The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-21

r. has been said that the genius of
Greece was purely intellectual and artis-
tic. the noblest feats being the creation
of the niad and the Parthenon. 1t may
also be said that the noblest creations of
the empire of mystery. covering all the
details of living horror on one side, and
all the practical application of intellectual
supremacy in its mightlest power on the
other side are to be found In the Letters
of Junius and the Man In the Iron Mask.
voltaire, from his scant seat on the ele-
walton Of little Switzerland. made priest
craft howl" according to Macaulay. but
Junius did more than that to the Duke
of Grafton and Sir William Draper, and
others. 1t has long been known that I'M
der conditions man can howl, for Homer
says that 'Hecuba howled." Each OF
these wretches (Junius and the Iron
Maslx); for even Junius who creates SO
much human misery by the force OF an
imperial intellect cannot be less than
yretched, belonged to that horrible par
odv of human life which Is called fash
ionable society,"" Love Is the Oldest game
in the world, and 1t is supposed to have
been at the bottom of both of these dire
episodes which mark out in their sinister
bearings the primrose path down wnlch
so many hapess feet have trod. just
think of It: Junius, on account OF my
lady -, who. like beauteous Helen OF
Troy. was well past sixty years OF
age" kept on splitting his verbal fusilades
with the cleverness and aplomo OF an
accomplished politician of today untll
bought off by an appointment TO lhoia'
And the Iron Mask who charged as ne
was of being the son of lovely La val
Iaire tho' more likely to have been lower
-nriest tho was he kept the faith so
truly that Jealous King Louis must needs
build a house for his head, and send La
Valliere-really the granddaughter of his
uncle CASTOR, Duke of Orleans, to the
care of a mother superior. But, for all
the caprices of these people, there Is
grandeur in the role they played in life's
game for cen tho love 1t was, 1t had
all the ear-marks of intrepidity They
were, indeed, devotees. Zone unwillingly
so perhaps) at the very shrine of mystery
and by the scholars who search in anti
auarian and mystical dust, they appear
as some old Etruscan building whose
name has perished-one enraptured adj
mirer of Junius even having said. Thou
hast opened to me the brightest page
these ewes have ever scanned in the blot
Grafton Oh, Draper! what sayst thou?
In Junius the stern genius surrendered
and capitulated to the prodigal ambition
and his fiery and intrepid eloquence bow
ed to the storm of English indignation
that swept over him-relying on the
brightness and promise of his own destin-
les, he yet fought duels in ancient In
dia.
But of the Iron Mask; what of him?
fIad In, II xuif
down over his broad forehead, as his
pictures represent him, he looks like
fierce old brigand of the mountains-alas,
the gloomy mask shutting out all joyous
experiences of STAND and Deliver" 1t
haunted him like a demon; sat on him
like a nightmare, yet his port and bear
ing were those of a freeman. Systematic.
hideous persecution envirened him. hos
tile forms ever present were pressing in
exerably upon him. It was like placing a
man in some terrible lonely chamber
which was being gradually exhausted of
air. Who was he?
The encyclopedias, even the very latest
OF them, might as well have kept as
silent as the grave so far as any intel
ligent information they furnished con-
corning this lonely human figure. The
new ones revamp the old stories that
have gone the round of literary gossip
for two centuries Viz, HE was buried
under the name of Marchiali, and lie
always wore a mask of iron covered with
black velvet He has been supposed to
be Cd the Duke of Vermandois-a natural
Austria Queen of Franceta oinaoin--
son of Louis XIV. and Madamoiselle La
VALERIE, (2) an elder brother of Louis
XIV, the son of Anne of Austria Queen
of France and wife of Louis KILL and
the Duke of Buckingham-who visited
the Queen under suspicious circum-
stances; (3) a twin brother of Louis XIV;
"a Count Mattoli a minister of the
Duke of Mantua; imprisoned for treach-
cry; 90 a soldier of fortune named
Marechiel, the head or conspiracy TO
assassinate the king and his ministers;
90 Captain Barzeries published in Pre-
gres de Nantes a translation of some
cipher dispatches of Louis XIV. and
Louvois his minister of finance, apparent
ly showing that the mask was General