The Isles Sainte-Marguerite--Their Appearance--Their Past--Various Causes of their Celebrity--How I was led to suppose that Matthioly was not taken to Exiles by Saint-Mars--Documents which prove him to have been left at Pignerol--Obscurity of the two Prisoners transferred to Exiles by Saint-Mars--Neither of them could have been the Man with the Iron Mask--Removal of the Prisoners of Pignerol to the Isles Sainte-Marguerite 313 CHAPTER XXIII. Behaviour of Charles IV., Duke of Mantua, towards his ex-Minister--His true Sentiments with reference to him--Precautions prescribed to Villebois and Lagrade for the Prisoners left by Saint-Mars at Pignerol--Change in Louis XIV.’s Position in Italy--Transfer of the Pignerol Prisoners to the Isles Sainte-Marguerite--Instructions given to Marshal de Tessé--Increase of Saint-Mars’ Watchfulness--Mystery surrounding the three Prisoners--Great Importance of one of them compared with the others--It is he who was the Man with the Iron Mask 332 CHAPTER XXIV. The Use of a Mask formerly very general--Frequently adopted for Prisoners in Italy--Its Employment not difficult in the Case of Matthioly--Origin of the Legend of the Man with the Iron Mask--As to the Transmission of the Secret from King to King--Louis XV. and Louis XVIII.--How it is that the Despatches which we have quoted have remained unpublished--Concerning the Silence of Saint-Simon--Dujonca--Taulès’ Objection--Louvois’ harsh Language--Matthioly’s Age--Concerning the name of Marchialy--Order for Matthioly’s Arrest--Arrival of the Duke of Mantua in Paris--Conclusion 350 THE MAN WITH THE IRON MASK. INTRODUCTION. Arrival of the Man with the Iron Mask at the Bastille--His Death--General Reflections on this celebrated Prisoner--Motives which determined the present Writer to make fresh Researches concerning him--Plan and Object of the Work.