Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-12
HISTORIC IMPOSTORS
sEvERAL INSTANCES OF SWINDLINo
ON A GRAND SCALE.
An Impersonation Aided by Remarka-
bIe Lfkeness-Treachery Of the Bibiio'
nbiie. Jean Aymon-Hou the Chinese
! Farmers Were Robbed.

phffe, Jean Aymon-hon INC S's'eSS
Farmers Were Robbed.
In 1928 French society was much inter-
ested by the temperance of the Comte de
st. Helene, a wealthy and agreeable young
man of high family, whose death in spain
had been reported two years before. He
had not the least trouble in proving his
identity, for every one recognized him, the
royal family included For forms sake,
he produced his papers, which were quite
correct. The king, delighted, gave him "a
step, and when he reioined his regiment
officers and men recognized him unani-
,nously. We find no mention Of the comtes
relatives, but 1t must be supposed that
they did not object. For two years he en-
joyed himself nightly. AT the end Of
that time, when paradlng with his squad
ron MT some court ceremony, a drunken
loafer greeted the brilliant captain vocifer-
ously as "Ami Cognard." He would not
be silcnced and the police arrested him.
On recovering his senses he persisted that
the Comic dc St Helene was his old com
rade Of the huIks In brief, so IL proved.
After n sensational trial the hero was CON
demned to the galleys for life and died at
Toulon 16 years later. But such impos-
lures are mean beside the grand school OF
antiquity. Read the amazing tale OF a lex
ander the Paphlagonian, or that OF Pere-
prinus, which Christian antiquarians have
not ceased to diacuss--both told with spirit
jnimitable by Lucian. The career OF tho
Comte do st. German is mystoriously IN
teresting even yet. 1t is not to be hoped
that tho world will see again such won
drous humbug as George Psallnaneser,
who actually invented language ana
grammar to support his fictitious advcn-
lures in Formosa. The talent could he
found no doubt and the impudence, but
science would nip the enterprise in the bud.
A naIno of evil celebrity among biblio-
philcs Is that of Jean Aymon He was
very able man, of course, a fine scholar and
in early years perhaps deyout Romab
Catholic. Pope Innocent XI made him
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of those offices of which
the title is household word to most OF us,
but comprehended by few. In tho height
of his favor, for reason unknown-proba-
bly, neutrality-suspicious. fed to Switzer
land and became Protestant. There also
he made an excellent position-deserted 1t
and went to Holland. A rich and pious
widow fell in love with him, his eloquent
preaching charmed the Dutch, and for
some years wealth and fashion kept him
quiet. Suddenly he declared his intention
of visiting Constantinople upon mystorl-
GUS business which would bring great al
vantage to the Christian faith. When his
admiring friends left him, however, no
went to Paris. There this extraordinary
man presented himself to NJ. Clement,
keeper of the Bibliotheque do Roi, pru-
Tossing such romorse for his apOstasy that
Clement was persuaded to introduce him
to the cardinal archbishop of Paris. That
dignitary, overjoyed to recover such II
precious soul, enjoined pious retreat"
for six months, but he allowed Aymon to
pass the timo in the royal library.
Before tho six months expired, however,
he was back In Holland with n number OF
large and heavy boxes, and there in no
long time he announced the publication Of
various works profoundly interesting to
scholars and theologians Among them
was to DO IA transcript of tho proceedings
of tho last council at Jerusalem, Of which
tho only manuscript known lay in tho
Bblothoque du Ro The hapless Clement
SAW this advertisement and rushed to his
shelves. His manuscript was gonel There
was no catalogue of the library. What
Aymon took will never be known. But
aud priceless treasures which wore the
glory of tho collection. Fourteen sheets
even had no torn from tho Bible of st.
Dcnys itself--thcse were recovered from
tho Baron Won Stocks years afterward-35
sheets from the seventh century manu-
script of tho Pauline epistles. Earl Mid
dleton returned "a of them in the end.
The last has never been heard of. Volumes
"a +i,1
from popos and kings, antique manu-
scripts and records-the sagacious and
oruditc Aymon had patiently overhauled
the lot and appropriated tho most valuable.
For century the officials of the biblio
theque, supported by tho government,
wcrc negotiating, intriguing and threaten
ing TO recover such lost treasures rs they
could identify from the persons to whom
he had sold them. Tho thief meanwhile
lived in high consideration Mt Amsterdam
and died in the odor of sanctity. The
Dutch government would not be persuaded
nor cocrocd to proceed against him and his
congregation never lost faith.
An instance of another sort well worth
recalling is told in tho "Annals of Lord
Elgin's Mission to China" Some weeks
after tho taking of Canton native mer-
ship asking whether it We're authorized,
The document was most imposing, printed
on official paper, signed and countersigned
and sealed. IL read, in Chinese: Whereas,
the British fleet is now stationed from
Shakol to Shakmum, it is hereby ordered
that, in return for protection against law
less persons VINO would cut grain without
authority, mace per acre shall be paid
into the British Office ut Ning-i-Tong (the
hall of peace and patriotism), at Netong, to
which all cultivators are directed to repair
on Oct. 30, or tho two following days, with
money in hand" On due payment they
would receive a license under seal, (Which
will be recognized all over the earth" Any
oultiyator who presumed to cut his grain
without suoh license would be seized forth
with "by the vessels of the Ning-i-Tong of
Great Britain" and carried to the said
hall, there to be punished for contempt
and to lose the whole of his property with
ont moments delay, their papers vised
and Endorsed. The proclamation, in fact,
was masterpiece of businesslille drafting.
1t did not come to the knowledge of tho
British authorities until Nov /, and for
two days money had been pouring into
the hall of peace and patriotism. When