magic and real detectives-第15部分

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pushed　the　inquiry　into　a　source　neglected　by　the　French

historians；　namely；　the　correspondence　of　the　English　ambassadors；

agents；　and　statesmen　for　the　years　1668；　1669。＇1＇　　One　result　is

to　confirm　a　wild　theory　of　my　own　to　the　effect　that　the　Man　in

the　Iron　Mask　（if　Dauger　were　he）　may　have　been　as　great　a　mystery

to　himself　as　to　historical　inquirers。　　He　may　not　have　known　WHAT

he　was　imprisoned　for　doing！　　More　important　is　the　probable

conclusion　that　the　long　and　mysterious　captivity　of　Eustache

Dauger；　and　of　another　perfectly　harmless　valet　and　victim；　was　the

mere　automatic　result　of　〃red　tape〃　of　the　old　French　absolute

monarchy。　　These　wretches　were　caught　in　the　toils　of　the　system；

and　suffered　to　no　purpose；　for　no　crime。　　The　two　men；　at　least

Dauger；　were　apparently　mere　supernumeraries　in　the　obscure

intrigue　of　a　conspirator　known　as　Roux　de　Marsilly。





＇1＇　The　papers　are　in　the　Record　Office；　for　the　contents　see　the

following　essay；　The　Valet's　Master。





This　truly　abominable　tragedy　of　Roux　de　Marsilly　is　〃another

story；〃　narrated　in　the　following　essay。　　It　must　suffice　here　to

say　that；　in　1669；　while　Charles　II。　was　negotiating　the　famous；　or

infamous；　secret　treaty　with　Louis　XIV。the　treaty　of　alliance

against　Holland；　and　in　favor　of　the　restoration　of　Roman

Catholicism　in　EnglandRoux　de　Marsilly；　a　French　Huguenot；　was

dealing　with　Arlington　and　others；　in　favor　of　a　Protestant　league

against　France。



When　he　started　from　England　for　Switzerland　in　February；　1669；

Marsilly　left　in　London　a　valet　called　by　him　〃Martin；〃　who　had

quitted　his　service　and　was　living　with　his　own　family。　　This　man

is　the　〃Eustache　Dauger〃　of　our　mystery。　　The　name　is　his　prison

pseudonym；　as　〃Lestang〃　was　that　of　Mattioli。　　The　French

Government　was　anxious　to　lay　hands　on　him；　for　he　had　certainly；

as　the　letters　of　Marsilly　prove；　come　and　gone　freely　between　that

conspirator　and　his　English　employers。　　How　much　Dauger　knew；　what

amount　of　mischief　he　could　effect；　was　uncertain。　　Much　or　little；

it　was　a　matter　which；　strange　to　say；　caused　the　greatest　anxiety

to　Louis　XIV。　and　to　his　Ministers　for　very　many　years。　　Probably

long　before　Dauger　died　（the　date　is　unknown；　but　it　was　more　than

twenty…five　years　after　Marsilly's　execution）；　his　secret；　if

secret　he　possessed；　had　ceased　to　be　of　importance。　　But　he　was

now　in　the　toils　of　the　French　red　tape；　the　system　of　secrecy

which　rarely　released　its　victim。　　He　was　guarded；　we　shall　see

with　such　unheard…of　rigor　that　popular　fancy　at　once　took　him　for

some　great；　perhaps　royal；　personage。



Marsilly　was　publicly　tortured　to　death　in　Paris　on　June　22；　1669。

By　July　19　his　ex…valet；　Dauger；　had　entered　on　his　mysterious　term

of　captivity。　　How　the　French　got　possession　of　him；　whether　he

yielded　to　cajolery；　or　was　betrayed　by　Charles　II。；　is　uncertain。

The　French　ambassador　at　St。　James's；　Colbert　（brother　of　the

celebrated　Minister）；　writes　thus　to　M。　de　Lyonne；　in　Paris；　on

July　I；　1669：＇1＇　〃Monsieur　Joly　has　spoken　to　the　man　Martin〃

（Dauger）；　〃and　has　really　persuaded　him　that；　by　going　to　France

and　telling　all　that　he　knows　against　Roux；　he　will　play　the　part

of　a　lad　of　honor　and　a　good　subject。〃





＇1＇　Transcripts　from　Paris　MSS。；　Vol。　xxxiii。；　Record　Office。





But　Martin；　after　all；　was　NOT　persuaded！



Martin　replied　to　Joly　that　he　knew　nothing　at　all；　and　that；　once

in　France；　people　would　think　he　was　well　acquainted　with　the

traffickings　of　Roux；　〃and　so　he　would　be　kept　in　prison　to　make

him　divulge　what　he　did　not　know。〃　　The　possible　Man　in　the　Iron

Mask　did　not　know　his　own　secret！　　But；　later　in　the　conversation；

Martin　foolishly　admitted　that　he　knew　a　great　deal；　perhaps　he　did

this　out　of　mere　fatal　vanity。　　Cross　to　France；　however；　he　would

not；　even　when　offered　a　safe…conduct　and　promise　of　reward。

Colbert　therefore　proposes　to　ask　Charles　to　surrender　the　valet；

and　probably　Charles　descended　to　the　meanness。　　By　July　19；　at　all

events；　Louvois；　the　War　Minister　of　Louis　XIV。；　was　bidding　Saint…

Mars；　at　Pignerol　in　Piedmont；　expect　from　Dunkirk　a　prisoner　of

the　very　highest　importancea　valet！　　This　valet；　now　called

〃Eustache　Dauger；〃　can　only　have　been　Marsilly's　valet；　Martin；

who；　by　one　means　or　another；　had　been　brought　from　England　to

Dunkirk。　　It　is　hardly　conceivable；　at　least；　that　when　a　valet；　in

England；　is　〃wanted〃　by　the　French　police　on　July　1；　for　political

reasons；　and　when　by　July　19　they　have　caught　a　valet　of　extreme

political　importance；　the　two　valets　should　be　two　different　men。

Martin　must　be　Dauger。



Here；　then；　by　July　19；　1669；　we　find　our　unhappy　serving　man　in

the　toils。　　Why　was　he　to　be　handled　with　such　mysterious　rigor？

It　is　true　that　State　prisoners　of　very　little　account　were　kept

with　great　secrecy。　　But　it　cannot　well　be　argued　that　they　were

all　treated　with　the　extraordinary　precautions　which；　in　the　case

of　Dauger；　were　not　relaxed　for　twenty…five　or　thirty　years。　　The

King　says；　according　to　Louvois；　that　the　safe　keeping　of　Dauger　is

〃of　the　last　importance　to　his　service。〃　　He　must　have　intercourse

with　nobody。　　His　windows　must　be　where　nobody　can　pass；　several

bolted　doors　must　cut　him　off　from　the　sound　of　human　voices。

Saint…Mars　himself；　the　commandant；　must　feed　the　valet　daily。

〃You　must　never；　under　any　pretenses　listen　to　what　he　may　wish　to

tell　you。　　You　must　threaten　him　with　death　if　he　speaks　one　word

except　about　his　actual　needs。　　He　is　only　a　valet；　and　does　not

need　much　furniture。〃＇1＇





＇1＇　The　letters　are　printed　by　Roux　Fazaillac；　Jung；　Lair；　and

others。





Saint…Mars　replied　that；　in　presence　of　M。　de　Vauroy；　the　chief

officer　of　Dunkirk　（who　carried　Dauger　thence　to　Pignerol）；　he　had

threatened　to　run　Dauger　through　the　body　if　he　ever　dared　to

speak；　even　to　him；　Saint…Mars。　　He　has　mentioned　this　prisoner；　he

says；　to　no　mortal。　　People　believe　that　Dauger　is　a　Marshal　of

France；　so　strange　and　unusual　are　the　precautions　taken　for　his

security。



A　Marshal　of　France！　　The　legend　has　begun。　　At　this　time　（1669）

Saint…Mars　had　in　charge　Fouquet；　the　great　fallen　Minister；　the

richest　and　most　dangerous　subject　of　Louis　XIV。　　By…and…by　he　also

held　Lauzun；　the　adventurous　wooer　of　la　Grande　Mademoiselle。　　But

it　was　not　they；　it　was　the　valet；　Dauger；　who　caused　〃sensation。〃



On　February　20；　1672；　Saint…Mars；　for　the　sake　of　economy；　wished

to　use　Dauger　as　valet　to　Lauzun。　　This　proves　that　Saint…Mars　did

not；　after　all；　see　the　necessity　of　secluding　Dauger　or　thought

the　King's　fears　groundless。　　In　the　opinion　of　Saint…Mars；　Dauger

did　not　want　to　be　released；　〃would　never　ask　to　be　set　free。〃

Then　why　was　he　so　anxiously　guarded？　　Louvois　refused　to　let

Dauger　be　put　with　Lauzun　as　valet。　　In　1675；　however；　he　allowed

Dauger　to　act　as　valet　to　Fouquet；　but　with　Lauzun；　said　Louvois；

Dauger　must　have　no　intercourse。　　Fouquet　had　then　another　prisoner

valet；　La　Riviere。　　This　man　had　apparently　been　accused　of　no

crime。　　He　was　of　a　melancholy　character；　and　a　dropsical　habit　of

body：　Fouquet　had　amused　himself　by　doctoring　him　and　teaching　him

to　read。



In　the　month　of　December；　1678；　Saint…Mars；　the　commandant　of　the

prison；　brought　to　Fouquet　a　sealed　letter　from　Louvois；　the　seal

unbroken。　　His　own　reply　was　also　to　be　sealed；　and　not　to　be　seen

by　Saint…Mars。　　Louvois　wrote　that　the　King　wished　to　know　one

thing；　before　giving　Fouquet　ampler　liberty。　　Had　his　valet；

Eustache　Dauger；　told　his　other　valet；　La　Riviere；　what　he　had　done

before　coming　to　Pignerol？　（de　ce　a　quoi　il　a　ete　employe　aupravant

que　d'etre　a　Pignerol）。　　〃His　Majesty　bids　me　ask　you　＇Fouquet＇

this　question；　and　expects　that　you　will　answer　without　considering

anything　but　the　truth；　that　he　may　know　what　measures　to　take；〃

these　depending　on　whether　Dauger　has；　or　has　not；　told　La　Riviere

the　story　of　his　past　life。＇1＇　　Moreover；　Lauzun　was　never；　said

Louvois；　to　be　allowed　to　enter　Fouquet's　room　when　Dauger　was

present。　　The　humorous　point　is　that；　thanks　to　a　hole　dug　in　the

wall　between　his　room　and　Fouquet's；　Lauzun　saw　Dauger　whenever　he

pleased。





＇1＇　Lair；　Nicholas　Foucquet；　ii。　pp。　463；　464。





From　the　letter　of　Louvois　to　Fouquet；　about　Dauger　（December　23；

1678）；　it　is　plain　that　Louis　XIV。　had　no　more　pressing　anxiety；

nine　years　after　Dauger's　arrest；　than　to　conceal　what　it　was　that

Dauger　had　done。　　It　is　apparent　that　Saint…Mars　himself　either　was

unacquainted　with　this　secret；　or　was　supposed　by　Louvois　and　the

King　to　be　unaware　of　it。　　He　had　been　ordered　never　to　allow

Dauger　to　tell　him；　he　was　not　allowed　to　see　the　letters　on　the

subject　between　Lauzun　and　Fouquet。　　We　still　do　not　know；　and

never　shall　know；　whether　Dauger　himself　knew　his　own　secret；　or

whether　（as　he　had　anticipated）　he　was　locked　up　for　not　divulging

what　he　did　not　know。



The　answer　of　Fouquet　to　Louvois　must　have　satisfied　Louis　that

Dauger　had　not　imparted　his　secret　to　the　other　valet；　La　Riviere；

for　Fouquet　was　now　allowed　a　great　deal　of　liberty。　　In　1679；　he

might　see　his　family；　the　officers　of　the　garrison；　and　Lauzunit

being　provided　that　Lauzun　and　Dauger　should　never　meet。　　In　March；

1680；　Fouquet　died；　and　henceforth　the　two　valets　were　most

rigorously　guarded；　Dauger；　because　he　was　supposed　to　know

something；　La　Riviere；　because　Dauger　might　have　imparted　the　real

or　fancied　secret　to　him。　　We　shall　return　to　these　poor　serving

men；　but　here　it　is　necessary　to　state　that；　ten　months　before　the

death　of　their　master；　Fouquet；　an　important　new　captive　had　been

brought　to　the　prison　of　Pignerol。



This　captive　was　the　other　candidate　for　the　honors　of　the　Mask；

Count　Mattioli；　the　secretary　of　the　Duke　of　Mantua。　　He　was

kidnaped　on　Italian　soil　on　May　2；　1679；　an