Professor E. :R. Vincent 

President, Corpus Christi College 

Cambridge, Engl.a.lid. 

Dear Vincent: 

I 

' ·- . " 

310 Ser ~ St:oeet 1 S .E. 

Wa8hiD€; .. iJU 3, D. O. 

2~ August 1954 

Just as soon as it was possible ·f'.o;r i:re to •ta.rt gathering together some mterial 

for you e.f'ter :r got honn I did so and ·I 1~nd :you herewith some items which I hope may 

be he]»ful in connection with yotj.;' toithcoming talk e.t the 6th Triennial Congress of 

the International. Federation for~ Ianguages and Literatures. 

In connection with the micro~~Jfo ot a. tew pages trom the 11Ruosian Word Count" 

by Jossel.aon, I call your attention especially to pages 13-15, as these llBY' be quite 

pertinent to ;your problem. I have, ar course, had to Olllit al1 ot the detailed 

tabular ma.te;dal that :f'ollowed tbeee f'1rat 41 pages ot the Josselson vork, which runs 

to ~5 pages. 

I refer you also to an articJ.e w11i1ch 1ou will undoubted.J.¥ be able to locate at 

Cambridge and which describes a collating im.chi?Je tbs.t has proved to be extensively 

help:f'ul. in connection with Studies of the Shakespeare First Yoliot H:fnmen, Cba.rlton, 11Varie.nt readings in the Firat Folio of Sbakespeare. 'i Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. !Y, 

Ju:cy 1953, No. 3, PP· 279 ... 288. . . 

With re.f'erence to the microtilm. matter trom a magazine (Astounding Fiction), 

these articles may not be a.t all help:f"'41 but I :f'eel sure that they Will interest you. 

The name at the author, Coupling, ia really a pseudonym. tor J)r. Pierce, a member or 

the sta.f'f' of the :Bel1 'l'elephone IAboratories and a aeientist of eminence. 

One ot the interesting exanples or the manner in which a newJ.y .. invented tool 

may operate to open up :f'resh lines in theoretical. research and in advancing IJeV 

techniques tor the solution of old problems is provided by the new electronic conputers. One of these fresh lines is in connection with the use or cO?qputer-l.ike ma.chines for 

aut0ll8tic translation from one lallguage to another. The material. I have on this 18 

too bulky to send you, but if you think tbat this might be usef'ul. in connection with 

your talk, I :reel sure that you can get all that you will need from Dr. A. Don l3ooth 

ar Dr. R. K. Richens, ot the Universit1 of London, '!'hey ha.vs been a.ssocie.ted with 

the work on mecbanical. translation at that. inatitution, which ia one ot the five 

large centers f'or euch studies,. the others being in the United States. 

I promised to send you, as a gitt, a. copy of Sacco 1 s work on cr~tography but 

I eeem to have lost track of' ra:f extm copy. I will have to consu1t ~ record.a; I 

think r know where it is and will get it to you as soon u practicable. 

I discove~d that others (f'or exa.np1e, Booth,·in 8,0llle Acrostic Signatures of' ~cis Be.con) bad also noted the secondary acrostic in Boccaccio 1 a .Mx>~osa V1sione-. 

it consists of' the rive letters of the natte 11Maria11 , formed by taking the initial. 

letter ot' the f'irat,third,:rifth,seventh, and ninth lines of the f'irst sonnetto 

formed by the J.etters o-r the primary acrostic. I would be inclined to believe that 

aonewhere he also hid either her real temil:y nane (d'Aquino) or his pet name 

Fiamnetta.. When :t get the ti~ I am going to do a little hUn.ting. ~t chap ia 

rea.ll.y amazing considering how long ago he 'W'rote his Amorosa. Do you know whether 

be put any acrostics in ~ ot h1B other things? 

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@'pproved for Release by NSA on 07-17-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 
' 

I ho.pe this letter and its ma.teria.1 will reach you in time to be ar some 

service. I shall be much interested in knowing what you did in the 'WBY or 

l!IOd.ernizing your presentation. Perhaps you will send. me a. copy of it. 

With cordial greetings to Mra. Vincent and to you, I am 

Sincerely, 

WILLIAM F. FRIEDMAN