An example From John Wilkins's Mercvry, or the Secret and Swift Messenger (1641)

erfdleellt
ietooswiih
lsuuhhsnte
photoavcsp
pahttltrhe
unthelsets
sdielngaot
yswsbonsdi
dpeiatoecl
eegeebmane

erfd lee ll tie too swiihlsuuhhsnte photo avcsppahttltrheun the l sets s die lngaotysws bons did pei atoec lee gee b mane

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e

General Rule: the cipher was a route transposition.

Proposed Key: Simple Vertical

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
e r f d l e e l l t
i e t o o s w i i h
l s u u h h s n t e
p h o t o a v c s p
p a h t t l t r h e
u n t h e l s e t s
s d i e l n g a o t
y s w s b o n s d i
d p e i a t o e c l
e e g e e b m a n e

Plain-text:
eilppusyde reshandspe ftuohtiweg doutthesie lohotelbae
eshallnotb ewsvtsgnom lincreasea litshtodcn thepestile

eilp pus y deres hands pef tuo htiweg dout the sielo hotel baee shall not be wsvtsgnoml increase alitshtodcn the pest ile

General Rule: the cipher was a route transposition.

Proposed Key: Alternate Vertical

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓
e r f d l e e l l t
i e t o o s w i i h
l s u u h h s n t e
p h o t o a v c s p
p a h t t l t r h e
u n t h e l s e t s
s d i e l n g a o t
y s w s b o n s d i
d p e i a t o e c l
e e g e e b m a n e

Plain-text:
thepestile ncdothstil lincreasea mongstvswe eshallnotb
eabletohol doutthesie gewithoutf reshandspe edysupplie

the pestilenc doth still increase amongst vs
wee shall not be able to hold out the siege
without fresh and speedy supplie

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e

10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e

10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e

10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓	↑	↓
e	r	f	d	l	e	e	l	l	t
i	e	t	o	o	s	w	i	i	h
l	s	u	u	h	h	s	n	t	e
p	h	o	t	o	a	v	c	s	p
p	a	h	t	t	l	t	r	h	e
u	n	t	h	e	l	s	e	t	s
s	d	i	e	l	n	g	a	o	t
y	s	w	s	b	o	n	s	d	i
d	p	e	i	a	t	o	e	c	l
e	e	g	e	e	b	m	a	n	e