Beschreibung:

DELLA PORTA, Giovan Battista (c.1538-1615). De furtivis literarum notis, vulgo de ziferis libri IIII. Naples: Joannes Maria Scotus, 1563.
DELLA PORTA, Giovan Battista (c.1538-1615). De furtivis literarum notis, vulgo de ziferis libri IIII. Naples: Joannes Maria Scotus, 1563. 4º (207 x 145mm). Woodcut arms of Phillip II of Spain on title, woodcut dials with volvelles on K1r and K4r (dial on L2r lacking the volvelle), woodcut ciphers, O3 printed in red and black, woodcut ornaments including arabesque headpieces on P1-R3. (2 of 3 volvelles only, lower blank margin of title with large section cut away and the loss repaired, browning to quire A, slight stain to K1, R1 with short marginal tear, quire Cc with light waterstain at bottom margin.) 18th-century vellum-backed boards with green morocco lettering-piece (some abrasion to covers). Provenance : J. Pauss, J.H.S. (inscription at head of title; Jesuit monogram at end) – Dr Ernest Darmstaedter (stamp on front pastedown). DELLA PORTA'S CELEBRATED WORK ON SECRET CODES AND CRYPTOGRAPHY. It described the first known digraphic substitution cipher, a method of encoding by which units of plain text are replaced with cipher text; the receiver then deciphers the text by performing the inverse substitution. Such magical acquirements as how to write secret messages on the inside of eggs or the edge of a pack of cards are explained. A close counterfeit of the edition was printed by John Wolfe in London in 1591. RARE. SBN locates only four copies of this first edition in Italian libraries. Adams P-1924; BL/STC Italian Books p.536; Caillet 8850; Mortimer/Harvard Italian 397; Riccardi I(ii), 309: ‘bella e rara edizione’.