STEGANOGRAPHY

Roth. Likely a reference to the recipient or a specific sub-category of the system.

LET THIS BE ANOTHER FORM OF SECRETS;

which is committed to the Spirits.

A secret remains stored in my mind regarding my upcoming visit to a friend—be they male or female—concerning our next secret meeting. I do not dare to write this very thing down, lest it become public, for a grave reason forbids it; nor can I send it by a messenger, as the danger is the same. I call a spirit, I commit the matter to it; it comes, it goes, it delivers the secret most secretly. I am safe through the form of the letters I send; let the letter be as familiar and casual as you please, so that the opportunity for delivery is not lost.

Greetings. The bearer of the present letter, brother Arnoldus Bostius Arnold Bostius (1445–1499) was a Carmelite monk and a fellow humanist scholar who corresponded frequently with Trithemius., has composed many admirable volumes on various subjects. As you will find written at the end of our book concerning Ecclesiastical writers Trithemius’s own work, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis (1494), a massive bibliography of Christian authors.—which I sent to you some time ago—among many other things where mention is made of living authors, you will find him listed. I commend this great man, notable for his religious devotion and the beauty of his arts, to your sincerity, my most dear patron. I ask most earnestly that you receive him with that familiarity with which you are accustomed to welcome all those joined to us in friendship. He will reveal many secrets of nature to you, and will be able to delight you with the sweetest conversation, if you so desire. I pray that you take care to return to me as soon as possible my codex of magical experiments which you have. I will soon send you the volume of Synesius Synesius of Cyrene, an ancient philosopher whose works were highly valued by Renaissance occultists. by the power of the spirits once you have returned my experiments to me. Take care of yourself so that you may be well. Write back to me often. Given in Sponheim on the tenth of March Original: "sexto Iduum Martij," the sixth day before the Ides of March. in the year of the Lord’s incarnation 1500. Johannes Trithemius, Abbot. — The one who receives the letters, to whom you sent by means of the spirit, should do what he knows is to be done in this art: and having recognized the circular sign, let him turn toward the East Original: Eurum, the East wind. and in silence say this invocation:

Camuel Busarcha, menaton enatiel, meran sayr abasremon, naculi pesarum nadru lasmon enoti chamabet usear lesponty abrulmy pen sayr thubarym, gonayr asmon friacha rynon otry hamerson, buccurmy pedauellon. In the context of Trithemius’s system, these seemingly nonsensical magical words are actually a "steganographic" cipher. The secret message is hidden within these syllables, usually extracted by taking the first and last letters of words or following a specific pattern known to the recipient.

Once these things have been said, let him take the letters in hand again, looking toward the East as you know. It should be noted that all these spirits with their prince are located in the East, and therefore it is necessary that everyone who works through them turns that way: or if he cannot, he should at least place the letters facing that way when he has received them. Observe and understand what we have said to you.