PREFACE

...[utility]. For indeed, both these and other similar skills can be grasped through certain instructions, and can be taught and learned by a fixed method. This is shown not only by the books written on these subjects, but also by the many illustrious examples provided by the greatest men—both the ancients, as far as we have known and heard, and many more recent figures. Since these examples are already well known to the learned, for whom these works are especially published, we judge it unnecessary to bring them forward here.

Moreover, it is no small part of the political, military, and other arts of that kind to hide those plans which, if they became known to the enemy, could be harmful to us; and likewise to be able to communicate them to friends in such a way that they might not become known by any means—neither to a dishonest courier, nor even to the enemy themselves, if by chance the items to which the secrets were entrusted Refers to the physical medium of the message, such as a letter or token. should be intercepted.

For this reason, certain wise men, both ancient and modern, have devised several clever stratagems original: "stratagemata"; here meaning deceptive maneuvers or ingenious methods of communication for this purpose, as well as for other ways to secretly signal the secrets of the mind. However, as for one who has compiled, devised, and published more and more ingenious methods, there is no one alive today, as far as I know, who surpasses Giambattista della Porta, a most learned man.

For this reason also, when I saw that his books on secret character notations original: "de furtivis literarum notis"—commonly entitled On Ciphers original: "de Ziferis"—were being greatly sought after by those devoted to the fine arts...