Third Hypothesis--Reconciliation of Louis XIII. and Anne of Austria--The Queen _enceinte_ for the Fourth Time--Suspicions with which Royal Births have sometimes been received--Precautions adopted in France for the Purpose of avoiding these Suspicions--Story of Louis XIV.’s Birth--Impossibility of admitting the Birth of a Twin-brother--Richelieu’s Absence--Uselessness of abducting and concealing this pretended Twin-brother 50 CHAPTER V. Motives which hinder one from admitting the Existence, the Arrest, and the Imprisonment of a mysterious Son of Anne of Austria--The Period at which he is said to have been handed over to Saint-Mars, according to the Authors of this Theory, cannot be reconciled with any of the Dates at which Prisoners were sent to this Gaoler--Other Considerations which formally oppose even the Probability of the Theory that makes the Man with the Iron Mask a Brother of Louis XIV. 58 CHAPTER VI. The Count de Vermandois--His Portrait--Mademoiselle de la Vallière, his Mother--Anecdote from the _Mémoires Secrets pour servir à l’Histoire de Perse_--Father Griffet adopts its Conclusions--Arguments that he advances--Motives which render certain of Mademoiselle de Montpensier’s Appreciations suspicious--Improbability of the Story in the _Mémoires de Perse_--Illness of the Count de Vermandois--Reality of his Death attested by the most authentic Despatches--Magnificence of his Obsequies--Pious Endowments at Arras 65 CHAPTER VII. Causes which render the Theory probable that makes Monmouth the Man with the Iron Mask--Political Position of Monmouth--His Portrait--He is persuaded to revolt against his Uncle James II.--He lands near Lyme Regis--His first Successes--Enthusiasm with which he is received--His premature Discouragement--His Defeat at Sedgemoor--His shameful Flight--He is captured and taken to London--Cowardly Terrors of the Prisoner--His Interview with James II. 85 CHAPTER VIII. Bases on which Saint-Foix has founded his Theory--Disputes of Saint-Foix and Father Griffet--The Recollection of Monmouth becomes Legendary in England--Ballads announcing his Return--Indisputable Proofs of Monmouth’s Death in 1685--Interview of Monmouth with his Wife and Children--He is conducted to the Scaffold--His Firmness--The Last Words which he utters--Awkwardness of the Executioner 92 CHAPTER IX. François de Vendôme, Duke de Beaufort--His Portrait--His Conduct during the War of the Fronde--Unimportance of this Individual--Motives cited by Lagrange-Chancel in support of his Theory--Their Improbability--Reasons which determined the Search for Proofs that leave no doubt of Beaufort’s Death at Candia 103 CHAPTER X.