occupation as I have ever had with any of those I have hitherto
guarded.
Although, Sir, you have the kindness to give me permission to go,
from time to time, to Casale, I dare not do it, lest during my
absence, you should address any packets to me for M. de Pianesse.
DE SAINT-MARS.[325]
[325] Extracted from the work of M. Roux (Fazillac).
No. 122.
SAINT-MARS TO LOUVOIS.
Description of the Apartment and manner of Confinement of
the Prisoners at Exiles.
Exiles, March 11th, 1682.
SIR,
I have received the letter which you were pleased to do me the
honour to write to me on the 27th of last month, in which you
acquaint me, Sir, that it is important my two prisoners should have
no communication with any one. Since the first time that you, Sir,
gave me this order, I have guarded these two prisoners, who are
under my care, as severely and exactly as I formerly did Messieurs
Fouquet and Lauzun, who could not boast that they had either sent or
received any news, while they were in confinement. These prisoners
can hear the people speak as they pass along the road which is at
the bottom of the tower; but they, if they wished it, could not make
themselves heard; they can see the persons on the hill which is
before their windows, but cannot themselves be seen on account of
the bars which are placed across their room. There are two sentinels
of my company always night and day, on each side of the tower, at
a reasonable distance, who can see the window of the prisoners
obliquely. They are ordered to take care that no one speaks to them,
and that they do not cry out from their windows; and to make the
passengers walk on if they wish to stop in the path, or on the side
of the hill. My own room being joined to the tower, and having no
other look-out except towards this path, I hear and see every thing,
even my two sentinels, who are by this means always kept alert.
As for the inside of the tower, I have divided it in such a manner,
that the priest who says mass to them cannot see them, on account
of a curtain I have made, which covers their double doors. The
servants, who bring their food, put whatever is necessary for the
prisoners upon a table on the outside, and my lieutenant takes it
and carries it in to them. No one speaks to them except myself, my
officer, M. Vigneron (the confessor), and physician from Pragelas,
which is six leagues from hence, who only sees them in my presence.
With regard to their linen and other necessaries, I take the same
precautions which I did with my former prisoners.
I am, &c.
DE SAINT-MARS.[326]
[326] Extracted from the work of M. Roux (Fazillac).
No. 123.
SAINT-MARS TO LOUVOIS.
Exiles, Dec. 23d, 1685.
MY prisoners are still ill and in a course of medicine; they are,
however, perfectly tranquil.
DE SAINT-MARS.[327]
[327] Ibid.
No. 124.
SAINT-MARS TO LOUVOIS.
Saint-Mars is made Governor of the Islands of Saint
Margaret.
Exiles, January 20th, 1687.
SIR,
I am most grateful for the new favour, which I have just received
from his Majesty, (the government of the Islands of Saint Margaret).
If you order me to go there without delay, I would request to be
permitted to take the road through Piedmont, on account of the great
quantity of snow that there is between this place and Embrun; and,
on my return, which shall be as quick as I can possibly make it, I
hope you will approve of my going by the way, to take leave of the
Duke of Savoy, from whom I have always received so much kindness.
I will give such good orders for the guarding of my prisoner, that
I can answer to you, Sir, for his entire security, as well as for
his not now, nor ever, holding intercourse with my Lieutenant, whom
I have forbid to speak to him, which is punctually obeyed. If I
take him with me to the Islands, I think the most secure conveyance
will be a chair covered with oil-cloth, in which there would enter
a sufficiency of air, without its being possible for any one to
see or speak to him during the journey, not even the soldiers whom
I shall select to be near the chair. This conveyance will be less
embarrassing than a litter, which is liable often to break.
I am, &c.
DE SAINT-MARS.[328]
[328] Extracted from the work of M. Roux (Fazillac).
No. 125.
SAINT-MARS TO LOUVOIS.
From the Islands of Saint Margaret,
March 23d, 1687.
* * * * * *
I have been here for the last thirty days, of which I have passed
twenty-six in bed, with a continual fever. I have taken so much
powder of bark, that, for the last three days, I have been free from
fever. I have sent to Toulon for my litter, in order to go from
hence the 26th of this month, and I hope to be at Exiles in eight
days, by the Embrun and Briançon road. As soon as I shall have had
the honour of receiving your commands, Sir, I shall set forth again
with my prisoner, whom I promise to conduct here in all security,
without any one seeing or speaking to him. He shall not hear mass
after he leaves Exiles, till he is lodged in the prison which is
preparing for him here, to which a chapel is attached.
* * * * * *
I pledge my honour to you for the entire security of my prisoner.
I am, &c.
DE SAINT-MARS.[329]
[329] Extracted from the work of M. Roux (Fazillac).
No. 126.
SAINT-MARS TO LOUVOIS.
Arrival of Matthioli at the Islands of Saint Margaret.
From the Islands of Saint Margaret,
May 3d, 1687.
SIR,
I arrived here the 30th of last month: I was only twelve days on the
journey, in consequence of the illness of my prisoner, occasioned,
as he said, by not having as much air as he wished. I can assure
you, Sir, that no one has seen him, and that the manner in which I
have guarded and conducted him during all the journey, makes every
body try to conjecture who he is.
My prisoner’s bed was so old and worn out, as well as every thing he
made use of, both table linen and furniture, that it was not worth
while to bring them here; they only sold for thirteen crowns. * * *
I have given to the eight porters, who brought the chair from Turin,
and my prisoner to this place, (including the hire of the aforesaid
chair) two hundred and three livres, which I have paid out of my own
pocket.
DE SAINT-MARS.[330]
[330] Extracted from the work of M. Roux (Fazillac).
No. 127.
SAINT-MARS TO THE MINISTER.[331]
Relation of the conduct of two Protestant Ministers.
From the Islands of Saint Margaret,
June 4th, 1692.
* * * * * *
The first of the ministers, who have been sent here, sings psalms
night and day with a loud voice, expressly to make it be known who
he is. I desired him, in vain, several times to discontinue this, on
pain of severe punishment; which I have at length been obliged to
inflict upon him, as well as on his comrade, named Salves, who write
things upon his pewter vessels, and upon his linen, in order to make
known that he is imprisoned unjustly, on account of the purity of
his faith.
DE SAINT-MARS.[332]
[331] Probably Barbezieux.
[332] Extracted from the work of M. Roux (Fazillac).
No. 128.
Extract from the Register of the Bastille, published in the
Work entitled, “La Bastille Dévoilée.”
Names and qualities of the Prisoners.
An old prisoner from Pignerol, obliged always to wear a mask of
black velvet, whose name and quality have never been known.
Dates of their Entries.
September 18th, 1698. At three o’clock in the afternoon.
Reference to the Journal.
Dujonca, Volume 87.
Reasons for their detention.
It was never known.
OBSERVATIONS.
This is the famous Man in the Mask, whom no one has ever seen or
known.
This prisoner was brought to the Bastille by M. de Saint-Mars in his
litter, when he took possession of the Government of the Bastille,
coming from his Government of the Islands of Saint Margaret and
Saint Honorat, and whom he had before had with him at Pignerol.
This prisoner was treated with great distinction by the Governor,
and was only seen by him and M. de Rosarges, Major of the Fortress,
who alone had the care of him.
No. 129.
Second Extract from the Register of the Bastille, published
in the Work entitled, “La Bastille Dévoilée.”
Dates of the Deaths.
November 19th, 1703.
Reference to the Journal.
Dujonca, Volume 8th.
OBSERVATIONS.
Died November 19th, 1703, aged 45, or thereabouts; buried at St.
Paul’s the next day at four in the afternoon, under the name of
Marchiali, in the presence of M. de Rosarges, Major of the Fortress,
and of M. Reilh, Surgeon-Major of the Bastille, who signed their
names to the extract of the Burial Register of St. Paul’s. His
burial cost forty livres.
This prisoner remained at the Bastille five years and sixty-two
days, the day of his burial not included.
He was only ill for some hours, and died almost suddenly; he was
buried in a winding-sheet of new linen; and for the most part every
thing that was found in his chamber was burnt, such as every part
of his bed, including the mattresses, his tables, chairs, and other
utensils, which were all reduced to powder and to cinders, and
thrown into the drains. The rest of the things, such as the silver,
copper, and pewter, were melted. This prisoner was lodged in the
third chamber of the tower _Bertaudière_, which room was scraped and
filed quite to the stone, and fresh white-washed from the top to the
bottom. The doors and windows were burnt like the rest.
It is remarkable that, in the name of Marchiali, which was given
him in the Burial Register of St. Paul’s, are to be found the exact
letters of these two words, the one Latin, the other French, _Hic
Amiral_, here is the Admiral.[333]
[333] The discovery of this ridiculous and strained anagram was
one of the causes which led to the false supposition, that the
Iron Mask was either the Duke de Beaufort, or the Count de
Vermandois, both of whom were great Admirals of France.
No. 130.
Extract from the Register of Burials of the Church of Saint
Paul, at Paris.
The year one thousand seven hundred and three, on the nineteenth of
November, died at the Bastille, Marchiali, aged forty-five years or
thereabouts; whose body was interred in the burial-ground of this
parish, the twentieth of the aforesaid month, in the presence of M.
Rosarges, Major of the Bastille, and of M. Reilh, Surgeon-Major of
the Bastille, who have affixed their signatures.
Collated exactly with the original, and delivered by us the
undersigned, Bachelor in Theology, and Vicar of Saint Paul, at
Paris, this Tuesday the ninth of February, 1790.
Signed, POITEVIN.
No. 131.
Extract from the Work entitled “_La Correspondance
Interceptée_,” by M. Lewis Dutens, published in 1789.
In order to treat this subject (that of the Iron Mask) methodically,
I will begin with what the Duke de Choiseul has often related to me.
Lewis the Fifteenth one day told him, that he was acquainted with
the history of the prisoner with the Mask. The Duke begged the King
to tell him who he was, but he could get no other answer from him,
except, that all the conjectures which had been hitherto made with
regard to the prisoner, were false. Some time afterwards, Madame de
Pompadour, at the request of the Duke, pressed the King to explain
himself upon this subject. Lewis the Fifteenth upon this told her,
that he believed he was the Minister of an Italian Prince.
No. 132.
Extract from the article on the Iron Mask in the Work
entitled “_Mélanges d’Histoire et de Littérature_;” by Mr.
Quintin Craufurd.
BEFORE the publication of the “_Correspondance Interceptée_,” I had
heard it said, that M. de Choiseul had spoken to Lewis the Fifteenth
on the subject of the masked prisoner; but that he had not been able
to obtain any satisfactory answer. I addressed myself to the Abbé
Barthelemi and to the Abbé Beliardi, who had both lived in intimacy
with M. de Choiseul: they acquainted me that it was at their request
the Duke de Choiseul had spoken upon this subject to Lewis the
Fifteenth; that the King had answered him, that he believed the
prisoner was a minister of one of the courts of Italy; but that the
Duke observed that this conversation appeared to embarrass him. The
Abbé Beliardi told me in proper terms, that the King wished to evade
the subject. They then begged M. de Choiseul to engage Madame de
Pompadour to speak to the King. She did so; but the answer of Lewis
the Fifteenth to his mistress was not more instructive, than that
which he had given to his Minister.
No. 133
Letter from the Baron de Heiss to the Authors of the
“_Journal Encyclopédique_,” on the subject of the Iron Mask;
published in that Journal, in 1770.
GENTLEMEN,
Since the publication of the anecdote respecting the Man in the Iron
Mask, which M. de Voltaire has given us in his “_Siècle de Louis_
XIV.,” I have been always very curious to discover who this prisoner
could be; but all my researches had hitherto failed in giving me
any information which could content me; chance has placed in my
hands a detached number of a work, of which the title is “_Histoire
abrégée de l’Europe_,” for the month of August 1687, printed that
same year at Leyden, by “_Claude Jordan_.” At the article Mantua,
I found the letter, which I have the honour to send you a copy of,
translated from the Italian. It appears that this Secretary of the
Duke of Mantua, who is there mentioned, might very well be the
Man in the Iron Mask, transferred from Pignerol to the Islands of
Saint Margaret, and from thence to the Bastille, in 1690, when M.
de Saint-Mars was made governor of it. I am the more inclined to
believe this, because, as M. de Voltaire, and all those who have
made researches on this subject, have remarked, there did not at
that time disappear any prince, or person of consequence in any part
of Europe.
If you, Gentlemen, find any appearance of probability in my remark,
and if you think it can interest the public, you are welcome to
insert it in your Journal, &c.
THE BARON DE HEISS.
Formerly Captain of the Regiment of Alsace.
Phalsbourg,
June 28, 1770.
Letter on the subject of the Man in the Iron Mask, announced
in the preceding one.
GENTLEMEN,
One of my friends tells me, that he has read in the “_Histoire
abrégée de l’Europe_,” (Vol. ii. p. 33.), that it was said, that the
Duke of Mantua had had the intention of selling his capital town;
but that the author of this History did not believe it.
You are ill-informed; it is certain that this affair was negociated,
and that it was much advanced towards a conclusion. The secretary of
the Duke, who had much influence with his master, dissuaded him from
this design; but the doing so cost him very dear, as you shall soon
learn.
This faithful Minister made the Duke understand, that it was
necessary for his interest and his honour to preserve his Duchy, and
thus made him change his intention; he did still more, he obliged
him to unite himself with the other Princes of Italy, in order to
oppose the designs of France. It was he who negociated the interview
of the different princes, which took place at Venice last winter,
during the Carnival: this time was chosen in order the better to
conceal the plans which were in agitation. You are without doubt
aware, that it is not an extraordinary circumstance to see many
princes and persons of condition at Venice during that period. This
Secretary went afterwards to Rome, where he remained some time; he
then visited almost all the Courts of Italy; he went to Venice and
Genoa, and he succeeded every where so well, that he had almost
entirely detached all those powers from the interests of France.
Finally he went to Turin with the same intention. As he believed his
negociations to be very secret he often visited the Marquis D’Arcy,
the French Ambassador at the Court of Savoy; but what can escape
the penetrating eyes of France? The minister of that crown had been
informed of all the designs of the Secretary, before his arrival at
Turin. He, however, paid him many civilities, asked him very often
to dinner, and finally invited him to come and hunt with him, at
some distance from Turin. The Secretary, who had no time to lose,
and who thought the moment of the absence of the French ambassador
very proper for his negociations, excused himself at first upon
the plea of his having no horses; the Ambassador offered to lend
them to him, and the Secretary dared no longer refuse, from fear
lest some portion of the truth should be suspected. The day for the
hunting being arrived, they set off together; but they were hardly
at the distance of a league from the town, when the Secretary was
surrounded by ten or twelve horsemen, who seized him, disguised
him, masked him, and conducted him to Pignerol. Without doubt he
was well aware who had played him this trick, but he had no means
of resistance. At Pignerol he was thought to be too near Italy,
and, though he was guarded very carefully, it was feared that the
walls might tell tales; he was therefore removed from thence, and
conducted to the Islands of Saint Margaret, where he at present is,
under the care of M. de Saint-Mars, who is the Governor. This is a
piece of news doubtless very surprising, but not on that account the
less true.
I am, &c.
To this letter are joined these reflections:--There are reports
respecting a journey made by the Duke of Mantua to Vienna. Some
politicians think that it is the affair which happened to his
Secretary which is the cause of his journey, and that he has a
design of making an alliance with the Emperor and the King of
Spain.[334]
[334] To this letter M. Delort adds the following note, “In
1782 or 1783, there died at Turin a Marquis de Pancalier de
Prie, among whose manuscripts was also found the anecdote of
this Secretary of the Duke of Mantua. All the Italian
newspapers published it; but although it was considered as a
new idea, it did not make a great sensation.”
THE END.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY S. AND R. BENTLEY, DORSET STREET.
Transcriber’s Notes:
Footnotes in the first part “History Of The Iron Mask” have been
moved to the end of that part; footnotes in appendix have been
moved to the end of the respective appendix.
Page 18, footnote 28, Maria Victoria (Maria Vittoria), second
daughter of Ferdinand III. (Ferrante III Gonzaga), Duke of
Guastalla, married her cousin Vincent Gonzaga (Vincenzo I
Gonzaga) June 30th, 1679 and died September 5th, 1707 in Venice.
Although the year 1769 for the marriage date is believed to be an
unambiguous mis-print in the original, the author’s version has
been retained.
Page 149, footnote 189, John Baptist Felix Gaspar Nani’s (Giovan
Battista Nani) work was published under the title “Historia
della Republica Veneta,” starting with part I in 1662; the
author’s spelling of “Istoria” has been maintained.
The following corrections have been made to the printed original:
Page iv, “Cassale” corrected to “Casale” (going to Casale).
Page viii, “Dévoillée” amended to “Dévoilée” (“La Bastille
Dévoilée”).
Page viii, “Melanges” amended to “Mélanges” (Mélanges d’Histoire).
Page 14, “Soreigns” corrected to “Sovereigns” (the Italian
Sovereigns).
Page 31, footnote 58, “No.” corrected to “Nos.” (Appendix, Nos. 75,
79, 81, 83, 88.)
Page 44, footnote 83, “Sevigné’s” corrected to “Sévigné’s” (Madame
de Sévigné).
Page 44, footnote 84, “vecu” corrected to “vécu” (comme il a vécu).
Page 46, footnote 88, “No.” amended to “Nos.” (Ibid. Nos. 84, 85.)
Page 51, footnote 99, “Appendix, 104.” amended to “Appendix, No.
104.”
Page 52, footnote 101, “Appendix, 105.” amended to “Appendix, No.
105.”
Page 76, “Bertaudiere” amended to “Bertaudière” (tower of the
Bertaudière).
Page 83, “Correspondence” amended to “Correspondance”
(Correspondance Interceptée).
Page 83 “aujourdhui” amended to “aujourd’hui” (La Marquise aura
aujourd’hui).
Page 83, footnote 155, (footnote to footnote 154,) “138” corrected
to “133” (Appendix, No. 133.)
Page 144, “necesary” amended to “necessary” (will be necessary,
before the Count).
Page 173, “Estradés” amended to “Estrades” (transaction Estrades
alludes).
Page 184, “to day” corrected to “to-day” (departure till to-day).
Page 197, “December,” amended to “December” (December 29, 1678.)
Page 202, “Jan 15th,” amended to “Jan. 15th,” (Venice, Jan. 15th,
1679.)
Page 210, “were” corrected to “where” (where there are none).
Page 215, footnote 244, “siécles” corrected to “siècles” (XVIIIe
siècles).
Page 230, “No” amended to “No.” (No. 71.)
Page 236, “mean while” corrected to “meanwhile” (whom, in the
meanwhile).
Page 252, the missing locator for footnote 275 has been supplied.
Page 280, “Ambassador’s” amended to “Ambassador” (the Ambassador
being present).
Page 348, “Encyclopèdique” corrected to “Encyclopédique” (Journal
Encyclopédique).
Page 349, “Vol. ii. p. 33.)” amended to “(Vol. ii. p. 33.)”