TRITHEIM, POLYGRAPHIE, PARIS, 1561

FIRST EDITION IN FRENCH, 4to (243 x 180mm.), title within allegorical woodcut border with portrait of the translator on verso, 2 similar sectional titles, 13 large woodcut diagrams (coding devices) with volvelles, partly printed in red and black, contemporary calf, small emblem gilt of crowned dolphin on covers (probably indicating a trade binding rather than a royal provenance), very minor dampstaining, rebacked

Jacobus Herbert, Caen, early ownership inscription; Gisbert Combaz, Brussels, ownership inscription dated 1910; bought from Jeremy Norman, San Francisco, 1988

Tomash & Williams T52; FB 49898; Mortimer, Harvard French, 528; USTC 1225

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Trithemius, abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Spanheim, was the first important writer on cryptography and is reputed to have been the teacher of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. He was of considerable influence on the reformed Hermetic thought of his period; John Dee, in particular, is said to have been the first to see the cryptographical possibilities of Trithemius's system. The woodcuts in this work, originally published in Latin at Basel in 1518, are arranged in the form of a wheel of numbers or letters, separated by emblematic figures. They can be moved under a fixed strip bearing the letters of the alphabet in order to encipher or decipher. The work also includes a number of exotic alphabets.