magic and real detectives-第24节

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means　of　respiting　his　processe　and　as　he　hopes　intercession　may

bee　made　for　him；　but　people　talk　so　variously　of　him　that　I　cannot

tell　whether　hee　ought　to　bee　owned　by　any　Prince；　the　Suisses　have

indeed　the　greatest　ground　to　reclayme　him　as　being　taken　in

theirs。　　They　have　all　his　papers　which　speake　much　of　the　Triple

Alliance；　if　they　have　no　other　pretext　of　hanging　him　I　know　not

whether　they　can　lawfully　for　this；　hee　having　been　naturallised　in

Holland　and　taken　in　a　priviledged　Country。　。　。　。





V。　　Francis　Vernon　to　＇Mr。　Williamson？＇。＇1＇





＇1＇　State　Papers；　France；　vol。　126。





Paris：　June　19/25；　1669。



Honored　Sir；



My　last　of　the　26th　Currt　was　soe　short　and　soe　abrupt　that　I　fear

you　can　peck　butt　little　satisfaction　out　of　it。



I　did　intend　to　have　written　something　about　Marsilly　but　that　I

had　noe　time　then。　　In　my　letter　to　my　Lord　Arlington　I　writt　that

Friday　21　Currt　hee　wounded　himself　wch　he　did　not　because　hee　was

confronted　with　Ruvigny　as　the　Gazettes　speake。　　For　he　knew　before

hee　should　dye；　butt　he　thought　by　dismembering　himself　that　the

losse　of　blood　would　carry　him　out　of　the　world　before　it　should

come　to　bee　knowne　that　he　had　wounded　himselfe。　　And　when　the

Governor　of　the　Bastille　spied　the　blood　hee　said　It　was　a　stone

was　come　from　him　which　caused　that　effusion。　　However　the　governor

mistrusted　the　worst　and　searcht　him　to　see　what　wound　he　had　made。

So　they　seared　him　and　sent　word　to　St。　Germaines　which　made　his

execution　be　hastened。　　Saturday　about　1　of　the　clock　he　was

brought　on　the　skaffold　before　the　Chastelet　and　tied　to　St。

Andrew's　Crosse　all　wch　while　he　acted　the　Dying　man　and　scarce

stirred；　and　seemed　almost　breathless　and　fainting。　　The　Lieutenant

General　prest　him　to　confesse　and　there　was　a　doctor　of　the　Sorbon

who　was　a　counsellr　of　the　Castelet　there　likewise　to　exhort　him　to

disburthen　his　mind　of　any　thing　which　might　be　upon　it。　　Butt　he

seemed　to　take　no　notice　and　lay　panting。



Then　the　Lieutenant　Criminel　bethought　himself　that　the　only　way　to

make　him　speake　would　bee　to　sende　for　a　ministre　soe　hee　did　to

Monsr　Daillie　but　hee　because　the　Edicts　don't　permitt　ministres　to

come　to　condemned　persons　in　publique　but　only　to　comfort　them　in

private　before　they　goe　out　of　prison　refused　to　come　till　hee　sent

a　huissier　who　if　he　had　refused　the　second　time　would　have　brought

him　by　force。　　At　this　second　summons　hee　came　butt　not　without

great　expectations　to　bee　affronted　in　a　most　notorious　manner

beeing　the　first　time　a　ministre　came　to　appeare　on　a　scaffold　and

that　upon　soe　sinister　an　occasion。　　Yet　when　he　came　found　a　great

presse　of　people。　　All　made　way；　none　lett　fall　soe　much　as　a

taunting　word。　　Hee　came　up　the　Scaffold；　great　silence　all　about。

Hee　found　him　lying　bound　stretched　on　St。　Andrew's　Crosse　naked

ready　for　execution。　　Hee　told　him　hee　was　sent　for　to　exhort　him

to　die　patiently　and　like　a　Christian。　　Then　immediately　they　were

all　surprized　to　see　him　hold　up　his　head　wch　he　lett　hang　on　one

side　before　like　a　drooping　calfe　and　speake　as　loud　and　clear　as

the　ministre；　to　whom　he　said　with　a　cheerful　air　hee　was　glad　to

see　him；　that　hee　need　not　question　butt　that　hee　would　dye　like　a

Christian　and　patiently　too。　　Then　hee　went　and　spoke　some　places

of　Scripture　to　encourage　him　which　he　heard　with　great　attention。

They　afterward　came　to　mention　some　things　to　move　him　to

contrition；　and　there　hee　tooke　an　occasion　to　aggravate　the

horrour　of　a　Crime　of　attempting　against　the　King's　person。　　Hee

said　hee　did　not　know　what　hee　meant。　　For　his　part　hee　never　had

any　evill　intention　against　the　Person　of　the　King。



The　Lieutenant　Criminel　stood　all　the　while　behind　Monsieur　Daillie

and　hearkened　to　all　and　prompted　Monsr　Daillie　to　aske　him　if　hee

had　said　there　were　10　Ravillacs　besides　wch　would　doe　the　King's

businesse。　　Hee　protested　solemnly　hee　never　said　any　such　words　or

if　hee　did　hee　never　remembered；　butt　if　hee　had　it　was　with　no

intention　of　Malice。　　Then　Monsieur　Daillie　turned　to　the　people

and　made　a　discourse　in　vindication　of　those　of　the　Religion　that

it　was　no　Principle　of　theirs　attempts　on　the　persons　of　King＇s＇

butt　only　loyalty　and　obedience。　　This　ended　hee　went　away；　hee

staid　about　an　hour　in　all；　and　immediately　as　soon　as　he　was　gone；

they　went　to　their　worke　and　gave　him　eleven　blows　with　a　barre　and

laid　him　on　the　wheele。　　He　was　two　houres　dying。　　All　about　Monsr

Daillie　I　heard　from　his　own　mouth　for　I　went　to　wait　on　him

because　it　was　reported　hee　had　said　something　concerning　the　King

of　England　butt　hee　could　tell　mee　nothing　of　that。　　There　was　a

flying　report　that　he　should　say　going　from　the　ChasteletThe　Duke

of　York　hath　done　mee　a　great　injury。　　The　Swisses　they　say

resented　his　＇Marsilly's＇　taking　and　misst　but　1/2　an　hour　to　take

them　which　betrayed　him　＇the　monk＇　after　whom　they　sent。　　When　he

was　on　the　wheele　he　was　heard　to　say　Le　Roy　est　grand　tyrant；　Le

Roy　me　traitte　d'un　facon　fort　barbare。　　All　that　you　read

concerning　oaths　and　dying　en　enrage　is　false　all　the　oaths　hee

used　being　only　asseverations　to　Monsr　Daillie　that　he　was　falsely

accused　as　to　the　King's　person



Sr　I　am　&c



FRANS。　VERNON。







VI。　　The　Ambassador　Montague　to　Arlington。＇1＇





＇1＇　State　Papers；　France；　vol。　　126。





Paris：　June　22；　1669。



My　Lord；



The　Lieutenant　criminel　hath　proceeded　pretty　farre　with　Le　Roux

Marsilly。　　The　crime　they　forme　their　processe　on　beeing　a　rape

which　he　had　formerly　committed　at　Nismes　soe　that　he　perceiving

but　little　hopes　of　his　life；　sent　word　to　the　King　if　hee　would

pardon　him　he　could　reveale　things　to　him　which　would　concerne　him

more　and　be　of　greater　consequence　to　him；　than　his　destruction。







VII。　　The　same　to　the　same。



Paris：　June　26；　'69。



My　Lord；



I　heard　that　Marsilly　was　to　be　broke　on　the　wheel　and　I　gave　order

then　to　one　of　my　servants　to　write　Mr。　Williamson　word　of　it；　soe

I　suppose　you　have　heard　of　it　already：　they　hastened　his　execution

for　feare　he　should　have　dyed　of　the　hurt　he　had　done　himself　the

day　before；　they　sent　for　a　minister　to　him　when　he　was　upon　the

scaffold　to　see　if　he　would　confesse　anything；　but　he　still

persisted　that　he　was　guilty　of　nothing　nor　did　not　know　why　he　was

put　to　death。　。　。　。







PART　IITrue　Stories　of　Modern　Magic





M。　Robert…Houdin





A　Conjurer's　Confessions



I



SELF…TRAINING





＇Sleight…of…hand　theories　alone　cannot　explain　the　mysteries　of

〃magic〃　as　practiced　by　that　eminent　Frenchman　who　revolutionized

the　entire　art；　and　who　was　finally　called　upon　to　help　his

government　out　of　a　difficuityRobert…Houdin。　　The　success　of　his

most　famous　performances　hung　not　only　on　an　incredible　dexterity；

but　also　on　high　ingenuity　and　moral　courage；　as　the　following

pages　from　his　〃Memoirs〃　will　prove　to　the　reader。　　The　story

begins　when　the　young　man　of　twenty　was　laboring　patiently　as

apprentice　to　a　watchmaker。＇





In　order　to　aid　my　progress　and　afford　me　relaxation；　my　master

recommended　me　to　study　some　treatises　on　mechanics　in　general；　and

on　clockmaking　in　particular。　　As　this　suited　my　taste　exactly；　I

gladly　assented；　and　I　was　devoting　myself　passionately　to　this

attractive　study；　when　a　circumstance；　apparently　most　simple；

suddenly　decided　my　future　life　by　revealing　to　me　a　vocation　whose

mysterious　resources　must　open　a　vast　field　for　my　inventive　and

fanciful　ideas。



One　evening　I　went　into　a　bookseller's　shop　to　buy　Berthoud's

〃Treatise　on　Clockmaking；〃　which　I　knew　he　had。　　The　tradesman

being　engaged　at　the　moment　on　matters　more　important；　took　down

two　volumes　from　the　shelves　and　handed　them　to　me　without

ceremony。　　On　returning　home　I　sat　down　to　peruse　my　treatise

conscientiously；　but　judge　of　my　surprise　when　I　read　on　the　back

of　one　of　the　volumes　〃SCIENTIFIC　AMUSEMENTS。〃　　Astonished　at

finding　such　a　title　on　a　professional　work；　I　opened　it

impatiently；　and；　on　running　through　the　table　of　contents；　my

surprise　was　doubled　on　reading　these　strange　phrases：



The　way　of　performing　tricks　with　the　cardsHow　to　guess　a

person's　thoughtsTo　cut　off　a　pigeon's　head；　to　restore　it　to

life；　etc。；　etc。



The　bookseller　had　made　a　mistake。　　In　his　haste；　he　had　given　me

two　volumes　of　the　Encyclopaedia　instead　of　Berthoud。　　Fascinated；

however；　by　the　announcement　of　such　marvels；　I　devoured　the

mysterious　pages；　and　the　further　my　reading　advanced；　the　more　I

saw　laid　bare　before　me　the　secrets　of　an　art　for　which　I　was

unconsciously　predestined。



I　fear　I　shall　be　accused　of　exaggeration；　or　at　least　not　be

understood　by　many　of　my　readers；　when　I　say　that　this　discovery

caused　me　the　greatest　joy　I　had　ever　experienced。　　At　this　moment

a　secret　present