The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [1526]
The key to this cipher is as follows: But find this out and I give it up.
The appended letter, however, from Dr. Frailey, will show the means used by him to embarrass the reading. Arbitrary characters were made to stand for whole words. When we take this circumstance into consideration, with other facts mentioned in the letter, and regard also the nonsensical character of the phraseology employed, we shall be the better enabled to appreciate the extreme difficulty of the puzzle.
WASHINGTON, July 6, 1841. .
Dear Sir,
It gives me pleasure to state that the reading by Mr. Poe of the cryptograph which I gave you a few days since for transmission to him is correct.
I am the more astonished at this, since for various words of two, three and four letters, a distinct character was used for each in order to prevent the discovery of some of those words, by their frequent repetition in a cryptograph of any length and applying them to other words. I also used a distinct character for the terminations tion and sion, and substituted in every word where it was possible, some of the characters above alluded to. Where the same word of two of those letters occurred frequently, the letters of the key phrase and the characters were alternately used, to increase the difficulty.
As ever, yours, &c. .
CHAS. S. FRAILEY. .
TO F. W. THOMAS, ESQ.
Edgar Allan Poe to Timotheus Whackemwell (J. N. McJilton) — August 11, 1841
Philadelphia, August 11./ 41.
Dr Sir,
Your letter of yesterday is this moment received. A glance at the cipher which you suppose the more difficult of the two sent, assures me that its translation must run thus —
“This specimen of secret writing is sent you for explanation. If you succeed in divining its meaning, I will believe that you are some kin to Old Nick.”
As my solution in this case will fully convince you of my ability to decipher the longer but i[n]f[ini]tely more simple cryptograph, you will perhaps exc[use] me from attempting it — as I am exceedingly occupied with business.
Very truly yours,
Edgar A Poe.
Timotheus Whackemwell Esqr
John N. McJilton to Edgar Allan Poe — August 13, 1841
This is certainly intended for some one else. I know nothing of the matter whatever, nor should I be able to tell how the thing happened, but having seen the piece headed secret writing pubd in Grahams mag. (Graham’s Magazine) noticed somewhere I suppose some wag has addressed you anonymously whom you have mistaken for me.
JNM
Edgar Allan Poe to John N. McJilton — March 13, 1842
Philadelphia — March 13, 1842.
My Dear Sir,
I duly received your letter of the 14th ult, accompanying Miss Wetherald’s Translation. My silence, for so long an interval, will have assured you that the article is accepted with pleasure. Mr Graham, however, desires me to say that it will be out of his power to pay more than 2$ per printed page for translations. Should these terms meet the views of Miss Wetherald, we should be glad to receive from her, each month, an article similar to the one sent, and not exceeding three or four pages in length.
It will be inconvenient, just now, to furnish French periodicals, as suggested: — but the task of selection may well be left in the hands of Miss Wetherald, of whose abilities as a French translator I am fully satisfied, and of whose taste I am well assured by the character of the paper now furnished. Similar pieces would suit my own views better than others “more in the story-telling