在一封路易十四和尼古拉斯·卡蒂纳元帥之間的加密信件出現了一個解決鐵面人奧秘的方法[2]。信內提及一位名為維維恩·德·布隆德(Vivien de Bulonde)的將軍,他原要進攻奧地利城鎮庫內奧,卻遠離了戰場。他的行為甚至差點令皮埃蒙特地區的全部戰役皆落敗。書中寫道:
His Majesty knows better than any other person the consequences of this act, and he is also aware of how deeply our failure to take the place will prejudice our cause, a failure which must be repaired during the winter. His Majesty desires that you immediately arrest General Bulonde and cause him to be conducted to the fortress of Pignerole, where he will be locked in a cell under guard at night, and permitted to walk the battlement during the day with a 330 309
Kahn, David. "The Man in Iron Mask -- Encore et Efin, Cryptologically." Cryptologia, January 2005, Volume XXIX, Number 1.
Singh, Simon. The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography. New York: Anchor Books, 1999. ISBN 0-385-49532-3.
Urban, Mark. "The Blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo, June to November 1811 - The Great Cipher." in The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes. Harper Perennial, 2003. ISBN 978-0060934552.