Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-03
HISTORIC IMPOSTORS
SEVERAL INSTANCES OF SWlNDLlNG
ON A GRAND SCALE.

"SAO 1NSSbONs
In 1923 French society was much inter
ested by the reappearance of the Comte de
St Helene, 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 rejoined his regiment
officers and men recognized him Hnani-
mously. Wefind no mention of the comte's
relatives, but it must be supposed that
they did not object For two years he en-
joycd himself nightly. AT the end Of
that time, when parading with his squad
ron ut some court ceremony, a drunken
loafcr greeted the brilliant captain vocifer-
ously as "Ami Cognard." He would not
be silenced and the police arrested him.
On recovering his senses he persisted that
the Comte de st. Helene was his old com
rade of tho hulks. In brief, so it proved.
After u sensational trial the hero was con-
demned to the gallGys for life and died at
Toulon Is years later. But such impos
lures are mean beside the grand school of
antiquity. Read the amazing tale of Alex
ander the PaphlagOnian, or that of Pere-
grinus, which Christian antiquarians have
not ceased to discuss-both told with spirit
inimitable by Lucian. The career of the
ComtG dc st. GCrmain is mystGriously in
tercsting even yet. 1t is not to be hoped
that the world will sec again such Won
drous humbug as George Psalmaneser
who actually invented a language and
grammar to support his fictitious adven
lures in Formosa. The talent could be
found no doubt and the impudencc, but
science would nip the enterprise in the bud
A name of evil celebrity among biblio-
phileS is that of Jean AymoD. He was q
very able man, of course, fine scholar and
in early years perhaps devout Roman
Catholic Pope Innocent XI made him u
prothOnotary-on of those offices of which
the title is household word to most of US
but comprehended by few. In the height
of his favor, for reason unknown-proba
bly, neutrality-suspicious. fled to Switzer
land and became Protestant. There also
he made an excellent position-desertod it
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 Constantinoplc upon mystcri-
Gus business which would bring great ad
vantage to the Christian faith. When his
admiring friends left him, however, he
went to Paris. There this extraordinary
man presented himself to NJ. Clement
keeper of the Bibliotheque de Roi, pro-
Tossing such remorso for his apostasy that
Clement was persuaded to introduce him
to the cardinal archbishop of Paris That
dignitary, overioyed to recover such a
precious soul, enjoined pious retreat"
for six months, but he allowed Aymon to
pass the time in the royal library
Before the six months expired, however
he was back in Holland with number of
large and heavy boxes, and there in no
long time he announced the publication of
various works profoundly interesting to
scholars and thcologians. Among them
was TO bo a transcript of the proceedings
of the last council at Jerusalem, of which
the only manuscript known lay in the
Biblotho1uo du Roi. The hapJcss Clement
saw this advertisement and rushed to his
shelves. His manuscript was gone! There
was no catalogue of the library. What
Aymon took will never be known. But
he had fOraged Mt will among the unique
and priceless treasures which were the
glory of the collection. Fourteen sheets
even had he torn from tho Bible of st.
Denys itSelf-theSe were recovered from
the Baron Won Stocks years afterward-35
sheets from the seventh century manu-
script of the Pauline epistles. Earl Mid
dlctOn returned 81 of them in the end.
The last has never been heard of. Volumes
of secret dispatches, confidential letters
from popes and kings, antique manu-
scripts and records-the sagaciOus and
erudite Aymon had patiently overhauled
the lot and appropriated the most valuable.
For a century the officials of the biblio-
thcquo, supported by the government,
were negotiating intriguing and threaten
ing to recover such lost treasures as they
could identify from the persons to whom
he had sold them. The thief meanwhile
lived in high consideration at Amsterdam
and died in the odor of sanctity. The
Dutch government would not be persuaded
nor coerced to proceed against him and his
congregation never lost faith.
An instance of another sort well worth
recalling is told in the ANNALS of Lord
Elgins Mission to China" Some weeks
after the taking of Canton native mcr-
chants brought proclamation to his lord
ship asking whether it were authorized.
The document was most imposing, printed
on official paper, signed and countersigned
and sealed. 1t read, in Chinese: Whereas,
the British fleet is now stationed from
Shakok to Shakmum, it is hereby ordered
that, in return for protection against law
less persons who would cut grain without
authority, mace per acre shall be paid
into the British office at Ning-i-Tong (the
hall of peace and patriotism) at Notong, to
which all cultivators are directed to repair
on Oct. 30, or the two following days, with
money in hand" On due payment they
would receive license under seal, (which
will be recognized all over the earth" Any
cultivator who presumed to cut his grain
without such 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
out a moments delay, their papers vised
and Endorsed The proclamation, in fact,
was masterpiece Of businesslilie drafting.
1t did not come to the Knowledge of the
British authorities until Nov. l, and for
two days money had been pouring into
the hall of peace and patriotism. When
Mr.. Wade hurried to the spot, he found
crowd struggling for admission. Six per-
sons of the most dignifed appearance sat
at n table They were aTrpStp1 but soma