"Vigenere's work culminated in his Traicte des Chiffres ("A Treatise on Secret Writing"), published in 1586. Ironically, this was the same year that Thomas Phelippes was breaking the cipher of Mary Queen of Scots. If only Mary's secretary had read this treatise, he would have known about the Vigenere cipher, Mary's messages to Babington would have baffled Phelippes, and her life might have been spared." --