The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-08
THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

popularly as the Man in the Iron Mask, they
have always contradicted each other and
themselves so frequently and so fatty, that
the appearance of o work calculated to set the
question finally at rest may be fairly viewed
as subject for congratulation. NJ Marius
Topin, the author of the volume in question,
after fully investigating the claims Of the
various persons, in turn suspected of being
the mysterious prisoner, and disposing of
those claims, proceeds to set forth his own
theory, supported. for the most part, by
minute and irrefragable evidence, or, failing
such direct evidence, by arguments and in
ferences of singular oogency.
Following the example of Plutarch in his
"Life of Demetrius PoliOrcetes," NJ Topin
begins his heros life by referring to his
death. We shall tread in his footsteps, and
relate the circumstances as derived by M.
Topin from Dujonca's contemporary manu-
script account of the prisoners in the Bastile.
On the afternoon of the 18th of September,
1878, the Sieur de st. Mars, who had lately
been promoted from the governorship of the
Islands of Ste. Marguerite, off the coast OF
Provence, to that of the Bastile, arrived at
his new post, attended by an armed escort.
He had travelled in litter, in which, and by
his side, sat prisoner, whose face was hidden
by black velvet mask. During the whole of
their long journey st. Mars had not for
moment lost sight of his charge; it was re-
marked that at meals the prisoner was made
to sit with his back to the light, that he was
forbidden even then to doff his mask, and that
at night st. Mars slept by his side with loaded
pistols within easy reach. Monsieur Topln
adds, that at Palteau, chateau belonging to
st. Mars, where the party halted, a tradition
of the mysterious prisoners passage has been
handed down from father to son, and still
exists among the peasantry.
Five years afterwards, at nightfall on Tues
day, the Goth of November, 1903, a small
knot of men hurried across the drawbridge of
the Bastile to the cemetery of st. Pauls
Church. The prisoner from Provence had
fallen i'll on the preceding Sunday. On the
Monday the almoner of the Bastile had been
called in, and had barely had time to shrive
the dying man. In the register of the church
the corpse was inscribed under the name of
Aorchtaly. At the Bastile he had been
known as "the prisoner from Provence"
Absolute secrecy was maintained on the sub
ject in the Bastile; its officers, however, had
learnt the particulars from Dujonca, and, in
course of time, repeated them to their sue
cessors; thus it happened that the inmates of
the prison still knew of this mystery
of mysteries, when, in the first half
Of the eighteenth century, a number of
men of letters were confined there in sue
cession. They, too, learnt the appalling tale,
and lost no time in publishing it to the
world; conjecture was of course rife, and
numberless versions of the story succeeded
each other. One difficulty, however, lay at
the root of them all-for it was admitted by
all hands that the captive, SO jealously
watched and hidden, must needs have been a
man of Importance; yet no known person of
weight sufficient to warrant such precautions
had, within memory of man, disappeared
from the stage of public affairs in Europe.
IL r. oL1r -
the year 1876. The prestige of Louis X Nv
was as yet unimpaired by the reverses which
clouded the close of his career. At no time,
in fact, had he cherished more ambitious
schemes, and at none did they seem more
likely to succeed. Yielding to the fatal at
traction which has so often induced French
rulers to interfere in the affairs of Italy, he
was casting about for the best and sursst
means of obtaining a solid and permanent
footing in that country. The state of Italy,
divided into petty States, with people sunk
in sloth and corruption, Governments timid
and venal, and princes weak and dssolute,
invited the interference of powerful and
seheming neighbors.
Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy, had
lately died, leaving rs his successor that very
Duke of Savoy who was destined to exercise
on the affairs of Europe an influence so vast
10 disproportionate to the size of his realm,
and SO baneful to the interests of Louis. Az
yet, however, this Duke was q mere child
left under the guardianship of his mother
and the Government of Piedmont held fal
inferior position; for the Duchess, by nature
weak and vacillating, was rendered all the
more 80, perhaps, from her position as tn,
ruler of small State at the very
threshold of mighty neighbor, ant
M an inexperienced woman environeC
by astute, unsorupulous, and often hostil,
statesmen. Louis was already master of th'
fortress of Pignerol, and it was argued tina
if he were able to secure the possession o
that Of Casale, Piedmont, lying as it does be
tween these wostrongholds would be who'll,
Mt his mercy; thus he would acquire at once
means and motive for interference in Italy
leading not improbably to French predomi
nance in that country, if not in the end tc
downright conquest. Casale was the capital
pendency of the Duchy of Mantua. Tha
Duchy was governed by Charles ~ of tn
House of Gonzaga, frivolous and need
Prince, who passed most of hi
time in the gambling houses of Venice
was always in difficulties, and likely to be q
the beck of the highest bidder. The rival
Of France in Italy were, as usual in thos
days, the Spaniards and Imperialists, and tn
utmost circumspection was requisite to baff1
their vigilance if the scheme of acquirin
Casale were seriously entertained. In th
Able d'Estrades, his Ambassador at Venice
the King of France possessed fitting too
for the work in hand, for that functionar
was of a restless and ambitious turn, an
bent on pushing his own fortunes in furthe
ing those of his master, by some bold an
successful stroke. The purchase of Casa
seemed to dEstrades perfectly feasible, an
he was not long in settling on the persC