magic and real detectives-第14部分

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

Germany　admires　in　him　a　master　in　chemical　science。　　In　France；

where　he　was　supposed　to　possess　the　secret　of　the　transmutation　of

metals；　the　police　for　two　years　sought　and　failed　to　find　any

normal　source　of　his　opulence。　　A　lady　of　forty…five　once　swallowed

a　whole　bottle　of　his　elixir。　　Nobody　recognized　her；　for　she　had

become　a　girl　of　sixteen　without　observing　the　transformation！



Saint…Germain　is　said　to　have　remained　in　London　but　for　a　short

period。　　Horace　Walpole　does　not　speak　of　him　again；　which　is　odd；

but　probably　the　Count　did　not　again　go　into　society。　　Our

information；　mainly　from　Von　Gleichen；　becomes　very　misty；　a　thing

of　surmises；　really　worthless。　　The　Count　is　credited　with　a　great

part　in　the　palace　conspiracies　of　St。　Petersburg；　he　lived　at

Berlin；　and；　under　the　name　of　Tzarogy；　at　the　Court　of　the

Margrave　of　Anspach。　　Then　he　went；　they　say；　to　Italy；　and　then

north　to　the　Landgrave　Charles　of　Hesse；　who　dabbled　in　alchemy。

Here　he　is　said　to　have　died　about　1780…85；　leaving　his　papers　to

the　Landgrave　but　all　is　very　vague　after　he　disappeared　from　Paris

in　1760。　　When　next　I　meet　Saint…Germain　he　is　again　at　Paris；

again　mysteriously　rich；　again　he　rather　disappears　than　dies；　he

calls　himself　Major　Fraser；　and　the　date　is　in　the　last　years　of

Louis　Philippe。　　My　authority　may　be　caviled　at；　it　is　that　of　the

late　ingenious　Mr。　Van　Damme；　who　describes　Major　Fraser　in　a　book

on　the　characters　of　the　Second　Empire。　　He　does　not　seem　to　have

heard　of　Saint…Germain；　whom　he　does　not　mention。



Major　Fraser；　〃in　spite　of　his　English　（sic）　name；　was　decidedly

not　English；　though　he　spoke　the　language。〃　　He　was　（like　Saint…

Germain）　〃one　of　the　best　dressed　men　of　the　period。　。　。　。　　He

lived　alone；　and　never　alluded　to　his　parentage。　　He　was　always

flush　of　money；　though　the　sources　of　his　income　were　a　mystery　to

everyone。〃　　The　French　police　vainly　sought　to　detect　the　origin　of

Saint…Germain's　supplies；　opening　his　letters　at　the　post…office。

Major　Fraser's　knowledge　of　every　civilized　country　at　every　period

was　marvelous；　though　he　had　very　few　books。　　〃His　memory　was

something　prodigious。　。　。　。　　Strange　to　say；　he　used　often　to　hint

that　his　was　no　mere　book　knowledge。　　〃'Of　course；　it　is　perfectly

ridiculous；'〃　he　remarked；　with　a　strange　smile；　〃'but　every　now

and　then　I　feel　as　if　this　did　not　come　to　me　from　reading；　but

from　personal　experience。　　At　times　I　become　almost　convinced　that

I　lived　with　Nero；　that　I　knew　Dante　personally；　and　so　forth。'〃＇1＇

At　the　major's　death　not　a　letter　was　found　giving　a　clew　to　his

antecedents；　and　no　money　was　discovered。　　DID　he　die？　　As　in　the

case　of　Saint…Germain；　no　date　is　given。　　The　author　had　an　idea

that　the　major　was　〃an　illegitimate　son　of　some　exalted　person〃　of

the　period　of　Charles　IV。　and　Ferdinand　VII。　of　Spain。





＇1＇　An　Englishman　in　Paris；　vol。　i。；　pp。　130…133。　　London；　1892。





The　author　does　not　mention　Saint…Germain；　and　may　never　have　heard

of　him。　　If　his　account　of　Major　Fraser　is　not　mere　romance；　in

that　warrior　we　have　the　undying　friend　of　Louis　XV。　and　Madame　de

Pompadour。　　He　had　drunk　at　Medmenham　with　Jack　Wilkes；　as　Riccio

he　had　sung　duets　with　the　fairest　of　unhappy　queens；　he　had

extracted　from　Blanche　de　Bechamel　the　secret　of　Goby　de　Mouchy。

As　Pinto；　he　told　much　of　his　secret　history　to　Mr。　Thackeray；　who

says：　〃I　am　rather　sorry　to　lose　him　after　three　little　bits　of

Roundabout　Papers。〃



Did　Saint…Germain　really　die　in　a　palace　of　Prince　Charles　of　Hesse

about　1780…85？　　Did　he；　on　the　other　hand；　escape　from　the　French

prison　where　Grosley　thought　he　saw　him；　during　the　French

Revolution？　　Was　he　known　to　Lord　Lytton　about　1860？　　Was　he　then

Major　Fraser？　　Is　he　the　mysterious　Muscovite　adviser　of　the　Dalai

Lama？　　Who　knows？　　He　is　a　will…o'…the…wisp　of　the　memoir…writers

of　the　eighteenth　century。　　Whenever　you　think　you　have　a　chance　of

finding　him　in　good　authentic　State　papers；　he　gives　you　the　slip；

and　if　his　existence　were　not　vouched　for　by　Horace　Walpole；　I

should　incline　to　deem　him　as　Betsy　Prig　thought　of　Mrs。　Harris。







The　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask





I



THE　LEGEND





The　Mystery　of　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask　is；　despite　a　pleasant

saying　of　Lord　Beaconsfield's；　one　of　the　most　fascinating　in

history。　　By　a　curious　coincidence　the　wildest　legend　on　the

subject；　and　the　correct　explanation　of　the　problem；　were　offered

to　the　world　in　the　same　year；　1801。　　According　to　this　form　of　the

legend；　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask　was　the　genuine　Louis　XIV。；

deprived　of　his　rights　in　favor　of　a　child　of　Anne　of　Austria　and

of　Mazarin。　　Immured　in　the　Isles　Sainte…Marguerite；　in　the　bay　of

Cannes　（where　you　are　shown　his　cell；　looking　north　to　the　sunny

town）；　he　married；　and　begot　a　son。　　That　son　was　carried　to

Corsica；　was　named　de　Buona　Parte；　and　was　the　ancestor　of

Napoleon。　　The　Emperor　was　thus　the　legitimate　representative　of

the　House　of　Bourbon。



This　legend　was　circulated　in　1801；　and　is　referred　to　in　a

proclamation　of　the　Royalists　of　La　Vendee。　　In　the　same　year；

1801；　Roux　Fazaillac；　a　Citoyen　and　a　revolutionary　legislator；

published　a　work　in　which　he　asserted　that　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask

（as　known　in　rumor）　was　not　one　man；　but　a　myth；　in　which　the

actual　facts　concerning　at　least　two　men　were　blended。　　It　is

certain　that　Roux　Fazaillac　was　right；　or　that；　if　he　was　wrong；

the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask　was　an　obscure　valet；　of　French　birth；

residing　in　England；　whose　real　name　was　Martin。



Before　we　enter　on　the　topic　of　this　poor　menial's　tragic　history；

it　may　be　as　well　to　trace　the　progress　of　the　romantic　legend；　as

it　blossomed　after　the　death　of　the　Man；　whose　Mask　was　not　of

iron；　but　of　black　velvet。　　Later　we　shall　show　how　the　legend

struck　root　and　flowered；　from　the　moment　when　the　poor　valet；

Martin　（by　his　prison　pseudonym　〃Eustache　Dauger〃）；　was　immured　in

the　French　fortress　of　Pignerol；　in　Piedmont　（August；　1669）。



The　Man；　in　connection　with　the　Mask；　is　first　known　to　us　from　a

kind　of　notebook　kept　by　du　Junca；　Lieutenant　of　the　Bastille。　　On

September　18；　1698；　he　records　the　arrival　of　the　new　Governor　of

the　Bastille；　M。　de　Saint…Mars；　bringing　with　him；　from　his　last

place；　the　Isles　Sainte…Marguerite；　in　the　bay　of　Camnes；　〃an　old

prisoner　whom　he　had　at　Pignerol。　　He　keeps　the　prisoner　always

masked；　his　name　is　not　spoken　。　。　。　and　I　have　put　him　alone；　in

the　third　chamber　of　the　Bertaudiere　tower；　having　furnished　it

some　days　before　with　everything；　by　order　of　M。　de　Saint…Mars。

The　prisoner　is　to　be　served　and　cared　for　by　M。　de　Rosarges；〃　the

officer　next　in　command　under　Saint…Mars。＇1＇





＇1＇　Funck…Brentano；　Legendes　et　Archives　de　la　Bastille；　pp。　86；

87。　　Paris；　1898；　p。　277；　a　facsimile　of　this　entry。





The　prisoner's　death　is　entered　by　du　Junca　on　November　19；　1703。

To　that　entry　we　return　later。



The　existence　of　this　prisoner　was　known　and　excited　curiosity。　　On

October　15；　1711；　the　Princess　Palatine　wrote　about　the　case　to　the

Electress　Sophia　of　Hanover；　〃A　man　lived　for　long　years　in　the

Bastille；　masked；　and　masked　he　died　there。　　Two　musketeers　were　by

his　side　to　shoot　him　if　ever　he　unmasked。　　He　ate　and　slept　in　his

mask。　　There　must；　doubtless；　have　been　some　good　reason　for　this；

as　otherwise　he　was　very　well　treated；　well　lodged；　and　had

everything　given　to　him　that　he　wanted。　　He　took　the　Communion

masked；　was　very　devout；　and　read　perpetually。〃



On　October　22；　1711；　the　Princess　writes　that　the　Mask　was　an

English　nobleman；　mixed　up　in　the　plot　of　the　Duke　of　Berwick

against　William　III。Fenwick's　affair　is　meant。　　He　was　imprisoned

and　masked　that　the　Dutch　usurper　might　never　know　what　had　become

of　him。＇1＇





＇1＇　Op。　cit。　98；　note　I。





The　legend　was　now　afloat　in　society。　　The　sub…commandant　of　the

Bastille　from　1749　to　1787；　Chevalier；　declared；　obviously　on　the

evidence　of　tradition；　that　all　the　Mask's　furniture　and　clothes

were　destroyed　at　his　death；　lest　they　might　yield　a　clew　to　his

identity。　　Louis　XV。　is　said　to　have　told　Madame　de　Pompadour　that

the　Mask　was　〃the　minister　of　an　Italian　prince。〃　　Louis　XVI。　told

Marie　Antoinette　（according　to　Madame　de　Campan）　that　the　Mask　was

a　Mantuan　intriguer；　the　same　person　as　Louis　XV。　indicated。

Perhaps　he　was；　it　is　one　of　two　possible　alternatives。　　Voltaire；

in　the　first　edition　of　his　〃Siecle　de　Louis　XIV。；〃　merely　spoke　of

a　young；　handsome；　masked　prisoner；　treated　with　the　highest

respect　by　Louvois；　the　Minister　of　Louis　XIV。　　At　last；　in

〃Questions　sur　l'Encyclopedie〃　（second　edition）；　Voltaire　averred

that　the　Mask　was　the　son　of　Anne　of　Austria　and　Mazarin；　an　elder

brother　of　Louis　XIV。　　Changes　were　rung　on　this　note：　the　Mask　was

the　actual　King；　Louis　XIV。　was　a　bastard。　　Others　held　that　he　was

James；　Duke　of　Monmouthor　Moliere！　　In　1770　Heiss　identified　him

with　Mattioli；　the　Mantuan　intriguer；　and　especially　after　the

appearance　of　the　book　by　Roux　Fazaillac；　in　1801；　that　was　the

generally　accepted　opinion。



It　MAY　be　true；　in　part。　　Mattioli　MAY　have　been　the　prisoner　who

died　in　the　Bastille　in　November　1703；　but　the　legend　of　the　Mask's

prison　life　undeniably　arose　out　of　the　adventure　of　our　valet；

Martin　or　Eustache　Dauger。





II



THE　VALET'S　HISTORY





After　reading　the　arguments　of　the　advocates　of　Mattioli；　I　could

not　but　perceive　that；　whatever　captive　died；　masked；　at　the

Bastille　in　1703；　the　valet　Dauger　was　the　real　source　of　most　of

the　legends　about　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask。　　A　study　of　M。　Lair's

book　〃Nicholas　Fouquet〃　（1890）　confirmed　this　opinion。　　I　therefore

pushed　the　inquiry　into　a　source　neglected　by　the　French

historians；　namely；　the　corre