70 Of the Advancement of Learning. L i b. VI. 



every day encreafes and alters the fafhion 5 afid the derivation of 

 words, efpecially from forreign Languages, are utterly defiic'd and ex- 

 tinguiCbt. In brief, ktrngwriting, according to the Teceiv'd Cuftom, 

 doth no way prejudice the manner of Jpeaking^ to what end (hquld this 

 innovation be brought in > ^^^V ^ ,T;r:i,rviq 07G 



& wherefore let us come to Cypher's. Their kinds are many, as Cypheri 

 Jimple 'j Cyphers intermixt with Nn//ocs, or non-fignificant Charafters, 

 Cyphers of double Letters tinder one Chara^er j Wheel-Cyphers j Kay* 

 Cyphers j Cyphers of Ti>ofds 5 Others. But the virtues of thein,whereby 

 they are to be preferr'd, are Three j That they be ready , and Hoi labori-' 

 CHS to write j That they lefure, and lie not open to Decyphiring: And 

 laUly, if it bepojjible, that they may be managed without ftifpitiou. For if 

 Letters Mifiive fall into their hands , that have fbme command and au- 

 thority over thofe that write 5 or over thofe to whom they were writ- 

 ten ; though the Cypher it felf be fure and impoffibleto be decypher'cl 

 yet the Matter is liable to ejcamination and queftion 5 unlefs the Cypher 

 be fuch, as may be void of all fufpicion, or may elude all examination.' 

 As for the Jl.ufting off examination, there is ready prepared a new and 

 profitable invention to this purpofe ^ which, feeing it is cafily procured, 

 to what end (hould we report it, as Defcient. The invention is this : 

 That you have two Cons o^ Alphabets, one oCtrue Letters, the other of 

 Non-{ignifcants ^ and that you likewifc fold up two Letters 5 one 

 which may carry the fecret , anotiier fuch as is probable the Writer 

 might fend, yet without peril. Now if the Meffenger be ftridtiy exa- 

 mined concerning the Cypher, let him prefent the Alphabet of Non-^gni- . 

 cants for trUe Letters , but the Alphabet of true Letters for 'Non-jfgnifi' 

 cants : by this Art the Examiner falling upon the exterior Letter, and 

 finding it probable, fhall fufpeft nothing of the 7»/emr Letter. But 

 that jealoufics may be taken away , we will annex another invention , 

 vvhichjin truth, we devifed in our youth, when we were at Paris : and is 

 a thing that yet feemeth to us not worthy to be loft. It containeth the 

 higheji degree of Cypher, which is to fignifie omnia per omnia, yet fb, as 

 the writinginj'olding, may bear a quintuple proportion to the writing- 

 infolded ; no other condition or reftriftion whatfoever is required, ft' 

 fhall be performed thus : Firft, let all the Letters of the Alphabet , by 

 tranfpofition, be refblvcd into two Letters only 3 for the tranfpofitioa 

 of two Letters by five placings.will be fufiicient for thirty two Diffe- 

 rences, much more for twenty four, which is the number of the Al- 

 phabet. The example of fuch an Alphabet is on this wife. 



An 



