The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-01-25
MASKS AND MASQUERADERS.
Their Origin and Interesting Facts Con-
corning Them.

Their Origin and Interesting Facts Con-
corning Them.
The Story of the Man With the Iron Mask
RetOld.
In the present season when many San An
tonians are preparing for, and participating in
the fun of the "bal masque' or masquerade,
it would be interesting to know when, how and
under what circumstances this species of enter
tainment was instituted. This question cannot
be satisfactorily answered. All we know is
that it is of Italian origin, and that i'm the reign
of Edward III, i. e. in 1340 it was a fashionable
source of amusement i'm the English court. In
time it became so popular that i'm the reign of
Charles H., 1860, it was one of the chief pleas
ureS of the London citizens and was the source
of considerable immortality. The church long
preached against the system, and in the year
174, George L. suppressed it by act of Par
Lament. This had only a temporary
effect, for ere long masquerades were
revived, and conducted even in a more
shameless manner, and so great was the
rage to participate i'm the masquerade that on
more than one occasion tickets for the masked
ball i'm Raneagh gardens, London, have sold at
prices ranging from $500 to a 81 600 each. Now
it is an isolated form of entertainment, little
patronized, and is conducted generally on "a
moral basis.
The bal masque was one of the customs
America derived from the early English set
tiers, and except in few cases has been well
conducted, the Puritan element serving to keep
down its Objectionable features. AS conducted
in San Antonio and other American cities, with
exception of those of the demi-monde charac-
ter In New York, Chicago, and other large
Northern cities, they are simply an innocent
and pleasant source of amusement in which
both sexes can heartily and fearlessly partici-
pate.
A few words as to the "mask" may not be out
of place. It's origin is involved in the same OBJ
security. 1t is said that 1t was first invented by
Poppae, the wife of Nero, to protect her com
plexiOn from the effects of the sun, and was
worn by her for the same purpose as the San
Antonio belle now wears the hideous gauZe
veil. The theatrical masks were their pro-
genitors and were used by both Greek and
Romans in their performance. Horace at
tuibutes their invention to ESchylus, but this
must be wrong as Aristotle tells us that in his
day the inventor and date of invention
were both unknown. The modern mask was
devised by Italians, and by them introduced
into France. They are supposed to have been
English introduced into America.
When writing of the masks, the story of the
man with the iron mask which is ndelibly as
sociated with it, crowds upon the writer's
memory. Who and what the unfortunate
man was history has failed to show.
All that is known is that the man
VI.
st. Mars, a creature of the French king, and was
by him placed in the following prisons at the
dates named: Pignerol 1873, EXelles Q6Sn,
Sainte Marguerite l6S1), and at the Bastille in
France QS9S). He died in the latter prison on
November 10, 1903. He is said to have been of
noble mien, was treated with such great defer
ence that St. Mars himself stood in his pres
encc, and waited at his table. All the ndignity
offered to him was the imprisonment, and the
order to wear an iron mask to conceal his iden-
tity, which was SO imperative that the keepers
ha1 StpiH fn L inn hn rn1 on
his features were seen. All those who could
have thrown any light upon this mysterious
transaction have passedaway without reveal
ing any facts in connection with the masked
prisoner. Many stories, plays and articles have
been written on the subject. Some say that il
was Count Ercolo Antonio MatthiOli, senator
of Mantua, who was thus imprisoned for de-
ceiving LOUIS XIV. IN not carrying out a secret
treaty to deliver the fortress of CasaIe, the Key
of Italy, to the French government, and GER
tain it is that his disappearance was not
accounted for; that it was Louis Due de Yer
mandois, natural son of Louis XIV, by the in
famous Countess De la Valliere, who was thus
punished for boxing the Dauphin's ears, but
AS the Duo" died in camp whilst the Iron
Mask was still living this must be wrong; that
it was foreign nobleman, the Chamberlain of
the FrenchQueen Annie of Austria, who became
be so; that 1t was the gay English Duke of
Beaufort so dealt with for intrigue with the
same queen, but as he was slain by Turks be-
fore the Iron Mask died, that is impossible
that he was the elder brother of Louis XIV who
had the wrong father in the person of either
the English LOthariOs known as the Duke of
Buckingham, or the willy Cardinal Richelieu,
both especial favOrites of the beauteOus Anne
of Austria; that it was, as Able SOulavie
declares, the elder and twin brother of Louis
XIV; that it was the lost Armenian.patriarch,
Avedik who incurred royal displeasure,
and last, but not least that it was
the Duke of Monmouth, the Inflated
son of Charles the III of England and
the fair, but frail Lucy Walters, but if, as
history records, Monmouth was executed on
Tower Hill, London, in 1885, this cannot be
was prisoner of importance whose existence
must be kept from the world, and the logical
conclusion is that he was a member of the
royal family OF France, probably the real heir
to the throne of that country. This, however
and all that can be written and said on the sub
ject, are mere conjectures, because the true
story is lost in the Oblivion of the grave.