Spanish cryptography, 16th Century

Original title for this codex is "Discursos de la cifra", and is basicly a complete treatise on cryptography, including technical description of different methods for enciphering and deciphering using tables, volvelles, movable sleeves, and grilles. Codex was written by an unknown (at least for me so far but my investigation is still on progress) cryptographer in the service of Martin de Cordova, viceroy of Navarre, and dedicated to Juan Fernandez de Velasco, Condestable de Castilla, a Spanish official who held also government posts in Italy, under domination of Spain in that age.

Delicious poem that serve as a preface for first volume: In this borrowed life/ where good life is the key/ the one that is saved knows/ that the other knows nothing.

This codex is complex, because it's composed of two different books or treatises. Cryptography is the second volume. The first is more theoretical and describes ciphers based on subjects such as arithmetic, non-Roman alphabets (Greek, Hebrew) and writing systems (Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, the writing of Indians of New Spain), astrology, musical notation, geography, currency, orthography, armorials, emblems, and enigmas.

Codex was sold by Martayan Lan -New York office- in Sept. 2001 and donated to the Pennsilvania University by Lawrence Schoenberg, an active philanthropist founder of the computer firm AGS.