The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-08-06
"a STRANGE STORY"
The Count 81. GeImnin. the Hero Of
uulwer's Weird NOvcl.

"A MElltI III All tllt l tU' AloNhN '"S %
We catch the first gllmpse5 Of the
Count st. German in Paris, century
and a quarter ago, filling the court and
The town with his renOWn. Amazed
Paris saw man-appareutly Of mid
die age-a man who lived III magnili-
cent style, who went to dinner parties,
where he ate nothing, but talked inces-
antlv, and with exceeding 0Hlliancy,
on every Imaginable topic. His tone
was, perhaps, over trenchant the tone
of man who knows perfectly what he
talking is about, Learned, speaking
every civilized language admirably, Il
great musician, an excellent chemist,
he played the part OF II prodigy, and
played 10 TO perfection. Endowed with
extraordinary or GOnsnmmate impu-
dence, he not only laid down the law
concerning the present,
but spoke without hesitation of events
two hundred years old. Ills anecdotes
Of remote occurrences were related
with extraordinary minuteneas, He
spoke of scenes at the court OF fran
eis |. , A4 if he had seen, describing eX-
activ the Appearance OF the king, imita-
ing his voice, manner and language
affecting throughout the character Of
IN eyewitness. In like manner he
edited his audience with pleasant
stories Of Louis XIV, and RECALLED them
with vivid descriptions Of places and
persons. Hardly saying in 50 many
words that he was. actually present
when the events happened, he yet
contrlved, by his graphic power, TO
convey that impression. intending 10
astonish, lac succeeds completely. VIVID
stories were current concerning nm.
He was reported to be 800 Yeas Ola,
and to have prolonged his life By the
use OF Il famous elixir. Paris went mad
about him. He was questioned con-
staMtly about his secret Of longevity
And was marvelousIy adroit in his re-
plies, denying al power to make 0ld
folks young again, bUt quietly asserting
his possession Of the secret OF arresIlng
decay in the human frame, Diet, he
was, with his marvellous
elixir, the true secret OF long lie, and
he resJlutely refused to eaC any 1000
hut such as had been specially prepared
for him-oat meal, greats, amt the
white meat of chickens. On great oc-
casIous he drank Il little wine, sat up
rs late az anybody would listen to MN,
bnt took extraordinary precautions
against the cold. To ladies he gaze
cosmetics, to preserve their
beauty unimpared; to men he talked
openly of his method OF transmitting
metals, aud of certain process Tor
down n dozen little diamonds
into one large stone. These astouhd-
ing assertions were hacked by the pos
session of apparently unbounded
wealth, and collection OF jewels OF
rare size and beauty,
From time to time this strange beng
appeared in various European capitals
under various names, as Marquis OF
Count Bellmare Mt Venice,
Chevalier Schoening at Pisa, CheVa-
Tier Weldon at Milan, Count SoltlEolf
nj Genoa, Court lzarogy at Scbwal-
bach, and finally, rs Count st. Ger
main ut Paris; but after his disaster NJ
the Hague, no longer seems so wealthy
rs before, and has at times the appear
ance of seeking his fortune. AT Ion'-
ney he is Interviewed" ny the renown-
ed Chevalier de Seingal, VINO hllas
him in an American robe aud pointed
cap, with long beard descending 70 ms
waist and ivory wand in hand--the
"oRplete makeup of II necromahcer'
int German Is surrounded by le'
gion Of bottles, and IS occupied IN ue-
yeloplug the manufacture Vt hats upon
chemical principles. SeingaIt being
the Count oilers to physic
him gratis, aud offers to dose him Wilh
an elixir which appears to nave oeeh
ether but the other refuses with many
polite speeches 1t is the scene OF the
Two augurs. Not being allowed TO act
rs Il physician, Saint German deter
mines to show his power as an alcle-
mist; takes twclVe-Sous piece iiohl
ne other augnr puts ii on reu-hoV
and works IL with the blow,
pipe. The piece OF money IL insed
and allowed to cool. "Now,' says
Saint German, "take, your money
again. "But II Is gold. "Ol the
purestn Augur No . does not believe
in the transmutation, and looks ON Iile
whole operation rs ~ TREK nut ne
pockets the piece nevertheless, ana
finally presents IL to the colebratcl
Keith, then Governor OF
Neuchatel. Again, in pursuit OF dye
ing and other manufacturing schemes,
Saint GERMAN turned up at ~. Peters
burg, Dresden and Milan. once, he got
into trouble, and was arrested IN
petty town of Piedmont on protesteu
bill of exchange; but he pulled out q
hundred thousand crowns worth OF
jewels, paid on the spot bullied lhe
OF the town, and was released
with the most respectful excuses Very
little doubt exists that during one OF
his residences In Russia he played an
important pnrt in therevolution when
placed Catherine III. on the throne III
support of this view, Baron Gleicheh
cites the extraordinary attention De-
slowed on Saint German ut beghorn,
in ITO, by Count Alexis Orion, anu 4
remark made by Prince Gregory Orloil
to the Margrave Of Anspach during MS
stay at Nuremberg.
After all, who was he ?--the SON OF q
Portuguese jew? or did he, In his olu
age, tell the truth TO bis protector ana
enthusiastic admirer, Prince Charles OF
Hesse-C assclP According TO the story
told his last friend he was the son OF y
Prince Rakoczy OF IransylSanla, and
his first wife, TelSely. Hewas placed,
when an infant, under the protection
Of the Medici. When he grew up ana
heard that his two brothers, sons OF the
Princess Hesse-Qheiniels, or Rothen-
burg, had received the names OF ~
Charles aud 81. ElIzabeth he deter
mined to take the name OF their holy
brother, Sanctus Gcrmnnus. Whet
was tho truth? One thing alone ID
certain, TINT he wns u pr0tege OF the