The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-28
TIE ISLAND PRISON.
BY LIEUTENANT MURRAY.

BY LIEUTENANT MURRAY.
There is beautiful little seaport
town of some ten thousand inhabitants
situated i'm the south of France, i'm the
department of the Maritime Alps. and
on the shores of the delightful and ro-
mantle inland sea, the Mediterranean
known as Cannes. 1t is as famous for
its salubrity of climate as Nice, from
which it is separated by few leaguel
only. Here the Empress of Russia and
her suite passed a portion of the past
winter, and at this writing the IA
nous prima donna, Nilsson, is pluming
her wings for fresh flights of song un-
der its sunny skies.
Cannes approaches nearer in its eli
mate to the idea of never-ending sum-
mer than any spot outside the tropics
which we have Glanced to visit. Here,
on the last of January, one may see
acres of orange trees, like the gardens
of IIesperides, heavy with golden fruit.
The olive and fig tree thrive amid pre-
cious and fragrant blossoms perennial
in their loveliness; nor should we forget
to mention the lemon or the date tree,
which gracefully lift their fruitful
branches over the sweet underground of
primroses, violets and daises.
The town is situated in sort of am
phitheatre of hills reaching down to
the shore on either side. and leaving
the dwelling houses with an open view
of the Mediterranean. These hills are
covered with vineyards, prolific in
their season with the rich and luscious
purple grapes peculiar to this favored
region. Close about the town are
large orchards of cherry and pear trees
and broad scarlet beds of strawberries
everywhere. The olive and pomegran-
ATE grow in wild and unrcstrained lux
uriancc.
In its Typographical aspect, Cannes is
sort of miniature copy of Naples, and
owes much of its picturesque beauty to
the surrounding mountains and the
classic waters over which il looks.
Looking eastward one early morning, |
watched the sun rise out of the blue
waters. The effect was revelation to
behold, and only comparable TO the
sunset in this beautiful region.
At first faint gray light OH the hori-
zon, eastward, heralded the coming
god, and as il increased in bright
ness, those sleepless sentinels of the
night, the stars, gradually faded phan-
tom-like away, and then came up out
of the waves the brilliant sun, too daz-
ling to look upon as it lighted up the
dewy morning and covered the whole
scene of mountain and valley with
wondrous beauty, like the smile of the
Great Spirit.
1t will be remembered that Napoleon
landed here in the spring of 1915, after
his escape from Elba, and again COM
mcnced his historic career.
Lying just of the mouth of the Bay
of Cannes, almost precisely as Capri
stands at the entrance of Naples, is the
far-famcd Island of St. Marguerite,
where for nearly twenty years was in
carcerated that mysterious prisoner,
"The Man in the Iron Mask" and from
whence so lately Marshal Bazaine made
his remarkable escape by the aid of his
courageous young wife.
Upon the lOftiest summit of this is
land frowns the famous citidel prison,
built during the administration of
Richelieu, and where he was wont to
send such political prisoners as he de-
sired to particularly isolate from the
world. Here, too, more lately were
confined the Arab chieftains sent by
the French government from Algeria.
The American traveller between May-
seilles and Nice is pretty sure to stop Mt
Cannes, if only to obtain view of this
historical island prison.
But it is to relate to the reader a
legend which we heard at Cannes,
while visiting the town last year, that
we have taken our pen at this time; u
legend relating to that worldr-enowned
and yet mysterious prisoner, "The Man
in the Iron Mask" who was, after
some eighteen years close confinement
in the citadel prison at Saint Marguer-
lite, sent to the Bastilc for still greater
security during the reign of Louis
XIV.
Many believe to this day that he was
the Duke of Vermandoise, natural
son of the monarch just named. Some
writers assert that the prisoner was a
young foreign nobleman, the chamber
lain of Queen Anne, and the real father
of Louis XIV. Still another historian
tries to prove that the Iron Mask was a
twin brother of Louis XIV. Certain il
is that every means was taken to keen
tnc iucntitl VI TIC pflSOlcT Ill Tie dark.
Among other things still related con-
cerning the unknown prisoner is this
The officer who continually attend.
ed him in the daytime in the prison OF
st. Marguerite having absented him
self for few moments, the prisoner
hastily wiotc several words upon one
Of the silver plates upon which his din
ner had been served, with the point OF
his pen-knife, and threw il from the
solitary window of his cell into the sea
A poor fisherman, seeing 1t fall, Sc
cured il and brought II TO the command.
ant of the fortress. lie was at once
eagerly questioned as TO his ability TO
read, and, having assured the officer in
command that he could not do so, he
was allowed to depart. A few days
later, however, his dead body was
found floating in the neighborhood OF
the island.
Monsieur dc Bonpart was governor of
the citadel from abont the period when
the Iron Mask was first incarcerated
there. lie had one child, daughter
named Viotorlne, then just emerging
from childhood TO wOmanhood, and who
grew up with this mystery around her
Taken from convent near Paris to
accompany her father to his isolated