Philips of Marnix, Lord of Saint-Aldegonde

Philips of Marnix, Lord of Saint-Aldegonde, lived from 1540 to 1598 and was a Flemish and Dutch writer and statesman, and the probable author of the text of the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus. Born in Brussels, he studied theology under John Calvin and Theodore Beza at Geneva, entered the service of William, prince of Orange, in 1570 and was chosen burgomaster of Antwerp in 1583. Less known to the general public is his work as a cryptographer. He is considered the first Dutch cryptographer: for Stadholder William the Silent he deciphered secret messages intercepted from the Spaniards. His interest in the subject may also show in the Wilhelmus, whose verses begin with letters that spell out the name Willem van Nassov.