Book Two

Chapter Two.

 Which touches on the Modes of Cryptology properly called.

IT HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED AT SUFFICIENT LENGTH IN THE preceding book that both in speech and in writing, as well as in signs, the secret can and should be so hidden that it is possible for no one, unless he be one who has understanding of this art, easily to scent the same, to run it down, and to get it in his possession. Let us now, as the scheme of our undertaking demands, consider the various Modes of secret-making, one by one. And that our investigation may proceed systematically, and the parts be taken up in the order just named, I will begin in this chapter with those methods of concealment that apply to speech. 

This sort of concealment, then, takes place either by the mediation of Speech, or by the mediation of Signs. I say signs, for, although I have postponed the treatment of this subject to the last, there is no reason why that part of it which has to do with speech should not, as being the briefer, part, be here treated by anticipation.

This concealment which takes place by the mediation of the voice is accomplished by Secret Suggestion of Speech, by Transference, or, by Alteration.

Secret Suggestion, again, is accomplished through the secret lowering of the voice, through the subdued utterance of words into a tube, or through the confinement of the voice in a pipe, or greater conduit. Secret lowering of the voice is the act of speaking under the breath to one in our presence. But this practice, as being undignified and liable to suspicion, shall form no part of our art (see Cardano, De Subtilitate, Bk. 12.); turn we, rather, to the other methods of Secret Suggestion. The subdued utterance of words through a tube or greater conduit, takes place between those separated in space.  The confinement of a voice, as articulate speech, in a pipe, takes place between those separated in space and at great distance from each other. On these two Modes, it is worth while hearing Walch, Decad. Fab., 9, p. 223, who discourses to the following effect: “Our subject of discourse and inquiry at the present time is not that Mode of secret speech, whereby two friends, stationed at positions very far apart,–say, a distance you would hardly believe possible, two or three hundred paces or even more,–are able, by talking through a leaden or copper tube, to converse safely with each other, with no sound of what is passing reaching the ears of those standing between the two points. As respects this Mode, it may be said that, if the words are assisted by being enclosed in regular conduits and by being kept uninjured and safe from the danger of contact with rocks, they may be transmitted through passages of very great length, and issue from the other end of the pipe still unimpaired and distinct, very little, if any, later than the moment of their utterance,—and this while those standing between the two points are, to a man, unaware of what is said and as if deaf.  The object of our toil and ingenuity is at present rather to determine the method by which, when our friends are at a distance even of several miles, we may talk to them through a pipe, by speaking into, and consigning to the care of said pipe, certain definite and distinctly uttered words, which are to be transferred, by courier and carefully guarded, to another spot; the words then once more jump forth from the tube and strike our friend’s ear, faithfully repeated, and in exactly the same order in which the consignment was made.