magic and real detectives-第14节

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The　fingers；　the　watch；　the　snuffbox；　the　shoe…buckles；　the　garter

studs；　the　solitaires　of　the　Count；　on　high　days；　all　burned　with

diamonds　and　rubies；　which　were　estimated；　one　day；　at　200；000

francs。　　His　wealth　did　not　come　from　cards　or　swindlingno　such

charges　are　ever　hinted　at；　he　did　not　sell　elixirs；　nor

prophecies；　nor　initiations。　　His　habits　do　not　seem　to　have　been

extravagant。　　One　might　regard　him　as　a　clever　eccentric　person；

the　unacknowledged　child；　perhaps；　of　some　noble；　who　had　put　his

capital　mainly　into　precious　stones。　　But　Louis　XV。　treated　him　as

a　serious　personage；　and　probably　knew；　or　thought　he　knew；　the

secret　of　his　birth。　　People　held　that　he　was　a　bastard　of　a　king


of　Portugal；　says　Madame　du　Hausset。　　Perhaps　the　most　ingenious

and　plausible　theory　of　the　birth　of　Saint…Germain　makes　him　the

natural　son；　not　of　a　king　of　Portugal；　but　of　a　queen　of　Spain。

The　evidence　is　not　evidence；　but　a　series　of　surmises。　　Saint…

Germain；　on　this　theory；　'wrop　his　buth　up　in　a　mistry'　（like　that

of　Charles　James　Fitzjames　de　la　Pluche）；　out　of　regard　for　the

character　of　his　royal　mamma。　　I　believe　this　about　as　much　as　I

believe　that　a　certain　Rev。　Mr。　Douglas；　an　obstreperous

Covenanting　minister；　was　a　descendant　of　the　captive　Mary　Stuart。

However；　Saint…Germain　is　said；　like　Kaspar　Hauser；　to　have

murmured　of　dim　memories　of　his　infancy；　of　diversions　on

magnificent　terraces；　and　of　palaces　glowing　beneath　an　azure　sky。

This　is　reported　by　Von　Gleichen；　who　knew　him　very　well；　but

thought　him　rather　a　quack。　　Possibly　he　meant　to　convey　the　idea

that　he　was　Moses；　and　that　he　had　dwelt　in　the　palaces　of　the

Ramessids。　　The　grave　of　the　prophet　was　never　known；　and　Saint…

Germain　may　have　insinuated　that　he　began　a　new　avatar　in　a　cleft

of　Mount　Pisgah；　he　was　capable　of　it。



However；　a　less　wild　surmise　avers　that；　in　1763；　the　secrets　of

his　birth　and　the　source　of　his　opulence　were　known　in　Holland。

The　authority　is　the　Memoirs　of　Grosley　（1813）。　　Grosley　was　an

archaeologist　of　Troyes；　he　had　traveled　in　Italy；　and　written　an

account　of　his　travels；　he　also　visited　Holland　and　England；　and

later；　from　a　Dutchman；　he　picked　up　his　information　about　Saint…

Germain。　　Grosley　was　a　Fellow　of　our　Royal　Society；　and　I　greatly

revere　the　authority　of　a　F。R。S。　　His　later　years　were　occupied　in

the　compilation　of　his　Memoirs；　including　an　account　of　what　he　did

and　heard　in　Holland；　and　he　died　in　1785。　　According　to　Grosley's

account　of　what　the　Dutchman　knew；　Saint…Germain　was　the　son　of　a

princess　who　fled　（obviously　from　Spain）　to　Bayonne；　and　of　a

Portuguese　Jew　dwelling　in　Bordeaux。



What　fairy　and　fugitive　princess　can　this　be；　whom　not　in　vain　the

ardent　Hebrew　wooed？　　She　was；　she　must　have　been；　as　Grosley　saw；

the　heroine　of　Victor　Hugo's　Ruy　Blas。　　The　unhappy　Charles　II。　of

Spain；　a　kind　of　〃mammet〃　（as　the　English　called　the　Richard　II。

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　dip