e-r-v-a-r; my first reading "contentar") y assegurar el buen animo # (clear ends here, mid-sentence; the continuation was not imaged / not written)
Decryption
# R9846 — cipher (ff. 130r–130v) aligned against the clear (f. 133r)
Line refs: `cNN` = f.130r line in `r9846_cipher.txt`, `vNN` = f.130v line, `clNN` = `r9846_clear.txt`.
Sign names as in the legend of `r9846_cipher.txt`. "exact" = the plaintext word has exactly as many
letters as the spelled run has signs, with fixed codes on both sides.
The cipher covers the clear from "para lo de contribucion" (cl03) to "el buen animo" (cl35) in
c05–c25 + v01–v17. Nothing is missing: every clause of the clear has its cipher counterpart.
The alignment corrected six readings of my first pass at the clear (señorear, poco daño,
concierte, deudas, seguir, dinero, conservar — see the clear file).
## Aligned passages (spelled runs; codes in the running text)
### c05–c06 (cl03–cl04) "lo de [la] contribucion que segun hay pocos dineros toda ayuda es menester"
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| xul zar | lo de |
| xug | la (not in the clear; the cipher adds it) |
| zil | con- |
| ∂ ʇʇ ω ∂ φ f ω y 4 | t-r-i-b-u-c-i-o-n (exact, 9) — the 2nd ∂ = b is doubtful |
| ton | que |
| ʃu ɣʇʇ ⊤ z | se-g-u-n |
| 7 p (?) | hay (uncertain) |
| ∂ɣ f y r | p-o-c-o-s (ɣ in the o slot doubtful; r = s) |
| yeb r | dinero-s |
| ʃel | toda (probable) |
| ℔ ʑφ ⊤ σ ß | a-y-u-d-a (exact) |
| yaf | es |
| ʋ 8 z 8 c b 8 ʇʇ | m-e-n-e-s-t-e-r (exact, 8) |
### c06–c09 (cl05–cl06)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| xuc b℔ ʃφ | fasta ver (uncertain split) |
| sub xug | si la |
| ∂ 7 q α 9 ß | s-a-l-i-d-a (exact, 6; ∂ = s here?? — see contradictions) |
| zarε | del |
| ʃur | visorey (probable) |
| xu⁝ 8 | ha-z-e = haze |
| ℮8 b ω φ ß ʇʇ | re-tirar (φ in an r slot: misreading likely) |
| xul c | lo-s |
| ɣun 8 c | fran-ce-s = franceses |
| ton | que |
| 9 y z zar | d-o-n + de = donde (exact) |
| zᵉ | agora (probable) |
| ɣof 4 | esta-n |
| xu⁝ 8 | haze (2nd context) |
| ⊃ 8 4 c 7 ʇʇ | p-e-n-s-a-r (exact, 6) |
| xul ton ℔ zar ʃu ʇʇ | lo que ha de se-r |
| zam tep | como quiera (probable, 2 codes for 2 words) |
| ton xug | que la |
| zar b 8 ʇʇ xuq xur f ω y z | de-t-e-r-mi-na-c-i-o-n |
| zarε taf yaf ton | del papa es que |
| ʃan ʑφ 7 z | ba-y-a-n (ʃan = ba? probable) |
| ɣin ʇʇ ß | fue-r-a (ɣin = 1522 ɣm fue) |
| zar xyg | de Italia |
| 8 | e |
### c11–c13 (cl08–cl09)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| sub ʃop 8 r D | si bi-e-s-se (ʃop = bi; r = s; D = e?) |
| ℔ ∂ 7 ⊃ ρ ω m | a-p-a-r-e-j-o (7, exact count; ⊃, ρ uncertain) |
| teg | para |
| ℔ ʇʇ ß ♀ 7 ʇʇ | a-b-a-x-a-r (exact; the first ʇʇ must be the b-form ʇʇʇ) |
| xug | la |
| ʃad ʇʇʇ 8 ʇʇ ʇʇ ω 7 | so-b-e-r-v-i-a |
| zarε tor | del Rey de Francia (tor = "Rey de Francia", see v03) |
| ʑφ | y |
| yuɣ ɣʇʇ ʇʇ 7 z zar f 8 ʇʇ | en-g-r-a-n-de-c-e-r |
| ℔ rab | a v. mad. |
| ß ʋ 8 yo | a m-e dicho = ha me dicho |
| ʃid | Sad |
| ton xul ton ω ʃʃ 8 | ?? (slot "querria"; not resolved) |
| 7 ʑφ φ σ ß ʇʇ | a-y-u-d-a-r (exact, 6) |
| ßʇʇω7 ℔ yac | ?? ("a ello / dello") |
| ʑφ | y |
### c14–c17 (cl10–cl12)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| ʃif zef | tanbien (?) (2 codes) |
| ʋ 8 7 | m-e a = me ha |
| yo | dicho (2nd context) |
| yif | esto |
| yub zed zar | el arçobispo de |
| f ℔ ∂̶ ⊤ 7 | c-a-p-u-a (exact) |
| 8 y z ton | "o dize que" (?) unresolved |
| ℔ | ha |
| zun σ y | da-d-o |
| ʃed | su |
| ʇʇ y b y | v-o-t-o |
| zu taf | al papa |
| ton xul zar φ 8 | que lo de-v-e |
| xu⁝ 8 ʇʇ | ha-z-e-r |
| ye yur 9 y | dizi-en-d-o (ye, yur probable) |
| ton teg | que para |
| ρρ 8 c ω c b ω ʇʇ | r-e-s-i-s-t-i-r (exact, 8) |
| zu | al |
| b φ ʇʇ f y | t-u-r-c-o (exact) |
| teg | para |
| ʇʇ 8 ʋ 8 9 ω ʃʃ ʇʇ | r-e-m-e-d-i-a-r (exact, 8; ʃʃ = a!) |
| xul zar | lo de |
| ε ⊤ b 8 ρρ ω y | L-u-t-e-r-i-o (exact, 7) |
| teg yub | para el |
| ʃad ʃub 8 ʃʃʇʇ m | so-ssi-e-g-o |
### c17–c21 (cl12–cl16)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| zar xig | de Italia |
| ʋ 8 xar ʇʇ ω ʃß | m-e-mo-r-i-a |
| zar ʃed | de su |
| f 7 c ß | c-a-s-a (exact) |
| yaf yub xiq | es el mejor |
| L 8 ʋ 8 9 ω y | r-e-m-e-d-i-o (exact, 7) |
| yuc xob zar f 8 ʇʇ | en-gran-de-c-e-r |
| ℔ rab | a v. mad. |
| [es ton en esto pero Como an visto los] | clear on the cipher page |
| xob 9 8 c | gran-d-e-s |
| xic zar rab | ha de v. mad. (xic = ha? probable) |
| ʑφ yub | y el |
| ∂ m f m | p-o-c-o (exact) |
| zun 4 y | da-ñ-o |
| ton ʃu ℔ | que se ha |
| xod f z y | fe-c-h-o (z = h?? probable) |
| yuc yon | en Francia |
| tog tif zar yol | por parte de Flandes |
| ʑφ zar yeg | y de España |
| ʑφ yub xip | y el mal |
### c22–c25 (cl16–cl20)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| ʇʇ 8 f 7 φ 9 y | r-e-c-a-u-d-o (exact, 7) |
| ton za 7 | que aca |
| ω | hay (?) |
| zar yeb c | de dinero-s |
| ʑφ xug xob | y la gran |
| f m c b 7 | c-o-s-t-a (exact) |
| teg | para |
| ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ | so-s-t-e-n-e-r (exact; recurs c24, v05) |
| yub yal | el exercito |
| ∂ 8 ʋ 8 4 | t-e-m-e-n (exact) |
| ton rab tu | que v. mad. no |
| ʃig | tenga |
| xap | manera (2nd context v06) |
| ko(?) | para (?) |
| tal ω m | podello (probable) |
| ʑφ ton | y que |
| ℔ ( ε y ♀ ß z 9 y | a-f-l-o-x-a-n-d-o (exact, 9) |
| yub ter | el Rey de Inglaterra (ter; probable) |
| ʃu | se |
| f ß z c 8 | c-a-n-s-e (exact) |
| ∂ | o (?) |
| zil f ω 8 ʇʇ b 8 | con-c-i-e-r-t-e |
| ʑφ ton xul c yun 8 c | y que los franceses |
| ℔ ∂ ʇʇ ω z b 8 z | a-p-r-i-?-t-e-n (a-prieten: one sign misread) |
### v01–v11 (cl20–cl30)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| ℔ | a |
| ʃu 4 y ʇʇ 8 7 ʇʇ | se-ñ-o-r-e-a-r |
| xul zar za | lo de aca |
| yi ʋ 8 | dize m-e |
| ʃed zaf | su Sd (zaf probable) |
| ton | que |
| un ʇʇe 7 zar | querria una de (unresolved) |
| 9 y c | d-o-s |
| f m c 7 c | c-o-s-a-s (exact) |
| ∂ 8 4 ω 8 z 9 m | t-e-m-i-e-n-d-o (count exact; 4 in m slot) |
| rab | v. mad. |
| ℔ ∂̶ 7 ʇʇ 8 ω m | a-p-a-r-e-j-o (exact, 7) |
| xul ton xon | lo que mas |
| zar ʃu 7 | de-sse-a |
| yaf ton yub tor | es que el Rey de Francia |
| ʃu zar c b ʇʇ φ ʑφ ℔ | se de-s-t-r-u-y-a (exact) |
| ton teg yif tu | que para esto no |
| ʃu m̲ φ z 9 8 | se f-u-n-d-e (m̲ = f?) |
| rab ʃic ʃed c yeb c | v. mad. sobre su-s dinero-s |
| ton yi ton xob ʃm | que dize que gran tiempo |
| ʃu ∂̶ φ 8 9 8 | se p-u-e-d-e (exact) |
| ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ | sostener |
| ʃob xug c | segun la-s |
| zar ⊤ 9 7 c | de-u-d-a-s |
| ʑφ ton yof | y quanto esta (ton in "quanto" slot) |
| ∂̶ 8 ʇʇ 9 ω 9 ℔ | p-e-r-d-i-d-a (exact, 7) |
| yof xug rac | esta la yglesia |
| ∂̶ 8 ʇʇ ʑφ | p-e-r-o (ʑφ in o slot!) |
| f ʇʇ m | c-r-(e)-o |
| ton sub ʃop 8 c 8 | que si bi-e-s-e |
| xap teg | manera para |
| ton rab | [que] v. mad. |
| ∂̶ φ 8 9 7 | p-u-e-d-a (exact) |
| ʃu ɣ̶ φ ω ʇʇ | se-g-u-i-r (exact) |
| yif ton | esto que |
| ℔ ʑφ φ 9 7 ʇʇ ω ß | a-y-u-d-a-r-i-a (exact, 8) |
| ʃab ʑφ | dinero y |
| zi | assimismo (?) |
| ∂̶ φ ʇʇʇ ω f y | p-u-b-(l)i-c-o (?) |
| tu ∂̶ φ 9 ω 8 z 9 y | no p-u-d-i-e-n-d-o (exact, 8) |
| ʃu ʇʇ yif | se-r esto |
| zar c 8 ß | de-s-e-a |
| ton ʃu ʃil c 8 | que se tomas-s-e |
| zuc 8 z b y | assi-e-n-t-o |
| zar ʃom zφ tef zec | de tregua o paz antes (split probable) |
| ton xug c | que la-s |
| f y r 7 c | c-o-s-a-s (exact; r = s) |
| zar rab | de v. mad. |
| ʃob z ω 8 c 8 4 | ve-n-i-e-s-e-n |
| ℔ | a |
| tef 8 c ω 9 ß σ | nec-e-s-i-d-a-d (tef in "nec" slot; again v15) |
| tog ton xiq | por [que] el mejor |
| tof 9 m | parti-d-o |
| ʃu z ω f ω 8 c 8 | se hiziesse (z-i-c-i-e-s-e?) |
| ʑφ zil xon | y con mas |
| ʇʇ 8 ∂̶ φ b 7 f ω y 4 | r-e-p-u-t-a-c-i-o-n (exact, 10) |
| yub maz zarε taf yaf | el fin del papa es |
| yef ʃad ʇʇʇ ʇʇ 8 yof | este so-b-r-e esta |
| zar b 8 ʇʇ ʋω z 7 f ω y z | de-t-e-r-mi-n-a-c-i-o-n |
| rab φ 8 ß | v. mad. v-e-a |
### v14–v17 (cl33–cl35)
| cipher | plain |
|---|---|
| ω ʃ m z φ ʇʇ z ω 8 z b 8 | inconveniente (end -n-i-e-n-t-e exact; front doubtful) |
| tef 8 c ω 9 ß σ | necessidad (2nd context) |
| zar rab ⁞ sub xug xax | de v. mad. y si la guerra (xax = guerra) |
| ʃu ℔ zar ʃu ɣ̶ φ ω ʇʇ | se ha de se-g-u-i-r |
| teg zil c 8 ʇʇ φ 7 ʇʇ | para con-s-e-r-v-a-r |
| ʑφ ʃu ɣ̶ φ ʇʇ 7 ℮o | y (a)se-g-u-r-a-r |
| yub ʇʇʇ ⊤ 8 z | el b-u-e-n (exact) |
| ℔ 4 ω ʋ y | a-n-i-m-o (exact) |
| zarε taf yub xiq | del papa el mejor (beyond the clear) |
## Derived values
### Letter alphabet (spelled runs)
| letter | signs (homophones) | status | evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | 7 | confirmed | pensar, capua, costa, casa, ayudar, afloxando ... (>15 slots) |
| a | ß | confirmed | ayuda, salida, abaxar, destruya?, necesidad, ayudaria |
| a | ℔ (letter a / word "a", "ha") | confirmed | ayuda, aparejo, capua, afloxando, animo, a v. mad. |
| a | ʃʃ | probable | remediar only |
| b | ʇʇʇ (triple-crossed) | confirmed | sobervia, sobre, buen; abaxar (read ʇʇ) |
| c | f (standing alone) | confirmed | tribucion, capua, casa, costa, cosas, canse, turco, reputacion, recaudo |
| d | 9 | confirmed | donde, salida, pudiendo, perdida, recaudo, afloxando, dos |
| d | σ | confirmed | ayuda, ayudar, dado, necesidad |
| e | 8 | confirmed | (as 1522) menester, pensar, remedio, puede, sostener ... |
| f | ( | probable | afloxando only |
| f | m̲ (underlined m) | probable | "se funde" only |
| g | ɣ̶ (ɣ with crossed tail, "ɣʇʇ") | confirmed | seguir ×2, segun, engrandecer |
| h | z? | probable | fecho only (conflicts z = n) |
| i/j | ω | confirmed | tribucion, resistir, remedio, pudiendo, aparejo (j), reputacion, animo |
| i | α | probable | salida only |
| l | ε | confirmed | Luterio, afloxando; also final of zarε = del |
| l | q | probable | salida only |
| m | ʋ | confirmed | menester, remediar, memoria, temen, animo, me ×3 |
| n | 4 | confirmed | (as 1522) tribucion, pensar, reputacion, señorear (ñ), daño (ñ), temen |
| n | z (standing alone) | confirmed | menester, donde, sostener, canse, afloxando, buen, pudiendo |
| o | y (standing alone) | confirmed | tribucion, donde, turco, recaudo, afloxando, remedio, animo, dos |
| o | m | confirmed | (as 1522) poco, costa, cosas, aparejo, temiendo, partido |
| p | ⊃ | confirmed | pensar (as 1522) |
| p | ∂̶ (barred ∂) | confirmed | capua, puede, pueda, perdida, pudiendo, reputacion, poco |
| r | ʇʇ | confirmed | menester, pensar, resistir, turco, remediar, destruya, ayudar ... |
| r | ρρ | confirmed | resistir, Luterio |
| r | L | probable | remedio only |
| s | c | confirmed | menester, pensar, resistir, casa, costa, canse, sostener, cosas, dos |
| s | r | confirmed | pocos, dineros (c06), cosas (v09), biesse (c11) |
| t | b | confirmed | menester, resistir, turco, voto, costa, sostener, reputacion, destruya |
| t | ∂ (plain) | probable | tribucion, temen, temiendo — see contradictions |
| u/v | φ | confirmed | turco, deve, puede, pudiendo, ayudar, reputacion, destruya, seguir, vea |
| u | ⊤ | confirmed | ayuda, capua, Luterio, deudas, buen, segun |
| v | ʇʇ (voto, via) | probable | voto, sobervia — not separable from r at this zoom |
| x | ♀ | confirmed | abaxar, afloxando |
| y | ʑφ | confirmed | ayuda, ayudar, ayudaria, bayan, destruya; = conjunction "y" throughout |
| z | ⁝ | confirmed | haze ×2, hazer (always after xu) |
### Codes (words and syllables)
Confirmed = fits an exact slot between fixed values and recurs, or re-confirms a 1522 value.
- 1522 values re-confirmed here: ton que, zar de, zarε/zarᵹ del, xul lo (+c los), xug la (+c las),
zil con, taf papa, rab v. mad., ɣof/yof esta, ɣaf/yaf es, ɣub/yub el, ɣuc/yuc en, sub si, ʃu se,
tu no, xon mas, teg para, zun da (dado, daño), ʃid Sad, zed arçobispo, ɣif/yif esto, ɣon/yon Francia,
xLɡ/xig/xyg Italia, xᵹb/xob gran, ɣun franceses (fran-), ɣm/ɣin fue, ɣab/yeb dinero, xu ha- (haze, hazer)
— all confirmed.
- New confirmed: yo = dicho (c13, c14); yi = dize (v01, v04); zu = al (c15, c16); tor = Rey de Francia
(c12, v03); ʃed = su (c15, c18, v01, v04); xiq = mejor (c18, v10); xap = manera (c23, v06);
ʃad = so (sobervia, sossiego, sostener ×3, sobre); ʃop = bi (biesse ×2); tef = nec- (necesidad ×2);
xuq = mi (determinacion); xur = na (as 1522); tog = por (c21, v10; = 1522 top?).
- New probable (one slot): ʃel toda; ʃur visorey; zᵉ agora; zam como; tep quiera; ʃan ba(yan);
ʃif zef tanbien; ye dizi-; yur en (dizi-en-do); xar mo (memoria); xic ha; xod fe (fecho); tif parte;
yol Flandes; yeg España; xip mal; za aca; yal exercito; ʃig tenga; tal podello(po-de?); ter Rey de
Inglaterra; zaf Santidad; ʃic sobre; ʃm tiempo; ʃob segun (v05) / ve (v10) — conflicting; rac yglesia;
ʃab dinero; zi assimismo; ʃil tomas-; zuc assi- (assiento); ʃom tregua; zec antes; tof parti-;
maz fin; yef este; xax guerra; ω (alone) hay.
## Contradictions and doubts
1. **L**: 1522 key had L = i (downgraded). Here L stands in the r slot of "remedio" (c18, exact 7-sign run).
One context only; either a different sign or the 1522 value is wrong.
2. **∂**: 1522 key had no ∂. Here a ∂-like sign is p (barred form ∂̶: capua, puede, perdida, pudiendo,
reputacion, poco, aparejo) and t (tribucion, temen, temiendo), and in salida it stands in the s slot,
in "canse o concierte" in the o slot. I cannot separate the forms reliably at 2x; p and t are both
well attested, so there are at least two signs here. Needs a 4x-8x zoom comparison.
3. **ʇʇ** carries r (many), b (triple-crossed form, sure), and v (voto, sobervia). The 1522 transcription
used ʒ for r; ʇʇ here is probably the same sign as 1522's "#" in ∞7∞ᵷLʒ#8ʃ3m (satisfecho).
4. **m**: o in poco/costa/cosas/aparejo (as 1522), but an underlined m̲ in "se funde" would be f.
5. **z**: n everywhere, but h in "fecho" (xod f z y) — one slot, probable only.
6. **4** in the m slot of "temiendo" (v02) — probably my misreading of ʋ.
7. **φ** in c07 "re-tirar" sits in an r slot — probably a misreading (φ = u/v in ten contexts).
8. **tef**: 1522 tef = paz (confirmed); here tef twice in "nec(esidad)" and once in "tregua o paz antes"
where it could be paz. Either homophonic code (unlikely) or the two uses are different groups.
9. **ʃob**: segun (v05) and ve- (v10) — one of them wrong.
10. Spots not aligned: c13 "ton xul ton ω ʃʃ 8" (querria), c13 "ßʇʇω7 ℔ yac" (a ello / dello),
c14 "8 y z ton" (o dize que), v01 "un ʇʇe 7" (querria una), v14 front of "inconveniente".Translation
# R9846 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 5 February 1524 (ff. 130r-130v, from the clerk's clear on f. 133r) — English Translation of the contemporary clear `r9846_clear.txt` (the deciphered first third of the letter; the clear stops mid-sentence where the imaged leaf ends). Uncertain readings of the clear keep their `(?)` as `[?…]`. Written 22 Oct 2026, batch b07. The Pope has been pleased by the news of the coming of Monsieur de Beaurain. He awaits him eagerly; his coming here at this juncture will be useful for all business in general, and in particular for the matter of the contribution, for, as there is little money, every help is needed, until we see whether the viceroy's going out makes the French withdraw, for where they now are makes one think what is to come. However, the Pope's resolve is that they should go out of Italy, and if he saw the means to humble the pride of the King of France and to aggrandise Your Majesty, His Holiness has told me he would like to help in it. And the archbishop of Capua has also told me this, [?and says] he has given his advice to the Pope that he ought to do so, saying that, to resist the Turk, to remedy the Lutheran matter, for the quiet of Italy and the memory of his house, the best remedy is to aggrandise Your Majesty. They are of this mind; but as they have seen the great [efforts] of Your Majesty, and the little harm that has been done in France from Flanders and from Spain, and the bad provision of money here, and the great cost of keeping the army, they fear that Your Majesty may have no means to keep it up, and that, the King of England slackening, he may tire or come to terms, and that the French may press on to make themselves masters of things here. His Holiness tells me that he would like one of two things. If Your Majesty had the means, what he most desires is that the King of France be destroyed; that for this Your Majesty should not rely on his money, for he says that [?for a long time] it can hardly be kept up, given the debts and how ruined the Church is; but I believe that if he saw a way for Your Majesty to be able to follow this, he would help with money, and likewise publicly. This being impossible, he wishes that a settlement of truce or peace be made before Your Majesty's affairs came to necessity, so that it might be made on the best terms and with more reputation. This is the Pope's aim. On this, let Your Majesty see what best suits his service, and let Your Majesty order that more despatches come, because the Pope holds it a very great drawback, in a time of such need, to hear so seldom from Your Majesty; and whether the war is to be pursued, to keep and secure the good disposition […]
R9866, Rome, 28 Feb 1524, to Grand Chancellor Gattinara (9/30 ff. 285-286) read in part
To Gattinara: Beaurain's coming was timely; the French mean, by craft or force, to stay on this side of the Alps, and the Emperor must not lose the world's respect while he spends so much on the war; Hurtado asks Gattinara's help to be paid what he is owed. Read a quarter to a third.
Builds coherent sentences, but under the read bar of 95% of words read as sense (91% here); the holes are marked in the reading.
Transcription
# R9866 transcription (ff. 285r-285v), copied verbatim on 22 Oct 2026 from the 'Transcription' section of read_r9866.md; sign notation and legend there. ## Transcription ### f. 285r ``` l1 [La venida de musiur de beurre a sido a muy buen tiempo yo] l2 [lee avisado de lo de aqui lo mejor que lo entiendo como vera] l3 [V. S. por sus cartas y pues el tercero en todo lo negocio aqui sere] l4 [yo breve. Los franceses desean por maña o por fuerça quedar] R1 l5 [desta parte de los montes segun el] ∂̶ ⊃ 8 9 ω b m ton ʇʇ 4 R1 l6 ε 7 4 ß 9 m yur tu xul c ʇʇ φ 8 ʇʇ m m̶ 8 z 9 ω 9 m [por] R2 l7 [esas partes los] yal c zar ʃed rab [y el que sea] ∂ 8 ʇʇ 9 ω 9 y R3 l8 [en no poder] xu ⁝ 8 ʇʇ xur zun [si su] xun ∂ φ 8 9 8 yur R3 l9 toʇʇ xap xil zil φ ω 8 z 8 to ∂ 8 9 ω m tog ʒ y m̶ m c R3 l10 ti xer c 9 ω ʇʇ c zar tef ti ʃom ʃub xul c ɣun 8 c ton R3 l11 zun z za zil xer ʒ ß ε ʋ m zar b ω 8 φ ß [porque sera] R4 l12 [temiendo a los] φ ω .j. m c ⁝φ xug ⊃ m 8 ʒ φ b ʇʇ m̶ ω m 4 R4 l13 ton 7 z m̶ m ʇʇʇ ʇʇ 7 9 m ʃuʇʇ tul 4 φ ω c ω 8 ʇʇ 8 z R4 l14 ʃu z m ʇʇ 8 c zar xig [y que su Mt no lo sea del mundo] l15 [saliendo ellos della, pues por alla se gasta tanto en la] R5 l16 [guerra] ⁝φ ʇʇ ʒ ʇʇ m φ 8 m̶ ʒ 7 ʃif ∂ y m̶ m ʃed xun zar R5 l17 9 ⊃ ⊃ ω 7 4 T̄ ω b 7 ʇʇ xug m̶ m c b 7 zar zub ⁝φ ʒ y z 8 R5 l18 ω ʇʇ zil yub yal ton zic b ω 8 4 8 [pues es el mejor] l19 [que nunca tuvo principe de capitanes y gente por tierra] R6 l20 [y por mar, y si su Mt se a de fundar sobre] yif tu R6 l21 ʇʇ ω 8 z c 8 ton zar yeb c zar xug c m̶ m z b ʇʇ ω ʇʇ T̄ R6 l22 ʃ ω y 4 8 c ʃu ʇʇ zar ʇʇ ω T̄ zun ⊃ ton tu xeg c yal [es menester para] R7 l23 c ʇʇ m̶ 7 ʇʇ ε m zar yac c m̶ m ε ω y ʇʇ 7 R7 l24 9 m c ton teg ⊃ ⊃ 8 m̶ ω c b ω ʇʇ xul c 8 z 8 ʋ ω y ʇʇ m c ``` ### f. 285v ``` R8 l1 [hasta que venga tiempo que] xul c ɣun 8 c tu ʃig z ʆ ω 4 y R8 l2 xig [y segun la opinion de todos los servidores de su Mt aunque] R9 l3 ⊃ m ʇʇ 8 xug c ʇʇ 7 ʇʇ c ⁝φ ⊃ 8 z 9 ʇʇ xul xiq ton ʃed xun ω R9 l4 8 z 8 yur ʃed c tas m c tu zar T̄ 8 zar ♀ 7 ʇʇ ʃub z ʃad R9 l5 ⊃ T̄ .j. ɣ̶ ʇʇ 7 ⁝φ ε 8 m̶ ʒ 7 ʇʇ xul c ɣun 8 c zar za ton R9 l6 ʃub tu ʃad z ⊃ 8 z m̶ ω 9 m c ton zun z T̄ 8 z m̶ 8 9 m R9 l7 ʇʇ 8 c ⁝φ xul zar za ʃal ʒ 8 ʇʇ 9 ω 9 m ʃed xun ∂ ʇʇ y φ 8 7 R9 l8 zar yeb c zil yab [y si en Napoles] ʃu ʇʇ zar φ 8 z 9 8 ʇʇ ʒob R10 l9 [mande dar comision a persona particular para que] T̄ 8 4 9 7 R10 l10 ⁝φ ʃu ʒ 7 ɣ̶ ʇʇ φ 8 yub yal [que a lo que parece si el] ʃur xul R11 l11 m φ ω 8 c 8 xod m̶ ʒ y [y todos supiesen que] tu xil ε 7 ε b 7 R12 l12 T̄ ʇʇ z yeb c xul c yun c ʃu ʇʇ ω 7 z ⁝φ 9 m c [y algunos que] R13 l13 [agora] yi z ton tu b ω 8 z 8 4 ʇʇ φ ʇʇ ω 7 z ⁝φ φ c m̶ 7 9 m ⁝φ R13 l14 ʇʇ T̄ c m̶ ß ʇʇ ω 7 z teg m̶ φ z ʒ ε ω ʇʇ xul ton yof ʇʇ c 8 z b 7 R13 l15 9 m [pero como an] ʋ ω 8 9 m ton top tif zar ʃed xun ʇʇ ω x b R14 l16 tef 8 c ω 9 7 c ⁝φ xug tef xil c ʒ 7 ʇʇ 8 c m̶ ß ʃif ʒ ʇʇ m φ 8 m̶ ʒ R14 l17 c ß zm ʃeg 8 c m̶ ʇʇ ω b m zar b ω 8 z 8 4 ʃu zil zub m c m R14 l18 ∂ 4 8 c to ʃal ʇʇ ω 7 z xor ⁝φ zun 4 m c y c ʇʇ ʃed xun [como musiur] l19 [de beurre traera, por eso no lo digo yo aqui mas de suplicar a V. S.] l20 [vea un capitulo que escrivio a Soria y me haga merced de ayudarme] l21 [para que su Mt no permita que yo reciba tanto daño y verguença] l22 [por no me mandar pagar lo que se me deve. Guarde nuestro Señor y acreciente] l23 [la muy Ill.e persona y estado de V. S.a de Roma a xxviij de] l24 [hebrero.] Lope hurtado ``` Transcription note: the Z-shaped letter sign `ʒ`/`3` (a z with a descender) appears repeatedly in the runs here and is *not* separated in the key from `z` (= n). I kept `ʒ` where the tail is clear; it is left unvalued. `⁝φ` = a phi with a hooked head, written as one sign (unvalued).
Decryption
# R9866 — Lope Hurtado to the Grand Chancellor (Gattinara), Rome, 28 February 1524 (ff. 285r–285v)
Images: `img/IMG_R9866_I45986_P1.jpg` (right = f.285r), `P2` (left = f.285v; right = f.286v, address "Al muy
Ill.e S.or el S.or gran chanciller de la Sacra Cesarea Mt"). Heading "muy Ill.e señor"; the letter says "V. S.".
So the addressee is the Grand Chancellor Mercurino di Gattinara, not the Emperor.
**Date.** The subscription on f.285v, checked at 3.5x, reads "De Roma a xxviij de hebrero": **28 February
1524**, not 20 February. (The year is from the docket on the facing leaf, "1524", and the Beaurain news that
the 3/5 Feb letter R9846 also carries.) The cross-check file `trans_R9866.md` reads the same date and address.
Cipher runs (Rn) token by token in the symbols of `r9846_cipher.txt`. `ℋ` below = the looped double-crossed
sign that I cannot separate from ʇʇ with certainty; I transcribe it as ʇʇ. `T̄` = the barred T sign
(⊤ of the key). Where the other session's transcription (`trans_R9866.md`) and mine differ, mine is given.
## Transcription
### f. 285r
```
l1 [La venida de musiur de beurre a sido a muy buen tiempo yo]
l2 [lee avisado de lo de aqui lo mejor que lo entiendo como vera]
l3 [V. S. por sus cartas y pues el tercero en todo lo negocio aqui sere]
l4 [yo breve. Los franceses desean por maña o por fuerça quedar]
R1 l5 [desta parte de los montes segun el] ∂̶ ⊃ 8 9 ω b m ton ʇʇ 4
R1 l6 ε 7 4 ß 9 m yur tu xul c ʇʇ φ 8 ʇʇ m m̶ 8 z 9 ω 9 m [por]
R2 l7 [esas partes los] yal c zar ʃed rab [y el que sea] ∂ 8 ʇʇ 9 ω 9 y
R3 l8 [en no poder] xu ⁝ 8 ʇʇ xur zun [si su] xun ∂ φ 8 9 8 yur
R3 l9 toʇʇ xap xil zil φ ω 8 z 8 to ∂ 8 9 ω m tog ʒ y m̶ m c
R3 l10 ti xer c 9 ω ʇʇ c zar tef ti ʃom ʃub xul c ɣun 8 c ton
R3 l11 zun z za zil xer ʒ ß ε ʋ m zar b ω 8 φ ß [porque sera]
R4 l12 [temiendo a los] φ ω .j. m c ⁝φ xug ⊃ m 8 ʒ φ b ʇʇ m̶ ω m 4
R4 l13 ton 7 z m̶ m ʇʇʇ ʇʇ 7 9 m ʃuʇʇ tul 4 φ ω c ω 8 ʇʇ 8 z
R4 l14 ʃu z m ʇʇ 8 c zar xig [y que su Mt no lo sea del mundo]
l15 [saliendo ellos della, pues por alla se gasta tanto en la]
R5 l16 [guerra] ⁝φ ʇʇ ʒ ʇʇ m φ 8 m̶ ʒ 7 ʃif ∂ y m̶ m ʃed xun zar
R5 l17 9 ⊃ ⊃ ω 7 4 T̄ ω b 7 ʇʇ xug m̶ m c b 7 zar zub ⁝φ ʒ y z 8
R5 l18 ω ʇʇ zil yub yal ton zic b ω 8 4 8 [pues es el mejor]
l19 [que nunca tuvo principe de capitanes y gente por tierra]
R6 l20 [y por mar, y si su Mt se a de fundar sobre] yif tu
R6 l21 ʇʇ ω 8 z c 8 ton zar yeb c zar xug c m̶ m z b ʇʇ ω ʇʇ T̄
R6 l22 ʃ ω y 4 8 c ʃu ʇʇ zar ʇʇ ω T̄ zun ⊃ ton tu xeg c yal [es menester para]
R7 l23 c ʇʇ m̶ 7 ʇʇ ε m zar yac c m̶ m ε ω y ʇʇ 7
R7 l24 9 m c ton teg ⊃ ⊃ 8 m̶ ω c b ω ʇʇ xul c 8 z 8 ʋ ω y ʇʇ m c
```
### f. 285v
```
R8 l1 [hasta que venga tiempo que] xul c ɣun 8 c tu ʃig z ʆ ω 4 y
R8 l2 xig [y segun la opinion de todos los servidores de su Mt aunque]
R9 l3 ⊃ m ʇʇ 8 xug c ʇʇ 7 ʇʇ c ⁝φ ⊃ 8 z 9 ʇʇ xul xiq ton ʃed xun ω
R9 l4 8 z 8 yur ʃed c tas m c tu zar T̄ 8 zar ♀ 7 ʇʇ ʃub z ʃad
R9 l5 ⊃ T̄ .j. ɣ̶ ʇʇ 7 ⁝φ ε 8 m̶ ʒ 7 ʇʇ xul c ɣun 8 c zar za ton
R9 l6 ʃub tu ʃad z ⊃ 8 z m̶ ω 9 m c ton zun z T̄ 8 z m̶ 8 9 m
R9 l7 ʇʇ 8 c ⁝φ xul zar za ʃal ʒ 8 ʇʇ 9 ω 9 m ʃed xun ∂ ʇʇ y φ 8 7
R9 l8 zar yeb c zil yab [y si en Napoles] ʃu ʇʇ zar φ 8 z 9 8 ʇʇ ʒob
R10 l9 [mande dar comision a persona particular para que] T̄ 8 4 9 7
R10 l10 ⁝φ ʃu ʒ 7 ɣ̶ ʇʇ φ 8 yub yal [que a lo que parece si el] ʃur xul
R11 l11 m φ ω 8 c 8 xod m̶ ʒ y [y todos supiesen que] tu xil ε 7 ε b 7
R12 l12 T̄ ʇʇ z yeb c xul c yun c ʃu ʇʇ ω 7 z ⁝φ 9 m c [y algunos que]
R13 l13 [agora] yi z ton tu b ω 8 z 8 4 ʇʇ φ ʇʇ ω 7 z ⁝φ φ c m̶ 7 9 m ⁝φ
R13 l14 ʇʇ T̄ c m̶ ß ʇʇ ω 7 z teg m̶ φ z ʒ ε ω ʇʇ xul ton yof ʇʇ c 8 z b 7
R13 l15 9 m [pero como an] ʋ ω 8 9 m ton top tif zar ʃed xun ʇʇ ω x b
R14 l16 tef 8 c ω 9 7 c ⁝φ xug tef xil c ʒ 7 ʇʇ 8 c m̶ ß ʃif ʒ ʇʇ m φ 8 m̶ ʒ
R14 l17 c ß zm ʃeg 8 c m̶ ʇʇ ω b m zar b ω 8 z 8 4 ʃu zil zub m c m
R14 l18 ∂ 4 8 c to ʃal ʇʇ ω 7 z xor ⁝φ zun 4 m c y c ʇʇ ʃed xun [como musiur]
l19 [de beurre traera, por eso no lo digo yo aqui mas de suplicar a V. S.]
l20 [vea un capitulo que escrivio a Soria y me haga merced de ayudarme]
l21 [para que su Mt no permita que yo reciba tanto daño y verguença]
l22 [por no me mandar pagar lo que se me deve. Guarde nuestro Señor y acreciente]
l23 [la muy Ill.e persona y estado de V. S.a de Roma a xxviij de]
l24 [hebrero.] Lope hurtado
```
Transcription note: the Z-shaped letter sign `ʒ`/`3` (a z with a descender) appears repeatedly in the runs here and
is *not* separated in the key from `z` (= n). I kept `ʒ` where the tail is clear; it is left unvalued.
`⁝φ` = a phi with a hooked head, written as one sign (unvalued).
## Decoding and reading
Per-line machine decoding is at the end (confirmed plain, probable `<…>`, unknown `?tok`). Readings of the
runs that make Spanish:
- R1 `?∂̶ ⊃ e d i t o que ʇʇ n | l a n a d o en no lo s ? a u e r o f e n d i d o` — "…segun el [pr]edito(?)
que […] allanado [?], en no los aver ofendido por esas partes". "aver ofendido" is exact (a-u-e-r
o-f-e-n-d-i-d-o) and confirms `m̶` = f once more.
- R2 `exercitos de su v.M.` … `p e r d i d o` — "los exércitos de su Mt, y el que sea perdido".
- R3 `ha z e r na da` … — "en no poder hazer nada; si su […] p u e d e en […]"; the rest of R3 (l9–l11) does not
make Spanish: a few words only: "… de nec[…] … si los franceses que da …". Read in part.
- R4 — not read beyond "… que …"; ends "se […] de Italia".
- R5 — "… su [..] de […]"; "el exercito que […]"; not read.
- R6 `esto no r i e n s e que de dinero s de la s f o n t r i r(?) …` — "si su Mt se a de fundar sobre esto, no
[…] que de dineros de las […]"; the remainder unread.
- R7 `… d o s que para p p e f i s t i r los e n e m i o r o s` — "…que para resistir(?) los enemigos"
(spelled "enem-i-o-r-o-s": a slip or a misreading) — probable only.
- R8 `lo s fran e s no <tenga> … Italia` — "hasta que venga tiempo que los franceses no tengan […] Italia".
- R9–R14 — word pieces only: "… de su …", "los franceses de aca que", "si no so[…] de dinero s con …",
"necesidad", "que da n …". Not read as sentences.
## Coverage
Measured by `decode_runs.py` (script output below). A token counts as decoded if it has a value in
`key_1524.tsv` or `key_1524_additions.tsv`; that is an upper bound on what reads. In R3–R5 and R9–R14 many
decoded letters sit in runs that still do not make Spanish, so the honest status is **read in part** (roughly
a quarter to a third of the cipher reads as Spanish: R1, R2, R6 start, R8).
## English gist
To Gattinara: Beaurain's coming was timely; Lope has briefed him and Gattinara will see it in his letters.
The French want, by craft or force, to stay on this side of the Alps; [cipher: they have not been harmed in
those parts … the Emperor's armies; losing one … being unable to do anything …]. The Emperor must not lose
the world's respect now that they are leaving it, since he spends so much on the war, having the best
captains and men by land and sea; if he is to rely on this [cipher: money is needed …]. Until the time comes
that [the French no longer hold?] Italy [cipher, unread] … in Naples a commission should go to one person
to [cipher] … Beaurain will report, so Lope only begs Gattinara to read a chapter he wrote to Soria and help
him get paid what he is owed.
## Script output (decode_runs.py)
```
R1 l5: p p e d i/j t o que r n
R1 l6: l a n a d o <en> no lo s r u/v e r o f e n d i/j d o
R2 l7: <exercito> s de su vuestra magestad <t> e r d i/j d o
R3 l8: ha- z e r na da ?xun <t> u/v e d e <en>
R3 l9: ?toʇʇ manera ?xil con u/v i/j e n e ?to <t> e d i/j o <por> ?ʒ o f o s
R3 l10: ?ti ?xer s d i/j r s de nec- ?ti ?ʃom ?ʃub lo s fran- e s que
R3 l11: da n <aca> con ?xer ?ʒ a l m o de t i/j e u/v a
R4 l12: u/v i/j <ç> o s ?⁝φ la p o e ?ʒ u/v t r f i/j o n
R4 l13: que a n f o b r a d o ?ʃuʇʇ ?tul n u/v i/j s i/j e r e n
R4 l14: se n o r e s de Italia
R5 l16: ?⁝φ r ?ʒ r o u/v e f ?ʒ a ?ʃif <t> o f o su ?xun de
R5 l17: d p p i/j a n ?T̄ i/j t a r la f o s t a de ?zub ?⁝φ ?ʒ o n e
R5 l18: i/j r con el <exercito> que ?zic t i/j e n e
R6 l20: esto no
R6 l21: r i/j e n s e que de dinero s de la s f o n t r i/j r ?T̄
R6 l22: ?ʃ i/j o n e s se r de r i/j ?T̄ da p que no ?xeg s <exercito>
R7 l23: s r f a r l o de ?yac s f o l i/j o r a
R7 l24: d o s que para p p e f i/j s t i/j r lo s e n e m i/j o r o s
R8 l1: lo s fran- e s no <tenga> n ?ʆ i/j n o
R8 l2: Italia
R9 l3: p o r e la s r a r s ?⁝φ p e n d r lo mejor que su ?xun i/j
R9 l4: e n e <en> su s ?tas o s no de ?T̄ e de x a r ?ʃub n so
R9 l5: p ?T̄ <ç> g r a ?⁝φ l e f ?ʒ a r lo s fran- e s de <aca> que
R9 l6: ?ʃub no so n p e n f i/j d o s que da n ?T̄ e n f e d o
R9 l7: r e s ?⁝φ lo de <aca> ?ʃal ?ʒ e r d i/j d o su ?xun <t> r o u/v e a
R9 l8: de dinero s con ?yab se r de u/v e n d e r ?ʒob
R10 l9: ?T̄ e n d a
R10 l10: ?⁝φ se ?ʒ a g r u/v e el <exercito> <visorey> lo
R11 l11: o u/v i/j e s e <fe> f ?ʒ o no ?xil l a l t a
R12 l12: ?T̄ r n dinero s lo s ?yun s se r i/j a n ?⁝φ d o s
R13 l13: dize n que no t i/j e n e n r u/v r i/j a n ?⁝φ u/v s f a d o ?⁝φ
R13 l14: r ?T̄ s f a r i/j a n para f u/v n ?ʒ l i/j r lo que esta r s e n t a
R13 l15: d o m i/j e d o que ?top <parte> de su ?xun r i/j ?x t
R14 l16: nec- e s i/j d a s ?⁝φ la nec- ?xil s ?ʒ a r e s f a ?ʃif ?ʒ r o u/v e f ?ʒ
R14 l17: s a ?zm ?ʃeg e s f r i/j t o de t i/j e n e n se con ?zub o s o
R14 l18: <t> n e s ?to ?ʃal r i/j a n ?xor ?⁝φ da n o s o s r su ?xun
TOTAL tokens 624; decoded 547 (87.7%); of which confirmed 524
```
Further pieces seen in the script output: R4 l14 `se n o r e s de Italia` ("señores de Italia", exact);
R9 l3 `lo mejor que su …`; R9 l5 `los franceses de aca que`; R9 l6 `que dan …`; R9 l8 `de dineros con … ser de
vender`; R12 `dineros los […] serian […]`; R13 l13 `dizen que no tienen`; R13 l14 `para cun[p]lir lo que esta
[…]`; R13 l15 `miedo que por parte de su […]`; R14 l16 `necesidad`.
Sign problems exposed here (not added to the key):
- `ʒ` (z with descender): fits p in "cun-ʒ-lir" (R13 l14) and in "ʒ-r-o-u-e-c-h-" (R5 l16, R14 l16 = provech-);
only probable, and I cannot always separate it from `z` = n. Listed in additions as probable.
- `m̶` reads f in "ofendido", "ofrecio", "ofrecer", "confiança", but c in "costa"(R5 l17 `m̶ m c b 7`) and
"cunplir" (R13 l14) — either two barred signs I am not separating, or m̶ is a c/f homophone mix-up by me.
R9869's `ƫ` (= c in "cunplira") may be the same sign as the c-form.Reading
# R9866 — Lope Hurtado to the Grand Chancellor Gattinara, Rome, 28 February 1524 (RAH Salazar A-30 ff. 285r-285v) — reading Rests on: the clear text (transcribed in `read_r9866.md` and the main checkout's `trans_R9866.md`, checked on the DECODE images IMG_R9866_I45986_P1 right, P2 left); the 14 cipher runs decoded with the merged 1523-24 key (`key_merged.tsv`) and re-read on the images, with the look-alike signs resolved word by word (`R9866_corrections.tsv`: the ß-like barred sign read `ʇʇ` in the transcription is `a` in a dozen words; `y ʇʇ` is one sign, `ɣ̶` = g; `m̶`/`f` = c in *cobrado*, *costa*, *provechosa*; `ʒ` = p in *paz*, *pague*, *cunplir*). No contemporary decipherment, no clear copy, not in CSP Spain ii. Cipher in *italics*; `[?word]` partly carried by the figures, `[word]` supplied, `[…]` unread. Re-read 22 Oct 2026, batch b07 (`R9866_reread_log.md`). ## Reading Muy Ill.e S.or La venida de musiur de Beurre a sido a muy buen tiempo. Yo le e avisado de lo de aqui lo mejor que lo entiendo, como vera V. S. por sus cartas; y pues el tercero en todo lo negocio aqui, sere yo breve. Los franceses desean por maña o por fuerça quedar desta parte de los montes, segun el *credito que [?an] [?allanado], en no los aver ofendido* por esas partes los *exercitos de su V. Mt.,* y el que sea *perdido* en no poder *hazer nada.* Si su *Magestad puede, en [?otra] manera le conviene no [?] por pocos ni […] dias de paz ni tregua, si los franceses quedan aca con […] palmo de [?tierra],* porque sera, temiendo a los *[?Suiços] y la [?reputacion] que an cobrado, [?ser] quando [?quisieren] señores de Italia;* y que Su Mt. no lo sea del mundo, saliendo ellos della. Pues por alla se gasta tanto en la guerra, *y aprovecha tanto [?como] su Magestad […] evitar la costa de alla y [?poner] con el exercito que aqui tiene,* pues es el mejor que nunca tuvo principe, de capitanes y gente por tierra y por mar; y si Su Mt. se a de fundar sobre *esto, no [?piense] que de dineros de las [?contribuciones] [?ser] de [?ayuda], […] que no […] exercito;* es menester para *sacarlo dellos, coligados, que para resistir los enemigos,* hasta que venga tiempo que *los franceses no tengan […] Italia.* Y segun la opinion de todos los servidores de Su Mt., aunque *[…] las […], y [?] lo mejor que su Magestad [?tiene] en sus […], no deve dexar sin […] y [?echar] los franceses de aca; que si no son vencidos, quedan vencedores, y lo de aca esta perdido. Su Magestad provea de dineros con […],* y si en Napoles *se ha de vender […],* mande dar comision a persona particular para que *venda y se pague el exercito,* que a lo que parece, si el *visorrey lo oviese fecho,* y todos supiesen que *no le [?faltaran] dineros, los franceses se irian [?todos];* y algunos que agora *dizen que no tienen, […] avrian [?buscado] y [?buscarian] para cunplir lo que esta asentado.* Pero como an *miedo que por parte de su Magestad […], necesidades; y la paz les paresca tan provechosa, [?como] [?tengo] escrito, […] no estarian muy dañosos a su Magestad,* como musiur de Beurre traera. Por eso no lo digo yo aqui, mas de suplicar a V. S. vea un capitulo que escrivio a Soria, y me haga merced de ayudarme para que Su Mt. no permita que yo reciba tanto daño y verguença por no me mandar pagar lo que se me deve. Guarde Nuestro Señor y acreciente la muy Ill.e persona y estado de V. S. De Roma a xxviij de hebrero. [subscription, autograph:] Lope Hurtado
Translation
# R9866 — Lope Hurtado to the Grand Chancellor Gattinara, Rome, 28 February 1524 — English Translation of `R9866_reading.md`, with the same holes. Passages in cipher in the original are in *italics*. Most Illustrious Lord, The coming of Monsieur de Beaurain has been very timely. I have briefed him on matters here as best I understand them, as Your Lordship will see by his letters; and since the third party in everything is negotiating here, I shall be brief. The French want, by craft or by force, to stay on this side of the mountains, given the *credit that [?they have] [?levelled], by not having been harmed* in those parts by *the armies of Your Majesty,* and that it is *lost* by being unable to *do anything.* If *His Majesty can, in [?no other] way does it suit him [to grant], for few or […] days, peace or truce, if the French stay here with […] a foot of [?ground],* for it will be, fearing the *[?Swiss] and the [?reputation] they have gained, [?to be], when they [?wish], lords of Italy;* and that His Majesty should not be [lord] of the world, with them leaving it. Since so much is spent over there on the war, *and it profits as much as His Majesty […] to avoid the cost over there and [?to set] with the army that he has here,* for it is the best that any prince ever had, in captains and men by land and sea; and if His Majesty is to rely on *this, let him not [?think] that money from the [?contributions] [?will be] of [?help], […] that no […] army;* it is needed *to get it from them, the allies, so as to resist the enemies,* until the time comes that *the French do not hold […] Italy.* And in the opinion of all His Majesty's servants, although *[…] the […], and [?] the best that His Majesty has in his […], he must not fail [to] […] and [?drive] the French from here; for if they are not beaten, they remain the victors, and all here is lost. Let His Majesty provide money with […],* and if in Naples *[…] is to be sold,* let him give a commission to a private person so that *he sells and the army is paid;* for it seems that, if the *viceroy had done it,* and everyone knew that *he would not [?lack] money, the French would [?all] go;* and some who now *say they have none would have [?looked] and would [?look] for it, to fulfil what has been agreed.* But as they are *afraid that on His Majesty's part […], needs; and peace seems so profitable to them, [?as] [?I have] written, […] they would not be very harmful to His Majesty,* as Monsieur de Beaurain will bring. So I do not say it here, except to beg Your Lordship to look at a chapter he wrote to Soria, and to do me the favour of helping me so that His Majesty does not allow me to suffer so much harm and shame by not ordering that what is owed me be paid. May Our Lord keep and increase Your Lordship's most illustrious person and estate. From Rome, 28 February. Lope Hurtado
R9867, Rome, 4 Jan 1524, to Charles V (9/30 f. 351) decoded, not read
Wholly in cipher: Monsieur de Beaurain has left the Pope content with what he said on the Emperor's behalf; the Emperor must not show need of money, little can be raised; mention of the archbishop [of Capua] and the French in Italy; the writer asks for what is owed to him.
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
# R9867, RAH Salazar A-?, f.351r, wholly cipher, 25 lines. Symbols as r9846_cipher.txt legend. # Extra: 3 = "3"-shaped letter sign standing alone (value h, see key_1523_additions.tsv); / = scribe's stop mark. l01 ʋ φ c ω ⊤ ʇʇ zar ʇʇʇ 8 φ ʇʇ 8 zar ʃ ʇʇ zu taf zil l02 b 8 z b m zar xul ton xil ʇʇ yo zar tif zar rab l03 ʑφ zar xug xap ton ß ∂ 8 4 ω 9 y yur ta ß ʇʇ l04 ʑφ zur ʋ ω c ʋ m xul ton zu z xul c ton yof 4 f 7 l05 ʇʇ 8 ʃid ton zur 9 m xed zef ʃob yof φ 7 z tul l06 ʃr / ton zun z zil yaf z f 7 zar tuʃʇʇ ʋ 8 ʇʇ f 8 9 l07 zar rab xug ton tu b 8 z ω 7 4 / sub ʃu xil c ʇʇ l08 zar xi⁝8ʇʇ ß ∂̶ ʇʇ m ⊤ 8 f 3 ß ʇʇ 7 xon ton ʃu 7 l09 zer ton co 8 ʇʇʇ ʇʇ φ 8 yub zed zil yub tol rab tu l10 zar φ 8 xar c b 7 ʇʇ tef 8 c ω 9 7 σ tog ton rub 8 ʋ y c l11 ʃug ton zic ʃon ⊃ m f y teg c 7 f ß ʇʇ yeb c ʑφ ton yof l12 ʇʇ ʃub z yer ß ⊃ ʇʇ m φ 8 f 3 ß ʇʇ 7 xer teg ton xul c l13 ʇʇʇ ⊤ c f ß c 8 4 xul c ton zet yiz ton tu xul c b ω 8 l14 4 8 z / sub xul c yun 8 c ton zun z yuc xig ʃec xul l15 zar za yof ʇʇ 7 zil ʃ ʋ m / tel ʋ φ c ω ⊤ ʇʇ zar ʇʇ 8 l16 ⊤ ʇʇ 8 zad 7 ⊃ ʃ ʇʇ xon xal ʇʇ rab zm tuf xul zar l17 zic yaf f φ c 7 9 m ʃu ʇʇ ß zu 7 ʇʇ ʇʇʇ ß ρρ xir tel zar l18 ʃal ʃon zef zad 7 9 m / ʑφ b ω 8 4 8 xon ʒφ ω 9 7 l19 σ m ʇʇ xug c f m c 7 c zar rab ton ʃu ⊃ φ 8 9 8 ye ʇʇ / l20 zar xul ton ʃed f 8 9 ω 8 ʇʇ 8 zic ʇʇ zar xug z b 8 xic xu l21 ʇʇ 8 xul ton ʃed 8 xul zm rab ʋ 8 xul ʇʇ ʋ 7 z 9 7 9 m l22 zu 7 tol ʃed ⊃ ε ω f m ʋ ß 4 9 8 ∂̶ ʇʇ m φ 8 8 ʇʇ zm xic ʃu 7 l23 ⊃ ß ʇʇ 7 9 m zar xul ton zub ʃu ʋ 8 9 8 φ 8 tog ton zic tu l24 ℮ 8 f ω ∂ 7 / ʃφ ʇʇ φ 8 4 f 7 ʑφ zun z m zar tuf ß q? φ 7 b ʇʇ y l25 zar 8 z 8 ʇʇ m ε m ⊃ 8 3 φ ʇʇ b ß 9 m # notes: l01 and l13 first ʇʇ read as ʇʇʇ (b) from context (Beure, buscasen) — crossbar count not certain at this zoom. # l24 "q?" = n-like sign with superscript stroke in the slot of the q of "quatro"; key has q = l (probable) — conflict, sign not identified.
Decryption
# R9867 — f. 351r, wholly cipher (read in part)
**Source:** img/IMG_R9867_I45990_P.jpg, right page = f.351r (25 lines of cipher, a flourish at the end; no clear text).
**Left page (f.350v):** the back of a different, folded letter with two seal patches; its address is too faded to read
(only "…Magestad…" and a word like "Granada"? guessed, not read). A projecting tab from another leaf at the gutter
reads "1524 en henero" (I first misread "en Venecia"; corrected from trans_R9867.md) — the endorsement, agreeing with the date spelled in the cipher. A small "Sa" and a flourish at the edge belong to f.351.
**Sender/date from the cipher itself:** the last line spells out, letter by letter,
`zar 8 z 8 ʇʇ m | ε m ⊃ 8 3 φ ʇʇ b ß 9 m` = "de enero — Lope Hurtado", preceded by `zar tuf ß q? φ 7 b ʇʇ y`
= "de <Roma> a quatro". So: **Lope Hurtado, Rome, 4 January [1524]** (year from the mention of mussiur de Beure,
cf. R9846 Feb 1524; not stated). Addressee: the Emperor ("vuestra magestad" passim).
Transcription: `r9867_cipher.txt` (token by token, same symbols as r9846_cipher.txt).
## Mechanical decode (key_1524.tsv + key_1523_additions.tsv; `<>` = probable, `?tok` = unknown)
```
l01 m u/v s i/j u r de b e u/v r e de ?ʃ r al papa con
l02 t e n t o de lo que ?xil r dicho de <parte> de vuestra magestad
l03 y de la manera que a <t> e n i/j d o <en> ?ta a r
l04 y ?zur m i/j s m o lo que al n lo s que esta n c a
l05 r e Sad que ?zur d o ?xed ?zef ?ʃob esta u/v a n ?tul
l06 ?ʃr que da n con es n c a de ?tuʃʇʇ m e r c e d
l07 de vuestra magestad la que no t e n i/j a n si se ?xil s r
l08 de <hazer> a p r o u e c <h> a r a mas que se a
l09 ?zer que ?co e b r u/v e el arçobispo con el ?tol vuestra magestad no
l10 de u/v e <mo> s t a r <nec-> e s i/j d a d <por> que ?rub e m o s
l11 ?ʃug que ?zic ?ʃon p o c o para s a c a r dinero s y que esta
l12 r ?ʃub n ?yer a p r o u/v e c <h> a r a ?xer para que lo s
l13 b u s c a s e n lo s que ?zet ?yiz que no lo s t i/j e
l14 n e n si lo s ?yun e s que da n en Italia ?ʃec lo
l15 de <aca> esta r a con ?ʃ m o ?tel m u/v s i/j u r de r e
l16 u r e ?zad a p ?ʃ r mas ?xal r vuestra magestad ?zm <Roma> lo de
l17 ?zic es c u/v s a d o se r a al a r b a r ?xir ?tel de
l18 ?ʃal ?ʃon ?zef ?zad a d o y t i/j e n e mas ?ʒφ i/j d a
l19 d o r la s c o s a s de vuestra magestad que se p u/v e d e <dizi-> r
l20 de lo que su c e d i/j e r e ?zic r de la n t e <ha> ha-
l21 r e lo que su e lo ?zm vuestra magestad m e lo r m a n d a d o
l22 al a ?tol su p l i/j c o m a n d e p r o u/v e e r ?zm <ha> se a
l23 p a r a d o de lo que ?zub se m e d e u/v e <por> que ?zic no
l24 ?℮ e c i/j <t> a ?ʃφ r u/v e n c a y da n o de <Roma> a ?q? u/v a t r o
l25 de e n e r o l o p e <h> u/v r t a d o
coverage 418/467 = 90%
```
Coverage is token-level (a decoded token may still be a single letter of a word whose other letters are unknown);
18 distinct code groups remain unknown: xil(+c), zur, xed, zef, ʃob, tul, ʃr, tuʃʇʇ, co, tol, rub, ʃug, zic, ʃon, ʃub,
yer, xer, zet, yiz, ʃec, zad, xal, zm, xir, ʃal, ʒφ, zub, ʃφ, ℮, ʃ(+ʇʇ).
(xil = "le" in the 1522 key: `xil c` = les fits l07 "si se les", l02 "lo que le(s) ha dicho" — not added, 1522 value.)
## Best Spanish reading (gaps […])
Mussiur de Beure […] al papa contento de lo que le[s] ha dicho de parte de V. Md., y de la manera que ha tenido en […]
y […] mismo lo que […], los que estan […] Sad […] que […] estavan […] que dan con es[…] de […] merced de V. Md.
la que no tenian. Si se les […] de hazer, aprovechara mas que se a[…] que […] el arçobispo con el […] V. Md. no deve
mostrar necesidad, porque […]emos […] que […] poco para sacar dineros, y que esta[…] sin […] aprovechara […] para que
los buscasen los que […] que no los tienen. Si los fran[ceses?]… que dan en Italia […] lo de aca estara con […].
Pues mussiur de Beure […] mas […] V. Md. […] Roma lo de […] es escusado ser […]. […] tiene mas […] las cosas de
V. Md. que se puede dezir de lo que sucediere […] hare lo que […] V. Md. me lo [ha] mandado […] a[…] suplico mande
proveer […] de lo que se me deve, porque […] no […] y […]. De Roma a quatro de enero. Lope Hurtado.
## English gist
Monsieur de Beaurain [has left?] the Pope content with what he told him on the Emperor's behalf; the Emperor must not
show need [of money]; little can be raised; mention of the archbishop [of Capua?], of the French in Italy, and of
money being sought from those who do not have it. Closes asking the Emperor to provide for what is owed to the writer.
Read in part: the frame is clear but most clauses turn on unknown code groups.
## Coverage
418 / 467 tokens decoded (90 %), of which a large share are single letters; by words of plaintext perhaps ~60 %.
## Cross-check with trans_R9867.md (other session, read-only)
- They read the endorsement as "1524 en henero" and say the text has "no date line, paraph only". The cipher's last two
lines in fact spell the date and signature letter by letter: "…de <Roma> a quatro de enero — Lope Hurtado"
(ε m ⊃ 8 3 φ ʇʇ b ß 9 m: l-o-p-e-h-u-r-t-a-d-o, eleven signs, all but 3 = h already in the key). So: 4 Jan 1524.
- Their token count ~480 vs my 467; their frequent-group list (ton, zar, xul, rab, ɣof, ɣub, zil, teg, tef, zun, ʃub,
ʃed, zic) matches mine. Line-by-line differences not audited beyond this.Reading
# R9867 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 4 January 1524 (RAH Salazar A-30 f. 351r, wholly cipher) — partial reading Rests on: the cipher (25 lines, `r9867_cipher.txt`) decoded with the merged 1523-24 key (`key_merged.tsv`) and re-read sign by sign on the DECODE image IMG_R9867_I45990_P (right page, full resolution), with the look-alike signs resolved word by word (`R9867_corrections.tsv`). No contemporary decipherment, no clear copy, not in CSP Spain ii. The date and signature are spelled in the cipher's last line. Every word below is in cipher; `[?word]` partly carried by the figures, `[word]` supplied, `[…]` unread. Re-read 22 Oct 2026, batch b07 (`R9867_reread_log.md`). ## Reading Mussiur de Beure [?dexa] al papa contento de lo que le ha dicho de parte de V. Mt., y de la manera que a tenido en […]; y assimismo lo que […] los que estan [?cerca] [de] Sad., que […] muy bien segun estavan quando […]. Quedan con […] de […] merced de V. Mt., la que no tenian. Si se les ha de hazer, aprovechara mas que se [?hazer] que [?llegue] el arçobispo con el […] V. Mt. No deve mostrar necessidad, porque […]emos […] que aqui son poco[s] para sacar dineros; y que estar sin [?dezir] aprovechara […] para que los buscasen los que […] dizen que no los tienen. Si los franceses quedan en Italia, pero lo de aca estara con […]. Pues mussiur de Beure […] a […] mas […] a V. Mt. [?como] Roma, lo de aqui es escusado; sera alargar […]. Pues de […] son bien […]ado, y tiene mas [?cuidado] las cosas de V. Mt. que se puede dezir. De lo que sucediere aqui adelante [?] hare lo que suelo, [?como] V. Mt. me lo a mandado. […] suplico mande proveer [?como] […] de lo que [?alla] se me deve, porque aqui no […], [?verguença] y daño. De Roma a quatro de enero. Lope Hurtado.
Translation
# R9867 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 4 January 1524 — English (partial) Translation of `R9867_reading.md`, with the same holes. The whole letter is in cipher. Not a reading: about half the sentences hold. Monsieur de Beaurain [?leaves] the Pope content with what he told him on Your Majesty's behalf, and with the manner he has had in […]; and likewise what […] those who are [?close] [to] His Holiness, that […] very well, as they were when […]. They remain with […] of […] favour from Your Majesty, which they did not have. If it is to be done for them, it will be of more use than […] that the archbishop [?arrives] with the […] Your Majesty. He must not show need, because we […] […] that here they are few to raise money; and that to be without [?saying] it will help […] so that those who […] say they have none should look for it. If the French stay in Italy, yet things here will be with […]. Since Monsieur de Beaurain […] to […] more […] to Your Majesty, [?as] Rome, there is no need [to say more] of things here; it would be to lengthen […]. Since of […] they are well […], and he takes more [?care] of Your Majesty's affairs than can be said. Of what happens here from now on […] I shall do as I usually do, [?as] Your Majesty has ordered me. […] I beg that you order provision to be made [?as] […] for what is owed me [?there], because here no […], [?shame] and harm. From Rome, 4 January. Lope Hurtado.
R9868, Rome, 20 Mar 1524, to Grand Chancellor Gattinara (9/30 ff. 430-431)
Hurtado sends Gattinara a copy of his 11 March letter: the archbishop of Capua has left and all business hangs on the Datary [Giberti], who must be satisfied; benefices shared among the Cardinals; the Pope's servants should be rewarded and many Cardinals want to be Protector.
Transcription
# R9868 transcription (ff. 430r-430v), copied verbatim on 22 Oct 2026 from the 'Transcription' section of read_r9868.md; sign notation and legend there.
## Transcription
### f. 430r
```
l1–l5 [por la que va con esta, que es copia de la que a su Mt escrevi de xj del presente, avra entendido
V.S. la partida del señor arçobispo de Capua; con su ausencia todos los negocios an colgado del
datario, y esta tan adelante con el papa que no puede ser mas. A su Mt tengo escrito por otras
la necesidad que ay]
R1 l6 zar ɣʇʇ ʇʇ ʇʇ b ω m ω f 7 ʇʇ ω 8 [porque] zar xul ∂̶ ß c 7 9 m
R1 l7 8 ʇʇ 7 xip zil b 8 z b m [segun el lugar] ton b ω 8 4 8
R2 l8 [tengolo] tog ω z f m z φ 8 z ω 8 4 b 8 [y cada dia me pa-]
R3 l9 [rece mas] tef 8 c 7 ʇʇ ω m f φ z ∂̶ ω ʇʇ zil yub [no sea]
R4 l10 [en] xul c 9 ω 8 ⁝ yeb c ton yub taf [tenia sobre el]
R5 l11 zid zar ʃug [porque no] xel c b m ʋ 7 ʇʇ ß [que se an]
l12–l14 [repartido entre los Cardenales como los otros beneficios, y piensa que su Mt lo avra por bien,
como el Rey de Francia lo a hecho de los beneficios que tenia en Francia, pues la paga]
R6 l15 zar yef [es necessaria. su Mt le deve] zil c 8 z b ω ʇʇ
R6 l16 ε 7 [donde sea contento.]
R7 l17 [A mi parecer el ausencia del] zad [de aqui no apro-]
R8 l18 [vechara a las cosas] zar rab [porque estoy mas] zil ʋ ω
R8 l19 ʇʇ 9 m zar ε ton zar xul c ton za yof z [y es mas]
l20 [cierto y mejor servida, pues alla esta V.S. haga]
R9 l21 [que su Mt] xil b ʇʇ 7 b 8 [de manera] ton ⊤ 8 z ɣʇʇ ß
R9 l22 xon tad 9 m ⁝φ [quanto antes] ʇʇʇ m ε ʇʇ ω 8 ʇʇ ε [lo terna]
l23 [por mejor. Asimismo es ydo alla Bernaldino de]
```
### f. 430v
```
l1 [la barba. Sera bien que se le haga alguna merced por animar]
R10 l2 [a los criados de su S.t que aca quedaron, que] yof z b ʃal
R10 l3 xor ω zar c zil ʋ ω ʇʇ 9 m σ ./ [Algunos ay que ya hablan al señor]
l4–l5 [duque en que suplique por naturalezas; si buenamente se pudiese acabar en ese Reyno creo que
seria provechoso. Al]
R11 l6 ʋ 8 4 m c ω 9 m c ω b ʇʇ 8 c [que son mas] f 8 ʇʇ f 7 zar ʃed ʃul
l7–l8 [Ansimismo escrevi a su Mt los dias pasados como muchos Cardenales deseavan ser protetores por su
Mt, y que a lo que yo entendia el Cardenal … ]
R12 l9 [mejor en] f m ε m 4 ʇʇ [en aquello o en otra cosa su Mt se deve]
R13 l10 [acordar del, porque tiene la mas valerosa persona] ton ʇʇ ω yur
R13 l11 yub f ɣ ε 8 ɣʇʇ ω y4 y [en su casa. Pasasiano?] m ʇʇ 8 9 8 f 8
R13 l12 ε 8 zam zu ∂ ʇʇ 4 c ∂ 8 ʇʇ m ʃed ∂ ß 9 ʇʇ 8 tul 8 ʇʇ 7 ʇʇ ω ʇʇ
R14 l13 [tiene muchos hijos y sobrinos que todos a] f ⊤ 8 ε ɣʇʇ ß 7 zar
l14 [destos mismo esta embarcado en la guerra ni en otra cosa ni]
R15 l15 [una con sueldo de su Mt.] yub zuf [en lo de la] ɣic ɣa
R16 l16 [a Vra visto V.S. lo que hizo y como dexo el] toc zar f ʇʇ
R16 l17 b ʇʇ z ω 7 [libremente. Quando su Mt no se acordase] zar ε
R16 l18 ⊃ ʇʇ ʇʇ 8 f 8 ton zil f 7 ⊤ c 7 ʃu ⊃ m 9 ʇʇ ⊃ ton φ ß ʇʇ [y tal ser-]
R17 l19 [vido] yaf xor ω ⊃ ʇʇ m ⊤ 8 f ʒ m c m zil c 8 ʇʇ φ ß ω 8 za ʃub
R17 l20 8 z b 8 4 ton ʃed xun ʋ 7 z 9 8 b m ʋ 7 ʇʇ xul c zam c ∂ m
R17 l21 ʇʇ m c [y en este tiempo bienes] y4 ⊤ ω b ß ʇʇ ʃel c f m c 7 c zar
R17 l22 ton ʃu ∂ ⊤ σ 9 7 z ton φ ʇʇ ʇʇ [Yo creo que el señor Duque en]
l23–l25 [todas estas cosas a escripto mas largo; por eso no digo mas aqui. Guarde nuestro Señor y
acreciente la muy Ill.e persona y estado de V.S. De Roma a xx de março.] Lope hurtado
```Decryption
# R9868 — Lope Hurtado to the Grand Chancellor (Gattinara), Rome, 20 March 1524 (ff. 430r–430v)
Images: `img/IMG_R9868_I45991_P1.jpg` (right = f.430r), `P2` (left = f.430v; right = f.431v, address "Al muy
Ill.e señor el señor gran chanciller de la Ces.a Mt"). Heading "muy Ill.e S.or"; the letter says "V. S.".
**Date.** Subscription on f.430v, checked at 3x: "De Roma a xx de março" = **20 March 1524** (the letter
refers to his letter to the Emperor "de xj del presente", 11 March). This agrees with `trans_R9868.md`.
**Addressee:** the Grand Chancellor Gattinara (address leaf), not the Emperor.
Transcription: f.430r cipher lines checked by eye at 1.8–3x (this session); f.430v l2–l3 checked by eye;
the rest of f.430v (lines marked "x" in the list below) taken from `trans_R9868.md` and converted to this
key's symbols (℔→ʇʇ, ∞→ω, ɸ→φ, €→ε, đ→∂, standalone ʃ→f, ʒ→z, T→⊤, 2p→⁝φ, ɜ→⊃?) — less secure.
Unverified lines: R11–R17.
## Transcription
### f. 430r
```
l1–l5 [por la que va con esta, que es copia de la que a su Mt escrevi de xj del presente, avra entendido
V.S. la partida del señor arçobispo de Capua; con su ausencia todos los negocios an colgado del
datario, y esta tan adelante con el papa que no puede ser mas. A su Mt tengo escrito por otras
la necesidad que ay]
R1 l6 zar ɣʇʇ ʇʇ ʇʇ b ω m ω f 7 ʇʇ ω 8 [porque] zar xul ∂̶ ß c 7 9 m
R1 l7 8 ʇʇ 7 xip zil b 8 z b m [segun el lugar] ton b ω 8 4 8
R2 l8 [tengolo] tog ω z f m z φ 8 z ω 8 4 b 8 [y cada dia me pa-]
R3 l9 [rece mas] tef 8 c 7 ʇʇ ω m f φ z ∂̶ ω ʇʇ zil yub [no sea]
R4 l10 [en] xul c 9 ω 8 ⁝ yeb c ton yub taf [tenia sobre el]
R5 l11 zid zar ʃug [porque no] xel c b m ʋ 7 ʇʇ ß [que se an]
l12–l14 [repartido entre los Cardenales como los otros beneficios, y piensa que su Mt lo avra por bien,
como el Rey de Francia lo a hecho de los beneficios que tenia en Francia, pues la paga]
R6 l15 zar yef [es necessaria. su Mt le deve] zil c 8 z b ω ʇʇ
R6 l16 ε 7 [donde sea contento.]
R7 l17 [A mi parecer el ausencia del] zad [de aqui no apro-]
R8 l18 [vechara a las cosas] zar rab [porque estoy mas] zil ʋ ω
R8 l19 ʇʇ 9 m zar ε ton zar xul c ton za yof z [y es mas]
l20 [cierto y mejor servida, pues alla esta V.S. haga]
R9 l21 [que su Mt] xil b ʇʇ 7 b 8 [de manera] ton ⊤ 8 z ɣʇʇ ß
R9 l22 xon tad 9 m ⁝φ [quanto antes] ʇʇʇ m ε ʇʇ ω 8 ʇʇ ε [lo terna]
l23 [por mejor. Asimismo es ydo alla Bernaldino de]
```
### f. 430v
```
l1 [la barba. Sera bien que se le haga alguna merced por animar]
R10 l2 [a los criados de su S.t que aca quedaron, que] yof z b ʃal
R10 l3 xor ω zar c zil ʋ ω ʇʇ 9 m σ ./ [Algunos ay que ya hablan al señor]
l4–l5 [duque en que suplique por naturalezas; si buenamente se pudiese acabar en ese Reyno creo que
seria provechoso. Al]
R11 l6 ʋ 8 4 m c ω 9 m c ω b ʇʇ 8 c [que son mas] f 8 ʇʇ f 7 zar ʃed ʃul
l7–l8 [Ansimismo escrevi a su Mt los dias pasados como muchos Cardenales deseavan ser protetores por su
Mt, y que a lo que yo entendia el Cardenal … ]
R12 l9 [mejor en] f m ε m 4 ʇʇ [en aquello o en otra cosa su Mt se deve]
R13 l10 [acordar del, porque tiene la mas valerosa persona] ton ʇʇ ω yur
R13 l11 yub f ɣ ε 8 ɣʇʇ ω y4 y [en su casa. Pasasiano?] m ʇʇ 8 9 8 f 8
R13 l12 ε 8 zam zu ∂ ʇʇ 4 c ∂ 8 ʇʇ m ʃed ∂ ß 9 ʇʇ 8 tul 8 ʇʇ 7 ʇʇ ω ʇʇ
R14 l13 [tiene muchos hijos y sobrinos que todos a] f ⊤ 8 ε ɣʇʇ ß 7 zar
l14 [destos mismo esta embarcado en la guerra ni en otra cosa ni]
R15 l15 [una con sueldo de su Mt.] yub zuf [en lo de la] ɣic ɣa
R16 l16 [a Vra visto V.S. lo que hizo y como dexo el] toc zar f ʇʇ
R16 l17 b ʇʇ z ω 7 [libremente. Quando su Mt no se acordase] zar ε
R16 l18 ⊃ ʇʇ ʇʇ 8 f 8 ton zil f 7 ⊤ c 7 ʃu ⊃ m 9 ʇʇ ⊃ ton φ ß ʇʇ [y tal ser-]
R17 l19 [vido] yaf xor ω ⊃ ʇʇ m ⊤ 8 f ʒ m c m zil c 8 ʇʇ φ ß ω 8 za ʃub
R17 l20 8 z b 8 4 ton ʃed xun ʋ 7 z 9 8 b m ʋ 7 ʇʇ xul c zam c ∂ m
R17 l21 ʇʇ m c [y en este tiempo bienes] y4 ⊤ ω b ß ʇʇ ʃel c f m c 7 c zar
R17 l22 ton ʃu ∂ ⊤ σ 9 7 z ton φ ʇʇ ʇʇ [Yo creo que el señor Duque en]
l23–l25 [todas estas cosas a escripto mas largo; por eso no digo mas aqui. Guarde nuestro Señor y
acreciente la muy Ill.e persona y estado de V.S. De Roma a xx de março.] Lope hurtado
```
## Readings of the runs (checked lines)
- R1 `de ?ɣʇʇ r r t i o i c a r i e` [porque] `de lo p a s a d o | e r a mal con t e n t o` [segun el lugar]
`que t i e n e` — "…la necesidad que ay de […], porque de lo passado era mal contento, segun el lugar que
tiene". "pasado" (∂̶ ß c 7 9 m) and "contento" (zil b 8 z b m) are exact.
- R2 `<por> i n c o n u e n i e n t e` — "tengolo por inconveniente" (exact, 13 signs).
- R3 `nec- e s a r i o c u n p i r con el` — "y cada dia me parece mas necesario cunp[l]ir con el […]"
(one letter short). Probable.
- R4 `lo s d i e ⁝ dinero s que el papa` — "no sea en los die[z…] dineros que el papa tenia sobre el…". Read in part.
- R5 `?zid de ?ʃug` [porque no] `?xel s t o m a r a` — "…porque no […] tomara, que se an repartido entre los
cardenales" (t-o-m-a-r-a exact).
- R6 `de este` … `con s e n t i r l a` — "pues la paga de este es necessaria, su Mt le deve consentirla donde sea
contento" (consentirla exact, 10 signs; confirms ε = l).
- R7 `?zad` — the absent person ("el ausencia del […] de aqui"); unknown code, not guessed.
- R8 `de v.M.` [porque estoy mas] `con m i r d o de l que de lo s que <aca> esta n` — "…porque estoy mas con
miedo(?) de[l …] que de los que aca estan"; "m i r d o" is a near-miss for "miedo"; probable only.
- R9 `le t r a t e` [de manera] `que u e n g a mas <obliga>-do ⁝φ` [quanto antes] `b o l r i e r l` — "haga que su
Mt le trate de manera que venga mas obligado; quanto antes bolviere(?) lo terna por mejor". "trate" exact;
`tad` (1522 probable "obligado") fits the slot.
- R10 `esta n t ?ʃal | ?xor i de s con m i r d o` — "que estan […]". Read in part.
- R11–R17 (lines from the other transcription, not verified by me): only word pieces decode. No reading claimed.
## English gist
Lope sends Gattinara a copy of his 11 March letter to the Emperor: the archbishop of Capua has left; in his
absence all business hangs on the Datary [Giberti], who stands as close to the Pope as can be. [Cipher: he
needs […], because he was ill-pleased with the past, given the place he holds; Lope thinks it inexpedient,
and every day it seems more necessary to satisfy him …] Benefices have been shared among the Cardinals as
the King of France did with his; since the payment is necessary, the Emperor should consent to it. The
absence of [code zad] from Rome will not help the Emperor's affairs; Gattinara should see that the Emperor
treats [him] so that he comes back more obliged, the sooner the better. f.430v (mostly clear): Bernaldino de
la Barba has gone; the Pope's servants who stayed should be rewarded; some want the Duke [of Sessa] to sue
for naturalizations in Naples; many Cardinals want to be Protector; a long cipher passage (unread) on a
valiant man ("Pasasiano"?) with many sons and nephews not in the Emperor's pay; the Duke has written more.
## Coverage
Measured by `decode_runs.py` (appended below). Status: **read in part** (f.430r runs mostly read; f.430v
runs not).
```
R1 l6: de ?ɣʇʇ r r t i/j o i/j c a r i/j e de lo p a s a d o
R1 l7: e r a <mal> con t e n t o que t i/j e n e
R2 l8: <por> i/j n c o n u/v e n i/j e n t e
R3 l9: nec- e s a r i/j o c u/v n p i/j r con el
R4 l10: lo s d i/j e z dinero s que el papa
R5 l11: ?zid de ?ʃug ?xel s t o m a r a
R6 l15: de <este> con s e n t i/j r
R6 l16: l a
R7 l17: ?zad
R8 l18: de vuestra magestad con m i/j
R8 l19: r d o de l que de lo s que <aca> esta n
R9 l21: ?xil t r a t e que u e n ?ɣʇʇ a
R9 l22: mas ?tad d o ?⁝φ b o l r i/j e r l
R10 l2: esta n t ?ʃal
R10 l3: ?xor i/j de s con m i/j r d o d
R11 l6: m e n o s i/j d o s i/j t r e s c e r c a de su ?ʃul
R12 l9: c o l o n r
R13 l10: que r i/j <en>
R13 l11: el c ?ɣ l e ?ɣʇʇ i/j ?y4 o o r e d e c e
R13 l12: l e <como> al <t> r n s <t> e r o su <t> a d r e ?tul e r a r i/j r
R14 l13: c u e l ?ɣʇʇ a a de
R15 l15: el ?zuf ?ɣic ?ɣa
R16 l16: ?toc de c r
R16 l17: t r n i/j a de l
R16 l18: p r r e c e que con c a u s a se p o d r p que u/v a r
R17 l19: es ?xor i/j p r o u e c <p> o s o con s e r u/v a i/j e <aca> ?ʃub
R17 l20: e n t e n que su ?xun m a n d e t o m a r lo s <como> s <t> o
R17 l21: r o s ?y4 u i/j t a r <toda> s c o s a s de
R17 l22: que se <t> u d d a n que u/v r r
TOTAL tokens 353; decoded 328 (92.9%); of which confirmed 313
```Reading
# R9868 — Lope Hurtado to the Grand Chancellor Gattinara, Rome, 20 March 1524 (RAH Salazar A-30 ff. 430r-430v) — reading Rests on: the clear text (transcribed in the main checkout's `trans_R9868.md` and checked on the DECODE images IMG_R9868_I45991_P1 right, P2 left, at full resolution); the 17 cipher runs decoded with the merged 1523-24 key (`key_merged.tsv`) and re-read sign by sign on the images (`R9868_corrections.tsv`). No contemporary decipherment, no clear copy, not in CSP Spain ii. Cipher in *italics*; `[?word]` partly carried by the figures, `[word]` supplied, `[…]` unread. Re-read 22 Oct 2026, batch b07 (`R9868_reread_log.md`). ## Reading Muy Ill.e S.or Por la que va con esta, que es copia de la que a Su Mt. escrevi de xj del presente, avra entendido V. S. la partida del señor arçobispo de Capua. Con su ausencia todos los negocios an colgado del datario, y esta tan adelante con el papa que no puede ser mas. A Su Mt. tengo escrito por otras la necesidad que ay *de [?gratificarle],* porque *de lo passado era mal contento,* segun el lugar *que tiene.* Tengolo *por inconveniente,* y cada dia me parece mas *necessario [?cunplir] con el.* No sea en *los diez dineros que el papa* tenia sobre el *[…] de […],* porque no *les tomara,* que se an repartido entre los Cardenales como los otros beneficios; y piensa que Su Mt. lo avra por bien, como el Rey de Francia lo a hecho de los beneficios que tenia en Francia. Pues la paga *deste* es necessaria, Su Mt. le deve *consentirla* donde sea contento. A mi parecer el ausencia del *[?arçobispo]* de aqui no aprovechara a las cosas *de V. Mt.,* porque estoy mas *[?confiado] del que de los que aca estan,* y es mas cierto y mejor servida. Pues alla esta V. S., haga que Su Mt. *le trate* de manera *que venga mas [?obligado];* y quanto antes *bolviere,* lo terna por mejor. Asimismo es ydo alla Bernaldino de la Barba. Sera bien que se le haga alguna merced, por animar a los criados de Su Sd. que aca quedaron, que *estan […] muy desconfiados.* Algunos ay que ya hablan al señor duque en que suplique por naturalezas; si buenamente se pudiese acabar en ese Reyno, creo que seria provechoso, al *menos [?a] dos y tres* que son mas *cerca de Su [?Beatitud].* Ansimismo escrevi a Su Mt. los dias pasados como muchos Cardenales deseavan ser protetores por Su Mt., y que a lo que yo entendia [?estaria] mejor en *Colona.* En aquello o en otra cosa Su Mt. se deve acordar del, porque tiene la mas valerosa persona *que [?ay] en el colegio,* y en su casa. Vaspasiano *obedecele como al Prospero su padre quando era […].* Tiene muchos hijos y sobrinos, que todos *[…],* destos ninguno esta embarcado en la guerra ni en otra cosa, ni uno con sueldo de Su Mt. *El cardenal,* en lo de la *[…],* ya avra visto V. S. lo que hizo, y como dexo el *[…] de [?Catania]* libremente. Quando Su Mt. no se acordase *del, parece que con causa se [?podria] quexar;* y tal servido *es muy provechoso [?conservarle] aca, si entienden que Su Magestad mande tomar los como […];* y en este tiempo bienes *[?evitar] todas cosas de que se puedan quexar.* Yo creo que el señor Duque en todas estas cosas a escripto mas largo; por eso no digo mas aqui. Guarde Nuestro Señor y acreciente la muy Ill.e persona y estado de V. S. De Roma a xx de março. [subscription, autograph:] Muy cierto servidor de V. S. que sus manos besa, Lope Hurtado
Translation
# R9868 — Lope Hurtado to the Grand Chancellor Gattinara, Rome, 20 March 1524 — English Translation of `R9868_reading.md`, with the same holes. Passages in cipher in the original are in *italics*. Most Illustrious Lord, By the letter that goes with this, which is a copy of the one I wrote to His Majesty on the 11th of this month, Your Lordship will have learnt of the departure of the lord archbishop of Capua. With his absence all business has come to hang on the Datary, and he stands as far forward with the Pope as can be. I have written to His Majesty in other letters of the need there is *to [?reward] him,* because *he was ill-content with the past,* given the place *he holds.* I hold it *to be inexpedient,* and every day it seems to me more *necessary to [?satisfy] him.* Let it not be in *the ten moneys that the Pope* held on the *[…] of […],* because he would *not take them from them,* for they have been shared out among the Cardinals like the other benefices; and he thinks His Majesty will approve, as the King of France has done with the benefices he held in France. Since the payment *of this one* is necessary, His Majesty should *consent to it* where he may be content. In my opinion the absence of the *[?archbishop]* from here will not help *Your Majesty's* affairs, because I am more *[?confident] of him than of those who are here,* and it is surer and better served. Since Your Lordship is there, have His Majesty *treat him* in such a way *that he comes back more [?obliged];* and the sooner *he returns,* the better he will think it. Bernaldino de la Barba has likewise gone there. It would be well to do him some favour, to encourage His Holiness's servants who stayed here, who *are […] very mistrustful.* Some are already speaking to the lord Duke about petitioning for naturalisations; if it could be done amicably in that kingdom I think it would be useful, at *least for two and three* of those who are *closest to His [?Beatitude].* I likewise wrote to His Majesty some days ago how many Cardinals wished to be protectors for His Majesty, and that as I understood it [?it would be] better with *Colonna.* In that or in anything else His Majesty should remember him, because he is the most valiant person *[?there is] in the College,* and in his house. Vespasiano *obeys him as he did Prospero his father when he was […].* He has many sons and nephews, who all *[…];* none of these is engaged in the war or in anything else, not one with His Majesty's pay. *The cardinal,* in the matter of the *[…],* Your Lordship will have seen what he did, and how he gave up the *[…] of [?Catania]* freely. If His Majesty did not remember *him, it seems he [?could] complain with cause;* and such a servant, *it is very useful [?to keep him] here, if they understand that His Majesty has them taken as […];* and in this time, goods; *[?avoid] all things they could complain of.* I believe the lord Duke has written at greater length on all these matters; so I say no more here. May Our Lord keep and increase Your Lordship's most illustrious person and estate. From Rome, 20 March. Your Lordship's most sure servant, who kisses your hands, Lope Hurtado
R9869, Rome, 28 Mar 1524, to Charles V (9/30 ff. 444-445) read in part
The money the Pope offered through Beaurain; Florence has taken no decision; Cardinal Cortona and Ippolito de' Medici leave for Florence; the archbishop of Capua should be well received by the Emperor; the Pope's goodwill and words could not be better. The rest (Easter news, Hungary and the Turk, the Infante) is in clear.
Builds coherent sentences, but under the read bar of 95% of words read as sense (93% here); the holes are marked in the reading.
Transcription
# R9869 transcription (ff. 444r-444v), copied verbatim on 22 Oct 2026 from the 'Transcription' section of read_r9869.md; sign notation and legend there.
## Transcription
### f. 444r
```
h Sa. Ca. Ces. Mt.
R1 l1 ʃta ⊙ apud zar xul c yeb c ton m m̶ L 8 f ω m yub taf ℔
R1 l2 ʋ φ c ω φ ʇʇ zar ∂ 8 ⊤ ρρ 8 ß yuc ʇʇ ω 7 9 m xir c b ʇʇ m ω
R1 l3 ∂ h ʒ y xug ε yob c xul c ℔ φ 7 b ʇʇ m zar yif c ʃil ʇʇ m z
R1 l4 ℔ re f m ∂̶ σ 8 y xul c zar xug 9 ω ./ [a me dicho su S.t que]
R2 l5 ƫ φ z ⊃ ε ω ʇʇ 7 yub ∘ 8 c b m ʒσ ʃec yi ʃed tef 8 f ω 9 7 σ ./
R3 l6 [de florencia hasta agora no se a] ʃil 9 m ʇʇ 8 c φ ε ⊤ f ω m z ./
R4 l7 [todavia su] zaf f ⊤ c ß 4 ./ [La semana que viene dizen]
l8 [que partira el Cardenal Quartona con Ypolito sobrino de]
R5 l9 [su S.t alla y que llegado hora] zib 8 m̶ 8 σ y ʇʇ φ 8
R5 l10 4 m ./ [Las nuevas que destas partes tenian y de Ingalaterra]
R6 l11 [avian] xor zun 9 m zar ⊃ ʇʇ m ∂̶ y c ω b m ʃʃ b m 9 y c ./ [a]
l12 [gora contener por cierto que los franceses an perdido a fuente]
l13 [Rabia que aviendo la nueva por avisos de mussiur de Bor]
l14 [bon y de Leon aunque son diferentes ./ Unos dizen por conbate]
l15 [y otros por partido ./ Los franceses conocen que se a perdida pero]
l16 [dizen que por traycion ./ a faborecido mucho Las cosas de v. Mt ./]
R7 l17 [y si el arçobpo llegado a v. Mt halla] yub yal zar xab(?)
R7 l18 yuc tid teg y˙ 9 ʇʇ yuc yon m ℔ rab ʒul(?) ℔ ⊃ 7 ʇʇ 8 ω y
R7 l19 teg ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ xug xac za [siendo] ʃed L 8 ε ß f ω m z
R7 l20 ℔ φ 8 z ß tu ʃeg tog ʒal ton za [seran sus obras con]
R8 l21 [formes a lo que el] taf yuc ʇʇ ω m ℔ y m̶ ʇʇ 8 f 8 ʇʇ ℔ rab
R8 l22 tul y m̶ 8 ε 8 ɣ̶ ω 9 m ./ [v. Mt deve mandar mirar]
```
### f. 444v
```
R9 l1 [alla que el] zed [sea] ʃil 9 m zar xap ton ʃed c ʒɡc ℔ ⊃ ʇʇ m ⁝(?)
R9 l2 f ʒ 8 z ʒ α [y si el viniese y] zuc 8 z b m [de lo que dicho seria]
R10 l3 [muy mejor porque de quien aca] ton 9 m yur ʃel ε ω ɣ̶ ʇʇ ß ʇʇ
R10 l4 ʃu b ω 8 z 8 xug f m z m̶ ω ß z .j. 7 ton zarε ./ [y segun ay]
R11 l5 tef 8 c ω 9 ß 9 zar yeb c [y quan malos] ʃad z ʒ m̶(?) f 7 ʇʇ [quales]
R11 l6 [era] ℔ ω ⊤ 9 7 yaf ʇʇʇ φ 8 z ß ton(?) xon xug zarε zed [que en]
R11 l7 [parecer aca no tiene v. Mt] tad ʃef ʃil 9 m ʇʇ ./ [La voluntad y]
R12 l8 [palabras del] taf [no pare que hera mejores] tal zuf [quiera dios]
R12 l9 [que tales] ʃu ß z xug c tur c ./
l10–l24 clear: [Estas pascuas avemos de nuevas alli ./ Una de alemana ... de Roma a xxviii
de março] — the rest of the page is in clear, with no further cipher.
```Decryption
# R9869 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 28 March 1524 (ff. 444r–444v; endorsed f. 445v)
Images: `img/IMG_R9869_I45994_P1.jpg` (right = f.444r), `P2` (left = f.444v; right = f.445, the endorsement
"Al emperador mi señor" and the docket "de lope hurtado de xxviii de março MDxxiiij"; subscription "de Roma a xxviii de março" — both checked at 2.5x: 28 March, not 18).
Clear text in plain type; cipher runs (Rn) token by token in the symbols of `r9846_cipher.txt`.
New signs seen here: `m̶` (m with a bar through it), `.j.` (j between two dots), `ƫ` (hooked sign opening
line 5 of f.444r), `∘` (small circle, one token), `⊙` (circled dot). Tokens I cannot read with confidence carry (?).
## Transcription
### f. 444r
```
h Sa. Ca. Ces. Mt.
R1 l1 ʃta ⊙ apud zar xul c yeb c ton m m̶ L 8 f ω m yub taf ℔
R1 l2 ʋ φ c ω φ ʇʇ zar ∂ 8 ⊤ ρρ 8 ß yuc ʇʇ ω 7 9 m xir c b ʇʇ m ω
R1 l3 ∂ h ʒ y xug ε yob c xul c ℔ φ 7 b ʇʇ m zar yif c ʃil ʇʇ m z
R1 l4 ℔ re f m ∂̶ σ 8 y xul c zar xug 9 ω ./ [a me dicho su S.t que]
R2 l5 ƫ φ z ⊃ ε ω ʇʇ 7 yub ∘ 8 c b m ʒσ ʃec yi ʃed tef 8 f ω 9 7 σ ./
R3 l6 [de florencia hasta agora no se a] ʃil 9 m ʇʇ 8 c φ ε ⊤ f ω m z ./
R4 l7 [todavia su] zaf f ⊤ c ß 4 ./ [La semana que viene dizen]
l8 [que partira el Cardenal Quartona con Ypolito sobrino de]
R5 l9 [su S.t alla y que llegado hora] zib 8 m̶ 8 σ y ʇʇ φ 8
R5 l10 4 m ./ [Las nuevas que destas partes tenian y de Ingalaterra]
R6 l11 [avian] xor zun 9 m zar ⊃ ʇʇ m ∂̶ y c ω b m ʃʃ b m 9 y c ./ [a]
l12 [gora contener por cierto que los franceses an perdido a fuente]
l13 [Rabia que aviendo la nueva por avisos de mussiur de Bor]
l14 [bon y de Leon aunque son diferentes ./ Unos dizen por conbate]
l15 [y otros por partido ./ Los franceses conocen que se a perdida pero]
l16 [dizen que por traycion ./ a faborecido mucho Las cosas de v. Mt ./]
R7 l17 [y si el arçobpo llegado a v. Mt halla] yub yal zar xab(?)
R7 l18 yuc tid teg y˙ 9 ʇʇ yuc yon m ℔ rab ʒul(?) ℔ ⊃ 7 ʇʇ 8 ω y
R7 l19 teg ʃad c b 8 z 8 ʇʇ xug xac za [siendo] ʃed L 8 ε ß f ω m z
R7 l20 ℔ φ 8 z ß tu ʃeg tog ʒal ton za [seran sus obras con]
R8 l21 [formes a lo que el] taf yuc ʇʇ ω m ℔ y m̶ ʇʇ 8 f 8 ʇʇ ℔ rab
R8 l22 tul y m̶ 8 ε 8 ɣ̶ ω 9 m ./ [v. Mt deve mandar mirar]
```
### f. 444v
```
R9 l1 [alla que el] zed [sea] ʃil 9 m zar xap ton ʃed c ʒɡc ℔ ⊃ ʇʇ m ⁝(?)
R9 l2 f ʒ 8 z ʒ α [y si el viniese y] zuc 8 z b m [de lo que dicho seria]
R10 l3 [muy mejor porque de quien aca] ton 9 m yur ʃel ε ω ɣ̶ ʇʇ ß ʇʇ
R10 l4 ʃu b ω 8 z 8 xug f m z m̶ ω ß z .j. 7 ton zarε ./ [y segun ay]
R11 l5 tef 8 c ω 9 ß 9 zar yeb c [y quan malos] ʃad z ʒ m̶(?) f 7 ʇʇ [quales]
R11 l6 [era] ℔ ω ⊤ 9 7 yaf ʇʇʇ φ 8 z ß ton(?) xon xug zarε zed [que en]
R11 l7 [parecer aca no tiene v. Mt] tad ʃef ʃil 9 m ʇʇ ./ [La voluntad y]
R12 l8 [palabras del] taf [no pare que hera mejores] tal zuf [quiera dios]
R12 l9 [que tales] ʃu ß z xug c tur c ./
l10–l24 clear: [Estas pascuas avemos de nuevas alli ./ Una de alemana ... de Roma a xxviii
de março] — the rest of the page is in clear, with no further cipher.
```
## Decoding
Decoded by `decode_runs.py` (scratch) from `key_1524.tsv` + `key_1524_additions.tsv`: confirmed values
plain, probable `<…>`, unknown `?tok`. Readings below each run; […] = gap.
R1 `?ʃta ?⊙ ?apud de lo s dinero s que o f r e c i o el papa a | m u s i u r de b? e u r e a en v i a d o
?xir s t r o i | ?∂ ?h ?ʒ o la l ?yob s lo s a(q?) u a t r o de esto s <toma> r o n | a ?re c o ?∂̶ d e o
lo s de la d i`
- Reading: "[…] de los dineros que ofrecio el papa a mussiur de Beure, ha enviado […] los quatro(?) destos
tomaron a […] los de la […]"
- Beure = Adrien de Croÿ, sieur de Beaurain, the Emperor's envoy then at Rome. The run after "a enviado" is
not read.
R2 (after the clear "a me dicho su S.t que") `c? u n p l i r a el r? e s t o ?ʒσ ?ʃec dize su nec e c i d a d`
- Reading: "[su Santidad me ha dicho que] cunplirá el resto […] dize su necessidad."
- `ƫ` = c and `∘` = r rest on this one slot (probable only).
R3 `<toma> d o r e s u(o?) l u c i o n` — "de Florencia hasta agora no se a tomado resolución." (φ stands in
an o slot: either a slip or a sign I mis-see).
R4 `<Santidad> c u s a n` — "todavía su Santidad […]cusan" (not resolved; perhaps "[es]cusan").
R5 `?zib e f e d o r u e n o` — after "que llegado hora": not read.
R6 `?xor da d o de p r o p o s i t o <a> t o d o s` — "[las nuevas que … tenian …] avian […]dado de
propósito a todos".
R7 `el <exercito> de ?xab | en ?tid para ?y˙ d r en Francia o a v.M. ?ʒul a p a r e i o | para so s t e n e r
la ?xac <aca> [siendo] su r e l a c i o n | a u e n a no ?ʃeg <por> ?ʒal que <aca>`
- Reading: "y si el arçobispo, llegado a V. Md., halla el exercito de […] en […] para […] en Francia o a
V. Md. […] aparejo para sostener la [guerra?] acá, siendo su relación […] no […] por […] que acá serán sus
obras conformes …"
- `xac` beside the key's probable `xax` = guerra; not added (the slot is not exact).
R8 `el papa en v i o a o f r e c e r a v.M. | ?tul o f e l e g i d o`
- Reading: "conformes a lo que el papa envió a ofrecer a V. Md. […]" — the second line is not read
("o fue elegido"? not accepted).
R9 `el arçobispo [sea] <toma> d o de manera que su s ?ʒɡc a p r o ?⁝ | c ?ʒ e n ?ʒ i … assi e n t o`
- Reading: "mandar mirar allá que el arçobispo sea tomado de manera que sus […] y si él viniese, y assiento
de lo que dicho sería muy mejor".
- `zuc 8 z b m` = assi-e-n-t-o confirms the key's probable `zuc` = assi-.
R10 `que d o <en> <toda> l i g r a r | se t i e n e la c o n f i a n ç a que del`
- Reading: "porque de quien acá que[…] toda […] se tiene la confiança que del […]" — "confiança" is exact
(9 signs, with `m̶` = f and `.j.` = ç).
R11 `nec e s i d a d de dinero s | so n ?ʒ f a r | a i u d a es b u e n a que mas la del arçobispo`
- Reading: "y según ay necessidad de dineros y quan malos son […] quales era ayuda es buena, que más la del
arçobispo que en parecer acá no tiene V. Md. ?tad […] tomador".
R12 `se a n la s ?tur s` — "quiera Dios que tales sean las […]".
## Coverage
See the table at the end (measured by `decode_runs.py`).
## English gist
Beaurain has been sent money matters by the Pope ("the moneys the Pope offered"); the Pope told Lope that he
would fulfil the rest, pleading his need; Florence has taken no decision yet. Cardinal Cortona and Ippolito
de' Medici leave next week for Florence. The French have lost Fuenterrabía (clear). If the archbishop [of
Capua] arriving at the Emperor finds the army ready to sustain the war here, his report will match what the
Pope sent to offer the Emperor; Charles should see that the archbishop is received so that his […]; given the
need for money here, any help is good, and the archbishop's more than any. The Pope's goodwill and words
could not be better; "God grant that the [deeds] be the same." The rest (Easter news, Hungary and the
Turk, the Legate in Moravia, the Infante) is in clear.
### Script output (decode_runs.py over the R-lines above)
```
R1 l1: ?ʃta ?⊙ ?apud de lo s dinero s que o f <r> e c i/j o el papa a
R1 l2: m u/v s i/j u/v r de <t> e u r e a en r i/j a d o ?xir s t r o i/j
R1 l3: <t> ?h ?ʒ o la l ?yob s lo s a u/v a t r o de esto s toma r o n
R1 l4: a ?re c o p d e o lo s de la d i/j
R2 l5: <c> u/v n p l i/j r a el <r> e s t o ?ʒσ ?ʃec dize su nec- e c i/j d a d
R3 l6: toma d o r e s u/v l u c i/j o n
R4 l7: <Santidad> c u s a n
R5 l9: ?zib e f e d o r u/v e
R5 l10: n o
R6 l11: ?xor da d o de p r o p o s i/j t o <a> t o d o s
R7 l17: el <exercito> de ?xab
R7 l18: en ?tid para ?y˙ d r en Francia o a vuestra magestad ?ʒul a p a r e i/j o
R7 l19: para so s t e n e r la ?xac <aca> su <r> e l a c i/j o n
R7 l20: a u/v e n a no ?ʃeg <por> ?ʒal que <aca>
R8 l21: papa en r i/j o a o f r e c e r a vuestra magestad
R8 l22: ?tul o f e l e g i/j d o
R9 l1: arçobispo toma d o de manera que su s ?ʒɡc a p r o <z>
R9 l2: c ?ʒ e n ?ʒ <i> assi- e n t o
R10 l3: que d o <en> <toda> l i/j g r a r
R10 l4: se t i/j e n e la c o n f i/j a n <ç> a que del
R11 l5: nec- e s i/j d a d de dinero s so n ?ʒ <f> c a r
R11 l6: a i/j u d a es b u/v e n a <que> mas la del arçobispo
R11 l7: ?tad ?ʃef toma d o r
R12 l8: papa ?tal ?zuf
R12 l9: se a n la s ?tur s
TOTAL tokens 339; decoded 310 (91.4%); of which confirmed 291
```
Token coverage (every token that has a value in the key) overstates what reads: about a third of
the decoded tokens sit in stretches that still do not make Spanish (R1 l2-l4, R5, R7 l18/l20, R8 l22,
R10 l3). Status: **read in part** — about two thirds of the cipher text reads as Spanish.Reading
# R9869 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 28 March 1524 (RAH Salazar A-30 ff. 444r-444v) — reading Rests on: the clear text, transcribed on the DECODE images (IMG_R9869_I45994_P1 right, P2 left, full resolution); the cipher runs decoded with the merged 1523-24 key (`key_merged.tsv`, built from the f. 133r clear of R9846) and re-read sign by sign on the same images (`R9869_corrections.tsv`). No contemporary decipherment, no clear copy, not in CSP Spain ii. Cipher runs are in *italics*; `[?word]` partly carried by the figures, `[word]` supplied, `[…]` unread (an unknown code group or letters that make no word). Re-read 22 Oct 2026, batch b07 (`R9869_reread_log.md`). ## Reading S. C. C. Mt. *[…] de los dineros que ofrecio el papa a mussiur de [?Beure] ha [?enviado] […] los [?quatro] destos tomaron […].* A me dicho Su Sd. que *cunplira el resto; […] pero dize su necessidad.* De Florencia hasta agora no se a *tomado resolucion;* todavia *[?se] escusan.* La semana que viene dizen que partira el Cardenal Quartona con Ypolito, sobrino de Su Sd., alla, y que llegado [alla] *[…] [?bueno].* Las nuevas que destas partes tenian y de Ingalaterra avian *mudado de proposito a todos.* Agora con tener por cierto que los franceses an perdido a Fuenterrabia, que aviendo la nueva por avisos de mussiur de Borbon y de Leon, aunque son diferentes: unos dizen por conbate y otros por partido. Los franceses conocen que se a perdida, pero dizen que por traycion. A faborecido mucho las cosas de V. Mt. Y si el arçobispo, llegado a V. Mt., halla *el exercito de V. Mt. en […] para [?poder] en Francia, o a V. Mt. con aparejo para sostener la guerra aca,* siendo *su relacion [?buena], no [?tengo] por […] que aca* seran sus obras conformes a lo que el *papa envio a ofrecer a V. Mt. quando fue elegido.* V. Mt. deve mandar mirar alla que el *arçobispo* sea *tomado de manera que sus […] [?aprovechen] […];* y si el viniese y *[?assiento]* de lo que dicho seria muy mejor, porque de quien aca *que […] toda […] se tiene la confiança que del.* Y segun ay *necessidad de dineros,* y quan malos *son […] [?sacar],* qual[qui]era *ayuda es buena, […] mas la del arçobispo,* que en parecer aca no tiene V. Mt. *[…] […] [?tomador].* La voluntad y palabras del *papa* no pare[ce] que hera[n] mejores *[…] […].* Quiera Dios que tales *sean las obras.* Esta pascua a venido dos nuevas al papa: una de Alemaña que dize en que los ungaros se acordavan con el Turco dandole tributo en cierta [?suma]; y la otra por Venecia, que con el Cairo y la mayor parte de Soria se avia alçado al Turco un vasallo. Hasta agora ninguna de las dos se tiene por averiguada. El Legado llego en Norimberga a xiiij deste; scrive a xix que fue muy bien recebido y tratado del S. Infante, y que ya avia hecho su proposicion, pero que no pensavan que en aquella dieta se pudiese hazer nada. Y assi lo scrive Salamanca a uno que solicita aqui las cosas del S. Infante. Gran daño haze a las cosas de aca, a lo que todos dizen y parece, venir tan pocas cartas de V. Mt. Pues ya es verano, que se podra navegar mejor, creo que seria muy provechoso que V. Mt. mandase scrivir mas vezes. Agora no se ofrece otra cosa de que avisar a V. Mt., cuya muy Real persona y estado guarde Nuestro Señor y acreciente. De Roma a xxviij de março. [subscription, autograph:] Lope Hurtado
Translation
# R9869 — Lope Hurtado to Charles V, Rome, 28 March 1524 — English Translation of `R9869_reading.md`, with the same holes. Passages that are in cipher in the original are in *italics*. S[acred] C[atholic] C[aesarean] M[ajes]ty *[…] of the money that the Pope offered to Monsieur de [?Beaurain], he has [?sent] […]; the [?four] of these took […].* His Holiness has told me that *he will fulfil the rest; […] but he speaks of his need.* From Florence no *resolution has been taken* so far; they still *[?make] excuses.* They say that next week Cardinal Cortona will leave for there with Ippolito, His Holiness's nephew, and that once [there] *[…] [?good].* The news that they had from these parts and from England had *changed everyone's purpose.* Now, holding it for certain that the French have lost Fuenterrabía, having the news by reports from Monsieur de Bourbon and from Lyon, although they differ: some say by assault and others by terms. The French acknowledge that it is lost, but say it was by treason. It has greatly favoured Your Majesty's affairs. And if the archbishop, having reached Your Majesty, finds *Your Majesty's army in […] to [?be able] [to go] into France, or Your Majesty with the means to sustain the war here,* his *report* being *[?good], I do not [?hold] for […] that here* his deeds will be in keeping with what the *Pope sent to offer Your Majesty when he was elected.* Your Majesty should have it seen to there that the *archbishop* is *taken in such a way that his […] [?profit] […];* and if he came, and *[?settlement]* of what was said would be much better, because of whom here *[…] all […] has the confidence that of him.* And given the *need of money* here, and how bad *they are […] [?to raise],* any *help is good, […] the more so the archbishop's,* for in the judgement here Your Majesty has not *[…] [?taker].* The goodwill and words of the *Pope* could not seem better *[…].* God grant that *the deeds* be such. This Easter two pieces of news have come to the Pope: one from Germany, saying that the Hungarians were coming to terms with the Turk, giving him tribute in a certain [?sum]; and the other by way of Venice, that a vassal had risen against the Turk with Cairo and the greater part of Syria. So far neither of the two is held as confirmed. The Legate reached Nuremberg on the 14th of this month; he writes on the 19th that he was very well received and treated by the Lord Infante, and that he had already made his proposition, but that they did not think anything could be done at that diet. Salamanca writes the same to someone who looks after the Lord Infante's affairs here. It does great harm to affairs here, as everyone says and as it seems, that so few letters come from Your Majesty. Since it is now summer, when sailing will be easier, I believe it would be very useful for Your Majesty to have letters written more often. Nothing else offers at present to report to Your Majesty, whose most royal person and estate may Our Lord keep and increase. From Rome, 28 March. Lope Hurtado
Key: key_1524.tsv, key_1524_additions.tsv, key_1523_additions.tsv, key_1523_r9667.tsv, key_merged.tsv, key_retry.tsv
05 Sources
- DECODE records R9667, R9683, R9695, R9846, R9866, R9867, R9868, R9869 (images behind login; Real Academia de la Historia).
- G. A. Bergenroth (ed.), Calendar of State Papers, Spain, vol. 2 (1866), nos. 548 and 617: May 1523, February 1524.
- The 1522 key: Lope Hurtado de Mendoza at Rome, 1522, on this site.
Transcriptions, alignments, the rebuilt key (key_1524.tsv and additions) and the per-letter decipherments are in targets/lopehurtado1523/.