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〃But　where　does　the　swindling　come　in？〃　expostulated　Wilcox。　　〃I

advertised　a　seven…shooter。　　I　didn't　say　anything　about　a

revolver。　　It　will　shoot　seven　shot；　or　twice　that　number；　if　you

only　put　them　in。　　If　anybody　is　green　enough　to　suppose　I　meant　a

revolver；　that's　his　lookout；　not　mine。〃



〃We　are　not　called　upon　to　decide　the　point；〃　said　the　special

agent。　　〃The　question　is　one　for　the　court　and　the　jury。　　But　you

must　go　with　me　to　Cleveland。　　So　get　ready。〃



Finding　persuasion；　argument；　and　remonstrance　alike　useless；　the

great　mechanical　genius　packed　his　satchel　in　preparation　for　the

journey。　　Once　fairly　on　the　road；　he　became　communicative；　and

explained　the　reasons　which　led　him　to　embark　in　the　enterprise。

〃In　the　first　place；〃　said　he；　〃I　read　Barnum's　Life；　and　accepted

the　doctrine　that　the　American　people　like　to　be　humbugged。　　I

planned　the　shooter　myself；　and；　in　wording　the　circular；　aimed　to

cover　the　points　and　keep　within　the　law。　　I　think　I　have

succeeded。〃



〃I　beg　leave　to　differ；〃　argued　the　special　agent。　　〃Aside　from　the

general　falsity　of　the　description；　there　are　specific　claims　which

you　cannot　make　good。〃



〃I　don't　see　the　matter　in　that　light；〃　replied　the　champion　of　the

seven…shooter。　　〃I　say；　'Wherever　introduced；　they　advertise

themselves。'　　Well；　don't　they？　　Whoever　gets　one　will　be　apt　to

tell　his　neighbors。　　Isn't　that　advertising　itself？　　I　also　say；

'The　sale　of　one　opens　the　market　for　a　dozen　in　any　neighborhood；'

but　observe；　I　don't　claim　that　any　more　will　be　sold　in　that

neighborhood；　even　if　the　market　is　opened。　　So　far　as　my　guaranty

is　concerned；　I　only　warrant　them　to　be　as　good　after　three　years'

use　as　when　first　purchased。　　Will　you；　or　will　any　court；　call

that　in　question？〃



〃It　is　charged；〃　said　the　officer；　changing　the　subject；　〃that　you

neglected　to　fill　a　good　many　orders。　　How　do　you　explain　that？〃



〃Why；　to　furnish　the　shooter　and　pay　the　postage　cuts　down　the

profits　terribly；〃　was　the　unique　and　characteristic　reply。



Orders　began　to　arrive　in　response　to　the　circular　nearly　five

months　before　the　first　shooter　came　from　the　hands　of　the

manufacturer；　and　as　none　of　them　were　ever　filled；　or　even

recorded；　it　is　impossible　to　estimate　how　many　dupes　long　watched

the　mails　in　anxious　expectancy；　and　perhaps　attributed　their

disappointment　to　dishonesty　among　the　employees　of　the　department。



Of　course　the　papers　which　printed　the　advertisement　would　have

spurned　the　impostor　and　exposed　the　fraud；　had　they　discovered　the

facts。　　The　most　scrupulous　and　careful　publishers　are　often

deceived　in　the　character　of　advertisements　that　come　through　the

regular　channels　of　business；　and　appear　plausible　on　their　face。

In　fact；　the　religious　journals　are　the　favorite　vehicles　of　the

swindlers。　　The　solicitude　felt　by　the　newspapers；　not　only　for

their　own　reputation；　but　for　the　interests　of　their　patrons；　was

illustrated　in　the　correspondence　found　on　the　person　of　Wilcox。

An　influential　western　journal　had　addressed　him　two　notes　which

ran　thus：





GENTS：　　We　receive　frequent　letters　from　subscribers；　saying　they

receive　no　answers　to　letters　they　send　you　containing　money　for

'7…Shooters。'　　How　is　it？　　Are　you　swindlers？〃





Wilcox；　though　fully　able　to　answer　the　conundrum；　did　not　see　fit

to　do　so；　and　hence；　on　the　3d　of　November；　the　same　parties

deployed　their　forces　to　renew　the　charge。





〃；　Nov。　3；　1875。



〃WILCOX　&　CO。：



〃We　have　written　you　once　before；　that　our　patrons　complain　to　us

that　you　do　not　fill　their　cash　orders；　and　will　not　answer　their

letters　of　inquiry　as　to　why　you　don't。　　We　have　received　so　many

such　that　we　suspect　there　is　something　wrong；　and；　unless　you

explain　satisfactorily；　we　will　have　to　expose　you。〃





As　the　special　agent　arrived　on　the　same　day　with　the　inquiry；　the

young　man　had　no　opportunity　to　make　the　desired　explanation。

Indeed　it　is　doubtful　if　one　so　modest　and　reticent　on　matters　of

personal　merit；　would　have　answered　the　question　even　if　permitted

to　take　all　winter　to　do　it　in。



The　United　States　commissioner；　while　fully　recognizing　the

ingenuity　of　the　circular；　differed　somewhat　from　its　author　in

interpreting　its　legal　construction；　and　accordingly　placed　him

under　a　bond　of　fifteen　hundred　dollars　to　appear　for　trial。







Andrew　Lang





Saint…Germain　the　Deathless





Among　the　best　brief　masterpieces　of　fiction　are　Lytton's　The

Haunters　and　the　Haunted；　and　Thackeray's　Notch　on　the　Axe　in

Roundabout　Papers。*　　Both　deal　with　a　mysterious　being　who　passes

through　the　ages；　rich；　powerful；　always　behind　the　scenes；　coming

no　man　knows　whence；　and　dying；　or　pretending　to　die；　obscurely

you　never　find　authentic　evidence　of　his　disease。　　In　other　later

times；　at　other　courts；　such　an　one　reappears　and　runs　the　same

course　of　luxury；　marvel；　and　hidden　potency。





*　Both　given　in　the　accompanying　volume　containing　〃Old　Time

English〃　Stories。　　See　also　the　first　story　in　the　〃North　Europe〃

volume。Editor。





Lytton　returned　to　and　elaborated　his　idea　in　the　Margrave　of　A

Strange　Story；　who　has　no　〃soul；〃　and　prolongs　his　physical　and

intellectual　life　by　means　of　an　elixir。　　Margrave　is　not　bad；　but

he　is　inferior　to　the　hero；　less　elaborately　designed；　of　The

Haunters　and　the　Haunted。　　Thackeray's　tale　is　written　in　a　tone　of

mock　mysticism；　but　he　confesses　that　he　likes　his　own　story；　in

which　the　strange　hero　through　all　his　many　lives　or　reappearances；

and　through　all　the　countless　loves　on　which　he　fatuously　plumes

himself；　retains　a　slight　German…Jewish　accent。



It　appears　to　me　that　the　historic　original　of　these　romantic

characters　is　no　other　than　the　mysterious　Comte　de　Saint…Germain

not；　of　course；　the　contemporary　and　normal　French　soldier　and

minister；　of　1707…1778；　who　bore　the　same　name。　　I　have　found　the

name；　with　dim　allusions；　in　the　unpublished　letters　and　MSS。　of

Prince　Charles　Edward　Stuart；　and　have　not　always　been　certain

whether　the　reference　was　to　the　man　of　action　or　to　the　man　of

mystery。　　On　the　secret　of　the　latter；　the　deathless　one；　I　have　no

new　light　to　throw；　and　only　speak　of　him　for　a　single　reason。

Aristotle　assures　us；　in　his　Poetics；　that　the　best…known　myths

dramatized　on　the　Athenian　stage　were　known　to　very　few　of　the

Athenian　audience。　　It　is　not　impossible　that　the　story　of　Saint…

Germain；　though　it　seems　as　familiar　as　the　myth　of　Oedipus　or

Thyestes；　may；　after　all；　not　be　vividly　present　to　the　memory　of

every　reader。　　The　omniscent　Larousse；　of　the　Dictionnaire

Universel；　certainly　did　not　know　one　very　accessible　fact　about

Saint…Germain；　nor　have　I　seen　it　mentioned　in　other　versions　of

his　legend。　　We　read；　in　Larousse；　〃Saint…Germain　is　not　heard　of

in　France　before　1750；　when　he　established　himself　in　Paris。　　No

adventure　had　called　attention　to　his　existence；　it　was　only　known

that　he　had　moved　about　Europe；　lived　in　Italy；　Holland；　and　in

England；　and　had　borne　the　names　of　Marquis　de　Monteferrat；　and　of

Comte　de　Bellamye；　which　he　used　at　Venice。〃



Lascelles　Wraxall；　again；　in　Remarkable　Adventures　（1863）；　says：

〃Whatever　truth　there　may　be　in　Saint…Germain's　travels　in　England

and　the　East　Indies；　it　is　undubitable　that；　for　from　1745　to　1755；

he　was　a　man　of　high　position　in　Vienna；〃　while　in　Paris　he　does

not　appear；　according　to　Wraxall；　till　1757；　having　been　brought

from　Germany　by　the　Marechal　de　Belle…Isle；　whose　〃old　boots；〃　says

Macallester　the　spy；　Prince　Charles　freely　damned；　〃because　they

were　always　stuffed　with　projects。〃　　Now　we　hear　of　Saint…Germain；

by　that　name；　as　resident；　not　in　Vienna；　but　in　London；　at　the

very　moment　when　Prince　Charles；　evading　Cumberland；　who　lay　with

his　army　at　Stone；　in　Staffordshire；　marched　to　Derby。　　Horace

Walpole　writes　to　Mann　in　Florence　（December　9；　1745）：



〃We　begin　to　take　up　people　。　。　。　the　other　day　they　seized　an　odd

man　who　goes　by　the　name　of　Count　Saint…Germain。　　He　has　been　here

these　two　years；　and　will　not　tell　who　he　is；　or　whence；　but

professes　that　he　does　not　go　by　his　right　name。　　He　sings；　plays

on　the　violin　wonderfully；　composes；　is　mad；　and　not　very　sensible。

He　is　called　an　Italian；　a　Spaniard；　a　Pole；　a　somebody　that

married　a　great　fortune　in　Mexico；　and　ran　away　with　her　jewels　to

Constantinople；　a　priest；　a　fiddler；　a　vast　nobleman。　　The　Prince

of　Wales　has　had　unsatiated　curiosity　about　him；　but　in　vain。

However；　nothing　has　been　made　out　against　him；　he　is　released；

and；　what　convinces　me　he　is　not　a　gentleman；　stays　here；　and　talks

of　his　being　taken　up　for　a　spy。〃



Here　is　our　earliest　authentic　note　on　Saint…Germain；　a　note

omitted　by　his　French　students。　　He　was　in　London　from　1743　to

1745；　under　a　name　not　his　own；　but　that　which　he　later　bore　at　the

Court