most Invincible Emperor and Victorious Hero, your Imperial Majesty; for, as your Imperial Majesty ought most rightly, as is your Imperial Majesty able most wisely, to judge of the character of my offspring recently born and destined with the lapse of time to attain its hoped-for growth.   And as your Imperial Majesty wishes, as is your Imperial Majesty most powerful, to undertake the care and protection thereof.  Wherefore, it does not behoove me to speak, in the presence of your Imperial Majesty, of its use, which, if anywhere, may, with certainty, in the estimation of your Imperial Majesty, be valued at its highest.  For who can compare the Roman-German Emperor, who can have more important matters whereof to treat with the greatest ones of the earth, -- himself, by Divine grace, the Greatest of all.  And these matters often require written correspondence of the most secret kind.  Now although I do not doubt that, even without this Commentary of mine, your Imperial Majesty can, through his acquaintance with the art of Steganography, effectually secure that his letters, though in a foreign land and even in the enemy’s territory, shall not, without the sanction of his Divine will, disclose to any other than those to whom they are sent the matters therein contained, still I do not for that reason think that this Book of mine will be for your Imperial Majesty without utility,