The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-05-16
The Man Of the Iron Mask.


The latest theory in regard to this
mystery, resting upon letters recently
discovered adl lressed by Anne of Aus
tria and Cardinal Mazarin, each to the
other, is this: Upon the death of Louis
XIII, his widowed consort, by decree
of Parliament, was constituted absolute
regent. She thcreupOn announced that
she would retain Mazarin as her prime
minister. He is described as being
handsome man, of distinguished man
mers, elegant appearance and insinua-
ting address. The queen recognized
the difficulty of her position at the
kings death, surrounded as she was by
greedy courtiers grasping at high places.
Mazarin, always her favorite, offered
himself not only as a chiyalrOus com
panion. but as the foremost statesmen
among her counselors. 1t was de-
scent in the social scale for the daughter
and widow of a king to unite her des-
TIMES bv wedlOclz with a cOmmOner.
But they were both in the early stage
of middle life-their ages only differing
by year, she in the maturity Of her
beauty, and he Of his intellect-her
children, the dauphin and his brother,
six and four years of age respectively,
needing a guiding hand; and among all
the courtiers who surrounded her MAJ
arin alone united the wisdom of states
manship to the sincerity of friendship.
''There is no doubt of their marriage"
says the historian Nichelet, "the car
dinaI having obtained a dispensation
from Rome; nor of the subsequent
birth of a son. During MaZarin's life
the boy grew up in the palace, play
mate of the two older children, and
possible heir to the crown. But with
the death of the great minister came a
great change. The real emancipation
of Louis XIV. then commenced. Anne
of Austria, deprived of all share in the
quilted Paris, and during
the remainder of her life made her
home at the convent Of st. Denis. Her
son, then 16, followed her. To Louis
XIV. and to the due d'Orleans this,
their half brother, in whose veins flowed
ignoble blood, was an object of dislike.
The queen kept him at her side, gave
him the advantages ef education, and
for four years caused him to be taught
all manly and noble accomplishments |
He never returned to court but from
letters, still preserved, written by those
who paid their homage to the queen up
to the last, it is evident that the boy
was regarded as giving uncommon
promise. To the fine person and win
ming manners inherited from the Aus
TRAN side, he added the extraordinary
gifts of the great minister, his father.
There are many among the noblesse OF
the old regime who undoubtedly looked |
for an eventuaIity that might place him
upon the throne Louis XIV. was
aware of all this, and the death of
Anne of Austria, in 1864, removed !
every obstacle in the way of his plans. |
Young as the king was, he would brook |
no possible rival to even his illegiti- !
mate successors. The young prince
was seized in his bed at st. Denis, the |
iron mask, invented by Colbert and
made by his direction, was locked upon
his head, and for 80 years he was known
only as the "man with the iron mask"
At the supposed age of 60 he died at
st. Marguerite. There IS no other
plausible theory about the unknown
man Reside JTO31FbEly
BEEF TEA.-Take , pounds Of lean
meat, the best is from the round, cut,
not chop, it into very small pieces, put
It into a covered vessel with l pint of
cold water. Stir it we'll, and set it on
the back part of the stove OF range,
where it viii not boil, for an hour or
more if convenient, stirring it frequent
ly. Then let it boil hard for 20 minutes,
stir and strain it through hair seive,
adding little salt. The above may be
taken either hot or cold, as the patient
may fancy. This is the recipe which
was used in the hospitals during the
war, and is more palatable as well as
more economical than the old method Of
making this valuable preparation for the
sick CT feeble.
RICE WAFFLEs.- a teacup and Z
half of rice that has been well boiled
and warm in a pint of rich milk, stirring
it till smooth and mixed. Then remove
it from the fire, and stir in pint of cold
milk and n teaspoonful of salt. Beat
four eggs v-ry light, and stir them into
the mixture, in turn with sufficient rice
-four TO make a thick batter. Bake in i
wafiIe-iron. Send them TO the table hot,
butter them, and eat them with powder
cred sugar and cinnamon, prepared in a
small bowl for the purpose.
The census of 1870 shows that there
are upward of 1 200, 600 women IN this
country who work for their own support.
OF this number SOC, 600 are servants In
/ 60 l.. Al