The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [1395]
No. 2.
Ofoiioiiaso ortsiii sov eodisoioe afduiostifoi fit iftvi si tri oistoiv oiniafetsorit ifeov rsri inotiiiiv ridiiot, irio riwio eovit atrotfetsoria aioriti iitri If oitovin tri aetifei ioreitit sov usttoi oioittstifo dfti aSdooitior trso ifeov tri dfit otftSeov softridi fitoistoiv oriofiforiti suitteii viireiiitifoi fit tri iarfoisiti, iiti trir net otiiiotiv uitfti rid lo tri eoviieeiiiv rfasueostr fit rii dftrit tfocei.
In the solution of the first of these ciphers we had little more than ordinary trouble. The second proved to be exceedingly difficult, and it was only by calling [column 2:] every faculty into play that we could read it at all. The first runs thus.
"Various are the methods which have been devised for transmitting secret information from one individual to another, by means of writing, illegible to any except him for whom it was originally designed; and the art of thus secretly communicating intelligence has been generally termed cryptography. Many species of secret writing were known to the ancients. Sometimes a slave's head was shaved, and the crown written upon with some indelible coloring fluid; after which the hair being permitted to grow again, information could be transmitted with little danger that discovery would ensue until the ambulatory epistle safely reached its destination. Cryptography, however, pure, properly embraces those modes of writing which are rendered legible only by means of some explanatory key which makes known the real signification of the ciphers employed to its possessor."
The key-phrase of this cryptograph is — "A word to the wise is sufficient."
The second is thus translated —
"Nonsensical phrases and unmeaning combinations of words, as the learned lexicographer would have confessed himself, when hidden under cryptographic ciphers, serve to perpdex the curious enquirer, and baffle penetration more completely than would the most profound apothems of learned philosophers. Abstruse disquisitions of the scholiasts, were they but presented before him in the undisguised vocabulary of his mother tongue "
The last sentence here (as will be seen) is broken off short. The spelling we have strictly adhered to. D, by mistake, has been put for I in perplex.
The key-phrase is — "Suaviter ir, mode, fortiter I'll ret"
In the ordinary cryptograph, as will be seen in reference to most of those we have specified above, the artificial alphabet agreed upon by the correspondents, is employed, letter for letter, in place of the usual or natural one. For example: — two parties wish to communicate secretly. It is arranged before parting that
(
shall stand for
a
)
—————— "
b
—
—————— "
c
*
—————— "
d
.
—————— "
e
’
—————— "
f
;
—————— "
g
:
—————— "
h
?
—————— "
i or J
!
—————— "
k
&
—————— "
l
0
—————— "
m
‘
—————— "
n
†
—————— "
o
‡
—————— "
p
¶
—————— "
q
[R-hand]
—————— "
r
]
—————— "
s
[
—————— "
t
£
—————— "
u or v
$
—————— "
w
¿
—————— "
x
¡
—————— "
y
[L-hand]
—————— "
z
Now the following note is to be communicated —
"We must see you immediately upon a matter of great importance. Plots have been discovered, and the conspirators are in our hands. Hasten!"
These words would be written thus
$ 0 . £ ] [ ] . . ¡ † £ ? 0 0 . * ¿ ) [ . & ¡ £ ‡ † ‘ ) 0 ) [ [ . [R-hand]
† ’ ; [R-hand] . ) [ ? 0 ‡ † [R-hand] [ ) ‘ — . ‡ & † [ ] : ) £ . ( . . ‘ * .
] — † £ . [R-hand] . * ) ' * — † ‘ ] ‡ ? [R-hand] ) [ † [R-hand] ] ) [R-hand] . ?
? ‘ † £ [R-hand] : ) ‘ * ] : ) ] [ . ’
This certainly has an intricate appearance, and would prove a most difficult cipher to any one not conversant with cryptography. But it will be observed that a, for example, is never represented by any other character than ), b never by any other character than (, and so on. Thus by the discovery, accidental or otherwise, of any one letter, the party intercepting the epistle would gain a permanent and decided advantage and could apply his knowledge to all the instances in which the character in question was employed throughout the cipher.