Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-05
THE MAN IN TIE IRON MASK.
Translation Of a Curious Document, of 81. Mars
on this SuGect-Conclusire Testtmony.

THE MAN IN THE lRON Mask.
Translation Of Curious Document, of 81. Mar
on this Sugect-Conclusirc Testtm0ny.
Especial Correspondence Of the N. o. Picayunel
PARIS, Nov. 26, 1857.
There are some enigmss in the world that seem u
defy solution, or, at least, any solution WHICH sno
received with anything like unanlmity. lne autpoi
chip of Jupiuss letters and the identity OF the lro
Mask, are chief among the list Of these ve1eo auea
tons. PROFOUND an inquiry RELAXING 70 eitue' =
them, and the hoodgstes OF discussion are o. ono
opened. Men who have nooPinlon OF the'r oNu "
any other question under Heaven, have very ae
cided opinion that such one was Junlus, anu
another the Iron Mask, and which they WIN Gnou !,
MON through the stormiest debate. Last year 4n "
Remusat gave us thick volume on inc LII III ~
of Jupius The Ambigu Comlque, revlyips sne ~. ~
evening an old melo drama OF the lron m If tb
all to battling the question OF the idsn,'y % ,h
strange parsonage. Some have asserted 'nas
Iron Mask was the Duke de Beaufo ;, known as w. ~
Ro des Halles others that he was the C0unt us .h.
mandois Ia natural child of Louie AlV: ana t fn
Duchess de la Valliere punished 10 rus wy w. rn
sapping the Grand Dauphin these. Fouquet, the ah
happy treasurer; those, the Duke Of Monmouth; pun
icly beheaded in London; others again. one I'll NJ
dicks scismatic Armenian Who did greal uea. "
harm to the Oriental Catholics; others st' ss Mar
tary of the Duke of Mantua, one MshnlIi " of ,hs
King Of France. ..;o,. tho,
None of theee copiectures bear examination; my
prove groundess upon the least compar'sou =, tt
dates Of the imprisonment OF the IRON niasn ~
the dates of known passages ID tue ii.o e saSsor
those persons. Besides, no good ground OF reasou
can be advanced for the multitude OF preeauN,,on:
taken to assure the impossibiity OF the Iron hiasK
communicating with any person out OF tue Pr:ons !.
which his life passed away, and 10 prsiuae u7 iea
lures from being seen by anybody: while AZ 'ne SAINT
time every attention was bestowed on him-ne y" a.
treated with serys respect even by men as h'gn NJ
Louyois himself, and his linen, apparel, furniture
table we're as priucely Versailles itself possessed
What reason can be alleged to justify this excess
severity and this regal luxury where only os .eaG
I say nothing of the less arstocratc pretendeIs.-
Still les. can any plausible preteIt be assigned to
the scrypulous, the minute care with which ever
trace of the Iron Masks existence was destroyed OF
falsifed after his death, and the lnViolaoe reserf'
maintained by all the members of Louis XIV.'s ia
mily and successors concerning this parsonage.
was incontestabe that the prisoner was OF most iu.
trious BIRTH and that bis existence was DANGER
not disgrace for the Bourbon dynasty. ,,
Voltare lie the first person who gave any tnisg IKE
plausible solution Of this question, and he did no
advance his eolution by way of parsnthesis, put ne
limited il first in his Steele De Louis XIV, and s'ateC
it with considerable minutene5s IN hls Dict0ha'r'
Phosophique. He declared that the Iron MasA Wa'
An aduterins son of Anne of Austria, an elder Mis
rine brother of Louis XIV. 1t is believed that V0.
aire received the hint of this solution from the DUKE
de Rcheeu, with whom he was on an intimate 1901
ing in his younger days. just before the Frehcl
Revolution, copies Of letter. written TO the luxe "
Richelieu by lille de Vaois, the Regents daughter
were circulated, in which she told him that she haf
heard from her father upon rery strange condsomS
that the Iron Mask was a twin brother OF Loui
XIV, born several hours after him:
The coque,tish character Ito use the most eupno
meal sxpresson) of Anne of Austria. and the aver
sion Louis XIII publicly exhibited towards her
together with his refusal to cOhabt with her
Buckinghams mad passion for her and the enlenc.
to say no more, with which she regarded itIth'
close relations between her and her brothsr.in-ia~
Monsieur CASTOR, Duke Of Orleansl, the pains sh
took TO prevent his marriage with NJ lie de Montpen
ser (which SO excited the Kings jealousy he sske'
her before the Council at she pretended to have tw
husbands at the same time 7') are matters OF hstor.
familiar to every college boy.
II being admitted that the Iron Mack was An adul
terine child of Anne of Austria and an elder broter
Louis XIV, il s easy to comprehend that when Lou
XIV was informed of the existence of this brothsr
who might provoke a terrible scandal and iight IN
flames Of civil war by invoking his priority OF olrth
flor being born in lawful wedlock his faint was dc
stroyed in the eyes Of the law Louis XIV oroere
this dangerous child should be imprisoned, and com
manded, under pain Of DEATH that all communicable
between him and the wsrd Except his governor
should cease. And as the family likeness might rs
veal his relationship to the King the latter condemn
ed him to wear for life an iron mack This solutio
explains too, the care and respect shown inc prsone
by the most iustrious persons IN the state, ever
while maintaining a most rigid seolusion OF him. an
explains how shame prevented Anne Of Austria from
making any attempt to this son, or to obtain hl
deliverance. And why at his death 30 much car
was taken to destroy or disguise every OBJECT Wnici
could at future day aid to the revelation OF hl
origin, and why the royal family for 80 many reign
should preserve an nviolable secrecy concerning him
After the revolution of $780, NJ. Augusts Billiard
sometime Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior
stated in letter he addressed to magazine, cal'e
L'lnstitut Hstorique, that during the Empire he ma
had in his hands relation, written by ST. Mars him
SELF of the mission with which he was Invested. Ihi
MSS, which belonged to the archives of the Minis
try of Foreign Affairs, had been lent by the keeps
of the archives to NJ. de Montravet, Minister OF IN
Interior. M. Billiard atteeted that no doubt cou,
be raised touching the authenticity OF this document
whose writing. paper aud form we're very evdentl,
of Louis XIV's reign. Two or three years after hi
letter appeared, person offered to the publishers
Les Memories de Tous, then in course OF publication
q copy made of st. Mars MSS. The publishers lai
the copy before NJ. Billiard, to obtain his opinion G
It's athulness he declared his belief in ts eIactnes'
The publishers consequently felt no hesitation 10 u
GLIDING il in their collection. tits printed in the thr
volume Of Les Memories de Tous. AS, probably
there ia not single copy Of that collection IN all III
United States and as this piece has never before bee
translated into English, translate the most interes
ing passagen OF it
1.-THE unfortunate prince brought out and keF
until towards the close of my life, was born IN
5h September 1858, at half past eight o'clock, Will
the king was at supper. His brother, who is now o
the throne, was born at noon In the morning, VIM
the kim was at dinner. But as SPLENDID and bri
liant as was the birth of the king go was the birth
his brother cad and concealed with care tor the Rn
had ordered the Chancellor of France, the midwife
the First Amoner, the Queens conteesor and myse
TO remain in her chamber. He told us in the queen
presence, and so che might hear US, that ws should
answer with our heads for the publication OF the brit
of second Dauphin, and that he desired his birth Il
remain State secret, as the saque law made no pro
vision for the descent Of the crown in case oi the brit
of two eldest sons 10 Tho king
The Queen was delivered of dauphn smaller aut
handsomer than the other, which continued to moar
and cry as if it already regretted having entered
life where il was subsequently TO suifer 80 much -
The chancellor Of France drew up the record Of THU
marvellous birth, without precedsnt III our history
His Majesty did no. like the first record, and burnt
before our eyes, aud commanded him To write Il ove
several times until it suited with His Majss;y's wishes
despite circumstances Of the Anoner who pretended
that the King could not conceal the birth OF prince
to which the King replied. there was State reason
for it. The King next made US Sign our oath thu
Chancellor first signed it, then his Almoner then thu
Queens confessor, and signed it after them; the oat!
was aso signed by the surgeon and the midwife, ant
the King attached this piecs to the record which b
Carried away with him, and have never since heart
of it. After this the midwife was charged with th
new born child, and 81 fears we're entertained ihh
che might speak too much about bis birth, she toi
me che was often mensced with death Il she eve
spoke Of it. We were forbidden We who were tn
witnesses of the delivery, ever to speak of it, eve
among ourselves; not one of lie has yet violated hi
oath The King next commanded ia also to examin
the unhappy prince with particular attention; h
had mole above the left elbow, yeowisI
spot the right eide of his neck, and
smaller mole in the fsshy part Of hs RICH
thigh hecsuse His Majesty intended, and with jus
ice, that it the first born should die he would pac
in Ia fo hor
to sgn the record which he sealed with the Jesse
royal seal, and signed according to His Maesty's or
ders, and after His Majesty. The Dame Peronett
acted by the child during lite infancy iii had bee
her child but which passed for that of some gran
segnor of the day because every body saw by III
care she took of it and the expenses she was at the
though dsowned it was nevertheless rich. When tn
prince grew little older, Cardinal Mszarn, who wa
charged with his education after the Cardinal de Rich
elieu sent for me to instruct him. and bring him up
the son OF king, but in secret The Dame Peronett
continued to serve him until her DEATH with great al
lection, and he loved her even more than she him
10