magic and real detectives-第16部分

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Count　Mattioli；　the　secretary　of　the　Duke　of　Mantua。　　He　was

kidnaped　on　Italian　soil　on　May　2；　1679；　and　hurried　to　the

mountain　fortress　of　Pignerol；　then　on　French　ground。　　His　offense

was　the　betraying　of　the　secret　negotiations　for　the　cession　of　the

town　and　fortress　of　Casal；　by　the　Duke　of　Mantua；　to　Louis　XIV。

The　disappearance　of　Mattioli　was；　of　course；　known　to　the　world。

The　cause　of　his　enlevement；　and　the　place　of　his　captivity；

Pignerol；　were　matters　of　newspaper　comment　at　least　as　early　as

1687。　　Still　earlier；　in　1682；　the　story　of　Mattioli's　arrest　and

seclusion　in　Pignerol　had　been　published　in　a　work　named　〃La

Prudenza　Trionfante　di　Casale。〃＇1＇　　There　was　thus　no　mystery；　at

the　time；　about　Mattioli；　his　crime　and　punishment　were　perfectly

well　known　to　students　of　politics。　　He　has　been　regarded　as　the

mysterious　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask；　but；　for　years　after　his　arrest；

he　was　the　least　mysterious　of　State　prisoners。





＇1＇　Brentano；　op。　cit。；　p。　117。





Here；　then；　is　Mattioli　in　Pignerol　in　May；　1679。　　While　Fouquet

then　enjoyed　relative　freedom；　while　Lauzun　schemed　escapes　or　made

insulting　love　to　Mademoiselle　Fouquet；　Mattioli　lived　on　the　bread

and　water　of　affliction。　　He　was　threatened　with　torture　to　make

him　deliver　up　some　papers　compromising　Louis　XIV。　　It　was

expressly　commanded　that　he　should　have　nothing　beyond　the　barest

necessaries　of　life。　　He　was　to　be　kept　dans　la　dure　prison。　　In

brief；　he　was　used　no　better　than　the　meanest　of　prisoners。　　The

awful　life　of　isolation；　without　employment；　without　books；　without

writing　materials；　without　sight　or　sound　of　man　save　when　Saint…

Mars　or　his　lieutenant　brought　food　for　the　day；　drove　captives

mad。



In　January；　1680；　two　prisoners；　a　monk＇1＇　and　one　Dubreuil；　had

become　insane。　　By　February　14；　1680；　Mattioli　was　daily　conversing

with　God　and　his　angels。　　〃I　believe　his　brain　is　turned；〃　says

Saint…Mars。　　In　March；　1680；　as　we　saw；　Fouquet　died。　　The

prisoners；　not　counting　Lauzun　（released　soon　after）；　were　now

five：　（1）　Mattioli　（mad）；　（2）　Dubreuil　（mad）；　（3）　The　monk　（mad）；

（4）　Dauger；　and　（5）　La　Riviere。　　These　two；　being　employed　as

valets；　kept　their　wits。　　On　the　death　of　Fouquet；　Louvois　wrote　to

Saint…Mars　about　the　two　valets。　　Lauzun　must　be　made　to　believe

that　they　had　been　set　at　liberty；　but；　in　fact；　they　must　be　most

carefully　guarded　IN　A　SINGLE　CHAMBER。　　They　were　shut　up　in　one　of

the　dungeons　of　the　〃Tour　d'en　bas。〃　　Dauger　had　recently　done

something　as　to　which　Louvois　writes：　〃Let　me　know　how　Dauger　can

possibly　have　done　what　you　tell　me；　and　how　he　got　the　necessary

drugs；　as　I　cannot　suppose　that　you　supplied　him　with　them〃　（July

10；　1680）。＇2＇





＇1＇　A　monk；　who　MAY　have　been　this　monk；　appears　in　the　following

essay；　p。　34；　infra。



＇2＇　Lair；　Nicholas　Foucquet；　ii。；　pp。　476；　477。





Here；　then；　by　July；　1680；　are　the　two　valets　locked　in　one　dungeon

of　the　〃Tour　d'en　bas。〃　　By　September　Saint…Mars　had　placed

Mattioli；　with　the　mad　monk；　in　another　chamber　of　the　same　tower。

He　writes：　〃Mattioli　is　almost　as　mad　as　the　monk；〃　who　arose　from

bed　and　preached　naked。　　Mattioli　behaved　so　rudely　and　violently

that　the　lieutenant　of　Saint…Mars　had　to　show　him　a　whip；　and

threaten　him　with　a　flogging。　　This　had　its　effect。　　Mattioli；　to

make　his　peace；　offered　a　valuable　ring　to　Blainvilliers。　　The　ring

was　kept　to　be　restored　to　him；　if　ever　Louis　let　him　go　freea

contingency　mentioned　more　than　once　in　the　correspondence。



Apparently　Mattioli　now　sobered　down；　and　probably　was　given　a

separate　chamber　and　a　valet；　he　certainly　had　a　valet　at　Pignerol

later。　　By　May　1681；　Dauger　and　La　Riviere　still　occupied　their

common　chamber　in　the　〃Tour　d'en　bas。〃　　They　were　regarded　by

Louvois　as　the　most　important　of　the　five　prisoners　then　at

Pignerol。　　They；　not　Mattioli；　were　the　captives　about　whose　safe

and　secret　keeping　Louis　and　Louvois　were　most　anxious。　　This

appears　from　a　letter　of　Louvois　to　Saint…Mars；　of　May　12；　1681。

The　jailer；　Saint…Mars；　is　to　be　promoted　from　Pignerol　to　Exiles。

〃Thither；〃　says　Louvois；　〃the　king　desires　to　transport　such　of

your　prisoners　as　he　thinks　too　important　to　have　in　other　hands

than　yours。〃　　These　prisoners　are　〃the　two　in　the　low　chamber　of

the　tower；〃　the　two　valets；　Dauger　and　La　Riviere。



From　a　letter　of　Saint…Mars　（June；　1681）　we　know　that　Mattioli　was

not　one　of　these。　　He　says：　〃I　shall　keep　at　Exiles　two　birds

（merles）　whom　I　have　here：　they　are　only　known　as　the　gentry　of　the

low　room　in　the　tower；　Mattioli　may　stay　on　here　at　Pignerol　with

the　other　prisoners〃　（Dubreuil　and　the　mad　monk）。　　It　is　at　this

point　that　Le　Citoyen　Roux　（Fazaillac）；　writing　in　the　Year　IX。　of

the　Republic　（1801）；　loses　touch　with　the　secret。＇1＇　　Roux　finds；

in　the　State　Papers；　the　arrival　of　Eustache　Dauger　at　Pignerol　in

1669；　but　does　not　know　who　he　is；　or　what　is　his　quality。　　He　sees

that　the　Mask　must　be　either　Mattioli；　Dauger；　the　monk；　one

Dubreuil；　or　one　Calazio。　　But；　overlooking　or　not　having　access　to

the　letter　of　Saint…Mars　of　June；　1681；　Roux　holds　that　the

prisoners　taken　to　Les　Exiles　were　the　monk　and　Mattioli。　　One　of

these　must　be　the　Mask；　and　Roux　votes　for　Mattioli。　　He　is　wrong。

Mattioli　beyond　all　doubt　remained　at　Pignerol。





＇1＇　Recherches　Historiques　sur　l'Homme　au　Masque　de　Fer；　Paris。

An。　IX。





Mountains　of　argument　have　been　built　on　these　words；　deux　merles；

〃two　jail…birds。〃　　One　of　the　two；　we　shall　see；　became　the　source

of　the　legend　of　the　Man　in　the　Iron　Mask。　　〃How　can　a　wretched

jail…bird　（merle）　have　been　the　Mask？〃　asks　M。　Topin。　　〃The　rogue's

whole　furniture　and　table…linen　were　sold　for　1l。　19s。　　He　only　got

a　new　suit　of　clothes　every　three　years。〃　　All　very　true；　but　this

jail…bird　and　his　mate；　by　the　direct　statement　of　Louvois；　are

〃the　prisoners　too　important　to　be　intrusted　to　other　hands　than

yours〃the　hands　of　Saint…Marswhile　Mattioli　is　so　unimportant

that　he　may　be　left　at　Pignerol　under　Villebois。



The　truth　is；　that　the　offense　and　the　punishment　of　Mattioli　were

well　known　to　European　diplomatists　and　readers　of　books。　　Casal；

moreover；　at　this　time　was　openly　ceded　to　Louis　XIV。；　and　Mattioli

could　not　have　told　the　world　more　than　it　already　knew。　　But；　for

some　inscrutable　reason；　the　secret　which　Dauger　knew；　or　was

suspected　of　knowing；　became　more　and　more　a　source　of　anxiety　to

Louvois　and　Louis。　　What　can　he　have　known？　　The　charges　against

his　master；　Roux　de　Marsilly；　had　been　publicly　proclaimed。　　Twelve

years　had　passed　since　the　dealings　of　Arlington　with　Marsilly。

Yet；　Louvois　became　more　and　more　nervous。



In　accordance　with　commands　of　his；　on　March　2；　1682；　the　two

valets；　who　had　hitherto　occupied　one　chamber　at　Exiles　as　at

Pignerol；　were　cut　off　from　all　communication　with　each　other。

Says　Saint…Mars；　〃Since　receiving　your　letter　I　have　warded　the

pair　as　strictly　and　exactly　as　I　did　M。　Fouquet　and　M。　Lauzun；　who

cannot　brag　that　he　sent　or　received　any　intelligence。　　Night　and

day　two　sentinels　watch　their　tower；　and　my　own　windows　command　a

view　of　the　sentinels。　　Nobody　speaks　to　my　captives　but　myself；　my

lieutenant；　their　confessor；　and　the　doctor；　who　lives　eighteen

miles　away；　and　only　sees　them　when　I　am　present。〃　　Years　went　by；

in　January；　1687；　one　of　the　two　captives　died；　we　really　do　not

know　which　with　absolute　certainty。　　However；　the　intensified

secrecy　with　which　the　survivor　was　now　guarded　seems　more

appropriate　to　Dauger　and　M。　Funck…Brentano　and　M。　Lair　have　no

doubt　that　it　was　La　Riviere　who　expired。　　He　was　dropsical；　that

appears　in　the　official　correspondence；　and　the　dead　prisoner　died

of　dropsy。



As　for　the　strange　secrecy　about　Dauger；　here　is　an　example。

Saint…Mars；　in　January；　1687；　was　appointed　to　the　fortress　of　the

Isles　Sainte…Marguerite；　that　sun　themselves　in　the　bay　of　Cannes。

On　January　20　he　asks　leave　to　go　to　see　his　little　kingdom。　　He

must　leave　Dauger；　but　has　forbidden　even　his　lieutenant　to　speak

to　that　prisoner。　　This　was　an　increase　of　precaution　since　1682。

He　wishes　to　take　the　captive　to　the　Isles；　but　how？　　A　sedan　chair

covered　over　with　oilcloth　seems　best。　　A　litter　might　break　down；

litters　often　did；　and　some　one　might　then　see　the　passenger。



Now　M。　Funck…Brentano　says；　to　minimize　the　importance　of　Dauger；

〃he　was　shut　up　like　so　much　luggage　in　a　chair　hermetically　closed

with　oilcloth；　carried　by　eight　Piedmontese　relays　of　four。〃



Luggage　is　not　usually　carried　in　hermetically　sealed　sedan　chairs；

but　Saint…Mars　has　explained　why；　by　surplus　of　precaution；　he　did

not　use　a　litter。　　The　litter　might　break　down　and　Dauger　might　be

seen。　　A　new　prison　was　built　specially；　at　the　cost　of　5；000

lires；　for　Dauger　at　Sainte…Marguerite；　with　large　sunny　rooms。　　On

May　3；　1687；　Saint…Mars　had　entered　on　his　island　realm；　Dauger

being　nearly　killed　by　twelve　days'　journey　in　a　closed　chair。　　He

again　excited　the　utmost　curiosity。　　On　January　8；　1688；　Saint…Mars

writes　that　his　prisoner　is　believed　by　the　world　to　be　either　a

son　of　Oliver　Cromwell；　or　the　Duc　de　Beaufort；＇1＇　who　was　never

seen　again；　dead　or　alive；　after　a　night　battle　in　Crete；　on　June

25；　1669；　just　before　Dauger　was　arrested。　　Saint…Mars　sent　in　a

note　of　the　TOTAL　of　Dauger's　expenses　for　the　year　1687。　　He

actually　did　not　dare　to　send　the　ITEMS；　he　says；　lest　they；　if　the

bill　fell　into　the　wrong　hands；　might　reveal　too　much。





＇1＇　Duc　de　Beaufort　whom　Athos　releases　from　prison　in　Dumas's

Vingt　Ans　Apres。





Meanwhile；　an　Italian　news…letter；　copied　into　a　Leyden　paper；　of

August　1687；　declared　that　Mattioli　had　just　been　brought　from

Pignerol　to　Sainte…Marguerite。　　There　was　no　mystery　about

Mattioli；　the　story　of　his　capture　was　published　in　1682；　but　the

press；　on　one