At a glanceKnown key applied · partial (100% of the cipher)
- The letter
- A letter from a secretary of Cardinal Pellevé in Rome to the abbé d’Orbais (Jean de Piles), 23 August [1589], carrying the news of Henri III’s death. It is almost all in clear.
- Where
- BnF fr. 3413, no. 62, ff. 126r–127r, a Nevers-collection volume of League papers. The catalogue suspected one of the bound keys nos. 53, 61 or 69, but none fits.
- The cipher
- The Nevers–Piles alphabet: 91 cipher signs in fourteen short runs.
- How it was read
- Satoshi Tomokiyo identified the cipher and deciphered one name; his table, from the undigitised BnF fr. 3612, is partial. It was filled out from BnF fr. 4715 f. 2, a 1586 letter in the same cipher, about fifty of whose words were aligned sign by sign.
- What it says
- Runs read depeschera … dedans deux jours le doien, la protection, Mons. Cassin, and the signature Baron.
- Still open
- Three single code signs and two short runs of six and seven signs, 16 signs in all.
- Credit
- Satoshi Tomokiyo identified the cipher.
01 The letter
Fr. 3413 is a Nevers-collection volume of League papers, on Gallica as btv1b52510705j. No. 62 is ff. 126r–127r (views 259–261), and the address is on f. 127v: A Monsieur, Monsieur l’Abbé d’Orbais, Coner au Conseil estably a Paris pour la Ste Union, A Paris. The abbé d’Orbais is Jean de Piles. He was the League’s envoy to Rome earlier in 1589 and later a deputy of the clergy at the Estates of 1593.
The letter is dated only “du lieu que vous sçavez ce xxiije d’Aoust”, but its content fixes the year. It reports how the news of the King’s death came to Rome. A courier from Spain had passed through Lyon on the 12th. The Grand Duke of Tuscany sent an express, which reached Rome on the 20th. It carried the Duke of Lorraine’s copy of a letter of 8 August from his agent in Paris, the sr Bardin:
le Roy a esté tué, et c’est le Roy de Navarre qui l’a faict faire; l’on a proclamé Roy à Paris Monsieur le Cardinal de Borbon, et au mesme temps le Roy de Navarre s’est aussi faict appeller Roy par ceux de sa secte
The writer apologises that his senior colleague, “son aisné de mesme charge”, has been kept from writing by a fever for a fortnight. He asks Piles to keep him in mind, and he signs in cipher.
02 The three bound keys
Each key was photographed from the Gallica scan and tested against the ciphered groups:
| No. | Folio (view) | What it is | On no. 62 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | f. 109 (227) | A French key of letters to two-digit figures, with a nomenclator 1–99. Tomokiyo identifies it as Nevers collection no. 42. | Does not apply: the letter has no figures. |
| 61 | f. 125 (257) | An Italian key for the Savoy–Piedmont theatre (Birago, Saluzzo, Carmagnola…): a symbol alphabet, doubles, nulls, word signs, and a nomenclator 80–204. | Different signs. It cannot give Cassin or protection. |
| 69 | ff. 137–138 (281–284) | A French League key: a place-name nomenclator, boxed numbers, and a symbol alphabet written sideways on f. 138. | Here the square is e and there is no W, so Cassin does not come out. |
03 The cipher, and a key from 1586
Tomokiyo, cataloguing the Nevers ciphers, noted that no. 62 “appears to employ the Nevers–Piles Cipher” and deciphered Monsieur Cassin in it. Cassin appears as Pellevé’s secretary in the proceedings of the Estates of 1593. His table for that cipher was rebuilt from Piles’s own letters to Nevers of 1586 in BnF fr. 3612. That volume is not on Gallica, and the table has gaps. It does list word signs, among them ⌘ for Mr and n for et. The same cipher is used in BnF fr. 4715 f. 2 (btv1b52509819x, view 17), the Cardinal de Guise to Nevers from Soissons, 6 October 1586. That letter is a full page of cipher, 29 lines, and the decipherer wrote the plaintext loosely above each line.
The whole page was viewed at full resolution, line by line, and about fifty words were aligned sign by sign with the writing above them (the rest of the interlinear is too cursive and abbreviated to align letter for letter). They give values the table lacks and confirm the ones it has:
| Plaintext above | Signs | Values gained or confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Jay receu vre | ʃ · ⊡ θ 8 y ɔ · b ⊡ æ | ʃ jay (word sign), ⊡ r, θ e, 8 c, y e, ɔ u, b v, æ e |
| encores | θ H W ce m x ÷ | H n, W c, ce o, ÷ s |
| nouveles | ◻ ce ◻′ φ x + y ÷ | ◻ n, φ v, + l |
| subiect d’estre | ÷ b z g θ W ꝏ · 7 θ q δ m æ | z b, g i, ꝏ t, 7 d, q s, δ t |
| de nous | 1 ⋕ ce ɔ ÷ | ⋕ (H with two bars) |
| Je loue Dieu | ẋ y · + ce ɔ θ · 3 ẋ θ ɔ | 3 d, dotted x i |
| monde, home, chacun | ∇ ce ◻ 7 θ · 4 ce ÿ y · W 4 v 8 ɔ ◻ | 4 h, ∇ m |
| pour le bien; le monde | e ʃ̄ z 9 θ ◻ · ʃ̄ ∇ m ◻ 7 θ | barred ʃ le (word sign) |
| qui monstrent | ε x m ◻ q … | x m, tailed m o |
| ou nous ferons; et a mon avis | … a θ m ce ◻ ÷ · n − ∇ ce ◻ v 9 ÷ | a f, n et |
| de, qui | 1 · ε | word signs, as in Tomokiyo’s table |
A key was assembled from these values, Tomokiyo’s table and cribs from the clear context of no. 62, with the source of each value recorded (targets/orbais/decode62.py). A run counts as decrypted only when it gives French sense; letter values that give no sense are counted as open.
04 What the ciphered words say
| Context in clear | Signs | Reading | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| … inscrutables. … dedans deux jours | Ƃ 1 6 θ ÷ W 4 æ ⊡ − ʃ | [Ƃ] depeschera [ʃ] | C |
| dedans deux jours … | Ƒ 3 tt ħ θ ◻ | le doien | C |
| Il ne vous fault rien dire pour ce qui touche … | φ tt o V æ ʃ° ÷ | open | – |
| Il ne fault oublier … que vous sçavez | ꝥ V 6 ⊡ m ooo θ W 8 · ɸ tt ◻ | la protection | H |
| Mons. … detenu d’une fiebvre | W V ÷ 9 ◻ | Cassin (Tomokiyo) | H |
| Maintenant que vous serez a … si l’histoire est vraye | ɔ tt ÷ ooo ⊡ θ · n a æ η ◻ θ | vostre [open] | H |
| Depuis que … a esté retiré | ⌘ Ƒ τ x ⋕ ◻ ∇ V 9 · ÷ ooo ⊡ θ | Mr le [τ] mon maistre | C |
| a esté retiré … qui | ʃ ɔ θ φ ɔ ◻ η − 7 b ɸ q | j’ay veu ung advis | C |
| qui … plus particulierement que nul aultre | W ⋕ ◻ Ⱥ 9 ⊡ x æ | confirme | C |
| vostre tres humble servitr … pnte ses tres humbles recommandations | 2 V ⊡ m Ħ | Baron | H |
The passage on f. 127r decrypts to “Depuis que Mr le […] mon maistre a esté retiré, j’ay veu ung advis qui confirme plus particulierement que nul aultre”: since his master withdrew, the writer has seen a notice that confirms the news of the King’s death more precisely than any other. ⌘ is Mr in Tomokiyo’s list of word signs and Ƒ is le, as the barred ʃ is in fr. 4715 (pour le bien, le monde). The sign between them, τ, has no entry anywhere; “Cardinal”, for Pellevé, is the likely sense, but it is not counted. The run begins with ʃ, which fr. 4715 gives as jay (“ʃ receu”, Jay receu), and the next three signs give ung as in the 1586 letter. A constrained word search over a period French lexicon ranked confirme first among the candidates that make sense.
After dedans deux jours, Ƒ = le and ħ = i (Tomokiyo’s second form of i) give le doien, the dean.
The signature is the writer’s own name. In the key, 2 is b, and protection fixes the tailed m as o. The last sign is the H-form that is n in fr. 4715, so the name is Baron, not Barot. A “Sr Baron” writes in the same League dossier of 1593 as Piles (Gallica btv1b9059406b, piece u, “Du Sr Baron, du 7 aoust”). That identification is circumstantial.
The run after vostre is not regne or Champaigne, as was guessed earlier. Fr. 4715 gives n = et and a = f, which make it et f e g n e, not sense. It stays open.
05 What remains uncertain
Measured over the fourteen runs: 91 cipher signs, 75 give sense, 82.4% (before the second pass with fr. 4715, the same count gave 47 of 91, 51.6%). Grades as in the table above: H for la protection, Cassin, vostre, maistre and Baron, C for the rest. Open, 16 signs:
- Re-measured 5 October 2026. The count stands at 75 of 91 signs (82.4%), now checked by a language-model score as well as by hand. On the native-resolution canvases the fifth sign of V2 carries an inner dot, so it is ⊡ = r and V2 decodes et-f-e-g-r-e; in C the sixth sign is the hooked ʃ = y of fr. 4715 and C decodes v-o-p-a-e-y-s. Neither makes a word (vos pays needs a missing letter), so neither is counted. The missing values would come from fr. 3612 f. 9, which is not digitised.
- Ƃ, the first sign of the depeschera run: the subject of the verb (Sa Sainteté? il?). A single code sign with no entry in Tomokiyo’s table and none on the aligned part of fr. 4715.
- ʃ, the last sign of the same run. It is jay elsewhere, which does not fit here.
- τ, after Mr le: probably “Cardinal”, with no key entry.
- “pour ce qui touche φ tt o V æ ʃ° ÷”: the known values give v o p a e ? s, not sense. Vos amis and vos gens each need a value to break.
- “a vostre n a æ η ◻ θ”: et f e g n e with the fr. 4715 values, not sense.
- Some values differ between the two letters. In fr. 4715, 8 is c and the plain m is r; in no. 62, protection needs 8 = t, and the tailed m is o in both. Two squares (n and u) are told apart only by small differences of form.
- The rest of fr. 4715 f. 2 (lines 7, 9–11, 13, 16, 18 and 21–29) is not aligned sign by sign and might still give τ, ʃ°, Ƃ or the n–a pair. The real key source is Tomokiyo’s, BnF fr. 3612, six letters of Piles with interlinear decipherments. A new search of Gallica confirms it is not digitised; it has to be seen at the BnF.
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.
Letter to the abbé d'Orbais, Rome, 23 Aug [1589], BnF fr. 3413 no. 62
A secretary of Cardinal Pellevé, signing Baron, writes from Rome to Jean de Piles, abbé d'Orbais, the League's envoy, with the news of Henri III's death: couriers from Spain, Genoa and Tuscany, and the Duke of Lorraine's letter from his agent Bardin in Paris, 8 August ('le Roy a esté tué, et c'est le Roy de Navarre qui l'a faict faire'; the Cardinal de Bourbon proclaimed King in Paris). In cipher: '[Ƃ] depeschera [ʃ] dedans deux jours le doien', 'la protection que vous sçavez', Mons. Cassin (his senior, ill with fever), 'Mr le [τ] mon maistre', 'j'ay veu ung advis qui confirme', the signature Baron.
Transcription
# BnF fr. 3413 no. 62 (Rome, 23 Aug [1589]) - the cipher groups, one per line, in letter order.
# First field = group label; then one token per cipher sign (labels as in NOTES.md / decode62.py).
# Measure with: python docs/_check_profile.py --measure targets/orbais/no62_cipher.txt --drop-first
# 5 Oct 2026 re-check at native resolution: V2 fifth sign has an inner mark like V1's ⊡ (not the clean ◻ of Cassin) -> ⊡;
# C sixth sign ʃ° is the small hooked ʃ that fr. 4715 uses for y/ay ("+ v ʃ" = l'ay); C last sign = V1/Cassin ÷.
# Transcribed from the Gallica full-resolution images (ff. 126v-127r, canvases 260-261), 22 Sept 2026.
S1a Ƃ 1 6 θ ÷
S1b W 4 æ ⊡ − ʃ
S2 Ƒ 3 tt ħ θ ◻
C φ tt o V æ ʃ° ÷
P1 ꝥ V 6 ⊡ m ooo θ W 8
P2 ɸ tt ◻
Cas W V ÷ 9 ◻
V1 ɔ tt ÷ ooo ⊡ θ
V2 n a æ η ⊡ θ
G1 ⌘ Ƒ τ x ⋕ ◻ ∇ V 9
G2 ÷ ooo ⊡ θ
H ʃ ɔ θ φ ɔ ◻ η − 7 b ɸ q
I W ⋕ ◻ Ⱥ 9 ⊡ x æ
Sig 2 V ⊡ m ĦDecryption
# Output of decode62.py, run 22 Oct 2026: per cipher group, the LM score, the signs, the letter-value decode and the reading; [x] = code sign without a value, '(no sense)' = group not read. The clear text of the letter is not transcribed in this folder. Verbatim script output. LM -3.25 sense S1a Ƃ 1 6 θ ÷ -> ?depes | [Ƃ] de-pes C 4/5 LM -3.25 sense S1b W 4 æ ⊡ − ʃ -> chera? | chera [ʃ] C 5/6 LM -2.79 sense S2 Ƒ 3 tt ħ θ ◻ -> ledoien | le doien C 6/6 LM -6.36 NO C φ tt o V æ ʃ° ÷ -> uopaeys | (no sense) - 0/7 LM -0.92 sense P1 ꝥ V 6 ⊡ m ooo θ W 8 -> laprotect | la protect H 9/9 LM 0.00 sense P2 ɸ tt ◻ -> ion | ion H 3/3 LM -2.21 sense Cas W V ÷ 9 ◻ -> casin | Cassin H 5/5 LM -0.03 sense V1 ɔ tt ÷ ooo ⊡ θ -> uostre | vostre H 6/6 LM -4.54 NO V2 n a æ η ⊡ θ -> etfegre | (no sense) - 0/6 LM -1.42 sense G1 ⌘ Ƒ τ x ⋕ ◻ ∇ V 9 -> Mrle?monmai | Mr le [τ] mon mai C 8/9 LM 0.00 sense G2 ÷ ooo ⊡ θ -> stre | stre H 4/4 LM -3.05 sense H ʃ ɔ θ φ ɔ ◻ η − 7 b ɸ q -> jayueuungaduis | j'ay veu ung advis C 12/12 LM -0.59 sense I W ⋕ ◻ Ⱥ 9 ⊡ x æ -> confirme | confirme C 8/8 LM -0.03 sense Sig 2 V ⊡ m Ħ -> baron | Baron H 5/5 cipher tokens 91, read as sense 75, fraction 0.824
Decryption
# BnF fr. 3413 no. 62 (ff. 126r-127r): a secretary of Cardinal Pellevé ("Baron") to the abbé d'Orbais, Rome, 23 August [1589], reading
Re-read 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5, REREAD_BRIEF batch b31); log in `no62_reread_log.md`. The letter is in clear
except fourteen short cipher runs. **The clear text is transcribed here for the first time** from the Gallica images
(`btv1b52510705j`, views 259-262, full resolution through openapi.bnf.fr IIIF), and the cipher runs are set in their
clauses with the readings of `no62_decryption.md` (key: Tomokiyo's Nevers-Piles table, extended from fr. 4715 f. 2; see
NOTES.md). No contemporary decipherment, copy or edition is known.
Conventions: plain = clear text, or a cipher run read with the key; `[?word]` partly carried; `[word]` supplied; `[…]`
unread; `[τ]`, `[Ƃ]`, `[ʃ]` = a code sign with no known value. Spelling as written; *vre*, *Mons.r*, *S.te* expanded
(*vostre*, *Monsieur*, *Sainteté*), other abbreviations expanded in the period form (*po.r* = *pour*, *extraord.re* =
*extraordinaire*). Cipher runs are marked in the Notes, not in the text.
## Reading
Monsieur, nous ne cessons d'escrire pardeça et n'avons aucunes nouvelles de vostre part; nous en aurons pour l'advenir
souvent et seurement, come je croy. Nous eusmes icy advis le xvij. de ce moys par un courrier extraordinaire qui venoit
d'Espaigne, qui estoit passé à Lyon le xij., de l'accident qu'on disoit estre survenu à la personne du Roy, à quoy l'on
ne faisoit fondement; les lettres de l'ordinaire du ix.e en faisoient aussi mention, et ung courrier de Gennes qui
portoit lettres du xvij. dudict lieu en disoit beaucoup de particularités, et pour tout cela l'on n'y a pas donné
grande creance jusques à dimanche qu'il en arriva un au soir, despeché exprès du Grand Duc de Toscane à sa Sainteté,
accusant en avoir eu ung aussi exprès de Monsieur de Lorraine avec lettres escrittes à Nancy de l'xj.e d'Aoust, lequel
courrier arriva à Florence le xix. mais si [?lassé] que le Grand Duc se resolut en despescher ung frais, qui arriva icy le
xx.e sur le soir et s'adressa à l'ambassadeur dudict Grand Duc, lequel aussi tost s'en alla trouver sa Sainteté pour
luy en donner l'advis, et luy monstra la lettre originale que Monsieur de Lorraine avoit receue du s.r Bardin, qui est
son agent à Paris, en datte du viij. d'Aoust, laquelle lettre portoit ces motz: le Roy a esté tué, et c'est le Roy de
Navarre qui l'a faict faire; l'on a proclamé Roy à Paris Monsieur le Cardinal de Borbon, et au mesme temps le Roy de
Navarre s'est aussi faict appeller Roy par ceux de sa secte. L'on dict aussi que la grande Duchesse de Florence a eue
lettres du mesme jour viij.e d'Aoust d'un sien qui demeure à Paris, qu'accusent semblablement la mort du Roy. Si ainsi
est, je prie Dieu de bon coeur qu'il luy face pardon, et qu'il veuille avoir pitié de son ame. Les jugemens de Dieu
sont fort profons et inscrutables. [Ƃ] depeschera [ʃ] dedans deux jours le doien. Devant cette nouvelle l'on n'eust
sceu [?desirer] les choses mieux qu'elles estoient; pensés maintenant le reste. Dieu veuille que tout soit à sa gloire.
Il ne vous fault rien dire pour ce qui touche […]. Il ne fault oublier la protection que vous sçavez pour beaucoup de
raisons, qui est tout ce que je vous diray pour ceste heure. Me recommandant. Du lieu que vous sçavez ce xxiij.e
d'Aoust.
Avec vostre permission vostre treshumble serviteur Baron presente ses treshumbles recommandations à vostre bonne grace,
et vous supplie l'excuser s'il ne s'acquitte mieux de son debvoir à vous escrire, estant si accablé d'affaires pour
estre son aisné, de mesme charge, Monsieur Cassin, detenu d'une fiebvre dès il y a quinze jours. Maintenant que vous
serez à vostre […] si l'histoire est vraye, il vous plaira, Monsieur, n'esloigner de vostre souvenance le moindre de
vos serviteurs, mais le plus fidel et devot que pourrés jamais avoir, dont il vous fera à toutes heures bonne preuve
quand il vous plaira, et sera tousiours prompt à aller executer vos commandemens sur les lieux, si vous luy faictes
cest honneur de luy departir, et qu'il vous plaise l'avoir en vostre protection, de quoy il vous supplie treshumblement,
et ne l'oublier aux occasions. Depuis que Monsieur le [τ] mon maistre a esté retiré, j'ay veu ung advis qui confirme
plus particulierement que nul aultre. [?P.] A bien viene touts.
## Notes
- **Cipher runs** (labels of `no62_cipher.txt`), in order: *[Ƃ] depeschera [ʃ]* (S1a+S1b, f. 126v l. 10-11); *le doien*
(S2); *[…]* after *ce qui touche* (C, unread: v-o-p-a-e-y-s); *la protection* (P1+P2); *Cassin* (f. 127r l. 4); *vostre* (V1) and *[…]* (V2, unread: et-f-e-g-r-e) after *vous serez
à*; *Monsieur le [τ] mon maistre* (G1+G2); *j'ay veu ung advis* (H); *confirme* (I); *Baron* (signature, f. 126v last
line).
- *[?P.] A bien viene touts* (f. 127r last line, in the same hand): a closing tag, half Spanish (*a bien viene*); not
explained.
- *Me recommandant* (f. 126v l. 17) runs into the dating line; nothing follows it.
- *[?desirer]* (f. 126v l. 13, written *d?s?rir*) and *[?lassé]* (f. 126r, *laissé* in the hand) are read with doubt.Reading
# BnF fr. 3413 no. 62 (ff. 126r-127r): a secretary of Cardinal Pellevé ("Baron") to the abbé d'Orbais, Rome, 23 August [1589], reading
Re-read 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5, REREAD_BRIEF batch b31); log in `no62_reread_log.md`. The letter is in clear
except fourteen short cipher runs. **The clear text is transcribed here for the first time** from the Gallica images
(`btv1b52510705j`, views 259-262, full resolution through openapi.bnf.fr IIIF), and the cipher runs are set in their
clauses with the readings of `no62_decryption.md` (key: Tomokiyo's Nevers-Piles table, extended from fr. 4715 f. 2; see
NOTES.md). No contemporary decipherment, copy or edition is known.
Conventions: plain = clear text, or a cipher run read with the key; `[?word]` partly carried; `[word]` supplied; `[…]`
unread; `[τ]`, `[Ƃ]`, `[ʃ]` = a code sign with no known value. Spelling as written; *vre*, *Mons.r*, *S.te* expanded
(*vostre*, *Monsieur*, *Sainteté*), other abbreviations expanded in the period form (*po.r* = *pour*, *extraord.re* =
*extraordinaire*). Cipher runs are marked in the Notes, not in the text.
## Reading
Monsieur, nous ne cessons d'escrire pardeça et n'avons aucunes nouvelles de vostre part; nous en aurons pour l'advenir
souvent et seurement, come je croy. Nous eusmes icy advis le xvij. de ce moys par un courrier extraordinaire qui venoit
d'Espaigne, qui estoit passé à Lyon le xij., de l'accident qu'on disoit estre survenu à la personne du Roy, à quoy l'on
ne faisoit fondement; les lettres de l'ordinaire du ix.e en faisoient aussi mention, et ung courrier de Gennes qui
portoit lettres du xvij. dudict lieu en disoit beaucoup de particularités, et pour tout cela l'on n'y a pas donné
grande creance jusques à dimanche qu'il en arriva un au soir, despeché exprès du Grand Duc de Toscane à sa Sainteté,
accusant en avoir eu ung aussi exprès de Monsieur de Lorraine avec lettres escrittes à Nancy de l'xj.e d'Aoust, lequel
courrier arriva à Florence le xix. mais si [?lassé] que le Grand Duc se resolut en despescher ung frais, qui arriva icy le
xx.e sur le soir et s'adressa à l'ambassadeur dudict Grand Duc, lequel aussi tost s'en alla trouver sa Sainteté pour
luy en donner l'advis, et luy monstra la lettre originale que Monsieur de Lorraine avoit receue du s.r Bardin, qui est
son agent à Paris, en datte du viij. d'Aoust, laquelle lettre portoit ces motz: le Roy a esté tué, et c'est le Roy de
Navarre qui l'a faict faire; l'on a proclamé Roy à Paris Monsieur le Cardinal de Borbon, et au mesme temps le Roy de
Navarre s'est aussi faict appeller Roy par ceux de sa secte. L'on dict aussi que la grande Duchesse de Florence a eue
lettres du mesme jour viij.e d'Aoust d'un sien qui demeure à Paris, qu'accusent semblablement la mort du Roy. Si ainsi
est, je prie Dieu de bon coeur qu'il luy face pardon, et qu'il veuille avoir pitié de son ame. Les jugemens de Dieu
sont fort profons et inscrutables. [Ƃ] depeschera [ʃ] dedans deux jours le doien. Devant cette nouvelle l'on n'eust
sceu [?desirer] les choses mieux qu'elles estoient; pensés maintenant le reste. Dieu veuille que tout soit à sa gloire.
Il ne vous fault rien dire pour ce qui touche […]. Il ne fault oublier la protection que vous sçavez pour beaucoup de
raisons, qui est tout ce que je vous diray pour ceste heure. Me recommandant. Du lieu que vous sçavez ce xxiij.e
d'Aoust.
Avec vostre permission vostre treshumble serviteur Baron presente ses treshumbles recommandations à vostre bonne grace,
et vous supplie l'excuser s'il ne s'acquitte mieux de son debvoir à vous escrire, estant si accablé d'affaires pour
estre son aisné, de mesme charge, Monsieur Cassin, detenu d'une fiebvre dès il y a quinze jours. Maintenant que vous
serez à vostre […] si l'histoire est vraye, il vous plaira, Monsieur, n'esloigner de vostre souvenance le moindre de
vos serviteurs, mais le plus fidel et devot que pourrés jamais avoir, dont il vous fera à toutes heures bonne preuve
quand il vous plaira, et sera tousiours prompt à aller executer vos commandemens sur les lieux, si vous luy faictes
cest honneur de luy departir, et qu'il vous plaise l'avoir en vostre protection, de quoy il vous supplie treshumblement,
et ne l'oublier aux occasions. Depuis que Monsieur le [τ] mon maistre a esté retiré, j'ay veu ung advis qui confirme
plus particulierement que nul aultre. [?P.] A bien viene touts.
## Notes
- **Cipher runs** (labels of `no62_cipher.txt`), in order: *[Ƃ] depeschera [ʃ]* (S1a+S1b, f. 126v l. 10-11); *le doien*
(S2); *[…]* after *ce qui touche* (C, unread: v-o-p-a-e-y-s); *la protection* (P1+P2); *Cassin* (f. 127r l. 4); *vostre* (V1) and *[…]* (V2, unread: et-f-e-g-r-e) after *vous serez
à*; *Monsieur le [τ] mon maistre* (G1+G2); *j'ay veu ung advis* (H); *confirme* (I); *Baron* (signature, f. 126v last
line).
- *[?P.] A bien viene touts* (f. 127r last line, in the same hand): a closing tag, half Spanish (*a bien viene*); not
explained.
- *Me recommandant* (f. 126v l. 17) runs into the dating line; nothing follows it.
- *[?desirer]* (f. 126v l. 13, written *d?s?rir*) and *[?lassé]* (f. 126r, *laissé* in the hand) are read with doubt.Translation
# BnF fr. 3413 no. 62: "Baron" to the abbé d'Orbais, Rome, 23 August [1589], English Translation of `no62_reading.md` (23 Oct 2026, Claude Opus 5.5, batch b31). Same holes. ## Translation Sir, we never stop writing from here and have no news from you; I believe we shall have it often and safely from now on. We had word here on the 17th of this month, by an extraordinary courier coming from Spain who had passed through Lyon on the 12th, of the accident said to have befallen the King's person, on which no one relied; the letters of the ordinary post of the 9th also mentioned it, and a courier from Genoa carrying letters of the 17th from there told many particulars of it, and for all that no great credit was given to it until Sunday, when one arrived in the evening, sent express by the Grand Duke of Tuscany to His Holiness, reporting that he had received one, also express, from the Duke of Lorraine, with letters written at Nancy on the 11th of August; that courier reached Florence on the 19th but [?so tired] that the Grand Duke decided to send on a fresh one, who arrived here on the 20th in the evening and went to the Grand Duke's ambassador, who at once went to find His Holiness to give him the news, and showed him the original letter that the Duke of Lorraine had received from the sieur Bardin, his agent in Paris, dated 8 August, which said in these words: the King has been killed, and it is the King of Navarre who had it done; the Cardinal de Bourbon has been proclaimed King in Paris, and at the same time the King of Navarre has also had himself called King by those of his sect. It is also said that the Grand Duchess of Florence has had letters of the same day, 8 August, from one of her people who lives in Paris, which likewise report the King's death. If it is so, I pray God with all my heart to pardon him and to have pity on his soul. The judgements of God are very deep and inscrutable. [Ƃ] will dispatch [ʃ] the dean within two days. Before this news one could not have [?wished] things better than they were; think now of the rest. God grant that all be to His glory. There is no need to tell you anything about what concerns […]. The protection you know of must not be forgotten, for many reasons; that is all I shall tell you for the present. Commending myself. From the place you know, this 23rd of August. With your permission your most humble servant Baron presents his most humble respects to your good grace, and begs you to excuse him if he does not do his duty of writing to you better, being so overwhelmed with business because his senior in the same office, Monsieur Cassin, has been laid up with a fever these fifteen days. Now that you will be at your […], if the story is true, may it please you, Sir, not to put out of your memory the least of your servants, but the most faithful and devoted you could ever have, of which he will give you good proof at any hour you please, and he will always be ready to go and carry out your commands on the spot, if you do him the honour of giving him them, and may it please you to keep him under your protection, which he most humbly begs of you, and not to forget him when occasions come. Since Monsieur the [τ] my master withdrew, I have seen a report that confirms it more precisely than any other. [?P.S.] Welcome to all.
Key: key.md
06 Sources
- BnF, fr. 3413, nos. 53, 61, 62, 69: Gallica btv1b52510705j, views 227, 257, 259–262 and 281–284. Contents from the BnF notice cc49884s.
- BnF, fr. 4715, f. 2: Gallica btv1b52509819x, view 17. The aligned words are in
targets/orbais/fr4715_f2_aligned.txt. - S. Tomokiyo, “Catalogue of Ciphers (Mainly Related to Duke of Nevers)”, cryptiana. See the sections on BnF fr. 3413, fr. 3612 (the Nevers–Piles table) and fr. 4715.
- BnF, fr. 3612: notice cc50062c, not digitised.
The notes, the transcription of the cipher runs (no62_cipher.txt), the decoder that measures the decryption (decode62.py), the pattern-search and annealing scripts and the fetcher are in the repository (targets/orbais/). Page images are not committed.