magic and real detectives-第16节

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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　correspondence　of　the　English　ambassadors；

agents；　and　statesmen　for　the　years　1668；　1669。＇1＇　　One　result　is

to　confirm　a　wild　theory　of　my　own　to　the　effect　that　the　Man　in

the　Iron　Mask　（if　Dauger　were　he）　may　have　been　as　great　a　mystery

to　himself　as　to　historical　inquirers。　　He　may　not　have　known　WHAT

he　was　imprisoned　for　doing！　　More　important　is　the　probable

conclusion　that　the　long　and　mysterious　captivity　of　Eustache

Dauger；　and　of　another　perfectly　harmless　valet　and　victim；　was　the

mere　automatic　result　of　〃red　tape〃　of　the　old　French　absolute

monarchy。　　These　wretches　were　caught　in　the　toils　of　the　system；

and　suffered　to　no　purpose；　for　no　crime。　　The　two　men；　at　least

Dauger；　were　apparently　mere　supernumeraries　in　the　obscure

intrigue　of　a　conspirator　known　as　Roux　de　Marsilly。





＇1＇　The　papers　are　in　the　Record　Office；　for　the　contents　see　the

following　essay；　The　Valet's　Master。





This　truly　abominable　tragedy　of　Roux　de　Marsilly　is　〃another

story；〃　narrated　in　the　following　essay。　　It　must　suffice　here　to

say　that；　in　1669；　while　Charles　II。　was　negotiating　the　famous；　or

infamous；　secret　treaty　with　Louis　XIV。the　treaty　of　alliance

against　Holland；　and　in　favor　of　the　restoration　of　Roman

Catholicism　in　EnglandRoux　de　Marsilly；　a　French　Huguenot；　was

dealing　with　Arlington　and　others；　in　favor　of　a　Protestant　league

against　France。



When　he　started　from　England　for　Switzerland　in　February；　1669；

Marsilly　left　in　London　a　valet　called　by　him　〃Martin；〃　who　had

quitted　his　service　and　was　living　with　his　own　family。　　This　man

is　the　〃Eustache　Dauger〃　of　our　mystery。　　The　name　is　his　prison

pseudonym；　as　〃Lestang〃　was　that　of　Mattioli。　　The　French

Government　was　anxious　to　lay　hands　on　him；　for　he　had　certainly；

as　the　letters　of　Marsilly　prove；　come　and　gone　freely　between　that

conspirator　and　his　English　employers。　　How　much　Dauger　knew；　what

amount　of　mischief　he　could　effect；　was　uncertain。　　Much　or　little；

it　was　a　matter　which；　strange　to　say；　caused　the　greatest　anxiety

to　Louis　XIV。　and　to　his　Ministers　for　very　many　years。　　Probably

long　before　Dauger　died　（the　date　is　unknown；　but　it　was　more　than

twenty…five　years　after　Marsilly's　execution）；　his　secret；　if

secret　he　possessed；　had　ceased　to　be　of　importance。　　But　he　was

now　in　the　toils　of　the　French　red　tape；　the　system　of　secrecy

which　rarely　released　its　victim。　　He　was　guarded；　we　shall　see

with　such　unheard…of　rigor　that　popular　fancy　at　once　took　him　for

some　great；　perhaps　royal；　personage。



Marsilly　was　publicly　tortured　to　death　in　Paris　on　June　22；　1669。

By　July　19　his　ex…valet；　Dauger；　had　entered　on　his　mysterious　term

of　captivity。　　How　the　French　got　possession　of　him；　whether　he

yielded　to　cajolery；　or　was　betrayed　by　Charles　II。；　is　uncertain。

The　French　ambassador　at　St。　James's；　Colbert　（brother　of　the

celebrated　Minister）；　writes　thus　to　M。　de　Lyonne；　in　Paris；　on

July　I；　1669：＇1＇　〃Monsieur　Joly　has　spoken　to　the　man　Martin〃

（Dauger）；　〃and　has　really　persuaded　him　that；　by　going　to　France

and　telling　all　that　he　knows　against　Roux；　he　will　play　the　part

of　a　lad　of　honor　and　a　good　subject。〃





＇1＇　Transcripts　from　Paris　MSS。；　Vol。　xxxiii。；　Record　Office。





But　Martin；　after　all；　was　NOT　persuaded！



Martin　replied　to　Joly　that　he　knew　nothing　at　all；　and　that；　once

in　France；　people　would　think　he　was　well　acquainted　with　the

traffickings　of　Roux；　〃and　so　he　would　be　kept　in　prison　to　make

him　divulge　what　he　did　not　know。〃　　The　possible　Man　in　the　Iron

Mask　did　not　know　his　own　secret！　　But；　later　in　the　conversation；

Martin　foolishly　admitted　that　he　knew　a　great　deal；　perhaps　he　did

this　out　of　mere　fatal　vanity。　　Cross　to　France；　however；　he　would

not；　even　when　offered　a　safe…conduct　and　promise　of　reward。

Colbert　therefore　proposes　to　ask　Charles　to　surrender　the　valet；

and　proba