magic and real detectives-第18节

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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　point；　was　in　error；　Mattioli　was　still　at　Pignerol。

The　known　advent　of　the　late　Commandant　of　Pignerol；　Saint…Mars；

with　a　single　concealed　prisoner；　at　the　island；　naturally

suggested　the　erroneous　idea　that　the　prisoner　was　Mattioli。　　The

prisoner　was　really　Dauger；　the　survivor　of　the　two　valets。



From　1688　to　1691　no　letter　about　Dauger　has　been　published。

Apparently　he　was　then　the　only　prisoner　on　the　island；　except　one

Chezut；　who　was　there　before　Dauger　arrived；　and　gave　up　his

chamber　to　Dauger　while　the　new　cells　were　being　built。　　Between

1689　and　1693　six　Protestant　preachers　were　brought　to　the　island；

while　Louvois；　the　Minister；　died　in　1691；　and　was　succeeded　by

Barbezieux。　　On　August　13；　1691；　Barbezieux　wrote　to　ask　Saint…Mars

about　〃the　prisoner　whom　he　had　guarded　for　twenty　years。〃　　The

only　such　prisoner　was　Dauger；　who　entered　Pignerol　in　August；

1669。　　Mattioli　had　been　a　prisoner　only　for　twelve　years；　and　lay

in　Pignerol；　not　in　Sainte…Marguerite；　where　Saint…Mars　now　was。

Saint…Mars　replied：　〃I　can　assure　you　that　NOBODY　HAS　SEEN　HIM　BUT

MYSELF。〃



By　the　beginning　of　March；　1694；　Pignerol　had　been　bombarded　by　the

enemies　of　France；　presently　Louis　XIV。　had　to　cede　it　to　Savoy。

The　prisoners　there　must　be　removed。　　Mattioli；　in　Pignerol；　at　the

end　of　1693；　had　been　in　trouble。　　He　and　his　valet　had　tried　to

smuggle　out　letters　written　on　the　linings　of　their　pockets。　　These

were　seized　and　burned。　　On　March　20；　1694；　Barbezieux　wrote　to

Laprade；　now　commanding　at　Pignerol；　that　he　must　take　his　three

prisoners；　one　by　one；　with　all　secrecy；　to　Sainte…Marguerite。

Laprade　alone　must　give　them　their　food　on　the　journey。　　The

military　officer　of　the　escort　was　warned　to　ask　no　questions。

Already　（February　26；　1694）　Barbezieux　had　informed　Saint…Mars　that

these　prisoners　were　coming。　　They　are　of　more　consequence；　one　of

them　at　least；　than　the　prisoners　on　the　island；　and　must　be　put　in

the　safest　pla