The True History of the State Prisoner, commonly called the Iron Mask: Extracted from Documents in the French ArchivesDover, George Agar Ellis, Baron
History
The True History of the State Prisoner, commonly called the Iron Mask: Extracted from Documents in the French Archives
Dover, George Agar Ellis, Baron
Man in the Iron Mask; Mattioli, Ercole Antonio, conte, 1640-1703; Prisoners -- France -- 17th century
It is there stated, that the masked prisoner arrived at Palteau in a
litter, which preceded the one in which St. Mars himself travelled.
They were accompanied by many men on horseback, and by the peasants
who had gone to meet their landlord. St. Mars always ate with his
prisoner, and the latter sat with his back to the windows of the
dining-room, so that the peasants, who were in the court, could not
see whether he kept his mask on while at meals; but they observed
that St. Mars, who sat opposite to him, had two pistols placed by
the side of his plate. They were served by a single servant, who
brought all the dishes from the anti-room, where they were placed,
and always when he came in or went out shut the door very carefully
after him. When the prisoner crossed the court, he always had his
black mask over his face. The peasants also observed, that his teeth
and lips were seen, that he was tall of stature, and had grey hair.
St. Mars slept in a bed, which had been put up close to that of his
prisoner.[140]
St. Mars and Matthioli arrived at the Bastille on the 18th of
September, 1698, and the former immediately went to the Minister to
apprize him of their arrival.[141] This event is thus commemorated
in the journal of M. Dujonca,[142] who was for many years the
Lieutenant of the King, at the Bastille:--“Thursday, 18th September,
1698, at three o’clock in the afternoon, M. de St. Mars, Governor
of the Bastille, arrived to take possession of his office, coming
from the Islands of St. Margaret and St. Honorat, bringing with
him in his litter an old prisoner, whom he had under his care
at Pignerol, of whom the name is not mentioned; who is always
kept masked, and who was first placed, till night, in the tower
of the Basiniere,[143] and whom I conducted afterwards myself,
at nine o’clock at night, to the third chamber of the tower of
the Bertaudière;[143] which chamber I had taken care to furnish
with all things necessary before his arrival, having received
orders to that effect from M. de St. Mars. When I conducted him
to the before-mentioned chamber, I was accompanied by the Sieur
Rosarges,[144] whom M. de St. Mars also brought with him, and who is
charged to wait upon and take care of the aforesaid prisoner, who is
fed by the Governor.”[145]
Dujonca’s account is confirmed by the extracts of the Register
of the Bastille, published in the work entitled “La Bastille
dévoilée.”[146]
The placing of the prisoner, on his first arrival, temporarily in
one part of the Bastille, and afterwards removing him by night to
another, appears to have been done for the sake of greater secrecy;
and we see by this, as well as by the account of his visit to
Palteau, that the precautions against the possibility of discovery
of his name and character were in no way diminished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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