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[34], 493, [1] pp. 4 of the leaves fold out - 3 of these contain tables, the other music. Copper-engraved pictorial title-page; 1 full-page copper engraving; numerous tables and illustrations of ciphers, codes and cryptograms. Woodcut head and tailpieces and initials. (folio) 11x7, contemporary (or 18th century?) boards, spine lettered in gilt, marbled page edges. First Edition.

Selenus' Nine Books of Cryptography in the first edition, a marvelous assemblage of cryptograms and cryptographic techniques. Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1759-1666), wrote, under the pseudonym Gustavus Selenus, books on chess in 1616, and the present volume on cryptography in 1624. It is based largely on earlier work by Trithemius. The copy at hand is in particularly choice condition, in boards that are likely contemporary though probably not original, with contents clean and fresh, though the paper is a little darkened. With bookplate Ex Bibliothec Zschuckiana.