Hello, I bought The Crater, or Vulcan's Peak: a Tale of the Pacific by James Fenimore Cooper 1st American Edition, 1847 for a few Euro . What is interesting, as I turned through the pages I discovered a small piece of paper with three words. In small handwriting over a cryptic looking message was "In Favor" and "In Opposition". When I turned the paper over and read through the light, the word "Inempereur" or "Empereuer" appeared, not too sure. Does anyone have any history or knowledge about old cryptography? Also the signature is in pencil and reads J. Fenimore Cooper. @Debora @wiscbirddog
I don't think they are letters, but rather numbers separated by a back slash so that it shows a tally of yea votes and nay votes, but in regard to what I have no clue.
Hm.... I found something in a publication called New Shakespeareana: A Twentieth Century Review -- In an article titled "Marginalia" -- It is in the Internet Archive. If I'm doing this link correctly the text should be highlighted in the lower right of the right-hand page. It might take a minute to run the search. https://archive.org/details/newshakespearea04yorkgoog/page/n182/mode/2up/search/EMPEREUR Backing up a few pages leads you to the beginning of the "Marginalia" section. I'm not going to read the whole thing, but it looks like some sort of a game that has to do with "magical name" and "ancient numerical prophecy." It has something to do with Napoleon Bonaparte being elected, and that Shakespeare somehow predicted it in his plays? If I wasn't about to go off to do something else I would read the whole article. Instead, I'll leave it to somebody else.
Not Cooper's signature, just someone noting that he's the author - I assume his name is not on the title page? Incidentally, the first edition was in two volumes, with a two-in-one reprint a year later. I think your 'vote tally' slip is someone working out a mirror-image cryptogram with Empereur, which is French for 'Emperor', referring to Napoleon, as Figtree3 implies; perhaps later supporters wishing the return of the monarchy, which was of particular import in 1848, a year of upheaval in Europe. The fact that the book is from 1847 would lend some credence to this assumption.
Okay thanks, the title page is enclosed and states "In Two Volumes" VOL. I. So assuming that this book is one of twovolumes. However penned the author's name is a doppelganger for penmanship. Check the similarities for letter J, F and r at the end of Cooper. Thanks for the info on Empereur cipher.
When I evaluate signatures, I usually look for differences, not similarities. In this case, the slant is wrong, the flow of the 'nim' is wrong, the 'C' is wrong - also, there're two 'n's in the penciled version, a mistake the real JFC would be unlikely to make, sorry. Does appear to be the correct American first, though!
