magic and real detectives-第13部分

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who　appeared　up　in　Islay；　having　escaped　from　Pomfret　Castle）；　had

for　his　first　wife　a　daughter　of　Henrietta；　the　favorite　sister　of

our　Charles　II。　　This　childless　bride；　after　some　ghostly　years　of

matrimony；　after　being　exorcised　in　disgusting　circumstances；　died

in　February；　1689。　　In　May；　1690　a　new　bride；　Marie　de　Neuborg；　was

brought　to　the　grisly　side　of　the　crowned　mammet　of　Spain。　　She；

too；　failed　to　prevent　the　wars　of　the　Spanish　Succession　by　giving

an　heir　to　the　Crown　of　Spain。　　Scandalous　chronicles　aver　that

Marie　was　chosen　as　Queen　of　Spain　for　the　levity　of　her　character；

and　that　the　Crown　was　expected；　as　in　the　Pictish　monarchy；　to

descend　on　the　female　side；　the　father　of　the　prince　might　be

anybody。　　What　was　needed　was　simply　a　son　of　the　QUEEN　of　Spain。

She　had；　while　Queen；　no　son；　as　far　as　is　ascertained；　but　she　had

a　favorite；　a　Count　Andanero；　whom　she　made　minister　of　finance。

〃He　was　not　a　born　Count；〃　he　was　a　financier；　this　favorite　of　the

Queen　of　Spain。　　That　lady　did　go　to　live　in　Bayonne　in　1706；　six

years　after　the　death　of　Charles　II。；　her　husband。　　The　hypothesis

is；　then；　that　Saint…Germain　was　the　son　of　this　ex…Queen　of　Spain；

and　of　the　financial　Count；　Andanero；　a　man；　〃not　born　in　the

sphere　of　Counts；〃　and　easily　transformed　by　tradition　into　a

Jewish　banker　of　Bordeaux。　　The　Duc　de　Choiseul；　who　disliked　the

intimacy　of　Louis　XV。　and　of　the　Court　with　Saint…Germain；　said

that　the　Count　was　〃the　son　of　a　Portuguese　Jew；　WHO　DECEIVES　THE

COURT。　　It　is　strange　that　the　King　is　so　often　allowed　to　be

almost　alone　with　this　man；　though；　when　he　goes　out；　he　is

surrounded　by　guards；　as　if　he　feared　assassins　everywhere。〃　　This

anecdote　is　from　the　Memoirs　of　Gleichen；　who　had　seen　a　great　deal

of　the　world。　　He　died　in　1807。



It　seems　a　fair　inference　that　the　Duc　de　Choiseul　knew　what　the

Dutch　bankers　knew；　the　story　of　the　Count's　being　a　child　of　a

princess　retired　to　Bayonnenamely；　the　ex…Queen　of　Spainand　of

a　Portuguese…Hebrew　financier。　　De　Choiseul　was　ready　to　accept　the

Jewish　father；　but　thought　that；　in　the　matter　of　the　royal　mother；

Saint…Germain　〃deceived　the　Court。〃



A　queen　of　Spain　might　have　carried　off　any　quantity　of　the

diamonds　of　Brazil。　　The　presents　of　diamonds　from　her　almost

idiotic　lord　must　have　been　among　the　few　comforts　of　her　situation

in　a　Court　overridden　by　etiquette。　　The　reader　of　Madame

d'Aulnoy's　contemporary　account　of　the　Court　of　Spain　knows　what　a

dreadful　dungeon　it　was。　　Again；　if　born　at　Bayonne　about　1706；　the

Count　would　naturally　seem　to　be　about　fifty　in　1760。　　The　purity

with　which　he　spoke　German；　and　his　familiarity　with　German

princely　Courtswhere　I　do　not　remember　that　Barry　Lyndon　ever　met

himare　easily　accounted　for　if　he　had　a　royal　German　to　his

mother。　　But；　alas！　if　he　was　the　son　of　a　Hebrew　financier；

Portuguese　or　Alsatian　（as　some　said）；　he　was　likely；　whoever　his

mother　may　have　been；　to　know　German；　and　to　be　fond　of　precious

stones。　　That　Oriental　taste　notoriously　abides　in　the　hearts　of

the　Chosen　People。＇1＇





＇1＇　Voyage　en　Angleterre；　1770。





　　　　　〃Nay；　nefer　shague　your　gory　locks　at　me；

　　　　　　Dou　canst　not　say　I　did　it；〃





quotes　Pinto；　the　hero　of　Thackeray's　Notch　on　the　Axe。　　〃He

pronounced　it；　by　the　way；　I　DIT　it；　by　which　I　KNOW　that　Pinto　was

a　German；〃　says　Thackeray。　　I　make　little　doubt　but　that　Saint…

Germain；　too；　was　a　German；　whether　by　the　mother's　side；　and　of

princely　blood；　or　quite　the　reverse。



Grosley　mixes　Saint…Germain　up　with　a　lady　as　mysterious　as

himself；　who　also　lived　in　Holland；　on　wealth　of　an　unknown　source；

and　Grosley　inclines　to　think　that　the　Count　found　his　way　into　a

French　prison；　where　he　was　treated　with　extraordinary　respect。



Von　Gleichen；　on　the　other　hand；　shows　the　Count　making　love　to　a

daughter　of　Madame　Lambert；　and　lodging　in　the　house　of　the　mother。

Here　Von　Gleichen　met　the　man　of　mystery　and　became　rather　intimate

with　him。　　Von　Gleichen　deemed　him　very　much　older　than　he　looked；

but　did　not　believe　in　his　elixir。



In　any　case；　he　was　not　a　cardsharper；　a　swindler；　a　professional

medium；　or　a　spy。　　He　passed　many　evenings　almost　alone　with　Louis

XV。；　who；　where　men　were　concerned；　liked　them　to　be　of　good　family

（about　ladies　he　was　much　less　exclusive）。　　The　Count　had　a　grand

manner；　he　treated　some　great　personages　in　a　cavalier　way；　as　if

he　were　at　least　their　equal。　　On　the　whole；　if　not　really　the　son

of　a　princess；　he　probably　persuaded　Louis　XV。　that　he　did　come　of

that　blue　blood；　and　the　King　would　have　every　access　to　authentic

information。　　Horace　Walpole's　reasons　for　thinking　Saint…Germain

〃not　a　gentleman〃　scarcely　seem　convincing。



The　Duc　de　Choiseul　did　not　like　the　fashionable　Saint…Germain。　　He

thought　him　a　humbug；　even　when　the　doings　of　the　deathless　one

were　perfectly　harmless。　　As　far　as　is　known；　his　recipe　for　health

consisted　in　drinking　a　horrible　mixture　called　〃senna　tea〃which

was　administered　to　small　boys　when　I　was　a　small　boyand　in　not

drinking　anything　at　his　meals。　　Many　people　still　observe　this

regimen；　in　the　interest；　it　is　said；　of　their　figures。　　Saint…

Germain　used　to　come　to　the　house　of　de　Choiseul；　but　one　day；　when

Von　Gleichen　was　present；　the　minister　lost　his　temper　with　his

wife。　　He　observed　that　she　took　no　wine　at　dinner；　and　told　her

that　she　had　learned　that　habit　of　abstinence　from　Saint…Germain；

that　HE　might　do　as　he　pleased；　〃but　you；　madame；　whose　health　is

precious　to　me；　I　forbid　to　imitate　the　regimen　of　such　a　dubious

character。〃　　Gleichen；　who　tells　the　anecdote；　says　that　he　was

present　when　de　Choiseul　thus　lost　his　temper　with　his　wife。　　The

dislike　of　de　Choiseul　had　a　mournful　effect　on　the　career　of

Saint…Germain。



In　discussing　the　strange　story　of　the　Chevalier　d'Eon；　one　has

seen　that　Louis　XV。　amused　himself　by　carrying　on　a　secret　scheme

of　fantastic　diplomacy　through　subordinate　agents；　behind　the　backs

and　without　the　knowledge　of　his　responsible　ministers。　　The　Duc　de

Choiseul；　as　Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　was　excluded；　it　seems；

from　all　knowledge　of　these　double　intrigues；　and　the　Marechal　de

Belle…Isle；　Minister　of　War；　was　obviously　kept　in　the　dark；　as　was

Madame　de　Pompadour。　　Now　it　is　stated　by　Von　Gleichen　that　the

Marechal　de　Belle…Isle；　from　the　War　Office；　started　a　NEW　secret

diplomacy　behind　the　back　of　de　Choiseul；　at　the　Foreign　Office。

The　King　and　Madame　de　Pompadour　（who　was　not　initiated　into　the

general　scheme　of　the　King's　secret）　were　both　acquainted　with　what

de　Choiseul　was　not　to　knownamely；　Belle…Isle's　plan　for　secretly

making　peace　through　the　mediation；　or　management；　at　all　events；

of　Holland。　　All　this　must　have　been　prior　to　the　death　of　the

Marechal　de　Belle…Isle　in　1761；　and　probably　de　Broglie；　who

managed　the　regular　old　secret　policy　of　Louis　XV。；　knew　nothing

about　this　new　clandestine　adventure；　at　all　events；　the　late　Duc

de　Broglie　says　nothing　about　it　in　his　book　The　King's　Secret。＇1＇





＇1＇　The　Duc　de　Broglie；　I　am　privately　informed；　could　find　no　clue

to　the　mystery　of　Saint…Germain。





The　story；　as　given　by　Von　Gleichen；　goes　on　to　say　that　Saint…

Germain　offered　to　conduct　the　intrigue　at　the　Hague。　　As　Louis　XV。

certainly　allowed　that　maidenly　captain　of　dragoons；　d'Eon；　to

manage　his　hidden　policy　in　London；　it　is　not　at　all　improbable

that　he　really　intrusted　this　fresh　cabal　in　Holland　to　Saint…

Germain；　whom　he　admitted　to　great　intimacy。　　To　The　Hague　went

Saint…Germain；　diamonds；　rubies；　senna　tea；　and　all；　and　began　to

diplomatize　with　the　Dutch。　　But　the　regular　French　minister　at　The

Hague；　d'Affry；　found　out　what　was　going　on　behind　his　backfound

it　out　either　because　he　was　sharper　than　other　ambassadors；　or

because　a　personage　so　extraordinary　as　Saint…Germain　was　certain

to　be　very　closely　watched；　or　because　the　Dutch　did　not　take　to

the　Undying　One；　and　told　d'Affry　what　he　was　doing。　　D'Affry　wrote

to　de　Choiseul。　　An　immortal　but　dubious　personage；　he　said；　was

treating　in　the　interests　of　France；　for　peace；　which　it　was

d'Affry's　business　to　do　if　the　thing　was　to　be　done　at　all。

Choiseul　replied　in　a　rage　by　the　same　courier。　　Saint…Germain；　he

said；　must　be　extradited；　bound　hand　and　foot；　and　sent　to　the

Bastille。　　Choiseul　thought　that　he　might　practice　his　regimen　and

drink　his　senna　tea；　to　the　advantage　of　public　affairs；　within

those　venerable　walls。　　Then　the　angry　minister　went　to　the　King；

told　him　what　orders　he　had　given；　and　said　that；　of　course；　in　a

case　of　this　kind　it　was　superfluous　to　inquire　as　to　the　royal

pleasure。　　Louis　XV。　was　caught；　so　was　the　Marechal　de　Belle…Isle。

They　blushed　and　were　silent。



It　must　be　remembered　that　this　report　of　a　private　incident　could

only　come　to　the　narrator；　Von　Gleichen；　from　de　Choiseul；　with

whom　he　professes　to　have　been　intimate。　　The　King　and　the　Marechal

de　Belle…Isle　would　not　tell　the　story　of　their　own　discomfiture。

It　is　not　very　likely　that　de　Choiseul　himself　would　blab。

However；　the　anecdote　avers　that　the　King　and　the　Minister　for　War

thought　it　best　to　say　nothing；　and　the　demand　for　Saint…Germain's

extradition　was　presented　at　The　Hague。　　But　the　Dutch　were　not

fond　of　giving　up　political　offenders。　　They　let　Saint…Germain　have

a　hint；　he　slipped　over　to　London；　and　a　London　paper　published　a

kind　of　veiled　interview　with　him　in　June　1760。



His　name；　we　read；　when　announced　after　his　death；　will　astonish

the　world　more　than　all　the　marvels　of　his　life。　　He　has　been　in

England　already　（1743…17？）；　he　is　a　great　unknown。　　Nobody　can

accuse　him　of　anything　dishonest　or　dishonorable。　　When　he　was　here

before　we　were　all　mad　about　music；　and　so　he　enchanted　us　with　his

violin。　　But　Italy　knows　him　as　an　expert　in　the　plastic　arts；　and