6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Solver's cheat sheet
Most common letters
E T A O I N S H R D L U
Most common 1-letter words
A I
Most common 2-letter words
OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
Most common 3-letter words
THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
Common double letters
LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
Common word endings
-ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
After an apostrophe
T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=X B=Y C=G D=M E=U F=Q G=P H=T I=B J=K K=Z L=F M=D N=W O=N P=S Q=J R=O S=E T=A U=R V=H W=I X=V Y=L Z=C
“My lungs began to crow like chanticleer, That fools should be so deep-contemplative; And I did laugh sans intermission an hour by his dial.”— William Shakespeare, 1600, As You Like It, Act II. Sc. 7 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=G B=V C=Y D=W E=J F=L G=K H=A I=E J=O K=B L=T M=X N=I O=Z P=Q Q=P R=N S=C T=U U=M V=H W=F X=R Y=S Z=D
“Oh, many a shaft at random sent finds mark the archer little meant! And many a word at random spoken may soothe, or wound, a heart that's broken!”— Sir Walter Scott, 1815, The Lord of the Isles, Canto V. Stanza 18 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Z B=H C=V D=W E=O F=C G=E H=B I=D J=N K=T L=A M=R N=Y O=M P=F Q=X R=G S=L T=J U=K V=I W=Q X=U Y=S Z=P
“Everything which happens either happens in such wise as thou art formed by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed by nature to bear it.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=S B=J C=D D=B E=V F=U G=L H=W I=H J=E K=R L=T M=G N=I O=Y P=F Q=Z R=M S=O T=P U=Q V=N W=A X=K Y=C Z=X
“There were gentlemen and there were seamen in the navy of Charles II. But the seamen were not gentlemen, and the gentlemen were not seamen.”— Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1849, The History of England, Vol. I. Chap. II (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=K B=I C=O D=A E=J F=W G=E H=R I=T J=D K=Y L=Q M=P N=V O=N P=H Q=S R=M S=U T=F U=C V=X W=Z X=B Y=G Z=L
“The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquillity.”— Marcus Aurelius, 1862, Meditations (George Long translation, 1862)Cipher key: A=K B=V C=H D=J E=F F=R G=S H=I I=A J=U K=E L=G M=L N=O O=C P=W Q=Z R=P S=B T=N U=X V=M W=D X=T Y=Q Z=Y