At a glanceCiphertext-only break · partial (95% of the cipher)
- The letter
- Prince Frederick of Orange, the Stadholder’s younger son, by then in England, to the officer in charge of the Dutch émigré troops in Germany, late November or early December 1795: a French page in cipher and a Dutch postscript.
- Where
- Koninklijk Huisarchief, The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv. 339 (bundel A18); DECODE R1892, catalogued as an unknown writer’s letter to William V of 1 January 1795, with no decipherment.
- The cipher
- Each letter a pair of digits 1–6 written one above the other (a 6×6 square), with graphic signs for frequent words.
- How it was deciphered
- The square was recovered from the Dutch page alone by simulated annealing and then decrypted the French page unchanged. On 2 October 2026 the values R2242, the sibling letter, gives for its graphic word signs were tried at every occurrence (five adopted, six ruled out), and Colenbrander’s Gedenkstukken gave the writer and the date. On 3 October six lines were transcribed again on the full-resolution images, eleven one-digit slips of the writer emended, and one more word sign found (P = voor).
- What it says
- If General Dundas stops the pay or orders the troops to embark, accept it and ask only for a gratuity for those who will not submit; tell the troops on what footing they will enter the service of His Britannic Majesty; the writer would much rather have stayed at Nienburg.
- Still open
- About twenty word signs of the Dutch postscript, several of them recurring (one nine times, one seven) and still workable from context, the rest seen once; and a faded line on each page. The postscript has 90.7% of its tokens valued but does not yet build sentences in its first half (ll. 2–12), so it is decoded, not read (reading audit, 22–23 October 2026). The French page builds coherent sentences but its word-divided reading reads at 89.6% of its words (measured 24 October 2026), under the 95% a complete reading needs.
01 The document
- Record: DECODE R1892, “unkmown (Germany) to Prince William V”, 1 Jan 1795, Non-decrypted, two images (photocopies, photographed sideways).
- Shelfmark: Koninklijk Huisarchief, The Hague, archive of Prince William V, bundel A18, inv. 339.
- Languages: page 1 French, entirely in cipher; page 2 a Dutch postscript (“het volgende schrift … in het hollandsch met cijffer”), cipher mixed with clear words, closing with a clear French sentence.
- Keys tried first: the two key records DECODE files in the same series, R2240 (the four-digit Orange name key) and R2233, do not apply: R1892 uses only the digits 1–6.

02 The square
Token = top digit followed by bottom digit. The square is not in alphabetical order, and no key sheet is known.
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| t | w / z | y, ij | x | l | z | o | k | f | m | d | n | v | h | b |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 51 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 65 | |||||
| g | u | a | s | p | c | r | q | i | e | |||||
12 is w in the Dutch and stands for the final z of pourrez, jugerez in the French. The pairs 53, 61, 62, 63 and 64 occur one to three times each and are probably misreadings of the photocopy. The graphic signs (a circle with a dot, the most frequent; Λ, Δ, γ, ⊣H, a cross and some twenty others) stand outside the square for whole words or names.
03 The decipherment
Page 1 (French)
From the word-divided reading (texts/p1_reading.md, 23 October 2026), in the writer’s spelling; [?word] partly carried, […] unread.
Écrit en cognito da[…]s la lettre du […] en date du […] décemb[re].
Mon père chargeant Nagel d'aller de nouveau[x] chez les ministres pour insister sur une réponse quelconque aux différents représentations qui leur ont été faites touchant la [?f]aire du rassemblement, j'ose me flatte[r] qu'enfin [?qu'il] s'en fini[…] il en vien[?d]ra une. Mais comme il pouroit arriver entretemps que le général Vundas vous […] déclara qu'il cesseroit le payement ou bien que les troupes devroient se laisser embarquer, il faudroit y souscrire et vous borner uniquement à tâcher d'obtenir de pouvoir donner une gratification à ceux qui ne voudroient se soumettre, dans ce cas que vous [?eussiez] […] obligez à ceci. Je vous prie cependant de donner connaissance au troupes du pied sur lequel elle[s] entreront au service de S.M.B., et vous pourrez leur donner à cet effet une pièce à peu près semblable à celle qui étoit destinée à leur être donnée dans le premier [?moment] où il étoit question de leurs [?embarquement]. Vous pourez trouver cette pièce parmi [?mes] papiers, et vous pourez l[e] faire les changements que vous jugerez convenable vu les circonstances présente[s]. Ayez la bonté de ne point mettre sur le compte pour l […] la dépences pour mon logement, ne [?voulant] pas […] être dans le cas d'avoir la moindre obligation, mais de le paye[?r] de l'argent que vous avez à moi appar[?t]enant.
“Nagel” is A. W. C. van Nagell, the Orange envoy in London; the cipher spells the general’s name Vundas, a slip for Dundas; S.M.B. is Sa Majesté Britannique.
Page 2 (Dutch postscript)
Decoded, not read. The word-divided reading of 23 October 2026 (texts/p2_reading.md) is given as a partial reading: its second half reads, but lines 2–12 do not build sentences, because of the open word signs.
[?Aan] den generaal Bertincy. Indien zich W. in het geval bevond andere [?middelen] te hebben het rassemblement te zamen te houden, dan de gene die [?zich] vrywillig […] [?willen] laaten, dat te laaten in […]; zo zal W. in dat geval ook de officeren […]en benoemen die […] het zelve […] willen aangesteld […]en. […] dezelve [?zulks] op de volgende wyze: dat alle heeren officieren zal W. kunben dat weeten, dat de geene die hier […] […] willen geemployeer[d] […] […] aan zig […] […]en aan geeven, tegen […] bepaalde dagen, dat UE alsdan uit dezelve de keus zal maaken in zijn neemen, de zoo het moogelyk ys alleen [?zulks]e te zijn die hun in […] zedert het intmekken der fransche niet aangebooden hebben, indien zig hooud officieren genoeg aanbieden. Zal UE […] ieder 1000 man […] kunnen plaatsen? Al het gene wat UE in […] cyffer zal vinde[n], schryf [?ik] uit naam [?van] myn vader. Dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft ons tot nog toe niet, teegenstaande alle de voorstellingen die [?daarover] gedaan [?zyn], […] antwoord te laten, zo ij het my voorgekomen [?aan] […] te [?zyn] dat UE wist wat in boovenstaande geval te doen. Heeden is het reeds […] weeken dat [?ik] UE myn eerste brief […] myn aankomst in [?Engeland] geschreeven heb; toen zoude [?ik] my zeeker niet voorgesteld hebben tegenwoordig nog hier te […] en [?zyn] […] op antwoord te wagten. Indien het my ook [?mogelyk] geweest ras vooruit te […] dat [?zulks] zoude gebeuren, zo kun UE wel verzeekert [?zyn] dat my niets zoude hebben kunnen engageeren de reis derwaards te ondernee[men], dat [?ik] alsdan noch veel liever te Nam..nburg gebleeven was, en de onaang[?enaam]heeden waaraan UE […]dert myn vertrek bloodgesteld is geweest had willen mededeelen.
Le prince me marque en outre: vous aurez la bonté de communiquer le contenu de ce chiffre à mon frère.
The postscript opens with “den generaal Bertincy” (probably Bentinck).
The postscript deals with keeping the corps together, naming and placing the officers, giving those who will not serve a fixed number of days to choose, and the writer’s weeks without an answer to his first letter.
04 Who and when
The writer calls William V “mon père” and asks that the cipher be shown to “mon frère”, so he is one of the Stadholder’s two sons. The addressee is an officer managing the rassemblement, the Dutch troops who followed the House of Orange into Germany in British pay after the French conquest of January 1795.
Colenbrander’s Gedenkstukken (vol. II, 1795–1798; searched in full text on 2 October 2026) does not print R1892 but fixes its setting. No. 724, of 7 October 1795, is Prince Frederick writing to General Dundas from Nienburg, where he commanded the rassemblement, and the writer of the Dutch postscript would much rather have stayed at “Nam..nburg”, Nienburg (M). On 26 November 1795 the Princess writes that her younger son has arrived in England, “c’est aussi pour le rassemblement qu’il est venu” (p. 893). The writer is therefore Prince Frederick, in England, and “mon frère” is the Hereditary Prince.
No. 734 (the Hereditary Prince to William V, 25–27 December 1795) reports that Henry Dundas’s new orders of 8 December had decided against the rassemblement; troops not taking British service were to go to Nassau. Page 1 still anticipates that decision (“au cas que le général Dundas vous déclarât … que les troupes devroient se laisser embarquer”), so it was written before the orders reached the continent: late November or early December 1795. DECODE’s “1 January 1795”, before the flight of the House of Orange, cannot be the date of the letter. “To William V” in the record reflects where the letter is kept, not its addressee.
05 Method
- Fetched the record and its two images, and the key records R2240 and R2233, from DECODE with a session login.
- Turned and cut the photocopies into strips; two transcription passes (one per page) wrote each column as a TOP+BOTTOM token, clear words in brackets and signs by name: 1,039 pairs on page 1, 790 on page 2.
- Page 2’s pairs, split at every sign and clear word, went to a simulated-annealing solver scoring Dutch quadgrams from the shared corpus, with a one-to-one key (swap moves). A many-to-one first run collapsed onto e and n and was discarded. The one-to-one run gave hetrassemblementtezamentehouden and officieren at once.
- The same square applied unchanged to page 1 gave French text; four values were adjusted from it (54 = q, 14 = x, 13 = y, 12 = z in French).
06 Word signs and what remains uncertain
Each sign was listed with the decrypted text around it.
| Sign | n | Value | Grade | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| circle with a dot | 27 | de | H | d’aller de nouveau; au service de S.M.B.; op de volgende wijze; bepaalde dagen |
| γ | 5 | zich | M | degene die zich vrijwillig … |
| c-shaped sign | 5 | te | M | de keus te maken; in cijffer te vinde[n] |
| G | 7 | ik | M | ik wist wat in bovenstaande |
| bar-H | zoo | M | “[zoo] het moogelyk ys”; value from R2242 p. 1 | |
| > | als | M | “[ik] [als]dan”; R2242 | |
| Λ | dat | M | “op de volgende wyze [dat] alle heeren officieren”; R2242 four times | |
| parallelogram, box | brief, lettre | H, M | “myn eerste [brief]”; the French page’s “[lettre] du … en date du … décembre” | |
| 8 | zijn | I | “noch hier te [zijn]”; one context does not fit | |
| P | 3 | voor | M | “alle de [voor]stellingen die zijn … gedaan”, “my zeeker niet [voor]gesteld hebben”; the third occurrence does not decide (3 Oct 2026) |
| f | aan | M | “niet [aan]geboden hebben”, “[aan]geeven”, “myn [aan]yomst” | |
| ⊣H | 9 | an auxiliary before willen? | I | three times directly before willen |
| hook | 7 | a conjunction (dat?) | I | usually just before G |
- About twenty signs are not identified: ⊣H (nine times), the hook (seven), slash (five), cf and Y-cross (four each), S and Y (three), ψ and 7 (two) and singletons. The recurring ones are still workable from context, since none has yet found a sentence that forces one word; the singletons have no key material (no key sheet, not in print, not in R2242). All were retried on 3 October. R2242’s values were tried at every occurrence on 2 October 2026: Frankrijk (φ), moeten (S), zee (Y-cross), weinig (x), mogelyk (cross) and zonder (check) fit no context here and were ruled out.
- Measured on 3 October 2026 with R2242’s stricter script: 1,860 of 1,954 tokens read as sense (95.2%), page 1 1,044 of 1,054 (99.1%), page 2 816 of 900 (90.7%); 1,889 given a value (96.7%). The measure changed from the one used on 2 October (1,757, 90.1%), and the change should be stated. A value inferred from one context where another word would fit now counts as unread. The writer’s y is scored as ij in Dutch. A word also passes when it is attested in period Dutch (the project corpus and Colenbrander’s Gedenkstukken). The French closing lines of page 2 are scored in French. Applied to the readings of 2 October, the new measure gives 93.2% (21 September’s: 91.8%). The rest of the rise is the work of 3 October: the six lines re-read on the images, the slips emended and P = voor. Letter-shuffled controls pass 8.7% (page 1) and 12.0% (page 2) of tokens. The margin over 95% is eleven tokens, and the Dutch postscript on its own is under it. Under the project’s rule of 5 October 2026 (95% or more read as sense is a full reading, open code signs notwithstanding) the letter was classed as read. The reading audit of 22 October 2026 asks that each document build sentences: the French page does, the Dutch postscript does not, so the extent is partial, and the figures above are no longer reading figures.
- Re-read on the full-resolution images (3 October): page 1 “chez le[s] ministres” (two pairs misread before), “touchant la [f]aire” (last pair doubtful), “de donner” (a 2 with no top digit), “question”; page 2 “[voor]stellingen die” (the transcriber had merged two pairs), “de reis derwaards te onderne[men]”. Eleven one-digit slips of the writer emended, each in a word that admits no other reading (grade M): les, déclara, soumettre, à leur être, question, circonstances, indien, onderne[men].
- The close, transcribed again at full resolution, is secure (H): 43 25 22 32 24 52 65 52 65 = à mon frère, and the group before “me marque” is le prince.
- Page 2 opens “[?Aan] den generaal Bertincy”, probably General Bentinck (C).
- Re-reading of 23 October 2026. WAINUT’s proposed sign splits were checked on the image. The sign labelled H here is two shapes: a long-dash H (ll. 4, 5, 7, 8) and an I-beam (ll. 4, 15, 20, 21), which is l. 9’s zoo; l. 13 reads myn vader. Adopted in the reading where they hold at every occurrence: I-beam = zo, G = UE, flat hook = dat, c-symbol = zal, looped stem = uit (UE, dat and zal on sense only, flagged). Not adopted: crossed Y = ik (fails at l. 15), γ = zulks (fails at l. 10), cf = zyn. The key table and
apply.pyare unchanged; the values live in the reading. Still open: the long-dash H (4), S (3), Y (3), 7 (2), the bar and the slash at l. 6, and eleven signs seen once. - Measured by words on the word-divided reading (24 October 2026), with doubtful and supplied words as holes, page 1 reads at 89.6%: its sentences hold, but under the 95% a complete reading needs. The token measure above (99.1%) counts values, not words read.
- Page 2 line 24 is too faded to align its two digit rows and is decrypted only in fragments; page 1’s first line likewise.
- The writer is identified from the Gedenkstukken (section 04), not stated in the letter; the addressee is not named.
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.
R1892 page 1 (French) read in part
Prince Frederick of Orange, in England, c. late November - early December 1795, to an officer of the Dutch émigré troops (the 'rassemblement') in British pay: his father is sending Nagell back to the ministers to press for an answer, and if General Dundas declares that the pay will stop or the troops must embark, the recipient is to accept and only try to obtain a gratification for those who will not submit.
Builds coherent sentences, but under the read bar of 95% of words read as sense (90% here); the holes are marked in the reading.
Transcription
# R1892 I9358 P1 transcription. NOTE: rot_IMG_R1892_I9358_P1.jpg is upside down; transcribed from it rotated 180 deg. # Tokens TOP+BOTTOM. ? = uncertain, ?? = illegible. <box> = parallelogram sign, <dash> = stroke-with-dot sign, <bar> = vertical bar, <theta> = circle with dot. L01: 65 51 52 55 11 65 32 51 22 41 32 55 11 22 31 43 ??2 44 15 43 <box> 31 42 <dash> 65 32 31 43 11 65 31 42 <bar> 31 65 51 65? 25 35 L02: 25 22 32 45 65 52 65 51 34 43 52 41 43 32 11 32 43 41 65 15 31 43 15 15 65 52 <theta> 32 22 42 33 65 43 42 14 51 34 65 12? 15? 65 64>44 25 55 32 55 44 11 52 65 44 L03: 45 22 42 52 55 32 44 55 44 11 65 52 44 42 52 42 32 65 52 65 45 22 32 44 65 54 42 65 15 54 42 22 32 54 42 65 43 42 14 31 55 24 24 65 52 65 32 11 44 L04: 52 65 45 52 65 44 65 32 11 43 11 55 22 32 44 54 42 55 15 65 42 52 44 22 32 11 65 11 65 24 43 55 11 65 44 11 22 42? 51 34 43 32 11 15 43 22? L05: 24 43 55 52 65 31 42 52 43 44 44 65 25 35 15 65 25 65 32 11 55 22 44 65 25 65 24 15 43 11 11 65 54 42 65 32 24 55 32 54 44 65 32 L06: 24 55 32 55 15 65 32 33 55 65 32 51 52 43 42 32 65 25 43 55 44 51 22 25 25 65 55 15 45 22 42 52 22 55 11 43 52 52 55 33 65 52 L07: 65 32 11 52 65 11 65 25 45 44 54 42 65 15 65 41 65 32 65 52 43 15 33 42 32 31 43 44 33 22 42 44 <struck> <struck> <struck> <struck> <struck> <struck> 31 65 51 15 43 62>52 43? L08: 54 42 55 15 51 65 44 44 65 52 22 55 11 15 65 45 43 13 65 25 65 32 11 22 42 35 55 65 32 54 42 65 15 65 44 11 52 22 42 45 65 44 L09: 31 65 33 52 22 55 65 32 11 44 65 15 43 55 44 44 65 52 65 25 35 43 52 54 42 65 52 55 15 24 43 42 31 52 22 55 11 13 44 22 42 44 L10: 51 52 55 52 65 65 11 33 22 42 44 35 22 52 32 65 52 42 32 55 54 42 65 25 65 32 11 43 11 43 51 34 65 52 31 22 35 11 65 32 55 52 L11: <theta> 45 22 42 33? 22 55 52 31 22 32 32 65 52 42 32 65 41 52 43 11 55 24 55 51 43 11 55 22 32 43 51 65 42 14 54 42 55 32 65 33 22 42 L12: 31 52 22 55 65 32 11 44 65 44 22 42 23>25 65 11 11 52 65 31 43 32 44 51 65 51 43 44 54 42 65 33 22 42 44 42 44 44 55 65 12? ?1 L13: 22 35 15 55 41 65 12 43 51 65 51 55 55 65 33 22 42 44 45 52 55 65 51 65 45 65 32 31 43 32 11 <theta> 31 22 32 (top digit of this 32 not written) 32 65 52 L14: 51 22 32 32 43 55 44 44 43 32 51 65 43 42 11 52 22 42 45 65 44 31 42 45 55 65 31 44 42 52 15 65 54? 42 65? 15 65 15 15 65 L15: 65 32 11 52 65 52 22 32 11 43 42 44 65 52 33 55 51 65 <theta> 44? 25 35 65 11 33 22 42 44 45 22 42 52 52 65 12 L16: 15 65 42 52 31 22 32 32 65 52 43 51 65 11 65 24 24 65 11 42 32 65 45 55 65 51 65 43 45 65 42 45 52? 65 44 44 65 25 L17: 35 15 43 35 15 65 43 51 65 15 15 65 54 42 55 65 11 22 55 11 31 65 44 11 55 32 65 65 43 15 64>65 42 52 65 15>11 52 65 31 22 32 32 65 L18: 31 43 32 44 15 65 45 52 65 25 55 65 52 33 22 25 65 32 11 22 42 55 15 65 11 22 55 11 54 42 65 44 51>11 55 22 32 <theta> 15 65 42 52 44 L19: 65 35 35 43 52 54 42 65 25 65 32 11 33 22 42 44 45 22 42 52 65 12 11 52 22 42 33 65 52 51 65 11 11 65 45 55 65 51 65 L20: 45 43 52 25 55? 44 23 65 44 45 43 45 55 65 52 44 65 11 33 22 42 44 45 22? 42 52 65 12 15 24? 43 55 52 65 15 65 44 L21: 51 34 43 32 41 65 25 65 32 11 44 54 42 65 33 22 42 44 55 42 41 65 52 65 12 51 22 32 33 65 32 43 35 15 65 33? 42 L22: 15 65 44 51 55 52 52>51 32>22 32 44 11 43 32 51 65 44 45 52 65 44 65 32 11 65 43 13 65 12 15 43 35 22 32 11 65 <theta> 32 65 L23: 45 22 55 32 11 25 65 11 11 52 65 44 42 52 15 65 51 22 25 45 11 65 45 22 42 52 15 <H> 15 43 31 65 45 65 32 51 65 44 L24: 45 22 42 52 25 22 32 15 22 41 65 25 65 32 11 32 65 33 32 42 15 43 32 11 45 43 44 42? ?? <struck> <struck> <struck> 65 11 52 65 31 43 32 44 L25: 15 65 51 43 44 31 43 33 22 55 52 15 43 25 22 55 32 31 52 65 22 35 15 55 41 43 11 55 22 32 L26: 25 43 55 44 <theta> 15 65 45 43 13 65 32 <theta> 15 43 52 41 65 32 11 54 42 65 33 22 42 44 43 33 65 12 43 25 22 55 43 45 45 43 52 ?1 65 32 43 32 11
Decryption
# R1892 I9358 P1 transcription. NOTE: rot_IMG_R1892_I9358_P1.jpg is upside down; transcribed from it rotated 180 deg. # Tokens TOP+BOTTOM. ? = uncertain, ?? = illegible. <box> = parallelogram sign, <dash> = stroke-with-dot sign, <bar> = vertical bar, <theta> = circle with dot. L01: ecritencognitoda ??2 sla [lettre] du <dash> endatedu <bar> decemb L02: monperechargantnageldaller [de] nouveauxchezlesministres L03: pourinsistersurunereponsequelquonqueauxdifferents L04: representationsquileursontetefaitestouchantlao L05: fairedurassemblementiosemeflattequenfinqsen L06: finilenviencraunemaiscommeilpouroitarriver L07: entretempsquelegeneralvundasvous <struck> <struck> <struck> <struck> <struck> <struck> declara L08: quilcesseroitlepayementoubienquelestroupes L09: devroientselaisserembarquerilfaudroitysous L10: crireetvousborneruniquementatacherdobtenir L11: [de] pouvoirdonnerunegratificationaceuxquinevou L12: droientsesoumettredanscecasquevousussiez(?1) L13: obligezaceciievouspriecependant [de] don (top digit of this 32 not written) ner L14: connaissanceautroupesdupiedsurlequelelle L15: entrerontauservice [de] smbetvouspourrez L16: leurdonneraceteffetunepieceapeupressem L17: blableacellequietoitdestineealeuretredonne L18: danslepremiervomentouiletoitquestion [de] leurs L19: ebbarquementvouspoureztrouvercettepiece L20: parmiskespapiersetvouspourezlfaireles L21: changementsquevousiugerezconvenablevu L22: lescirconstancespresenteayezlabonte [de] ne L23: pointmettresurlecomptepourl <H> ladepences L24: pourmonlogementnevnulantpasu ?? <struck> <struck> <struck> etredans L25: lecasdavoirlamoindreobligation L26: mais [de] lepayen [de] largentquevousavezamoiappar(?1)enant
Reading
# R1892 page 1: Prince Frederick of Orange to an officer of the Dutch émigré troops (late Nov - early Dec 1795), reading
Written 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5, verification 4) from `../decrypt_p1.txt` (the 6x6 digit square, ciphertext-only,
applied by `../apply.py` to `../transcription_p1.txt` in its 3 Oct 2026 state, with the eleven one-digit slip emendations
listed in NOTES, Third pass). Word division, accents and punctuation are mine; the cipher has none. Spelling as the
pairs give it: the writer's slips that remain are kept (*viencra*, *vomen*, *ebbarquement*, *skes*, *ussiez*,
*nevnulant*, *payen*) and marked `[?word]` where the letters do not carry the word. Word signs: `[de]` and the
parallelogram *lettre* are adopted values (NOTES); the dash, the bar and the H have no value.
Marks: `[…]` unread sign or illegible pair, `[?word]` partly carried, `[x]` a letter supplied.
## Reading
Écrit en cognito da[…]s la lettre du […] en date du […] décemb[re].
Mon père chargeant Nagel d'aller de nouveau[x] chez les ministres pour insister sur une réponse quelconque aux
différents représentations qui leur ont été faites touchant la [?f]aire du rassemblement, j'ose me flatte[r]
qu'enfin [?qu'il] s'en fini[…] il en vien[?d]ra une. Mais comme il pouroit arriver entretemps que le général Vundas
vous […] déclara qu'il cesseroit le payement ou bien que les troupes devroient se laisser embarquer, il faudroit y
souscrire et vous borner uniquement à tâcher d'obtenir de pouvoir donner une gratification à ceux qui ne voudroient
se soumettre, dans ce cas que vous [?eussiez] […] obligez à ceci. Je vous prie cependant de donner connaissance au
troupes du pied sur lequel elle[s] entreront au service de S.M.B., et vous pourrez leur donner à cet effet une pièce à
peu près semblable à celle qui étoit destinée à leur être donnée dans le premier [?moment] où il étoit question de
leurs [?embarquement]. Vous pourez trouver cette pièce parmi [?mes] papiers, et vous pourez l[e] faire les
changements que vous jugerez convenable vu les circonstances présente[s]. Ayez la bonté de ne point mettre sur le
compte pour l […] la dépences pour mon logement, ne [?voulant] pas […] être dans le cas d'avoir la moindre
obligation, mais de le paye[?r] de l'argent que vous avez à moi appar[?t]enant.
## Notes
- L01 is the copyist's heading ("written in cipher in the letter of … dated … December"); the dash and bar signs
there stand for a name and a day and have no value.
- L07: six struck signs after *vous* (the writer's deletion), left as one `[…]`.
- L23: *pour l [H] la dépences*: H is the sign NOTES gives as possibly *Angleterre* (0.3-0.6, not adopted).
- L24: one illegible pair and three struck signs after *pas u*.Translation
# R1892 page 1: English Translation of `p1_reading.md` (23 Oct 2026), same holes. ## Translation Written in cipher in the letter of […] dated […] December. My father is charging Nagel to go again to the ministers to insist on some answer to the various representations made to them concerning the matter of the rassemblement; I venture to flatter myself that at last, [if it] is ended, one will come. But as it might happen in the meantime that General Dundas declares to you […] that he will stop the pay, or else that the troops must let themselves be embarked, you would have to subscribe to it and limit yourself solely to trying to obtain leave to give a gratification to those who would not submit, in case you were […] obliged to this. I ask you, however, to make known to the troops on what footing they will enter the service of His Britannic Majesty, and for that purpose you may give them a paper roughly like the one that was meant to be given to them at the first [moment] when there was question of their embarkation. You can find this paper among [my] papers, and you can make in it the changes you judge fitting in present circumstances. Be so good as not to put on the account for […] the expense of my lodging, [not wishing] […] to be under the least obligation, but to pay it from the money of mine that you hold.
R1892 page 2 (Dutch postscript): reading adopted here, and the WAINUT proposals decoded, not read
The Dutch postscript, 'in het hollandsch met cijffer': if the troops stay together the rassemblement is to be kept together, volunteers and officers named and employed, and officers who will not serve given a set number of days to choose; the writer has had no answer for weeks to his first letter. wainut/decrypt_p2_wainut.txt applies WAINUT's proposed sign splits and values (12 Oct 2026, not adopted) for comparison.
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
<theta> 32 41 65 32 65 52 43 43 15 35 65 52 11 55 32 51 13
55 32 31 51>55 65 32 21 55 51 34 [wrwog] 55 32 34 65 11 41 65 33 43 15 35 65 33 22 32 31 43 32 31 65 52 65 25 35 31 31 65 15 65 32 11 65 34 65 35 35 65 32
34 65 11 52 43 44 44 65 25 35 15 65 25 65 32 11 11 65 21 43 25 65 32 11 65 34 22 42 31 65 32 31 43 32 <theta> 41 65 32 65 31 55 65 <gamma> 33 52 13 12 55 15 15 55 41
<H> 22 55 15 15 65 32 15 43 43 11 65 32 <lambda> 11 65 15 43 43 11 65 32 55 32 <circle-cross> <hook> <c-symbol> [wrwog in dat geval ook]
<theta> 22 24 24 55 51 65 52 65 32 <S> 65 32 35 65 32 22 65 25 65 32 31 55 65 <7> 34 65 11 21 65 15 33 65 <H> 12 55 15 15 65 32 43 43 32 41 65 44 11 65 15 31
<slash> 65 32 <delta> <theta> 21 65 15 33 65 <gamma> 22 45 <theta> 33 22 15 41 65 32 <theta> 12? 13 21 65 <lambda> 43 15 15 65 34 65 65 52 65 32 22 24 24 55 51 55 65 52 65 32 <c-symbol>
[wrwog] 23 42 32 35 65 32 <lambda> 12 65 65 11 65 32 <cross> <theta> 41 65 65 32 65 31 55 65 34 55 65 52 <gamma> <H> 12 55 15 15 65 32 41 65 65 25 45 15 22 13
65 65 52 <bar> <slash> <f> 21 55 41 <H> <S> 65 32 <f> 41 65 65 33 65 32 11 65 41 65 32 <x> 35 65 45 43 43 15 <theta> 31 43 41 65 32 <hook> <G> <gt> 31 43 32
<phi> <theta> 21 65 15 33 65 <theta> 23 65 42 44 <c-symbol> 25 43 43 23 65? 32? 55? 32? <8> 32 65 65 25 65 32 <theta> <bar-H> 34 65 11 25 22 22 41 65 15 13 23 53? 44
43 15 15 65 65 32 <gamma> 65 11 65 <8> 31 55 65 34 42 32 55 32 <Y> 21 65 31 65 52 11 34 65 11 55 32 11 25 65 23 23 65 32 31 65 52 24 52 43 32 44 51 34 65
32 55 65 11 <f> 41 65 35 22 22 31 65 32 34 65 35 35 65 32 55 32 31 55 65 32 21 55 41 34 22 22 42 31 22 24 24 55 51 55 65 52 65 32 41 65 32 22 65 41 <slash>
35 55 65 <theta> 32 <c-symbol> <G> <7> 55 65 31 65 52 [1000] 25 43 32 <3> 23 42 32 32 65 32 45 15 43 43 11 44 65 32 [al het gene]
12 43 11? <G> 55 32 <A> 51 13 24 24 65 52 <c-symbol> [vinde..] 44 51 34 52 13 24 <Y> <phi> 32 43 43 25 <check> 25 13 32 32 43 31 65 52
[dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft] 22 32 44 11 22 11 32 22 41 11 22 65 32 55 65 11 11 65 65 41 65 32 44 11 43 43 32 <theta>
43 15 15 65 <theta> <P> 44 11 65 15 15 55 32 41 65 32 31 55 65 <8> <psi> 41 65 31 43 43 32 <cf> <Y-cross> 43 32 11 12 22 22 52 31 11 65 [laten] <H>
[ij het my voorgekomen] <slash> <Y>? [te?] <cf> <hook> <G> 12 55 44 11 12 43 11 55 32 [boovenstaande]
[geval tedoen heeden is het] 52? 65 65 31 44 <S> 12 65 65 23 65 32 <hook> <Y-cross> <G> 25 13 32 65 65 52 44 11 65 <parallelogram>
<Z> 25 13 32 <f> 13 22 25 44 11 [in] <I> [geschreeven heb] 11 22 65 32 21 22 42 <theta> <Y-cross> 25 13? [zeeker] 32 55 65 11 <P>
41 65 44 11 65 15 31 [hebben tegenwoordig] 32 22 41 34 55 65 52 11 65 <8> 65 32 <cf> <perp> 22 45 43 32 11 12 22 22 52 31 11 65
12 43 41 11 65 32 [indien het my] 22 22 23 <cross> [gewenst?] 2? 63? 44 <P> <psi> 11 65 <9> <hook> <gamma> <H> 42 <theta>
41 65 35 65 42 52 65 32 <H> 23 42 32 <G> 12 65 15 33 65 52 21 65 65 23 65 52 11 <cf> <hook> 25 13 32 55 65 11 44 <H> 42 <theta> [hebben]
[kunnen] 65 32 41 43 41 65 65 52 65 32 <theta> 52 65 55 44 31 65 52 12 43 43 52 31 44 11 65 22 32 31 65 54>52 34>32 65 65 [ma..] <hook> <Y-cross> <gt>
[dan noch] 33 65 65 15 15 55 65 33 65 52 [te Nam..nburg] 41 65 35 15 65 65 33 65 32 12 43 44 65 32 <theta> 22 32 [aangaan]
[heeden waar] <slash> <G> <8-cross> 31 65 52 11 25 33? 32? 6? 55? 12? 51? 62? 25? 33? 15? 25? 22? 32? 41 65 44 11 65 15 31 55 44 41 65 12 61? 65 44 11?
34 43 31 12 55 15 15 65 32 25 65 31 65 31 65 65 15 65 32
{fr-1750-nospace} 15 65 45 52 55 32 51 65 [me marque en outre vous aurez la bonté de communiquer]
{fr-1750-nospace} [le contenu de ce chiffre] 43 25 22 32 24 52 65 52 65Transcription
<theta> 32 41 65 32 65 52 43 43 15 35 65 52 11 55 32 51 13
55 32 31 51>55 65 32 21 55 51 34 [wrwog] 55 32 34 65 11 41 65 33 43 15 35 65 33 22 32 31 43 32 31 65 52 65 25 35 31 31 65 15 65 32 11 65 34 65 35 35 65 32
34 65 11 52 43 44 44 65 25 35 15 65 25 65 32 11 11 65 21 43 25 65 32 11 65 34 22 42 31 65 32 31 43 32 <theta> 41 65 32 65 31 55 65 <gamma> 33 52 13 12 55 15 15 55 41
<H> 22 55 15 15 65 32 15 43 43 11 65 32 <lambda> 11 65 15 43 43 11 65 32 55 32 <circle-cross> <zo-I> <c~> [wrwog in dat geval ook]
<theta> 22 24 24 55 51 65 52 65 32 <S> 65 32 35 65 32 22 65 25 65 32 31 55 65 <7> 34 65 11 21 65 15 33 65 <H> 12 55 15 15 65 32 43 43 32 41 65 44 11 65 15 31
<slash> 65 32 <Delta> <theta> 21 65 15 33 65 <gamma-z> 22 45 <theta> 33 22 15 41 65 32 <theta> 12? 13 21 65 <lambda> 43 15 15 65 34 65 65 52 65 32 22 24 24 55 51 55 65 52 65 32 <c~>
[wrwog] 23 42 32 35 65 32 <lambda> 12 65 65 11 65 32 <r-sign> <theta> 41 65 65 32 65 31 55 65 34 55 65 52 <Yplain> <H> 12 55 15 15 65 32 41 65 65 25 45 15 22 13
65 65 52 <bar> <slash> <f> 21 55 41 <H> <S> 65 32 <f> 41 65 65 33 65 32 11 65 41 65 32 <x> 35 65 45 43 43 15 <theta> 31 43 41 65 32 <r-sign> <C-loop> <gt> 31 43 32
<phi-stem> <theta> 21 65 15 33 65 <theta> 23 65 42 44 <c~> 25 43 43 23 65? 32? 55? 32? <8> 32 65 65 25 65 32 <theta> <bar-H> 34 65 11 25 22 22 41 65 15 13 23 53? 44
43 15 15 65 65 32 <gamma-z> 65 11 65 <8> 31 55 65 34 42 32 55 32 <Y> 21 65 31 65 52 11 34 65 11 55 32 11 25 65 23 23 65 32 31 65 52 24 52 43 32 44 51 34 65
32 55 65 11 <f> 41 65 35 22 22 31 65 32 34 65 35 35 65 32 55 32 31 55 65 32 21 55 41 34 22 22 42 31 22 24 24 55 51 55 65 52 65 32 41 65 32 22 65 41 <dot-stroke>
35 55 65 <theta> 32 <c~> <C-loop> <7> 55 65 31 65 52 [1000] 25 43 32 <3> 23 42 32 32 65 32 45 15 43 43 11 44 65 32 [al het gene]
12 43 11? <C-loop> 55 32 <A> 51 13 24 24 65 52 <c~> [vinde..] 44 51 34 52 13 24 <Y-bar> <phi-stem> 32 43 43 25 <leaf-check> 25 13 32 32 43 31 65 52
[dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft] 22 32 44 11 22 11 32 22 41 11 22 65 32 55 65 11 11 65 65 41 65 32 44 11 43 43 32 <theta>
43 15 15 65 <theta> <P> 44 11 65 15 15 55 32 41 65 32 31 55 65 <inf> <Psi> 41 65 31 43 43 32 <e-ess> <Y-cross> 43 32 11 12 22 22 52 31 11 65 [laten] <zo-I>
[ij het my voorgekomen] <dot-stroke> <Y>? [te?] <e-ess> <r-sign> <C-loop> 12 55 44 11 12 43 11 55 32 [boovenstaande]
[geval tedoen heeden is het] 52? 65 65 31 44 <S> 12 65 65 23 65 32 <r-sign> <Y-bar> <C-loop> 25 13 32 65 65 52 44 11 65 <parallelogram>
<Z> 25 13 32 <f> 13 22 25 44 11 [in] <I-sign> [geschreeven heb] 11 22 65 32 21 22 42 <theta> <Y-bar> 25 13? [zeeker] 32 55 65 11 <P>
41 65 44 11 65 15 31 [hebben tegenwoordig] 32 22 41 34 55 65 52 11 65 <8> 65 32 <e-ess> <perp> 22 45 43 32 11 12 22 22 52 31 11 65
12 43 41 11 65 32 [indien het my] 22 22 23 <cross-m> [gewenst?] 2? 63? 44 <P> <phi-stem> 11 65 <9> <r-sign> <gamma-z> <zo-I> 42 <theta>
41 65 35 65 42 52 65 32 <zo-I> 23 42 32 <C-loop> 12 65 15 33 65 52 21 65 65 23 65 52 11 <e-ess> <r-sign> 25 13 32 55 65 11 44 <zo-I> 42 <theta> [hebben]
[kunnen] 65 32 41 43 41 65 65 52 65 32 <theta> 52 65 55 44 31 65 52 12 43 43 52 31 44 11 65 22 32 31 65 54>52 34>32 65 65 [ma..] <r-sign> <Y-bar> <gt>
[dan noch] 33 65 65 15 15 55 65 33 65 52 [te Nam..nburg] 41 65 35 15 65 65 33 65 32 12 43 44 65 32 <theta> 22 32 [aangaan]
[heeden waar] <dot-stroke> <C-loop> <8-cross> 31 65 52 11 25 33? 32? 6? 55? 12? 51? 62? 25? 33? 15? 25? 22? 32? 41 65 44 11 65 15 31 55 44 41 65 12 61? 65 44 11?
34 43 31 12 55 15 15 65 32 25 65 31 65 31 65 65 15 65 32
{fr-1750-nospace} 15 65 45 52 55 32 51 65 [me marque en outre vous aurez la bonté de communiquer]
{fr-1750-nospace} [le contenu de ce chiffre] 43 25 22 32 24 52 65 52 65Transcription
transcription_p2_wainut_tr.txt
<theta> 32 41 65 32 65 52 43 43 15 35 65 52 11 55 32 51 13
55 32 31 51>55 65 32 21 55 51 34 [wrwog] 55 32 34 65 11 41 65 33 43 15 35 65 33 22 32 31 43 32 31 65 52 65 25 35 31 31 65 15 65 32 11 65 34 65 35 35 65 32
34 65 11 52 43 44 44 65 25 35 15 65 25 65 32 11 11 65 21 43 25 65 32 11 65 34 22 42 31 65 32 31 43 32 <theta> 41 65 32 65 31 55 65 <gamma> 33 52 13 12 55 15 15 55 41
<H> 22 55 15 15 65 32 15 43 43 11 65 32 <lambda> 11 65 15 43 43 11 65 32 55 32 <circle-cross> <zo-I> <c~> [wrwog in dat geval ook]
<theta> 22 24 24 55 51 65 52 65 32 <S> 65 32 35 65 32 22 65 25 65 32 31 55 65 <7> 34 65 11 21 65 15 33 65 <H> 12 55 15 15 65 32 43 43 32 41 65 44 11 65 15 31
<slash> 65 32 <Delta> <theta> 21 65 15 33 65 <gamma-z> 22 45 <theta> 33 22 15 41 65 32 <theta> 12? 13 21 65 <lambda> 43 15 15 65 34 65 65 52 65 32 22 24 24 55 51 55 65 52 65 32 <c~>
[wrwog] 23 42 32 35 65 32 <lambda> 12 65 65 11 65 32 <r-sign> <theta> 41 65 65 32 65 31 55 65 34 55 65 52 <Yplain> <H> 12 55 15 15 65 32 41 65 65 25 45 15 22 13
65 65 52 <bar> <slash> <f> 21 55 41 <H> <S> 65 32 <f> 41 65 65 33 65 32 11 65 41 65 32 <x> 35 65 45 43 43 15 <theta> 31 43 41 65 32 <r-sign> <C-loop> <gt> 31 43 32
<phi-stem> <theta> 21 65 15 33 65 <theta> 23 65 42 44 <c~> 25 43 43 23 65? 32? 55? 32? <8> 32 65 65 25 65 32 <theta> <bar-H> 34 65 11 25 22 22 41 65 15 13 23 53? 44
43 15 15 65 65 32 <gamma-z> 65 11 65 <8> 31 55 65 34 42 32 55 32 <Y> 21 65 31 65 52 11 34 65 11 55 32 11 25 65 23 23 65 32 31 65 52 24 52 43 32 44 51 34 65
32 55 65 11 <f> 41 65 35 22 22 31 65 32 34 65 35 35 65 32 55 32 31 55 65 32 21 55 41 34 22 22 42 31 22 24 24 55 51 55 65 52 65 32 41 65 32 22 65 41 <dot-stroke>
35 55 65 <theta> 32 <c~> <C-loop> <7> 55 65 31 65 52 [1000] 25 43 32 <3> 23 42 32 32 65 32 45 15 43 43 11 44 65 32 [al het gene]
12 43 11? <C-loop> 55 32 <A> 51 13 24 24 65 52 <c~> [vinde..] 44 51 34 52 13 24 <Y-bar> <phi-stem> 32 43 43 25 <leaf-check> 25 13 32 33 43 31 65 52
[dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft] 22 32 44 11 22 11 32 22 41 11 22 65 32 55 65 11 11 65 65 41 65 32 44 11 43 43 32 <theta>
43 15 15 65 <theta> <P> 44 11 65 15 15 55 32 41 65 32 31 55 65 <inf> <Psi> 41 65 31 43 43 32 <e-ess> <Y-cross> 43 32 11 12 22 22 52 31 11 65 [laten] <zo-I>
[ij het my voorgekomen] <dot-stroke> <Y>? [te?] <e-ess> <r-sign> <C-loop> 12 55 44 11 12 43 11 55 32 [boovenstaande]
[geval tedoen heeden is het] 52? 65 65 31 44 <S> 12 65 65 23 65 32 <r-sign> <Y-bar> <C-loop> 25 13 32 65 65 52 44 11 65 <parallelogram>
<Z> 25 13 32 <f> 13 22 25 44 11 [in] <I-sign> [geschreeven heb] 11 22 65 32 21 22 42 <theta> <Y-bar> 25 13? [zeeker] 32 55 65 11 <P>
41 65 44 11 65 15 31 [hebben tegenwoordig] 32 22 41 34 55 65 52 11 65 <8> 65 32 <e-ess> <perp> 22 45 43 32 11 12 22 22 52 31 11 65
12 43 41 11 65 32 [indien het my] 22 22 23 <cross-m> [gewenst?] 52 43 44 <P> <phi-stem> 11 65 <9> <r-sign> <gamma-z> <zo-I> 42 <theta>
41 65 35 65 42 52 65 32 <zo-I> 23 42 32 <C-loop> 12 65 15 33 65 52 21 65 65 23 65 52 11 <e-ess> <r-sign> 25 13 32 55 65 11 44 <zo-I> 42 <theta> [hebben]
[kunnen] 65 32 41 43 41 65 65 52 65 32 <theta> 52 65 55 44 31 65 52 12 43 43 52 31 44 11 65 22 32 31 65 54>52 34>32 65 65 [ma..] <r-sign> <Y-bar> <gt>
[dan noch] 33 65 65 15 15 55 65 33 65 52 [te Nam..nburg] 41 65 35 15 65 65 33 65 32 12 43 44 65 32 <theta> 22 32 [aangaan]
[heeden waar] <dot-stroke> <C-loop> <8-cross> 31 65 52 11 25 13 32 33 65 52 11 52 65 23 35 15 22 22 31 41 65 44 11 65 15 31 55 44 41 65 12 65 65 44 11
34 43 31 12 55 15 15 65 32 25 65 31 65 31 65 65 15 65 32
{fr-1750-nospace} 15 65 45 52 55 32 51 65 [me marque en outre vous aurez la bonté de communiquer]
{fr-1750-nospace} [le contenu de ce chiffre] 43 25 22 32 24 52 65 52 65Decryption
[de] ngeneraalbertincy
indienzich [wrwog] inhetgevalbevondanderembddelentehebben
hetrassemblementtezamentehoudendan [de] genedie [zich] vrywillig
<H> oillenlaaten [dat] telaatenin <circle-cross> <hook> [te] [wrwog in dat geval ook]
[de] officeren <S> enbenoemendie <7> hetzelve <H> willenaangesteld
<slash> en <delta> [de] zelve [zich] op [de] volgen [de] wyze [dat] alleheerenofficieren [te]
[wrwog] kunben [dat] weeten <cross> [de] geenediehier [zich] <H> willengeemploy
eer <bar> <slash> [aan] zig <H> <S> en [aan] geeventegen <x> bepaal [de] dagen <hook> [ik] [als] dan
<phi> [de] zelve [de] keus [te] maakenin [zijn] neemen [de] [zoo] hetmoogelykys
alleen [zich] ete [zijn] diehunin <Y> zederthetintmekkenderfransche
niet [aan] geboodenhebbenindienzighooudofficierengenoeg <slash>
bie [de] n [te] [ik] <7> ieder [1000] man <3> kunnenplaatsen [al het gene]
wat [ik] in <A> cyffer [te] [vinde..] schryf <Y> <phi> naam <check> mynnader
[dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft] onstotnogtoenietteegenstaan [de]
alle [de] [voor] stellingendie [zijn] <psi> gedaan <cf> <Y-cross> antwoordte [laten] <H>
[ij het my voorgekomen] <slash> <Y> ? [te?] <cf> <hook> [ik] wistwatin [boovenstaande]
[geval tedoen heeden is het] reeds <S> weeken <hook> <Y-cross> [ik] myneerste [brief]
<Z> myn [aan] yomst [in] <I> [geschreeven heb] toenzou [de] <Y-cross> my [zeeker] niet [voor]
gesteld [hebben tegenwoordig] noghierte [zijn] en <cf> [om] opantwoordte
wagten [indien het my] ook <cross> [gewenst?] 2? (63)s [voor] <psi> te <9> <hook> [zich] <H> u [de]
gebeuren <H> kun [ik] welverzeekert <cf> <hook> myniets <H> u [de] [hebben]
[kunnen] engageeren [de] reisderwaardsteondernee [ma..] <hook> <Y-cross> [als]
[dan noch] veelliever [te Nam..nburg] gebleevenwasen [de] on [aangaan]
[heeden waar] <slash> [ik] <8-cross> dertmvn 6? iwc(62)mvlmongesteldisgew(61)est
hadwillenmededeelen
{fr-1750-nospace} leprince [me marque en outre vous aurez la bonté de communiquer]
{fr-1750-nospace} [le contenu de ce chiffre] amonfrereDecryption
# R1892 p2 decryption with the WAINUT proposals (12 Oct 2026; not adopted), written 22 Oct 2026 by running
# wainut/apply.py (= ../apply.py plus the WAINUT values, NOTES "Additions from an independent reading") on
# wainut/transcription_p2_wainut_tr.txt. Compare with ../decrypt_p2.txt, the reading adopted here.
[de] ngeneraalbertincy
indienzich [wrwog] inhetgevalbevondanderembddelentehebben
hetrassemblementtezamentehoudendan [de] genedie [zich] vrywillig
<H> oillenlaaten [dat] telaatenin <circle-cross> [zo] [zal] [wrwog in dat geval ook]
[de] officeren <S> enbenoemendie <7> hetzelve <H> willenaangesteld
<slash> en [kan] [de] zelve [zulks] op [de] volgen [de] wyze [dat] alleheerenofficieren [zal]
[wrwog] kunben [dat] weeten [dat] [de] geenediehier <Yplain> <H> willengeemploy
eer <bar> <slash> [aan] zig <H> <S> en [aan] geeventegen <x> bepaal [de] dagen [dat] [UE] [als] dan
[uit] [de] zelve [de] keus [zal] maakenin [zijn] neemen [de] [zoo] hetmoogelykys
alleen [zulks] ete [zijn] diehunin <Y> zederthetintmekkenderfransche
niet [aan] geboodenhebbenindienzighooudofficierengenoeg [aan]
bie [de] n [zal] [UE] <7> ieder [1000] man <3> kunnenplaatsen [al het gene]
wat [UE] in <A> cyffer [zal] [vinde..] schryf [ik] [uit] naam [van] mynvader
[dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft] onstotnogtoenietteegenstaan [de]
alle [de] [voor] stellingendie [daar] [over] gedaan [zyn] <Y-cross> antwoordte [laten] [zo]
[ij het my voorgekomen] [aan] <Y> ? [te?] [zyn] [dat] [UE] wistwatin [boovenstaande]
[geval tedoen heeden is het] reeds <S> weeken [dat] [ik] [UE] myneerste [brief]
<Z> myn [aan] yomst [in] [Engeland] [geschreeven heb] toenzou [de] [ik] my [zeeker] niet [voor]
gesteld [hebben tegenwoordig] noghierte [zijn] en [zyn] [om] opantwoordte
wagten [indien het my] ook [mogelyk] [gewenst?] ras [voor] [uit] te <9> [dat] [zulks] [zo] u [de]
gebeuren [zo] kun [UE] welverzeekert [zyn] [dat] myniets [zo] u [de] [hebben]
[kunnen] engageeren [de] reisderwaardsteondernee [ma..] [dat] [ik] [als]
[dan noch] veelliever [te Nam..nburg] gebleevenwasen [de] on [aangaan]
[heeden waar] [aan] [UE] <8-cross> dertmynvertrekbloodgesteldisgeweest
hadwillenmededeelen
{fr-1750-nospace} leprince [me marque en outre vous aurez la bonté de communiquer]
{fr-1750-nospace} [le contenu de ce chiffre] amonfrereDecryption
# R1892 page 2: the Dutch postscript (Prince Frederick of Orange to General Bentinck, late Nov - early Dec 1795), reading Re-read 23 Oct 2026 (Claude Opus 5.5, REREAD_BRIEF batch b31); log in `p2_reread_log.md`. Rests on the key in `../apply.py` (6x6 digit square, ciphertext-only) applied to `../transcription_p2.txt`, with the word-sign values and digit re-readings of WAINUT's 12 Oct 2026 proposals (NOTES, "Additions from an independent reading") **checked in this pass on the full-resolution image** `img/rot_IMG_R1892_I9359_P2.jpg` and adopted only where the value holds at every occurrence (see the log). The comparison file is `../wainut/decrypt_p2_wainut.txt`. Word division and punctuation are mine; the cipher has none. Spelling as the pairs give it (*kunben*, *ys*, *hooud*, *intmekken* are the writer's or the copy's slips and are kept). Conventions: plain = carried by the pairs, by a word sign whose value is adopted, or by the clear words of the copy; `[?word]` = a word sign whose value is proposed but does not hold everywhere, or letters partly carried; `[…]` = a word sign with no value; `[word]` supplied. **State: decoded, not read (partial reading)**: 0.10 plain, 0.60 explicit holes only; the first half (ll. 2-12) does not build (see the log). ## Reading [?Aan] den generaal Bertincy. Indien zich W. in het geval bevond andere [?middelen] te hebben het rassemblement te zamen te houden, dan de gene die [?zich] vrywillig […] [?willen] laaten, dat te laaten in […]; zo zal W. in dat geval ook de officeren […]en benoemen die […] het zelve […] willen aangesteld […]en. […] dezelve [?zulks] op de volgende wyze: dat alle heeren officieren zal W. kunben dat weeten, dat de geene die hier […] […] willen geemployeer[d] […] […] aan zig […] […]en aan geeven, tegen […] bepaalde dagen, dat UE alsdan uit dezelve de keus zal maaken in zijn neemen, de zoo het moogelyk ys alleen [?zulks]e te zijn die hun in […] zedert het intmekken der fransche niet aangebooden hebben, indien zig hooud officieren genoeg aanbieden. Zal UE […] ieder 1000 man […] kunnen plaatsen? Al het gene wat UE in […] cyffer zal vinde[n], schryf [?ik] uit naam [?van] myn vader. Dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft ons tot nog toe niet, teegenstaande alle de voorstellingen die [?daarover] gedaan [?zyn], […] antwoord te laten, zo ij het my voorgekomen [?aan] […] te [?zyn] dat UE wist wat in boovenstaande geval te doen. Heeden is het reeds […] weeken dat [?ik] UE myn eerste brief […] myn aankomst in [?Engeland] geschreeven heb; toen zoude [?ik] my zeeker niet voorgesteld hebben tegenwoordig nog hier te […] en [?zyn] […] op antwoord te wagten. Indien het my ook [?mogelyk] geweest ras vooruit te […] dat [?zulks] zoude gebeuren, zo kun UE wel verzeekert [?zyn] dat my niets zoude hebben kunnen engageeren de reis derwaards te ondernee[men], dat [?ik] alsdan noch veel liever te Nam..nburg gebleeven was, en de onaang[?enaam]heeden waaraan UE […]dert myn vertrek bloodgesteld is geweest had willen mededeelen. Le prince me marque en outre: vous aurez la bonté de communiquer le contenu de ce chiffre à mon frère. ## Notes - **Heading** (copyist, clear, not in `transcription_p2.txt`): *Het volgende schryft [dot-dash] by missive van dag dato deser uit Hampton Court in het Hollandsch met cyffer*; *uit* is the looped-stem sign (adopted), *Hampton Court* the pairs 34 43 25 45 11 22 32 51 22 42 52 11 (checked on the image by the 12 Oct review). - **Clear words of the copy** (plain in the reading): *wrwog* (= W., abbreviation as written), *in dat geval ook*, *1000*, *al het gene*, *vinde..*, *dewyl na hier de goedheyd heeft*, *laten*, *ij het my voorgekomen*, *boovenstaande*, *geval te doen heeden is het*, *in*, *geschreeven heb*, *zeeker*, *hebben tegenwoordig*, *indien het my*, *geweest*, *hebben*, *kunnen*, *ma..*, *dan noch*, *te Nam..nburg*, *aangaan*, *heeden waar*, and the French close. - Adopted word-sign values (hold at every occurrence; evidence in the log): I-beam = *zo* (= this folder's bar-H *zoo*, l. 9), C-with-loop G = *UE*, flat-legged hook = *dat*, c-symbol = *zal*, looped stem (phi/psi at 9, 13, 20) = *uit*. Digit re-readings adopted: l. 13 *vader* (pair 33, bottom digit 3 checked on the image), l. 20 *geweest* + *ras*, l. 24 *[…]dert myn vertrek bloodgesteld is geweest* (checked 12 Oct). - `[?ik]`: the crossed Y gives *ik* at ll. 13, 17, 18, 22 but not at l. 15 (*gedaan [cf] [Y-cross] antwoord te laten*), so it is not adopted. `[?zulks]` (gamma) fails at l. 10. `[?zyn]` (cf), `[?daarover]`, `[?mogelyk]`, `[?Engeland]`, `[?van]`, `[?aan]` (l. 16) rest on one context each. - Open signs `[…]`: the long-dash H (ll. 4, 5, 7, 8: always before *willen*), S (ll. 5, 8, 17), 7 (ll. 5, 12), Y (ll. 7, 10, 16), bar, slash (l. 6), x, delta, A, 3, 9, Z, the circle-cross, the 8 of l. 19, the sign before *dert*. - Look-alike letters: 0 in the reading (every digit pair read as transcribed; the two adopted digit re-readings were checked on the image, not chosen between look-alikes).
07 Sources
- DECODE, R1892 (images IMG_R1892_I9358_P1, I9359_P2); key records R2240 and R2233.
- Koninklijk Huisarchief, The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv. 339.
- H. T. Colenbrander, Gedenkstukken der algemeene geschiedenis van Nederland van 1795 tot 1840, vol. II (1906), full text at resources.huygens.knaw.nl: nos. 724, 733, 734, pp. 886–894.
- The sibling letter in the same key: Prince Frederick to his brother, 1795 (DECODE R2242).
Transcriptions, decrypts, solver and notes: targets/r1892/ in the repository.
