“When, however, you find this change ... where I beganne th’ worke, you shall pause awhile, then use the alphabet as it is heerein employ’d and as explain’d in my preceding epistle. It will thus be like a new alphabet and doubtlesse will bee troublesome, yet can bee conn’d while some had to be discover’d; but in respect of a probable familiaritie with th’ worke, and the severall diverse methods employed oft by his lordship, this may by no meanes be requir’d, since th’ wit that could penetrate such mysteries surely needeth no setti’g forth and enlarging of mine.

“Ere the whole question be dropt, however, let me bid you go on to my larger and fully arranged table where th’ storie, or epistle, is finish’d as it should have beene had his lordship lived to compleat it, since my part was but that of th’ hand, and I did write only that portion which was not us’d at th’ time. All this was duely composed and written out by his hand, and may bee cherish’d.

“From his penne, too, works which now bear th’ name Burton ... make useful those portions which could by noe means bee adapted to dramaticall writings. If you do not use them as you decypher th’ interiour epistles, so conceal’d, your story shall not be compleat.

“Th’ workes are in three divisio’s, entitled Melancholy, its Anatomy. Additons to this booke have beene by direction of Lord Verulam, himselfe, often by his hand, whilst th’ interiour letter, carried in a number of ingenious cyphers mentioned above, is from his pen, and is the same in every case that he would have used in these workes, for his is, in verie truth, worke cut short by th’ sickel of Death.”

This edition of Burton was the only old book in hand at the time of its deciphering, and, having found the cipher in it, I continued work upon it, though its contents were a serious disappointment, and I have since greatly regretted the time and strength spent upon what was of so little value, and of no interest historically as relating to the personality of Bacon or the times in which he lived. Has it been noted by Mr. Marston, or by others who have been incredulous about this book, that Burton in the appendix to his will does not include the Anatomy of Melancholy in “such books as are written with mine own hands”? While this might not be conclusive, it is, in the light of the cipher revelations, a very significant omission. I add here that the first edition was published in the name of T. Bright, under the title of A Treatise of Melancholy, in 1586, when Burton was ten years old and Bacon twenty-five. As the Anatomy of Melancholy, it was issued in Rawley’s lifetime, in several editions under dates of 1621, 1624, 1628, 1632, 1638, 1651-2, 1660, 1676. The edition of 1676 was a reprint of an earlier edition and was issued after Rawley’s death. Burton died in 1640.

One of the passages which Mr. Marston quotes in proof of a paraphrase of Pope’s translation is the expression, “Hillie Eteon, or the waterie plains of Hyrie.” On referring to my MS. of the deciphering from Democritus to the Reader, p. 73, l. 24, Anat. of Mel., I find the phrase was extracted from the words, which are here set up in two founts of modern type.

No one should pass judgment upon the Bi-literal Cypher who cannot, at sight, assign these letters to their respective founts, for it is much less difficult in these diagrams than in the old books themselves.

FOUNTS USED

{ abab abab abab abab abab abab
AAaa BBbb CCcc DDdd EEee FFff
{ abab abab ababab abab abab abab
GGgg HHhh IIiijj KKkk LLll MMmm
{ abab abab abab abab abab abab
NNnn OOoo PPpp QQqq RRrr SSss
{ abab ababab abab abab abab abab
TTtt VVvvuu WWww XXxx YYyy ZZzz

Passage to be deciphered.