At a glanceExternal key matched · complete
- The letter
- An unsigned report, very probably by Philippe Groffey, to Ferenc Rákóczi II under his alias Pompeio Cesoni, dated “A Slupce, le 15 Octobre” 1707. DECODE had Rákóczi as the sender; the clear address makes him the recipient.
- Where
- Magyar Nemzeti Levéltár, G15 Caps. C. Fasc. 39, pp. 277–279; DECODE R902, catalogued as not yet deciphered.
- The cipher
- A one-part French nomenclator of groups 10–560: homophones for letters, syllables, common words and names, with fillers at the line ends.
- How it was deciphered
- Every G15 key on DECODE was scored on the letter; R639, headed De Monsieur de Bonac et Graffei, fits and was checked on two interlinear siblings (R852, R912). Both cipher pages were then transcribed afresh from the images, group by group (30 September and 5 October 2026).
- What it says
- The Swedes’ settlement with the Emperor, their army near Poznań waiting for recruits landed at Stettin, the damage done by Ráday’s letters to Rehnskiöld, the writer’s own standing, and the Swedish complaint that Rákóczi would sacrifice himself to free Polish liberty.
- Measured
- 982 of 1,017 counted groups read as sense (96.6%,
measure_tr.py), twelve of them after a one-figure correction forced by the context (grade C). - Still open
- Ten groups closing the first paragraph that decode to no word, and about twenty-five scattered single groups whose value gives no sense in place.
01 Sender and recipient
DECODE R902 describes a ciphered letter of “Pompeio Cesoni (Ferenc Rákóczi II) to unknown recipient”, dated 15 October 1707. The clear third leaf gives the recipient:
A Monsieur
Monsieur Pompeio Cesoni
Cesoni is therefore the addressee. The hidden text also addresses the recipient with the forms expected for Rákóczi and reports work undertaken on his behalf. The catalogue entry has been corrected here to an unsigned report to Rákóczi.
02 The key, in the same archive
The matching table is DECODE R639, MNL OL G15 Caps. C. Fasc. 44/08. It was found by decrypting R902 with each key transcription of the Rákóczi chancery fonds (G15) on DECODE and scoring the output. Its heading reads De Monsieur de Bonac et Graffei. Rare entries as well as common letters match R902: 489 Monsieur, 491 Monseigneur, 497 les Svedois, 506 Svede, 507 Pologne, 526 le Prince Constantin, and 533 Dantzig.
The key is an archival table, applied as it stands, and it can be tested directly on other documents. The remaining uncertainty lies in DECODE’s digit transcription and in the writer’s identity.
03 A one-part French nomenclator
| Range | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 10–120 | Homophonic letters and common endings | Several values for frequent letters; recurring terminal forms |
| 121–460 | Syllables and common words | ay, aussy, honneur, vous, lettres |
| 461–560 | Titles, peoples, countries, places, names, months and numbers | Monsieur, les Svedois, Pologne, Prince Constantin |
| Nulls | Carry no plaintext | 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119 |
The values run from 10 to 560. Word division is only partial. DECODE renders a raised leading digit as 1^.; the decoder must join it to the following one or two digits, while treating other carets as annotations. Without that join many three-digit groups are lost.
04 Two interlinear controls, then R902
The table was first replayed against R852 and R912, same-series letters whose contemporary decipherments give a control independent of R902. Its coverage on R902 is about the same.
| Record | Groups found in R639 | Coverage | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| R852 | 497 / 513 | 96.9% | Known-plaintext control |
| R912 | 1,473 / 1,596 | 92.3% | Known-plaintext control |
| R902 | 1,020 / 1,108 | 92.1% | Target |
R902 contains 326 distinct parsed groups. Eighty-eight occurrences are not in the transcribed table. Some may be values missing from the table; in the passages that give sense, many are one-digit errors or groups joined in the DECODE transcript.
05 What the report says
Both cipher pages were transcribed afresh from the images, group by group, on 30 September (p. 278 lines 10–18) and 5 October 2026 (p. 277 and p. 278 lines 1–9), and decoded with the R639 table. Square brackets mark groups not read; spelling is normalised.
A Slupce, le 15 Octobre. Monseigneur, Vostre Altesse aura veu par mes deux dernieres, de Gorlitz en Saxe et de Lubben en Silesie, de quelle maniere s’est denoüée l’affaire des Svedois avec l’Empereur. Il […] tout à present ici, à 8 lieues de Posnanie, où ils attendent les recrues et les munitions qui ont debarqué à Stettin. Leur confiance dans les Anglois et les Hollandois nous doit asseurer qu’ils ne s’arreste[…] point ici pour observer la conduite que ce Prince tiendra par rapport à l’execution des articles arrestez … [ten groups]
J’ay aussi eu l’honneur de vous rendre compte, Monseigneur, de l’impression que […] lettres de Monsieur Ráday au general Rehnskiöld avoit faite ici sur les esprits … qu’elle vous a privé de vos meilleurs amis à la Cour de Svede, et qu’il faud[ra] bien du temps [et] beaucoup d’adresse pour reparer le tort incroyable qu’elle a fait à Vostre Altesse. C’est pourquoy je vous conseillerois, Monseigneur, … d’envoyer secretement ou de chercher une personne ici qui eust les qualitez necessaires pour y pouvoir reussir. J’avoue de bonne foy qu’elles me manquent, outre que le malheur que j’ay eu d’estre soupçonné de Vostre Altesse … me fait comprendre que la continuation de mes services ne luy seroit pas agreable. Je ne me suis neantmoins pas encore relasché jusques à present sur mon zele à vostre egard, et je me suis donné tous les mouvemens dont j’ay esté [ca]pable, tant à la chancellerie svedoise qu’à la Cour de Pologne, […] pour ruiner incessament le bruit qui couroit, ou plustost l’opinion qu’on avoit, que Vostre Altesse avoit fait arrester les enfans du Palatin de Russie et l’envoyé du Roy de Pologne qui revenoit de chez le Prince Constantin … et amenoit avec […] un député de la Porte au Roy de Svede.
Your Highness will have seen from my last two, from Görlitz in Saxony and Lübben in Silesia, how the Swedes’ affair with the Emperor was settled. They are now here, eight leagues from Poznań, waiting for the recruits and munitions landed at Stettin … I have also reported the impression that M. Ráday’s letters to General Rehnskiöld made here: they have cost you your best friends at the Swedish court, and it will take time and skill to repair the harm. I would advise you to send someone secretly, or find someone here, fit for the task; I admit I am not, and the suspicion Your Highness has had of me makes me think my services are no longer welcome. Even so I have done all I could, at the Swedish chancellery and the Polish court, to quash the rumour that Your Highness had arrested the children of the Palatine of Ruthenia and the King of Poland’s envoy returning from Prince Konstanty with a deputy of the Porte to the King of Sweden.
The letter ends (p. 278, lines 10–18), with every group read:
… l’ont fait naître. On se borne présentement à se plaindre de la conduite de Vostre Altesse à l’égard des affaires de la Pologne, et de certains discours qu’elle doit avoir tenus en présence de gens qui en ont rendu compte, asseurant qu’elle avoit dit que, prenant les intérêts de la Pologne autant à cœur que ceux de la Hongrie, elle estoit résolue de se sacrifier elle-mesme s’il le falloit pour affranchir la liberté polonoise opprimée par les Suédois en faveur du Roy Stanislas. Je suis avec un très profond respect …
For the present they confine themselves to complaining of Your Highness’s conduct with regard to the affairs of Poland, and of certain remarks you are said to have made before people who have reported them: that, taking the interests of Poland as much to heart as those of Hungary, you were resolved to sacrifice yourself if need be to free Polish liberty, oppressed by the Swedes in favour of King Stanislas. In 1707 the Polish confederates opposed to Stanisław offered Rákóczi their crown; this is the Swedish side’s complaint about it.
Three values were added to the table from this letter, grade C: 212 is Fa (the F row is a syllable series like Ba, Ca, Ga; faveur, falloit), 93 is st (Stanislas; obstacle in R912), and 89 is Et (three places, filling a gap between 88 M and 90 N). An underlined number keeps only its first syllable: 342 pren-ant, 123 af-franchir, 507 Polo-noise, 124 Al-tesse. Twelve groups are corrected by one figure where the context forces it, all grade C: dernieres and recrues (118 for 128), maniere and opinion (298 for 248), denoüée (104 for 19), des articles (181 for 151), rendre (371 for 391), qualitez (348 for 345), soupçonné de (174 for 194), le bruit (12 for 112), qu’on (352 for 252), prejugez (247 for 297).
Other names and phrases fixed securely include the king of Poland, the king of Sweden, Russia, Prince Konstanty, Polish grandees and troops, the Emperor and Vienna, and English and Dutch actors. The letter is an intelligence and lobbying report addressed to Rákóczi.
06 The writer, probably Philippe Groffey
R902 has no signature, so the attribution is qualified. Three pieces of evidence point to him:
- The exact key is headed De Monsieur de Bonac et Graffei.
- The letter reports Ráday’s approach to Rehnskiöld and activity at the Swedish and Polish courts.
- Contemporary scholarship identifies Philippe Groffey, also written Grophey or Graffei, as Rákóczi’s representative around those courts and as a contact of Ráday.
No signature confirms it, so the title keeps a question mark.
07 What remains open
- Measured.
measure_tr.pycounts every group of the fresh transcription except the line-initial and line-final fillers: p. 277 and p. 278 together, 982 of 1,017 groups (96.6%) read as sense. - The end of the first paragraph (p. 277 ll. 13–14, ten groups: 224 264 174 226 37 / 324 125 104 589 4). They are clearly written but decode to letters that make no word (gi les de gu O pe avec U): perhaps a name or a run of nulls. No sibling or printed text can check them.
- About twenty-five single groups (85, 8, 120 twice, 297, 363, 129, 436, 860, 95, 92, 9, 194, 589, 121, 264, 89, 27 and the closing 4/5/567/609). Each was re-read on the image and the reading stands, but the table value gives no sense in place.
- The twelve grade-C corrections rest on the context, not on the image, at 2,448 pixels a page; a sharper scan from the archive would settle them.
- Writer: Groffey is probable; the unsigned leaf gives no confirmation.
- Prior decipherment: none was found (DECODE; Thaly, Rákóczi leveleskönyvei II, 1873; Benda 1960); a decipherment elsewhere in the archive cannot be excluded.
Image rights. No manuscript image or crop is reproduced here. DECODE states: “The image is not in the public domain. Publishing it is only possible with the permission of the archive.”
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.
R902, Słupca, 15 Oct 1707
An intelligence and lobbying report to Rákóczi (addressed in clear to 'Pompeio Cesoni'), very probably from his agent Philippe Groffey: how the affair of the Swedes with the Emperor was settled, the Swedes waiting near Poznań for recruits from Stettin, and the damage done at the Swedish court by Pál Ráday's letters to Rehnskiöld. Deciphered with the preserved Bonac-Groffey key R639; unread groups in [ ].
Transcription
# R902, MNL OL G15 Caps. C. Fasc. 39 p. 277 (DECODE image 4843 = R902_p1.png), 31 lines. # Fresh transcription from the image, 5 Oct 2026 (line strips at 1.6x with CLAHE). # Conventions as tr/R902_p278_l10-18.txt. The curled 'c' figure is 1 (DECODE often 2); the looped 'a'/'r' is 2. # Line 1 carries a contemporary interlinear gloss over its first groups: 'a s lu p u le t mars'. 125 589 66 45 262 94 150 258 15 556 491 435 124_ 407 83 380 129 360 426 104 328 99 127 274 44 17 194 175 98 298 205 128 174 225 81 260 47 100 196 518 112 175 262 140 90 111 109 196 383 258 458 74 174 356 273 248 18 361 100 197 175 309_ 19 18 86 123 181 497 101 125 125 461 248 85 395 46 10 343 27 151 66 8 268 95 174 326 44 295 298 18 320 248 83 109 11 47 413_ 175 561 264 361 14 365 128 89 264 278 298 416 44 351 321 173 139 98 103 689 350 67 116 19 408 90 266 161_ 214 130_ 150 179 502 57 503 309 16 312 135 205 97 127 358 83 296 379 98 361 407 8 326 27 562 27 151 339 319_ 381 43 426 81 257 161 428 407 349 150 464_ 408 196 17 360 328 360 38 338 66 86 191 18 153 416 151 127 583 101 408 14 264 11 43 361 406 55 248 83 395 47 176 44 243 333 120 350 257 166 173 97 111 534 297 282 360 329 66 104 297 328 37 258 161 214 98 274 18 112 123_ 205 276 19 111 670 328 104 297 149 87 416 126 66 14 69_ 361 176 407 74 179 257 260 226 18 112 170_ 54 109 194 349 15 195 175 156 17 194 340 384_ 156 193 264 279 91 181 356 44 248 380 88 107 12 258 358 83 133 19 562 361 276 44 258 384 120 181 123 44 224 264 174 226 37 99 97 324 125 104 589 4 670 115 117 26 133 126 192 31 240 173 436 391 361 160_ 94 407 491 174 260 88 79 361 83 109 113 383 315 349 297 265_ 173 489 360 172 53 129 229 98 235 255 45 236 31 26 129 312 563 218 18 27 151 399 264 19 100 39 363 47 44 243 363 83 349 324 49 46 207 196 583 129 436 176 384_ 102 126 21 360 90 170_ 293 550 243 258 72 313 356 436 66 39 363 109 101 426 174 434 275 248 266 44 10 276 45 67 257 166 173 506_ 57 358 212 104 16 860 99 125 57 146 178 412 95 144 172 16 92 361 44 381 339 361 328 205 259 409 120 113 109 107 255 167 66 12 258 356 10 218 67 435 124_ 407 44 380 14 197 339 359 243 436 107 127 162 258 98 313 491 383 436 167 243 120 358 216 126 173 435 252_ 174 361 275 109 101 176 204 66 150 173 30 16 204 205 400 18 293 320 175 170 14 235 81 104 296 334 589 113 27 151 351 192 93 264 345 260 406 55 301 83 339 53 341 361 439 383 81 242 103 109 436_ 19 173 147 297 215 53 356 44 274 282 9 320 424_ 349 258 273 86 241_ 583 115 350 82 133 192 17 207 396_ 39 161_ 297 194 435 124_ 406 44 381 320 175 14 194 99 97 341 267 11 39 328 408 196 297 562 275 218 161_ 342 349 257 161_ 408 300 10 416 103 566 173 274 100 390 44 297 267 381 376 329 67 23 361 66 68 258 243 296 274 398 83 125 296 130 289 329 201 361 257 170_ 254 100 66 343 399 288 457 258 66 435 18 564 107 228_ 112 243 275 398 83 186 419 264 277 104 426 293 83 188 82 133 197 19 194 113 103 323 13 258 411 66 257 170_ 130_ 15 195 363 74 506_ 313 18 348 257 166 175 507 670
Transcription
# R902 p. 278 (DECODE image 4844 = R902_p2.png), lines 1-9 of 19. # Fresh transcription from the image, 5 Oct 2026 (deskewed -3.3 deg, strips at 1.5-1.8x with CLAHE). # Conventions as tr/R902_p278_l10-18.txt; curled 'c' = 1, looped 'a'/'r' = 2. Line 1 bends upward at its end. 121 339 365 255 205 249 112 365 27 47 351 166 312 320 335 417 261 325 298 315 252 90 125 129 312 349 435 124_ 406 83 381 129 312 218 177_ 361 407 81 264 196 212 114 178 109 107 476_ 174 515 89 86 204 18 178 462_ 507 351 361 427 90 312 170 526_ 27 299 38 258 99 129 112 10 274 35 312 125 264 89 90 173 327 406 174 257 338 74 129 462 506 244 97 125 296 388_ 108 383 275 44 392 45 246 255 102 83 66 151 250 10 416 83 335 191 107 119 11 15 407 44 349 15 195 100 352 77 129 312 192 128 321 199_ 66 150 157 37 325 248 125 315 279 244 340 176 361 350 383 195 34 197 329 201 176 83 383 324 18 196_ 107 109 408 205 18 293 315 297 181 66 436_ 19 326 82 562 352 35 10 67 253_ 406 587 105 421_ 39 258 223 361 293 215 108 11 181 360 39 338 83 56 181 343_ 297 223 55 351
Transcription
# R902, MNL OL G15 Caps. C. Fasc. 39 p. 278 (DECODE image 4844 = R902_p2.png), lines 10-18 of 19. # Fresh transcription from the image, 30 Sept 2026 (deskewed -3.1 deg, read at 2-3x). # Hand: 1 = dotless i (DECODE '1^.'), 2 = looped a-shape, 5 = long-s shape (DECODE '3^'), 7 = gamma with descender, # 9 = q-shape, 8 = z-shaped. '_' = number underlined in the manuscript; '?' = doubtful reading. # Line-initial groups (107, 109, 113, 125, 127, 99, 670) and line-final 5xx groups behave as fillers. 107 30 321 218 295 27 424_ 315 381 142 98 296 343 19 293 66 382 39 257 255 17 362 125 173 257 161 428 407 174 435 124_ 407 83 380 66 258 228 181 123 44 173 257 507 582 670 112 173 150 81 405 255 44 176 45 166 100 356 17 312 67 437 413 439 196 343_ 150 113 173 223 114 351 196 321 371 439 160_ 39 407 135 130 356 129 312 176 102 349 119 107 342_ 35 130 264 252 174 257 507 129 411 67 152 192 98 350 14 194 175 257 517 587 99 195 197 312 372 18 173 381 379 14 363 214 205 195 292 83 248 258 212 30 75 312 339 123_ 360 77 14 236 81 257 260 140 98 406 507_ 90 313 18 37 94 79 363 275 18 127 328 497 196 212 104 192 81 178 462 93 66 298 44 257 100 244 398 83 125 587 109 104 77 424 344_ 215 90 16 361 45 324 15 85? 107 4 129 567 103 113 5 609 563
Decryption
# R902 reading from the fresh image transcription (5 Oct 2026) Sources: `tr/R902_p277.txt` (p. 277, 31 lines), `tr/R902_p278_l01-09.txt`, `tr/R902_p278_l10-18.txt`. Decoded and counted by `measure_tr.py --text` (R639 table + 212 Fa, 93 st, 89 Et, underline rule). Square brackets mark groups not read; a question mark marks a word supplied by context. Spelling (v6, 23 Oct 2026): the writer's, as the cipher gives it; the normalised spelling of 5 Oct was restored letter by letter from the decode (measure_tr.py --text) with research/reading_audit/v6_charalign.py (aussÿ, arrete, relaché, naitre, interets, incroiable, Luben, Stetin); accents and apostrophes, which the cipher does not carry, are kept as supplied, and u/v, i/j as before. No word was changed. ## Reading **p. 277** > A Slupce, le 15 Octobre. Monseigneur, Vostre Altesse aura veu par mes deux dernieres, de Gorlitz en Saxe et > de Luben en Silesie, de quelle maniere s'est denoüée l'affaire des Svedois avec l'Empereur. Il [85] tout à > present ici, à 8 lieues de Posnanie, où ils attendent les recrues et les munitions qui ont debarqué à Stetin. > Leur confiance dans les Anglois et les Hollandois nous doit asseurer qu'ils ne s'arrete[8] point ici pour > observer la conduite que ce Prince tiendra par rapport à l'execution des articles arretez, ils susdits. Je > persuade [120] que la Cour de Vienne ne manquera pas à une parole confirmée et afermie par une caution aussÿ > accreditée dans la ligue, et chez eux, que celle de ces deux puissances entre les mains desquelles il semble > qu'ils ayent remis le sort des affaires [224 264 174 226 37 / 324 125 104 589 4]. > > J'ay aussÿ eu l'honneur de vous rendre compte, Monseigneur, de l'impression que [297] lettres de Monsieur > Ráday au general Rehnskiöld avoit faite ici sur les esprits. Je [363]s que peut-estre en [129 436] dit aussÿ > franchement en avril, je le dois, qu'elle vous a privé de vos meilleurs amis à la Cour de Svede, et qu'il > faud[860] et bien du temps [95] beaucoup d'adresse pour reparer le tort incroiable qu'elle a fait à Vostre > Altesse. C'est pourquoy je vous conseillerois, Monseigneur, si vous croiez [120] qu'il fust aussÿ de vos > interets de remedier à cela, d'envoyer secretement ou de chercher une personne ici qui eust les qualitez > necessaires pour y pouvoir reussir. J'avoue de bonne foy qu'elles me manquent, [9] outre que le malheur que > j'ay eu d'estre soupçonné de Vostre Altesse ou de ceux pouvoir luy appartiennent me fait comprendre que la > continuation de mes services ne luy seroit pas agreable. Je ne me suis neantmoins pas encore relaché jusques > à present sur mon zele à vostre egard, et je me suis donné tous les mouvemens dont j'ay esté [194]pable, tant > à la chancellerie svedoise qu'à la Cour de Pologne, **p. 278, lines 1-9** > [121] pour ruiner incessament le bruit qui couroit, ou plustost l'opinion qu'on avoit, que Vostre Altesse > avoit fait arrester les enfans du Palatin de Russie et l'envoyé du Roy de Pologne qui revenoit de chez le > Prince Constantin [27] (?Constanti)nople, [129] et amenoit avec [264 89] un député de la Porte au Roy de > Svede. Je ne scay si mes soins, joints à ces informations plus exactes que celles qu'on avoit eues, ont > effacé cette opinion; mais je puis dire que si elle n'est pas encore dissipée entierement, on ne desavouera > point qu'on a adjousté trop legerement foy à des rapports et des prejugez qui **p. 278, lines 10-18** (30 Sept 2026, `R902_p278_reading.md`) > l'ont fait naitre. On se borne presentement à se plaindre de la conduite de Vostre Altesse à l'egard des > affaires de la Pologne ... je suis avec un tres profond respect ... ## Corrections Context-forced corrections (grade C, listed in `measure_tr.py` CORR): dernier**es** and recru**es** 118 for 128; mani**e**re and opi**ni**on 298 for 248; deno**ü**ée 104 for 19; **des** articles 181 for 151; vous **rend**re 371 for 391; **qua**litez 348 for 345; soupçonné **de** 174 for 194; le **b**ruit 12 for 112; **qu'on** 352 for 252; pre**ju**gez 247 for 297. 89 = Et (three places; a gap in the table between 88 M and 90 N). 127 *arme* stands for "ar" in *articles*.
Decryption
# R902 p. 278 (DECODE image 4844), lines 10-18: fresh transcription and continuous reading (30 Sept 2026) Transcription: `tr/R902_p278_l10-18.txt`, read from the image `R902_p2.png` (main checkout, git-ignored; deskewed -3.1 degrees and read line by line at 2-3x). Decoder: `python decode_tr.py tr/R902_p278_l10-18.txt` (the corrected R639 table of `targets/rakoczi1704/decode_tr.py`, plus 212 = Fa, 93 = st and the underline rule below). ## Group-by-group | line | groups (image) | values | |---|---|---| | 10 | 107 30 321 218 295 27 424_ 315 381 142 98 296 343 19 293 66 382 39 257 255 17 362 | · L Ont fait Na I tre_ On se bo R ne present E ment A se P La in D re | | 11 | 125 173 257 161 428 407 174 435 124_ 407 83 380 66 258 228 181 123 44 173 257 507 582 | · de La Cond vi te de vostre Al_ te S se A le garde des affaire S de La Pologne · | | 12 | 670 112 173 150 81 405 255 44 176 45 166 100 356 17 312 67 437 413 439 196 343_ 150 | · Et de ce R Ta in S di S Cour S quelle D Oit A voir ten(ir) us en pres_ ce | | 13 | 113 173 223 114 351 196 321 371 439 160_ 39 407 135 130 356 129 312 176 102 349 119 | · de ge ns qui en Ont rend us Com_ P te asseur ant quelle au Oit di T que · | | 14 | 107 342_ 35 130 264 252 174 257 507 129 411 67 152 192 98 350 14 194 175 257 517 587 | · pren_ N ant les interets de La Pologne au tant A co eu R que C eux de La Hongrie · | | 15 | 99 195 197 312 372 18 173 381 379 14 363 214 205 195 292 83 248 258 212 30 75 | · elle est Oit resolu E de se Sa C ri fi er elle mesme S il le Fa L L | | 16 | 312 339 123_ 360 77 14 236 81 257 260 140 98 406 507_ 90 313 18 37 94 79 363 275 18 | Oit pour af_ Ra N C hi R La li be R te Polo_ N Ois E O P P ri me E | | 17 | 127 328 497 196 212 104 192 81 178 462 93 66 298 44 257 100 244 398 83 125 587 | · par les Svedois en Fa U eu R du Roy st A ni S La S je sui S avec · | | 18 | 109 104 77 424 344_ 215 90 16 361 45 324 15 85? 107 4 129 567 103 113 5 609 563 | · U N tres pro_ fo N D re S pe C T? · [closing figures] | · = filler. The odd nulls of the table (99, 107, 109, 113) and the groups that open a line with no sense in context (125 in l. 11, 127 in l. 17, 670 in l. 12) or close it (5xx) are fillers, as in R912 and R922 (rakoczi1704 NOTES). The last group of l. 13 is 119, a table null (the second figure is the curled 1, not the looped 2; DECODE also read 119). ## Continuous text (lines 10-18) … l'ont fait naître. On se borne présentement à se plaindre de la conduite de Vostre Altesse à l'égard des affaires de la Pologne, et de certains discours qu'elle doit avoir tenus en présence de gens qui en ont rendu compte, asseurant qu'elle avoit dit que, prenant les intérêts de la Pologne autant à cœur que ceux de la Hongrie, elle estoit résolue de se sacrifier elle-mesme s'il le falloit pour affranchir la liberté polonoise opprimée par les Suédois en faveur du Roy Stanislas. Je suis avec un très profond respect … … [have] given rise to it. For the present they confine themselves to complaining of Your Highness's conduct with regard to the affairs of Poland, and of certain remarks you are said to have made in the presence of people who have reported them, asserting that you had said that, taking the interests of Poland as much to heart as those of Hungary, you were resolved to sacrifice yourself if need be to free Polish liberty, oppressed by the Swedes in favour of King Stanislas. I am, with a very deep respect, … "elle" is Vostre Altesse (Rákóczi). In 1707 the anti-Swedish Polish confederates offered Rákóczi the Polish crown; the Swedish side complains here of his remarks. ## Grades - H: every value read from the R639 table on groups read from the image. Every group of ll. 10-17 that is not a filler (582, 587, 670 and the table nulls) has a table value: nothing in the passage is unread. - C: 212 = Fa (the table's F row is the syllable series, cf. Ba 139, Ca 149, Ga 222; DECODE's key transcription has 'F'); 93 = st (St-a-ni-s-la-s here, and 'O B 93 A . le' = obstacle in R912); the underline rule: an underlined number keeps its first syllable only (342_ pren-ant, 123_ af-franchir, 507_ Polo-n-oise, 343_ pres-ence, 124_ Al-tesse, 160_ Com-pte, 424_ tre-, 344_ pro-fond), eight cases, all giving French. - I: the line-opening fillers 125 (l. 11) and 127 (l. 17); 413 tenir used as ten- in 'tenus'; 462 le Roy de read 'Roy' before st-a-ni-s-la-s. ## What the fresh transcription changed against DECODE's digits DECODE's '3^' is this hand's 5 (the long-s shaped figure), and its '1^.' the raised 1; read that way, most of its digits for these lines are right. The old `decode.py` took '3^' as 3, which produced much of the noise. The real differences, in the 196 groups of ll. 10-18, are the curled 1 before 7 or 0 read as 2, and a few single figures: - 1 read as 2: l. 11 273 -> 173 (de); l. 12 273 -> 173, 276 -> 176 (di: discours); l. 13 273 -> 173, 276 -> 176; l. 14 274 -> 174, 275 -> 175 (de); l. 15 273 -> 173, 295 -> 195 (elle); l. 17 204 -> 104 (U: faveur), 278 -> 178 (du). - other figures: l. 10 325 -> 315 (On), 246 -> 296 (ne), 29 243 -> 19 293 (E ment); l. 11 404 -> 407 (te); l. 12 200 -> 100 (S), 27 -> 17 (D), 296 -> 196 (en); l. 13 124 -> 129 (au: avoit); l. 14 527 -> 517 (Hongrie, not Tekeli). - joins: DECODE runs several groups together without a point (321218, 381142, 1611428, 181123, 351196, 321371439, 41167, 381379, 81257, 81278, 36145); the image has points between them.
Reading
# R902 reading from the fresh image transcription (5 Oct 2026) Sources: `tr/R902_p277.txt` (p. 277, 31 lines), `tr/R902_p278_l01-09.txt`, `tr/R902_p278_l10-18.txt`. Decoded and counted by `measure_tr.py --text` (R639 table + 212 Fa, 93 st, 89 Et, underline rule). Square brackets mark groups not read; a question mark marks a word supplied by context. Spelling (v6, 23 Oct 2026): the writer's, as the cipher gives it; the normalised spelling of 5 Oct was restored letter by letter from the decode (measure_tr.py --text) with research/reading_audit/v6_charalign.py (aussÿ, arrete, relaché, naitre, interets, incroiable, Luben, Stetin); accents and apostrophes, which the cipher does not carry, are kept as supplied, and u/v, i/j as before. No word was changed. ## Reading **p. 277** > A Slupce, le 15 Octobre. Monseigneur, Vostre Altesse aura veu par mes deux dernieres, de Gorlitz en Saxe et > de Luben en Silesie, de quelle maniere s'est denoüée l'affaire des Svedois avec l'Empereur. Il [85] tout à > present ici, à 8 lieues de Posnanie, où ils attendent les recrues et les munitions qui ont debarqué à Stetin. > Leur confiance dans les Anglois et les Hollandois nous doit asseurer qu'ils ne s'arrete[8] point ici pour > observer la conduite que ce Prince tiendra par rapport à l'execution des articles arretez, ils susdits. Je > persuade [120] que la Cour de Vienne ne manquera pas à une parole confirmée et afermie par une caution aussÿ > accreditée dans la ligue, et chez eux, que celle de ces deux puissances entre les mains desquelles il semble > qu'ils ayent remis le sort des affaires [224 264 174 226 37 / 324 125 104 589 4]. > > J'ay aussÿ eu l'honneur de vous rendre compte, Monseigneur, de l'impression que [297] lettres de Monsieur > Ráday au general Rehnskiöld avoit faite ici sur les esprits. Je [363]s que peut-estre en [129 436] dit aussÿ > franchement en avril, je le dois, qu'elle vous a privé de vos meilleurs amis à la Cour de Svede, et qu'il > faud[860] et bien du temps [95] beaucoup d'adresse pour reparer le tort incroiable qu'elle a fait à Vostre > Altesse. C'est pourquoy je vous conseillerois, Monseigneur, si vous croiez [120] qu'il fust aussÿ de vos > interets de remedier à cela, d'envoyer secretement ou de chercher une personne ici qui eust les qualitez > necessaires pour y pouvoir reussir. J'avoue de bonne foy qu'elles me manquent, [9] outre que le malheur que > j'ay eu d'estre soupçonné de Vostre Altesse ou de ceux pouvoir luy appartiennent me fait comprendre que la > continuation de mes services ne luy seroit pas agreable. Je ne me suis neantmoins pas encore relaché jusques > à present sur mon zele à vostre egard, et je me suis donné tous les mouvemens dont j'ay esté [194]pable, tant > à la chancellerie svedoise qu'à la Cour de Pologne, **p. 278, lines 1-9** > [121] pour ruiner incessament le bruit qui couroit, ou plustost l'opinion qu'on avoit, que Vostre Altesse > avoit fait arrester les enfans du Palatin de Russie et l'envoyé du Roy de Pologne qui revenoit de chez le > Prince Constantin [27] (?Constanti)nople, [129] et amenoit avec [264 89] un député de la Porte au Roy de > Svede. Je ne scay si mes soins, joints à ces informations plus exactes que celles qu'on avoit eues, ont > effacé cette opinion; mais je puis dire que si elle n'est pas encore dissipée entierement, on ne desavouera > point qu'on a adjousté trop legerement foy à des rapports et des prejugez qui **p. 278, lines 10-18** (30 Sept 2026, `R902_p278_reading.md`) > l'ont fait naitre. On se borne presentement à se plaindre de la conduite de Vostre Altesse à l'egard des > affaires de la Pologne ... je suis avec un tres profond respect ... ## Corrections Context-forced corrections (grade C, listed in `measure_tr.py` CORR): dernier**es** and recru**es** 118 for 128; mani**e**re and opi**ni**on 298 for 248; deno**ü**ée 104 for 19; **des** articles 181 for 151; vous **rend**re 371 for 391; **qua**litez 348 for 345; soupçonné **de** 174 for 194; le **b**ruit 12 for 112; **qu'on** 352 for 252; pre**ju**gez 247 for 297. 89 = Et (three places; a gap in the table between 88 M and 90 N). 127 *arme* stands for "ar" in *articles*.
Translation
# R902, [Philippe Groffey] to Francis II Rákóczi, Słupca, 15 Oct 1707: English translation Translated (Claude Opus 5.5, 23 Oct 2026) from `R902_reading.md` (p. 277 and p. 278 ll. 1-9) and, for p. 278 ll. 10-18, which `R902_reading.md` gives only in outline, from the continuous text in `R902_p278_reading.md`. The whole letter is cipher, deciphered with the Bonac-Groffey key R639. Holes as in the reading: `[85]` an unread code group, `[?word]` a word supplied by context; `[194]pable` keeps the reading's part-word. Names as in the original. ## Translation **p. 277.** At Słupca, 15 October. Monseigneur, Your Highness will have seen from my last two letters, from Görlitz in Saxony and from Lübben in Silesia, in what manner the affair of the Swedes with the Emperor has been untangled. He [85] all at present here, 8 leagues from Poznań, where they are waiting for the recruits and the munitions that have landed at Stettin. Their confidence in the English and the Dutch must assure us that they will not stop[8] here to watch the conduct this Prince will keep as to the execution of the articles agreed, they aforesaid. I persuade [120] that the Court of Vienna will not break a word confirmed and strengthened by a guarantee as accredited in the league, and with them, as that of these two powers into whose hands it seems they have put the fate of affairs [224 264 174 226 37 / 324 125 104 589 4]. I have also had the honour of giving you an account, Monseigneur, of the impression that [297] letters of Monsieur Ráday to General Rehnskiöld had made on minds here. I [363]s that perhaps in [129 436] said as frankly in April, as I owe it, that it has deprived you of your best friends at the Court of Sweden, and that it will take [860] and much time [95] much skill to repair the incredible harm it has done Your Highness. That is why I would advise you, Monseigneur, if you believe [120] that it were also in your interest to remedy this, to send secretly, or to seek here, a person who had the qualities needed to succeed in it. I confess in good faith that I lack them, [9] besides which the misfortune I have had of being suspected by Your Highness, or by those [?who may] belong to you, makes me understand that the continuation of my services would not be agreeable to you. I have nevertheless not yet slackened, up to now, in my zeal towards you, and I have made every effort of which I have been [194]pable, both at the Swedish chancellery and at the Court of Poland, **p. 278, lines 1-9.** [121] to destroy at once the rumour that was going about, or rather the opinion people had, that Your Highness had had arrested the children of the Palatine of Russia and the envoy of the King of Poland, who was coming back from Prince Constantine [27] (?Constanti)nople, [129] and was bringing with [264 89] a deputy of the Porte to the King of Sweden. I do not know whether my efforts, joined to this information, more exact than what people had had, have effaced that opinion; but I can say that if it is not yet entirely dispelled, it will not be denied that too much faith was lightly given to reports and prejudices which **p. 278, lines 10-18.** gave rise to it. For the present they confine themselves to complaining of Your Highness's conduct with regard to the affairs of Poland, and of certain remarks you are said to have made in the presence of people who have reported them, asserting that you had said that, taking the interests of Poland as much to heart as those of Hungary, you were resolved to sacrifice yourself if need be to free Polish liberty, oppressed by the Swedes in favour of King Stanislas. I am, with a very deep respect, …
08 Sources
- DECODE R902, MNL OL G15 Caps. C. Fasc. 39, pp. 277–279: ciphertext, metadata and rights statement.
- DECODE R639, MNL OL G15 Caps. C. Fasc. 44/08: the matching key.
- Kálmán Benda, Le projet d’alliance hungaro-suédo-prussienne de 1704 (1960), on Philippe Grophey’s position and contact with Ráday.
- Études sur François II Rákóczi, prince de Transylvanie, identifying Groffey as a foreign diplomat in Rákóczi’s service, especially at the Swedish and Polish courts.
- Kálmán Thaly, ed., II. Rákóczi Ferencz fejedelem leveleskönyvei, vol. 2 (1873). The accounts name Groffey and his salary through December 1707; the target letter was not found in the printed correspondence.
Decoder, extracted key, transcriptions, controls and research notes: targets/rakoczi1707/ in the repository. Manuscript: Magyar Nemzeti Levéltár. Images not reproduced.