Quicksilver Reading CompanionIn November 1688, the master cryptographer Rossignol writes a report to King Louis XIV detailing the geopolitical fallout of the French invasion of the Palatinate and the Dutch invasion of England.
“Rossignol to Louis XIV Continued” — Antoine Rossignol was the premier cryptographer of the French court; he and his son developed the “Great Cipher,” a nomenclator system so complex it remained unbroken until the late 19th century.
“Louis XIV” — Known as the “Sun King,” Louis XIV transformed France into the dominant European power through a system of absolute monarchy and near-constant warfare.
“reputation of your majesty’s sister-in-law the duchesse d’Orléans” — Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine, was the sister of the Elector Palatine; Louis XIV used her dubious inheritance claims as the legal pretext to invade and dismantle her homeland.
“Phobos and Deimos have been unleashed on the east bank of the Rhine” — This refers to the Nine Years’ War, a massive conflict where Louis XIV faced a coalition of nearly all other European powers. The mention of “Fear and Dread” (Phobos and Deimos) alludes to the French army’s deliberate use of terror to discourage imperial resistance.
“Heidelberg Castle burnt brilliantly for days” — During the Destruction of the Palatinate, French forces systematically burned cities and castles to create a “desert” between France and its enemies, an act of scorched-earth warfare that horrified Europe.
“give Louvois a firm scolding” — François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, was the ruthless Secretary of State for War who modernized the French army and was the primary architect of the brutal Palatinate campaign.
“Prince of Orange is now there, commanding an army” — William III of Orange was the lifelong nemesis of Louis XIV; his successful invasion of England secured British resources for the alliance against France.
“Huguenot scum who filtered up from France” — Huguenots were French Protestants who fled the country after Louis XIV revoked their religious freedoms in 1685; many of these refugees became elite soldiers in William of Orange’s invading army.
“SOPHIE” — Beyond her political importance to the Hanoverian Succession, Sophia was a polyglot and a sophisticated philosopher who served as the primary patron and lifelong correspondent of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
“M. le comte d’Avaux in the Hague” — The Comte d’Avaux was Louis XIV’s top diplomat in the Netherlands, tasked with monitoring the Prince of Orange and maintaining a network of spies within the Dutch Republic.
“house of Huygens” — The Huygens Family was a powerhouse of the Dutch Golden Age; Constantijn was a diplomat and poet, while his son Christiaan was one of the greatest scientists of the century, discovering the rings of Saturn and inventing the pendulum clock.
“Bonaventure Rossignol” — The Rossignol cryptographers operated out of a “Cabinet Noir” (Black Chamber), where they intercepted and read the private mail of both foreign enemies and French nobles to ensure total loyalty to the King.