The ambassador in France to Charles V, Paris, 12 July 1549

At a glanceKey from adjacent plaintext · partial (94.7% of the cipher)

The letter: A copy, headed “Copia de la [?carta] del embaxador en Francia” and dated at Paris, 12 July 1549: the imperial ambassador (Simon Renard, in the contributor’s identification) to Charles V. The Emperor sent it to Ferrante Gonzaga, governor of Milan, with his letter of 15 July 1549.
Where: Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, Modena, Autografoteca Campori, Lettera K, Karl V, sfasc. IV, cc. 131-132; catalogue 1560, listed as the undated cipher letter, unread.
The cipher: The 1548 numeric syllabary: consonant numbers with vowel marks, numerals for single letters, nulls, and code words for syllables, names and titles.
How it was deciphered: Ivan Sourvillo, working with Claude, corrected the key by aligning the sibling letter c.40r against its contemporary decipherment c.41, transcribed c.131r-v (1,360 signs) and read it. The project re-decoded his transcription with his key: 95.6% of tokens agree, the rest mostly spelling, none changing a word. The images were not seen here.
What it says: Sixty-three soldiers of the garrison of Nice bought through two inside men; twelve galleys and 300 soldiers to come under cover of the fort at Antibes; all in the name of the Count of Tende, not the King. The informant is a Navarrese.
Still open: The code word amo and six signs; context-only values of about a dozen code words; five short holes; the transcription was not compared with the images by the project.
Credit: Transcription, key correction, reading, translation and identifications by Ivan Sourvillo (issue #373 and two comments, 10 Nov 2026).

01 The letter

The Charles V to Ferrante Gonzaga file of the Autografoteca Campori holds, at sfasc. IV cc. 131-132, a leaf entirely in cipher, with no date, place, signature or address in clear: c.131r carries a heading and 35 lines, c.131v 15 lines, and c.132 is blank or bears no address. The project had listed it as unread (catalogue 1560; it is a different key from the sign letters of gonzaga1549, which have their own page). A first test on 9 November 2026 with the 1548 key as described did not beat shuffled keys.

In Ivan Sourvillo’s reading the heading is Copia de la [?carta] del embaxador en Francia and the subscription De París, a doze de Julio de mil quinientos y quarenta y nueve. The Emperor’s letter of 15 July 1549 in the same file says so in its contemporary decipherment (c.41): “por la copia de la carta que va con esta entendereys lo que nuestro embaxador en francia nos ha scripto … cerca de la empresa que los franceses quieren hazer del castillo de niza”.

02 The key

The numeric syllabary of 1548 that S. Tomokiyo describes on Cryptiana (the Doria-Figueroa family), which did not fit as written. The contributor aligned the sibling letter c.40r sign by sign against its decipherment c.41 and fixed the rules:

A consonant number (b2 c3 d4 f5 g6 h7 l9 m10 n12 p13 qu14 r15 s16 t17 v18 x19 y20 z21) plus a vowel mark gives a syllable: dot above a, two dots i, dot below e, dot after o, small ring u.
A bare numeral is a single letter (a1 … s17, u19, v20, y21, z22) or consonant + a; 19 = u and 20 = v are new.
Specials: 3 with superscript 2, 3, 7, 8 for m, n, r, s; H° ll, x° ss, & rr, XP ñ. Any sign with superscript 13 or 12 is a null.
Code words from the c.40/41 alignment: dan tra, don tro, fen pro, fon pre, vana embaxador, gis Francia, filo Niça, infle Génoua, lab galera, among others. From context only: fin pri, den tre, hic Duque, oria / ocia / ning Rey, rac Consejo, apud V. Md., allo escudos, bit Saboya.

The contributor then ran a beam decoder with a six-gram Spanish letter model over the signs, holding marked signs to their key values, read the output and rechecked the crops in several rounds. The project’s check (an AI model; no human has repeated it) decoded the 1,360 transcribed signs with the key as stated in the issue: 1,300 tokens equal the contributor’s decryption, and the 60 others are mostly v written as u and bare 15 read as ra, with the code word amo and a few nulls; none changes a word. So the decryption follows the key; whether the transcription follows the manuscript was not checked here.

03 The reading

In the contributor’s reading, with his two later corrections: at about eight in the evening a man “que se dize ser de Navarra, de la banda del señor de Tenda, gouernador de Prouença” came to the ambassador. He reported that the [?King] and his [?Council] had resolved an enterprise on the castle of Nice, through two men, Care, contrareleur of the Duke, and Chaulve[?x], an [office] of the Duke who had served the Marquis del Vasto. They had won 63 soldiers in the castle, under the charge of the prior; for [?crowns] and four pays in perpetuity the soldiers had promised to sell it to the Count of Tende. Tende would come on a set day with twelve galleys and 300 soldiers, brought under colour of the fort the [?King] was building at Antibes. The enterprise was to be done in Tende’s name, on his claim that the Duke withheld villages in the valley of [?Augusta]. The informant asked that the service be remembered, promised the plotters’ letters, and would ride to the ambassador in Genoa with the exact time; the ambassador asks how to deal with him.

From Gioffredo’s roll of the Nice garrison in the 1543 siege (Historiae Patriae Monumenta, Scriptores II), the contributor identifies Care as probably Nicolò di Beaumont called Carra, treasurer of Savoy and of the castle, and Chaulve[?x] as probably Antonio de l’Eschaulx, former captain of the castle. The prior would be the castellan, Paolo Simeoni de’ Balbi, Grand Prior of Lombardy. The Calendar of State Papers, Spain, IX prints extracts of Renard’s letters of 14, 18 and 28 July 1549 but none of 12 July; those of 18 and 28 July speak of “the Navarrese” and Tende’s plots against Nice. These identifications and the Calendar and Gioffredo passages are the contributor’s and were not checked here.

04 What remains uncertain

Measured on the reading: 28 of 531 words are holes or bracketed guesses (94.7%, under the 95% bar); on the decryption 18 of 1,302 non-null signs have no value.
Open code: amo, an office both the Duke and Tende hold; the signs X, F, I, T°, 3 with superscript 1, e with superscript 3. F may be a letter the key lacks (x or s).
Code words valued from context only (grade I): den, bas, ne, mi, oria, ocia, ning, rac, apud, allo, bit.
Five short holes; the names are spelled letter by letter and may be wrong (Care / Car, Chaulve-F).
No one at the project has compared the transcription with the images: the Estense image server was not reachable from this session, and no image is shown on this page. Renard’s original dispatch (perhaps Vienna, HHStA) and the Besançon copy of Charles V’s letter to Renard with its decipherment were not seen.

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.

Copy of the ambassador's dispatch, Paris, 12 July 1549 (sfasc. IV c. 131r-v) read in part

The imperial ambassador in France (Simon Renard, per the contributor) reports from Paris on 12 July 1549 a French plan, in the name of the Count of Tende, governor of Provence, to take the castle of Nice: 63 soldiers of the garrison bought through two inside men, twelve galleys and 300 soldiers to come under cover of the fort at Antibes. The informant is a Navarrese of Tende's following. Charles V sent this copy to Ferrante Gonzaga, governor of Milan, with his letter of 15 July 1549.

Builds coherent sentences, but under the read bar of 95% of words read as sense (94.7% here); the holes are marked in the reading.

Transcription

transcription.txt

# c.131r transcription v1 (Claude, from native crops, 10.11.2026)
# notation: N bare; N^ dot above(a); N: two dots(i); N_ dot below(e); N. dot after(o); N° small circle(u); N^k superscript number; ? uncertain
H: 3^13? 3. 13: 1? 4_. 9. 17 9 dan 4_ 10 vana 5 12 gis.
1: 16^13 16: 15_ 5 17 17_ 10: 17 10. 4: T 3 16 3^ 4. 9. 17 13 3 7. 5 13^13 15_ 17 4. 9. 17^ 16 4_ 18: 12.
2: T 10: 19 12. 14_ 16_ 4: 21 16_ 16 4_ 12 18_ Q T 4. 9. 2^ 12 4^ 4_ 10 0^13 16_ XP 13 16
3: 4_ 17_ 12 4^ 6. 18_ 16_ 12 4. 16 4_ fen 5 12 21 14_ 10 7^ T 18: 16 4. 4_ 20
4: 12^ 5. 3^2 fon 16 14_ 7^ 16: 16 4. 3. 12 3 9° 21 4^ 13. 17^13 16 5 10 ning 21 16° rac
5: 16. 2 15_ 10 3^ 17 1^13 17: H° 13 3 4_ 12: 3^ 13. 16. 9. 17 fin 17: 3 17 21 T 18 16. 17 4_ 20
6: 12. H° T 10 4. 3^ 15_ 3. 12 2 dan 15_ 9 19 16 4_ 10 hic 21 4_ 20 12. H° T 10 1^13 17^13 4^12.
7: 4. 3 7^ 20 10 19 5 F amo 4_ 10 4: 3 7. hic 14_ 16. 9 T 16 16_ 16 19_ 16 T 10 10 16 14_ 17
8: 4_ 10 6 17 17. 9. 17 14_ 9 17 7^ 12 6 12_ 4. 16_ 1^13 16 12 17^ 21 den 17 16. 10 4^ 4. 17
9: bit 12. 17 14_ 5 17 17^ 12 5 12 10 4: 3 7. 3^ 17 17: H° 13 0^13 4_ filo 4_ 2^ 19. 4_ 10 3 16
10: 6. 4_ 10 fin 0^13 13 16 4_ bit 14_ 15. 16 3: 5 16 17 16° 10 4_ allo 17 14_ 5 10 oria 9_ 17
11: 7^ fen 10_ 17: 4. 21 3. 12 3^8 15^13 13 15 12 21 4_ T 18_ 16 13_ 13 16 13 17° T 10_ 12 17_ 20^13
12: 14_ don 15^13 13: 6 17 5 12 16_ 16 18: 3: 13 4_ 10 4: 3 7. ocia 7^ 12 fen 10_ 17: 4. 4_ 18
13: 12 4_ 16 5 10 4: 3 7. 3^ 17 17: H° 13 20^13 21 5 12 den 6^ 16 9. 5 12 10 12. 4_ 10 4: 3 7.
14: 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 14: 20 12 4: T 16_ XP T. 9. 4. 16_ 6 7^ 4_ 7^ H° T 16. 13. 15
15: 5 10 0^13 5 6 5_ 17. 3. 12 4. 21 lab 17 21 den 2: 5 12 17. 10^13 17 16. 10 4^ 4. 0^13 3^8. 13.
16: 15^ 5 12 dan 16 5 12 5 10 4: 3 7. 3^ 17 17: H° 13 21 14_ 5 10 3. 12 1^13 4° 21: 15. 9. 17
17: 4: 3 7^ 17:^13 3^8 lab 17 21 16_. 10 4^ 4. 3^8 16. 3. 9. 16 4_. 9. 5° 5 16_ 3^ 14_ 5 10 4: 3 7.
18: oria 7^ 21 8 T 21_ 16 5 12 T 3^3 17: 2. 14_ 5 17. 3 16 3^ 4_ filo 21 7^ 16 3. 12 3 9°
19: 2°^13 9 4. 5 12_ 10 rac 14_. 9. 4: 3 7^ 5 3^2 fon 16 12_. 16 7^ 15^ 5 12 12. 3^2 2 15_ 4_ 10
20: 2^13 4: 3 7. oria 16: 12. 5 3^3 12. 3^2 2 15_ 4_ 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 14: fon
21: 17_ 12 4_ 14_ 5 10 hic 9 7^ 21 T bas 18: 13 0^13 5 12 4_ 17_ 12 16 9 3: 5 16^ 17^ 17 T 10
22: 4^ T 17 5 12_. 9. 18^ H° 4_ T 20 6° 17 17^ 21 12. 10_ 7^ 16 2: 4. .13. 16 17: 3°. 9. 15:
23: 21: 16. 9. 4: 3 7^ fon 17_ 12 16: 17^13 13 12 16: 12. 14_ 5 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 0^13 4_ 4 5
24: 17_ 12 4^ 18_ 12: T 4_ 20 12 2^ 17 17^ 16 4. 4_ bit T 18: 5 12 4. 10_ T 18: 16 4. 14_
25: 5 10 amo 4_ 10 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 3. 12 5 10 14^ 13^13 10 5 3^1 13. 16 4_ 18: T e^13
26: 17^13. 13. 16 17: 3^7 5 10 10: 16 17 7 17 13 5 10 10: 5 16 3. 9 17 fen 19: 10. 2°^13 21 H° 5
27: 18_ 16 9. 17 allo 3^8 T 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 21 T 12 17 17 14_ 10_ e^13
28: 4_ 3. 9. 15^ X 5 5 17 17^ 5 3^2 fon 16 10_ 7^ 3. 17 den XP 9 4. T 14_ 9_ fen 18:^12
29: 10_ 17: 5 x° I 14_ apud 10:^13 12. 13 10 18: 4^ 15: T 5 10 16_ 16 1: 5 18: 3: 13 14_ 5 12 17 17.
30: 9_ 7^ 21: T 21 14_ 7^ 15: T 13 don 17 5 12 9. 13. 16 18_ 12: 16 0^13 21 3. 10. 20.
31: T° 18_ 4° 2 4^ 4. 4_. 9. 18: 16 4^ 4 4_ 16° 17. 13. .9. 2 15 17 10_ 4: 19. 14_ 0^13
32: T 18: e^9 17_ 12: 4. fen 10_ x° T 4_ 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 4_ 3. 12 4° 21:
33: 16. 9. 17 4: 3 7^ 17 lab 3^8 2°^13 21 T 2°° 4^ 16 T 10 10 12 13 4. 9. 4: 3 7^ fin
34: 13^13 17: 3 21 14_ 5 10 3. 12 4_ 17 7 17^ 3^2 9 T 18: e^9 4^ 4. 5 10 3 16 6. 4. 9. 17 e^3
35: 4: 3 7^ 17 lab 3^8 T 20 12 13 don 21 9 T 18: e^9 20 16. 9. 0^13 4: 3. 12. 13. 9. 2 15 17

# c.131v transcription v1
V1: fen 10_ 17: 5 12 4. 10_ 14_ 10 10^13 7^ 15: T 18_ 16 9_ dan 17 14_ 9. 17 4: 3 7. 17
V2: 3^ 15 21 3 7^ 19 10 20 5 F T 18: e^9 12 17 3 15: 17. T 10 oria 21 T 16^13 10 4: 3 7.
V3: 3. 12 4_ 17^13 17^12 2°^13 9^13 4_ 17 7 12 4^ 17. 2 15_ 17 17^ fin 17: 3^ T x° 5 6° 15^ 12 4.
V4: 10_ 14_ 3. 10. 5 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 17 17^ 2 9_ 0^13 9_ 14: 5 15_ 7^ 21_ 16. 13. 16
V5: 17: 16 5 12 4: 9: 6_ 12 3: T .13. 15^ T 2oo 4^ 16. 9. 4: 3 7^ 5 3^2 fon 17^13
V6: 16 5 10. 13. x° T 15 5 12 4: 9: 6_ 12 3: e^9 T 10 vana 5 12 infle .13. 15 T
V7: 18: 16_ 16 1^13 9_ fon 3: 16 10_ 12 17_ 4_ 10 17: 5 3^2 13. 21 14_ apud 9_ 10^ 12
V8: 4_ 17 3 15: 18: 16_ 5 12 3. 3^3 5. 16_ 10: 4^ 4 4_ 10 4: 3 7. T 18: 16. 21 4_ 10^ 17
V9: 4_ 17 17. 10_ 7^ 4: 3 7. 5 12 17 17_ 12 18_ & 13 14_ 1^13 4 T 14: T 4_. 9. 12 17 5 10
V10: 10: 15 15 3. 12 17. 4^ 9. 4: 17 3 15: 15: 13 12 12_ 3 x° T 15: e^9. 13. 15 5 3^2 e^13
V11: ne T 16 16_ 5 12 10 16_ 16 18: 3: 13 4_ apud 9. _^13 14_ 10 10_ 7^ 10. 18: 4.
V12: T 4_ 17 .13. 3 7^ 16 T .9. 7. 15: 5 17 17_ 3. & 5 13 16° mi 3: 12 4. T 9^13 e^13
V13: apud 10_ 10: 12 4^ 17 3 15: 18: 16 3. 10. 10_ 4^ 18:^13 18. 6. 19_ 16 12: 16 3. 3^3
V14: 5 10 2°^13 21 3. 12 17_ 3^3 17: 16 10^13 9_ 4. 13. 15: 16^13 17 T 4. 21_ 4_ 8° 9: 13 e^13
V15: 2^13 4_ 14: 12: 5 12 17. 17 21 14_ 15_ 12 17^ 21 12 0 5 18_ e^13 a^12

Decryption

decryption.txt

# Line-by-line decryption of cc.131r-v against the transcription, by direct key values (no language model).
# Transcription notation: N bare numeral; N^ dot above (a); N: two dots (i); N_ dot below (e); N. dot after (o); N° small ring (u);
# N^k superscript k (^13/^12 = null, shown "-"); 3^2 m, 3^3 n, 3^7 r, 3^8 s; H° ll; x° ss; & rr; XP ñ; T = a; e^9 = a; 2oo = yu; trailing ? = doubtful reading.
# Bare numeral = single letter (a1 b2 c3 d4 e5 f6 g7 h8 i9 l10 n12 o13 p14 r16 s17 u19 v20 y21 z22) or consonant + a; ? = sign not identified.
# [code=value]: code word; [code=?value] = value inferred from context only.
#
  H | 3^13? 3. 13: 1? 4_. 9. 17 9 dan 4_ 10 vana 5 12 gis.
    | - co pi a de lo s i [dan=tra] de l [vana=embaxador] e n [gis=francia]
  1 | 16^13 16: 15_ 5 17 17_ 10: 17 10. 4: T 3 16 3^ 4. 9. 17 13 3 7. 5 13^13 15_ 17 4. 9. 17^ 16 4_ 18: 12.
    | - si re e s te mi s mo di a c r ca do lo s o c ho e - re s do lo ta r de ui no
  2 | T 10: 19 12. 14_ 16_ 4: 21 16_ 16 4_ 12 18_ Q T 4. 9. 2^ 12 4^ 4_ 10 0^13 16_ XP 13 16
    | a mi u no que se di y se r de n ue ? a do lo ba n da de l - se ñ o r
  3 | 4_ 17_ 12 4^ 6. 18_ 16_ 12 4. 16 4_ fen 5 12 21 14_ 10 7^ T 18: 16 4. 4_ 20
    | de te n da go ue se n do r de [fen=pro] e n y que l ha a ui r do de u
  4 | 12^ 5. 3^2 fon 16 14_ 7^ 16: 16 4. 3. 12 3 9° 21 4^ 13. 17^13 16 5 10 ning 21 16° rac
    | na fo m [fon=pre] r que ha si r do co n c lu y da po - r e l [ning=?rey] y su [rac=?consejo]
  5 | 16. 2 15_ 10 3^ 17 1^13 17: H° 13 3 4_ 12: 3^ 13. 16. 9. 17 fin 17: 3 17 21 T 18 16. 17 4_ 20
    | so b re l ca s - ti ll o c de ni ca po so lo s [fin=?pri] ti c s y a u so s de u
  6 | 12. H° T 10 4. 3^ 15_ 3. 12 2 dan 15_ 9 19 16 4_ 10 hic 21 4_ 20 12. H° T 10 1^13 17^13 4^12.
    | no ll a l do ca re co n b [dan=tra] re i u r de l [hic=?duque] y de u no ll a l - - ?
  7 | 4. 3 7^ 20 10 19 5 F amo 4_ 10 4: 3 7. hic 14_ 16. 9 T 16 16_ 16 19_ 16 T 10 10 16 14_ 17
    | do c ha u l u e ? [amo=?] de l di c ho [hic=?duque] que so i a r se r xe r a l l r que s
  8 | 4_ 10 6 17 17. 9. 17 14_ 9 17 7^ 12 6 12_ 4. 16_ 1^13 16 12 17^ 21 den 17 16. 10 4^ 4. 17
    | de l f s to lo s que i s ha n f ne do se - r n ta y [den=?tre] s so l da do s
  9 | bit 12. 17 14_ 5 17 17^ 12 5 12 10 4: 3 7. 3^ 17 17: H° 13 0^13 4_ filo 4_ 2^ 19. 4_ 10 3 16
    | [bit=?saboya] no s que e s ta n e n l di c ho ca s ti ll o - de [filo=niza] de ba xo de l c r
 10 | 6. 4_ 10 fin 0^13 13 16 4_ bit 14_ 15. 16 3: 5 16 17 16° 10 4_ allo 17 14_ 5 10 oria 9_ 17
    | go de l [fin=?pri] - o r de [bit=?saboya] que ro r ci e r s su l de [allo=?escudo] s que e l [oria=?rey] le s
 11 | 7^ fen 10_ 17: 4. 21 3. 12 3^8 15^13 13 15 12 21 4_ T 18_ 16 13_ 13 16 13 17° T 10_ 12 17_ 20^13
    | ha [fen=pro] me ti do y co n s - o ra n y de a ue r pe o r o tu a me n te -
 12 | 14_ don 15^13 13: 6 17 5 12 16_ 16 18: 3: 13 4_ 10 4: 3 7. ocia 7^ 12 fen 10_ 17: 4. 4_ 18
    | que [don=tro] - pi f s e n se r ui ci o de l di c ho [ocia=?rey] ha n [fen=pro] me ti do de u
 13 | 12 4_ 16 5 10 4: 3 7. 3^ 17 17: H° 13 20^13 21 5 12 den 6^ 16 9. 5 12 10 12. 4_ 10 4: 3 7.
    | n de r e l di c ho ca s ti ll o - y e n [den=?tre] ga r lo e n l no de l di c ho
 14 | 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 14: 20 12 4: T 16_ XP T. 9. 4. 16_ 6 7^ 4_ 7^ H° T 16. 13. 15
    | co n de d e te n da qui u n di a se ñ ? lo do se f ha de ha ll a so po ra
 15 | 5 10 0^13 5 6 5_ 17. 3. 12 4. 21 lab 17 21 den 2: 5 12 17. 10^13 17 16. 10 4^ 4. 0^13 3^8. 13.
    | e l - e f fe to co n do y [lab=galera] s y [den=?tre] bi e n to - s so l da do - ? po
 16 | 15^ 5 12 dan 16 5 12 5 10 4: 3 7. 3^ 17 17: H° 13 21 14_ 5 10 3. 12 1^13 4° 21: 15. 9. 17
    | ra e n [dan=tra] r e n e l di c ho ca s ti ll o y que e l co n - du zi ro lo s
 17 | 4: 3 7^ 17:^13 3^8 lab 17 21 16_. 10 4^ 4. 3^8 16. 3. 9. 16 4_. 9. 5° 5 16_ 3^ 14_ 5 10 4: 3 7.
    | di c ha - s [lab=galera] s y se l da do s so co lo r de lo fu e se ca que e l di c ho
 18 | oria 7^ 21 8 T 21_ 16 5 12 T 3^3 17: 2. 14_ 5 17. 3 16 3^ 4_ filo 21 7^ 16 3. 12 3 9°
    | [oria=?rey] ha y ? a ze r e n a n ti bo que e to c r ca de [filo=niza] y ha r co n c lu
 19 | 2°^13 9 4. 5 12_ 10 rac 14_. 9. 4: 3 7^ 5 3^2 fon 16 12_. 16 7^ 15^ 5 12 12. 3^2 2 15_ 4_ 10
    | - i do e ne l [rac=?consejo] que lo di c ha e m [fon=pre] r ne r ha ra e n no m b re de l
 20 | 2^13 4: 3 7. oria 16: 12. 5 3^3 12. 3^2 2 15_ 4_ 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 14: fon
    | - di c ho [oria=?rey] si no e n no m b re de l di c ho co n de d e te n da qui [fon=pre]
 21 | 17_ 12 4_ 14_ 5 10 hic 9 7^ 21 T bas 18: 13 0^13 5 12 4_ 17_ 12 16 9 3: 5 16^ 17^ 17 T 10
    | te n de que e l [hic=?duque] i ha y a [bas=?gra] ui o - e n de te n r i ci e sa ta s a l
 22 | 4^ T 17 5 12_. 9. 18^ H° 4_ T 20 6° 17 17^ 21 12. 10_ 7^ 16 2: 4. .13. 16 17: 3°. 9. 15:
    | da a s e ne lo ua ll de a u gu s ta y no me ha r bi do po r ti cu lo ri
 23 | 21: 16. 9. 4: 3 7^ fon 17_ 12 16: 17^13 13 12 16: 12. 14_ 5 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 0^13 4_ 4 5
    | zi so lo di c ha [fon=pre] te n si - o n si no que e l di c ho co n - de d e
 24 | 17_ 12 4^ 18_ 12: T 4_ 20 12 2^ 17 17^ 16 4. 4_ bit T 18: 5 12 4. 10_ T 18: 16 4. 14_
    | te n da ue ni a de u n ba s ta r do de [bit=?saboya] a ui e n do me a ui r do que
 25 | 5 10 amo 4_ 10 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 3. 12 5 10 14^ 13^13 10 5 3^1 13. 16 4_ 18: T e^13
    | e l [amo=?] de l co n de d e te n da co n e l qua - l e ? po r de ui a -
 26 | 17^13. 13. 16 17: 3^7 5 10 10: 16 17 7 17 13 5 10 10: 5 16 3. 9 17 fen 19: 10. 2°^13 21 H° 5
    | ? po r ti r e l mi r s g s o e l mi e r co i s [fen=pro] xi mo - y ll e
 27 | 18_ 16 9. 17 allo 3^8 T 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 21 T 12 17 17 14_ 10_ e^13
    | ue r lo s [allo=?escudo] s a l di c ho co n de d e te n da y a n s s que me -
 28 | 4_ 3. 9. 15^ X 5 5 17 17^ 5 3^2 fon 16 10_ 7^ 3. 17 den XP 9 4. T 14_ 9_ fen 18:^12
    | de co lo ra ? e e s ta e m [fon=pre] r me ha co s [den=?tre] ñ i do a que le [fen=pro] -
 29 | 10_ 17: 5 x° I 14_ apud 10:^13 12. 13 10 18: 4^ 15: T 5 10 16_ 16 1: 5 18: 3: 13 14_ 5 12 17 17.
    | me ti e ss ? que [apud=?V.Md.] - no o l ui da ri a e l se r ? e ui ci o que e n s to
 30 | 9_ 7^ 21: T 21 14_ 7^ 15: T 13 don 17 5 12 9. 13. 16 18_ 12: 16 0^13 21 3. 10. 20.
    | le ha zi a y que ha ri a o [don=tro] s e n lo po r ue ni r - y co mo yo
 31 | T° 18_ 4° 2 4^ 4. 4_. 9. 18: 16 4^ 4 4_ 16° 17. 13. .9. 2 15 17 10_ 4: 19. 14_ 0^13
    | ? ue du b da do de lo ui r da d de su to po lo b ra s me di xo que -
 32 | T 18: e^9 17_ 12: 4. fen 10_ x° T 4_ 10 4: 3 7. 3. 12 4_ 4 5 17_ 12 4^ 4_ 3. 12 4° 21:
    | a ui a te ni do [fen=pro] me ss a de l di c ho co n de d e te n da de co n du zi
 33 | 16. 9. 17 4: 3 7^ 17 lab 3^8 2°^13 21 T 2°° 4^ 16 T 10 10 12 13 4. 9. 4: 3 7^ fin
    | so lo s di c ha s [lab=galera] s - y a ? da r a l l n o do lo di c ha [fin=?pri]
 34 | 13^13 17: 3 21 14_ 5 10 3. 12 4_ 17 7 17^ 3^2 9 T 18: e^9 4^ 4. 5 10 3 16 6. 4. 9. 17 e^3
    | - ti c y que e l co n de s g ta m i a ui a da do e l c r go do lo s ?
 35 | 4: 3 7^ 17 lab 3^8 T 20 12 13 don 21 9 T 18: e^9 20 16. 9. 0^13 4: 3. 12. 13. 9. 2 15 17
    | di c ha s [lab=galera] s a u n o [don=tro] y i a ui a u so lo - di co no po lo b ra s
## c.131v
 V1 | fen 10_ 17: 5 12 4. 10_ 14_ 10 10^13 7^ 15: T 18_ 16 9_ dan 17 14_ 9. 17 4: 3 7. 17
    | [fen=pro] me ti e n do me que l - ha ri a ue r le [dan=tra] s que lo s di c ho s
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Reading

reading.md

**c.131r.** Copia de la [?carta] del embaxador en Francia.

> Sire: este mismo día, cerca de las ocho oras de la tarde, vino a mí vno que se dize ser de Navarra, de la banda del señor de Tenda, gouernador de Prouença, que me ha auisado de vna empresa que ha sido concluida por el [?Rey] y su [?Consejo] sobre el castillo de Niça, por las praticas y auisos de vno llamado Care, contrareleur del Duque, y de vno llamado Chaulue[?x], [amo] del dicho Duque, que solía seruir al marqués del Guasto; los quales han ganado sesenta y tres soldados [?saboya]nos que están en el dicho castillo de Niça debaxo del cargo del prior de [?Saboya], que por cierta suma de [?escudos] que el [?Rey] les ha prometido, y con [...] de auer perpetuamente quatro pagas en seruicio del dicho [?Rey], han prometido de vender el dicho castillo y entregarle en mano del dicho conde de Tenda, que vn día señalado se ha de hallar para el efeto con doze galeras y trezientos soldados para entrar en el dicho castillo; y que el conduzir las dichas galeras y soldados [será] so color de la fuerça que el dicho [?Rey] haze hazer en Antibo, que es cerca de Niça; y ha se concluido en el [?Consejo] que la dicha empresa no se hará en nombre del dicho [?Rey] sino en nombre del dicho conde de Tenda, que pretende que el Duque le haze agrauio en detenerle ciertas aldeas en el valle de [?Augusta]; y no me ha sabido particularizar su dicha pretensión, sino que el dicho conde de Tenda venía de vn bastardo de [?Saboya]. Auiéndome auisado que el [amo] del conde de Tenda, con el qual [...] deuía partir el miércoles próximo y lleuar los [?escudos] al dicho conde de Tenda. Y antes que me declarasse esta empresa, me ha constreñido a que le prometiesse que [?V. Md.] no oluidaría el seruicio que en esto le haría y que haría otros en lo por venir. Y como yo [...] dubdado de la verdad de sus palabras, me dixo que auía tenido promessa del dicho conde de Tenda de conduzir las dichas galeras y ayudar a la mano de la dicha pratica, y que el Condestable le auía dado el cargo de las dichas galeras a vn otro, y le auía [?burlado] con palabras,

**c.131v.**

> prometiéndome que me haría uer letras que los dichos Car y Chaulue[?x] auían escrito al [?Rey] y al dicho conde de Tenda sobre esta pratica, assegurándome que, como el dicho Condestable le quiere hazer partir en diligencia para ayudar a la dicha empresa, él passará en diligencia al embaxador en Génoua para auisarle precisamente del tiempo, y que [?V. Md.] le mande escriuir en conformidad del dicho auiso. Y demás desto me ha dicho este navarro que de aquí adelante él mirará con toda la discreción necessaria por emplearse en el seruicio de [?V. Md.], lo que me ha mouido a despachar a la hora este correo, suplicando a [?V. Md.] me mande escriuir cómo me deuo gouernar con él y contentarle. De París, a doze de Julio de mil quinientos y quarenta y nueve.

Translation

translation.md

**English.** Copy of the [?letter] of the ambassador in France.

> Sire: this same day, at about eight in the evening, a man came to me who says he is from Navarre, of the following of the lord of Tende, governor of Provence. He told me of an enterprise against the castle of Nice that the [?King] and his [?Council] have resolved. It rests on the dealings and intelligence of one Care, controller of the Duke, and of one Chaulve[?x], [office] of the said Duke, who used to serve the Marquis del Vasto. These two have won over sixty-three [?Savoyard] soldiers in the castle of Nice, under the charge of the prior of [?Savoy]. For a certain sum of [?crowns] that the [?King] has promised them, and with [...] of four pays in perpetuity in the said [?King]'s service, the soldiers have promised to sell the castle and deliver it to the Count of Tende. On an appointed day he is to be there with twelve galleys and three hundred soldiers to enter the castle. The galleys and soldiers are to be brought under colour of the fortress the [?King] is having built at Antibes, near Nice. The [?Council] has resolved that the enterprise shall be done not in the [?King]'s name but in the name of the Count of Tende. The Count claims that the Duke wrongs him by withholding certain villages in the valley of [?Aosta]. My informant could not give the particulars of this claim, only that the Count descends from a bastard of [?Savoy]. He told me that the [office] of the Count of Tende, with whom [...], was to leave next Wednesday and carry the [?crowns] to the Count. Before disclosing the enterprise he pressed me to promise that [?Your Majesty] would not forget this service, and he would do others in future. When I [was] in doubt of his words, he told me that the Count of Tende had promised him command of the galleys and a hand in the plot, but that the Constable had given the charge of the galleys to someone else. he had [?put him off] with words,

> and he promised to show me letters that Car and Chaulve[?x] had written to the [?King] and to the Count of Tende about this plot. He assured me that, since the Constable wants to send him off in haste to help the enterprise, he will ride in haste to the ambassador at Genoa to tell him the exact time. [?Your Majesty] should have that ambassador written to accordingly. Besides this, this Navarrese told me that from now on he will take care, with all necessary discretion, to employ himself in [?Your Majesty]'s service. This has moved me to dispatch this courier at once, begging [?Your Majesty] to tell me how I should deal with him and satisfy him. From Paris, 12 July 1549.

Key: key.tsv

05 Sources

Biblioteca Estense Universitaria, Modena, Autografoteca Campori, Lettera K, Karl V, sfasc. IV, cc. 131-132 (Lodovico record e7e65c38-4c54-48b1-8003-6da1c5c2ba1b, IIIF manifest); the letter of 15 July 1549, cc. 40-42, with its decipherment c.41. Images CC BY-NC-SA.
Ivan Sourvillo, issue #373 and two comments (10 Nov 2026): transcription, decryption, reading, translation and key.
S. Tomokiyo, Cryptiana, on the Doria-Figueroa cipher of 1548.
Calendar of State Papers, Spain, vol. IX (1912), extracts of Renard’s letters of July 1549 (cited by the contributor).
Gioffredo, Storia delle Alpi Marittime, in Historiae Patriae Monumenta, Scriptores II (Torino 1839), cols. about 1401-1402 (cited by the contributor).

Files: targets/renard1549/ (transcription, decryption, reading, translation, key, verification, profile).

Cite this page

Ivan Sourvillo and Daniel Bourdeau, “The ambassador in France to Charles V, Paris, 12 July 1549”, Cyphersolver, posted 10 November 2026, https://cyphersolver.com/renard1549.html.

The ambassador in France to Charles V, Paris, 12 July 1549: a plot against the castle of Nice